Mastering the Sword Manual, sweeping across the globe

The yamen runner on duty, unaware of what was going on, hung up the phone and quickly sought out connections to inquire. He soon learned the truth, or rather, obtained several video links that had become somewhat popular in the local online community:

"A tough guy in Changsha enforces the law on the street! Two slaps teach that old bastard a lesson!"

Is he a hero or a thug? A young man delivers a powerful punch to a 70-year-old man!

"Order Collapse? When We Can Only Rely on Violence to Maintain Public Order and Good Customs..."

The videos were taken from various angles, some from a distance, and some secretly by people in line. Without exception, they all captured the young man with glasses dragging Old Sun out of the line like a chicken, and the two crisp, loud slaps.

Some of the videos are edited in a very clever way. Some versions only show the beating scene and add sad music; others are relatively complete, showing the background of Old Sun cutting in line and cursing.

The comments section exploded, resembling an online debate:

"Well done! Reasoning with this kind of disrespectful, rule-breaking old scoundrel is useless; you have to teach him a lesson with a slap!"

"A wish-fulfillment novel has become reality! Big brother, do you need a lackey? I'd like to become your apprentice!"

“That’s not how you use force! Cutting in line is wrong, but beating an elderly person in public is far worse! It’s illegal!”

"Hey, you sanctimonious idiot upstairs! Wait until you're disgusted by this kind of old rogue every day, then let's see if you can still say such sarcastic things!"

"Am I the only one who noticed how strong this young man was? That old man must have weighed at least 130 or 140 pounds, and he lifted him up with one hand..."

"Doxx him! This violent maniac must be exposed! He's terrifying!"

"Doxxing +1. Cutting in line is a crime, but assaulting someone is even more deserving of death!"

After watching several videos and reading the chaotic comments below, the yamen runners knew perfectly well that this matter had blown up.

Minor disputes that could have been kept quiet at the local police station are no longer simple public security cases once they are exposed online and trigger public opinion. Instead, they become political tasks that must be "pacified" as soon as possible and "explained" to superiors and netizens.

"Damn it..." the yamen runner on duty cursed under his breath, rubbing his temples. "That old man was such a coward back then, but then he brought his daughter into this mess and made a scene online... It's true what they say, a barking dog bites."

He immediately got up and found the colleague who had gone out that morning and the simple registration record.

"Boss, this is the phone number for the government's communications department. They're reporting public opinion and want us to handle it as soon as possible." He explained the situation succinctly.

The errand boy on the morning shift took the phone, scrolled through the videos, and his face darkened: "Damn! I knew that old man and his family were no pushovers! Okay, I understand. File a case, follow the procedures, and find that young man first."

"How do we find him? The steamed bun shop owner says he doesn't recognize him. Is the facial recognition data on the security camera clear enough?"

"Whether it's enough or not, we have to find him! Contact the image analysis team, send them the facial screenshots, and compare them to the database. Also, check the surrounding surveillance footage to see where he came from and where he went." The fast-track team quickly issued the instructions, his tone tinged with impatience. "Notify the community and have them keep an eye out for any young people matching the description. We need to act fast; we must find him and take him into custody before things escalate further!"

The small express delivery department was suddenly bustling with activity because of these few videos that splashed across the ocean of the internet.

4. The website review was not yet complete, and they were already on the run.

Under pressure, once the fast-track yamen machine is truly running, its efficiency is astonishing.

"Old Liu, has the image investigation team replied yet?" Li Rui, the officer on the morning's fast-track team who handled the report, was frowning as he asked the computer screen, looking at the frozen profile image of Zhang Qiliang.

Across from him, Wang Lei, a younger assistant supervisor, had just hung up the phone: "I got back. They said the screenshot is a bit blurry and needs to be processed first... but it's not a big problem. It should take about ten minutes to get the comparison results!"

Li Rui hummed in agreement, his gaze remaining fixed on the screen.

The young man's calm, almost indifferent gaze on the screen made him feel vaguely uneasy.

This doesn't seem like the behavior of an ordinary young person impulsively fighting.

“Public opinion is raging,” another old yamen runner said, strolling over with a thermos cup and glancing at the screen. “The internet is in an uproar. The pressure on the media is immense, with death threats coming one after another… We need to subdue them as soon as possible and quell the unrest.”

Wang Lei leaned closer to Li Rui and whispered, "Brother Li, after watching this video, that old man really deserved... uh, he was definitely in the wrong first. We really need to..."

Li Rui glared at him: "Whether it's right or wrong is not for you or me to decide. He made a move, so the nature of the incident has changed. Now that it's on the internet, under everyone's watchful eyes, the procedures must be completed, and the person must be found."

