Black Household

The police station was brightly lit. In the interrogation room on the first floor, Cuntoucao was cursing incessantly, completely uncooperative.

It was late at night, and Old Jiang had gone home. Officer Lan and Lu Tong were questioning Cuntoucao about the fight and drug use. Cuntoucao refused to admit anything. Feeling tired, Officer Lan and Lu Tong called some auxiliary police from the station to watch Cuntoucao and then sat down on chairs next to the interrogation room to doze off.

Tong Haojing was too excited to sleep. He wanted to talk to Cuntoucao to verify Xiao Yanni's situation.

Cuntoucao sat on the interrogation chair, his mind racing. Seeing Tong Haojing sitting in front of him, he tried his best to move the chair to attack Tong Haojing. He hated Tong Haojing and the police officers at the station.

"Where did you take my daughter?" Cuntoucao gritted his teeth and asked.

"Don't worry, she's fine!" Tong Haojing replied.

Cuntoucao's emotions suddenly surged. He looked up at the ceiling of the interrogation room and said, "Yanni, Dad is sorry for you!" After speaking, Cuntoucao's heart-wrenching sobs filled the entire interrogation room of the police station.

Tong Haojing could see that Cuntoucao deeply loved his daughter, so he decided to start with Xiao Yanni's situation.

"Why is Xiao Yanni studying at West City Primary School?" Tong Haojing asked.

Cuntoucao stared at Tong Haojing, thinking, How did you know that!

"Oh my god, it's because your police station wouldn't give my child a household registration! I had no choice, so my child had to go to a school farther away, costing tens of thousands of yuan a year." Cuntoucao cursed with a face full of anger.

"Impossible, how could she not have one? Everyone should have a household registration," Tong Haojing said earnestly.

"Don't believe me, go ask the household registration officer. See if my child has a registration!" Cuntoucao said angrily.

After further questioning, Tong Haojing learned that Xiao Yanni was adopted by Cuntoucao. At the time, he only had a photo of her mother and no other information. Cuntoucao was thirty years old then. He went to the police station to register his daughter's household registration, but the police station replied that he did not meet the adoption conditions. Cuntoucao was unwilling to give up and consulted the police station every year, but he received the same answer – no. Cuntoucao thought, Why is it so difficult to get a household registration! His hope for the police station turned into disappointment, and his disappointment turned into hatred.

Tong Haojing felt that Cuntoucao's situation was special. He decided to ask Director Tang if Cuntoucao's situation could be handled as a special case, although he wasn't entirely sure.

"Cuntoucao, I've noted your daughter's situation! But you need to cooperate with us and clearly explain the fight and drug use."

"Really?" Cuntoucao asked, half-believing. Over the years, several directors had changed at West City Police Station, but his daughter's household registration issue remained unresolved. This was his greatest pain, and the pain of a father failing his daughter.

Cuntoucao had no hope for Tong Haojing. He asked Tong Haojing for a cigarette, took a few deep puffs, and said, "Fine! Let's see what you can do!" Cuntoucao's still arrogant and rude demeanor angered Tong Haojing, who initially wanted to beat him severely. However, the discipline was strict now, and he retracted his raised fist.

"Hit me! If you don't hit me, you're a coward!" Cuntoucao's deliberate provocation made Tong Haojing stand up and stomp his feet.

"Hey, will the child's household registration be processed or not!" Tong Haojing suddenly realized he couldn't be swayed by Cuntoucao's emotional changes. This was the biggest taboo in interrogation art. He deliberately brought up the matter Cuntoucao cared about most.

"Can it be processed?" Cuntoucao asked, still skeptical.

"Alright, I'm leaving!" Tong Haojing said, making a move to leave, which stunned Cuntoucao.

"Hey! Don't go! Is this for real?"

"Do you think I'm lying!" Tong Haojing glanced at Cuntoucao.

"Alright, I'll talk!"

Seeing that Cuntoucao's attitude had changed, Tong Haojing felt a ray of sunshine warming his heart.

"Speak?"

"I took drugs at home, a few days ago." Cuntoucao only admitted to using drugs himself but remained silent about the fight and the source of the drugs. He thought of the police's "usual tactics" and held back some information.

"Where did the drugs come from?"

"I bought them from a stranger with yellow hair at Hongdu Entertainment City."

Tong Haojing could clearly tell that Cuntoucao was making things up. But he could see that Cuntoucao had many bad deeds on his mind, and it was indeed true. It would be too hasty to expect him to confess everything at once.

Cuntoucao said with a smirk, "Police brother, I'm risking my life just by saying this. I don't know anything else!" Cuntoucao's daughter's household registration was more important than his own life, and Tong Haojing had clearly seen this. This was his way of setting conditions for Tong Haojing.

Tong Haojing said, "Then the household registration..." Before Tong Haojing could finish, Cuntoucao interrupted, "I'll tell you!"

Tong Haojing asked, "Where did it come from?"

Cuntoucao stammered, "Fought..." Before he could finish, Officer Lan and Lu Tong lazily entered the interrogation room, and Cuntoucao sighed and fell silent.

"Fought what?" Tong Haojing pressed.

Cuntoucao raised his head, staring directly at Officer Lan and Lu Tong with what seemed like deep hatred. He had already formed a prejudice against Officers Lan and Lu. He narrowed his eyes and refused to speak further.

Tong Haojing got up and led Officer Lan out of the interrogation room. He quietly whispered in his ear, "Cuntoucao is about to confess." His face was filled with the joy of victory, fully expecting Cuntoucao to spill everything. Little did he know that this was Cuntoucao's delaying tactic. When Officers Lan and Lu entered, the situation changed.

