Who Is the Boss

Tong Haojing successfully completed the task assigned by the director, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Xiao Yanni's household registration issue was resolved, making her a well-known figure in Hongqiao Community. People would often approach Tong Haojing with sharp and critical questions. He listened attentively and took detailed notes, but handling them proved tricky, especially the sensational rumors about drug use and fights at Hongdu Entertainment City. He was skeptical, as although he knew there were problems, every time Old Jiang took him for a routine inspection, the place appeared peaceful and festive.

Tong Haojing recalled Cuntoucao mentioning drug use related to Hongdu Entertainment City, which troubled him. He couldn't understand why Officer Lan and Lu Tong hadn't been able to interrogate Cuntoucao and the thug about the fight, which seemed so easily achievable.

It had been a long time since he arrived at West City Station, and the West City area remained a busy scene of demolition. Construction trucks hauling slag would frequently pass through the streets, kicking up clouds of dust. The hazy sky obscured Tong Haojing's vision. He walked alone on the street, like a defeated and lost warrior, having lost his way under the dim sky.

A roaring dust-suppressing sprinkler truck sprayed a mist of water as it passed by, drenching Tong Haojing. It felt like a cold shower. He suddenly looked up and saw Qiu Family Lamb Restaurant at the Hongdu street corner. A refreshing aroma made Tong Haojing forget his troubles.

It was late. Hongqiao Community was dark. The streetlights on a few intersecting roads were dim, with only the flickering neon lights of Hongdu Entertainment City and West City Hotel illuminating the West City night sky. Taxis stopped and started on the highway in front of the entrance, with people getting in and out.

The Qiu Family Lamb Soup at the Hongdu street corner was steaming hot, its aroma whetting Tong Haojing's appetite. This was another century-old restaurant, its lamb fragrance reaching ten miles. Tong Haojing had heard his mother describe it with longing. The restaurant was crowded, so Tong Haojing ordered a rough, mud-colored bowl and found a seat by the window on the second floor. He leisurely watched the street scene outside. Just then, he saw Cuntoucao and a few other people laughing and walking into the restaurant. Besides Cuntoucao, another person looked familiar. He realized it was the middle-parted hair thug. Yes, it was the thug. Tong Haojing was certain.

Cuntoucao had mentioned that the thug was their leader and a regular at Hongdu Entertainment City. Following him, Tong Haojing believed, would surely reveal something. Tong Haojing made up his mind, wolfed down a few pieces of meat, took a couple of sips of soup, hastily paid, and waited at a corner not far from the restaurant entrance for the thug and Cuntoucao to appear.

In the ground-floor restaurant, the arrivals were indeed the thug, Cuntoucao, and a few of their underlings. The thug acted like a big boss in front of Cuntoucao and the others, pointing and giving orders, while the underlings were subservient and respectful. The underlings took turns toasting the thug, who, in his arrogance and self-importance, almost got drunk.

Tong Haojing waited outside for nearly an hour. Cuntoucao and a few underlings helped the drunk thug stumble out of the restaurant. The thug said, "Let's go, let's go to Hongdu!"

The underlings responded, "Sure, let's find some girls and have a good time!"

Hongdu Entertainment City was the highest-class entertainment venue in West City and always did good business. However, for some reason, the owners had changed one after another over the past few years, with no boss staying for more than two years. The current owner, Sister Mei, had surprisingly been running it for over two years. People said she had connections and was very influential. Old Jiang had told Tong Haojing more than once that the problems there were complicated, but whenever Tong Haojing accompanied Old Jiang for routine checks, the place was always full of singing and dancing, and they never found anything wrong. Tong Haojing was puzzled; this issue had been bothering him.

Tong Haojing followed them discreetly, seeing the thug's brutish face and hearing his coarse voice. Although he had the courage of a newborn calf, he felt uneasy being alone. He wanted to report the situation with the thug and his group to Old Jiang for support, but Old Jiang's cautious nature made him abandon the idea. Not to mention reporting to Director Tang, whose stern face and angry gaze made one uneasy.

