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Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen: Surrender
Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue abandoned the idea of going to the post office and instead found a courier company. They sent the reply letter along with the gift to the boy based on the address on the envelope.
After sending off the gift, Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue looked at each other happily. Jiang Xue said, "Take me to surrender."
"Okay!" Zhang Qiu nodded heavily.
They stood by the roadside and hailed a taxi. When the window rolled down, the driver leaned out with a smile and said, "You’re not getting out halfway this time, right?"
Zhang Qiu looked at the driver in surprise, marveling at how small the world was; it was indeed the same driver from earlier.
"No, we’ll get out at the police station," Zhang Qiu replied.
The car slowly started and merged into traffic. The sun was rising, dispelling the cold. It was a busy time in front of the breakfast stalls along the street, where towering steamers emitted white smoke, and golden fried dough sticks were sizzling in hot oil. People sat leisurely at tables chatting; everything felt so peaceful and harmonious. Only this taxi carried Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue towards a daunting place.
The Beilan County Public Security Bureau is located on Hongfa Street in the western district of the county town. It is a five-story building constructed in the 1970s, adorned with red five-pointed star patterns characteristic of that era. Although the building appeared somewhat old, its interior facilities were fully modernized, adequately meeting the daily operational needs of public security officers.
The taxi stopped in the parking area next to the entrance of the police station. After Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue got out, they walked straight toward the entrance but were stopped by a guard. An elderly officer in uniform, with gray hair peeking out from under his cap, scrutinized Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue and said, "What are you two here for? If you want to go in, you need to register here first."
Zhang Qiu took a carbon pen and began to write while saying, "We are here to surrender."
Upon hearing this, the guard immediately took them seriously and said, "Follow me; I'll take you inside."
"Thank you, but that's not necessary. Please contact He Jun, Director; we are here to see him," Zhang Qiu replied calmly.
"Are you two?" The guard had to take a second look at the two young people. With his years of experience seeing all kinds of people, he found nothing particularly noteworthy about them, especially not like criminals. Of course, those who come to confess might have committed accidental crimes, but to go directly to the director... no one had ever made such a request.
Zhang Qiu noticed the guard's hesitation and, fearing trouble for his uncle, didn't dare to mention that he was He Jun's nephew. Instead, he quietly said, "We've been in contact before; you can call and check if you don't believe me."
"Alright, wait here for a moment," the guard said before entering the duty room. After a brief conversation on the internal phone, he came back out and told Zhang Qiu, "You can go in now; Director He's office is on the fifth floor."
"Thank you," Zhang Qiu replied, taking Jiang Xue's hand as they walked into the building. A few police officers coming towards them glanced at the couple holding hands inside the police station. One male officer smiled at his female colleague and said, "Look at these kids; they must still be students. They're really affectionate. If we were like that..."
"Cut it out and focus on work!" The female officer shot him a glare and quickly walked away. The male officer hurried after her.
After navigating a few flights of stairs, Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue reached the fifth floor and saw the gold-plated sign indicating the director's office on the wall.
Zhang Qiu knocked on the door.
"Come in!" A commanding voice came from inside.
Recognizing his uncle's voice, Zhang Qiu pushed the door open. He Jun was sitting behind his desk and stood up when he saw Zhang Qiu enter.
Zhang Qiu noticed that his uncle had changed since becoming director. Aside from his uniform being impeccably pressed as always, there was an air of confidence about him, with a subtle smile that conveyed both assurance and warmth—he truly had taken on the demeanor of someone important.
"Uncle, this is Jiang Xue, my girlfriend," Zhang Qiu introduced Jiang Xue, deliberately mentioning her as his girlfriend to see how his uncle would react.
He Jun was momentarily taken aback; he wasn't aware of this relationship. He quietly assessed his nephew's choice of girlfriend—her sparkling eyes, white teeth, skin as fair as milk, and smooth black hair just reaching her shoulders. Dressed in jeans and a white top, she gave off a refreshing vibe. He Jun thought to himself that she was indeed beautiful; no wonder Zhang Qiu liked her so much.
He Jun's years of work experience had honed a piercing gaze, making Jiang Xue feel somewhat intimidated under his scrutiny. She took a few steps back, gripping Zhang Qiu's shirt tightly.
He Jun suddenly smiled and approached Jiang Xue, saying, "Thank you. I heard that it was Liu Xiaofei who attacked Zhang Qiu, and you were the one who acted without hesitation first?"
Zhang Qiu jolted and quickly replied, "Yes, that's right. She stabbed Liu Xiaofei to save me."
He Jun waved his hand to signal Zhang Qiu not to rush: "I'm not saying this is an act of heroism or anything like that, so don't misunderstand."
