Looking at Someone with New Eyes

Officers Lan and Lu Tong, two police officers, had stayed up all night. Cuntoucao still hadn't confessed to the assault and battery. The two were so angry they were grinding their teeth, wishing they could make him disappear from the face of the earth immediately. Fortunately, the irrefutable evidence of drug use made them confident. They secretly vowed, "We won't go easy on him; he'll be sent for two years of compulsory rehabilitation." Lan and Lu, without taking any rest, immediately sent Cuntoucao to the Tangdu City Compulsory Isolation Rehabilitation Center.

The police car sped towards the rehabilitation center. Officer Lan turned on the radio; the morning news was reporting on the drug use situation among the youth in Hedong Province.

Officer Lan had a sudden inspiration and found a topic.

"Cuntoucao, would you want your own child to use drugs?" Cuntoucao slumped in the car seat like a boneless creature, swaying with the bumps, drowsy, his face ashen, snot dripping. Lu Tong repeatedly berated him to sit up straight, but Cuntoucao, with his hands cuffed behind his back, showed no reaction.

His drug withdrawal symptoms had kicked in, but upon hearing his daughter mentioned, Cuntoucao forced himself to perk up, glaring fiercely at Officer Lan in the rearview mirror.

"Would you want your own child to use drugs!" he followed with a yawn.

"It seems your conscience isn't dead yet!" Lu Tong, who had been silent beside him, interjected unexpectedly.

As they neared the rehabilitation center, Cuntoucao suddenly became agitated and restless, his face extremely pale. "I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore, my stomach hurts!" Due to the inexperience of the officers handling the case during the arrest or custody, insufficient searches, or lapses in supervision, drug users often resort to swallowing foreign objects to self-harm and evade capture.

Officer Lan's expression turned grave. He wondered if Cuntoucao had swallowed a razor blade. Cuntoucao's cries grew louder, and the pain intensified.

Based on his past experience, Officer Lan had a hunch that Cuntoucao wasn't faking it. But where did the razor blade come from, and when did he swallow it? He replayed the entire arrest process in his mind but found no flaws!

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

"Really?" Officer Lan, half-believing, half-doubting, slowly pulled the police car over to the side of the road. He turned and looked sideways at the grim-faced Cuntoucao, a hint of panic rising in his heart.

Lu Tong became even more vigilant, gripping Cuntoucao's cuffed hands, 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 trivial matter; at best, it could lacerate his intestines, and at worst, it could be life-threatening.

Officer Lan immediately reported the situation to Director Tang Changan. Director Tang, unflustered, was accustomed to such self-harming acts by drug users to evade punishment. He instructed them to take Cuntoucao to the hospital first, ascertain the source of the razor blade, and also contact the rehabilitation center, emphasizing the need to break the defiant spirit of such individuals and prevent recurrence.

Officer Lan drove the car at breakneck speed to the nearest traditional Chinese medicine hospital. An X-ray confirmed the presence of a metallic foreign object resembling a razor blade in his stomach, though it was coated with tin foil. The doctor determined there was no immediate danger to his life and that he could be monitored.

Officers Lan and Lu Tong breathed a huge sigh of relief. They escorted Cuntoucao out of the hospital. Cuntoucao clutched his stomach, hunched over, his expression one of pain, and he struggled to get back into the police car.

Lu Tong angrily shoved him from behind the car door.

"Stop faking it!" Officer Lan, knowing the situation, opened the car door, got in, quickly started the engine, shifted gears, revved the accelerator, and turned on the siren. Suppressing his anger, he instantly drove the car like a rocket skimming the ground, secretly vowing to ensure Cuntoucao served two years in prison.

Cuntoucao, hands still cuffed behind his back, maintained his defiant, "tough guy" demeanor. Seeing that Officer Lan was ignoring him, his heart sank halfway, and he lowered his head, falling silent.

Lu Tong, energized by Cuntoucao's antics, barraged him with questions. "Where did the razor blade come from?"

"Where did the razor blade come from?" Cornered by Lu Tong's furious gaze, Cuntoucao had no choice but to truthfully admit that the razor blade was from a tall police officer who, while arresting him, had taken it from his person and he had swallowed it when the officer wasn't paying attention.

Fifteen minutes later, the car arrived at the rehabilitation center. Cuntoucao was already drenched in sweat. Seeing that the situation was beyond his control, he suddenly requested to be admitted quickly. Officers Lan and Lu Tong couldn't help but chuckle.

A police officer from the rehabilitation center explained that Cuntoucao likely wanted the heroin substitute inside. This was the most effective substitute medication provided to drug users during the seven-day physiological detoxification period.

Old Jiang and Tong Haojing arrived at Director Tang's office. Director Tang had just finished a call with Officer Lan and was still reprimanding Old Jiang and Tong Haojing for their lack of thoroughness, allowing the old drug addict Cuntoucao to slip through the cracks and swallow a razor blade. Fortunately, the rehabilitation center now had a specialized method for dealing with such drug users, otherwise, reporting it to Hu Yuancheng would have resulted in a severe scolding.