Having apparently received a tip-off, the image analysis department acted swiftly this time, calling back in just 8 minutes.

Wang Lei answered the call, listened for a few minutes, and quickly entered a string of ID card numbers into the internal system.

“Here it comes! Brother Li, Zhang Qiliang, male, 25 years old, from X city, H province, Han nationality…” Wang Lei read aloud as he looked at the basic information that popped up on the screen.

"What's your address? What's your workplace?" Li Rui pressed.

"Checking... The household registration system shows he rents a place, but the specific address needs to be retrieved from the temporary residence registration or another system... Got it!" Wang Lei's fingers flew across the keyboard, accessing different data permissions. "Found his employer through his social security payment records, 'Xingcheng Xunjie Technology Co., Ltd.,' and his job title... Hmm, seems to be a programmer. His rented address is... Room 503, Unit 3, Building 7, Xiangyang Village!"

Li Rui immediately issued instructions: "Contact his company's affiliated units in the same jurisdiction to verify whether he is on duty today. Also, notify the community grid workers to find out about his usual performance indirectly."

Once the order was issued, all departments within the government office sprang into action.

The sounds of telephones ringing, keyboards clattering, and hushed conversations rose and fell, weaving together an invisible net.

Wang Lei continued to delve deeper into the data: "Brother Li, we've found his phone number, 139XXXXXXXX. We've already shared it with the technical investigation team; we can try to pinpoint his real-time location."

"Ah."

"The associated WeChat account has also been found; its nickname is 'Liangzi Chuangtianya' (亮子闯天涯)."

"Where's the account? Have you checked the recent spending records?"

"Yes, there was a food delivery payment record last night, the address was his rented apartment... We also pulled up the records from his usual ride-hailing apps. For the past week, he's basically been traveling between the company and his residence, occasionally going to a few shopping districts..."

In the era of big data, the traces individuals leave in the digital world are impossible to hide.

Within just half an hour, Zhang Qiliang's phone number, social media accounts, spending habits, travel patterns, even his preferred takeout restaurants and which residential compounds he frequently visited for late-night taxi rides were all recorded...

All the information that could be recorded and analyzed was quickly compiled onto the screen in front of Li Rui.

Looking at the nearly full personal information panel, Wang Lei couldn't help but click his tongue: "Goodness, it usually takes two or three hours to get to this point..."

Li Rui didn't respond, but stared intently at Zhang Qiliang's ID photo and rental address, his eyes sharp.

After looking at it for a dozen seconds, Li Rui picked up the walkie-talkie and began to plan the next step of the operation:

"Xiao Wang, get ready. Bring the necessary paperwork and apply for a temporary action team. Target: Zhang Qiliang, address: Building 7, Xiangyang Village. Notify the property management and community police there to cooperate. First, confirm from the outside whether the target is home. Be quick; bring him back before public opinion escalates further!"

"Yes!" Wang Lei immediately got up and jogged off to prepare.

……

It was past 8 p.m., and the night was deep.

At the door of Room 503, Unit 3, Building 7, Xiangyang Village, two constables who were ordered to stay behind confirmed again: "Team Leader Li, there is indeed no movement inside. We knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. According to the data analysis, he should be home at this time."

Li Rui's decisive voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Understood. You guys keep watch and keep a close eye on him. Wang Lei, immediately arrange for the second group to go check out his company! The third group, go to all the places he frequents—the gym, the internet cafe he hangs out at, and his girlfriend's place!"

The order was issued swiftly, and radio communications between the yamen's internal dispatch and several groups of field personnel immediately became frequent.

While coordinating, Wang Lei kept an eye on the screen, trying to find more clues from Zhang Qiliang's data trajectory.

Time ticked by, and reports kept coming in over the walkie-talkie:

"Team Leader Li, the company's doors are locked. The property management said they've been closed for a long time."

"I didn't see him at the gym. The receptionist said there was no attendance record for him today."

"We checked the internet cafe, and they weren't online."

"I asked his girlfriend, and she said they've been having breakup arguments lately and haven't been in contact for several days."

They searched every usual corner where he might appear, but found nothing.

The atmosphere in the office gradually became heavy.

Li Rui frowned. The failure of conventional methods meant that the situation might be more complicated than expected.

“There’s no other way,” Li Rui took a deep breath. “Wang Lei, try calling his cell phone… Be careful how you do it, don’t reveal your intentions.”

This is not common in case handling, as direct phone calls could easily alert the suspect, but there was no time to worry about that at the moment.

Wang Lei picked up an inconspicuous landline phone and dialed a number.

The number you dialed is currently switched off...

The cold, impersonal system notification tone came through the hands-free microphone, exceptionally clear in the quiet office.

