Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 334 Cruel people
Traffic accidents escalating into extortion?
The 122 traffic accident handling center wasn't too surprised when they received the report.

Although the accident was caused by a traffic accident, it was already the day after the accident, and the scene had lost its significance and was no longer within the scope of 122's handling.

So they simply called the victim, who was also the person who reported the crime, and the former perpetrator and suspect who was accused of extortion, together to the traffic police squadron in the Zhanghe jurisdiction, and then dumped the case on the Zhanghe police station as if they were passing the buck.

When Hu Lijun arrived at the traffic police squadron, he saw two groups of people facing off at the entrance.

The two ringleaders were blaming each other, and their friends who had come along for encouragement were also pointing and hurling insults at each other. If it weren't for the fact that the incident occurred in front of a traffic police station, and if two police officers hadn't been there to stop them from fighting, they might have already come to blows.

For some reason, many people are afraid of police officers but not traffic police. Even in front of two traffic officers, the people on both sides continued to hurl insults. But when a police car approached with its lights flashing and its siren blaring, the group quickly calmed down.

"Hey, Lao Fu, you're working so hard even on the first day of the Lunar New Year!"

Hu Lijun got out of the car and realized that he recognized one of the traffic police officers.

"Haha, there's never a time when things aren't tough. Old Hu, thank you for making this trip."

Fu Boxian, who had been driven crazy by the argument between the two sides, finally got a chance to catch his breath. He quickly stepped forward to greet Hu Lijun and said with a sly smile, "Everyone has a hard time during the New Year. Thank you for helping to handle this. Those two are inside. Let's just finish the procedures and you can take them away quickly. Oh, why are you carrying a cat?"

"The police cats at the police station are more capable than me, a beat cop."

Hu Lijun gave a brief introduction to Lin Ge. Seeing Lin Ge curiously looking at the two groups of more than a dozen people beside him, he asked curiously, "What's going on with these people? Isn't the situation clear? What are they arguing about here?"

"Heh, they don't think they've broken the law at all. On one hand, they say it's normal compensation, and on the other hand, they say I testified that I didn't drink at all, treating us like idiots. Besides, the whole matter has turned from a traffic accident into a criminal case, and the family can't afford the consequences."

Fu Boxian shook his head helplessly.

"Let them choose? Let's just follow the normal procedure!"

Hu Lijun takes responsibility for his own mistakes and doesn't care about what others think.

Having been a policeman for so many years, he's seen all sorts of people. It's only because our country's legal system still includes the rule of man that many are still subject to it; otherwise, just considering those who protect others, commit perjury, or engage in unreasonable arguments, many more would be arrested.

"Wait a minute! Officers, why won't you listen to our explanation! How did my third son commit extortion? His car was hit, and you police are protecting the bad guys? Is there no justice in this world? Are you all in cahoots to bully ordinary people?"

An elderly woman in her fifties or sixties, dressed in a tattered padded coat—perhaps intentionally—suddenly rushed out and blocked Hu Lijun's path.

As soon as she opened her mouth, several men and women behind her, who were either relatives or family members, started chattering. An old man of about the same age shouted the loudest, repeatedly yelling things like, "Officials protect each other, having connections makes you so great, I'm going to report you!"

Fu Boxian frowned, about to explode, while the auxiliary police officer behind him glared at him, his face flushed with anger, but Hu Lijun waved him off.

But as soon as there was a commotion on one side, another group on the other side, fearing they might be in the wrong, quickly moved over.

One of the women, dressed in an elegant woolen coat and heavily made up, pushed through the crowd and stood in front of Hu Lijun. She glared at him aggressively and said, "Officer, aren't you going to do anything about these people? It's clearly their fault. They're extorting my husband, Mr. Chen, and they're still spouting nonsense here? These idiots don't understand the law, but don't you either? Look at my phone, the screenshots are very clear, the evidence of the transfers is all here!"

Upon hearing this, the person on the other end immediately became furious.

What extortion? That's for car repairs! You're driving under the influence and you think you can get away with it? Officers, arrest them all!

There was a constant stream of noise.

As a local police officer who frequently patrols the community, Hu Lijun is very familiar with these people. He knows that if he doesn't deal with these two groups, things will be difficult to handle today.

