Cannot Be Handled

Officer Lan, having pulled an all-nighter, emerged from the restroom with his face dripping wet. He vaguely saw Tong Haojing descending the stairs haphazardly and realized something must have happened to him.

"Brother Lan, how did the interrogation go?" Tong Haojing asked, his expression blank as he approached.

"He's tight-lipped. Only confessed to drug use!" Officer Lan replied with a wry smile, shaking his head. He even doubted if Tong Haojing had exaggerated last night, but then again, it seemed impossible. The drug use was clear, proving how cunning that short-haired guy was.

Tong Haojing hurried downstairs. Just as he reached the stairwell, Ke Qian from the Household Registration Office blocked his path.

"Tong Haojing, why did you make such a scene arguing with the director? The whole station heard it!" Ke Qian whispered, eager to help him.

"Oh, right, I meant to ask you, does Xiao Yanni have a household registration? Why can't a real person like her get registered?" Tong Haojing, still fuming, wasn't polite with Ke Qian at all. His voice was so loud it sounded like an argument, startling Ke Qian. However, Ke Qian didn't get angry; instead, she tried to comfort him.

"You know, household registration is a very policy-driven issue. I was just explaining the registration process to a woman. Take a good look at the conditions for registration, don't just assume things. Wait a moment..." Ke Qian immediately went to the Household Registration Office and handed Tong Haojing a book of frequently asked questions about household registration policy.

"Here, take this and read it carefully!" For some reason, Ke Qian was very enthusiastic. She was afraid this hot-blooded young man would damage his relationship with the director.

"This..." Tong Haojing took the household registration policy document, walked a few steps in a huff, then turned back and said, "Thank you!"

A moment later, Tong Haojing put on his helmet, mounted his Prince motorcycle, and revved the engine hard. The motorcycle let out a wild sputtering sound, as if venting his frustration, and disappeared in a flash towards Hongqiao Plaza.

Old Jiang had contacted residents and businesses in Hongqiao Community to conduct publicity activities on combating organized crime, preventing drug use, and combating fraud. The event was held at Hongqiao Plaza outside Hongdu Entertainment City. Participating units included the community, the police station, and the Municipal Anti-Drug Office.

When Tong Haojing arrived at the plaza, a crowd had already gathered in the center. Old Jiang was speaking on a makeshift stage, and community volunteers were handing out flyers among the crowd. Tong Haojing sat down next to Old Jiang.

An old man in the crowd whispered, "That thug is back. A bunch of hoodlums, causing trouble all over the west of the city. They scammed that woman so badly last time! It was money for her medical treatment, but because she couldn't afford it, she hanged herself at home!"

Another old woman chimed in, "I heard they're even more violent this time. They got into another fight at Hongdu Plaza. We old ladies are constantly worried, we can't even relax when we do our square dancing."

Several concerned women nearby asked, "Who got beaten? Who beat them?"

It was clear that these whisperers were regulars at the plaza's square dancing sessions. They often danced until nine at night and saw everything that happened in the plaza.

Old Jiang noticed a group gathered around, and subtly signaled Tong Haojing to go and find out what they were discussing and where they got their information.

Tong Haojing approached the old man, and a crowd quickly surrounded him, all talking at once. Some even vividly described a killer who had arrived, scaring the old men and women present so much they didn't dare to breathe.

Tong Haojing understood what they were saying. The gist was: "There was a fight in the plaza, the thug was involved, and he even caused a woman's death!"

Tong Haojing's thoughts were a bit jumbled. He wondered if the woman could be the one who was scammed by the Tangdu River, but then he thought that too much time had passed. It couldn't be, Tong Haojing reassured himself, though he was actually trying to alleviate his guilt.

"Ma'am, where did you get your information?"

"We heard it, it's all over the west of the city!" The old lady's missing teeth made it hard for her to speak clearly.

"Who was that woman? What was her name?"

"How would we know! We just know she died a tragic death!"

Tong Haojing realized that the old ladies in the plaza had only heard rumors and didn't know the inside story.

A little girl was playing in the plaza, holding an old woman's hand. The little girl's cute round face and childish voice suddenly reminded Tong Haojing of Xiao Yanni's household registration issue.

After finishing his speech, Old Jiang stood aside, smoking his old Hongta cigarette. Tong Haojing asked, "Teacher Jiang, do you know about Xiao Yanni's household registration?"

Old Jiang looked a bit surprised and said, "I know. What, is Short Hair asking you to handle it for him?"

Tong Haojing quickly denied it, "No, no!" Tong Haojing tried hard to hide his intentions, giving a slight smile. Old Jiang had actually seen through Tong Haojing's thoughts and felt he should warn him not to take on this "hot potato."

"Little Tong, Xiao Yanni is very pitiable, but several household registration officers and directors haven't been able to resolve this. You can't be impulsive! Director Tang dislikes this matter the most. He genuinely wants to help, but it's always been rejected because it doesn't comply with policy. He's been agonizing over it and argued with Short Hair many times," Old Jiang said earnestly.

Tong Haojing fell into thought. He actually had a conviction in his heart: Xiao Yanni was a person, why couldn't she get registered? This matter couldn't possibly remain unresolved.

A phone call interrupted Tong Haojing's worries. He heard the voice of Feng Jie, the director of the Women's Federation: "Officer Jiang, Xiao Yanni isn't eating or drinking, and insists on seeing her father. What should we do?"

