stonecrandall Chapter 650 Jiang Hu is arrested 2
Chapter 650 Jiang Hu is arrested 2
A group of men escorted Jiang Hu, who was handcuffed and shackled, out of the mining area. His head hung low; his former arrogance was gone, replaced by a disheveled state. The wailing of sirens echoed through the empty mining area, piercing the perennial coal dust and startling the sparrows perched in the treetops. A dark flock of birds fluttered into the gray sky, circled twice, and then reluctantly flew away into the distant mountains and forests.
By the time the convoy returned to the Public Security Bureau compound, it was already dusk. One by one, the lights in the office buildings came on, neatly arranged on the building facades like a row of vigilant eyes, exuding an unassailable majesty in the deep twilight. The sentries at the gate stood ramrod straight, their sidearms gleaming coldly in the lamplight.
Zhang Li approached He Feng and strode quickly to him, giving him a crisp salute. His face betrayed his exhaustion, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he'd been working several sleepless nights. His military green police uniform was still stained with indelible coal dust, and the cuffs were worn and frayed, yet his eyes shone with excitement: "Chief, our injured comrades have all been taken to the city hospital. I just spoke with the doctor on the phone; they said it's all superficial wounds and fractures, nothing vital, no life-threatening injuries. They'll recover in a few days, so don't worry."
He Feng nodded, a weight lifted from his heart, but his brow remained tightly furrowed. He walked to the corridor window, pushed it open halfway, and a cool evening breeze blew in, dispersing some of the stale air. Gazing at the deep night outside, the distant streetlights cast dim, yellowish glows, barely illuminating the path beneath his feet. His voice lowered, slightly hoarse: "I understand. This operation has caused the brothers much suffering."
The thought of those young officers, struggling to control the resisting miners, their muffled groans as the miners' iron bars struck their backs, gripped his heart with a sharp pain. These kids, the youngest only recently graduated from police academy, their faces still bearing the innocence of youth, had already learned to rush forward in dangerous situations, offering their backs to their comrades. Every time he went on a mission, his greatest fear was hearing news of someone being injured.
Zhang Li sighed, rubbing his fingertips along the worn-out seams of his trousers as if to encourage himself, and added, "Also, six of those thugs who resisted arrest at the mine died. They attacked the police with weapons while resisting arrest, wielding machetes and steel pipes at our comrades. Our comrades handled the situation according to regulations; the on-site video and witness testimonies are all available, and the procedures are in order."
He paused, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of seriousness, "The remaining twenty-odd people, some with broken arms and some with broken legs, have all been sent to the hospital. But there are two police officers guarding the entrance to each ward, working in shifts 24 hours a day. Not even a fly can get out; they absolutely cannot escape."
“We found a number of controlled knives on them, as well as two modified hunting rifles. The barrels were sawed off, the bullets were loaded, and the safety was off.” Zhang Li’s voice was even deeper. “It seems that they were prepared to resist from the start. They are determined to go against us.”
He Feng hummed in agreement, his fingertips tapping lightly on the cold windowsill, producing a soft "tap, tap" sound that was particularly clear in the quiet corridor. A death had occurred, undoubtedly making the case more complicated; further investigation and appeasement of the families would be unavoidable. But he didn't regret it—to be lenient with these bloodthirsty thugs who treated miners' lives like dirt would be irresponsible to his comrades and a desecration of those miners who had died unjustly in the black coal mines.
He turned and walked toward the interrogation room, his steps steady and powerful, each step firm and firm: "Bring Jiang Hu here and interrogate him overnight. Don't give him a chance to catch his breath. Also, have the comrades in the technical department step up their efforts and quickly organize those ledgers, contracts, and evidence that have been seized. I need to see the preliminary interrogation records before dawn, and there can be no ambiguity."
The incandescent light in the corridor cast his shadow long, long, across the mottled wall, moving slowly with his steps. This battle had only just begun, and no matter how many thorns lay ahead, no matter how many dark forces tried to obstruct him, he had to win. For the miners struggling in the darkness, and for the brothers around him who had risked their lives for each other, who had entrusted their backs to one another.
Meanwhile, Zhao Lei and his men were hurriedly navigating the maze-like residential area, their flashlight beams sweeping through the narrow alleys, searching for traces of Zhang Jie and his group. He muttered to himself, "I never expected these guys to run so fast. I just caught a glimpse of their clothes disappearing into an alleyway, and they were gone in the blink of an eye." This was a densely packed residential area, with rows of gray-tiled bungalows crammed together, rooftops touching rooftops, and alleys crisscrossing like a spider web, dead ends leading to open alleys. Finding someone in such a place was like finding a needle in a haystack—extremely difficult.
Zhao Lei and his men searched the vicinity for quite some time, going from one alley to another, their foreheads beaded with sweat that clung uncomfortably to their temples. At this moment, his men gathered around, their faces showing some frustration. One of them, panting, said to Zhao Lei, "Captain, we've searched every alley in these three streets nearby, rooftops, woodsheds, abandoned storage rooms—we've looked everywhere, but we haven't found a trace of them. How about we print out their photos and post them up, then contact the neighborhood office and get the residents involved in the search? Many hands make light work; we might find some clues."
Zhao Lei frowned, rubbed his chin with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, then nodded. He then instructed everyone, "The photos can be posted, but make it clear to the people that they should only keep an eye out, and absolutely no one should go up and question them themselves. These are ordinary people living here, with elderly parents and young children to support; safety comes first. Zhang Jie and his gang are a bunch of desperate criminals, they might even be carrying weapons, and they have no moral compass. Let's retreat first, discuss this further, and search slowly later. Don't alert innocent people while trying to catch them, understand?"
"Understood!" the men replied in unison. After saying that, the group turned back and their footsteps thudded on the stone path.
Zhao Lei went directly to He Feng's office. He Feng was sitting behind his desk, a notebook open in front of him with only a few notes. He had originally intended to interrogate Jiang Hu, but Jiang Hu, guarded by two officers, sat opposite him with his legs crossed high, clearly unafraid—he knew that someone outside was trying to pull strings and find a way to get him out, so no matter what He Feng asked, he remained silent, finally uttering only a curt statement: "Everything will be discussed when my lawyer arrives. There's nothing to talk about now."