Chapter 1395
A Head-on Confrontation with the Deputy Mayor!
Luo Fei was too lazy to play along any longer; both sides knew perfectly well what the other party's purpose was in putting on this show.
He looked directly at Xue Jingshan, his voice calm and firm, each word striking clearly in the quiet air.
"On official duty, apprehending Xue Shih-hao, a fugitive criminal suspect accused of intentional homicide."
He paused, then added.
"That is, your grandson."
Upon hearing this, although no one around made a sound, all the villagers' gazes instantly sharpened and became hostile, focusing on Luo Fei as if they wanted to pierce him. Xue Jingshan showed no surprise on his face, as if he had expected it all along; he merely twitched his lips, revealing a cold, mocking smile.
"Intentional homicide? Director Luo, you can't say things like that. My grandson, Shih-hao, has always been law-abiding. Although he is young and impetuous, he would never do such a heinous thing."
There must be some misunderstanding here, right?
He denied it decisively and firmly, as if stating an undeniable fact.
"Misunderstand?"
Luo Fei chuckled softly, but there was no warmth in his laughter.
"Whether it's a misunderstanding or a crime, it's not up to you or me to decide, it's up to the law and the evidence. Mr. Xue, if Xue Shihao is truly innocent, the law will naturally give him justice, and I also guarantee that he can return to Xuejia Village intact and safe."
He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze suddenly sharpening.
"But if he is indeed suspected of attempting to evade legal punishment, then no matter who he is hiding behind or where he is hiding, he must be brought to justice and investigated!"
Xue Jingshan's cold smile faded, replaced by a deep calm. He shook his head and suddenly adopted a slightly helpless and formulaic tone.
"Director Luo, I am the village party secretary of Xuejia Village, and it is my duty to cooperate with the work of higher authorities."
"However, you've come at an inopportune time. Shihao hasn't been in the village these past few days. Young people like him, he's probably gone out for a walk. Even I, his grandfather, haven't been able to get in touch with him."
He shrugged, making a gesture that indicated he couldn't help.
"How about this, you all go back first."
Once I find him and get the facts straight, if he's really involved in something bad, I, Xue Jingshan, will be the first to object. I'll personally tie him up and send him to the Municipal Public Security Bureau! How about that?
These words were spoken in a grand and respectable manner, both demonstrating his status as a "cadre" and his attitude of "cooperation," while casually mentioning the fact that Xue Shihao was "absent," and also giving a seemingly responsible "promise."
Those who are unaware of the situation or have reservations may be temporarily appeased by these words.
However, Luo Fei just listened quietly, and only after he finished speaking did he twitch the corner of his mouth, revealing an undisguised sarcasm.
"Secretary Xue, you lied so smoothly, without batting an eye."
He directly saw through the other person's pretense, and his tone turned cold.
"Xue Shihao isn't in the village? Then how did he escape from Xuejia Town back to Xuejia Village twenty minutes ago? Our comrades who were on surveillance saw it with their own eyes! If he's not in the village, then what's behind you?"
Luo Fei raised his hand and slowly pointed to the hundreds of young and middle-aged villagers around him, who were dark and gloomy, holding sticks and farm tools, and with unfriendly expressions. His voice suddenly rose.
"Who is this show of force for?! Are they welcoming us? Or is it a tradition in Xuejia Village to gather able-bodied young men, armed with weapons, to 'welcome' visiting government officials?!"
A series of questions, delivered with force and conviction, directly exposed the contradictions in Xue Jingshan's words, shattering the facade of "cooperation" he was trying to create. Xue Jingshan's expression finally darkened slightly; Luo Fei's sharpness and directness had somewhat exceeded his expectations.
He remained silent for a few seconds, his deep, abyss-like eyes fixed on Luo Fei, and slowly spoke.
"Director Luo, young man, don't be so hot-tempered. Villagers have strong clan ties and don't like outsiders disturbing them, especially such a large convoy of police vehicles."
They gathered spontaneously to see what was happening, and got a little emotional, doing some extreme things, which saddened me greatly.
But this was not at my behest.
He skillfully attributed the villagers' violent blockade to "clan mentality" and "spontaneous emotions," thus absolving himself of any responsibility.
"look?"
Luo Fei sneered.
"Looking at it with hoes and shovels? Looking at it with flowerpots and stones? Xue Jingshan, let's be frank."
He no longer used any honorifics and addressed people by their first names.
