Chapter 32: The Reputation of Bravery (Part 4)

Chapter 32: The Reputation of Bravery (Part 4)

Hou Weidong spent the entire night rehearsing the morning’s operation in his mind. He relied on the handsome electronic watch Xiaojia had bought for him; it kept accurate time and featured an alarm function. To ensure he wouldn’t miss the start, he set the alarm for 4:30 a.m. As he drifted off to sleep, imagining the day’s events, he was enveloped by the imagined roar of heavy bombers and the thick smoke of mosquito coils. When the alarm finally rang, his body was covered in red welts from bites, the room was filled with haze, and dead mosquitoes littered the floor.

After eating a few biscuits, Hou Weidong grabbed his gear and hurried downstairs. He unlocked the conference room he was responsible for managing. Shortly after, Director Qin, Xi Zhaoyong, and two unfamiliar young men entered. The police officers ignored Hou Weidong, sitting together and whispering among themselves. Director Qin took out a Type 54 pistol and inspected it carefully. Standing beside him was a man with a limp, presumably there to identify the stick fighters.

By the time everyone had assembled, it was 5:20 a.m. In July, the sky brightened early; a faint glowing line separated the heavens from the mountain peaks.

Xi Zhaoyong and Tian Dadao each carried a rubber police baton. Li Yong wielded a short stick wrapped in strips of rag. Hou Weidong, wearing rubber boots and holding a rolling pin, followed Xi Zhaoyong with a solemn expression.

They stopped at a sloping bend in the road and hid in the nearby woods. Only Tian Fei remained hidden in the grass to monitor the surroundings, while the others sat beneath an earthen embankment.

“Is this the Third Bend?” Hou Weidong asked Li Yong softly.

Li Yong, sporting a full beard and holding his wooden stick, exuded the air of a highwayman. He yawned and said, “Damn it, getting up this early. I haven’t slept a wink. If we catch those stick fighters, I’m going to beat them within an inch of their lives.”

The dozen or so men sitting under the embankment were immediately assaulted by the ubiquitous mosquitoes of Qinglin Mountain. They waved their hands constantly, trying to shoo the insects away, but the mosquitoes seemed determined to achieve their goal, driving the men to frustration.

Li Yong leaned over and whispered to Hou Weidong, “My luck has been great these past two days. Xi Zhaoyong drew three tens, and I drew three jacks. I beat him until he was crawling on the floor.”

Hou Weidong thought, No wonder I haven’t seen Xi Zhaoyong, Bai Chuncheng, or Tian Fushen around lately. They’ve been hiding away playing cards. Curious, he asked, “How much do you usually bet?”

“We just play for fun because we’re bored, not for gambling. The base bet is five yuan, capped at thirty.”

Hou Weidong was startled. With those stakes, one could easily lose hundreds in a single session. For a rookie fresh out of school like him, the amounts were far too high.

Li Yong invited him, “Are you free today? Come over to my place this afternoon, and we’ll play together.”

Hou Weidong had only a hundred or so yuan left on him. He dared not play with them and quickly made an excuse, “I don’t know how to play.”

“It’s a three-card game. Very simple. You’ll learn it in no time. There’s nothing to do up here on the mountain; if you don’t play cards, how do you pass the time?”

Hou Weidong thought, How can I be like you? I came to Qinglin Mountain for my future. If I hang out with you, I’ll be destroying my own prospects. But he couldn’t say that outright. Instead, he smiled and said, “Let’s talk about it when I have some money.”

“You can collect your salary on September 1st. Since you started work in August, you’ll get two months’ pay.”

This was the news that made Hou Weidong secretly pleased.

As they were talking, Xi Zhaoyong walked over. He said to Li Yong, “I won two hundred yuan in a single hand yesterday. I’m treating everyone to lunch today.”

Li Yong replied generously, “No problem. Lunch today at Yao Shouzi’s tofu pudding shop.”

Xi Zhaoyong, squinting habitually, said, “Yao Shouzi’s place? You’d be lucky to spend fifty yuan there. Let’s go somewhere else.”

Li Yong laughed, “In Qinglin Forest Farm, his food tastes the best. Otherwise, let’s change the venue.”

Xi Zhaoyong casually swung the baton in his hand and said, “Since we’re already at the Third Bend, it’s only a short walk down the mountain. Let’s go to the Zhang Family Restaurant in Lower Qinglin.”

The Zhang Family Restaurant was the largest eatery in Lower Qinglin Forest Farm. A single table could easily cost a hundred yuan. Li Yong hesitated, reluctant to spend that much. “We have cards scheduled for this afternoon. Forget it. Let’s eat at Yao Shouzi’s. He has a steamer of fatty intestines today. We’ll slice them up for drinks, and then continue playing.”

