C10 Director Good Day!!

Zhang Ming spoke with righteous indignation, his chest rising and falling as if he were truly enraged. "Bring in the student who hit someone!" he demanded. As his words hung in the air, the young officer by his side promptly exited the office.

Lee Xing, who had been resting with eyes closed, opened them and cast a brief glance at Zhang Ming, offering a faint smile. They were situated in a room within the police station, furnished with a long bench where Hao Qiang and his companions were seated. Zhang Ming occupied a chair beside the desk.

Before long, Zhou Wen was escorted in. Dust covered his clothing, a result of an earlier scuffle on the ground. His gaze was icy as he surveyed the trio perched on the chairs.

Hao Qiang and Zhao Qing lounged carelessly, even going so far as to pick at their feet.

"Officer, it was them. They're the ones who hit me," Zhou Wen urgently reported upon seeing Zhang Ming.

Zhang Ming slammed his hand on the desk. "Who gave you permission to speak?" he snapped, gesturing for the officer to leave. The room was left with just the few of them.

Zhang Ming rose and approached Zhou Wen. "Your name is Zhou Wen, correct?"

"Yes," Zhou Wen confirmed with a nod.

"Do any of you recognize him?" Zhang Ming turned to question Hao Qiang and the others.

"We don't know him," they replied in unison, exchanging sly glances and shaking their heads.

"That's a lie! You robbed my classmate at the internet cafe last time!" Zhou Wen exclaimed.

"What?" Zhang Ming turned to Zhou Wen, his expression one of surprise.

"Yes, it was him! He robbed the internet cafe!" Zhou Wen accused, pointing at Hao Qiang.

Zhang Ming became incensed. "You're a minor and you've been frequenting internet cafes? It looks like I'll need to have a word with your parents!"

"Hahaha, kid, you heard him. Go on, call your parents!" Zhao Qing jeered, laughing heartily while casually stroking his chest tattoo.

"Children aren't supposed to be in internet cafes, got it?" Hao Qiang chimed in, mocking Zhou Wen.

Lee Xing watched Zhou Wen with an amused smile. The high school student was clearly outmatched.

Zhou Wen's complexion turned a shade of steel. It was apparent to him now; the station chief was in league with Hao Qiang and his cronies. He had brought up the theft, but the chief had deflected to his internet usage.

The art of diverting attention was masterfully executed.

Lee Xing rose from his chair and approached. "Zhou Wen, are you just dying to know why we're doing this to you?"

Zhou Wen fixed him with a venomous stare.

"You've only got yourself to blame for hitting Chen Yu and crossing someone you shouldn't have!" Lee Xing said with a cold laugh.

Lee Xing laid out the stark truth, sending a shiver down Zhang Ming's spine.

The high schooler before him was formidable, brazen enough to strike the son of Chen Yao.

"Zhou Wen, let me be clear with you. Under the public security regulations, assaulting someone means you're facing detention and a fine," Zhang Ming interjected at the right moment.

Hao Qiang sauntered over, his tone mocking. "Chief Zhang, take a good look at my face. This isn't something a few days in detention can fix. This kid deserves at least a month behind bars."

Zhang Ming nodded in agreement. "Your injury is severe. Zhou Wen's actions are reprehensible. A month's detention seems appropriate."

A wave of darkness threatened to engulf Zhou Wen's vision as these individuals conspired to seal his fate.

A month in detention would surely lead to his expulsion from school, and he could kiss the college entrance exams goodbye.

The thought of his foster parents, fraught with worry and unable to eat or sleep, weighed heavily on him.

Zhang Ming shouted to someone outside, "Bring in the student named Zhou Wen and lock him up!"

Officer Lin entered, her police uniform crisp and her demeanor sharp, her bright eyes scanning the room. "Why are we detaining this student? Shouldn't these three be the ones under arrest?"

Zhang Ming's face fell. "Lin, what's the issue? You detain who I tell you to detain. Why the questions?"

Lin, though clearly aggrieved, complied. "Zhou Wen, follow me."

As Zhou Wen passed by Lee Xing and his cohorts, who regarded him with scorn, he inhaled deeply and stepped forward.

"Lin, confiscate everything he has on him," Zhang Ming called out after them.

In the police station, there was a holding cell for temporarily detaining suspects, and Zhou Wen found himself confined within it. The door was secured with a metal gate, and the only furnishing was a solitary chair. With no windows, the room was shrouded in darkness.

Zhou Wen sat with his head bowed, lost in thought, when the sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence. Lee Xing and his cohorts entered the room.

"How's it feel to be cooped up in the station, Zhou Wen?" Lee Xing asked, arms folded across his chest, a sneer in his voice.

"He seems to be quite enjoying himself!" Hao Qiang added contemptuously.

"Must be frustrating to see us free, huh?" chimed in Zhao Qing.

Zhou Wen's gaze was icy as he looked up and retorted, "Look at you, acting like a pack of dogs."

"Still got a sharp tongue, I see!" Hao Qiang snapped, rolling up his sleeves, ready to pounce.

"Chief Zhang, open this door. I'm going to teach him a lesson!"

Zhang Ming gestured dismissively. "Lin, open the door."

The policewoman nearby furrowed her brow. "Chief Zhang, this isn't right."

"Right? What's right?" Zhang Ming retorted arrogantly. "In this station, I set the rules!"

Lin shook her head with a wry smile, her gaze filled with pity and concern as she looked at Zhou Wen seated on the chair. He was just a high school student; how had he gotten entangled with these thugs?

Lin, whose full name was Lin Jing, was a recent graduate of the Police Training School. Her police uniform accentuated her graceful figure, her hair was neatly tied back, and her complexion was fair, giving her a striking and formidable appearance.

