Era: Rise from the Wilderness

The 212 Jeep bumped along the potholed road for about ten minutes before turning into a courtyard with a white sign in black that read "XX City Public Security Bureau XX Branch".

The yard wasn't big; the cement floor was cracked, and several clumps of tenacious weeds grew in the corners of the walls.

A four-story, gray-white office building stands there, with most of the windows having old-fashioned green wooden frames, and some of the glass covered with yellowed newspapers.

Several sidecar motorcycles with the same blue and white paint scheme and a few bicycles were parked in front of the building.

This is the town's branch office.

Although it is only a branch office, its scale and authority are much larger than those of an ordinary branch office because there is a large state-owned enterprise with tens of thousands of employees in its jurisdiction.

Li Yunjing got out of the car and curiously looked around at this place he had never set foot in in his previous life.

The air was filled with a faint smell of ink, old paper, and disinfectant.

Police officers in olive-green uniforms came and went, their expressions serious and their steps hurried.

Occasionally, the "people" brought in would either be dejected or stubbornly defiant, and would be scolded by the police and taken into different rooms.

An atmosphere of order and authority, completely different from that on campus and on the streets, immediately struck me.

"Follow me, everyone."

A young police officer greeted them in a calm, businesslike tone.

They were led into different rooms.

The room Li Yunjing entered was very small, with only a wooden table with peeling paint, two chairs, and a slogan on the wall that read "Confess and you will be treated leniently, resist and you will be punished severely," the words of which had faded somewhat.

The windows were high, fitted with iron bars, and the afternoon sun slanted in, illuminating the dust particles dancing in the air.

A veteran police officer in his forties, with a square face and an experienced appearance, sat behind a table with a notebook and a pen in front of him.

He gestured for Li Yunjing to sit down, and then lit a "Hongtashan" cigarette for himself, the smoke rising gently in the light.

"Name, age, address, school and class..."

The veteran police officer began his routine questioning, his voice low but with a scrutinizing tone.

Li Yunjing answered honestly.

He knew that in this kind of place, telling the truth was the best option, especially when they were in the right.

Next, the veteran police officer asked him to recount the events in detail.

From discovering Ma Youcai at the restaurant, to overhearing the conversation, to leading people to surround him, and then to Li Wanting's appearance and calling the police, the entire process unfolded.

Li Yunjing's account was very clear, emphasizing the details of Ma Youcai and others' conspiracy to intentionally cause harm, as well as the fact that they were carrying knives.

He didn't hide his anger at the time and how he almost resorted to violence, but he also truthfully recounted Li Wanting's advice to stop him and his final decision to call the police.

As the veteran police officer listened, he scribbled notes on the record sheet, occasionally interrupting him to ask about details such as the specific time, what the other party said, what the knife looked like, and who was present.

His questions were very detailed, and his eyes were sharp, as if he wanted to determine whether Li Yunjing was lying or exaggerating.

"You said you heard them say they wanted to 'cripple Li Hongfeng's leg,' that was their exact wording?"

The old policeman flicked his cigarette ash.

"Yes, officer. Ma Youcai said it himself, 'I want Li Hongfeng's leg,' 'Be quick, get out of here after you're done.' The guy with the tattoo on his arm even asked, 'What about the kid?' Ma Youcai said, 'Take care of him too.'"

Li Yunjing recalled what he had overheard, his tone certain.

The veteran police officer nodded, wrote it down on the paper, and then asked, "What were you all holding when you surrounded them?"

"I...I took a steel pipe, someone gave it to me. The others, some had sticks, some picked up bricks from the ground...but before we could do anything, Li Wanting arrived, and then we called the police."

Li Yunjing answered selectively, feeling a little uneasy, wondering if this would be considered "gathering a crowd to carry weapons".

He dared not mention that in addition to these, everyone also possessed knives, nine-section whips, red-tasseled spears, and other weapons.

The older policeman glanced at him, said nothing, and continued, "What does that girl named Li Wanting's brother do? How does she get a cell phone?"

"this……"

Li Yunjing hesitated for a moment, "I don't know exactly what her brother does. He just gave her the cell phone yesterday, saying it would be convenient to contact her. She was the one who called the police in time today."

The veteran police officer grunted in agreement and didn't press Li Wanting about her background, seemingly already aware of the situation.

He asked Li Yunjing to read the entire transcript from beginning to end, and after confirming that it was correct, he signed and pressed his fingerprint at the end.

The red inkpad felt cool and sticky on my fingers.

"Alright, you can go now."

"Wait in the hallway for a moment until your classmate finishes giving their statement, then we'll go together."

"Remember, don't publicize what happened today. We'll handle everything."

The veteran police officer closed the notebook and gave a serious warning.

"Understood, thank you, officer."

Li Yunjing stood up, bowed slightly, and left the room.

The corridor was dimly lit and filled with the smell of old wood and dust.

Fu Chao and Ding Dong had just finished giving their statements, both with expressions of relief mixed with a touch of curiosity on their faces.

The younger brother who was supposed to be the witness also came out, looking somewhat reserved.

"How is it?"

Fu Chao leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

"That's it, they asked very detailed questions."

Li Yunjing answered in a low voice, "And you?"

"almost."

Fu Chao shrugged. "That old cop even lectured me, saying I was too reckless and told me to tone it down. Ding Dong got the worst questioning because he slapped that scarred guy."

Ding Dong was a little scared: "I told the police I was acting bravely to stop him from threatening others, but I don't know if they believed me."

Li Wanting also came out of another office; she seemed to have the shortest time to give her statement.

Seeing her, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Uncle Liu said that the matter is basically clear."

"There is ample evidence that Ma Youcai and his accomplices were armed and intentionally caused harm. The knives and sticks in the car are irrefutable evidence. Combined with our testimonies, they'll be in jail for a while."

"My brother will also be keeping an eye on it."

Li Wanting said, her tone much more relaxed, "We can go now."

"Uncle Liu specifically said that you guys were lucky this time, that you didn't really fight back. You might not be so lucky next time."

The group nodded in agreement.

Stepping out of the branch office building and standing again in the afternoon sun, watching the people riding bicycles home from work and the pedestrians strolling by, I felt as if I had been transported to another world.

Just an hour or two ago, they were at loggerheads and almost caused a major disaster.

"Finally finished..."

Fu Chao let out a long sigh, rubbing his stomach. "I'm starving! I didn't even get to eat, and I ended up having to go to the bureau."