The entire courtyard is full of villains

"That's not right, is it?" Zhang Guowei glared back. "Even if someone reported a murder, shouldn't it be Captain Zhou of the Criminal Investigation Brigade who should handle it? Why should you, the captain of the Public Security Brigade, have to make the trip yourself?"

These words immediately shut Wang Zhian up. He decided to stop arguing and waved to his two men, "Take him back!"

"Wait, you can't take this person with you." Zhang Guowei stepped forward and blocked their way.

"Why?" Wang Zhian's eyes blazed with anger. "You, surnamed Zhang, are you trying to openly protect him?"

“I can’t speak for other matters, but I know more about that case from 48 than anyone else,” Zhang Guowei said in a deep voice. “Captain Wang, with your authority, I’m afraid you can’t handle this matter. Why don’t you go back first, submit an application to Director Song, and he will explain it to you.”

"Zhang Guowei, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"I don't want to do anything, it's just that what you did today was not fair."

Wang Zhian took a deep breath and gritted his teeth: "Fine, Zhang Guowei, you've got guts. Wang Gang and Li Dapeng, you two stay here with Director Zhang and keep an eye on things, don't let anyone pull any tricks. I'm going back to the station now!" After saying that, he turned and left with the rest of the men, completely ignoring Jia Dongxu, who was standing there dumbfounded.

"Boss, what about me?" Jia Dongxu opened his mouth, but no one paid him any attention.

After Wang Zhian left, Zhang Guowei turned to the two policemen and said, "Take off the handcuffs."

Wang Gang hesitated, while Li Dapeng stammered, "Director Zhang, this... don't put us in a difficult position."

"I told you to open it!" Zhang Guowei emphasized.

Li Dapeng had no choice but to take out the key. Just as he was about to step forward, Zhang Erhe raised his hand to stop him: "Don't rush." ​​He looked at the handcuffs and sneered, "I told you, these things are easy to put on, but they're not so easy to open."

"Zhang Erhe, what are you trying to do?" Zhang Guowei frowned.

"Director Zhang." Zhang Erhe's voice suddenly turned cold, even changing his form of address. "You should know best what happened in '48." Zhang Guowei's Adam's apple bobbed, and he slowly nodded.

“If I hadn’t killed that lackey and retrieved that list back then, many of you would probably have been arrested, right?” Zhang Erhe’s eyes were as cold as ice. “I didn’t ask you for any benefits afterward, but after Liberation, you secretly sent me two letters of commendation.” He turned to look inside the house. “Guan Xue, go and get the thank-you letter from the wooden box on top of the cabinet.”

Guan Xue didn't say anything, but gently patted the child Zhang Jiang's back, then turned and silently went into the house.

"I'll go ask your Director Song later if the person who wrote the thank-you letter back then is still around," Zhang Erhe said calmly. "If he is, I'll have him come out and judge whether what I did back then was right or wrong! If this matter isn't clear, are you going to use this as an excuse to blackmail me from now on?"

"Erhe, don't be so extreme." Zhang Guowei stepped forward, his tone softening.

"Am I being extreme?" Zhang Erhe suddenly raised his eyes, his voice rising several decibels. "Your people came to my door, pulled out handcuffs without even asking what happened, and tried to take me away in front of my wife and children! Even if I, Zhang Erhe, am not a respectable person, I will not tolerate being humiliated like this!"

"Erhe, give your uncle some face, let's talk things over slowly."

"Director Zhang, I'm not giving anyone face today."

Just then, Guan Xue came out of the house clutching an envelope. Zhang Erhe took the envelope, his gaze suddenly sweeping over Jia Dongxu and Jia Zhangshi beside him, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Jia Dongxu, Jia Zhangshi, you did a good job."

Jia Dongxu turned pale with fright. Before he could even speak, Jia Zhangshi knelt down with a thud, crying and begging for mercy: "Erhe, don't blame me, I did it too..."

"Stop talking." Zhang Erhe interrupted her, his voice as cold as ice. "From this day forward, your Jia family and our Zhang family are mortal enemies."