Old Jiang said, "Let me ask Director Tang about this!" He immediately made a call.

Director Tang replied, "Short Hair has been detained for public security. We'll discuss the specifics when you get back." Old Jiang realized that Short Hair might have other important matters that couldn't be discussed over the phone.

Old Jiang didn't rush to reply to Feng Jie. He was accustomed to handling such urgent matters. Time could solve some immediate problems, and he had his own unconventional methods, which was "coolness." Old Jiang remained calm and steady when faced with issues, appearing at ease. He was clearly a very experienced police officer, which made Tong Haojing feel a sense of admiration for him. However, he still felt uneasy. Feng Jie's expectant gaze seemed to be fixed on Old Jiang. Why was he so slow to act!

Time quickly passed until noon. A beautiful woman in a black mini-skirt suit emerged from Hongdu Entertainment City and invited Old Jiang to lunch. Old Jiang politely declined, citing urgent matters at the station. The woman insisted, pulling Old Jiang towards a corner. They shook hands and exchanged a few words. Old Jiang seemed to refuse a couple of times, then said nothing more.

Tong Haojing glanced at them, wondering what was going on.

"Let's go, Little Tong. Sister Mei is so enthusiastic. Let's go sit for a while, just a routine check-up!" Old Jiang said as they walked, with Sister Mei leading the way. Anyone could see this was a pretense to cover their tracks.

Upon entering Hongdu Entertainment City, it was like stepping into a starry night sky. Rotating lights shone on people's faces, making it hard to distinguish humans from ghosts. In the hall, a group of men and women were swaying their hips on the dance floor to the pulsating rock music. Several fashionable women, deliberately arching their backs high, captivated the young men and women, leaving them mesmerized.

"Let's go to the trendy private room. Your boss is next door!" Sister Mei said.

Old Jiang's heart tightened. He wondered if "boss" referred to Director Tang or... He dared not think further, nor did he want to. Old Jiang turned and immediately tried to leave the hall, saying, "Sister Mei, we won't be staying. We'll come another day!"

"It's fine, you do your thing, and we'll do ours. What's wrong with that!"

Sister Mei grabbed Old Jiang. Unable to shake her off, Old Jiang said, "Sister Mei, then Xiao Tong and I will just sit in the lobby for a while, have a cup of tea, and leave!" Old Jiang found a dimly lit spot by the bar counter and sat down with Tong Haojing.

Sister Mei couldn't persuade Old Jiang, so she went to the bar to serve customers.

A man in black rushed out of a private room and went straight to the bar, sticking his head over the counter as if to report and curry favor. He whispered to Sister Mei, "Sister Mei, I almost got caught when I was trying to record just now!"

"Clumsy fool. It's good you weren't discovered. Now let's see if he dares to act so arrogant in front of us!" Sister Mei said with a sinister laugh. She took out her phone and sent a text message to Manager Xiao: "The matter is settled!"

The conversation between the man in black and Sister Mei was overheard by Old Jiang. He froze for a moment, his face changing drastically. He thought, these seemingly kind but malicious women must be plotting something. This place is indeed a den of trouble. He cautiously scanned his surroundings for any surveillance cameras, realizing that vigilance against others was indeed crucial.

Just then, Old Jiang spotted a familiar face. Qian Fu, with a grim expression, emerged from a private room, smiled at Sister Mei, greeted her, and gave her a flirtatious look before leaving Hongdu Entertainment City. He didn't notice Old Jiang and Tong Haojing sitting nearby, as the lobby was dimly lit.

"What's going on? Is the boss him? Impossible! It must be someone else." Old Jiang dismissed his own thought, but he couldn't tell Tong Haojing about the sudden doubts.

Tong Haojing, sitting beside him, had also overheard the conversation between the man in black and Sister Mei at the bar. However, being inexperienced, he didn't think of anything sinister. But Old Jiang's change in expression caught Tong Haojing's attention.

"Teacher Jiang, did something happen?" Tong Haojing asked.

"N-nothing!" Old Jiang hesitated, a movement that only heightened Tong Haojing's suspicion. He was convinced Old Jiang had discovered some secret.

"The lighting here is too dim. What if something happens?" Tong Haojing asked with a serious expression.

"You've only just arrived. You'll understand gradually!"

Old Jiang realized it was time to leave. He got up, greeted Sister Mei at the bar, and headed for the exit.

"Aren't we going to do the inspection?" Tong Haojing asked, remembering what Old Jiang had said earlier.

Old Jiang seemed not to hear him. "This is a place of trouble; it's not good to linger!"

The two of them exited Hongdu Entertainment City. Only then did Tong Haojing notice Old Jiang's forehead was covered in sweat.

"Little Tong, remember, entertainment venues are places of trouble. You must keep yourself clean and not come for inspections alone!"

"Okay, Teacher Jiang. As long as I follow your lead, I won't go wrong!"

Old Jiang saw that Qian Fu had already left some time ago. The two of them then cautiously exited Hongdu Entertainment City.

On the way, Old Jiang said again, "The one just now was the beautiful owner of Hongdu, Guo Meichen. She gave me something, but I firmly refused to accept it. Remember! When dealing with the owners of entertainment venues, you must be able to resist the temptations of money and beauty. If your will is not firm, you could easily stray onto the path of illegal activities and crime."

Tong Haojing nodded in silence. He hadn't really registered who the owner was. In fact, Old Jiang didn't know the true person in charge behind the scenes either.