"Xiao Zhu Sun?" Under the dim streetlight, Cheng Jemin finally recognized the person who almost bumped into him.
Sun Xiaozhu, upon recognizing Cheng Jemin, was almost in tears with joy: "Director Cheng, you must save Brother Er Meng and the others!"
Cheng Jemin was taken aback for a moment, thinking that something must have happened to Sun Er Meng and the others. He looked closely and saw that Sun Xiaozhu was in a sorry state, with a bruised face, a swollen nose, and a dirty, crumpled shirt. It was clear that he had been in a fight. Although he had not known Sun Xiaozhu for long, Cheng Jemin felt a natural affinity for these men from his hometown who had come to Tianyuan City to sell apples.
"Xiaozhu, what happened to you?"
Sun Xiaozhu felt like crying but held back, choking out his words: "Brother Cheng, after we delivered the apples to your Water Resources Department this afternoon, we went to set up a stall in the west part of the city to wholesale. Business was good, but it didn't last long. A few people came and said we were selling fruit without their permission. Without a word, they smashed our stall."
"Brother Er Meng got angry. That was our hard-earned harvest for the year. He tried to stop them, but they got even more furious and started beating him. We couldn't just stand by and watch Brother Er Meng get hurt, so a fight broke out. The police came and took Brother Er Meng away without even listening to our side of the story. I managed to hide and escape."
Sun Xiaozhu, feeling wronged, continued: "Brother Cheng, they were the ones who started the fight. Not only did they smash our apples, but the police took Brother Er Meng and the others away without doing anything to those people. Isn't that just helping the bad guys?"
Cheng Jemin understood the situation after hearing Sun Xiaozhu's account. The people who had smashed their stall must have had connections at the police station, or they wouldn't have only arrested Sun Xiaozhu and the others. After a moment's thought, Cheng Jemin said, "Xiaozhu, do you know which police station it is? Can you take me there to see what's going on?"
"Jemin, I'll go with you. These people are really out of line. Why didn't they arrest the ones who started the fight?" Gu Xixi, without waiting for Cheng Jemin to suggest she leave, volunteered.
Cheng Jemin, who had come to understand Gu Xixi's character, knew that despite her gentle appearance, she was often as stubborn as a mule. Now, with his friend in trouble, Gu Xixi was also worried. Over the years, she had grown from a naive girl into a mature and steady woman, and working in the government had given her a lot of experience. She felt that her mental fortitude had been tempered by many trials. One of her principles was that when something happened, she couldn't let her beloved man face it alone; she had to be there to support him.
Seeing Gu Xixi's determination, Cheng Jemin hesitated for a moment but then agreed, "Alright, let's go together."
Sun Xiaozhu, who had been anxiously waiting for Cheng Jemin's help, only then noticed the beautiful girl standing next to him, as pretty as a model in a calendar. He wanted to greet Gu Xixi but couldn't think of what to say.
Cheng Jemin, noticing Sun Xiaozhu's awkwardness, introduced her: "Xiaozhu, this is Xixi. You can call her Sister."
Gu Xixi said warmly, "Xiaozhu, I'm sorry you had to go through this."
Ten minutes later, the three of them arrived at the Xisan Street Police Station. As they entered, the station was brightly lit, and a few young men were staggering out.
As Cheng Jemin passed them, a young man with a shaved head except for a patch in the middle saw Gu Xixi and said lewdly, "What a pretty girl!" and whistled.
"Old Five, what are you doing? Don't you know this is a police station?" A man in his thirties, who was walking in front, scolded him.
"Brother, what's the big deal? With my relationship with Chief Zhao, he wouldn't dare..." the young man said nonchalantly.
But before he could finish, the older man cut him off with a grunt.
"Brother Cheng, that guy was one of the ones who beat us!" Sun Xiaozhu whispered as they passed by.
Cheng Jemin didn't say anything. He went to the duty room, where a few men in police uniforms were sitting on the sofa watching TV. They completely ignored Cheng Jemin and his companions.
"Excuse me, were a few fruit vendors brought here a while ago?" Cheng Jemin asked, frowning slightly.
"Great shot, what a goal!" one of the men slapped his thigh, almost shouting in excitement.
