Capturing Cuntoucao

A beam of bright light flashed outside the door, and a "snap" sound came from the alley. Tong Haojing turned his head and saw a figure flash at the alley entrance about ten meters away before disappearing.

"It might be my dad. I'm not sleeping until he gets back!" Xiao Yanni said a little stubbornly. She walked to the door, playfully leaning against the doorframe and peeking out, but saw nothing!

Tong Haojing waited for a while longer. Seeing that Cuntoucao didn't return, he finally left the alley.

Actually, Cuntoucao had gone out to buy his daughter's favorite bread. As soon as he reached the intersection of Hongdu Street in the west of the city, he suddenly remembered to inquire about the commotion from the fight a few days ago.

For the past few days, he hadn't dared to leave the house. Although the fight at Hongdu Plaza hadn't been reported, on the night of the incident, a small mistake led to his ID card falling out, leaving him in a state of extreme anxiety and sleeplessness. He hadn't told anyone about this, fearing Long Wen's blame and exposure of their group of thugs. Coincidentally, Cuntoucao's ID card was picked up by an elderly dancing lady at Hongdu Plaza and handed over to Jiang Hongde, a community police officer there.

Mengjing Teahouse outside Hongdu Entertainment City was a common gathering place for the thugs. Cuntoucao unconsciously walked towards it. He really couldn't hold back anymore; he hadn't seen the sun for days, and he felt an itching, unbearable discomfort all over his body, like a cat scratching. This was actually the physiological reaction of Cuntoucao's drug withdrawal.

Cuntoucao had lost his parents at a young age and grew up being fed by many families. By chance, he met Long Wen. Long Wen treated him with extraordinary "kindness." Suddenly, he realized that he had a friend in this world who cared for him more than "family." His heartfelt gratitude overflowed, and he became the most dedicated person in doing things for Long Wen.

One day, a few years ago, Long Wen said someone was openly "bullying" him and stealing his business. Without a word, Cuntoucao took a taxi and rushed over. He wasn't the only one at the scene; there were several young men of different ages, their appearances bizarre and unconventional. Cuntoucao then discovered that Long Wen had opened a labor export company.

Several young men, each holding a shiny iron rod as long as a large chopstick, tapped them restlessly on the desk, making clinking sounds.

Cuntoucao sat coldly on the sofa, but Long Wen was nowhere to be seen.

After a while, Long Wen entered. The young men lined up neatly as if they had seen a general, their eyes fixed on Long Wen, who was holding two pebbles. Long Wen habitually sat in the boss's chair, spun it halfway, and pretended to search for information about Hedong Province on the computer.

Cuntoucao hesitated uncomfortably and awkwardly joined the line, unexpectedly shouting, "Hello, Brother Long!"

Everyone looked at him and couldn't help but laugh. One of them, called "Thug," burst out laughing.

Long Wen suddenly turned around, his cold gaze instantly darkening. Thug flinched as if electrocuted, instantly retracting his unrestrained smile and lowering his head.

"Brother Long, what do you need me to do?" Cuntoucao suddenly asked.

Long Wen calmly looked at his watch. A hint of ferocity flickered in his dark eyes. "We leave at ten. Cuntoucao, just follow us!"

The sun hid behind the clouds, and the sky turned overcast, with clouds drifting across.

Cuntoucao and his gang waited anxiously until ten o'clock. Long Wen, with Thug and several young men in black, followed by Cuntoucao, appeared near a rural crossroads not far from the Hedong Province bus station.

The wind stirred up dust and leaves on the ground, swirling them everywhere, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

A passenger bus heading to Hedong Province arrived. Thug stepped forward and stopped the bus, shouting, "Stop!"

A young man in black was quick to step onto the running board, suddenly pulled open the door, grabbed the driver by the hair, and dragged him out. The driver, caught off guard, was violently pulled out of the vehicle and fell heavily to the ground.

Long Wen sat in a BMW parked not far away, gritting his teeth and cursing, "Ignorant fool, how dare you steal my business? You're asking for death!"

Hearing Long Wen's words, Cuntoucao, emboldened by an unknown source, rushed forward and began kicking and punching the fallen driver. The driver cried out in pain, holding his head. Still not satisfied, Cuntoucao pulled out his belt and whipped the driver again. The passengers on the bus couldn't bear to watch and shouted angrily—a group of thugs! One of them decisively called the police.

Long Wen whistled, and Thug and the black-clad thugs immediately retreated. Cuntoucao, not understanding the signal, kicked the driver a few more times before hastily fleeing the scene.

On the bus, the black-clad youths, with a sense of victory, said to Cuntoucao, "Brother Fang's hands are really vicious!"

Long Wen, with one hand on the steering wheel, gave a thumbs-up with the other.

That evening, Long Wen treated everyone to a meal at Longteng Hot Pot to celebrate. After eating and drinking their fill, they spent the night at Hongdu Entertainment City.

What Cuntoucao remembered most was Long Wen publicly praising him and specially rewarding him with a "bun." Cuntoucao didn't know what it was. He imitated others, puffing smoke in the private room. Seeing his short hair, they nicknamed him Cuntoucao.

The next day, the Public Security Bureau came and arrested everyone involved in the fight except Long Wen. Cuntoucao and the other young men in black kept their mouths shut and didn't reveal Long Wen's name or the drug use. Finally, with Long Wen's intervention, they paid a fine and were released.

