Power and Wealth

By the roadside.

Next to the minibus.

Dong Xuebing, Liu Xing, and several other officers had just gotten off the bus. At first, Dong Xuebing walked ahead on his own. However, as soon as he was off the bus, two officers quickly flanked him, with one even brandishing a baton and prodding Dong Xuebing in the back, urging him to move faster. This gesture indicated the police station's stance and bias. The driver of the illegal minibus, standing aside, smirked mockingly at Dong Xuebing, but the police officers ignored him as if he wasn't even there, focusing solely on Dong Xuebing.

Dong Xuebing stopped and turned to the young officer who had jabbed him with the baton. “I’m cooperating and preparing to go with you to the station. What’s with the attitude?”

The officer, who appeared to be in his early twenties, replied curtly, “Stop talking.”

Liu Xing also pointed at Dong Xuebing. “Hurry up and get into the police car.”

Dong Xuebing smiled and said to the young officer, “Kid, I’ll remember you.” He then glanced at Liu Xing’s badge. “And you too.”

Liu Xing snapped, “Are you coming or not?”

Dong Xuebing pointed at the mocking driver. “If you’re not taking him and ignoring the black car, then at least deal with the person directly involved. I’ve told you that this black car was overcharging and threatening passengers. The passengers have testified, and there are at least five or six witness statements. Are you going to pretend you didn’t hear or see this? The bias here is too obvious. If I were you, I’d also take the driver back to the station to show some fairness. Then, you could quietly let him go at the station, achieving your goals without significant impact. That’s the best way to handle this while maintaining appearances. You don’t want to tarnish the image of the police.”

The officers were infuriated. Despite Dong Xuebing's seemingly weak and scholarly appearance, his words were extremely irritating, especially as he openly criticized their actions in front of many civilians.

The young officer snapped, “Mind your business and get in the car.”

Some of the bystanders also grew frustrated.

“How can you arrest people like this?”

“If you’re going to arrest someone, it shouldn’t be this young man.”

“Can’t you see how clear this situation is?”

A few concerned citizens spoke up, feeling that the officers handled the situation unfairly. They felt that instead of addressing the illegal activities and threats, the police were targeting someone standing up against the wrongdoing.

Liu Xing coldly glared at them.

Seeing his reaction, some of the bystanders fell silent. They knew not to challenge the authorities and didn’t want to attract trouble. It was clear that higher-ups had given instructions, and the officers were favoring the person who had been assaulted. They likely believed that only the directives from their superiors mattered.

The police car was parked not far ahead.

Dong Xuebing was escorted by the officers towards the car.

As they were about to get in, some bystanders began to leave, realizing they were running out of time or simply not wanting to get involved. Some headed west on foot, while others planned to hitch a ride to the county. But the driver’s expression changed abruptly, and he quickly stopped them.

“Wait.”

“What’s going on?”

“You can’t leave.”

“Why not?”

A few people were facing off again.

With an air of righteous indignation, the driver said, “You should have gotten your highway toll back yourself. Hand over the money now, not a penny less.”

The passengers were incredulous. They couldn’t believe that the illegal minibus driver would dare to be so blatant about “robbing money” even with the police just a short distance away. Was there no law? What kind of world was this? Naturally, they were unwilling to pay and began arguing with the driver.

“You’re robbing people!”

“What kind of person are you?”

“With the police here, how dare you still shout?”

The passengers started cursing at the driver, and some turned away, ignoring him completely.

The driver was enraged. With Dong Xuebing’s threat gone and him being taken away by the police, the driver’s confidence surged. He grabbed an old man and shouted, “Old man, stop! Pay up before you leave. It’s only right to pay for a ride!” Amid the commotion, some people tried to leave, but the driver grabbed a few.

Su Yan was also furious. “What are you doing?”

The driver replied, “Comrade Su, stay out of this. It’s none of your business.”

The old man shouted, “Police, police!”

The nearby officers glanced back and frowned but didn’t say anything, acting as if they hadn’t seen anything. They ensured everyone who was supposed to enter the police car did so.

Seeing this, Su Yan felt a deep sense of sadness.

