Street Detention
At 7:40 a. m., the tail end of the morning rush hour in S City was not yet completely over.
Lin Feng parked his car in the familiar temporary parking space downstairs from the law firm, turned off the engine, and removed the Key. The streets outside the car window were bustling with activity; office workers hurried past carrying breakfast, buses chug through the crowds at the bus stops, and the traffic lights in the distance changed colors rhythmically.
Everything was the same as usual.
He pushed open the car door, and as soon as his foot touched the ground, a rapid engine roar came from the street corner.
Two black SUVs sped towards him, one after the other, almost skimming the edge of the sidewalk, their tires screeching against the pavement, and steadily blocked his path. Almost simultaneously, a third gray sedan darted out from the side, blocking his way.
The three cars, arranged in a triangular formation, surrounded him and his vehicle.
The movements were clean and swift, clearly indicating that they had been prepared in advance.
Lin Feng stood by the car door, not moving. He glanced at the three cars; none of them had license plates, and the windows were tinted dark, making it impossible to see the people inside.
The passenger door opened almost simultaneously, and three men dressed in plain clothes, but whose demeanor was out of place with their surroundings, emerged. One man each got out of the two cars behind, making a total of six. They spread out, forming a circle around Lin Feng, their eyes all fixed on him.
The man walking at the front was in his thirties, with a buzz cut, a square face, and eyes as sharp as knives. He wore a dark gray jacket, the zipper undone, revealing a black T-shirt underneath. He walked straight up to Lin Feng, stopping less than two meters away.
Without any unnecessary words, he pulled a dark brown wallet from his inner pocket, swung it open with one hand, and showed the identification inside.
"Police." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unyielding, firm tone. "Lin Feng, right?"
The document lingered in his hand for about two seconds. Lin Feng's gaze fell on the metal police badge and the small print below it—"Economic Investigation Detachment, Public Security Bureau of a Certain City N Province, Wang."
He raised his eyes, looked at the other person's face, and calmly nodded.
The square-faced man put away his identification, then took a folded A4 sheet of paper from someone next to him, unfolded it, and handed it to Lin Feng. "This is a warrant for your arrest. You are suspected of damaging business reputation and product reputation. We are now legally arresting you. Please cooperate with us to return for investigation."
The paper was stamped with a bright red official seal, and the printed text was densely packed. Lin Feng's eyes quickly scanned the key information: the case details, his name, ID number, and the signature of the Public Security Bureau of a certain city in N Province. The format was complete, and at first glance, there seemed to be no problem.
Just then, a figure suddenly rushed over from the side, like an enraged leopard cub, and stood between Lin Feng and the square-faced man.
It was Lü Yi. He was locking a shared bike on the roadside a moment too late. Now, his usual carefree smile was gone. His eyes were fixed on the square-faced man, and his body was slightly tense, exuding a dangerous aggression.
"What are you doing?" Lü Yi's voice was low and carried a warning tone.
The square-faced man didn't even frown; he simply turned his head, his gaze passing over Lü Yi and remaining fixed on Lin Feng. "Please have your men move aside; don't obstruct law enforcement."
Lü Yi's lips curled into a smirk, but the smile was devoid of warmth, "Enforcement? Who knows if you're really doing it? Show me your credentials again!"
The atmosphere instantly tensed. The other five plainclothes officers subtly shifted their positions, subtly encircling Lü Yi as well. One of them had already unconsciously reached for his lower back.
Lin Feng reached out and gently placed his hand on Lü Yi's shoulder, taking half a step forward to shield Lü Yi's body from his side and behind.
"It's alright, Lü Yi." His voice was neither loud nor soft, almost flat, as if he were just a few people asking for directions. "I'll go with them."
Lü Yi suddenly turned to look at Lin Feng, his eyes filled with astonishment and resentment. But when he met Lin Feng's calm gaze, he gritted his teeth and said nothing more. He just kept his body in the way and didn't completely back away, his fists clenching quietly at his sides.
