"Comrade, we’re arresting a criminal. Please cooperate and step aside," one of the men in flat-brimmed caps said bluntly.

Seeing how rude the man was, Song Zijie, who had a temper of his own, let out a cold snort. He pointed at Su Ermei on the ground and said,

"Hmph, cut the crap. Either leave this woman here and take the Wang father and son, or explain everything clearly before you take any prisoners away."

"Sir, please stop making trouble. If you don’t move, I’ll have to take you in as well."

"Take me in?" Song Zijie scoffed. "What crime have I committed? You just make things up as you go. Oh, what’s this? Did you borrow those uniforms?"

Hearing Song Zijie’s insulting words, the squad leader frowned and suppressed his anger. "And you are?"

"Song. Song Zijie." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The squad leader was from a fairly prominent family in Yunhe County. Hearing Song Zijie’s name, he figured the man couldn’t be someone sent from the higher-ups.

He had been tolerating him for long enough. Since he wasn’t someone important, why bother being polite?

So, he said contemptuously, "Mr. Song, I suggest you watch what you say and do. Please cooperate with our investigation. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what? I’ll be waiting right here. Let’s see who can do anything to me. You think you can break my bones?"

Song Zijie crossed his arms, a mocking look on his face as he stared at the arrogant squad leader.

The moment he said this, the faces of the three young men in flat-brimmed caps grew uglier.

The squad leader, who came from a good family, looked at Song Zijie as if he were a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

’He didn’t even feel like calling him "comrade" anymore.’ He said in a low voice, "Song Zijie, if you keep this up, don’t blame us for getting rough."

Song Zijie chuckled. "Still trying to get the last word in? Then bring it on!"

He couldn’t fight, but Su could!

Rumor had it that Su could take on ten men at once, no problem. That’s why he dared to run his mouth, borrowing Su’s might like the fox borrowing the tiger’s.

Another reason was that he had also spent several years in the countryside back in the day and knew exactly what kind of characters the villagers and the commune’s flat-capped officers were.

The squad leader prided himself on his family background, but he never dreamed that this ordinary-looking young man would be so brazen.

Daring to provoke law enforcement officers on duty, no less. He was instantly enraged, raising the baton in his hand and swinging it at Song Zijie.

He didn’t hear the expected WHACK! Instead, a piercing pain shot through his arm.

"Agh, my bone is breaking!"

Su Shuochi grabbed his arm, one eyebrow raised, and barked, "Stop."

"Comrade... Please let go of me first. Don’t get agitated. We can talk this out," he said, his attitude completely changed.

He was terrified Su Shuochi would crush the bones in his arm. In reality, he wasn’t weak at all; he was a young man nearly six feet tall.

He even had a baton in his hand, yet he hadn’t lasted a single move against his opponent. It was something he had never imagined in his wildest dreams.

He was usually a bit arrogant, but he truly had the capital to be proud. He had grown up living a life of luxury.

Among the grandchildren of the Han family, his grandfather valued and doted on him the most.

The Han Family’s main house was in the Imperial City, and every year he was qualified to accompany his grandfather there to pay New Year’s respects.

Han Jinghong was handsome and genuinely talented. He had been to the Imperial City and learned a few moves from Old Sir Han himself.

But now!

With a baton in hand, he hadn’t even lasted a single move against this man.

At this moment, Han Jinghong finally took a serious look at Su Shuochi across from him. He saw that the man was wearing a black leather jacket with matching trousers.

A leather jacket—a piece of trendy clothing he had wanted for a long time but couldn’t get his hands on. It was supposedly imported from Hong Kong City.

The man’s face was as if sculpted, every line and angle perfectly defined.

His skin was fair yet masculine (a result of his wife’s spiritual spring water), with thick brows, dark eyes, and a high-bridged nose.

His dark eyes were like a thick fog rising in the dead of night—deep, cold, and frighteningly black.

At a glance, his gaze was arrogant, filled with a sharp disdain that seemed to look down on the entire world.

If one were to ignore those deep, ink-black eyes, he would give off a very refined and scholarly impression.

Especially now, as he stared blankly at him, Han Jinghong had no idea what he was thinking.

Just then, a thin subordinate next to him whispered, "Squad Leader, how about we pull back for now? There’s no point in dragging this out."

The other one nodded in agreement. "Yeah, boss. These villagers get into fights all the time. We’d better leave now before we get dragged into the mud."

Song Zijie was watching them with a sneer. "Thinking of leaving? Too late. You’re not going anywhere until this is all cleared up."

The squad leader looked toward Su Shuochi, then followed his line of sight. He saw the middle-aged couple who had come with Su Shuochi’s group, now crying and holding the woman on the ground.

He instantly came to a conclusion. ’These four people came for the woman on the ground. That’s why they interfered.’

’They didn’t want us to take her away.’ He was able to stand out in the Han family of Yunhe County thanks to his own genuine abilities, after all.

So he barked, "Who among you is going to tell us why you attacked someone with a weapon?"

Intimidated by the officer’s presence, the Wang family father and sons trembled like quails, not daring to move. The two sons didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

The thinner officer shot a cold glance at the Wang family’s eldest son and asked, "What’s your name?"

"I... I’m... Wang Dazhu."

"Wang Dazhu, you tell me. Why did you attack someone with a weapon?" the squad leader asked sternly.

Wang Dazhu panicked and stammered out an explanation, "I... I just wanted... wanted to teach the Hu family... teach him a lesson... Who knew he..."

’...was so useless.’ Wang Dazhu didn’t dare say that last part out loud.

The squad leader sneered. "If you have a problem, you go to the village chief. Failing that, you can come to us. Why did you resort to a private brawl?"

Wang Dazhu shook his head in panic. "I always just listen to my dad. How would I know?"

"Hmph!" The squad leader snorted heavily, his tone dripping with sarcasm and ridicule.

"If you don’t know any better, then don’t go around causing trouble with a sickle. And you," he said, turning to the father, "still this arrogant at your age."

Mr. Wang was so frightened he collapsed onto the ground. A puddle of urine spread out beneath him, leaving him even more lost and terrified.

’The Hu family’s eldest daughter-in-law had bashed his wife’s head open, so he and his sons went to beat up the Hu family’s eldest son. He was just getting even for his wife! How did that make him a criminal?’

Just as he was panicking, Su Shuochi spoke softly, "You don’t need to be so harsh with them."

"They don’t have much of a concept of law or justice. To them, fighting is judged by the logic of saving face."

"Whoever loses, loses face. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt today. Uncle Wang, please get up."

The squad leader and his two men were speechless.