Chapter Ten: The Interrogation in Person

Sang Biao led a group of men, each wielding a steel pipe, and charged at Zheng Debiao and his companions. The outcome was never in doubt: apart from Zheng Debiao, who was still standing, all his people were left writhing and groaning on the ground.

“Sang Biao, what’s your game here? The Dragon Tiger Gang and your Wolf King Gang have always minded their own business. We haven’t bothered you, and now you come looking for trouble with me. Is it because you think you’ve grown strong enough to ignore us?”

The Dragon Tiger Gang had deep roots in Qianjiang City, and was, without a doubt, the city’s most powerful criminal organization. The Wolf King Gang was a newly risen group, known for the ruthlessness of its members, and had made a name for itself in the city as well. The Dragon Tiger Gang ran several hotels and bars in the city, thriving on prostitution and drugs, and was now trying to launder its operations through real estate development. The Wolf King Gang had started with loan sharking and running underground casinos.

The two gangs had always kept to their own turf.

“Zheng Debiao, don’t you think you talk too much? Or do you think I shouldn’t have beaten you?”

The Wolf King Gang, led by Sang Biao, was indeed smaller and less well-funded than the Dragon Tiger Gang. For that reason, its reputation had always been a notch below, and Sang Biao was used to being overshadowed by Wang Longfei and Xiang Zhihu, the leaders of the rival gang. While the Wolf King Gang had been growing, it was still under the heel of the Dragon Tiger Gang.

Now that Zheng Debiao had dared to move against Yang Le, Sang Biao knew the Dragon Tiger Gang’s days were numbered. If he seized this opportunity to take them down in one blow, the Wolf King Gang could become the city’s top dog, and Sang Biao himself would reign supreme in Qianjiang.

Suddenly, the wail of police sirens sounded outside. Officers arrived on the scene, armed with shields and pistols.

“Hands in the air, all of you!” commanded Tan Jianye, the captain of the Qianjiang police.

Sang Biao and his men dropped their steel pipes and raised their hands without protest.

“Arrest everyone involved in the brawl and take them to the station for questioning.”

There was no resistance. The police also took Yang Le, Song Feier, and Li Yifei with them to the station.

“You three are students, aren’t you? So young and already getting into trouble. Call your parents to come and pick you up,” Tan Jianye scolded the trio and instructed them to phone their families.

“Sang Biao and his gang committed intentional assault. Detain all of them,” Tan Jianye ordered, not bothering to distinguish right from wrong.

“They started it! They tried to grab my classmate, and Sang Biao only fought back to protect us,” Yang Le protested. His father was out of town, and even if he called now, his father wouldn’t be able to get there in time. Yang Le resigned himself to spending twenty-four hours at the station; after all, tomorrow was Saturday. Li Yifei and Song Feier called their parents.

“What’s your relationship with Sang Biao?” Tan Jianye asked, having assumed Yang Le and his friends were just victims of Zheng Debiao’s bullying, students to be released to their parents. But from Yang Le’s words, it sounded as if Sang Biao had come at his request. That meant Yang Le should be detained as well.

Zheng Debiao was his cash cow, or in other words, Tan Jianye was the Dragon Tiger Gang’s protector, though not the highest one. Since he was their protector, the gang naturally had dirt on him, so he had no choice but to go after Sang Biao and his men relentlessly.

“He’s my brother,” Yang Le replied, unsure how else to explain their relationship.

“In that case, lock him up with Sang Biao and the others,” Tan Jianye ordered his subordinates to put Yang Le and the Wolf King Gang members in the holding cell.

“And you two? What’s your relationship with him?” With Yang Le and Sang Biao taken away, Tan Jianye turned to Li Yifei and Song Feier.

“We’re just ordinary classmates of Yang Le, nothing more. Whatever he did has nothing to do with us,” Li Yifei quickly answered, dragging Song Feier into the clear with him.

Song Feier shot Li Yifei a look of disgust.

“Are you kidding me? Yang Le isn’t just an ordinary classmate—he’s my boyfriend,” she retorted. Song Feier had already called her father. She knew this cop was clearly in league with Zheng Debiao, but it didn’t matter; her father was the director of the city’s Land Bureau, and the facts were on their side. She had nothing to fear.