After leaving the Public Security Bureau, everyone felt that Long Wen was capable. Cuntoucao began to live the nightlife with Long Wen. Until one day, he realized he could no longer do without that devilish bun. Cuntoucao suddenly woke up, realizing that the bun was drugs that harmed both himself and others. But by then, it was too late to turn back.

Cuntoucao walked to the entrance of Mengjing Teahouse and ran into Thug coming out, followed by two young men in black. Seeing Cuntoucao, they immediately hid around a corner and handed Cuntoucao two small packets made of foil.

"Here, a reward for you!"

"Brother Hu, aren't you coming to party with us?" Cuntoucao asked.

"Party? What party! The police station is looking for you, so scatter!" Thug said with great authority. In fact, he was a team leader. He had heard from a supervisor in Hongdu City that the police station was looking for Cuntoucao. Even the birthday party planned for his friend Ah Si tonight was canceled.

"You better keep your mouth shut, or you'll lose a finger or a leg!" Thug warned Cuntoucao again, as if he had already been caught by the police and was being interrogated.

"Could it really be the lost ID card that caused the trouble?" Fortunately, Long Wen's group still didn't know how they were exposed, but an ominous premonition loomed in his heart.

A Volkswagen Phaeton drove over. Thug and the two young men in black got into the car and drove away.

Seeing this, Cuntoucao no longer dared to go to Mengjing Teahouse. He turned and ran a few steps, looked left and right, bought something at a bakery, and hurried home. As soon as he reached the alley entrance on the first floor of the Agricultural Machinery Company, he heard someone talking to his daughter. Cuntoucao tiptoed to the door and peeked through the crack, only to see an unfamiliar police officer in uniform inside. He gasped, pulled his foot back, turned, and ran out of the alley. By chance, his foot stepped on a beverage bottle, making a strange noise.

Cuntoucao ran out of the Agricultural Machinery Company and hid around a corner, observing the police officer's movements in the darkness. Soon, a tall police officer came out and disappeared into the night.

Cuntoucao sneaked into the house. His daughter was wolfing down the bread. Just as he was about to ask her why the police officer had come, the door suddenly opened with a bang.

Tong Haojing quickly entered the house and shouted, "Don't move, hands against the wall!" In fact, Tong Haojing hadn't gone far; he had also been hiding and observing the alley entrance on the first floor of the Agricultural Machinery Company. He had called Old Jiang, who was resting at home, to inquire about Cuntoucao's situation. He learned that Cuntoucao was the wanted person from the fight outside Hongdu Entertainment City a few days ago. Old Jiang said it was best not to make a fuss and wait to find Cuntoucao and clarify the situation. Tong Haojing was extremely excited. If he didn't take immediate action, Cuntoucao might escape. Therefore, Tong Haojing decided to follow Cuntoucao into the house, cutting off his escape route.

Hearing the command, Cuntoucao, with a guilty conscience, saw no place to hide in the room and instinctively retreated to the corner, picking up a fruit knife to resist. Tong Haojing, holding handcuffs, advanced step by step. Cuntoucao saw that the police officer was taller than him and clearly not an equal match. He brandished the fruit knife, trying to force Tong Haojing back. Tong Haojing feigned an attack, causing Cuntoucao to miss. Tong Haojing seized the opportunity with a skillful move, disarming Cuntoucao, who then fell to the ground. Tong Haojing quickly stepped forward, kneeling on Cuntoucao's upper body with both knees, and handcuffed him tightly. Xiao Yanni, terrified by the fight, curled up under the dining table, crying loudly. Three more police officers entered from outside: Old Jiang, Officer Lan, and Lu Tong.

"Did you search him?" the older police officer asked vigilantly, his safety consciousness high.

Officer Lan and Lu Tong stood guard nearby. Tong Haojing carefully searched Cuntoucao from head to toe. Two small white foil packets were found.

"What is this?" Tong Haojing demanded loudly.

"Drugs, drugs!" Cuntoucao stammered.

Officer Lan and Lu Tong collected the evidence of Cuntoucao's drug use and were about to take him back to the police station. Cuntoucao struggled fiercely, saying, "What about my daughter?"

Old Jiang said, "Take him!" his tone firm. Officer Lan and Lu Tong then forcibly took Cuntoucao out of the house and into the police car.

Tong Haojing asked, "Where's Xiao Yanni?"

Old Jiang replied, "Contact the community women's federation!" Old Jiang called Sister Feng, the director of the Women's Federation. About half an hour later, Sister Feng arrived. Old Jiang briefed her on the case, and Sister Feng took Xiao Yanni away.

Old Jiang and Tong Haojing walked out of the alley.

"How did you know Cuntoucao was using drugs?" Old Jiang asked as they walked and talked.

Tong Haojing replied, "There was a small packet folded from tin foil on the sofa at his place. I judged it to be drugs."

"Wasn't it dangerous to go arrest Cuntoucao by yourself?" Old Jiang asked.

"I didn't think that much about it!" Tong Haojing said.

At this moment, Tong Haojing felt a dull ache in his arm. He touched it and found his sleeve was wet. He then realized his arm was injured and bleeding, soaking his clothes.

"That was close, are you okay?" Old Jiang asked, looking worried. He had wanted to scold Tong Haojing for acting alone, as any serious harm would have been difficult for him to explain as a teacher. But Old Jiang kept his words to himself, planning to discuss it later when the time was right, not wanting to ruin the celebratory mood.

"It's nothing!" Tong Haojing said. He moved his arm around and felt it was fine. Nevertheless, Old Jiang took Tong Haojing to a nearby clinic to see a doctor before heading to the police station.