Urban Martial Saint

Linnei County is a neighbor of Jiuchuan County and not very far away. However, there are two routes from Jiuchuan County to Linnei County. One is a national road, which is quite close, while the other is a formerly secluded path. Not only is this road difficult to traverse, but it also takes a big detour with few vehicles choosing to travel on it.

And yet, at this moment on this very path, seven or eight police cars were parked, with two roadblocks set up, firmly blocking the road.

As night gradually fell and the sky darkened, about a dozen police officers gathered near the roadblock, intently watching the distant path as if waiting for something.

Finally, while it was not yet completely dark, a police car drove up the small road.

All the officers perked up, watching the approaching police car with tension.

The police car stopped about fifty meters away from the roadblock—it seemed that the people inside had already seen the blockade ahead.

”He’s trying to escape, move in!” The team leader shouted loudly, and the officers immediately charged forward, raising their guns and shouting, ”Stop the car, stop the car!”

The police car showed no intention of stopping but instead attempted to turn around and head back. However, just as it turned, several more police cars charged out of the woods behind it, blocking the getaway.

Now, with roadblocks ahead and police cars behind, the police car was trapped like a turtle in a jar, with nowhere to escape.

The police from both sides finally converged and completely stopped the vehicle. A few officers, holding their guns, cautiously approached, while the team leader shouted from a distance, ”Raise your hands and put them out the window where we can see them!”

The person inside complied, and seeing his cooperation, the officers let out a sigh of relief. Approaching the car door, two of them pulled the driver out, while several others rushed into the car searching around.

Seeing things go so smoothly, the leader was a bit surprised. He walked over and took a look at the driver, asking, ”Was it you who hijacked the police car?”

”Huh?” The driver was none other than Mad Dog. Hearing this, he was clearly taken aback and said, ”What... what hijacking a police car?”

”Still trying to play dumb?” the team leader glared and said, ”We’ve already received a notification from our colleagues in Jiuchuan County saying that you hijacked a police car and kidnapped a deputy director of the Jiuchuan County Police Department. That’s why we’ve set up this dragnet, to catch you!”

At this moment, another officer ran over, saying urgently, ”Team leader, there’s nobody else in the car!”

”What?” The team leader was stunned and turned to ask, ”Is this not the car?”

The officer replied, ”According to the license plate, it is this car!”

”Then what’s going on?” The team leader immediately looked at Mad Dog and demanded, ”Where is the deputy director you kidnapped? Did you kill him and dump his body on the way? Tell me, did you?”

Mad Dog looked exasperated and said, ”I have no idea what you’re talking about, what deputy director, what dumping a body?”

The team leader glared and said, ”You still want to argue your case? Let me tell you, this case has blown up. If anything happens to that deputy director, you’re dead without a place to bury your body!”

”What do you mean ’dead without a place to bury my body’, what do you mean ’the case has blown up’?” said Mad Dog. ”Don’t think I don’t understand the law. I just stole a police car; at most I’ll get a few years, what’s the big deal? Don’t try to frame me!”

”Hey, you’ve quite an attitude!” the team leader snapped. ”Stole a police car? You kidnapped an officer, that’s a serious crime; executing you wouldn’t be too much!”

”Don’t give me that,” retorted Mad Dog. ”When did I kidnap an officer? I saw this police car parked with no one around halfway through my journey, so I broke in and drove off. Don’t try to pin false charges on me; I really don’t know anything!”

”This car wasn’t hijacked by you?” The team leader paused, and just then another officer ran up, saying, ”Team leader, the photo of the suspect sent from Jiuchuan County... doesn’t match this guy.”

”What?” The team leader was even more stunned. He’d thought he had caught a major criminal who had kidnapped a police officer, but as it turned out, he had only captured a petty thief who had stolen a car. Even if it was a police car, the sentence would only be a few years longer. He had mobilized so many officers and went through all this trouble without making the major impact he had imagined.

”What the hell is going on here?” The team leader looked at Mad Dog in bewilderment and asked, ”Did you truly steal the car?”

Mad Dog replied with a faint smile, ”Team leader, you don’t execute people for stealing cars, right?”

”Damn it, where’s the carjacker then?” the team leader said, frowning with urgency. ”Contact Jiuchuan County quickly and tell them what happened here. And you, you better tell me exactly where you stole this car from!”

Meanwhile, at the same time in Jiuchuan County.

In the dark outskirts of the North Suburb, a sedan slowly drove up to a secluded village. Inside the car sat two people: Ye Qing behind the wheel and Zhou Hongbin in the passenger seat.

Ye Qing said with a faint smile, ”Director Zhou, you’ll be seeing your wife and kids soon. Are you excited?”

Zhou Hongbin furrowed his brows tightly, glanced at Ye Qing, and said solemnly, ”Mr. Ye, don’t think about playing tricks on me. Secretary Hong wouldn’t do this to me, he would never take my wife and child. This is all a trap you’ve set, wanting to deceive me!”

