Chapter Thirty-One: I’m Here to Beat You

In less than five minutes, a military vehicle sped out from the gate and screeched to a halt in front of Zhang Xingping. Before the sentry could open the door, a middle-aged man in uniform impatiently pushed it open and stepped out. Upon seeing Zhang Xingping, he exclaimed excitedly, “Brother Zhang, what brings you here!”

Zhang Xingping, known as “Zhanjun,” felt his face flush with embarrassment. After much hesitation, he spoke dejectedly, “I’ve run into some trouble—trouble so dire I had nowhere else to turn, so…”

“Let’s talk inside!” Lei Zhanjun, seeing the helpless expression on Zhang Xingping’s face, immediately understood. He knew his old comrade and elder brother too well; never before had he seen such despair in his eyes. It was clear the situation was grave.

Lei Zhanjun ushered Zhang Xingping into the car, which turned around at the entrance and sped toward Lei Zhanjun’s residence within the military district.

Upon entering, Lei Zhanjun pulled Zhang Xingping onto the sofa, anxiously inquiring, “Brother Zhang, what happened?”

Zhang Xingping let out a deep sigh and, after a moment’s pause, recounted the entire incident in detail.

“Outrageous!” Lei Zhanjun kicked the tea table in front of the sofa, shattering the cups and pots in his fury. He raged, “A mere district chief abusing his power so brazenly, twisting truth and justice—does he have no respect for the law? Does he really think he can do as he pleases in Jiangcheng?”

Zhang Xingping replied weakly, “Zhanjun, I wouldn’t trouble you if I had any other choice. My child is still young—such a blow, he couldn’t bear it…”

Lei Zhanjun’s expression suddenly filled with guilt. “Brother Zhang, back in the southwest, if not for you, I and my comrades would have never made it home. I owe you—and the brothers we lost—more than I could ever repay, even with my life. Why draw a line between us? You should have contacted me right away—why wait until things got this bad?”

Zhang Xingping was silent. Lei Zhanjun grabbed the phone and barked, “Orderly! Tell Colonel Li Biao of the Guards Regiment to bring sixty soldiers—have them ready to deploy in ten minutes for a major operation!”

Zhang Xingping, a veteran himself, quickly protested upon hearing Lei Zhanjun mobilizing troops. “Zhanjun, there’s no need for such a show. If you can help get Wenhao out, I’ll be grateful.”

Lei Zhanjun waved off his concerns without hesitation. “To deal with scum like this, you have to show them what real intimidation means! You think I’d just go reason with him?”

Zhang Xingping didn’t know what more to say. Lei Zhanjun lit two cigarettes, handing one to Zhang Xingping. “Brother Zhang, I owe you and our fallen brothers too much—always hoped for a chance to do something for you. But your pride never let me, and I know you still haven’t forgiven me. But now that you’ve come to me, leave everything to me. I know exactly what to do. Rest assured!”

As they finished their cigarettes, the orderly rushed in, saluting breathlessly. “Sir, Colonel Li is ready!”

“Good!” Lei Zhanjun turned to Zhang Xingping. “Brother Zhang, let’s go. Before midnight, I’ll have Wenhao out safe and sound!”

Four military vehicles roared out into the night, heading straight for Jiangcheng. At the front was a Leopard off-road vehicle, with Colonel Li Biao leading the way. Lei Zhanjun followed in his Audi A8, and behind them were two large military trucks carrying sixty elite soldiers of the Guards Regiment.

The convoy raced toward Jiangcheng, heading directly for the Jiangxin District Public Security Bureau. The armed police at the gate were powerless to stop the vehicles as they swept through. No sooner had the convoy halted in the courtyard than Li Biao jumped out and barked at the soldiers, “All troops, seal the bureau—no one leaves, only entry is permitted!”

“Yes, sir!” The Guards Regiment soldiers were all top-tier, hand-picked by Li Biao. In moments, they cordoned off the entire bureau, disarming the armed police at the gate and herding them inside. The night-duty officers, drawn by the commotion, were confused as to why soldiers would storm the district bureau at night.

An officer hurried out to Li Biao and asked, “Comrade, what is the meaning of this?”

At that moment, Lei Zhanjun stepped out of his car and said coldly, “Bring your bureau chief to me!”

“The bureau chief?” the officer blurted. “He’s not here.”

Lei Zhanjun shouted, “Ten minutes! If he’s not here in ten minutes, he’s responsible for the consequences!”

Only then did the officer notice Lei Zhanjun’s epaulets—a wheat ear and a star—he was a Major General!

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the officer immediately called Director Xing Jiaqiang, not knowing why a Major General would bring troops to their door, and told him, “Director Xing, a Major General from the military district is here, has sealed the bureau with troops, and demands to see you within ten minutes—or else.”