The thug and the underlings walked to the entrance of Hongdu. The security guard immediately came forward, bowing and scraping, saying, "Brother Hu, please! The boss is inside!" The security guard was familiar with the thug's group and knew their relationship with the boss was unusual.

The thug, Cuntoucao, and the underlings, reeking of alcohol, scurried through the maze-like corridors like headless flies. A few waitresses in red dresses struggled to guide the group to the main hall. A clumsy waiter accidentally spilled tea on the thug. The thug's eyes widened, and the underlings immediately moved forward and started punching and kicking.

Cuntoucao, no longer as reckless as before, had given up the idea of fighting. He couldn't bear to watch and tried to persuade them, "Brothers, forget it. Brother Hu doesn't care about this!"

The thug sat on the sofa, legs crossed, tapping his foot, looking relaxed and at ease.

Cuntoucao turned his head and looked at the thug, smiling fawningly, "Brother Hu, isn't that right!"

The thug glanced at Cuntoucao and said nothing more.

Tong Haojing followed them in, just missing this scene. He sat in the dark left corner of the hall, almost invisible. He ordered a cup of coffee and closely watched the every move of the thug, Cuntoucao, and the underlings.

The young waiter, holding his head, curled up on the ground. He didn't cry out, nor did he dare to, because the more he cried, the worse he would be beaten. This was what his fellow waiters had told him.

A woman with a refined demeanor came out, smiling and greeting, "Brother Hu, why are you so late!" The woman who greeted him was Guo Meichen, tall and slender, in her 30s, with flowing shoulder-length hair. Her fair face revealed a touch of noble femininity. She was the legal representative of Hongdu Entertainment City, known as Sister Mei.

"Sister Mei, please, he's just a young kid!" Sister Mei said with a pleading look and a smile, stepping forward to speak.

The thug glanced at Sister Mei, his face darkened, and he said sarcastically, "Stop it. Don't you see our Sister Mei is here?" The thug felt a tickle in his heart, his eyes shining as he stared at Sister Mei, as if wanting something.

"Sister Mei, business is good!" The thug sat on a high stool at the bar, a cigarette in his mouth, blowing out a ring of smoke.

Sister Mei's gaze shifted to the bartender's face. The bartender, understanding, fetched several packs of good cigarettes and obsequiously stuffed them into the hands of the underlings behind the thug.

"How can I accept this?" the thug said, feigning refusal, then made a subtle gesture. Sister Mei understood and quickly walked up to the thug. He asked without reservation, "Sister Mei, has Little Tiger's birthday party started yet?"

Sister Mei bent down and whispered in the thug's ear, "They arrived long ago and are waiting for you in the 'Unfinished Love' private room." Sister Mei knew that the thug had arranged with Little Tiger long ago. Little Tiger had invited more than ten of his friends and needed the "buns" provided by the thug to spice things up. This was a common activity in their entertainment venue.

The thug sneered, "If he doesn't follow the agreement, doesn't he know the consequences!" It was the thug who was late, yet he blamed others for arriving early. This was clearly the logic of a robber.

"Sister Mei, have there been any disturbances recently?" the thug asked hypocritically, feigning concern.

"No, no. With our Brother Long here, who would dare cause trouble!" Sister Mei said gratefully, but with an indescribable feeling in her heart. She made small talk, subtly hinted something to the waiter, and went to attend to other guests.

The thug sent one of the underlings into the "Unfinished Love" room. Shortly after, the underling came out with Little Tiger. Little Tiger smiled apologetically at the thug, "Brother Hu, are there fewer buns?"

The thug glared at Little Tiger and said, "Don't you know? The police are cracking down hard now. All the intersections are blocked, and less goods are coming in. Scarcity makes things valuable, so the price naturally goes up!"

Little Tiger smiled obsequiously and wisely said nothing more.

Tong Haojing vaguely saw the thug, the underlings, and an unfamiliar young man arguing. He didn't know what was going on inside, but based on his intuition, they were definitely up to something illicit. Tong Haojing was contemplating how to approach the thug when a waiter came over to make tea. The hall lights illuminated Tong Haojing's position, and the thug happened to see him.