"It's switched off." Wang Lei put down the phone, his expression not looking good.

An ominous premonition began to permeate the minds of all those involved in the operation.

What does it mean when a young person who is completely accustomed to modern life suddenly goes missing and turns off their phone?

Did they realize the danger and hide their whereabouts, or...?

"Locate him! Immediately request precise location tracking of his phone!" Li Rui's voice was filled with an undeniable urgency.

Technical measures were immediately activated, and permissions were quickly granted.

Just then, the team sent to Zhang Qiliang's company for a detailed investigation returned with more accurate information:

“Team Leader Li, we’ve got the facts. Zhang Qiliang did arrive at the company around 8:40 this morning, later than usual. According to his colleagues, he seemed very strange at the time, his eyes were shining, and he seemed particularly excited. He went back to his workstation, didn’t say a word, and quickly started packing his personal belongings—keyboard, water cup, several technical books, a power bank from his drawer, and some small odds and ends—stuffed them into a backpack and left, without even turning off his computer. Because of his sudden absence, several projects at the company have stalled. We’ve been looking for him all day, and his phone went from not answering at first to being switched off later; we couldn’t reach him at all.”

This news was like a boulder thrown into a lake that was already turbulent.

Without following any procedures, they simply lost contact with the company... The ominous premonition was almost materializing.

Just then, feedback from the technical department came through. Wang Lei looked at the location information on the screen, his pupils contracted slightly, and he reported in a dry voice:

"Team Leader Li, the location results are in... Zhang Qiliang's cell phone signal, the last and only location... is in Room 503, Unit 3, Building 7, Xiangyang Village, his own rented room."

He paused, then added the most crucial, and chilling detail:

"Moreover, the signal has remained stable since 10:03 a.m. today and has not moved at all."

My phone is at home and hasn't been used since 10 a.m.

But the person had vanished without a trace.

The office was deathly silent.

Everyone realized that this seemingly simple violation was likely heading in a direction they could never have predicted.

5. Gray Area

9:20 PM, Room 503, Unit 3, Building 7, Xiangyang Village.

When the landlord opened the door with a spare key, Li Rui was the first to smell a mixture of dust and old furniture.

The room was dark, so he turned on the light switch on the wall.

The fluorescent lights flickered a few times and then came on, illuminating this ordinary one-bedroom apartment.

An empty instant noodle bowl sat on the coffee table in the living room, the sofa was slightly sagged, and everything was no different from the rental rooms of most young men living alone, and it wasn't even particularly tidy.

"Zhang Qiliang! We're from the Furong Express Class branch office. We're here to ask you about something!" Wang Lei called out into the room.

no respond.

Li Rui gave a hand signal, and two constables quickly entered to inspect the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.

"Nobody here, Captain Li."

Li Rui walked to the center of the living room and scanned the room.

There were no signs of a struggle or a hasty search in the room.

His gaze fell on the computer desk in the corner—the monitor was lit with the power saving mode indicator, the side panel of the computer case was casually placed on the ground, and the hard drive bracket inside the case was empty.

"The hard drive was removed," Li Rui said calmly.

Wang Lei put on gloves and began the initial examination.

He opened the computer desk drawer, which contained only some messy stationery and data cables.

He then went to the bedroom and soon found some shiny fragments in the gap between the bedside table and the bed on the floor.

He carefully picked up a piece of glass with tweezers; it was the glass from the phone screen. "Captain Li, the phone is here... smashed to pieces."

Li Rui walked over and squatted down.

The state of the wreckage was appalling: the screen was completely shattered, the body was twisted and deformed, the motherboard showed obvious signs of being struck and bent by a blunt object, and the battery was punctured.

This was a thorough, deliberate act of destruction, not an accidental fall.

"Has the technical team arrived yet?" Li Rui asked.

"Just got downstairs."

"Bring them up. Examine them carefully, especially the pile of cell phone fragments and the computer case. Check for fingerprints and signs of sabotage. Also, search the entire room for any other clues, or... any traces he might have left behind."

Li Rui was more concerned about the timeline.

According to current information: Zhang Qiliang assaulted someone at a steamed bun shop at approximately 7:10 AM and left the scene before 7:30 AM. Company colleagues confirmed that he arrived at the company around 8:40 AM, stayed briefly, and left with his personal belongings before 9:00 AM. After that, he disappeared without a trace.

According to the signal records provided by the carrier, the last active base station location of his phone was in this residential area, with a timestamp of 10:03 AM. After that, the signal completely disappeared—meaning that from 10:03 AM onwards, the phone became a pile of scrap metal.

Li Rui glanced at his watch.

It's 9:25 p.m.