Chapter 58 — So It Was Him

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"What kind of conduct that was will only be known after an investigation. What I see right now is that you beat that Brother Black Panther half to death and sent him to the hospital, while you walked away without a scratch," Qiu Lingshan said with a cold snort, then went on: "So whether your conduct counts as justifiable defense or intentional assault, that will only be known once we investigate."

"Suit yourself." Wei Zhao knew perfectly well that Qiu Lingshan simply had it in for him and wanted to use her status as a police officer to give him a good lecturing. Both of them understood that Brother Black Panther was a name already on file at Qiu Lingshan's desk, so this was most likely all because of what had happened yesterday.

Qiu Lingshan had never imagined that a day would come when she too would do such a thing as abuse her public office for private spite, but thinking it over carefully, it could hardly be called that. At the very least, the fact that Wei Zhao had beaten Brother Black Panther half to death was real, so there was nothing wrong in her giving him a stern talking-to.

This police car was the kind with the front and rear compartments partitioned off; only Wei Zhao and Qiu Lingshan sat in the back, and the driver up front could not hear their conversation, which was why Wei Zhao felt free enough to speak his mind, bold enough to say things like "big chest, no brains."

Seeing Wei Zhao turn his head away and ignore her, Qiu Lingshan felt rather bored, but fortunately her phone rang just then, and she picked it up.

"Little Song, this is Yang Huaijun." The voice of Captain Yang Huaijun came over the line.

"Captain Yang, you're back in Songshan?" Hearing Yang Huaijun's voice, Qiu Lingshan breathed a sudden sigh of relief. She had been up all night with interrogations and had not found a single clue about the bank robbery, which had left her frantic with worry. Now that Yang Huaijun was back to personally take charge of the investigation, she could rest easy.

"Mm, I just arrived, I'm on my way back to the bureau. Nothing going on over there, is there?" Yang Huaijun asked.

"A member of the underworld known on the streets as Brother Black Panther showed up at the No. 1 Municipal Middle School causing trouble with a gun. I just went over and handled it," Qiu Lingshan reported truthfully.

"What, Brother Black Panther causing trouble at a school with a gun?" Yang Huaijun was badly startled. He had not expected that in a single day away, so many things would blow up in Songshan.

"No real damage was done, actually. Brother Black Panther was beaten half to death by a student instead and has already been sent to the hospital, and I've brought that student back to the station for a detailed investigation." At this, Qiu Lingshan could not help but glare at Wei Zhao.

"All right, we'll talk when I get back." Hearing that no real damage had been done, Yang Huaijun breathed a sigh of relief as well.

With sirens wailing, the police car pulled into the compound of the Songshan City Police Bureau. Qiu Lingshan personally escorted Wei Zhao out of the car, while the other two of Brother Black Panther's underlings were brought down from the police car behind, each held by a different officer.

At the same time, another police car drove into the bureau compound. Seeing the plates, Qiu Lingshan's spirits lifted at once. This was Captain Yang Huaijun's car.

Sure enough, a tall man with a somewhat swarthy complexion jumped down from the vehicle and strode quickly toward the bureau's office building. This was Yang Huaijun, captain of the city bureau's criminal investigation brigade.

Qiu Lingshan spotted Yang Huaijun, and at the same moment Wei Zhao saw him too. Why him? Wei Zhao's pupils contracted sharply, and he quickly lowered his head.

"Captain Yang!" Qiu Lingshan waved happily toward the approaching Yang Huaijun.

Wei Zhao really wanted to kick Little Song. Here you are at the police station, why aren't you hurrying me into the interrogation room? What are you waving at him for? Wei Zhao had no choice but to turn his head aside so that Yang Huaijun would not notice him.

"Didn't expect us to arrive one right after the other," Yang Huaijun said as he walked over, nodding with a smile at Qiu Lingshan, then turning his gaze to Wei Zhao. "So this is the student who beat Brother Black Panther half to death?"

"That's him." Qiu Lingshan nodded and looked at Wei Zhao, only to find him with his head hanging low, the very picture of obedience, which set her temper flaring. What do you mean by that? On the police car just now you were strutting around like you owned the place, and now that we're at the station and you've seen Captain Yang, you turn all meek and mild—aren't you just looking down on me? At this thought, Qiu Lingshan gave a cold snort. "Wei Zhao, what do you think you're doing? Lift your head and let Captain Yang have a look at you."

"Little Song, you seem a bit out of sorts. He's just a student, go easy on him." Yang Huaijun frowned. Seeing Wei Zhao in a school uniform, he instinctively did not take him for a bad sort, so he patted Wei Zhao on the shoulder and said, "Young man, what's going on here? Tell your big brother."

"……" Wei Zhao lowered his head in some exasperation. Who's whose big brother here? But at this moment Wei Zhao was actually afraid Yang Huaijun might recognize him, so he bowed his head even lower and could not be bothered to say anything more to him.

"Captain Yang is talking to you," Qiu Lingshan said. Seeing Wei Zhao start putting on airs again, she was so angry she wanted to give him a good smack on the head.

"Oh... it's really nothing..." Wei Zhao said in a vague, indistinct tone.

"Nothing?" Yang Huaijun frowned at this. What was with this kid, acting so ungrateful? He had only asked out of consideration for the fact that the boy was a student, hoping to handle the matter quietly and keep a blot from staining his permanent record. Never had he expected Wei Zhao to adopt such a couldn't-care-less attitude.

"They came looking for trouble, and I hurt them. That's all..." Wei Zhao cursed inwardly with frustration. You never used to stick your nose into other people's business like this. What's gotten into you today?

After Wei Zhao finished speaking, Yang Huaijun was silent for a long while. Yet Wei Zhao could feel a blazing gaze fixed hard upon him, making him thoroughly uncomfortable all over.

"Could you lift your head?" Having said it, Yang Huaijun himself found it somewhat absurd. There were simply too many look-alikes in this world. True, this person's voice closely resembled that man's, but he was only a student...

"I'm not some blushing maiden, so you can stop staring..." Wei Zhao sighed inwardly. In the end, the man had still noticed something. Then again, it was only to be expected. How could he possibly hide anything from Yang Huaijun, whose sharpness was legendary...

Qiu Lingshan was rather baffled by the scene before her. Wei Zhao was giving Yang Huaijun the cold shoulder, yet why was the captain's attitude so uncommonly mild? She was just about to force Wei Zhao's head up when she saw Yang Huaijun actually lean down of his own accord, tilting his face upward to look at Wei Zhao from below...

That's right, there was no mistake, it was him. Yang Huaijun was at least ninety percent certain that the man before him was the very one he had been searching for all this time. Though he had no idea why the man had suddenly become a student, Yang Huaijun trusted his own eyes.

"Arno?" Yang Huaijun could not contain his excitement and ventured the name.

"What?" Wei Zhao cursed his rotten luck, though on the surface he gave no sign of it and feigned bewilderment.

"Eagle, is that you?" Yang Huaijun had been carefully watching Wei Zhao's expression, but the result was deeply disappointing. When he spoke that man's English name, Wei Zhao showed no reaction whatsoever...