A New Respect

Officer Lan and Lu Tong had stayed up all night, yet Cuntoucao still refused to confess to assaulting and injuring someone. The two were furious enough to grind their teeth, wishing they could make him vanish from the face of the earth at once. Fortunately, the ironclad evidence of his drug use gave them confidence. The two secretly swore,

"Absolutely no leniency. Two years of compulsory rehab." Without stopping to rest, Officer Lan and Lu Tong immediately sent Cuntoucao to the Tangdu City Compulsory Isolated Drug Rehabilitation Center.

The police car sped down the road toward the rehabilitation center. Officer Lan turned on the radio, where the morning news was reporting on youth drug abuse in Hedong Province.

Officer Lan had a sudden idea and found a topic to talk about.

"Cuntoucao, would you want your child to take drugs?" Cuntoucao slumped in the car seat like a boneless creature, rising and falling with the jolts of the vehicle. He was drowsy, his face livid, snot running from his nose. Lu Tong kept barking at him to sit up straight, but Cuntoucao, whose hands were cuffed behind his back, showed no reaction.

His drug cravings had flared up, but when he heard his daughter mentioned, Cuntoucao forced himself to perk up and stared fiercely at Officer Lan in the rearview mirror.

His drug cravings had flared up, but when he heard his daughter mentioned, Cuntoucao forced himself to perk up and stared fiercely at Officer Lan in the rearview mirror.

"Would you let your own kid take drugs?" He yawned immediately afterward.

"Looks like you haven't completely lost your conscience." Lu Tong, who had remained silent beside him, suddenly cut in.

They were nearly at the rehabilitation center when Cuntoucao abruptly grew restless and agitated, his face turning extremely ugly. "I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore! My stomach hurts!" Because investigating officers sometimes lacked experience during arrests or custody, conducted incomplete searches, or let suspects out of their sight, drug users often injured themselves by swallowing foreign objects in order to evade punishment.

Officer Lan's expression changed sharply. Could he have swallowed a razor blade? Cuntoucao's cries rose from low to high, and the pain seemed to be getting worse and worse.

Based on his past experience, Officer Lan vaguely felt that Cuntoucao was not faking it. But where had the razor blade come from? When had he swallowed it? He replayed the entire investigation process in his mind, yet found no loopholes.

"I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore! There's a razor blade in my stomach!"

"Really?" Half believing and half doubting, Officer Lan slowly pulled the police car over to the roadside. He turned and eyed the pale-faced Cuntoucao, a trace of panic rising in his heart.

Lu Tong gripped Cuntoucao's cuffed hands even more warily, afraid he might try some trick.

"I swallowed a razor blade. If you don't believe me, take me for an X-ray!" This was no small matter. At best, it could cut the intestines; at worst, it could be fatal.

Officer Lan immediately reported the situation to Director Tang Changan. Director Tang, who never panicked under pressure, had long become accustomed to drug users hurting or maiming themselves to evade punishment. He instructed them to take Cuntoucao to a hospital first, determine where the razor blade had come from, and contact the rehabilitation center as well. They had to put this sort of person in his place and make sure there would not be a second time.

Officer Lan drove like the wind to the nearest traditional Chinese medicine hospital. After an X-ray, the doctor determined that there was a metallic foreign object resembling a razor blade in Cuntoucao's stomach. However, it was wrapped in a layer of tinfoil, so there was no danger to his life. He could be monitored through follow-up observation.

Officer Lan and Lu Tong both breathed huge sighs of relief. As they escorted Cuntoucao out of the traditional Chinese medicine hospital, he pressed both hands to his stomach, bent over in pain, and painfully climbed into the police car.

Lu Tong angrily shoved him from behind the car door.

"What are you pretending for?"

Officer Lan, who knew exactly what was going on, opened the car door and got in. He started the engine, shifted gears, hit the gas, and turned on the siren. Suppressing the rage in his heart, he instantly drove the car like a rocket skimming the ground. He secretly swore that he would make Cuntoucao spend two years behind bars.

Cuntoucao, his hands still cuffed behind his back, continued to act like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. Seeing that Officer Lan was no longer paying him any attention, his heart went cold. He lowered his head and stopped talking.

After Cuntoucao's stunt, Lu Tong was instead fully awake. She fired off questions at him like a machine gun, demanding to know where the razor blade had come from.

Where had the razor blade come from? Driven into a corner by Lu Tong's furious stare, Cuntoucao had no choice but to admit that when the tall police officer had arrested him, he had taken advantage of the officer's inattention to fish it out from his body and swallow it.

Fifteen minutes later, the car arrived at the rehabilitation center. Cuntoucao was drenched in sweat. Seeing that all was lost, he suddenly asked to be admitted as quickly as possible, making Officer Lan and Lu Tong laugh.

A police officer at the rehabilitation center said that he wanted to drink the heroin substitute inside. It was the most effective replacement medication provided to addicts during the seven-day physical detoxification period.

Old Jiang and Tong Haojing arrived together at Director Tang's office. Director Tang had just finished taking Officer Lan's call and was still scolding Old Jiang and Tong Haojing for their careless work, which had allowed that old drug fiend Cuntoucao to exploit a loophole and swallow a razor blade. Fortunately, the rehabilitation center now had a special method for dealing with such addicts. Otherwise, if this were reported to Hu Yuancheng, they would be cursed bloody.