After saying that, he turned around and walked to the recliner in front of his house, sat down, closed his eyes, and refused to say another word.

Seeing this, Zhang Guowei stomped his foot angrily and ordered the two policemen he had brought, "You two stay here and take good care of Comrade Zhang Erhe. I'll go back to the station and make a phone call to ask for instructions."

On the way to the police station, Zhang Guowei's face was frighteningly pale. He knew Zhang Erhe's personality all too well—he usually seemed carefree and nonchalant, but if you crossed his bottom line, he would absolutely turn on you without hesitation.

Ultimately, this whole affair was a case of him being unfairly targeted. Wang Zhian had a personal grudge against him, and it was probably because Jia Dongxu's report brought up the pretext of him covering up for Jia that Wang Zhian used that as an excuse to come knocking on his door and cause trouble.

Upon entering the police station, Zhang Guowei went straight to the desk and pulled a yellowed phone book from a drawer. Inside was a number he hadn't dialed in a long time. His fingertip hovered over the dial pad for a moment, then he gritted his teeth and began dialing.

The call was transferred several times before it was finally answered. "Hello, who is this?" Zhang Guowei took a deep breath. "Minister Li, this is Zhang Guowei. There's been a bit of a situation... that case from 1948..."

Chapter 35 Apology

In November 1948, Zhang Guowei was with his troops as they marched from Northeast China into the pass when a special transfer order was suddenly handed to him. Because he was a native of Beijing, the organization urgently needed a group of people familiar with the local situation to infiltrate the city and pave the way for the peaceful liberation of Beijing. Zhang Guowei sincerely hoped his hometown would be spared from the ravages of war, and immediately accepted the mission.

After two weeks of intensive training, he disguised himself as a businessman and secretly infiltrated Beijing. He had two ulterior motives for this trip: first, to see if his old house was still there, and second, to find the parents of his capable lieutenant, Zhang Dajiang.

Zhang Dajiang was not only his fellow townsman but also a brother he personally brought into the army. Sadly, Zhang Dajiang died in his arms on the eve of the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan in 1945. Before his death, Zhang Dajiang held his hand and entrusted him to take care of his parents in his place.

After entering the city, Zhang Guowei first completed the tasks assigned by the organization, then tried to find Zhang Dajiang's house according to the address he remembered, only to find it deserted. After inquiring for several days, he finally found Zhang Dajiang's parents in a courtyard house at No. 95. He carefully told the elderly couple the news of Zhang Dajiang's sacrifice. Although the old couple was overwhelmed with grief, they were understanding—their son died on the battlefield fighting the Japanese, which was a loyal act for the country.

When Zhang Guowei offered to take them to the liberated area and care for them in their old age, the two elders waved their hands repeatedly in refusal. They turned to their young son and pulled him in front of them, saying, "This is Erhe. He was born after Dajiang left in 1935. He's the one who continues our family line." Looking at the face that resembled Zhang Dajiang's, Zhang Guowei was filled with mixed emotions. The two brothers even shared the same tenacity.

In the days that followed, Zhang Guowei rented a room near the courtyard house. Zhang Erhe often came to see him to hear about the military, and the two became quite close. Just when he thought the mission was progressing smoothly, an unexpected event occurred—he had just returned to his lodgings that day when he was surrounded by agents of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. After breaking through the encirclement, he learned that someone in the action team had been lured and captured, and had betrayed them, revealing all the information.

Zhang Guowei was shot during the breakout, but he held fast to protect the generator operator, Wu Xinni—she carried a blood-written letter from an officer of the uprising force, and a list of all the uprising members. This list held the lives of countless people; if it fell into the hands of secret agents, all the uprising comrades would be exposed. Therefore, even at the cost of his own life, Zhang Guowei was determined to protect Wu Xinni.

But his injuries were too severe. He managed to run all the way to the vicinity of Nanluoguxiang before finally collapsing and fainting. To save his life, Wu Xinni resolutely lured away the pursuers alone. When Zhang Guowei awoke again, he found himself rescued by Zhang Erhe and his sworn brother Ma Qianli.

