Chapter 22: Brother Guang, Save Me! Save Me!

However, Baldy Zhang and his men did not dare to go for the kill. They fought often and knew exactly which parts of the body were safe to strike and which were not. Otherwise, if they fought every day and killed someone every few days, no amount of lives would be enough to pay for the firing squad. Their goal today was simply to break Liang Jiyong’s bones.

Two or three minutes later, Liang Jiyong took two more blows to his body. Ignoring the pain, he launched a kick that sent a yellow-haired thug flying and swung his steel pipe toward Baldy Zhang. Zhang parried, creating some distance, but Liang Jiyong’s hands were now empty. Three other thugs rushed forward, but Liang Jiyong retreated quickly, bent down, and picked up a plastic pipe from the ground. This plastic pipe was better for exerting force than the steel one.

Having broken out of the encirclement, Liang Jiyong’s combat effectiveness doubled when he wasn’t being swarmed. He quickly knocked down another thug, and to prevent him from getting back up, he stomped hard on the man’s lower leg. Ice skates were no joke; the thug’s bone snapped instantly, and blood pooled on the floor.

"Brother Guang, help! Save me!"

Zhang Guang was getting irritated—why was this kid fighting even harder? In the past, empty-handed, he could at most take on three or four of them. This time, seven people armed with weapons had already had more than half their numbers flipped. But since Liang Jiyong had just taken a hit to the leg and his movement was no longer steady, Zhang Guang felt they could still complete the mission. It would be a pyrrhic victory, but as long as he broke the kid’s bones, he would regain his reputation. Besides, they were working with Lin Zhihao this time. Lin used to just have a little pocket money, but things were different now. Lin Zhihao had gained a very prestigious status!

Hearing Lin Zhihao’s cry for help, Zhang Guang turned around abruptly. Di Yutong had circled halfway around to chase Lin Zhihao. Although Lin Zhihao was useless in a fight, being chased by a woman was humiliating. Zhang Guang understood that Lin was running because Di Yutong’s "nut-cracker" kick earlier had been too vicious; he didn't know if that brother would ever be a man again. Zhang Guang didn't dare let Lin Zhihao take a hit, or he would be in trouble. As Zhang Guang ran to save Lin, the remaining two lackeys didn't dare stay behind to face Liang Jiyong alone.

"Yutong, come here!" Liang Jiyong couldn't skate fast, so he had to call her over.

"Lin Ergou, you coward, don't run! Next time I see you, I’ll cripple you!" Di Yutong stopped chasing and circled back to join Liang Jiyong. She helped him up. "Ah, you... these bastards!"

There were red blood streaks on Liang Jiyong’s arms and shoulders, and his leg had also been struck—it was surely serious.

"I'm fine, let's head back first!"

"Head back? We're going to the hospital! What if your bones are damaged?"

"I don't think so, I have experience!" Liang Jiyong shook his head.

"What experience? We must go to the hospital!" Di Yutong insisted. She knelt down to unlace his ice skates. Liang Jiyong looked down and saw two snow-white hemispheres. Finding amusement in his misery, he looked for a moment before looking away, as Su Wanqing and Zhu Qianyun had already run over.

"This bastard Lin Zhihao, I won't let him off!" Su Wanqing was on the verge of tears. Liang Jiyong had been injured in fights before, even worse than this, but she had never felt this heartbroken. Perhaps things were truly different now; her mindset had changed, so her feelings were different too.

"Sister Qianyun, I'm sorry, I didn't scare you, did I?" Liang Jiyong didn't think much of it.

Zhu Qianyun shook her head. "No, I've seen fights much worse than this."

By now, the skating rink was empty of people exercising. Four men lay on the ground, either with broken bones or shattered dignity. Dozens of teenagers watched from the sidelines, many looking at Liang Jiyong with admiration. One against eight, taking down four—that was savage! Liang Jiyong had been somewhat well-known in the area before, but this time, he would surely become famous. But this was not the kind of fame he wanted.

Supported by Su Wanqing and Di Yutong, Liang Jiyong felt a mix of pain and happiness. Before they could leave, seven or eight policemen rushed in.

