The cacophony dragged me from sleep in the dead of night. A quick sweep of the mattress confirmed I was alone. Only then did I recall I was staying at Zhou Ni’s place in Longquan Village. But where was Zhou Ni? We’d been talking quietly last night until sleep claimed me. It seemed the prime hours had been wasted after all, but given her father had just passed, we couldn't really have done anything else.

Opening my eyes, I saw Zhou Ni curled up in the far corner of the bed, clutching a fan, sound asleep. The noise outside was rather loud, which irked me. Could Zhu Da have arrived? Anyone else wouldn't be so tactless.

I got out of bed to check the main room and the courtyard. Outside, lights flickered and shadows moved, punctuated by low, issuing commands. What was this? It didn't feel like they were looking for me.

Sure enough, a moment later, someone wielding a loudspeaker shattered the quiet pre-dawn sky: "People inside, listen up! We are the riot police. You are surrounded. Put down your weapons and surrender immediately. Cooperation will be leniently treated; resistance will be severely punished. Do not offer pointless resistance."

So, the police from last night hadn't given up; they'd brought reinforcements first thing in the morning. They never showed this much enthusiasm when investigating a case. It seemed I had no choice but to teach them a lesson.

Mother Zhou and Zhou Ni were both woken by the shouting. Zhou Ni, leaning on the wall, shuffled out of the room. She had never witnessed such a scene, standing there with her mother, both looking utterly bewildered. I was furious. I picked up a small pebble and hurled it, silencing the loudspeaker.

The footsteps outside descended into chaos, and soon, someone began ordering the riot police to storm the courtyard. They weren't just wearing riot gear; they carried stun batons. I was swiftly encircled in the center of the yard.

After more disorder outside, it finally quieted down. Several figures who looked like leaders walked in, followed by television camera crews. It was clear they planned to broadcast today’s operation as a feather in their cap.

A man in his mid-forties spoke with heavy significance: "Young comrade, give up resisting. Our policy is leniency for confession, severity for resistance. You are the primary suspect in the county's first serious assault case. The three comrades from last night are all hospitalized with severe injuries—an unprecedented vicious incident in our county's history, which has drawn high attention from the County Committee leadership. For the peace and stability of the entire county, I must proceed with your arrest."

I asked the man, "What is your official rank?"

The man was clearly caught off guard by my composure. "Me? I am County Magistrate Wu Jingui. Upon receiving the urgent report from the township police station last night, we arranged the apprehension operation overnight. You cannot escape. Surrender now and accept your fate."

"Magistrate Wu, since you are here today, I want to ask: what are you going to do about Elder Zhou Shan's case?"

Wu Jingui stiffened again. Why bring up Zhou Shan’s case at a time like this? "Zhou Shan's case will be investigated by the Public Security Bureau and the police station. I handle administrative affairs and it’s inappropriate for me to meddle in such a criminal case."

"Very well, I’ll ask you this: Who is Zhang Tiancheng to you? Did you call the township police station on the evening of the incident? Did you forcibly cremate Elder Zhou Shan after the Zhou mother and daughter came to the county to file a complaint? Is Zhang Tiancheng’s rampant arrogance in town connected to your indulgence?"

Wu Jingui retorted, "You have too many questions. All I can tell you is that you are under arrest now. We can discuss these matters once you are in the lockup."

I roared, "Damn you, Wu Jingui! Get in here first and kowtow in apology to Elder Zhou Shan! You're too busy to handle criminal cases? If not for your instructions, would the township police have released the perpetrator so easily? Without your tacit approval, would everyone from top to bottom ignore the Zhou family's suffering? What would you do if your own father had been drowned in a fish pond?"

Wu Jingui became enraged. "How dare you curse me! I am the County Magistrate!"

I cursed back with fury, "I curse you to death! You ignore such a massive event as the Zhou mother and daughter carrying a corpse to appeal for justice, and you still have the nerve to call yourself the father figure of the county! You might as well go bang your head against a wall and die. I officially inform you now: your position as County Magistrate has been revoked. Await further processing from above."

Wu Jingui trembled with rage. "Preposterous claims! Daring to insult a state functionary! Comrades, arrest him! We’ll give him a good interrogation back at the station!"

Though I had intended to let Wu Jingui arrest me so I could frame him with several charges by dawn, I couldn't leave Zhou Ni and her mother alone at home, so I let it go.

"Come and get me. I’ll kick out every single one who steps forward. You’d best call the emergency services now, or things will get messy later."

Wu Jingui no longer wished to waste words; he simply waved his hand, motioning for the officers to charge. He was confident in the overwhelming numbers. He just needed to take down this menace to preserve his political standing.

Two armed police officers rushed in brandishing high-voltage electric batons capable of tens of thousands of volts. I snatched one baton, jammed it into their waistband, and kicked them both out of the courtyard. Having stirred the hornet's nest, the remaining officers immediately resorted to their stun guns. I had to speed up my clearance to avoid accidentally harming the Zhou mother and daughter.

The scene outside devolved into utter chaos. Although they had prepared for a fierce battle, they hadn't anticipated their own side being so easily dismantled. Now, the filming was pointless. The reporters were already preparing to flee—what if a stray bullet struck one of these pampered dignitaries? That would be disastrous for them.

Wu Jingui was becoming unhinged. This was supposed to be a golden opportunity to showcase his administrative achievements, yet it had turned into this debacle. Not only would his colleagues mock him, but if he failed to apprehend me and stabilize the situation, he would bear immense responsibility.

I fetched a stool and sat down in the center of the yard, radiating the might of one man holding off ten thousand. For a time, those outside the courtyard walls dared not enter. By the time they settled into this standoff, the sun had risen.

The police at the door suddenly sensed the atmosphere had taken a turn for the worse. Someone inadvertently looked back and cried out in terror, "Who!"

Wu Jingui and the others turned to look. Standing outside, surrounding the entire compound, was a circle of strange soldiers. They looked like soldiers because of their rifles and disciplined movements, but strange because their uniforms did not match any established PLA designation.

Wu Jingui stepped forward excitedly to shake the hand of a military officer. "Comrades, you've worked hard. Thank goodness you arrived in time; we were struggling to control this situation."

The officer leveled his rifle at Wu Jingui and barked, "Squat down! Or I’ll shoot you dead!"

Ignoring Wu Jingui's astonishment, the officer waved to those behind him. Several squads of soldiers stepped forward and began disarming the riot police.

Wu Jingui protested, "This is a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding! I am County Magistrate Wu Jingui. We were executing an arrest warrant. The thug inside is too fierce. We requested timely support from the troops."

A clear, crisp female voice cut through the air: "You dare try to arrest my Brother Zhao Qian? You must be tired of living! If he’s a thug, then you lot are traitors and foreign devils! Believe it or not, I can kick you to death myself!"