Officer Lan looked surprised and gave Tong Haojing a look of approval. "Good, you can go rest!"

Officer Lan couldn't help but admire Tong Haojing, thinking that this kid was really capable. He had made progress in his work in such a short time, truly worthy of being the person the director wanted. But he secretly thought, How is that possible? He hadn't held much hope for what Tong Haojing had said.

Officer Lan clearly remembered the incident by the Tangdu River and had been wanting to apologize to Tong Haojing. Tong Haojing was indeed a bit tired. He patted Cuntoucao's shoulder and arm, saying, "Talk well with the two police officers, I'm leaving!" Tong Haojing nodded to Officer Lan and Lu Tong and walked out of the interrogation room.

Officer Lan followed closely and shook Tong Haojing's hand. "Xiao Tong, I'm sorry about what happened last time!" Tong Haojing didn't expect Officer Lan to still be thinking about the past and felt a surge of warmth. "It was a misunderstanding, it was all for work!" Tong Haojing was very polite. He suddenly remembered Officer Lan getting injured while apprehending Scarface.

"How is your injury?" Tong Haojing asked.

"It's nothing." Officer Lan extended his hand. "See, it's healed!" Tong Haojing saw a long scar on Officer Lan's right hand and felt even more embarrassed.

"Damn Scarface!" Tong Haojing cursed angrily.

Officer Lan recounted the incident of him being injured while apprehending Scarface in detail. Tong Haojing learned that Middle-parted Hair and Scarface were indeed a group of thugs and swindlers from the West City area. Scarface did not die after jumping into the river. The victim was a rural woman from the mountains, and by the time she was found, she had already hanged herself. Scarface had been on the run ever since. Due to the lack of any further news from the victim, the evidence was insufficient, and the cases of Scarface and Middle-parted Hair were shelved by the criminal investigation team.

As Tong Haojing stepped out of the interrogation room, he saw Old Jiang washing his hands at a nearby corner.

"Why is Teacher Jiang still here?" Tong Haojing asked casually.

"I forgot my phone!" Old Jiang replied, shaking his phone in front of Tong Haojing. He looked flustered. Next to him sat someone Tong Haojing didn't recognize, but this didn't attract Tong Haojing's attention.

"Teacher Jiang, get some rest early!" Tong Haojing said with concern.

"Okay, coming right away!" Old Jiang said, leaving the police station. The bald man he didn't recognize also got into a taxi and left.

Returning to his single-person dormitory, Tong Haojing's heart burned with rage as he thought about Scarface and Middle-parted Hair still being at large. He couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

In the household registration hall of the police station, a woman was making a huge scene, waking up Tong Haojing, who had been sleeping.

"Knock, knock." Tong Haojing, still groggy, heard auxiliary police officer Xiao Cui knocking on his door. Xiao Cui said Old Jiang was waiting for him in the community. Tong Haojing put on his police uniform and headed out. Just as he reached the entrance of the police station, Director Tang, with a cigarette in his mouth, entered. Officer Ke Qian was earnestly trying to explain something to a middle-aged woman. Tong Haojing suddenly remembered Xiao Yanni's household registration issue.

"Director Tang, I need to report something to you," Tong Haojing said.

"What is it? Tell me in the office." Director Tang, who always handled matters seriously in front of the police officers, had a stern face and no smile. Tong Haojing followed Director Tang to the office. As Director Tang made tea, he said, "Go ahead?"

"It's about Cuntoucao's daughter, Xiao Yanni's, household registration problem," Tong Haojing said.

Upon hearing this, Director Tang became furious. This issue had been ongoing for a long time, not just a day or two. He had personally met with Cuntoucao five times and had clearly stated that he didn't meet the conditions. However, Cuntoucao wouldn't listen, had caused several disturbances in his office, and had even broken his teacup once. He had even considered detaining Cuntoucao but had held back due to Xiao Yanni's situation. The more Director Tang thought about it, the angrier he became.

"Tell him no!" Director Tang said.

Seeing Director Tang's firm stance, Tong Haojing couldn't say anything more. He sat awkwardly on the sofa with a embarrassed expression and said helplessly, "No?"

Tong Haojing thought to himself that a child is a person, and they should have a place to be registered. He stood up uncomfortably, his brows furrowed, and his stubbornness flared up.

"Director Tang, do you have a prejudice? Are you deliberately not processing it?" Tong Haojing stared at Tang Changan with wide eyes, showing no fear or retreat.

This sudden questioning and aggressive demeanor completely caught Tang Changan off guard. He froze for a good two seconds, then looked at Tong Haojing with a half-smile.

"What did you say?"

"Xiao Yanni is a person. If you put yourself in her shoes, shouldn't you find a way to help her with this?" Tong Haojing spoke with increasing fervor, his voice rising, his face turning red.

Tang Changan was a person who followed rules and acted on principles. Xiao Yanni indeed did not meet the household registration policy. This was why previous directors and Tang Changan himself had been unable to process Xiao Yanni's registration. Tong Haojing was clearly letting his emotions get the better of him, which was precisely what public security work must prevent.

When it came to his attitude towards police officers, Tang Changan was calm and composed. Tong Haojing's agitated mood did not affect him. On the contrary, Tang Changan calmly took a sip of his tea and said with certainty, "On what grounds?"

Tong Haojing remained silent for a long time, then, without another word, rushed out of Director Tang's office.