Lvliu District, Xia Guang Road Police Station.
Yang Qi parked his car by the roadside and went to the security gate to sign in.
Then, he strode through the main entrance.
Just as he entered, he ran into a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a summer police uniform.
The man was holding a folder and seemed to be on his way out. When he saw Yang Qi, he stopped in his tracks, his eyes instantly lighting up.
From several meters away, he extended a hand, an enthusiastic smile spreading across his face, his voice filled with pleasant surprise.
"Advisor Yang? Well, I’ll be, it really is Advisor Yang! What brings you here?"
Yang Qi stopped and looked at the man, a little confused.
’I don’t recognize him.’
But the man clearly knew him and was acting exceptionally warm.
Yang Qi extended his hand to shake the man’s and said politely, "Hello, you are...?"
"My surname is Wu. I’m an officer here at the station."
The middle-aged man shook Yang Qi’s hand firmly before quickly letting go, the smile never leaving his face. "It’s perfectly normal that you don’t recognize me, Advisor Yang, but I know you. The Municipal Bureau’s specially appointed animal advisor. Last month, during an internal briefing for the entire city’s public security system, they specifically mentioned your achievements in assisting with cases and even included your photo. Pretty much all the leaders from the various bureaus and stations have seen it."
He paused, then added, "Captain Tan has also mentioned you to us several times, saying how capable you are and how much you’ve helped the police. I’ve been meaning to find a chance to pay you a visit, but I never expected to run into you here."
Yang Qi understood.
’So that’s it. He saw the internal briefing and my photo.’
"A pleasure, Officer Wu." Yang Qi nodded, his tone still calm. "That’s all just an unearned reputation. I got lucky. Captain Tan and the others are the ones who do the real hard work."
"You’re too modest, Advisor Yang."
Officer Wu waved his hands dismissively, offering another round of praise before remembering the matter at hand. He asked, "Right, is there something that brings you to our station, Advisor Yang? Official business?"
"Not official business."
Yang Qi answered truthfully. "It’s a personal matter. A friend of mine got into a conflict with someone, a fight. The other party called the police, so he was brought here. I came to see how he is and to sign some papers."
He was being vague, but everyone present understood the keywords: "fight" and "sign."
The smile on Officer Wu’s face faded slightly, but his attitude remained enthusiastic. "A friend, you say? Was the fight serious? Anyone badly hurt? What about the other party?"
"I don’t think so."
Yang Qi recalled what he was told over the phone. "It was just a common conflict that started from an argument. Both sides threw punches, but it’s all just superficial injuries."
"Oh, that’s good, that’s good."
Officer Wu was visibly relieved. "In cases like these, mediation is the priority. Come, Advisor Yang, I’ll take you there. The mediation room is on the second floor."
"Thank you for your trouble, Officer Wu," Yang Qi said.
"No trouble at all, it’s on my way." As Officer Wu spoke, he turned to lead the way, his steps a little lighter than before.
The two of them went up to the second floor. Most of the doors to the rooms on either side were closed, but they could faintly hear the sounds of voices and the tapping of keyboards.
They walked to the second-to-last room at the end of the hall. The sign on the door read "Mediation Room."
Officer Wu pushed the door open.
The scene inside made Yang Qi pause for a slight moment.
Inside the small room, there was a long table and a few chairs.
Gao Zhenyue sat on one side of the table. His face was a little pale, but it was mostly filled with suppressed rage.
Across from him sat a man in his late twenties with a crew cut, wearing a short-sleeved floral shirt. He had thick arms, and a patch of bluish-black tattoo was visible from his neck to his collarbone. He was glaring, pointing a finger at Gao Zhenyue, and yelling so hard that spit flew from his mouth.
"...I’m telling you! If you don’t cough up two hundred thousand, you can wait to rot in jail! Intentional injury! I’m getting a medical examination, and I’ll sue you into the ground!"
At either end of the table sat a police officer.
The one closer to the door was a young officer in his early twenties, his brow furrowed as he bent his head, taking notes.
The one farther inside was a male officer in his early thirties with slightly dark skin. His expression was calm, and he was tapping his fingers lightly on the tabletop, not immediately stopping the crew-cut man’s tirade.
"What two hundred thousand?"
Yang Qi’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly through the somewhat noisy room.
Everyone instinctively turned their heads toward the door.
When Gao Zhenyue saw Yang Qi, his eyes lit up. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then held back.
The crew-cut man also turned his head, sizing Yang Qi up with a look of disdain and scrutiny.
When the two officers saw Yang Qi, they were first taken aback, but then their gazes swept to Officer Wu beside him, and they immediately stood up.
"Chief Wu!"
"Director!"
The two officers shouted at the same time.
’Chief Wu?’
Hearing this, Yang Qi glanced sideways at the officer beside him.
’So he isn’t just a regular officer, he’s the station chief.’
The smile on Chief Wu’s face had now completely vanished, replaced by a calm, dignified expression.
He nodded at the two officers, his gaze sweeping over the crew-cut man and Gao Zhenyue before finally landing on the male officer in his early thirties. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable pressure.
"Xiaochen, what’s going on? Didn’t you say this was a common brawl with only superficial injuries? How did it get to two hundred thousand?"
A flicker of unease crossed the face of the officer called Xiaochen. He quickly explained, "Director, it is a common fight. Both of them threw punches. We had their injuries checked—it’s just soft tissue contusions and subcutaneous bruising. It doesn’t even qualify as a minor injury."
"Then it’s a simple public order case to be handled through mediation." Chief Wu frowned. "What’s this about two hundred thousand? Who’s asking for it?"
Yang Qi took the opportunity to look at Gao Zhenyue and give him a meaningful look.
Old classmates, good friends.
Gao Zhenyue understood immediately. Seizing the opportunity, he said loudly, "Director Wu! It was him! He’s trying to extort me! He has no intention of mediating in good faith!"