Power and Wealth

"Xiao Yang"

"Who is XiaoYang?"

At first, they couldn’t hear what Fang Wenping was saying on the phone as she had moved far away, but she seemed pretty displeased. Her tone had sharpened, and later, Director Zhu and the officers heard that Fang Wenping was looking for someone. It appeared to be related to the county’s affairs. Director Zhu glanced at the old officer, who also shook his head in confusion, indicating he didn’t know who this Xiao Yang' was. It seemed no one with the surname Yang was among the main leaders and team leaders in their county’s police system.

Never mind. Let’s wait and see.

Director Zhu continued directing the officers to assist the medical staff in rescuing the injured.

Soon, two more ambulances arrived, and the injured were being taken away in batches.

At this point, the situation should have been winding down, at least for today. However, due to Dong Xuebing and Fang Wenping's outbursts, the crowd of onlookers had only grown larger. Dong Xuebing and Fang Wenping remained on the scene, and the locals stayed to watch, eagerly discussing the events with those who had just arrived.

As for the ethnic minorities who had fled, they hadn’t gone far. Seeing Dong Xuebing didn’t pursue them, they gathered their courage and returned, watching from a distance. They were concerned about their injured relatives and friends but were also filled with anger and resentment. How could they accept being beaten by one person when they had never been treated this way in the county? They were determined to seek justice and quickly began calling for reinforcements, hoping to get hundreds of people if necessary. They couldn’t believe Dong Xuebing was genuinely unbeatable.

Each group had different thoughts.

“How’s it going?” Dong Xuebing asked Fang Wenping.

Fang Wenping replied indifferently, “They’ll be here within five minutes.”

Dong Xuebing didn’t worry too much. He could find people himself if needed. He and Fang Wenping were well-known figures in their circles, so getting a few people together was easy even in a province they didn’t frequent. Fang Wenping wasn’t concerned, nor was Dong Xuebing—it was no big deal.

Suddenly, distant sirens blared. It sounded like several police cars were arriving.

Director Zhu was startled, and his face fell, “Who reported this to the county bureau?” He had intended to keep a lid on things, but the county bureau had already sent people.

The old officer blinked and said, “Not me.”

Other officers also shook their heads, indicating they were unsure.

Director Zhu had no choice but to rush out to meet them.

The onlookers quickly moved aside, clearing the way for the three or four police cars speeding in.

Director Zhu was taken aback by the license plates and vehicles, “Huh.”

Several officers were stunned, “These aren’t county bureau cars; they’re from the city police!”

They were surprised that a minor local police issue had attracted the attention of the city police. The officers’ hearts sank.

The police cars stopped one by one, and officers in tactical gear and carrying guns disembarked. Though there weren’t many, the scene was intense and imposing, causing a shiver to run through the crowd.

In the distance, the ethnic minorities were increasingly tense upon seeing the situation. They had previously confronted the local police and had physically engaged with them, but they knew they were reluctant to handle their cases seriously, so they acted with impunity. However, the arrival of the city police was entirely different. The city police were a rank above the county police and were armed, exuding a threatening aura. The ethnic minorities, who had previously been bold, now hesitated and dared not confront the armed police. They were used to bullying the weak but had no intention of challenging those with guns.

The scene fell silent.

The last person stepped out of the police car. Unlike the others, he wasn't wearing a bulletproof vest. His demeanor suggested he was a leader leading the team.

He was on the phone as he got out: "Yes, yes, I understand. Don't worry; we'll make sure to handle it before you arrive."

He hung up and walked up confidently.

Director Zhu took a deep breath and hurried to greet him, "Director Cheng."

Some officers didn’t recognize the man, but hearing Director Zhu address him as Director Cheng made them realize his identity.

It turned out to be the Deputy Director of the City Public Security Bureau.

“How could this be? Did this incident warrant the Deputy Director’s intervention?”

