Community Police Officer (2)

Old Jiang looked at Tong Haojing. "Order whatever you like!"

Tong Haojing had already gotten some sense of Old Jiang's temperament. Afraid of making him angry, he hesitated before saying awkwardly, "Some chili vinegar, then!" The owner later brought out a vegetable dish as well.

The two sat in a corner of Jia Jia Tavern, drinking together until the small bottle of liquor was empty. Old Jiang's face was flushed red, and he spoke excitedly without pause. "Xiao Tong, I'm already fifty-five this year. I'm not someone who strives to get ahead. You've only just arrived, and now you're following me. I can't say whether that's right or wrong, but there's one thing: work within your capabilities. Don't aim too high. Keep something back when you speak to people. You know the saying, 'The bird that sticks its head out gets shot,' right? Today, you agreed to the director's request without thinking it through. I was really worried for you. Do you know how complicated Hongqiao Community is? Even an old community cop like me, with decades on the job, can barely handle it. Yet you took it far too lightly. I shouldn't have said these things, but seeing how young, hot-blooded, and sincere you are, I had to say them.

"Ah, every family has its own troubles. Xiao Tong, you don't have a girlfriend yet, do you? You need to choose carefully. Don't end up like me. I drank a little too much tonight, so don't laugh at me!" Old Jiang suddenly blurted out that strange, unfinished remark. Tong Haojing merely nodded, taking it for drunken talk. Still, although some of it might dampen Tong Haojing's enthusiasm, it was surely heartfelt advice.

"There's nothing wrong with following you, Teacher Jiang!" Tong Haojing said with complete certainty. He did not know who Old Jiang's words were aimed at, but there was clearly something unspoken behind them. Perhaps they were guidance on dealing with people, or perhaps on finding a girlfriend. Tong Haojing could not tell.

"What does my sister-in-law do?" Tong Haojing asked.

"This... ah! She doesn't have a proper job. She works for someone else!" Old Jiang hesitated, clearly embarrassed that his wife had no formal job and reluctant to say it aloud.

"Where does she work?"

"At West City Hotel. My wife was laid off a few years ago, then she went there to be the manager. I told her not to do it, but she insisted on leasing the place herself. That's where the problem started. The bureau has rules: police officers' family members aren't allowed to run entertainment venues or hotels. But she wouldn't listen, and we argued over it all the time! Director Tang even talked to me about it several times. What could I do? My wife has to make a living. Besides, Tang Changan has plenty of problems himself... Ah, forget it. Talking about it only hurts feelings!"

Tong Haojing gradually understood the heart of the conflict between them.

Old Jiang and Tong Haojing chatted back and forth. Tong Haojing mostly listened to Old Jiang speak. From Jiang Hongde's manner and bearing, he could tell that he was an honest, kindhearted man. He also wanted to hear Old Jiang's story, hoping to find his own starting point in the fragments of Old Jiang's life.

They drank for more than an hour, and Old Jiang had thoroughly enjoyed himself. Tong Haojing went to pay the bill, but Old Jiang had already settled it while pretending to go to the restroom.

Night fell, and the streetlights came on. The two left the restaurant, Old Jiang still brimming with excitement.

"Come on, kid. I'll take you around the community." Old Jiang's unsteady gait worried Tong Haojing. Tong Haojing supported his arm, but did not dare criticize him rashly, so he simply followed wherever Old Jiang said to go.

Old Jiang was not tall, only about five foot three. As he crossed the road without looking far ahead, a black Volkswagen sedan roared past him, its front end visibly dented. Tong Haojing reacted quickly and hurriedly pulled him back. Old Jiang vaguely recognized the driver as one of West City's hoodlums and muttered angrily, "Let me run into you again, and I'll show you how I deal with you!"

Old Jiang had disciplined plenty of the community's young thugs. He paused, suddenly recalling something. "Xiao Tong, the one who just sped past was one of those involved in that river-jumping incident by the Tangdu River... No, that's not it... He's with them."

"Oh, he's one of them?"

Tong Haojing glanced over, but his impression was vague. The man merely looked strangely familiar, though the impression flashed through his mind and disappeared. He keenly noticed that the man's expression and movements differed from those of an ordinary driver. The car swerved from side to side and was seriously speeding.

"Stop! Danger!" Tong Haojing suddenly sensed something was wrong and shouted.

Tong Haojing swiftly chased after the Volkswagen sedan as it flashed past, then cut through an alley and sprinted all the way. The pedestrians had no idea what had happened when, from the direction of the alley exit, there came a thunderous bang.

"Crash! There's been a crash!" someone shouted.

Tong Haojing determined that the sound had come from the Volkswagen that had just sped by. When he ran closer, he saw that it had indeed crashed into a roadside barrier. The driver was frantically trying to turn around, and the car could strike the crowd at any moment. There was even a danger of explosion. At that critical moment, Tong Haojing ignored his own safety, rushed forward, forcibly pulled open the door, removed the key, and yanked the screaming driver out of the cab. With a swift elbow-lock and arm-twisting hold, he firmly subdued the violent, crazed driver.