"Lin, you've been with us for nearly half a year now. Are you content with just doing menial tasks?" Zhang Ming questioned with a furrowed brow.

"Why are you making such a fuss as a junior officer? Didn't you hear the chief? Open the door!" Lee Xing demanded, clearly irritated.

Lin Jing's expression turned to one of revulsion. "I refuse to open it! You're not going to assault anyone in this station!"

Zhou Wen watched the policewoman, who stood defiantly at the doorway, blocking Lee Xing and the others. He looked on with gratitude, though he knew that her efforts might not make much of a difference.

Lee Xing was not in a rush. Instead, he turned to Zhang Ming and asked, "Chief Zhang, what's the maximum time Zhou Wen could be locked up?"

"It all hinges on whether he confesses to assaulting you," Zhang Ming replied with a menacing look.

"If he owns up to it, the most he'll face is half a month," Zhang Ming glanced at Zhou Wen and added, "But if he denies it, I can make sure he really pays for it."

Zhang Ming approached Zhou Wen and demanded sternly, "Do you admit to attacking Lee Xing and the others unprovoked?"

Zhou Wen retorted angrily, "They were the ones who attacked me, not the other way around!"

Zhang Ming's irritation was evident as he warned, "Think carefully! Admit it, and you're looking at a maximum of half a month. Deny it, and I can make your life very difficult."

Lin Jing went pale. "Chief Zhang, how can you justify keeping him locked up indefinitely?"

"And on what grounds can you ensure I pay dearly?" Zhou Wen challenged.

Confusion was evident on the faces of Lee Xing and his companions.

Zhang Ming smirked triumphantly. "Assault is suspected of intentional harm. If I press criminal charges, I can hold him for 14 days."

"That's just fourteen days," Hao Qiang pointed out, puzzled.

Zhang Ming pressed on, "Didn't he also attack you in the internet cafe? That's a repeat offense. I can extend his detention to 37 days."

Hao Qiang's expression cleared as he realized, "That's just over a month."

Zhang Ming snorted dismissively. "I have contacts in the hospital. I'll arrange for a mental evaluation, which doesn't count towards the case processing time. It's not unreasonable for such an evaluation to take a month, right?"

Zhao Qing burst out laughing. "Brilliant! That's two months right there!"

"Mental evaluations can be supplemented and redone multiple times," Zhang Ming boasted, laughing. "This way, I can keep him locked up for as long as I want!"

"Just come clean, Zhou Wen, and save yourself the trouble," Zhang Ming urged, his face stern.

"How can you do this?" Lin Jing murmured in dismay.

Lee Xing suddenly realized that these thugs didn't grasp the system. It was only after Zhang Ming's explanation that they understood the extent of what could be done.

Zhou Wen declared furiously, "I absolutely refuse to admit it!"

Zhang Ming burst into hearty laughter, "Whether you admit it or not doesn't matter. I'll keep you locked up until you do!"

"And who exactly are you planning to keep locked up until they admit it?"

Just then, a resonant voice suddenly came from outside.

The door swung open, and a commanding middle-aged man strode in.

Zhang Ming's face went pale, and he scrambled to put on a respectful demeanor.

"Commissioner, hello! What brings you here?" Zhang Ming asked, visibly nervous.

"What is the meaning of this?" the man demanded in a stern tone, his voice deep and his expression serious.

He exuded a strong presence, standing there like a javelin thrusting into the sky, his police uniform crisp and the badge on his cap gleaming, seemingly embodying justice itself.

A middle-aged woman followed him, her eyes blazing with fury as she fixed her gaze on the individuals inside the room.

"Commissioner Wu, your timing couldn't be better," Zhang Ming said with an ingratiating smile.

This man was the Police Commissioner of Anewood, someone Zhang Ming knew he couldn't afford to cross.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Zhang Ming explained, "Today, we apprehended a student who assaulted someone in the street and has stubbornly refused to confess. I've had him in the interrogation room for some reflection!"

Commissioner Wu's piercing gaze met his as he asked icily, "You're saying this student attacked someone on the street?"

Zhang Ming nodded affirmatively, "Exactly!"

Commissioner Wu let out a mocking chuckle, "Is that so? That's not what I've heard."

Sweat beaded on Zhang Ming's forehead as he stammered, "Commissioner Wu, you... you must be mistaken!"

"Mistaken?" Commissioner Wu erupted in anger. "Do you really think I'm unaware of the truth?"

The middle-aged woman also spoke up sharply, "Zhang Ming, it seems your days as chief are numbered!"

Lin Jing, upon hearing their exchange, was visibly torn.

She glanced between Zhou Wen and Zhang Ming before finally speaking up, "Commissioner, they are the ones who falsely accused this student!"

After Lin Jing's accusation, Zhang Ming retorted angrily, "Ridiculous! How have I falsely accused him? The student did assault someone on the street! What's wrong with detaining him?"

The woman shot a few glances at the others and scoffed, "A Green Dragon and a White Tiger. Are you telling me Zhou Wen took them on? Zhang Ming, has a donkey kicked you in the head?"

"Open the door!" commanded the middle-aged man.

Lin Jing produced a key and unlocked the door.

The middle-aged woman burst in with urgency.

"Zhou Wen, are you okay? Auntie's been calling you, but got no response. I sent someone to find you, and we only just discovered you were here. Have they been mistreating you?" Concern etched her face.

At this sight, Zhou Wen's eyes reddened.

The woman before him was none other than Qin Yi.

Qin Yi scrutinized Zhou Wen, who was covered in grime, and her anger flared.

"Wu Ren! You must resolve this issue today! He's the man who saved your daughter's life!"

Qin Yi's voice echoed throughout the entire house.