Chapter 87: Taken Into Custody

Jiang Xiwen wandered along the street, asking passersby for directions, constantly scanning every direction. More than ten minutes had passed, but there was still no sign of Zhang Ya.

"Hey, buddy, looking for someone?" A sneaky-looking young man sidled up, grinning slyly.

His appearance was truly unpleasant, but looks could be deceiving—maybe this fellow had seen Zhang Ya. Jiang Xiwen hurriedly grabbed the youth by the arm and asked, "Have you seen a girl about fifteen, around one-sixty tall..."

"Does she have her hair in a ponytail?" The young man cut him off before he could finish.

Jiang Xiwen’s heart leapt with joy at his words and he pressed eagerly, "Yes, yes, that's her! Where is she?"

The young man grinned again, "Hey, little brother, got any cash you can spare for me?"

Jiang Xiwen didn't hesitate, pulling out a fifty and handing it over. With a face like that, this kid was clearly a street punk. The youth was both surprised and delighted to see the fifty—he hadn't expected more than a couple of bucks from a student running around looking for someone. This little brat must have gotten lucky money for the New Year. The young man's eyes flickered as he said, "Follow me."

He turned and headed west of Misty Rain Pavilion. Jiang Xiwen followed, but after just a minute, realization dawned—he’d been asking everyone about a girl with a ponytail, probably within earshot of this youth. This could be a setup, a shakedown. If that was the case, then this guy had brought misfortune on himself. Jiang Xiwen wouldn’t hold back.

When someone has enough strength to beat their opponent to a pulp at will, their aura and thinking naturally become different. True dominance is always built on power.

After winding through four or five alleys, the young man turned back, that sly grin still on his face. "You idiot, you followed me all this way. Hand over all your money and I won’t beat you up."

"I’m going to beat you up!" Jiang Xiwen snapped. Though this scoundrel wasn’t worth his anger, his frustration at not finding Zhang Ya made him all the more irritable. The longer the delay, the more his mind wandered to dark places and the more he worried about Zhang Ya’s safety.

The young man was caught off guard; before he could react, a heavy fist smashed into his face, sending him crashing backward. He didn't even see how this scrawny kid with his hand in a bandage managed to land a punch right on his head.

He had no time to think, not even to cry out in pain, before Jiang Xiwen straddled him. "You dare mess with me! Did you actually see Zhang Ya or not?!"

But Jiang Xiwen gave him no chance to answer—his single fist rained down mercilessly on the youth’s head, chest, and anywhere else he could reach from his angle.

Jiang Xiwen vented all his accumulated fury on the young man—thud, thud, thud! The poor fellow couldn’t even scream, every inch of his body wracked with excruciating pain.

At that moment, he glimpsed a policeman in uniform walking past the alley’s entrance. Desperate, he summoned all his strength and screamed, "Help!"

Normally, this was someone who'd scatter at the sight of police, just like a rat fleeing a cat. But now, he couldn’t wish harder for a squad of officers to rescue him from his torment.

Hearing the cry, the policeman turned, spotted the scene in the alley, and rushed over. "What are you doing? Stop right now!"

"I’m looking for someone—this bastard tried to shake me down," Jiang Xiwen said, voice still taut with anger. Running into the police at this moment only darkened his mood. He landed one last punch on the youth’s face before getting up and turning to the officer.

The officer was a portly, middle-aged man with a protruding belly. He eyed Jiang Xiwen up and down—a habit of his, always sizing people up before making an arrest. The boy was over a meter seventy but still looked like a kid, and so brash in his speech—clearly a little hoodlum. And the man on the ground, probably crippled. The fat policeman contorted his features in an attempt to look fierce. "Damn it, you beat someone up and still act tough? Whatever it is, explain it at the station!"

This only infuriated Jiang Xiwen further. The more urgent the matter, the more trouble cropped up. His eyes flashed with icy fire, and his fist clenched tight.

The policeman flinched, forgetting for a moment that the boy only had one usable hand, and was still a child. He drew his baton. "What, you want to hit a cop?!"

Jiang Xiwen muttered a curse inwardly at his luck. He closed his eyes briefly and, when he opened them, had regained his calm. He wasn’t foolish enough to assault a policeman—in situations like this, all he could do was explain himself as clearly and calmly as possible.

Half an hour later, the young man was sent to the hospital, and Jiang Xiwen found himself sitting in the police station’s interrogation room. The portly policeman and a female officer sat across from him, a meter away behind a desk.

The policewoman was strikingly beautiful, with delicate features and an alluring figure under her uniform. She held a notepad and pen, ready to take notes.

So, you want to go up against me? The fat cop sneered at Jiang Xiwen. "Name?"

"Can I explain first?" Jiang Xiwen ignored the question, eager to clarify. "I’m a visitor here in Modo. That kid offered to lead me, but instead he brought me into an alley to extort money."

He changed his story at the last moment, recalling what Zhang Yong had said: unless Zhang Ya was in confirmed danger, they should avoid drawing attention. He was annoyed with Zhang Yong for this, but right now, it was the only option.

After all, they were police, and if he was cooperative, he’d be released soon enough.

"Cut the crap. First you said you were looking for someone, now you’ve changed your tune. That guy’s ribs are broken and you’re still lying! Name!" The fat policeman’s face scrunched up, as if that gave him more authority. He was clearly the same type as Liu Fan, Jiang Xiwen’s classmate—men who thought making others submit in front of a beautiful woman made them superior. But this cop was worse: he’d forgotten he was dealing with a boy, at least outwardly.

The policewoman clearly found his looks distasteful—she ignored him, cold and businesslike, jotting down Jiang Xiwen’s name.

Irritated by such a foolish question, Jiang Xiwen decided to toy with the fat cop. He replied in an even tone, "Officer, do you want me to say that clichéd line from TV?"

The policeman was baffled but, mistaking Jiang Xiwen’s tone for submission, asked, "What line?"

Jiang Xiwen almost laughed aloud. This guy was a true specimen—useless in both word and deed. He replied, "Can't you tell if I’m a boy or a girl?"

"Damn it, I want your answer, not some catchphrase!" the policeman roared.

Jiang Xiwen nodded impassively. "Ambitious, aren’t you?"

The cold beauty beside him couldn’t help but stifle a smile. Clearly, the fat cop’s idiocy amused her.

"Ambitious, my ass! I’m asking you a question!" the fat policeman exploded.

"Ambitious, my ass? That’s idealistic," Jiang Xiwen replied flatly.

The policewoman finally couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

The fat policeman, stunned by her laughter, took a moment to realize he was being made a fool of by Jiang Xiwen.

To lose face before a beauty—now that was humiliation. The fat cop jumped onto his chair, leapt over the desk, pulled off his belt, and swung it down at Jiang Xiwen’s head.

At that moment, there was only rage in his eyes. He forgot everything else—forgot even that he had seen Jiang Xiwen, with one hand, beat a young man so badly his ribs broke.

Damn, Jiang Xiwen hadn’t expected the officer to get physical. He was itching for an outlet himself. He sprang up, caught the belt mid-air, and shouted to the policewoman, "Miss Beautiful, you’re my witness—he started it!"