Xi Zhaoyong was eager for revenge in the afternoon card game, so he didn’t insist on going down the mountain. “Fine. Let’s go to Yao Shouzi’s for lunch. After eating, we’ll play cards. I’m going to settle the score today.”

By seven o’clock, the sound of footsteps appeared intermittently on the path, but there were no signs of the stick fighters.

At eight o’clock, after waiting for over three hours at the Third Bend, everyone was exhausted. They began to complain to Xi Zhaoyong, who was leading the team. Xi Zhaoyong said, “Director Qin hasn’t ordered us to stand down, so we have to wait. If we miss this opportunity, it will be hard to explain to Secretary Zhao.”

By nine o’clock, sunlight had pierced through the forest, shining down on the group of ambushers, whose morale had plummeted.

Suddenly, Tian Dadao approached quietly, his face tense. “Six young men are coming down from the mountain. I estimate that’s the group.”

Xi Zhaoyong lifted his baton and whispered instructions to Li Yong and the others, “Don’t move. I’ll go observe first.”

Hearing that the stick fighters had arrived, Hou Weidong’s palms were drenched in sweat—half from nervousness, half from excitement.

Half an hour later, Director Qin’s stern voice echoed on the path above. “I’m from the police station. Stop right there.”

Xi Zhaoyong shouted loudly, “Stop! Don’t run!” Then, in a sharp tone, he commanded, “Charge with me!”

Hou Weidong felt a surge of adrenaline. Following Xi Zhaoyong, he rushed forward. The dozen or so men emerged from the grass, blocking the path down the mountain completely.

Bang! A crisp gunshot rang out from the mountain. “Everyone stand still, or I’ll shoot!” The gunshot and Director Qin’s stern shouts echoed far down the mountain valley.

The six young men, each holding a dagger, had been sprinting down the mountain. Seeing the path blocked at the Third Bend, they desperately jumped into the woods beside the trail.

Xi Zhaoyong waved his baton and jumped into the woods. Without thinking, Hou Weidong followed Xi Zhaoyong, charging into the forest.

Hou Weidong felt branches whipping across his face. He didn’t know how many ditches he had jumped over, but his eyes were locked on a gray figure ahead, pursuing relentlessly. After rushing down a section of the slope, Hou Weidong found himself at the very front, close to the gray figure. When they reached a small clearing, he leaped forward and tackled the figure to the ground. By then, he had long forgotten where he had dropped his rolling pin.

The gray figure turned around and thrust his dagger forward with force. Hou Weidong, quick-eyed and fast-handed, grabbed the wrist holding the knife and pinned it firmly to the ground.

Xi Zhaoyong caught up. He kicked the gray figure in the head, then stomped hard on the hand holding the knife. Raising his rubber baton, he struck the man’s head and face with a heavy blow. The gray figure cried out in pain, shouting, “Stop hitting me! I surrender!”

By the time Director Qin and the others arrived, the gray figure was already handcuffed behind his back, sitting on the ground with blood flowing from his nose, his body covered in weeds and mud. Director Qin pressed his pistol against the man’s chest and said, “You have some nerve, daring to attack police with a knife. You’re dead meat.”

Before the man could speak, Director Qin roared, “Do you believe I’ll shoot you dead? Where is your hideout?”

Dazed from Xi Zhaoyong’s beating and terrified by Director Qin, the man stammered, “At the Sang Family Courtyard, Team Six, Xiaohe.”

Director Qin turned and ordered, “Zhou Qiang, take a few men and raid the hideout immediately. Wang Yibing, take him to the police station and take his statement.”

Director Qin handled the situation with efficiency and order. Hou Weidong, who had studied law and politics, admired him secretly. He thought, On TV, police station officers in townships are often portrayed as bandits who only know how to eat, drink, and play. But that’s not entirely true. This Director Qin is quite capable.

After giving all the orders, Director Qin relaxed slightly. He tossed a cigarette to Hou Weidong, who was sitting on the ground, and said, “University student Hou, you’ve got guts. Which school did you graduate from?”

Only then did Li Yong, with his beard, and civil patrol officer Tian Dadao appear in the flat area.

Director Qin called out loudly, “Tian Dadao, you usually brag so much, but why were you so slow today? If Hou Weidong hadn’t tackled that guy to the ground, those brats would have escaped.”

Director Qin put the cigarette back in his pocket instead of throwing it to Tian Dadao and Li Yong, who had arrived later.

Hou Weidong took a deep drag of the cigarette and said, “I graduated from the Law and Politics Department of Shazhou College.”

“So you studied law and politics. That explains it.” Director Qin rarely showed a smile. “It’s a pity you didn’t become a police officer.”

Hou Weidong, with the cigarette in his mouth, patted his butt and said, “My father and older brother are both police officers, so I decided not to join the force.”