Director Zhu quickly reported, “Director Cheng, the situation is under control now. There have been no fatalities, only some minor and severe injuries.”

Deputy Director Cheng had a stern demeanor, “Who are you?”

Director Zhu wiped the sweat off his forehead, “I’m Director Zhu from the local police station.”

“Alright, first, let me know who is Ms. Fang,” Cheng interrupted.

“Ms. Fang?” Director Zhu was taken aback, realizing something, and instinctively looking towards Fang Wenping, “It might be her.”

Seeing Fang Wenping, Deputy Director Cheng’s expression changed immediately. He approached her politely and with some apology in his tone, “I apologize, Ms. Fang. We’re late, and I’m sorry for the distress caused.” Although he didn’t know much about her, he knew her surname was Fang. The higher-ups had emphasized her importance, so he treated her with respect.

Fang Wenping looked at him, “Who are you?”

Deputy Director Cheng introduced himself, “I am Cheng Zhu, Deputy Director of the City Public Security Bureau.”

Fang Wenping nodded, “You handle it. I can’t be bothered with the details. Ask them yourself. I’ll leave once it’s resolved.”

Deputy Director Cheng felt uncomfortable with her blunt attitude but remained composed. He thought, “It’s understandable she’s a bit short-tempered, given her connections with higher-ups. I’ll bear with it.”

Director Zhu and the others watched the interaction with uncertainty.

Dong Xuebing, understanding that Fang Wenping was being her usual self and not explicitly targeting Deputy Director Cheng, decided to step in. “Director Cheng, if you need anything, just let me know.”

Dong Xuebing was trying to smooth things over for Cheng Zhu.

However, Deputy Director Cheng seemed unappreciative of the gesture. Seeing such a young person approach him, he asked, “And you are?”

Dong Xuebing responded curtly, “You don’t need to worry about who I am. Just focus on how you’re going to handle this situation.”

Cheng Zhu felt quite awkward and frustrated. He thought, "Who are these people, acting so high and mighty? Why are they taking out their frustration on me? They shouldn't be directing it at me even if they have a grudge. And now, I'm being scolded by a young person." Cheng felt his pride was being hurt, especially since he had subordinates present. Although he didn’t respect Fang Wenping, being reprimanded by someone like Dong Xuebing, who was much younger, was humiliating.

The atmosphere became tense and uncomfortable.

Director Zhu was inwardly cursing, feeling frustrated at the situation. He regretted not having realized the full extent of the individuals involved earlier. He would have handled things differently if he had known that the person involved had such connections. The fact that such high-ranking officials were involved caught everyone off guard, leaving them scrambling to adjust.

Cheng Zhu was visibly unhappy with the situation. However, he had to focus on managing the scene and dealing with the aftermath. He had to deal with the consequences of his subordinate's earlier missteps. The realization that Fang Wenping was someone of significant influence had hit him hard. Someone of even higher authority had summoned him, and now he was grappling with how to handle it.

An Audi sped into the yard at that moment, causing a stir.

Cheng Zhu immediately recognized who it was and greeted them, “Director Yang!”

Director Zhu and the others quickly followed to greet the newcomer. The mention of "Director Yang" left everyone stunned. They couldn’t believe the Provincial Public Security Department’s Deputy Director had been brought into the situation. How could a small county’s police issue escalate to involving provincial authorities?

The person who got out of the car was a middle-aged man in his forties with a broad face and a sturdy build.

Director Zhu and his team hurriedly approached but did not attempt to greet him, feeling unworthy to make introductions. They thought, “How could someone of Deputy Director Yang’s stature even notice us?”

At this moment, Fang Wenping glanced at Deputy Director Yang and said nonchalantly, “Xiao Yang, you’re here quite fast.”

The term "Xiao Yang" shocked everyone.

Director Zhu, his team, and Cheng Zhu were stunned and silent. They almost collapsed from the shock, realizing that the “Xiao Yang” Fang Wenping had referred to was indeed Deputy Director Yang.