”Whether it’s a trap I’ve set, you’ll know soon enough. Director Zhou, you should stop deceiving yourself. You treat him like your master, but he doesn’t treat you like a dog. Because a dog is absolutely loyal, but in his eyes, you’re not so loyal!”

With a light smile, Ye Qing drove the vehicle to the entrance of the village and stopped in a small grove. Ye Qing, taking Zhou Hongbin with him, quietly walked into the village and approached a small siheyuan at the end.

Just as Ye Qing and Zhou Hongbin arrived, a person jumped down from a tree in the distance and quickly ran over to Ye Qing.

”Big Brother!” The person was Da Fei who, seeing Ye Qing approach, immediately said, ”Everyone is in the courtyard, about five people. His wife and kid are locked in the first room on the left, with someone watching over them.”

Ye Qing nodded with satisfaction and said, ”Good. Keep an eye on him, I’m going in!”

Da Fei glanced at Zhou Hongbin and said, ”Old man, you should feel lucky. If Big Brother hadn’t told me to keep an eye on your wife and kid, you’d probably be collecting their corpses tomorrow!”

Zhou Hongbin said indignantly, ”Don’t feed me that crap, I won’t believe you guys!”

Da Fei glared and snapped, ”Hey, do you really think you’re Liu Hulan?”

”That’s enough, stop talking.” Ye Qing waved his hand at Da Fei and quietly climbed over the wall and into the courtyard.

Da Fei and Zhou Hongbin waited outside for about five minutes. Then, the gate of the siheyuan opened and Ye Qing stood at the doorway, saying to the two, ”You can come in now.”

”Director Zhou, after you.” Da Fei looked at Zhou Hongbin with a mocking gaze and said, ”Go in and see for yourself whether we’re fooling you or if it’s your master who’s betraying you.”

Zhou Hongbin frowned tightly and strode into the siheyuan.

The siheyuan wasn’t large, and as soon as he entered, he could see the main hall in front. There were five people scattered about, and seated among them was Zhou Hongbin’s wife, Hu Yuehong, and his son.

Upon seeing them, Zhou Hongbin’s expression changed. He hurried into the hall and looked anxiously at the two, asking, ”Are you... are you alright?”

Hu Yuehong saw Zhou Hongbin and immediately burst into tears, tremblingly asking, ”Husband, what on earth happened? Why would this happen? Why did they bring us here? What exactly did you do?”

”It’s okay, nothing’s wrong!” Zhou Hongbin took his wife’s hand and looked down at the five people on the ground. Recognizing one of them, his face suddenly changed, and he said, trembling, ”Xiao Xu!”

Among the five on the ground, one was indeed Secretary Hong’s driver, Xiao Xu. He lay there with closed eyes, still unconscious.

Ye Qing slowly walked in, smiling, ”Director Zhou, now do you believe what I said? Even if I wanted to put on an act to trick you, I couldn’t find actors like these. Xiao Xu is your master’s bodyguard. Apart from him wanting to harm you, who else could have ordered Xiao Xu to do anything?”

Zhou Hongbin frowned tightly and looked at Xiao Xu, his resolve wavering for the first time.

Seeing Zhou Hongbin like this, Ye Qing gave Da Fei a look and said, ”Director Zhou, we shouldn’t stay here long. I think we’d better head back. Secretary Hong is not easy to deal with, and we need to plan carefully for this matter!”

With that, Ye Qing stepped forward, took Zhou Hongbin’s son into his arms, and said, ”Director Zhou, don’t hesitate any longer. As long as Secretary Hong stands, none of you will have good days. These days, there are too many who abandon allies once they cross the bridge. To survive, it’s best to consider your own interests. Da Fei, go and start the car, and while you’re at it, contact Mad Dog and ask him to open another room for Director Zhou and his family to move into.”

”Got it!” Da Fei agreed and went out to call Mad Dog. Meanwhile, Ye Qing looked at Zhou Hongbin and said, ”Director Zhou, please!”

Zhou Hongbin’s face was ashen. After a long silence, he slowly stood up and, with his wife Hu Yuehong, followed Ye Qing out.

About five minutes after everyone had left, Xiao Xu, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes and looked around. Once he was sure no one was there, he quickly got up and dialed Secretary Hong’s number.

”Boss, we’ve got trouble!” Xiao Xu briefly explained his situation to Secretary Hong. When he heard that Zhou Hongbin had been brought here, Secretary Hong nearly lost his mind.

Ten minutes earlier, Secretary Hong had received news from Linnei County that Ye Qing and Zhou Hongbin were not in the police car, and he had felt immediately that something was wrong. He hadn’t expected Ye Qing to pull a Turning Horse Spear, leading Zhou Hongbin to rescue his wife and child.

Secretary Hong realized that he was completely in trouble now. Capturing Zhou Hongbin’s wife and child would have definitely angered Zhou Hongbin, leading him to turn against him. And now, with his wife and child not in his hands, he didn’t even have any leverage to threaten him with. If Zhou Hongbin were to come forward and expose him, then he would be finished!