A New Perspective

Officers Lan and Lu Tong had been up all night. Cuntoucao still hadn't confessed to the assault and battery. The two officers 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 his drug use gave them confidence. They secretly vowed, "We won't go easy on him; two years of compulsory rehabilitation." Without even a moment to rest, Lan and Lu immediately sent Cuntoucao to the Tangdu City Compulsory Isolation Rehabilitation Center.

The police car sped down the road toward the rehabilitation center.

Officer Lan turned on the radio. The morning news was reporting on the drug situation among young people in Hedong Province. Officer Lan had a sudden idea and found a topic. "Cuntoucao, do you want your child to be a drug addict?"

Cuntoucao slumped in the car seat like a boneless creature, swaying with the bumps, drowsy, his face ashen, snot running down his nose. Lu Tong repeatedly yelled at him to sit up, but Cuntoucao, with his hands cuffed behind his back, showed no reaction.

His drug withdrawal symptoms were kicking in, but upon hearing his daughter mentioned, Cuntoucao forced himself to perk up. He glared at Officer Lan in the rearview mirror, "Would you want your own kid to be a drug addict!" followed by a yawn.

"It seems your conscience isn't dead yet!" Lu Tong, sitting beside him and having remained silent until now, interjected suddenly.

As they were nearing the rehabilitation center, Cuntoucao suddenly became agitated and restless, his face contorted in pain. "I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore! My stomach hurts!"

Due to inexperience of the officers handling the case during the arrest or custody, insufficient searches, or lapses in observation, drug users often resort to swallowing foreign objects to self-harm and evade punishment.

Officer Lan's expression turned to alarm. Could he have swallowed a razor blade?

Cuntoucao's cries grew louder and more intense, the pain clearly escalating. Based on his past experience, Officer Lan had a nagging feeling that Cuntoucao wasn't faking it. But where did the razor blade come from? Where did he swallow it? He replayed the entire arrest process in his mind but couldn't find any slip-ups!

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

"Really?" Officer Lan asked, half-believing, half-doubting. He slowly pulled the police car over to the side of the road, turned, and looked askance at the grim-faced Cuntoucao, a flicker of panic in his heart. Lu Tong grew even more vigilant, pulling on Cuntoucao's cuffed hands, fearing he might be up to 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 lacerate his intestines; at worst, it could be life-threatening. Officer Lan immediately reported the situation to Director Tang Changan. Director Tang, ever calm, was accustomed to such self-harming acts by drug users to evade justice. He instructed them to take Cuntoucao to the hospital first, find out the source of the razor blade, and also contacted the rehabilitation center, emphasizing the need to break such individuals' arrogance and prevent a recurrence.

Officer Lan drove the car like lightning to the nearest traditional Chinese medicine hospital. After an X-ray, the doctor determined there was a metal object resembling a razor blade in his stomach, but it was wrapped in foil. There was no immediate danger to his life, and he could be monitored.

Officers Lan and Lu breathed a huge sigh of relief. They escorted Cuntoucao out of the hospital. Cuntoucao clutched his stomach, hunched over, his expression pained, and struggled to get back into the police car. Lu Tong angrily shoved him from behind the car door. "Stop pretending!"

Officer Lan, knowing what was going on, 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 like a rocket skimming the ground, secretly vowing that Cuntoucao would serve two years in prison.

With his hands still cuffed behind his back, Cuntoucao maintained his defiant, "dead pig doesn't fear boiling water" demeanor. Seeing that Officer Lan was no longer paying him any attention, his heart sank halfway. He lowered his head and fell silent.

Lu Tong, energized by Cuntoucao's theatrics, peppered him with questions like a machine gun: "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 tell the truth: the razor blade was taken from his person by a tall police officer during the arrest and swallowed 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 couldn't help but find it amusing. A police officer from the rehabilitation center remarked that he probably wanted to drink the heroin substitute inside. This was the most effective substitute medication provided by the rehabilitation center for drug users during the seven-day physiological detoxification period.

Old Jiang and Tong Haojing arrived at Director Tang's office together.

Director Tang had just finished a call with Officer Lan. He was still scolding Old Jiang and Tong Haojing for their lack of diligence, allowing the old drug addict Cuntoucao to slip through their fingers and swallow a razor blade. Fortunately, the rehabilitation center now had a method specifically for dealing with such drug users; otherwise, reporting this to Hu Yuancheng would result in a severe dressing-down.