Upon regaining consciousness, Zhang Guowei immediately went to find Wu Xinni, but he collapsed to the ground again as soon as he stood up. When he woke up again, Zhang Erhe said in a deep voice, "Comrade Wu was captured by Zhang Dequan's men. That guy saw that Comrade Wu was decent-looking, so he took her from Zhang Dequan and even tried to force her to marry him."

Without delay, Zhang Guowei had no choice but to reveal the importance of the list, hoping Zhang Erhe would send the message out of the city. Unexpectedly, Zhang Erhe was decisive; that very night, while the tyrant was forcibly marrying Wu Xinni and everyone was in chaos, he and Ma Qianli quietly sneaked into the mansion. No one could have predicted that the two teenagers would stab the tyrant to death in the bridal chamber, and escape unharmed with Wu Xinni and the list.

Afterwards, Zhang Erhe and Ma Qianli safely delivered the list outside the city, completely saving the lives of all the insurgents. Upon learning of this, Minister Li personally wrote a letter of commendation for the two men.

But now, the events of that year have resurfaced—Zhang Erhe did indeed kill someone, but he killed a notorious bully. If that guy hadn't been eliminated back then, even more people would have died.

After listening to the phone call, Minister Li remained silent for a long time, knowing that the little guy was throwing a tantrum. "It was indeed our oversight this time," he said slowly. "Back then, the country had just been founded, and there were still quite a few spies in Beijing. We thought that if we were to openly commend you two children, it would easily cause trouble. We never expected that it would cause you such a great injustice."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, you can wait at his house, the courtyard house at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, right? I'll be right there."

Just after hanging up with Minister Li, Director Song called immediately: "Zhang Guowei, Wang Zhian came to me to complain that you are protecting a murderer."

Zhang Guowei replied irritably, "Director Song, if you trust me, go and check it yourself—the 'Dawn Operation' list from 48 should be available to you with your level of security. Once you've checked, come to the courtyard house at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang. Minister Li will be here soon."

"That Minister Li?"

"Correct."

"Okay." Director Song readily agreed and hung up the phone.

Zhang Guowei sighed and led two more people to the courtyard house at No. 95. When they arrived, they saw Zhang Erhe lounging in a recliner like a grandpa, with Guan Xue beside him, occasionally feeding him tea and offering him melon seeds, looking quite relaxed. Looking at himself, breathless and covered in sweat, he couldn't help but kick the recliner: "Get up! Who's your uncle, me or you?"

"What's wrong with enjoying yourself in your own backyard?" Zhang Erhe lazily raised his eyelids.

"Just wait, when the person who wrote you the commendation letter comes, you can talk to him yourself," Zhang Guowei said irritably.

There were fewer people in the courtyard than before, with only Madam Jia and her son huddled by the hanging flower gate in the middle courtyard, glancing timidly in this direction.

Before long, a jeep pulled up at the entrance. Several men in black Zhongshan suits got out to stand guard, followed by a chubby man with round glasses. Before Zhang Guowei could react, Zhang Erhe jumped up from his recliner and rushed forward: "Minister Li!"

"Oh, so you're still throwing a tantrum?" Minister Li looked at him and teased, "Why are you being temperamental today?"

Zhang Erhe said with a hint of grievance, "It's not that I'm being temperamental, it's that they didn't even bother to find out what happened, and they tried to handcuff me and take me away in front of my wife and daughter. Look at these handcuff marks," he said, raising his wrists, "everyone in the yard saw this, how am I supposed to stay here after this?"

Minister Li nodded, his expression becoming solemn: "It was our fault. We thought that you and your friend were young, and if we publicly commended you, you might be easily targeted by spies, so we kept quiet. We've wronged you."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of hurried footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate. Leading the way was Director Song, followed by Political Commissar Su and Wang Zhian, who had brought his men earlier.

"Minister Li." Director Song quickly stepped forward and greeted him respectfully.