Initially, Dong Xuebing didn’t notice the situation because the car was far away, and he couldn’t hear clearly. Only when the old man yelled did Dong Xuebing turn around and notice. Although he couldn’t make out all the details, he quickly understood the situation: the illegal minibus driver was extorting money again. With police officers right there, Dong Xuebing was taken aback by the driver’s audacity. Looking at the officers who seemed to ignore the situation, Dong Xuebing realized the driver was emboldened. The contact person for the police was likely not the deputy station chief but the top leader of the Chengguan Police Station; otherwise, the driver wouldn’t have been so bold right after the police had left.

Ha!

Did you think that you can get away with anything just because I, Dong Xuebing, am not here? You think you can do whatever you want now that the police are taking me away? What a joke.

Dong Xuebing was genuinely amused and infuriated. He couldn’t believe a few minor officers could make him feel this way. Even with handcuffs, Dong Xuebing had previously dealt with nine escapees in Yantai County. Did they think he was non-existent and could act with impunity?

The car was just beside them.

Dong Xuebing stopped and said, “Aren’t you going to deal with this?”

Liu Xing glanced back, frowning, and probably realized what was happening, but since the driver was a friend of the station chief, he couldn’t say much. “Get in the car.”

Dong Xuebing smiled and said, “Ignoring the extortion by the driver is one thing. But now that you’ve seen it right before you and are still silent, it’s clear what’s happening. I’ve looked at the Jiao Lin County Public Security System situation today. Not bad.”

From this incident, Dong Xuebing could see the general environment of the place and was deeply dissatisfied, or rather, very disappointed. Although he had encountered similar situations, they were in other counties and didn’t directly involve him. But this time, it was the county he was about to take office in. Dong Xuebing was bound to be disappointed. Everyone knew that Dong Xuebing was a person who would not tolerate any nonsense. However, he hadn’t shown it before because he had never been a county or city leader. He always had various leaders above him, and he had to be cautious in his actions. But this time was different. As the county party secretary, he didn’t need to care about the reactions of other people in the county or the attitudes of other officials. He could do many things within a certain range. Dong Xuebing had high expectations for his new position because of his previous experience and because he could finally implement his policies without restraint. Thus, Dong Xuebing had already decided that he needed to address this issue and let all the county officials and staff know exactly what kind of person he, Dong Xuebing, was.

The young officer snapped, “Get in the car! Haven’t you heard me?”

Dong Xuebing looked at him and said, “Don’t you have ears? Look at the common people being extorted and harassed right under your noses, and you’re pretending not to see it.”

On the other side, the driver was still grabbing an old man and a woman holding a child, menacingly demanding money.

Su Yan was also shouting, “Stop! Let them go!”

Two officers had somber expressions, but no one intervened.

Dong Xuebing’s expression grew colder as he looked at the group and said, “I don’t even know how you became police officers. I don’t expect you to stand up for things after work hours, but during work hours, while you’re in uniform, you ignore everything happening in front of you. You’re disappointing.” He sighed, feeling genuinely uncomfortable.

The young officer glared at him and said, “Why are you talking so much? Didn’t you hear me? Get in the car and stop meddling.”

Dong Xuebing pointed to the commotion and said, “You call this meddling?”

The altercation continued, and it looked like the driver was about to confront the passengers physically.

Tired of talking, the young officer drew his baton and swung it forcefully at Dong Xuebing’s arm. The baton thudded against him. “Get in the car.”

Dong Xuebing didn’t dodge. Instead, he smiled, ignoring the blow as if it didn’t affect him. He didn’t even blink.

The young officer was surprised by his reaction. He hadn’t expected Dong Xuebing to be so indifferent.

But the next moment, the young officer realized his mistake. Dong Xuebing wasn’t indifferent; that wasn’t his style. After taking a hit, Dong Xuebing suddenly lifted his hand. In an instant, as if by magic, the baton appeared in his hand, catching everyone off guard. No one had anticipated Dong Xuebing retaliating against the officer, so they were unprepared.

Thud.

Dong Xuebing swung the baton at the young officer’s face.

The young officer had already provoked Dong Xuebing before and had even glared and cursed at him, so it was no surprise that Dong Xuebing showed no mercy.