"What's going on here..." The leader was a detective with a crew cut, who looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six.

"Baldy Zhang, you're causing trouble again!" the crew-cut detective’s face darkened.

"Officer Chai, I'm wronged! I was just skating with my friends when we were attacked for no reason. Look, those guys on the floor are my brothers!"

The detective frowned. The ones on the ground did look like Zhang Guang’s men. However, the other side was nowhere to be seen. These thugs were all like dogs biting dogs anyway; as long as no one died, he usually didn't bother.

"Which gang were you fighting?" the detective asked indifferently.

"It was him!"

"And that woman! My brother was crippled by her ice skates!"

The young detective looked over and froze. Liang Jiyong couldn't help but think that the world was truly small. This detective was one of the drunkards he had encountered when he went to eat hot pot with Su Wanqing a while back. According to Zhang Ning, he was the nephew of the deputy director of the municipal bureau, named Chai Lin, and a deputy captain of the Yunzhong District criminal investigation team.

"Did you hurt these people?" Chai Lin recognized Liang Jiyong and the two women. However, he wouldn't say that out loud right now.

"I was acting in self-defense. We were skating, and these people came looking for trouble with weapons. Dozens of people here saw it!"

"Answer what you're asked! Did you hurt them?" Chai Lin snapped.

Liang Jiyong sneered with disdain. Playing these little tricks on him? In his past life, he hadn't spent ten years as a policeman for nothing. If he admitted to hurting them, it would become testimony later. "I was acting in self-defense. My fingerprints are only on the surface of these weapons, which is enough to prove who brought them!"

Chai Lin was choked into silence. This kid was actually speaking professionally; it wouldn't be easy to just handle him casually. "Record the witness statements! Contact an ambulance. Take the ones who aren't injured back!" Chai Lin ordered.

"Officer Chai, a word!" Zhang Guang said with a smile. Although Zhang Guang was well-known in the area, in Chai Lin’s eyes, he was beneath notice. However, since Zhang Guang had treated him to a few nights out before, he gave him some face.

Zhang Guang, Chai Lin, and Lin Zhihao walked to the side.

"Chai Lin, this kid hurt so many people, do we still need to interrogate him? Just sentence him to eight or ten years!" Lin Zhihao wasn't worried about his own situation at all. Chai Lin knew Lin Zhihao; he was just the son of a small businessman, not worth mentioning.

"Don't tell me how to do my job!" Chai Lin was already furious after failing to intimidate Liang Jiyong.

"Heh, I can't teach you, but I can mention a word or two to my uncle. If you handle this case beautifully, my uncle might just remember your name!" Lin Zhihao said smugly.

Chai Lin frowned; he didn't actually know who Lin Zhihao’s uncle was.

"Officer Chai, Young Master Lin’s uncle is Secretary Zhou!" Zhang Guang reminded him with a smile.

"Which Secretary Zhou?" Chai Lin frowned.

"Heh, how many Secretary Zhous are there in Yunzhou?" Zhang Guang raised his eyebrows.

Chai Lin’s heart skipped a beat. The only one who could be called "Secretary Zhou" in Yunzhou was the newly arrived Zhou Jianguo. These guys wouldn't dare impersonate him, or they’d be dead before they knew it.

"Young Master Lin, my apologies..." Chai Lin’s attitude shifted instantly.

"Hmph, handle this case as you see fit. That kid must go to jail, and I want that woman!"

"Which one?" Chai Lin hesitated only briefly before deciding to turn a blind eye. As long as he released the others later, what happened to them afterward had nothing to do with him.

"The one with the best figure, of course. I’m going to make her regret it tonight..."

Chai Lin muttered to himself that this guy was lucky. But he couldn't afford to offend Lin Zhihao. These guys were troublemakers who couldn't achieve anything, but he hadn't expected Lin's uncle to be Secretary Zhou. The Lin family was going to take off. If he played his cards right, his own father might have a chance to get a promotion, and he could climb higher too.