He froze for a moment, then suddenly stood up, pointed at Tong Haojing with his right hand, his face suddenly darkening. "Hmph, it's a small world. I finally ran into you today."

Ever since the thug was released on bail by the West City Police Station, he had harbored resentment towards Tong Haojing, whom he remembered vividly. He hated the meddlesome tall guy for making him spend days in jail. Scarface had been in hiding, and one of their short brothers had even died. Fortunately, Long Wen found someone to help them escape, otherwise, they would have been locked up for years. However, the thug didn't know Tong Haojing's name or what he did, and he had only seen his face once before. The last time he encountered Tong Haojing walking with Old Jiang on West City Street, he hadn't recognized him at all. Tonight, as their eyes met, the thug suddenly had a flash of recognition. He vaguely determined that this person was his enemy, but he wasn't sure.

"Let's go, that guy's not behaving. Let's teach him a lesson!" The underlings around the thug heard Hu Pan's words, clenched their fists, and immediately stood up, making the stools clatter. The nearby patrons saw that trouble was brewing and quickly scattered.

Tong Haojing sat in his seat, fearless, still leisurely drinking his coffee. He had already prepared for a counterattack in secret. With his skills, subduing these underlings would be no problem.

Cuntoucao, needing to use the restroom, had just come out when he saw the thug's group moving to confront Tong Haojing. Cuntoucao was startled. Seeing his benefactor, he quickly stepped forward and stood between the two groups, extending his arms to separate them.

"Brother Hu, it's a misunderstanding. This is my brother. Let's talk things through properly!" Cuntoucao tried his best to mediate.

"He's your brother? I've never heard you mention him. What's his name?" Hearing Cuntoucao's words, the thug hesitated to definitively identify this person as the one who had provoked him by the Tangdu River, and a degree of uncertainty crept in. However, he still looked fierce and somewhat arrogant.

"Let me introduce him, he's a pol... oh... he's Officer Jie!" Cuntoucao was intimidated by the thug's demeanor and spoke a bit flustered, but he was clever enough not to reveal Tong Haojing's identity and deliberately spoke nonsense. Tong Haojing admired Cuntoucao's quick thinking; he could remain calm in critical moments.

Tong Haojing sized up these people, noting their facial features one by one, and contemplated how to teach them a lesson. It wouldn't hurt for Cuntoucao to introduce them.

In his previous life in the army, these thugs would have been beaten to tears long ago. However, his identity was different now. He endured it, suppressed his fiery temper, stood up, and proactively extended his hand. This would also allow Cuntoucao to save face.

Seeing Tong Haojing's tall and strong physique, his smart and handsome appearance that made him look like a capable young man, it was clear he was no match for others. The thug took a step back, a shiver running down his spine.

"Alright, for Cuntoucao's sake, we'll let it go." The thug still maintained an arrogant demeanor, which made Tong Haojing even more indignant. He extended his right hand and grasped the thug's. With a slight exertion from Tong Haojing, the thug's palm deformed, causing him to grimace in pain without daring to make a sound, his expression one of extreme fear. The underlings beside him looked at this bizarre scene, each holding their breath in terror.

The thug realized this person was no ordinary individual and no longer dared to provoke him. He called his underlings back to their seats, diffusing a potential violent confrontation.

The waiter called Sister Mei, who was outside, to inform her of what had just happened. She rushed back before finishing her business. Fortunately, both sides had calmed down. She brought two bottles of red wine and called a few hostesses to entertain everyone. Cuntoucao poured a glass, preparing to toast Hu Pan, but turned around to find Tong Haojing gone.

The thug sat proudly on the sofa. Several women dressed as hostesses approached coyly and started clinging to the thug and the underlings. They showed no shame in front of the men, and their revealing clothes made the underlings' imaginations run wild. The thug roughly embraced the woman in front of him, his hands uncontrollably groping her. Suddenly, the thug remembered Long Wen's instructions to maintain stability recently. He immediately pushed away the hostess beside him and said, "Brothers, let's go. We have important work to do tomorrow!"

