The Water Receded, Revealing the Stones
This time, the sirens blared downstairs, and there was more than one car. Footsteps came up the stairs in a noisy but orderly fashion, heavy and solid, carrying the oppressive feeling unique to public power. Soon, four or five police officers in full duty gear, carrying body cameras, appeared at the entrance of the building and quickly brought the scene under control.
Leading the group was a dark-skinned, steady-looking veteran policeman of a high rank. His piercing gaze swept over the chaotic scene at the entrance—the security door bearing knife marks, Liu Jian slumped on the floor, several panicked men, Lü Yi holding a kitchen knife but having retreated slightly, and Lin Feng leaning calmly against the wall. When his gaze landed on the lone "middle-aged policeman," his brow furrowed noticeably, a hint of doubt and scrutiny flashing in his eyes. Among colleagues, one could often sense a difference in demeanor and bearing; this man, in particular, seemed out of place.
"Don't move! Put the knife down!" a young policeman shouted at Lü Yi, placing his hand on his police equipment. Lü Yi pursed his lips, but this time he cooperated. He loosened his grip, and the kitchen knife clattered to the ground. He even raised his hands in a slightly exaggerated "surrender" gesture, but the half-smile on his lips was infuriating to look at.
Lin Feng stepped forward and briefly recounted what had happened: his door was violently banged on in the early morning, and the other party claimed to be a fraud-busting blogger who came to demand compensation. During the verbal conflict, the other party tried to force his way in, and his companion, Lü Yi, threatened him with a knife (he emphasized that it was a threat and pointed out that the knife was stuck in the door and that no one on the other side was injured). Then, this "police officer" arrived alone to "mediate," pressuring him to demand high compensation and questioning his police status and the procedures for responding to police calls.
The older police officer in charge listened, his face growing increasingly grim. He first had his colleague confiscate Lü Yi's knife as evidence, then questioned the Glasses man, Liu Jian's group, and also listened to the explanation from the "middle-aged police officer."
After Lin Feng pointed out the key doubts (a single officer responding to a cross-district call, no recorder, and unreasonable arrival time), the accounts from all sides immediately became contradictory and difficult to reconcile, especially the explanation given by the "police officer," which seemed weak and unconvincing.
"Take them all back to the station and question them separately!" The veteran policeman gave the order decisively without further ado. The matter involved a knife fight, suspected impersonation of police officers, and extortion for huge sums of money, making it no longer a simple dispute. Everyone, including Lin Feng and Lü Yi, was taken to the police car.
Inside the police station, the atmosphere was completely different. The bright lights, the standardized interrogation room, the body cameras that were on throughout the process, and the serious-looking and professional police officers all created an invisible pressure.
Separate interrogations were the key to the breakthrough. The Glasses man, Liu Jian, the thin man, and others were taken to different rooms. For the first few hours, they clearly colluded, insisting it was a "consumer rights protection" incident, that "the other party was wielding a knife," and that "a police friend was passing by and helping to mediate."
Especially that fake policeman, named Zhao Zhigang, insisted that he was a police officer from Guangming Road Police Station in Lin'an District. He said he was on leave today and received a call from a friend (referring to the man with Glasses) saying that he had bought counterfeit goods and was being bullied. Out of righteous indignation and professional habit, he went to check on the situation since he was passing by and wanted to mediate. He had absolutely no intention of impersonating someone or extorting money.
But the police weren't so easily fooled. On the one hand, verifying Zhao Zhigang's identity did take some effort—he actually did have police registration! He was indeed a police officer at the Guangming Road Police Station in Lin'an District, albeit in a low-level position. This gave him some initial confidence.
On the other hand, he could not explain why he did not turn on the body camera during the "mediation", why he did not report to the local police station or go through the command center before handling cross-regional "disposal", and he could not explain his "mediation" remarks that were obviously biased and coerced the parties to pay high compensation.
Most importantly, he could not reasonably explain why the caller's (the thin man's) phone call records showed that the number dialed at the supposed "reporting" time was his personal cell phone, not 110!
The pressure began to show. In another interrogation room, the thin man with the weakest mental fortitude finally broke down after the police repeatedly pressed him for details, presented him with evidence of phone records, and solemnly informed him of the legal consequences of perjury and participation in extortion. His face contorted with grief, he stammered as he began to confess:
"I... I said... it was Brother Fang... the one with the Glasses, who told us to do this... He said this shop is lucrative, the owner is arrogant, and it's difficult to deal with them, so it's best to scare them... Officer Zhao... it was Officer Zhao, they found him... It was agreed that we would pretend to call the police and call Officer Zhao, he would come in his uniform to intimidate people, mediate on the spot and ask for money... After it's done, the compensation would be split 50/50 with Officer Zhao... I... I was just a lackey, running errands and filming... I really didn't intend to do anything bad..."
Once the breakthrough was made, it was like a crack appearing in a dam. The police officers immediately intensified their interrogation of the others. Under the weight of solid evidence (call records, reconstruction of the on-site "mediation" recording, and the thin man's confession) and a powerful psychological offensive, the Glasses man (Brother Fang) did not resist for long.