The Volkswagen was stopped sideways across the road. Even in the night, under the streetlights, white smoke could be seen rising from its front end. A Special Operations Unit vehicle with its siren blaring arrived from the direction of Jinshan Avenue. Two special operations officers got out, sweat covering their faces and grim expressions in place.

They had rushed over after receiving a report from the public that a young man had hijacked a Volkswagen sedan.

"He's caught. That was close! He already smashed into several barriers up ahead!" One of the special operations officers quickly stepped forward, took out handcuffs, and cuffed the hijacker's hands. Only then did Tong Haojing let go and hand the driver over to them.

"Kid, what unit are you from?" one of the special operations officers asked.

"West City Police Station!"

"What? A police station? You're really something!" The officer looked skeptically at the youthful young man, then could not help giving him a thumbs-up. "I'll tell your Director Tang about this later. Not bad!"

The special operations officers told Tong Haojing that the man had hijacked a citizen's Volkswagen sedan on West City Avenue. He had a history of drug use and had likely been hallucinating after taking drugs. That confirmed Tong Haojing's judgment: the driver had appeared mentally disoriented. It was thanks to Tong Haojing's exceptional ability to observe people's psychology and physiognomy.

At that moment, Old Jiang came panting out of the alley. He had been worried sick over Tong Haojing's reckless action. A crowd surrounded Tong Haojing, repeatedly clicking their tongues in admiration.

"This young man is remarkable. He stepped up at the crucial moment and saved everyone's lives. Otherwise, who knew how many people would have suffered!"

Only then did Old Jiang understand that Tong Haojing had done something major. He patted Tong Haojing's shoulder approvingly. "Xiao Tong, well done. When we get back, I'll definitely report this to the station. You'll earn merit for this, no problem!"

"This earns merit too? I just spotted a small problem. Don't make such a big fuss over it!" Tong Haojing smiled at Old Jiang somewhat sheepishly.

The special operations officers had already taken the crazed hijacker away.

Tong Haojing squeezed out of the crowd. Old Jiang was still a little unsteady on his feet, so Tong Haojing supported him as they continued down South Main Street, passed through an alley, turned two more corners, and crossed a small river. Old Jiang sobered up a little. He shook free of Tong Haojing's hand and walked briskly on his own. Before them was a riverside railing. Old Jiang leaned on it, gazed into the distance, and pointed at the brightest neon lights. "That whole dark stretch of old town ahead is Hongqiao Community. The place with the red lights is Hongdu Entertainment City, the liveliest spot in West City."

In the direction Old Jiang pointed, the lights were noticeably dimmer. The buildings were low, and compared with the high-rises outside the police station's territory, it was like heaven and earth.

Early summer nights still carried a slight chill, and several stars already glittered in the sky.

Old Jiang led Tong Haojing into Hongqiao Community. As they walked, he pointed things out. Many storefront residents had already closed for the night, leaving only the illuminated advertising lightboxes outside their doors especially glaring. Some of the secluded alleys were pitch-black and eerily frightening.

Old Jiang said, "Most of the people living in these alleys are longtime residents. There are many unemployed people, and the population is complicated. Getting a handle on them takes real effort!" Old Jiang staggered deeper inside, intending to show Tong Haojing the places where he often worked and familiarize him with the environment.

Tong Haojing saw that the alleys twisted and connected in every direction. The terrain rose and fell like a maze. After only a few steps, he failed to keep up with Old Jiang and got lost. He called Old Jiang, only to hear a dead line. Old Jiang must have run into some situation. Tong Haojing waited for a while, but Old Jiang did not emerge, so he continued into the alleys. Suddenly, a burst of noisy commotion came from a small room around a corner. Curious, Tong Haojing moved closer and peered through the crack in the door. Six or seven bare-chested men were openly placing bets and gambling. The gamblers did not even notice Tong Haojing quietly slipping in through the doorway. One gambler standing nearby kept complaining that Tong Haojing was blocking his view. "If you're not betting, move aside!"

The gamblers were so absorbed that Tong Haojing had no chance to call Old Jiang. He watched without drawing attention to himself, until one gambler suddenly sensed something wrong. He put down his cards, turned around, and gave Tong Haojing a look. "I don't know you. Where did you come in from?"

The man was Hu Pan, a West City hoodlum with a buzz cut and slanted eyes, fresh out of detention. His fleshy face was full of menace. He wore a round-neck satin T-shirt and a thick gold chain around his neck, as thick as a chopstick, giving him a terrifyingly vicious look.

"Police! Don't move!" Tong Haojing suddenly roared.

Hu Pan froze. The thin cigarette clenched between his lips fell to the floor. He looked up at Tong Haojing with disdain. He had never seen this guy before, and he was alone. Hu Pan's flustered expression quickly settled, and his courage swelled at once.

"Who the fuck are you to meddle in my business?" Seeing this, the other gamblers rose as one and pulled out knives from their bodies. They rushed forward and surrounded Tong Haojing, clearly intending to teach him a brutal lesson.

Tong Haojing was no pushover either, and he fought back with all his strength. But the cramped space prevented him from using the combat techniques of the Special Operations Unit. Instinctively, he assumed a fighting stance and shouted a warning, "Back off! Back off!" His intimidating voice kept the gamblers from approaching.