However, dealing with these people is actually not difficult.

Even when facing Fu Boxian with a smile, a cough, a straightening of his clothes, and a stern expression instantly transform Hu Lijun into a serious, authoritative, and righteous police officer. With just a glare and a sweep of his eyes, both sides quickly shut up and became obedient.

"What's all the noise about! Look where you are! Don't you all respect the police? If you interfere with the police investigation again, believe me, every single one of you will be inside!"

In short, both sides behaved themselves.

Hu Lijun's gaze continued to sweep over the group, and everyone who met his eye quickly lowered their heads. After all, they weren't fools; they knew perfectly well whether they were right or wrong.

"Tsk! You guys really have the spirit!"

Fu Boxian clicked his tongue in envy.

"Quiet down, everyone! And don't gather at the entrance and disrupt the work of the traffic police officers. Move aside, move aside. I'll go inside and find out what's going on before I hear your explanations. Let me make this clear: if you keep making noise, I'll charge you with obstructing official business and ask you to come inside and sit down too!"

Hu Lijun made a couple more 'threats' to quiet both sides down for the time being, and then followed Fu Boxian into the squadron building.

Lin Ge followed behind Hu Lijun, looking somewhat surprised. Mainly because Hu Lijun usually seemed like a nice guy, always smiling whether at the station or while working; this was the first time he'd seen him so stern.

Of course, on the other hand, Hu Lijun is also one of the police officers in the station who has dealt with the most ordinary residents in the jurisdiction. He really knows how to deal with these people, and he is indeed the only one who dares to yell at both groups at the same time.

Unfortunately, before he could even enter his office from the lobby, the two groups of people outside resumed their shouting match.

"Old Fu, have you done the blood test? Oh, you guys should be pretty familiar with this, I don't need to explain. So, the current situation is, on one hand, it's drunk driving, and on the other hand, it's extortion. The case is actually quite simple, right?"

Hu Lijun didn't care about the people outside; they were just a bunch of people with nothing better to do during the New Year holiday. As long as the two parties involved were dealt with legally and compliantly, he wasn't worried that they could cause any more trouble.

"There's practically no doubt it's extortion, since the WeChat transfer is the most direct evidence. If someone transfers you 20,000 yuan, there has to be a reason, right? Even if they use car repairs as an excuse, that amount is still outrageous. Regardless of whether the other party is willing or not, it still raises suspicion of extortion."

Fu Boxian nodded and continued, "But the guy who was accused of drunk driving clearly had a blood alcohol concentration below the legal limit overnight. He didn't call the police when the accident happened, so now we need solid evidence to prove drunk driving. We're not like you; a lot of our evidence is real-time, and if it's destroyed, it's gone."

"So, this drunk driver might actually escape punishment? Damn it! Driving while completely intoxicated, especially at night when visibility is poor, isn't that just recklessly killing people?"

Hu Lijun frowned and cursed.

Fu Boxian gave a helpless, bitter smile.

Seeing his expression, Hu Lijun sneered: "Heh... Leave this kind of thing to us. Anyone who dares to drive under the influence will pay the price. Besides, there's more to drunk driving than just blood tests. In short, the nature of the case is quite clear: neither side is any good, and neither of them will get away with it."

Hu Lijun didn't make things difficult for Fu Boxian, and said with a confident smile, "People who don't care about human life need to be taught a lesson. When the drunk driving is confirmed, you'll have to send someone to pick them up. Don't let me leave work early, or you'll have to treat me to dinner."

"Having a meal isn't a problem; we haven't gotten together in ages. But the timing is uncertain. Forget about leaving get off work early; even leaving on time is impossible. We're working 24/7!"

Fu Boxian complained irritably.

"It's as if no one is any different."

Hu Lijun laughed.

"Ah~~~"

Even though Lin Ge had actually had a good night's sleep, he couldn't help but yawn upon hearing their conversation. To be honest, even if he didn't need to work overtime to the point of exhaustion, working 24 hours a day sounded terrifying.

Back when I was an ordinary citizen, I rarely saw police officers and thought being a policeman was easy and prestigious. But now, as a cat visiting the Zhanghe Police Station, I realize that being a policeman is truly inhuman. There's no upward mobility, and the salary is a fixed, meager wage. Even though the insignia on your shoulders slowly rises with years of service, it's all just for show; it has absolutely no practical use.

