The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

Ma Guoliang's eyelids kept twitching last night, as if something was about to happen.

He was still asleep when his cell phone rang and woke him up.

I picked it up and saw it was my third uncle calling. When I answered the phone, I heard him crying, which startled me.

"Third Uncle, what's wrong?"

My third uncle said with a sob in his voice, "Nephew, something terrible has happened. Your brother, Ma Shuang, was arrested by the police station last night for stealing cattle and horses."

"He's my only son, you have to save him, you can't let my family line die out."

Ma Guoliang said irritably, "Why are you crying? It's just stealing cattle and horses. You won't be executed. At most, you'll go to jail for a few years. You won't die."

"Going to jail is not an option; how will I live after that?"

"When he was stealing, didn't he ever think about how to live? Don't cry, I'll go ask him what exactly happened."

After hanging up the phone, I checked the time: 6:50.

I got up, washed my face, and went to the police station. There I saw a large truck parked there, with two large cows, a calf, a large horse, and a small horse on it.

The truck still has a license plate from Southwest Province.

He stopped a passing policeman to ask him questions. The man happened to be with Chen Shi to arrest a thief and told Ma Guoliang about the arrest process.

Ma Guoliang, with a dark expression, entered the interrogation room, where he was stopped by the auxiliary police officer on guard.

"Team Leader Ma, Chief Chen instructed that you are not allowed to enter the interrogation room. If you have any questions, go to him."

Ma Guoliang's face darkened further. Chen Shi already knew, but deliberately concealed it from him. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Can't I even go in and take a look?"

"This is what Director Chen instructed, so don't make things difficult for me."

Ma Guoliang turned around angrily and went to Chen Shi's office.

He didn't knock; he just pushed the door open and went in.

As Chen Shi was organizing the case, he looked up at the furious Ma Guoliang.

"Old Ma, don't you know how to knock before you come in?"

Ma Guoliang was furious, his face dark: "Director Chen, you really don't trust me that much, thinking I would tip off Ma Shuang?"

Chen Shi's eyes turned cold: "Old Ma, Ma Shuang is your cousin. Don't you know you should avoid suspicion?"

Ma Guoliang plopped down on the sofa, his tone softening.

"Did Ma Shuang really steal cattle and horses?"

Chen Shi threw the statement on the table: "How could I have wronged him? There were so many police officers and auxiliary police officers watching, and there were body cameras and video footage of the arrest. You can go and check it."

This is his confession. He and Niu Minghan stole all the cattle and horses in Longtougou Village, and they were caught red-handed.

Ma Guoliang stood up, picked up the statement on the table to examine it, and broke out in a cold sweat.

With such ample evidence, there's nothing more to say but to accept defeat.

He placed the statement back on the table, smiling obsequiously, and said, "Chief Chen, how should we handle this matter?"

Chen Shi's face darkened: "You're a veteran police officer, why are you asking me how to handle this? Just send it to the Public Security Bureau, then transfer it to the court. Whatever the judgment, follow the law."

Ma Guoliang forced a smile: "Ma Shuang is my cousin. Could you please do this for my sake and not report it to the police? Let him compensate the villagers for their losses, and let's make this a small matter, or even nothing at all?"

"Old Ma, is your face more important than the law? This is a small matter, how can you say that? You and I both come from the countryside, do you think it's easy for a family to raise cattle and horses? That's their entire worth."

Ma Shuang must be punished by law and compensate the villagers for their losses. He can't escape. Go and notify his family. I will arrange for someone to tally up the compensation later. Not a penny less will be owed.

Ma Guoliang still wanted to try, so he said with a forced smile, "Director Chen, is there no room for negotiation on this?"

Chen Shi pointed to Ma Guoliang's police uniform: "Wearing this uniform means you have to stand up for the people. No matter who the other party is, if they break the law, you will be arrested."

Don't worry about this. Go and submit your recusal application. Don't come to work for the next couple of days. Come back after this is over.

Seeing that Chen Shi's attitude was firm and there was no room for negotiation, Ma Guoliang walked out of the office with a dark face.

Upon seeing that Wang Jianming was already in his office, he hurried over to Wang Jianming's office.

Wang Jianming was in a good mood. He had an in-depth conversation with Xu Linlin last night and did a good job. He felt like he was a few years younger.