Minister Li glanced at him indifferently, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness: "Xiao Song, the way your subordinates handle cases is still too sloppy. To handcuff someone based on a baseless report without even asking why—isn't that inappropriate?"

Upon hearing this, Director Song broke out in a cold sweat and quickly bowed, replying, "Your criticism is correct! I will have the relevant comrades conduct a thorough self-examination and make serious rectifications as soon as I get back!" After saying that, he turned sharply to glare at Wang Zhian behind him and shouted sternly, "What are you all standing there for? Quickly apologize to Comrade Zhang Erhe!"

Chapter 36 Who Will Spare Me?

Under the pressure of Director Song's gaze, Wang Zhian moved forward heavily, forcing an awkward smile: "Comrade Zhang Erhe, I was wrong about this today. I acted rashly and brought people to arrest you without checking the situation first, causing you to suffer. I'm sorry."

After saying that, he was about to bow. Zhang Erhe immediately stepped aside, saying, "Please don't, I can't accept such a big bow. What did I tell you before?"

Wang Zhian suddenly looked up, his eyes reddening, his face filled with resentment and indignation: "Zhang Erhe, killing someone is just a matter of beheading them! What do you mean by pressing and humiliating me like this?"

"Insult you?" Zhang Erhe raised an eyebrow and retorted, his face full of sarcasm. "Isn't this what you asked for? We're complete strangers, with no grudges between us, so why are you targeting me right from the start? Minister Li and Director Song are both here today, so I want to ask Director Song, Wang Zhian and I are not related, so why is he targeting me like this?"

Faced with the questioning, Wang Zhian remained silent, only staring intently at Zhang Erhe with reddened eyes. He was, after all, the captain of the Dongcheng Branch Security Brigade, yet he had been forced into this situation by Zhang Erhe, a thug, in front of everyone. The humiliation and anger in his heart were almost burning up.

“Never mind, let me explain.” Zhang Guowei sighed and stepped forward. He turned to Zhang Erhe with a guilty look on his face. “Erhe, I’m afraid I’ve dragged you into this. The person Wang Zhian really wants to deal with is me. He probably wants to avenge his brother.”

He paused, then slowly began to recount the past: "In 1941, the Japanese launched the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, and a large number of Nationalist troops were routed and captured. At that time, I was fighting a guerrilla war in the mountains with Zhang Dajiang, and we accidentally rescued a group of prisoners of war, including the Wang Zhian brothers. To repay their life-saving grace, they volunteered to join the ranks to fight the Japanese. After passing the test, they did indeed become our comrades."

"Wang Zhian was sent to headquarters for training because he had served as an artilleryman in the National Revolutionary Army and had a professional background; his younger brother, Wang Zhiping, was assigned to be in charge of the county brigade because he had a strong local following."

By the end of 1942, the Japanese army's encirclement and suppression had become increasingly frenzied. The front-line troops were often running out of food, and life in the county brigade was even more unbearable. Wang Zhiping was not the type to endure hardship, and he soon had a wicked idea. He secretly contacted several soldiers who were also unable to endure it and planned to lead the county brigade to defect.

Zhang Guowei's voice suddenly turned cold, his eyes as cold as ice, as he stared straight at Wang Zhian, whose face was deathly pale: "It's one thing to defect, but in order to show his loyalty to the Japanese, he actually kidnapped several female students we sent to assist with the work and sent them to the Japanese stronghold overnight!"

“Those girls were all college students who participated in the December 9th Movement. To support us, they traveled thousands of miles from Beiping to Yan'an, with bright futures ahead of them, but he handed them over to the Japanese and ruined them!” Zhang Guowei’s voice trembled as he said this. “After I learned the news, I led my men to guard the area around the county town for half a month, and finally intercepted them on their way to the countryside to collect grain with the Japanese. Wang Zhiping resisted stubbornly and was shot dead on the spot. Those who defected with him were also punished.”

“Minister Li, you must still remember these things.” Zhang Guowei looked at Minister Li beside him.