"Great shot, my foot! They should have scored long ago. What a stinker!"
"Will you two shut up? Can't we watch the game in peace?" a man sitting in front shouted.
Cheng Jemin was getting annoyed but knew this wasn't the time to lose his temper. He asked patiently, "Comrade, can you tell me if the fruit vendors were brought here?"
The first police officer, annoyed, glanced at Cheng Jemin and said without turning around, "It's late. I'm not handling anything today. Come back tomorrow."
"Brother, please help me. I just want to see my friends," Cheng Jemin said, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and offering one to the man.
The man took the cigarette and glanced at Cheng Jemin. "Your friends were pretty rough. They've already filed a report. Two of them have minor injuries, and one has a concussion. If you can't pay the damages, they'll be going to jail."
"They started the fight! Brother Er Meng's nose was bleeding. Why didn't you arrest them instead of letting them go?!" Sun Xiaozhu, standing behind Cheng Jemin, couldn't hold back any longer.
The police officer, surprised by the challenge, laughed and said, "What did you say? They hit you? Who saw that? I think you were involved in the fight. Come with me, and we'll talk."
"Xiao Zheng, let it go. It's late," a man in his forties waved his hand and looked at Cheng Jemin. "You must be Sun Er Meng's family. Sun Er Meng and the others were involved in a fight that caused minor injuries. The other side is planning to sue. You should try to communicate with the victims."
"According to what you're saying, the ones who hit us are the victims?" Gu Xixi, who had heard the story from Sun Xiaozhu on the way, was not pleased with the officer's twisted logic.
The man glanced at Gu Xixi, his eyes showing a moment of admiration, but he said firmly, "Who started the fight isn't up to you or me. It's up to the law. If you feel wronged, don't complain to me."
Gu Xixi, about to speak, was pulled back by Cheng Jemin. From the conversation, Cheng Jemin realized that the police officers were likely connected to the people who had attacked Sun Xiaozhu and the others. Arguing with them would be futile.
The best course of action was to find someone to mediate. Cheng Jemin thought of Wu Dagang, who had promised him a favor before Chen Bingshan left. As the deputy director of the Criminal Investigation Division, Wu Dagang should be able to handle this with a word.
But as Cheng Jemin was about to call Wu Dagang, he hesitated. Using a favor was like using paper; the more you used it, the thinner it became. Among the people he knew, Wu Dagang was the most capable and willing to help. Using a favor for such a small matter seemed wasteful.
He thought for a moment and remembered Wu Dagang's driver, who had also been at the dinner. They had shared a few drinks and exchanged contact information. Although the driver was young, he should be able to handle this situation.
Deciding on this, Cheng Jemin looked at the phone in the duty room but ultimately went to a payphone outside the police station and called Wang Xiaolu, Wu Dagang's driver.
"Hello, is this Brother Cheng? This is Wang Xiaolu!" Within two minutes, Wang Xiaolu called back. Through the phone, Cheng Jemin could hear the noise, as if Wang Xiaolu was at some entertainment event.
"Brother Xiaolu, hello. Am I disturbing you?" Cheng Jemin asked, smiling.
"Brother Cheng, you're too formal. I'm not busy at all. If you need me, I'll come right away! Brother Cheng, are you free? I'm at a karaoke bar with some friends. Why don't you join us?" Wang Xiaolu laughed and invited him.
Cheng Jemin smiled and said, "Brother, I wouldn't want to disturb your fun. I have a favor to ask. A few of my friends got into a small conflict and are being held at the police station. You know, in the police force, I only know Chief Wu and you. This is a small matter, and I don't want to trouble Chief Wu. I think your help would be enough."
"Brother Cheng, your problem is my problem. Which police station? I'll be there right away." Wang Xiaolu didn't hesitate. After getting the address, he said he'd be there in five minutes and hung up.
"Jemin, how did it go?" Gu Xixi asked, speaking for Sun Xiaozhu, who was standing beside Cheng Jemin, hesitant to speak.
"Wait and see," Cheng Jemin smiled. "It shouldn't be a big problem."
PS: I was very busy today. Sorry for the late update! Happy New Year to all my readers!