In addition to handling cases, police work at special police stations often involves a lot of messy, backroom work. Especially with those noisy people outside, they have to patiently appease them one by one, without actually arresting them all.

Take this case for example. The facts of the case are actually quite clear. But both families feel that they have been bullied, and that the police are biased towards the other side. In the end, aren't they just suffering a bunch of innocent insults for no reason?

It's only because Hu Lijun has a good temper; if it were Lin Ge, he would have slapped him across the face long ago.

“I didn’t extort him! He was just feeling guilty and offered to settle the matter privately! What crime did I commit? He was driving under the influence! What’s wrong with settling the matter privately? I didn’t decide the amount!”

Before even reaching the mediation room, I heard a young voice roaring angrily inside.

"It's this guy, his appetite is outrageously big. He dared to take 20,000 yuan without even feeling the heat of it. Do you think he can have a peaceful Spring Festival after causing a scene like this during the New Year? Asking for some compensation is one thing, but demanding such an exorbitant amount is just asking for trouble."

Fu Boxian shook his head and explained to Hu Lijun.

"His brain must have been caught in a door," Hu Lijun nodded in affirmation.

Upon entering the office, I saw a young man, who looked to be just over twenty years old, yelling and raving, with a very aggrieved expression.

Even now, with irrefutable evidence, this guy is still being stubborn, though his eyes are filled with fear.

Sigh! At this point, the crime has been essentially confirmed. Regardless of the punishment he'll face, his record is destined to be tarnished. He's so young, yet he's already a repeat offender.

This thing can affect your entire life!
Although many people are still stubbornly insisting that they are not civil servants and that having a criminal record doesn't matter, they will only realize how much this thing affects their lives and future when they hit a wall in the future.

To risk one's future, or even lose one's job, for a small gain is a bitter pill that only this foolish person can bear.

He will have to bear the bitter consequences of his momentary greed and impulsiveness for the rest of his life.

What happened next was actually quite simple.

As soon as Hu Lijun entered and displayed his ID in front of the young man, the young man panicked. He understood the vastly different nature of police officers and traffic police, and the drastically different consequences of violating the law and committing a crime.

After hearing Hu Lijun's self-introduction, his face turned as pale as a sheet of paper.

Hu Lijun only briefly explained the solution to this kind of case and the possible punishments for his crime, and the guy slumped into his chair.

Everything seemed to be going very well.

After dealing with the young man, they went to the next room. The middle-aged man suspected of drunk driving also acted as if nothing had happened. When questioned by Hu Lijun, he flatly denied driving under the influence, claiming he didn't understand traffic laws and genuinely thought being rear-ended was his fault. He also said the other party seemed aggressive and intimidating, and he was scared into accepting the extortion. As for why he only called the police today, and why he dialed 122, he used the excuse of being flustered and not knowing. Even when repeatedly questioned by Hu Lijun, he kept changing the subject, only talking about the young man's extortion, completely distancing himself from the issue.

This attitude might still work on the traffic police. Especially after the blood test results are negative, it's indeed difficult for the traffic police to do anything about it. But for the local police station or police department, dealing with this kind of thing is a piece of cake.

Where he ate last night, where he drank, how much he drank, who he drank with, which traffic light he crossed—the police can find out all of this. Even without blood-related evidence, this corroborating evidence is enough to prove he was driving under the influence. They might even go all the way and find everyone who drank with him yesterday! A simple calculation—how many bottles he drank, how many glasses each person had—will clearly establish the facts of drunk driving…

After hearing Hu Lijun's words, the middle-aged man knew that he could not escape the fact that he was driving under the influence.

But then he thought about it again, and realized that drunk driving and driving under the influence of alcohol are not the same. Considering that he had escaped the criminal liability for drunk driving, he took a step back and admitted to drinking first.

So, things became simple and straightforward. One was caught driving under the influence and received a penalty from the traffic police; the other was accused of extortion and obediently went to the detention center during the Chinese New Year holiday. The matter was resolved just like that.

Lin Ge even felt that he had come out just to take a walk and watch the excitement.

