Nominal: Hou Liangping blocking the door? He was slapped away!

The old woman held the cup of hot water, her hands trembling violently, the water sloshing around in the cup as if it contained the storms of her life.

She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, her turbid tears rolled down her cheeks.

"The leaders...they...they're not human..."

The broken cries echoed in the silent reception room, each word like a needle piercing the heart.

The old man's narration was disorganized; he simply repeated the hell he had witnessed over and over again.

How a group of people kicked down her door like wild beasts.

How to turn a house upside down.

How to pin her grandson Zhang Xiao to the ground and beat him with her fists.

"...My grandson has been stubborn since he was little, but he's a good kid!"

"He just couldn't stand those heartless acts and wanted to speak up for the people..."

"He left as soon as it got dark yesterday, and when he came back he hurriedly started editing the video. I knew then that this was a serious matter."

"I asked him, but he never told me, because he was afraid I would worry."

"They came at night and didn't give her a chance to explain. Xiaozi was pinned to the ground by them."

"I took out his grandfather's medal, and I just wanted to... I wanted them to see that our family shed blood for this country, and that Xiaozi isn't a bad person..."

"Give us a chance to explain."

At this point, the old lady's voice was broken by a violent sob.

"That guy in charge, that official... he just kicked the medal away..."

"He said... he said we live in a society governed by the rule of law, and we shouldn't use dead people to pressure him..."

"He used those leather shoes, covered in mud... to stomp on it... to grind it over..."

The old woman clutched her chest tightly, gasping for breath, her frail body swaying precariously.

Zhou Weiguo stood to the side, his muscles taut as iron beneath his crisp military uniform.

He kept his head down, and no one could see his expression.

But his fists, clenched until they turned white, cracked at the joints as if they were about to reach their limit, and the veins on his neck bulged out like a ferocious dragon, stretching all the way to his temples.

The glory of soldiers.

The soul of a soldier.

He was crushed into the mud like a bug being stepped on.

He couldn't swallow this insult.

The air pressure in the entire reception room was so low it was suffocating.

Shen Zhong remained silent, simply listening attentively.

He waited until the old lady calmed down a little before speaking, his voice completely calm.

"Sir, where are the things you brought?"

The old lady suddenly realized what was happening and quickly pulled out the action camera, which was wrapped in three layers of plastic bags, from her bosom.

"When Xiaozi was dragged away, he desperately glanced at the top of the bookshelf... I know he left something behind..."

Shen Zhong took the camera and handed it to Zhou Weiguo behind him.

Five minutes later, the lights in the reception room went out.

A white wall was illuminated by the light from the projection screen.

The footage was shaking violently, clearly indicating hidden filming, but the sound quality was shockingly clear.

The video opens with the security door that has been violently kicked away.

Cheng Du's arrogant and domineering face occupied the center of the picture.

He kicked Zhang Xiao to the ground, spewing vulgarities at her.

"Search! Check for any recording equipment, find them all!"

Next came the chaos of rummaging through drawers and cabinets, followed by the triumphant discovery of the memory card hidden in a dictionary compartment.

The video continues.

Du Cheng ignited the memory card, a ferocious smile on his face, and slapped Zhang Xiao's face repeatedly with his hand.

"Running? Why did you stop running?"

"You're quite good at hiding things. What a pity, in the Bright District, there's nothing I can't find."

In the video, the old woman, leaning on a cane, walks out of the bedroom, crying and pleading.

Then, trembling, she pulled out the gold medal.

"I am a family member of a martyr!"

"This was earned with Xiaozi's grandfather's life!"

In the reception room, several young guards tensed up instantly, their bodies taut like a fully drawn bow.

In the video, Cheng Du's impatience and violence are clearly visible.

He suddenly waved his hand.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp sound, the medal flew out of his hand.

"Clang—"

The sound struck the ground, and it struck everyone's heart.

All eyes were fixed on Cheng Du's big leather shoe, which was covered in mud from the construction site.

He lifted his foot.

Then, he stomped down heavily.

"Crunch—"

The sound of metal being forcibly crushed and deformed pierced everyone's eardrums sharply through the speakers, making their teeth ache.

The reception room was deathly silent.

In the video, Cheng Du's devilish voice still echoes.

"What era are we living in? Who are you trying to scare with that lousy sign? This is a society governed by law! Do you understand?"

"Don't try to intimidate me with dead bodies! Even if the King of Heaven himself came today, he'd be arrested for endangering national security!"

The video ends.

The curtain fell dark.

But that medal, trampled into the mud, and that clear shoe print, are like a red-hot branding iron, etched onto everyone's retina.

The reception room was eerily quiet; you could hear your own heartbeat.

Shen Zhong picked up the military-grade enamel teacup on the table, seemingly wanting to take a sip of water.

He held the cup, but didn't bring it to his lips.

Everyone saw that the incredibly thick white enamel teacup began to groan under the weight of his well-defined knuckles.

On the white cup, fine cracks spread wildly like a spider web.

Zhou Weiguo stood behind Shen Zhong, his breath catching in his throat.

He had followed his boss for many years, and had seen him decide life and death with a smile, and had seen him remain calm in the face of thousands of troops.

But I have never seen him like this before.

That wasn't anger.

That was a murderous intent that had been touched on the enemy's sore spot, enough to burn the entire world to ashes.

"Snap!"

A sharp crack broke the silence.

He managed to deform the sturdy enamel mug by squeezing it with his bare hands.

The scalding tea mixed with sharp shards of porcelain pierced his palm.

Brown tea dripped through his fingers, and was quickly stained with a glaring scarlet.

a drop.

Two drops.

Blood, mixed with tea, dripped onto the polished floor, blooming into eerie flowers.

Shen Zhong seemed to feel no pain.

He released his grip, letting the fragments clatter to the ground.

Then, he slowly stood up.

The temperature in the entire reception room seemed to drop to freezing point at that moment.

"What a wonderful society governed by the rule of law."

His deep voice rang out, each word sounding as if it had been dug out from beneath the ice of Siberia.

"Fine, don't try to intimidate me with dead people."

He turned his head and his gaze fell on Zhou Weiguo.

Beneath that terrifyingly calm expression lies volcanic lava capable of destroying everything.

"Defend the country."

"arrive!"

Zhou Weiguo suddenly straightened up and roared with all his might, the sound echoing in the reception room.

Shen Zhong used his intact hand to straighten the collar of his military uniform, his movements meticulous, as if performing some kind of sacred ritual.

"Assemble the guard company."

Zhou Weiguo's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Everyone is fully equipped."

Zhou Weiguo's blood began to boil.

Shen Zhong looked at him, his voice soft yet heavy as a mountain, each word deliberate and deliberate.

"With live ammunition."