Xing Jiaqiang was terrified. What did a Major General mean? In local terms, it was equivalent to a provincial standing committee member—possibly even one himself! Xing Jiaqiang was only a district bureau chief. Had he somehow caused a disaster?

Xing Jiaqiang dared not delay, rushing over as fast as possible, though even so, it took nearly twenty minutes. Throughout, the officer invited Lei Zhanjun to wait inside, but Lei Zhanjun refused, insisting on waiting in the courtyard until the bureau chief arrived.

In his haste, Xing Jiaqiang had no time to call his driver, nor did he dare drive his wife’s car, so he took a taxi instead. Bursting through the gate, he saw Lei Zhanjun’s stormy expression and panicked. He’d seen Lei Zhanjun at the provincial party committee—he was the Deputy Commander of the Southern Rivers Military District, not a standing committee member yet, but from a powerful family and already a Major General in his early forties, with boundless prospects.

“Commander Lei, what brings you here tonight?” Xing Jiaqiang forced himself to greet Lei Zhanjun.

Lei Zhanjun frowned and asked, “Are you the bureau chief?”

“Yes, I’m Xing Jiaqiang.”

“Smack!” Lei Zhanjun raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap to Xing Jiaqiang’s face, declaring, “This slap is for your abuse of power!”

Xing Jiaqiang didn’t even have time to react before the next slap landed. “This one is for your lack of conscience!”

“Smack!”

“This is for your blindness!”

“Smack!”

“For your ignorance!”

“Smack!”

“For arriving late and failing to apologize!”

After five slaps, Xing Jiaqiang’s face was swollen and burning with pain, but he still didn’t know what had enraged this Major General.

“I ask you!” Lei Zhanjun barked, “Why did you reverse the truth and frame an innocent man in the case of Zhang Wenhao?”

Only then did Xing Jiaqiang realize it was about Zhang Wenhao. But how was Zhang Wenhao connected to this Major General?

Xing Jiaqiang knew he’d hit an iron wall, so he apologized profusely, “Commander Lei, I am truly sorry—I was forced into it. The mastermind behind all this is District Chief Chen Ru. Everything I did was under his orders. You should be looking for him.”

In front of a Major General, a district chief was nothing—when it was time to sell someone out, hesitation was out of the question.

Lei Zhanjun scoffed, “I’m a soldier—I learned to deal with the foot soldiers before the officers! Call Chen Ru now and have him come to the bureau!”

“Me?” Xing Jiaqiang nearly choked. If he called Chen Ru, Lei Zhanjun’s temper would surely unleash on Chen Ru, and in the end, all Chen Ru’s resentment would be vented on him!

“Will you call, or not?” Lei Zhanjun shouted.

“I’ll call—right away!”

Xing Jiaqiang dared not tell Chen Ru directly that Lei Zhanjun had come, for fear Lei Zhanjun would see it as warning him, worsening his own predicament. He simply said, “Chief Chen, please come to the bureau as soon as possible—there’s a very important matter.”

At that moment, Chen Ru was at the hospital with his son, Chen Chong. When he received Xing Jiaqiang’s call, he instinctively thought it must be about the trouble he’d ordered for Zhang Wenhao in the detention center—perhaps they’d beaten him too badly and something had gone wrong.

Chen Ru thought, as long as he wasn’t dead, it could all be explained. He told his wife and son, “Xing Jiaqiang needs me for something—I’ll head over.”

“Did they cripple that bastard Zhang Wenhao?” Chen Chong’s mother said gleefully, “Best if they paralyzed him for life!”

Chen Ru replied, “We’ll see what happened when I get there.”

With that, Chen Ru and his driver set out for the bureau. Upon arrival, he noticed the presence of so many soldiers but didn’t give it much thought. As soon as he got out, he saw Xing Jiaqiang standing silently with a swollen face, like a beaten rooster, and opposite him stood a Major General, several officers, soldiers, and a plainly dressed middle-aged man.

Chen Ru had never met Zhang Xingping and didn’t connect the situation to himself. He stepped out and greeted, “Ah, Commander Lei, what brings you to Jiangcheng? If you’d notified me, I could have prepared a welcome.”

Lei Zhanjun stared coldly at him, “You’re Chen Ru?”

A faint sense of foreboding crept into Chen Ru’s heart—something about Lei Zhanjun’s expression seemed hostile.

“Smack!”

Lei Zhanjun’s slap sent stars spinning before Chen Ru’s eyes.

“You think you’re the local tyrant of Jiangcheng?”

“Smack!”

“You think being a district chief gives you the right to do as you please?”

“Smack!”

“You think no one can hold you accountable for your actions?”

“Smack!”

“You think a comrade who once saved my life in the southwest—someone you thought you could bully—is yours to mistreat?”

“Smack!”

“You think we’re friends? You show up and try to ingratiate yourself without so much as an apology?”

“Smack!”

“You think I wouldn’t dare strike you? I’ll strike you right now!”