Though Chai Lin was crooked, he wasn't an idiot. He had his subordinates disperse the witnesses and then altered the statements to say it was a mutual fight between two skating parties. Ordinary fights were one thing, but here, three people had broken bones, and one would likely never be a man again—essentially a third-degree disability. He pinned it all on that kid; he wouldn't be out for at least seven or eight years.

Su Wanqing and Zhu Qianyun were asked to leave because they didn't participate in the fight, but Su Wanqing wouldn't go. She didn't trust Chai Lin, who was whispering with Lin Zhihao and Baldy Zhang.

Chai Lin intended to take them back to the station before dealing with them, but Di Yutong was furious at the arrangement. "Why can't we go to the hospital? You guys are all in cahoots! You were with these thugs last time. Hmph, we aren't going with you, we’re going to the hospital!"

Chai Lin’s face turned ugly. Some of his subordinates were looking at him strangely. "Do you think the police station is your home? You’re in the wrong for fighting, take them away!" Chai Lin roared.

"Our household registrations are all at the Red Flag Factory. Even if there’s an interrogation, the Red Flag Factory Security Office must be present. Wait until they get here!" Liang Jiyong knew Chai Lin was abusing his power, so he refused to follow. With so many people watching, Chai Lin couldn't pull any dirty tricks.

"Hmph, you think you’re someone special?" Chai Lin tried to use force, but the seven or eight teenagers standing nearby, whose families had connections, wouldn't have it. The leader, the son of the Cangyun District head, was fifteen or sixteen and in his rebellious phase; he didn't care about Chai Lin at all.

"Sister Yutong, don't be afraid. We all saw it clearly. Lin Ergou and Baldy Zhang brought people to cause trouble. Brother Yong was in self-defense. If Chai Lin dares to collude with thugs, I'll tell my dad to fire him!"

Chai Lin’s face darkened further. "A bunch of brats, tired of living? A tiny district head is nothing! One more word and I'll have your old man fired too!"

Lin Zhihao was feeling invincible. With a secretary for an uncle, he thought he could walk sideways. Although his cousin Su Wanqing didn't like him, his aunt had always loved him, and he had played the role well. Being the only male in the Lin family, he was pampered.

"Who are you? You think your dad is the mayor?"

"My dad isn't the mayor, my uncle is Zhou Jianguo!" Lin Zhihao said proudly.

"Who is Zhou Jianguo?" the teenagers didn't know.

"Feng, Zhou Jianguo seems to be the new secretary!" a thin, bespectacled boy whispered to the district head’s son, Xu Zifeng.

Xu Zifeng’s expression shifted. A secretary was not to be messed with, but walking away without a word was humiliating. Plus, he really liked Sister Yutong.

"Even the emperor can't break the law..." Xu Zifeng said, though his momentum had waned. The others started to retreat; their fathers, the bureau chiefs, would be crushed by a single word from Zhou Jianguo.

"Lin Zhihao, you're shameless!" Su Wanqing was livid.

"Wanqing, don't stir up trouble. He crippled people; he's going away for seven or eight years!" Lin Zhihao didn't care about her attitude.

"Bullshit! I’m the one who crippled that bastard!" Di Yutong shouted.

Just then, a dozen people in police uniforms entered—not from the local station, but from the Red Flag Factory Security Office. Ten years ago, the local police wouldn't dare touch anyone from the factory without the Security Office present. While the factory’s glory had faded, the office still held some weight. The man in charge was Deputy Chief Qiang Yi, a veteran who had been there for ten years and was only thirty-five. He walked with an aura that could intimidate any thug.

Chai Lin’s head began to ache when he saw Qiang Yi. "Deputy Chief Qiang, hello!" he saluted.

Qiang Yi ignored him and walked straight to Liang Jiyong. "Can’t you stay out of trouble for one day? Always making me deal with your messes!" he said coldly, though Liang Jiyong knew that was just his way of speaking. They were familiar with each other.

"Uncle Qiang, it’s not my fault. Lin Ergou brought thugs to bully Yutong. Could I just stand there and watch?"

Di Yutong added, "Uncle Qiang, Lin Ergou is a pervert!"