He admitted dejectedly that they were a "professional anti-counterfeiting" team, but they had long deviated from their original purpose. Their main business was to find merchants with flaws (or even create flaws) and use methods such as online harassment, offline blockades, false advertising, and threats of exposure to exert pressure and demand compensation.
This time, they targeted "Old Lin Liquor Shop" because of its outrageous pricing and negative reviews, thinking the owner might be afraid of trouble or have a guilty conscience. To increase their deterrent effect and success rate, they contacted Zhao Zhigang, a somewhat greedy and undisciplined police officer in Lin'an District, through an intermediary, offering him substantial benefits and staging this "fake police report, real pressure" charade. Unexpectedly, they ran into a brick wall.
After learning that his accomplices had confessed and that his actions had been classified as "impersonating a police officer to swindle and extort money, attempted extortion, and serious violations of discipline and law," Zhao Zhigang knew that all was lost. He slumped in his chair and confessed to accepting bribes and assisting in exerting pressure.
Lin Feng, as both the victim and the whistleblower, cooperated fully with the statement taking, providing a detailed account of the situation. When asked if he knew the other party or if there were any other disputes, he gave a negative answer each time. After giving his statement, he remembered a crucial question and asked the investigating officer, "Officer, I have another question. How did they find my specific address? My online store information shouldn't be linked to this address."
The investigating officer reviewed the case file and said, "According to one of the suspects (referring to the Glasses Brother Fang), they obtained the information through an intermediary nicknamed ' Black Mirror.' This ' Black Mirror ' is said to run a gray-market information search business and has connections online, able to obtain information like phone numbers and addresses through unofficial channels. We've already recorded this person's information and will investigate him separately." The officer glanced at Lin Feng and added, "You guys should also be careful. Personal information leaks are serious these days; be especially cautious when doing business online."
Lin Feng nodded, understanding dawning on his mind. The so-called "Black Mirror" was nothing more than brokers who used technology or networks to illegally sell information, a phenomenon not uncommon in this era. This also reminded him that although he was hiding behind the scenes, he was not untraceable, and he needed to pay more attention to information isolation and protection in the future.
In the evening, after receiving the news, lawyer Zhou Wenyuan arrived at the police station with all the necessary documents. As the client's legal counsel, he communicated with the police, confirmed Lin Feng's identity as both a victim and a whistleblower in this matter, and completed the necessary procedures.
Finally, accompanied by Lawyer Zhou, Lin Feng was able to leave the police station. The man with Glasses and several others, along with Zhao Zhigang, who knowingly broke the law, have been criminally detained on multiple charges including attempted extortion, fraud, and violation of police discipline. They will face severe legal punishment.
Lü Yi was detained by the police for threatening the personal safety of others with a knife, which constituted the crime of provoking trouble. Although the other party provoked him first and no actual harm was caused, he was still given administrative detention by the police in accordance with the law.
Although Lawyer Zhou submitted copies of Lü Yi's past mental illness diagnoses, the police stated that they needed time to verify their authenticity and Lü Yi's capacity for responsibility at the time of the incident. Therefore, Lü Yi will remain in detention pending further processing.
As Lin Feng settled into Lawyer Zhou's understated yet luxurious car, the city's neon lights gradually illuminated the view outside the window. He rubbed his temples, as if the day's hustle and bustle had temporarily faded away.
"Boss, are you alright?" Lawyer Zhou started the car smoothly and asked with concern through the rearview mirror.
"It's nothing, just a minor inconvenience." Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, his tone indifferent. "I just didn't expect that selling alcohol would attract this kind of 'professional team.'" He thought of the information broker codenamed "Black Mirror," a cold glint flashing in his eyes. These insects hiding in the shadows of the internet are sometimes more troublesome than enemies on the surface.
"Your home address has been leaked, so it might not be safe there anymore. Should we move to a different place?" Lawyer Zhou asked.
Lin Feng thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No need for now. The main force of the enemy has already gone in, and the remaining ' Black Mirror ' and their ilk can't cause much trouble. Changing locations would only create more disturbances. Just strengthen the surrounding area's security." He paused, "As for Lü Yi, get the paperwork done as soon as possible and get him out. The diagnosis is genuine, and you know about his condition at the time."
"Understood, I will follow up," Lawyer Zhou replied.
The car merged into the evening rush hour traffic, heading towards "home." Lin Feng looked at the dazzling street scene outside the window, but his heart was filled with a cold solemnity. Beneath the calm urban life, the Undercurrent were more turbulent than he had imagined. Telecom fraud parks, organ trafficking, professional fraudsters and extortionists, collusion between corrupt police and criminals, information traffickers... The light and darkness of this world were far more complex and profound than what he had seen when he was an ordinary college student.
However, this is for the best. He clenched his fist, feeling the growing and hidden power within his body. Only in this way could everything he had built have value and meaning.
Night is the perfect time for hibernation and growth.