He hadn't even played a significant role before the matter was over.

However, when Hu Lijun led the ashen-faced young man out of the traffic police squadron, they were unsurprisingly stopped by the man's parents and a group of relatives.

Upon hearing that their child was suspected of extorting a large sum of money, the parents panicked. The previously arrogant older woman quickly stopped Hu Lijun to plead for leniency, while the man's father ran to the woman in the woolen coat to beg for forgiveness.

Unexpectedly, the people on this side were not one to back down, and they said things like they would make sure that little punk went to jail, their attitude was extremely arrogant.

"Like father, like son! See? He's a piece of trash who's been to jail! You're no better than him, raising such a good-for-nothing!" The woman's attitude was extremely arrogant, showing a lack of manners.

Then, the father's eyes visibly reddened.

"you you……"

His lips trembled but he couldn't speak. Seeing the woman take a step forward, pointing at him and about to continue throwing excrement, perhaps out of desperation or perhaps out of sheer malice, he actually swung his fist and punched her hard.

'Boom! '

"what!"

The woman screamed and fell backward to the ground, catching everyone off guard. Lin Ge, who was about to get into the car, turned around in astonishment and saw that the man was still not done with it. He pounced on her and grabbed her neck tightly, gritting his teeth as if he was determined to strangle her to death.

"stop!"

Hu Lijun, terrified, rushed over.

The two traffic police officers on duty in the lobby also changed their expressions drastically. One of them jumped over the table and ran towards them.

But the fastest was still Ringo.

While the family members and relatives on both sides who were closest to him were still in a daze, Lin Ge rushed over like an arrow and slammed his head hard into the back of the middle-aged man's head.

Lin Ge's head buzzed from the impact, and the middle-aged man groaned and fell to the side. But he seemed truly enraged by this foul-mouthed woman; even now, he still held her tightly with both hands, and the woman's eyes visibly rolled back.

"Are you an idiot? Are you going to kill someone over something so trivial?"

Enraged, Lin Ge lunged forward again and bit down hard on his wrist.

"what!"

This time, the guy finally felt pain. His expression suddenly cleared, but the murderous intent on his face remained. With a muffled groan, he released the woman's neck with his left hand and clenched his fist to smash towards Lin Ge!

"What a ruthless thing!"

Lin Ge nimbly released his grip, causing the man to miss his target. After he released his left hand, the woman on the ground was finally able to catch her breath.

At this moment, Hu Lijun and two traffic police officers finally arrived quickly.

One grabbed the man's bloodied right hand and pried it outwards, another hugged the man's body and pulled him outwards by his neck, while the third protected the woman on the ground to prevent her from suffering further harm.

"The boss!"

"Da Li!"

"father!"

Everyone stared in disbelief at the chaotic scene, except for Lin Ge, who kept spitting out blood. It was truly disgusting and repulsive.

"What a ruthless thing!"

Seeing that the man still wouldn't let go, Hu Lijun narrowed his eyes and became ruthless. He pulled out a rubber baton from his lower back and thrust it upwards into the man's shoulder socket, twisting and turning it!
With a crisp 'crack', the man's left arm was dislocated, having been broken off by Hu Lijun with a single blow.

"Fuck!"

Lin Ge was dumbfounded by what he saw, never expecting that Hu Lijun had such skills. The first time he met him, Hu Lijun was clumsy in catching thieves; who would have thought that he could use a rubber baton in such a way?

"Cuff him! Cuff him!"

Two more traffic police officers heard the commotion and rushed out, quickly pinning the man to the ground. Traffic police officers generally don't have handcuffs, so Hu Lijun hurriedly went to the police car to get some and handcuffed the man tightly.

After a period of confusion, things finally stabilized.

The terrified woman with foul mouth was paralyzed and unable to stand up. She clutched her throat and shuffled backward, her face showing a look of utter shock.

The relatives and friends who came to support her had never seen anything like this before, and they all stayed far away; not one of them even helped her up.

Meanwhile, the man's relatives and friends were also dumbfounded.

I never imagined that this honest, unassuming middle-aged man, who would just chuckle when taken advantage of, would commit such a terrifying act of murder in front of the police.

Everyone looked completely dumbfounded.

(End of this chapter)