Seeing that her uncle didn't mean that, Zhang Qiu pouted and lowered her head.
He Jun continued, "I've looked into this matter regarding Jiang Xue. Many people among you all need to bear responsibility, but Jiang Xue and Liu Xiaolong are the most serious cases. Next are you and Zeng Fan."
"I know. I'm prepared for this. Not only will I accompany Jiang Xue to surrender, but I will also turn myself in."
"It's not serious enough for you to go in as well. What's going on?" He Jun frowned as he pondered the situation. "This matter is quite serious on the surface, but if you look at it differently, it might not be so serious after all."
"What do you mean?" Zhang Qiu didn't understand He Jun's words.
"Since we're not outsiders, I'll be straightforward. On the surface, this issue seems to be a conflict between you, Zeng Fan, and Liu Xiaolong, right?"
"That's correct."
"But once this matter occurred, it became something else entirely."
"Why?" Zhang Qiu felt increasingly confused.
He Jun smiled lightly and asked Zhang Qiu, "Do you know who Zeng Fan's parents are?"
"I know, they're from the Education Bureau."
"You're not wrong; Zeng Fan's parents are from the Education Bureau. As for some other students, their parents are from this unit or that unit, or they are prominent figures in society. If so many people were dealt with at once, wouldn't it be chaotic?"
Zhang Qiu nodded, somewhat understanding: "So what should we do?"
"This is tricky. They are all just kids, many of whom aren't even adults yet, and they have the college entrance exams coming up. In my opinion, the problem won't be too serious. But Jiang Xue is different." He Jun's expression turned serious.
Jiang Xue, who had already loosened her grip, tightened her hold on Zhang Qiu's sleeve again. Zhang Qiu patted Jiang Xue and held her hand against his chest.
He Jun looked at Zhang Qiu, finding it hard to speak but still said, "I'm afraid Jiang Xue might end up in prison this time. What that means for a student doesn't need me to elaborate, right? Especially since you all have the college entrance exams coming up; this is serious business. It's a shame to think about it—such a good kid, and now..." He Jun sighed deeply and after a moment of contemplation added, "But don't be too upset; it's a good thing nothing major happened. If someone had really died, the nature of the problem would be entirely different. This can be considered a small blessing in disguise."
Zhang Qiu felt no comfort from this pale consolation and asked, "If we turn ourselves in, can we get a lighter punishment?" Although He Jun had already mentioned this before, Zhang Qiu wanted to confirm again.
"That's for sure," He Jun nodded. "You all came in quite early. Liu Xiaofei reported the incident this morning; it was Liu Xiaolong who made the call personally. I believe Wang Guodong is behind this; he wouldn't miss this opportunity—I know him well."
"Then why didn't they report it earlier?" Zhang Qiu wondered. If they had reported it right after the incident yesterday, there wouldn't have been an opportunity for them to turn themselves in. Wouldn't that have been better for Wang Guodong?
"Hmph, that's Wang Guodong's insidiousness," He Jun's expression suddenly turned serious and his tone became urgent. "This person is extremely cunning; he must have wanted to give you enough time to escape while ensuring you couldn't get far. At that point, he would get to see me personally capture his own nephew. He might even use this incident to spread rumors or create some emails to circulate."
Zhang Qiu felt a wave of relief, grateful that they ultimately turned themselves in at the police station. If they had really tried to take Jiang Xue away, according to his uncle, they wouldn't have gotten far before being caught, which would have led to a different outcome. The law is vast and thorough; how could two students escape the machinery of state violence?
“She’s really terrible; their whole family are bad people!” Jiang Xue was deeply shocked by He Jun's words. She never imagined that the fights between students were entangled with the interests of power departments.
Zhang Qiu sneered, “Birds of a feather flock together. Otherwise, how could Wang Guodong become Liu Xiaolong's brother-in-law?”
He Jun patted Zhang Qiu on the shoulder and said, “You two should stay in my office for a while.” Just as He Jun finished speaking, the phone on the desk rang, and he answered it.
Zhang Qiu noticed that He Jun's expression was even worse than before, a bad premonition rising in his heart.
After hanging up the phone, He Jun looked at Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue and said slowly, “Liu Xiaolong and Liu Xiaofei's relatives have come here to report the incident in person.”
“What should we do?” Zhang Qiu looked at his uncle.
After a moment of contemplation, He Jun replied, “You both come with me downstairs. Now that you’ve turned yourselves in, what’s there to be afraid of? Whatever happens will happen. Although I cannot bend the law for you, I will never allow anyone to harm you!”
He Jun's words were resolute. Looking at his tall figure, Zhang Qiu felt deep down that this was what a police officer should be like.
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