Chapter 434: You Lied to Me
Chief Yan continued knocking on the door, “Wang Xu, Wang Xu, are you in there? I’m alone, unarmed. You can check through the window.”
Chief Yan stepped to the side of the first-row window and lifted his shirt to show he had no weapon. Lin Qiupu and the others anxiously waited in the corridor. Lin Qiupu asked Wang Xu’s teacher, “Do these three kids have any issues?”
“I’m not sure.”
A female student suddenly appeared and said, “Officer, I know. Liu Dong and Ma Fei often bullied Wang Xu. I’ve seen them pushing his face into the sandpit on the playground after school and playing a game called ‘Aluba.’ It was clearly bullying. I warned Liu Dong several times that I would tell the teacher, but they always claimed it was just for fun.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe because Wang Xu’s family is poor. The boys in our class often make fun of him and joke about him… Teacher Li, haven’t you noticed that whenever Wang Xu reads aloud or answers questions in class, everyone laughs?”
The teacher responded, “I… I didn’t realize. Is that really what happened?”
Lin Qiupu relayed this information to Chief Yan over the radio, who replied, “Got it.”
At that moment, the curtain of the first-row window moved slightly, as if someone was peeking out. Then the door opened a crack. Lin Qiupu warned, “Be careful!”
“Don’t worry, it’s okay.”
Chief Yan entered the classroom and saw several desks overturned, forming a barricade in front of the podium. One boy lay on the ground, clutching his bleeding stomach and groaning in pain. Another boy stood, trembling, holding a gun.
There was a bullet hole in the window facing the playground.
Chief Yan said, “I’m Deputy Chief Yan from the Public Security Bureau. I’m here to negotiate. You can tell me your demands.”
Wang Xu panted heavily but remained silent.
“I’m here to help you. I know they bullied and teased you, and the teachers didn’t do anything. But look, you’ve made them pay a painful price. After this, no one in your class will dare bully you again. You need to calm down. If we send this boy to the hospital now, he can still be saved. You’re a minor; as long as no one dies, you won’t face criminal charges. If we wait, it will be much worse. Okay?”
Chief Yan tried to move closer, but Wang Xu raised the gun and shouted, “Don’t come any closer!”
This was part of Chief Yan’s negotiation tactic—getting the other person to talk, no matter what they said. He continued, “You finally spoke. Tell me, what do you want?”
“What I want, will you give it to me?” Wang Xu asked.
“We can negotiate.”
“Fine, get my dad out of prison.”
“What’s your father’s situation?”
“He was arrested for robbery and has been in prison since I was in elementary school. If it wasn’t for this, I wouldn’t have been bullied. Other kids have parents, but I don’t!”
As he spoke, Wang Xu’s emotions flared.
“Calm down,” Chief Yan soothed. “This isn’t something we can do right away. You’re almost an adult; you should know the police, courts, and prisons are separate entities. However, I can call the prison and see what can be done. But you need to meet us halfway and let this boy get medical attention. Delaying any longer isn’t good for anyone.”
“Call now!” Wang Xu demanded.
“Alright, I’m calling…” Chief Yan pulled out his phone and dialed Lin Qiupu. Pretending it was the prison, he said, “Hello, City Prison? This is Chief Yan from the Public Security Bureau. We have a situation… What’s the name of your father?” he asked Wang Xu.
“Wang Dahai.”
Lin Qiupu, on the other end, said, “The SWAT team is here, waiting outside the classroom.”
Chief Yan glanced casually at the window and continued, “Do you have an inmate named Wang Dahai? What’s his sentence… Oh, I see.”
Lin Qiupu added, “The boy sent to the hospital has died. The bullet pierced his heart.”
“I see,” Chief Yan said, then continued his fake conversation, “I need Wang Dahai to be released now. Sort out the paperwork… and have him brought to No. 6 High School.”
Lin Qiupu asked, “Do we really need to do this? If so, cough once; if not, cough twice.”
Chief Yan coughed twice, “Alright, make it quick.”
He hung up and sincerely told Wang Xu, “The prison is processing it. Your father should be out in a few hours. I’ll have him come to see you, okay?”
Wang Xu looked doubtful, “Did you really call?”
“Why would I lie? If I did, you could shoot me.”
“Adults always lie!”
“I’m different from other adults. I said I came to help you, and I mean it… Wang Xu, in a few hours, you’ll see your dad. But this boy can’t wait that long. Let him go, and we’ll wait here together. Okay?”
Wang Xu hesitated, the gun slowly lowering. The wounded boy’s cries were weakening, and his face was pale from blood loss.
Chief Yan decided to take a stronger approach, “Wang Xu, stop being foolish. He’s about to die! If you hesitate, there’s no turning back! Do you want to end up like your father?”
“But…” Wang Xu’s lips trembled, “If I let him go, you’ll arrest me.”
“I’m in charge here. No one will rush in to arrest you. Or you can take me as your hostage. How about that?”
Taking a hostage was a common negotiation tactic. Chief Yan planned to disarm him once close enough. He was confident he could handle the situation with Wang Xu, a frail teenager.
Chief Yan urged, “Decide quickly. We’ve agreed to your request. Now you need to keep your promise.”
The boy on the ground pleaded, “It hurts… Please… I don’t want to die!”
Chief Yan said, “Look at him. If he dies, his family will suffer. Let him go, and both families can reunite happily. Isn’t that better?”
Wang Xu yelled at Ma Fei, “Why did you bully me? Why?”
Ma Fei cried, “I won’t do it again… I swear… I swear!”
Chief Yan guided the situation, “He’s learned his lesson. He won’t bully you again. You’re in control now. You’re the boss! Let him go!”
Wang Xu’s resolve weakened. He looked up and asked, “If he dies, I’ll go to jail, right?”
“Yes.”
“Is Liu Dong dead?”
Chief Yan pretended to inquire over the radio, then smiled, “My team says he’s been saved. He’s out of danger.”
Wang Xu’s eyes widened, “You lied to me!”
The next second, a deafening gunshot echoed from the classroom, stunning everyone outside.