Qiang Yi’s eyes turned cold as he looked at Lin Zhihao. "Come here!"

If Lin Zhihao only feared Liang Jiyong, he was terrified of Qiang Yi. "I—I didn't..." he stammered, but his feet moved toward him.

*Slap!*

Qiang Yi slapped Lin Zhihao across the face.

"Qiang Yi! You dare hit me? I’m not done with you!" Lin Zhihao roared.

"Take him!"

On Qiang Yi’s order, the security guards moved in, handcuffed Lin Zhihao, and took him away. Zhang Guang, still confused, was also handcuffed; when he tried to resist, he was struck in the stomach. The factory security guards were much rougher than the local police!

"Deputy Chief Qiang, what are you doing? Liang Jiyong is the one who hurt people..." Chai Lin exclaimed.

"Lin Zhihao and Zhang Guang are involved in other cases. Take them!" Qiang Yi waved his hand.

"What cases?" Chai Lin didn't know if Qiang Yi was making up excuses or if there was something real.

"Your rank is too low to know. It’s a case supervised by the Provincial Department!"

Chai Lin was stunned. A provincial case?

"But his uncle is Secretary Zhou!"

Qiang Yi didn't care. "Even if he were the American President’s son, he’d still face the law!"

Chai Lin was speechless.

"You guys, come with me to assist with the investigation!" Qiang Yi called out to Liang Jiyong.

"Alright! I’ll definitely report everything and make sure Lin Ergou and Baldy Zhang rot in prison!" Liang Jiyong chirped.

Chai Lin was furious. His subordinate asked, "Captain, what about this case..." Chai Lin glared at him. The people were gone, what case was left? "Dismiss the team!"

Chai Lin left, frustrated. Once back at the station, he called home and was left reeling. A grand larceny ring case that had shocked the Provincial Department.

...

"Sister-in-law, I know. I’ll speak to Jianguo. If my brother and Zhihao haven't done anything, no one can frame them. But if they broke the law, even Jianguo can't interfere. He’s just arrived in Yunzhou and isn't familiar with the situation!"

"Xiaoyu, you have to save them! That’s your own brother, and Zhihao is the only seedling left in the Lin family. If something happens to him, how will the elders live?"

Lin Xiaoyu felt a tightness in her chest. She knew exactly what kind of person her brother was. He hadn't been honest back at the factory, colluding with outsiders to steal materials. If Su Kui hadn't spoken up for him back then, he would have been locked up. After he got out, he did some business, and she hadn't paid much attention since she left Yunzhou. As for her nephew, he had been clever once, but she hadn't seen him much in three years. From Wanqing, she had heard he had become a wastrel.

Yesterday, her husband had mentioned that the factory had caught a theft ring—stealing, fencing, and money laundering. The case was massive, involving the Red Flag, Red Star, and Cotton Mills, as well as other cities. The value was staggering.

She sighed. She hadn't wanted to mention her brother’s past theft because it was shameful, but now she had no choice. She knew her husband wouldn't interfere with the judiciary, but if he just asked about the case, it might reduce the sentencing. A 3-to-10-year range was flexible.

She sighed again. She and Zhou Jianguo had worked hard to get back together; she cherished it. But because of this, her daughter had grown distant.

...

Liang Jiyong had just returned from the hospital. After a check-up and some medicine, it was past eleven. The four of them ate fried noodles on the street before heading back to the dorms.

The landlord’s bathroom only had cold water. Liang Jiyong took a cold shower and went back to his room. Remembering the medicine was with Su Wanqing, he headed over.

"How are you going to apply it yourself? Take off your shirt and lie down!" Di Yutong said.

"Uh, it's fine, I can do it!" He wasn't used to undressing in front of the girls.

"How are you going to reach your back? You're not a gibbon. Hurry up, it's not like I haven't seen you naked..."

Liang Jiyong thought back to the time in the bathroom when she had peeked at him.

"What's with that look? You wore trunks when we went swimming!"

Liang Jiyong took off his shirt and lay on the bed, glancing at Su Wanqing. She was reading, but her gaze met his. She looked away, flustered, remembering that night in Pingzhou when