Old Jiang and Tong Haojing entered. Before either could speak, Tang Changan angrily began,

"Cuntoucao refuses to admit anything. He's a shameless liar and has already been sentenced to two years of compulsory rehab. Serves him right. Why keep a thug like that around?" Old Jiang mentioned what Sister Feng had reported, but Director Tang was still angry and ignored him.

At that moment, Director Tang received a mysterious phone call. Old Jiang could tell from Director Tang's expression that he was squeezing out a few words—

"Yes, all right, mm, right"—in a submissive tone, though Old Jiang had no idea what he was saying on the phone. Yet the unmistakable reluctance and disgust on Director Tang's face left Old Jiang deeply confused.

Tong Haojing had come prepared. Before arriving at the office, he had reviewed the relevant anti-drug laws. The law stipulated that Cuntoucao was Xiao Yanni's sole guardian. As long as Cuntoucao sincerely reformed, his punishment could be changed to community-based rehabilitation, allowing Xiao Yanni to have someone to look after and rely on.

Having made up his mind, Tong Haojing explained his idea and its legal basis. Director Tang pondered for a moment and said,

"Director Gao Weimin often says at meetings that public security work must put people first. As long as it complies with the law, we can do it!" Director Tang's attitude made a complete turn, something Tong Haojing had never expected.

Old Jiang, who had already been left out in the cold, was even more surprised. He had no idea why Director Tang's attitude toward Tong Haojing had suddenly changed, and he began looking at Tong Haojing with jealousy.

He thought,

"Tong Haojing, you really carry some weight. One word from you outweighs ten thousand from me. You really are something!" Just then, Officer Lan and Lu Tong returned to the station to report to Director Tang after completing Cuntoucao's compulsory rehabilitation procedures. They happened to run into Tong Haojing, who wanted to change Cuntoucao's rehabilitation method and place him in community rehabilitation so he could look after his daughter.

The two immediately flew into a rage and firmly disagreed. They began arguing with Tong Haojing. Old Jiang hurried out to mediate, saying that they were all one family and could talk things over.

Tong Haojing was a newborn calf unafraid of tigers. He spoke passionately, argued from reason, and refused to yield. Tang Changan did not state his position directly, instead changing the subject and suddenly raising the matter of Cuntoucao's razor blade.

"Gentlemen, how do you explain the razor blade?" Old Jiang thought for a moment. Cuntoucao had been in custody for nearly twenty-four hours, and something could have gone wrong at any stage. It was indeed difficult to determine whose responsibility it was now. Since no consequences had resulted, there was no need to pursue the matter further.

Officer Lan and Lu Tong did not see it that way. Confidently, they produced the body camera footage, which showed that it was impossible for Cuntoucao to have swallowed the razor blade during the later stages of the investigation. The only security lapse had occurred when Cuntoucao was arrested inside his home.

Tong Haojing had no interest in watching the footage. There was no point arguing. In front of several veteran officers, his lack of experience and weak safety awareness were facts.

"Swallowing the razor blade was my responsibility. It has nothing to do with any of them. But that is separate from changing Cuntoucao's compulsory rehabilitation arrangement!" Tong Haojing brought the subject back to whether Cuntoucao should be released.

Everyone lowered their heads in silence, and the office fell quiet once more. Just when everyone assumed that Director Tang would most likely reject Tong Haojing's opinion, he slowly lit a cigarette and then said firmly,

"Tong Haojing, immediately write a self-criticism. Tomorrow morning, go to the rehabilitation center and process Cuntoucao's community rehabilitation!" Obeying orders and following command was a police officer's duty.

Officer Lan and Lu Tong stormed out of the office. Late that night, Anti-drug Brigade Captain Du Ce led Wang Chongyang and four other team members to the west side of the city to arrest Agen, a Hedong Province drug criminal who was hiding at Fourth Brother's home in Hongqiao Community. Intelligence indicated that Agen might be carrying a gun.

This highly confidential lead had been personally provided to Du Ce by Director Gao Weimin. Du Ce clearly remembered that only half an hour earlier, Director Gao had quietly come to his office alone. The situation had thoroughly startled Du Ce; it could be said that such a scene was unprecedented in the history of the Tangdu City Public Security Bureau.

Director Gao's sudden appearance made Du Ce, the normally steady Anti-drug Brigade Captain, somewhat flustered. The recent poor anti-drug results and the clutter in his office both became reasons for him to fear a reprimand. In Du Ce's mind, Director Gao's personal visit usually meant an inspection to find faults. Yet when Director Gao spoke, Du Ce was left somewhat bewildered.

"Is there someone called Fourth Brother in the west side of the city?"

"Um... I... um... I think I remember!" Du Ce stammered in his panic, standing ramrod straight with an unnatural posture.

"Um... I... um... I think I remember!" Du Ce stammered in his panic, standing ramrod straight with an unnatural posture.

"Don't be nervous. I'm not a tiger. Sit down and talk!" Director Gao patted Du Ce on the shoulder with a friendly expression and an encouraging gaze, then plopped down onto the sofa.

"Should I contact Director Tang at the west-side station?" Du Ce uneasily glanced at Director Gao. He found the director's eyes filled with a strange yet unwavering strength, and he awkwardly guessed that some specific and difficult mission must be waiting for him.