Old Jiang and Tong Haojing entered. Before they could speak, Director Tang's angry words came out, "Cuntoucao refuses to admit guilt, he's a scoundrel, and he's been sentenced to two years of compulsory rehabilitation. He deserves it. Why keep such a hooligan around!" Old Jiang reported the situation Feng Jie had described, but Director Tang was still too angry to listen.

Just then, Director Tang received a mysterious phone call. Old Jiang could tell from Director Tang's demeanor. He mumbled a few words like, "Yes, okay, hmm, right," meekly, unsure what he was saying on the phone. However, his reluctant or displeased expression made it difficult for Old Jiang to understand.

Tong Haojing had come prepared. Before going to the office, he had reviewed the relevant anti-drug laws. The law stipulated that Cuntoucao was Xiao Yanni's sole guardian. If Cuntoucao repented, his sentence could be changed to community-based rehabilitation, allowing Xiao Yanni to have someone to look after and rely on.

Tong Haojing made up his mind and explained his idea and its legal basis. Director Tang pondered for a moment and said, "Director Gao Weimin often says that public security work should be people-oriented. As long as it complies with the law, we can do it!" Director Tang's words took a sharp turn, which surprised Tong Haojing.

Old Jiang, feeling somewhat left out, was even more surprised. He didn't understand why Director Tang's attitude towards Tong Haojing had suddenly changed. He began to cast envious glances at Tong Haojing.

He thought, "Tong Haojing, you've got a lot of pull. Your words carry more weight than mine, you're quite capable!" Just then, Officers Lan and Lu Tong, having completed Cuntoucao's compulsory rehabilitation procedures, returned to the station to report to Director Tang. They happened to encounter Tong Haojing trying to change Cuntoucao's rehabilitation method to community-based rehabilitation so he could look after his daughter.

The two immediately became furious and firmly disagreed, getting into an argument with Tong Haojing. Old Jiang quickly stepped in to mediate, saying, "We're all family, let's discuss things calmly."

Tong Haojing, like a fearless young calf, argued passionately and forcefully, not backing down. Tang Changan didn't give a direct answer but shifted the topic, suddenly bringing up the matter of Cuntoucao's razor blade.

"Gentlemen, what's the explanation for the razor blade?" Old Jiang thought for a moment. Cuntoucao had been apprehended for nearly 24 hours, and problems could have arisen at any stage. It was indeed difficult to determine responsibility now. However, since no harm had been done, there was no need to pursue the matter further.

Officers Lan and Lu Tong, however, were not convinced. Confidently, they presented the body camera footage, which showed that it was impossible for the razor blade to have been swallowed during the subsequent investigation. The only security loophole occurred when Cuntoucao was apprehended in his home.

Tong Haojing wasn't interested in watching the video; arguing was pointless. In front of several senior officers, his lack of experience and weak safety awareness were undeniable facts.

"Swallowing the razor blade was my responsibility; it has nothing to do with them. But that's a separate issue from changing Cuntoucao's compulsory rehabilitation method!" Tong Haojing steered the conversation back to whether Cuntoucao should be released.

Everyone lowered their heads in silence, and the office fell silent again. Just as everyone was guessing who would be most likely to disagree with Tong Haojing's proposal, Director Tang slowly lit a cigarette and then stated with certainty:

"Tong Haojing, write a self-criticism immediately, and tomorrow morning, go to the rehabilitation center to handle Cuntoucao's community-based rehabilitation!" Obeying orders and following commands was the duty of a police officer.

Officers Lan and Lu left the office in a huff. Late at night, Anti-drug Brigade Captain Du Ce, along with Wang Chongyang and four other team members, went to the west of the city to apprehend Agen, a drug trafficker from Hedong Province who was hiding at Fourth Brother's home in Hongqiao Community. Intelligence indicated that Agen might be armed.

This highly classified tip was provided directly to Du Ce by Director Gao Weimin. Du Ce clearly remembered that just half an hour earlier, Director Gao had quietly entered his office alone. Such an occurrence had thoroughly startled Du Ce; it could be said to be unprecedented in the history of the Tangdu City Public Security Bureau.

Director Gao's sudden appearance made Du Ce, usually a calm and collected anti-drug brigade captain, a bit flustered. His recent poor performance in anti-drug operations and the general disarray in his office fueled his anxiety about being reprimanded. In Du Ce's mind, Director Gao's personal visit usually meant an inspection and an opportunity to find fault. To his surprise, Director Gao's first words left him bewildered.

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

"This... I... this... I have some impression!" Du Ce stammered in his flustered state, standing at attention rigidly, his posture unnatural.

"This... I... this... I have some impression!" Du Ce stammered in his flustered state, standing at attention rigidly, his posture unnatural.

"Don't be nervous, I'm not a tiger. Sit down and talk!" Director Gao said kindly, patting Du Ce's shoulder with a warm, encouraging look in his eyes, and then sat down on the sofa.

"Shall I contact Director Tang in the west of the city?" Du Ce looked at Director Gao uneasily. He noticed a mysterious yet determined force in the director's eyes, leading him to speculate that there must be a specific and arduous mission awaiting him.