Yang Le might not have arrived on a cloud of glory or single-handedly defeated the thugs, but by standing in front of her, he had established himself in her heart as her future. People are strange that way—before this, Song Feier had been annoyed by Yang Le’s nouveau riche airs.

“So young and already dating. When your parents arrive, I’ll have a word with them. But your boyfriend is out of luck—intentional assault is a criminal offense. He could go to jail, and his life is basically over,” Tan Jianye said. He wasn’t bluffing: convicting Yang Le and Sang Biao was a matter of a few words on his part. With them locked up, a little pressure would ensure the charges stuck.

Sang Biao had protection, but his backers were nothing to Tan Jianye, just a few low-level cops. The Dragon Tiger Gang, on the other hand, had much more powerful connections. Tan Jianye knew where his interests lay.

Song Feier didn’t reply, only sneered inwardly.

At that moment, Zheng Debiao and his men were enjoying tea in Tan Jianye’s office. For them, coming to the police station was a mere formality. As far as Zheng Debiao was concerned, Sang Biao’s Wolf King Gang was finished. He couldn’t comprehend why Sang Biao would oppose him just to help a snot-nosed kid—he must have lost his mind.

And as for Jiang Ping, daring to defy him and have hotel security intervene—Zheng Debiao decided he would discuss acquiring the Xiangzhou Grand Hotel the next day.

Tan Jianye had no interest in wasting time with Song Feier and Li Yifei. He left them sitting in the lobby under the watch of a policeman, gave some brief instructions, and returned to his office.

“Boss Biao, how do you want to handle this?” Tan Jianye asked Zheng Debiao upon re-entering.

“Handle it? Make Sang Biao and that brat sign confessions. Give them a year or two inside. Once they’re in, I can deal with them as I please. And as for Song Feier, she’s as good as mine.”

Tan Jianye laughed. “I’ll interrogate them myself.”

With that, he walked out of the office.

“Sang Biao, you and Yang Le intentionally caused trouble and assaulted Zheng Debiao and his men. Is this true?”

Sang Biao was brought alone by Tan Jianye’s men to the interrogation room.

“Captain Tan, sometimes you should act with a bit of conscience, or you’ll face retribution,” Sang Biao replied, which Tan Jianye found amusing coming from him.

“You’re lecturing me about conscience? You run loan sharking and illegal gambling—where’s the conscience in that? We’re two of a kind. Sign these papers, or you’ll be in for a world of pain.”

Tan Jianye made it clear: sign and confess, or get beaten.

“Then bring it on!” Sang Biao scoffed at Tan Jianye’s threats.

“We’ll see whose bones are tougher, yours or my stun baton’s battery,” Tan Jianye said, pulling out his prepared stun baton.

He pressed the button, and the baton crackled with electricity.

“Come on, try it for yourself,” Tan Jianye sneered, standing up.

“Captain, Song Feier’s father is here to pick her up,” a young officer burst into the interrogation room without knocking.

“Xiao Zhang, don’t you know to knock before entering? Didn’t I tell you I was busy? Have Song Feier’s father wait outside. I’ll see him when I’m done. Now get out,” Tan Jianye said sternly.

“Captain Tan, what exactly did my daughter do? I’d like an explanation,” boomed the voice of Song Yiming.

“Xiao Zhang, this is the police station, not a place where just anyone can walk in. Throw him out,” Tan Jianye snapped, irritated that people were barging in unabated.

“Tan Jianye, I brought him in. Any objections?” came the voice of Gao Peng from the doorway.

“Director Gao, what brings you here?” Tan Jianye immediately bowed and scraped.

It was after office hours. If it weren’t for a major case, a leader like Gao Peng would never have shown up, especially at this hour.

“Tan Jianye, what are you doing with a stun baton in the interrogation room? Planning to use illegal force?” Gao Peng’s voice was commanding and stern.

“Bring everyone arrested today. I’ll interrogate them myself,” Gao Peng ordered, not waiting for Tan Jianye to respond.