"Do you think that with your absolute authority in Xuejia Village, and with these hundreds of people standing here, you can obstruct the police from lawfully arresting criminal suspects? Are you planning to use the so-called 'will of the villagers' and the possibility of a 'mass incident' to coerce and defy national laws?!"
This question was extremely direct and sharp, completely tearing away the last veil of pretense between the two sides and exposing the core of the problem in broad daylight.
The surrounding villagers stirred, many of them showing anger and eager to retaliate.
Xue Jingshan's expression turned completely cold, as if covered with a layer of frost.
He didn't answer immediately, but took a half step forward, getting closer to Luo Fei, and spoke in a low voice with an undisguised threat.
"Director Luo, please don't put it so harshly. I, Xue Jingshan, have been in Xuejia Village for decades, and my primary responsibility is to all the villagers, young and old. The law must be upheld, but the stability of the village is even more important."
If you insist on rushing in regardless of the consequences, you'll only provoke a greater conflict.
He tilted his head slightly, gesturing to the silent and oppressive crowd around him.
"What will happen next, and how far the situation will develop, is probably beyond the control of this old man."
With his bloodthirsty words, as if receiving a silent command, the dozens of strong villagers in the innermost circle stepped forward in unison, their sticks and farm tools slightly raised, pointing at Luo Fei and his group in the center. The synchronized movement and the sudden surge of hostility instantly tensed the air to its limit; conflict was imminent!
Gao Linfeng and the criminal investigation team members' hearts jumped into their throats, and cold sweat soaked their backs.
They had no doubt that if Xue Jingshan gave them a single glance, or if Luo Fei made any further provocative move, these hundreds of young men, driven by clan sentiment and blind obedience, would pounce without hesitation! At that point, not only would they be at risk of arresting anyone, but their own safety would also be in grave danger!
However, faced with this blatant threat of force and relentless pressure, Luo Fei not only did not back down, but straightened his back, his eyes sharp as knives, and responded decisively.
"Xue Jingshan, now that I'm here, I'm going to take Xue Shihao away! The dignity of the law cannot be challenged, and criminal suspects must be brought to justice! Do you want to try and stop me with sheer numbers?!"
"Then give it a try!"
Xue Jingshan also completely abandoned all pretense of civility, coldly shouting, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
"Snap! Snap! Snap!"
Just as the powder keg was about to ignite, a series of crisp, menacing metallic scraping sounds suddenly rang out! Led by Gao Linfeng, the criminal investigation team, sensing the deadly threat, acted on instinct, overcoming their fear of the consequences. Almost simultaneously, without hesitation, they drew their sidearms, deftly cocked them, and raised their guns in a standard alert firing position, though not yet explicitly pointed at any specific villager. The dark muzzles gleamed coldly in the sunlight, creating a stark and dangerous contrast with the primitive sticks and farm tools in the villagers' hands!
Although the Ghost Team members did not move, Teacher Huang narrowed his eyes, Xiao Qi's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped his sword, and Tie Shan's massive body slightly adjusted its center of gravity. Everyone's aura locked onto Xue Jingshan and his core bodyguards.
Once the fighting begins, they will immediately control or eliminate the primary source of the threat.
The appearance of firearms instantly brought the frenzied and restless villagers to a standstill! Many faces showed instinctive fear and hesitation, their forward-pushing steps halting. Even the most foolish and impulsive person would feel a natural fear when faced with modern firearms that could instantly take a life. A brief, suffocating silence fell over the scene, broken only by heavy breathing and the pounding of hearts.
"Stop! Don't fight! Put down your guns!!"
A shout, filled with rapid breathing and panic, suddenly came from the periphery of the crowd, breaking the terrible silence.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw another commotion outside the encirclement. The crowd was forcibly parted, and a middle-aged man wearing a light gray executive jacket, with a noticeable beer belly and oily sweat on his forehead, was struggling to squeeze through the crowd with a young secretary carrying a briefcase and looking equally nervous. The middle-aged man waved his thick hands and shouted repeatedly as he pushed his way through.
"Calm down! Everyone calm down! Don't lay a hand on them! Gao Linfeng! Tell your men to put their guns away! What kind of behavior is this!"
The visitor was Fan Chuncheng, the vice mayor of Dongguan City.
He had clearly arrived in a hurry; his face was flushed and he was panting, but his official air remained. Although most of the villagers did not recognize him directly, judging from his attire, demeanor, and entourage, as well as Xue Jingshan's rapidly changing expression, they guessed that an even more important "official" had arrived. They subconsciously stepped back a little, making room for him.
