Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Six: Punishment

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The sheriff stood there thinking for a moment, then glanced at An Feng and asked, “What punishment do you think would be most appropriate?”

An Feng returned to his seat and looked around. It was so quiet, yet somewhat disorderly, with quite a lot of trash lying about. Had no one cleaned it up? Mo Lan usually handled the cleaning, but she was on leave now, so no one was taking care of the station’s garbage.

“Give each of them a formal demerit, deduct their year-end bonuses, and cancel their chances of transferring to a higher-level police station. Once they’ve sobered up, have them personally lead people outside to announce the matter and clarify what happened.” An Feng stated his thoughts directly, without caring whether he might offend the sheriff. After all, under normal circumstances, as someone transferred down from a higher-level police station, An Feng held a rank higher than the sheriff’s.

The sheriff thought it over and nodded. Then he walked outside, preparing to return to his office and call his superiors to report his wrongdoing. He would certainly receive another harsh reprimand. He sighed as he walked, feeling that this matter was enough to drive anyone mad.

An Feng drove directly to the hospital from which Mo Fan had escaped and made a circuit of the area. He checked the surveillance footage, but it only showed the masked figure flashing past, with no clear details. After watching it, he realized it was of little use. In the end, he decided to return to the station.

Just as he parked outside the police station, he saw the sheriff preparing to begin clarifying the incident.

Little Seven and Liu Fei had sobered up considerably. They had changed into formal clothes and stood to one side with their heads lowered, not daring to say a word. The sheriff was also dressed very formally that day. He looked stern and imposing, like a powerful official.

A large crowd had gathered outside. They watched the proceedings one after another, though none of them knew what had happened, and all of them looked bewildered.

An Feng parked the car and walked straight to the sheriff’s side before he had officially begun speaking. He opened his eyes and glanced at the crowd below, as well as the special reporters who had suddenly appeared. These citizens had been invited specifically to clarify that their police station was not a place that sheltered people who acted recklessly.

The sheriff merely raised his eyes and cast An Feng a glance. After straightening his clothes, he looked solemnly at the people below and said sternly, “Thank you all very much for coming here to attend this clarification meeting.”

The people below were even more confused.

“Clarify what? Hasn’t the police station always acted openly and honorably? Is there something we don’t know?”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“An Feng is so handsome!”

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A wave of discussion broke out below. Everyone whispered to one another. Though their voices were quiet, they still carried clearly to the people on the platform.

Little Seven and Liu Fei’s faces grew even redder. After all, An Feng had dragged them back while they were drunk, and the thought of it was terrifying. They were not afraid of being criticized by the public, demoted, or denied the chance to work at a higher-level police station. What they feared was the way An Feng looked at them—as though they were nothing more than ants.

Their only consolation was that Mo Lan happened to be on leave. Otherwise, how embarrassing would it have been if she had seen them? Little Seven simply refused to admit defeat, while Liu Fei was afraid that his dignity would be utterly humiliated in front of Mo Lan.

“Everyone, quiet down. Today, our officers went drinking at a bar and fired their weapons, causing trouble. I admit that I failed to discipline them properly. I have decided on the following punishments for Captain Liu Fei and Deputy Captain Little Seven: their year-end bonuses will be deducted, they will each receive a formal demerit, and they will lose the opportunity to serve at a higher-level police station.”

Hearing the sheriff’s stern voice, the people below listened in silence. Some felt the punishment was too light. After all, they were public figures, and such behavior could have a harmful influence on public morals. Others felt the punishment was too severe. Everyone had troubles of one kind or another, they reasoned, and drinking was perfectly ordinary. For a police officer, being denied the chance to serve at a higher-level station meant having no opportunity to rise in the profession.

An Feng felt that the punishment was neither too light nor too harsh. It was just right. Although the two men were both highly capable and might have been able to report directly to a higher-level station in another year, An Feng and Mo Lan would also be transferring there. This station could not afford to lose all its talented officers. Besides, he was showing a little personal consideration because the sheriff had always treated him well.

“Little Seven, Liu Fei, step forward and apologize to the civilians,” the sheriff ordered, sweeping his gaze across the crowd. His expression remained solemn. He had to make the people accept the punishment wholeheartedly; he could not allow them to seize upon this incident as a weakness to exploit against the station.

Liu Fei and Little Seven naturally knew they had done wrong. Blushing, they stepped forward and gave a perfectly formal salute before saying in unison, “We know we were wrong. We hope everyone will give us another chance. It will not happen again.”

Seeing how sincere the two appeared, the crowd was preparing to forgive them when someone suddenly shouted, “I think the punishment is too light! They should be expelled immediately and forbidden from serving at the police station!”

Little Seven and Liu Fei trembled from head to toe.

No! Their hearts cried out. This punishment was far too severe. They could not bear it.

An Feng found it strange. They had apologized so sincerely—how could anyone still object? He raised his eyes and immediately spotted a familiar face. That voice had certainly come from him. The man had vanished from the police station for so long, yet now he had suddenly reappeared just to cause trouble. Perhaps he was hoping to stay at the station for a while longer.

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An Feng took a single step forward, followed by a backward flip, and landed directly in front of the man. In the process, he accidentally stepped on several people’s heads, but he paid no attention to it. With one hand, he seized the man by the throat.

The people around them were terrified. Even those who had been stepped on did not dare complain. They hurriedly moved aside, revealing the man standing there. They had been curious about who had shouted, but once the great detective An Feng made his move, the answer became obvious.

“Long time no see. You’re still trying to damage the reputation of our police station? The person who ought to be expelled is you, isn’t it, Lin?” As An Feng spoke, his eyes flashed with cold fury. His grip tightened slightly around Lin’s throat, and Lin’s face quickly turned crimson.

The sheriff, who had been standing on the platform in a somewhat dispirited mood, immediately looked up when he heard An Feng’s words and met that flushed face. Lin was actually daring to come out and damage his reputation again. He should be arrested at once and taught a proper lesson.

“You—” Lin could barely breathe with An Feng’s hand around his throat and could not get the words out. He tried to pry the hand away with both of his own, only to discover that he did not have the strength.

Everyone else stared at the scene, even more confused than before.

Was this man also from the police station?

An Feng bent Lin’s arms behind him, dragged him onto the platform, and shoved him to the ground, leaving Little Seven and Liu Fei to deal with him. The entire sequence of movements was so stylish and impressive that many of the girls below began imagining pink hearts once again.

“You two idiots were being used by him. You still have to accept today’s punishment, but he’s yours to deal with. Do whatever you want with him.”

With those words, An Feng made it clear that the matter was over.

The sheriff said nothing. He turned around and went back into the police station, leaving the confused crowd behind.

When Little Seven and Liu Fei heard this, they realized once again that An Feng was treating them kindly. They clenched their fists and stepped forward. Each grabbed one of Lin’s arms and hauled him back into the station, intending to teach him a thorough lesson inside.

Otherwise, would they not have suffered that punishment for nothing?

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