PCJ – Chapter 672 Siege

“You—you’re spouting nonsense! You sent someone to the hospital. That’s intentional assault. I’m here to arrest you and bring you in,” Yin Jianzhuang stammered, clearly flustered. That accusation Zhang threw at him was too serious—he couldn’t afford to bear it.

“Which of your eyes saw me assault anyone? I was just sitting here eating late-night snacks when someone came to attack me. I acted in self-defense. How is that intentional assault? Can you just open your mouth and convict someone like you’re a court of law?” Zhang Jiaohua asked coldly.

“Don’t argue! Whether or not it was intentional assault will be determined at the police station. Take him away!” Yin Jianzhuang interrupted nervously. He didn’t dare let Zhang continue—he was starting to feel exposed.

One of the officers had already disliked Zhang Jiaohua from the start. Usually, they strutted around in uniform, full of authority in front of civilians. When had they ever been mocked like this? The officer charged forward and tried to twist Zhang Jiaohua’s arms behind his back and drag him away like a common criminal.

But before he could even touch Zhang, it was like he had been electrocuted—his hand recoiled instinctively.

“You—you dare assault an officer?” the officer asked, shocked and uncertain.

Yet Zhang Jiaohua still sat there calmly, without having moved at all.

Yin Jianzhuang was baffled. Zhang clearly hadn’t done anything, but his subordinate acted like he’d been hit.

“Assaulting an officer? That adds another charge! Get him! Cuff him!” Yin Jianzhuang shouted.

One of the officers pulled out handcuffs and moved forward.

“You dare!” Zhang Jiaohua bellowed.

The shout alone startled the officer so much he stumbled backward and landed flat on the ground.

“Who gave you the right to arrest people without telling right from wrong? Zhi Huming! The authority granted to you by the organization wasn’t meant to be used against the people—or to shield criminals like him!” Zhang Jiaohua glared at Yin Jianzhuang.

Yin Jianzhuang was stunned. Zhang’s imposing presence made him feel completely rattled. “I-I’m not Director Zhi. Director Zhi went to the hospital to check on the injured. Please come with us to the station.”

“And who are you?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“He’s our Chengguan Police Station Chief, Director Yin,” another officer answered for him.

“So Zhi Huming lets his nephew run wild, and you, a people’s police officer, choose to be his accomplice? Are you Zhi Huming’s lapdog or a station chief?” Zhang Jiaohua snapped.

Yin Jianzhuang had no reply. His eyes darted nervously. The pressure Zhang was giving off was simply overwhelming—he couldn’t match it.

“What do you mean ‘what’? This county is full of corruption and chaos because Zhi Huming plays protector to local thugs. Zhi Shengfeng bullies merchants, collects protection fees, and oppresses the people—all because Daihua County’s police force refuses to do its job!” Zhang Jiaohua shouted, jabbing his finger at Yin Jianzhuang’s nose.

“Chief! Don’t be fooled by this guy! He’s just putting on an act. Let’s take him back and sort it out later,” one officer said, snapping out of his daze.

Yin Jianzhuang also snapped back to reality and shouted angrily, “Fine! Very good! You want to act tough? We’ll settle this at the station!”

He waved his hand. “Cuff him and take him away!”

On the side, Yang Chenglin and Xiang Kehui had been watching the whole scene unfold. At first, they really believed Zhang Jiaohua was someone powerful. But when they realized Yin Jianzhuang didn’t even recognize him, they started to worry.

“We’re doomed. He’s been found out. This is bad,” Yang Chenglin said with a grim face.

Xiang Kehui looked worried too. “This young man is way too bold. Does he even know what kind of people run that station? They’re not going to be scared off that easily. If he really gets taken in, he’ll be in deep trouble.”

Yin Jianzhuang’s four officers charged at Zhang Jiaohua to try and subdue him. But as soon as they reached him, it was as if they had slammed into a wall. All four were knocked back and landed hard on the ground.

The entire crowd was stunned.

“Don’t think that just because you’re skilled in martial arts you can do whatever you want! This is assaulting police officers!” Yin Jianzhuang barked.

On reflex, he reached for his waist—but realized too late that he hadn’t brought his pistol. He had rushed out of his home and left it hanging on the wall. Normally, he was the only one at the station who carried a firearm, since most of their cases weren’t dangerous, and bringing guns came with the risks of accidental discharge or theft.

But now, faced with a clearly skilled individual who had taken down multiple officers without effort, Yin Jianzhuang was at a complete loss.

At that moment, his phone rang. It was Zhi Huming.

“Did you get him?” Zhi Huming roared the second he answered.

“We found him. He’s still here. But, but…” Yin Jianzhuang didn’t know how to continue.

“But what?! Grab him and hold him till I get there! My nephew has five broken ribs! I’m going to skin that bastard alive!” Zhi Huming screamed so loudly it nearly burst the phone speaker.

Yin Jianzhuang pulled the phone away from his ear until the yelling stopped, then hesitantly replied, “Director Zhi… he’s not easy to catch. He’s skilled. None of our officers can even get close. I rushed out too fast and didn’t bring my gear.”

“Useless! Absolutely useless! Hold him there—don’t let him escape! I’m on my way!” Zhi Huming roared, then dashed out of the hospital emergency room, yelling at his driver, “Drive! Get to Chengguan!”

But before Zhi Huming could arrive, Liu Tiande had already shown up—with Hu Yijiang and an entire team. Liu Tiande saw this as a perfect chance to take down Zhi Huming and had brought Hu’s fully armed security squad.

As soon as they arrived, Liu Tiande saw uniformed officers trying to detain Zhang Jiaohua and immediately shouted, “Which station are you from?! How dare you lay hands on Deputy County Chief Zhang?!”

His shout startled Yin Jianzhuang so badly he jumped. Turning around, he saw that it was the Public Security Bureau Chief himself. Even if Liu Tiande had been sidelined by Zhi Huming, that didn’t mean Yin could ignore him.