Fan Chuncheng squeezed into the inner circle, first wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, then put on a stern face, his gaze sweeping sternly over Gao Linfeng and his men, who were still on guard with their guns, before finally landing on Luo Fei and Xue Jingshan, his tone carrying a clear sense of reproach and mediation.
"Director Luo, Old Party Secretary Xue, what are you doing? Huh? In broad daylight, you've set up such a big fuss, and you're even going to use guns? Can't you talk things out? Do you have to make things get out of control?!"
He first gave both sides equal blame, adopting a posture of mediating and maintaining the overall situation.
When Xue Jingshan saw Fan Chuncheng, the cold and stern expression on his face instantly melted away, replaced by a slightly helpless and aggrieved look. He bowed slightly and said...
"Mayor Fan, why did you come in person? Oh, we've disturbed you, it's really... We had no choice, Director Luo brought people to the village to arrest my grandson, saying he's a murderer, this... this is pure nonsense! The villagers were very agitated and blocked them from entering, it almost caused a scene. Thank goodness you came."
With a few words, he shifted the blame to "the villagers' emotions" and Luo Fei's "nonsense," while he remained the "helpless" Party Secretary.
Fan Chuncheng nodded, seemingly accepting Xue Jingshan's statement, then turned around, his face darkening, and asked Gao Linfeng sternly.
"Gao Linfeng! What's going on?! Who authorized you to make such a commotion?! And you're pointing guns at civilians?! Do you have any respect for organizational discipline?! Tell me, what are you here for?!"
When Gao Linfeng saw that one of his superiors, the vice mayor, had come to question him in person, he secretly groaned, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet, stand at attention, and give a brief report.
"Reporting to Mayor Fan! Our Criminal Investigation Detachment received concrete leads and orders from higher authorities to arrest Xue Shihao, a major suspect in a murder case, in Xuejia Village! We were met with violent obstruction at the village entrance and on the roads inside the village. Our police cars were smashed, our personnel were surrounded, and their lives were threatened, which is why we were forced to draw our guns and stand guard!"
"Arrest Xue Shih-hao? Intentional homicide?"
Fan Chuncheng's brows furrowed into a deep frown, his chubby face filled with doubt and dissatisfaction.
"Where's the evidence? Is it conclusive? And where's the arrest warrant? Show it to me!"
He reached out directly to Gao Linfeng and demanded legal documents.
Gao Linfeng paused for a moment, then answered truthfully.
"Mayor Fan, the case is unusual. The suspect, Xue Shihao, has a very high possibility and risk of fleeing. The arrest warrant is being processed expedited, but it has not yet been issued."
What he said was true. From identifying Xue Shih-hao to tracking him to Xuejia Village, time was very tight. According to normal procedures, it was indeed impossible for an arrest warrant to be issued so quickly.
"Nonsense!"
Upon hearing this, Fan Chuncheng immediately seized the opportunity, his voice suddenly rising in a high-pitched, official tone, as he reprimanded Fan.
"No arrest warrant? You dare to trespass into a village and arrest people without an arrest warrant? Gao Linfeng, you're a veteran detective, don't you understand the most basic legal procedures?! Without legal documents, what do you call this behavior? It's called illegally breaking through a checkpoint! It's called trespassing on private property! No wonder the villagers tried to stop us! If it were me, I would have stopped them too!"
He launched into a tirade of accusations, completely arguing from the high ground of procedural flaws and utterly denying the legality of the police action.
"Mayor, Xue Shih-hao is indeed..."
Gao Linfeng attempted to explain the urgency and danger of the suspect's escape.
"Indeed what?"
Fan Chuncheng interrupted him impatiently.
"Without solid evidence and legal procedures, it's all just empty talk! I am now ordering you, in the name of the municipal government, to immediately withdraw your team! Your men must leave Xuejia Village at once!"
Everything will be carried out according to law only after all the formalities are completed and the evidence is conclusive! Do you understand?!
His orders were forceful and unquestionable, directly using administrative rank to intimidate people.
Gao Linfeng's face flushed red, feeling extremely aggrieved, yet he could not openly disobey the deputy mayor's direct order, especially since his side did indeed have procedural shortcomings.
He subconsciously looked at Luo Fei, his eyes filled with difficulty and a plea for instructions, and lowered his voice.
"Director Luo, what do you think... Mayor Fan... should we withdraw first and wait for the arrest warrant..." (End of Chapter)