Old Jiang and Tong Haojing entered. Before they could even speak, Director Tang's angry words came out, "Cuntoucao refuses to admit guilt, he's a scoundrel. He's already been sentenced to two years of compulsory rehabilitation, he deserves it! Why keep such riffraff around!"

Old Jiang relayed the information provided by Sister Feng, but Director Tang was still too angry to pay attention. At that moment, Director Tang received a mysterious phone call.

Old Jiang could tell from Director Tang's demeanor. He managed to squeeze out a few words like "Yes," "Okay," "Mhm," "Right," muttering subserviently on the phone, but his visibly reluctant and disgusted expression made it difficult for Old Jiang to understand.

Tong Haojing had come prepared. Before coming to the office, he had reviewed the relevant anti-drug laws. The law stipulated that Cuntoucao was Xiao Yanni's sole guardian. If Cuntoucao mended his ways, his sentence could be changed to community-based rehabilitation, allowing Xiao Yanni to have someone to care for and rely on. Tong Haojing had made up his mind and explained his thoughts and legal basis.

Director Tang pondered for a moment and said, "Director Gao Weimin often says in meetings that public security work must be people-oriented. As long as it complies with the law, we can do it!" Director Tang's statement was a complete turnabout, something Tong Haojing hadn't expected.

Old Jiang, feeling left out in the cold, 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, thinking, Tong Haojing, you've got some serious pull. One word from you is worth ten thousand of mine. You really are capable!

Just then, Officers Lan and Lu, having completed the compulsory rehabilitation procedures for Cuntoucao, returned to the office 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 officers immediately became enraged, firmly disagreeing, and started arguing with Tong Haojing.

Old Jiang quickly stepped in to mediate, "We're all family, let's talk things through. We can discuss it."

Tong Haojing, like a fearless newborn calf, spoke passionately and argued logically, refusing to back down.

Tang Changan didn't give a direct answer but changed the subject, suddenly bringing up the matter of Cuntoucao's razor blade. "Everyone, what's the explanation for the razor blade?"

Old Jiang thought for a moment. Cuntoucao had been apprehended for nearly 24 hours. Problems could have arisen at any stage, and it was indeed difficult to determine responsibility now. However, since no harm had been done, there was no need to delve deeper into the matter.

Lan and Lu disagreed. Confidently, they produced the law enforcement recorder, showing that it was impossible for the razor blade to have been swallowed during the later stages of the investigation. The only security lapse occurred when Cuntoucao was apprehended in his home.

Tong Haojing wasn't interested in watching the video; arguing was pointless. In front of several veteran 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 oppose Tong Haojing's opinion, Director Tang slowly lit a cigarette and then stated with certainty, "Tong Haojing, write a self-criticism immediately. Tomorrow morning, you will go to the rehabilitation center to handle Cuntoucao's community-based rehabilitation!"

Obeying orders and following commands was the sacred 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 four team members including Wang Chongyang, went to the west of the city to arrest Agen, a drug criminal from Hedong Province who had fled to the home of Si Laodi in Hongqiao Community. The intel indicated that Agen might be carrying a firearm.

This highly classified tip came directly from Director Gao Weimin to Du Ce. Du Ce clearly remembered that just half an hour earlier, Director Gao had quietly entered his office alone. This situation had startled Du Ce considerably; 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, an anti-drug captain who usually remained calm in the face of adversity, somewhat 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 finding fault. Little did he know that Director Gao's first words would leave him bewildered.

"Is there someone called Si Laodi in the west of the city?"

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

"Don't be nervous, I'm not a tiger. Sit down and talk!" Director Gao patted Du Ce's shoulder with a kind and encouraging gaze, then sat down on the sofa.

"Should I contact Director Tang from the West City?" Du Ce looked uneasily at Director Gao. He noticed that the director's eyes were filled with a magical and determined force, leading him to speculate that a specific and arduous mission awaited him.

"No!" Director Gao's expression turned serious, and he spoke rapidly. Du Ce dared not speak further.

Director Gao pondered for a moment and said, "Xiao Du, there is a rather special task here. The premise is secrecy. You must complete it with quality and quantity, without any mistakes..."

"I guarantee the mission will be completed!" Du Ce replied.

"Don't rush to answer. Wait until I've explained the situation before you commit!"

"Okay!" Du Ce lowered his head sheepishly.

Gao Weimin continued, "...A drug criminal frequently travels between the southwestern border region and our city. His criminal activities have long been known to the anti-drug departments in the southwest. We have now received intel that the drug criminal Agen has fled to the home of Si Laodi, a resident in the western district of our Tangdu City. This resident is also highly suspicious..."