The underlings were still unsatisfied and reluctant, but they had no choice but to follow the thug out of Hongdu Entertainment City. On the way, a dull-witted underling asked the thug, "Brother Hu, why was your face so ugly just now!" Unexpectedly, the thug slapped him across the face, leaving him bewildered. The others looked at the ignorant underling and burst into wild laughter.

In the hall, another rock song started playing, and men and women danced and sang to their hearts' content. Tong Haojing had no interest whatsoever. He came out of the restroom and left the entertainment city.

The scene he had just witnessed was completely unexpected. Tong Haojing felt a surge of indignation. He walked alone on West City Avenue under the night sky. It was late at night, and the streetlights were dim, with only the yellow traffic light at the intersection flashing. Tong Haojing returned to the police station and noticed that the light in Director Tang's office was still on.

Tang Changan had finished dinner with his old classmate whom he hadn't seen in a long time. After having a little to drink, he didn't go home directly but went to the station and fell asleep on the sofa. A phone call startled the dreaming Director Tang. He rolled over and saw it was already midnight. The call was from Manager Xiao of Chengda Industrial Company. Director Tang guessed it might be about Hongdu Entertainment Company, because he knew that although Sister Mei was the legal representative of Hongdu, the actual controller was Xiao Guang, known as Manager Xiao. Only two people knew this secret: one was Tang Changan, and the other was Hu Yuancheng, the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau.

Manager Xiao asked, "A police officer came to Sister Mei's place, do you know about it?"

Tang Changan was startled and said, "Who is it?"

Manager Xiao replied, "My people said he's one of yours."

Tang Changan said, "Impossible, if it were, I would know!" Tang Changan was very certain.

Manager Xiao chuckled sinisterly, "You sent him to go undercover, didn't you?"

Tang Changan replied, "How could that be?"

Manager Xiao became a little impatient, raising his voice, "I'm not talking about this anymore. You need to keep your people in line and not try to have it both ways!" In reality, Manager Xiao was very unhappy. He somewhat resented Tang Changan for "playing the whore and setting up a memorial archway." He even considered calling Director Hu.

Tang Changan never expected that in his entire career as a police officer, he would be led around by others. It was back in August two years ago, during a heatwave. The air conditioner in the police station's office had poor cooling efficiency due to its age. He reported it to the supervising leader, Hu Yuancheng. Director Hu's face darkened, and he severely reprimanded him, saying that as a director, he couldn't even solve this problem and made him worry about it. Hu Yuancheng immediately made a phone call and then announced that Manager Xiao of Chengda Industrial Company had donated ten air conditioners. Three days later, the air conditioners were indeed delivered. Tang Changan announced to the station that the City Bureau had bought them. He never expected this matter to become a handle for others to manipulate him, which was something he never anticipated. What's more troublesome is that Xiao Guang even moved one to his mother's house, falsely claiming that he had bought it for her. His mother believed it and didn't ask, only finding out several months ago. Later, the air conditioner incident became like a demon that clung to him, preventing him from sleeping and making him unable to stand tall. He also lacked the courage to explain it to the Political Department.

Besides Director Hu, the only other person who knew about this was Jiang Hongde, who learned about it from Sister Mei. This was Tang Changan's weakness concerning Old Jiang, and he could only turn a blind eye to some of Old Jiang's illicit activities in the Hongqiao area. It could be said that this was the reason for the outwardly close relationship between Tang Changan and Jiang Hongde, while privately harboring unknown conflicts.

Tang Changan understood perfectly what Manager Xiao meant. He pondered for a long time, wondering if Old Jiang hadn't set any rules for Tong Haojing. Tang Changan said with some exasperation, "This damned Old Jiang, are the station's rules no longer important?"

In Director Tang's mind, the only one who was a bit reckless was the newcomer, Tong Haojing. Because he was already aware of his shrewdness and capability, he realized this young man still needed to be trained. He had been looking for a suitable reason to curb his impetuosity, to teach him when to advance and when to retreat, so that he might have better prospects in the future. This was also a tacit understanding he had reached with Director Wu.