Seeing Ma Guoliang's dark face, he called out, "Sit down."

Ma Guoliang said with a dissatisfied look, "What kind of person is Chen Shi? He's been in the police station for a year at most."

"They're making a mountain out of a molehill and actually telling me to go home and reflect on my actions."

Wang Jianming already knew what had happened last night, and pretended to ask, "Why are you so angry so early in the morning? Tell me in detail why Chen Shi sent you home to reflect on your actions."

Ma Guoliang told Wang Jianming about his cousin stealing cattle and horses. Wang Jianming nodded and said with a troubled look, "I can't handle this either. He led the team to catch the thief last night. What would it mean if I got involved?"

Chen Shi's family has powerful backers. They don't even respect me, let alone you.

Ma Guoliang became angrier the more he thought about it. In the past, this kind of thing would have been settled with compensation. It wasn't like murder or arson, so why make such a big deal out of it?

"Chief Wang, Chen Shi can't stay in the station. We have to find a way to get him out. Look at these police officers now, they all follow his lead. If this goes on for too long, they won't be able to tell who is the real leader of the police station."

Wang Jianming poured Ma Guoliang a glass of water: "He's someone the county magistrate appreciates, and he's also under Director Zhang's protection. He'll be promoted sooner or later. Just be patient and wait. The police station is too small to hide such a real dragon."

Seeing that Wang Jianming couldn't do anything about Chen Shi, Ma Guoliang had no choice but to obediently go back, write an application, and temporarily avoid the situation for two days.

Ma Shuang stole cattle and horses; he deserved it. He'll only serve a few years in prison; he won't die.

Luckily I didn't know, otherwise I would have been implicated.

I returned home covered in dust and grime when my phone rang. I took it out and saw that it was my third uncle calling again.

He just hung up and didn't answer. It's so annoying. Your son was a thief, didn't you know? Now you're scared, but it's too late.

Around noon, Ma Guoliang was home alone when there was a loud knocking on the door.

Frustrated and irritable, Ma Guoliang shouted, "Stop knocking!"

I opened the door and saw my third uncle carrying two boxes of gifts. I said curtly, "Third Uncle."

Uncle San walked in, put down the gifts, and knelt down with a thud, startling Ma Guoliang.

"Third Uncle, what are you doing? Get up!"

Ma Guoliang rushed to help his third uncle, who was crying and pleading, "Xiaoliang, you have to save Ma Shuang. He's my only son. If anything happens to him, I won't live either."

Ma Guoliang really wanted to say, "If you don't want to live, go die! Why are you here crying at my funeral?"

With a gloomy expression, he said, "Third Uncle, what is it? Get up and tell me."

"Xiao Liang, just give your third uncle a straight answer: will you save Ma Shuang or not? If you don't, I'll kneel here forever."

Ma Guoliang really wanted to kick his third uncle out, but since he was an elder, he patiently said, "It's not that I don't want to save him, it's that I can't. Ma Shuang broke the law, and there are laws to punish him."

I've been dragged down by him, and now I'm home reflecting on my actions. Tell me, how can I save this?

"Third Uncle knows you have a way. Please save Ma Shuang. Are you going to just stand by and watch him die?"

"Ma Shuang won't die. He only stole cattle and horses; he didn't kill anyone or commit arson. He'll be out in a few years."

Go back quickly, sell all the valuables in your house, compensate the villagers, gain their forgiveness, and get a shorter sentence.

Uncle San wept uncontrollably: "Ma Shuang can't go to jail. If he goes to jail, how am I supposed to live?"

Ma Guoliang completely lost his patience and shouted, "Get out of here if you want to die! You didn't know he was a thief? The net of heaven is vast, and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it. What goes around comes around.

At this time, Ma Guoliang's wife returned. She had also heard about it. It had spread like wildfire throughout Fushan Town that last night, Chief Chen led a team to Longtougou Village and caught the thieves who stole cattle and horses.

Seeing his third uncle crying and sobbing in his own house, he picked up a broom and swung it over a few times.

"If you want to mourn, go outside. Don't come to my house to mourn. Don't say you're related to us. We can't afford to lose face like that."

Uncle San was chased out with a few brooms, and the gifts were thrown out with him.