Minister Li nodded heavily, his tone grave: "The nature of this matter was extremely heinous at the time. Those female students were barely recognizable as human when they were rescued. To protect their reputation, I personally ordered those involved in the operation to keep it a secret."

Zhang Guowei then turned to Wang Zhian, his tone full of disappointment: "Back then, you were undergoing training at headquarters. To keep it a secret and to avoid implicating you, the organization didn't tell you about this. But you, not only did you hold a grudge against me, you even took it out on Erhe, using public power to vent your personal anger!"

Director Song's face had already turned ashen. He had previously thought that Wang Zhian was acting rashly in handling the case, but now he realized that it was revenge for personal reasons. He asked sternly, "Wang Zhian! Is what Zhang Guowei said true?"

Wang Zhian kept his eyes tightly shut, refusing to respond. "Good! Very good!" Director Song roared in anger, beckoning to those behind him, "Men! Take away his service weapon and identification, bring him back to the bureau and hand him over to the political commissar! I'll report this to the municipal bureau as soon as I get back, and have them send people to thoroughly investigate!"

Zhang Erhe watched as the two policemen escorted Wang Zhian away. The venomous glare they gave him as they left made him mutter under his breath, "You bastard, you don't even know what you did wrong when you're about to die."

“Comrade Zhang Erhe,” Director Song said with a wry smile, cursing Wang Zhian a thousand times in his heart—this bastard caused trouble and now he had to clean up the mess. “Let me have someone remove your handcuffs first.”

"No, Director Song." Zhang Erhe took half a step back, his tone deliberately teasing. "I'm still labeled a 'murderer,' so handcuffs are just right for me. I can't let them tarnish the glorious image of your police force."

Director Song was speechless, while Minister Li, who was standing to the side, was watching him with a deep gaze. He could only force a smile and explain, "Comrade Zhang Erhe, Wang Zhian was just taking revenge out of personal interest. It's pure nonsense! Don't worry, his punishment will definitely not be light!"

Zhang Guowei then stepped forward and tugged at Zhang Erhe, advising, "Alright, Erhe, know when to stop. Director Song has already apologized personally, what are you still putting on airs for?"

"Me, putting on airs?" Zhang Erhe immediately retorted, raising his voice. "Chief Zhang, you be the judge! I was just staying at home peacefully when your police suddenly showed up, saying I was a murderer, and handcuffed me in front of the whole compound and my wife and children, without even giving me a chance to explain! Now you think you can just call it a 'misunderstanding'? What will the neighbors think of me? Do I still have any reputation left?"

“Reputation? What reputation do you, Zhang Erhe, have to care about?” Zhang Guowei retorted.

"No matter how bad my reputation is, I've never been handcuffed by the police in front of everyone in the compound before!" Zhang Erhe retorted, "You want me to give Director Song face? Who's going to give me face? How am I supposed to hold my head up in the compound after this?"

As the two were struggling, a policeman strode in from outside, saluted, and reported, "Chief, several residents from the courtyard have arrived and want to come in."

Director Song looked at Zhang Guowei, who glanced at his watch and exclaimed, "It's almost six o'clock; the neighbors should be coming home from get off work by now." He turned and glared at Zhang Erhe. "Stop talking nonsense! You feel embarrassed? I'll gather everyone in the compound for a meeting later and apologize to you in public. Is that enough? Can't you act like a man and be decisive?"

Zhang Guowei was also furious—if he hadn't been implicated while saving this kid back then, how could he have only become a police station chief? Now, this guy had a handle on him and was using him against him.

Seeing that he was really about to get angry, Zhang Erhe quickly nodded: "Okay! But I have one more condition."

"Speak quickly!"

"Director Zhang, Director Song, isn't this a false accusation by Jia Dongxu? We can't just let this go like this, can we?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jia Zhangshi knelt down with a thud, pleading, "Erhe, please spare Dongxu, considering we both share the surname Zhang and can't be written with the same character!"

Zhang Erhe stared coldly at her, now terrified. "Jia Zhangshi, I ask you, if I spare Jia Dongxu, who will spare me?"

Chapter 37 Jia Dongxu was taken away