Riverbank Robbery

In March, spring flowers bloomed, and the river rose slightly.

On the far bank of the Tangdu River, willows swayed gracefully. Several young girls were playing in the water by the river, while a young woman beside them carried a camera and filmed the lively scene.

In the distance, a quiet path led straight to the riverbank.

From the alley leading into the city came a woman's faint, broken cries: "...Catch them... I've been robbed!"

The woman was Long Qiaozhen, who had come to West City District of Tangdu City to visit her daughter, Zhu Lina. Since her daughter refused to see her, she had no choice but to head home, never expecting to run into three thugs.

Tong Haojing, a retired soldier fishing by the Tangdu River with Uncle Mumu, heard the cries. Instinctively, he sprang from the riverbank onto the embankment. From far away, he saw a tall man and a short man running toward him. He grabbed the iron stool he had been sitting on and blocked the road like a mountain, shouting, "What are you doing? Where do you think you're running?"

The tall man was Scarface, lean and lanky, with no trace of fear. He held a sharp knife and looked quite pleased with himself. Seeing someone block his path, he shouted arrogantly, "Get lost! This has nothing to do with you, or I'll kill your whole family!" He waved the knife before his chest, its point flashing with a cold, bright gleam.

Shorty cursed from the side to egg him on. "Damn it, what business is this of yours? Stop meddling!"

Those vicious, hurtful words completely enraged Tong Haojing, who had come from a military background. To be insulted by scum like this in such a tiny place—wouldn't that disgrace the name of a Special Operations Unit soldier?

Tong Haojing gave a cold laugh. "You're looking to die, kid. Do you know who I am? The ones who can take me down haven't even been born yet!"

Seeing that this unexpected intruder had no intention of backing down, Scarface did not dare rush forward recklessly. He shouted again, "Get lost! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" With that, he lunged with his knife. His movements were as fast as lightning, and Tong Haojing nearly failed to react. He instinctively shifted backward and slightly to the left. With a swift grab of his left hand, he redirected the attack. Scarface had put too much force into the strike and crashed face-first onto the ground, his face covered in mud as he cried out in pain, "Ow! Ow!"

Taking advantage of the moment, Shorty circled to Tong Haojing's right and pulled out a knife as well. Waving it from side to side, he charged at Tong Haojing and stabbed toward his waist. Quick-eyed and quick-handed, Tong Haojing seized the moment, blocked with his arm, and stepped forward, knocking the knife from his hand.

Unwilling to be outdone, Shorty leaped up and seized Tong Haojing by the throat. Scarface climbed up from the ground, knife in hand, preparing to launch a sneak attack. Tong Haojing caught sight of him from the corner of his eye. He heaved Shorty up and threw him down, then blocked with his backhand. Scarface's knife plunged straight into Shorty's thigh. Shorty screamed, released Tong Haojing's neck, and was thrown into the ditch beside the road, howling, "My leg! My leg!"

Scarface was dumbfounded by the sight before him. Realizing things had gone badly, he took several steps back, his legs trembling.

Tong Haojing barked, "Drop the knife, and I'll let you go!"

The knife's glare was blinding, its chill menacing. It could injure him at any moment. As long as this guy dropped the knife, everything would be easier to handle. Tong Haojing pressed forward step by step, having already spotted Scarface's opening and preparing to seize the knife when the chance came.

Scarface was truly beginning to panic. He howled wildly again, "Don't come over! Don't come over! I'll drop the knife!"

Facing this big man, he could not afford to suffer an immediate loss. Pretending to surrender before making his escape was the best plan. Scarface made up his mind and, under the pretense of dropping his knife, slipped beneath Tong Haojing's arm.

Seeing the two fight so fiercely, Uncle Mumu dropped his glasses into the grass in his panic and could no longer see clearly. Afraid Tong Haojing would be at a disadvantage, he grabbed a wooden stick and stood blocking the roadside. Scarface, slippery as a loach, darted toward the river in an instant.

Tong Haojing was furious. That criminal was quite crafty. This time, I definitely can't let him get away. Stretching his long legs, he gave chase.

Uncle Mumu followed behind and shouted, "Tongtong, don't chase him! He has a knife, and it could hurt you!" His words were full of affection and concern for Tong Haojing. By then, Scarface had already thrown down the knife and was focused only on escaping.

Up ahead, Scarface could run no farther. He sat on the high riverbank, gasping for breath as he continued to curse and threaten, "Damn you, what business is this of yours? I'm going to kill someone! Don't come over! Don't come over!"

Tong Haojing no longer believed Scarface's nonsense and continued pressing forward step by step. Scarface despaired. Turning around, he suddenly jumped into the Tangdu River. Tong Haojing was an excellent swimmer. Seeing Scarface jump into the river, he jumped in after him, determined to catch him no matter what.

When Uncle Mumu saw Tong Haojing jump into the river, he could not help shouting, "Tongtong, why are you being so foolish? You don't even care about your life!" Uncle Mumu thought Tong Haojing was not a good swimmer and would surely come to harm in the river. How could he have known that Tong Haojing had become a swimming expert in the army and had even won first prize there?

Several bystanders had already gathered along the riverbank, all talking at once.

An elderly man nearby said, "What are those people doing? Both of them jumped into the river. Are they trying to get themselves killed? The current is so swift. They're more likely dead than alive!"

A middle-aged woman said, "Did they start fighting over fishing spots? Not long ago, several young men fought over a fishing hole, and even the police came!"

Uncle Mumu collapsed onto the ground, staring at the rushing waters of the Tangdu River, completely at a loss.

Everyone came over, asking questions out of concern. Uncle Mumu was overcome with grief and could not speak for a moment. Just then, Shorty crawled out of the ditch by the road, leaving a trail of blood behind him. Pale-faced and weak, he said, "That old man is with that big guy. The two of them ganged up and knocked my brother into the river! Take him to the police station and make him pay for my brother's life!"