The square-faced man seemed somewhat surprised by Lin Feng's cooperation, giving him a scrutinizing look before slightly tilting his head towards the two people beside him.
The two plainclothes officers immediately stepped forward and stood on either side of Lin Feng. One of them pulled out a pair of shiny handcuffs from behind his waist.
"Officer," Lin Feng spoke again, his tone still calm, even with a hint of negotiation, "Isn't that unnecessary? Do I really need this for something like this?"
"The regulations." The square-faced man stated succinctly, without the slightest hint of leniency.
The plainclothes officer holding the handcuffs had already grabbed Lin Feng's wrist. The movement wasn't exactly rough, but it was anything but gentle either. The cold metal ring clicked onto his wrist bone, and the other end quickly locked Lin Feng's other hand. The handcuffs' teeth were tight, pressing against his skin and creating a distinct feeling of pressure.
Lü Yi's breathing suddenly became heavy, his eyes fixed on the handcuffs, and the veins on his forehead throbbed faintly.
Lin Feng merely glanced down at his handcuffed hands, then looked up, his gaze calmly sweeping over the square-faced man, then over the several plainclothes officers standing guard nearby, and finally giving Lü Yi a very slight shake of his head.
"Let's go." The square-faced man turned around and walked towards the gray sedan first.
Two plainclothes officers flanked Lin Feng, following behind. Lin Feng obediently stepped forward and was shoved into the back seat of the car. Another plainclothes officer followed closely behind and sat down, blocking the door. The square-faced man got into the passenger seat.
The others quickly returned to the other two cars.
The engines started, and the three cars moved off almost simultaneously, quickly merging into traffic and heading out of the city. The action was swift and efficient; from parking to taking the person away, it took no more than three minutes. A few passersby stopped and glanced at the cars curiously, but only for a few moments before hurrying on their way.
Lü Yi stood alone by the roadside, watching the three cars disappear into the morning rush hour traffic. He kicked the trash can next to him hard, the metal body making a loud "bang" that drew the attention of more people.
He pulled out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen, his face so dark it could drip water.
The back seat of the gray sedan wasn't very spacious. Lin Feng sat in the middle, with a plainclothes officer on each side. The windows were closed, and the air conditioning was set rather low, making one's skin feel tight.
The car was quiet, with only the roar of the engine and the noise of the tires over the road. No one spoke. The square-faced man in the passenger seat stared straight ahead, occasionally glancing at Lin Feng through the rearview mirror. Lin Feng, on the other hand, turned his head slightly, looking at the street scene rushing past outside the window.
His hands were cuffed in front of him, the metal scraping against the leather seat with a soft rustling sound. But his face was expressionless, showing neither fear nor anger, nor even much surprise, only a deep, still calm.
The car drove steadily, at a moderate speed, strictly adhering to traffic rules. Its direction was clear—it was leaving the city center and heading towards the main road leading out of the city.
Lin Feng closed his eyes, seemingly somewhat tired, or perhaps resting.
But deep down, he directly informed Wei Guanglin of the situation he was facing.
The plainclothes officer sitting to his left seemed to sense the slight change in his posture and turned to look at him. Lin Feng "woke up" at the opportune moment, gently adjusted the position of his handcuffed wrists to avoid the metal edges digging too much into them, and then continued to look out the window.
The car passed through intersection after intersection, where high-rise buildings were gradually replaced by low-rise shops and residential areas, and traffic began to thin out. The signs for the highway entrance were already visible ahead.
It'll be soon.
Lin Feng's gaze fell on the rearview mirror, reflecting the square-faced man's tense profile.
He still didn't say anything.
In his mind, he clearly pictured Wei Guanglin in an office on the other side of the city, putting down the documents in his hand, picking up the internal communicator, and calmly giving orders.
The scenery outside the window rushed past, and the outline of the highway toll station became clearer and clearer. A convoy of three cars was slowly making its way towards the entrance.