Special Forces Medic-Chapter 607 - 573: Who Are You?
"Hmm!" Xiao Lin sat down dejectedly on the bed. The girl came out of the bathroom after getting dressed, and after the burly man gave her a look, she hurriedly ran past him. "Hey, officer, she’s running!" Xiao Lin quickly pointed at the fleeing girl and shouted.
The burly man slammed the door shut, looking menacingly at Xiao Lin. "Why are you shouting? Do you still want that girl to stay, to go to the police station with you as a witness? Are you playing with minors?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
"No, officer, she seduced me!" Xiao Lin tried hard to recall what people caught in TV dramas would say to refute their crimes.
"Hmph!" The burly man snorted coldly, spitting on the floor, which marred the pink carpet. "Rich folks like you all say the same thing; we’ve heard it all before."
"In that case, let’s go!" Xiao Lin glanced at the slightly greenish-yellow stain with a frown.
"You seem pretty cooperative. Alright then, seeing as it’s your first offense, I’ll give you a chance to turn over a new leaf."
"Oh, how do I turn over a new leaf?" Xiao Lin looked hopeful, his face eagerly turned towards the burly man, his eyes shining. "Does that mean I don’t have to go to the police station?"
"Hmm, but that depends on how smart you are." The burly man pulled up a chair, sat down facing Xiao Lin, crossed his legs, occasionally waving the camera in his hand. "You know."
"I don’t understand." Xiao Lin shook his head. "It would be better if the officer explained."
"Don’t you know that money can make the devil turn millstones?" The burly man impatiently curled his lips. "Now, you’ve got two options: either come with me to the police station and make the headlines, or offer some hush money, and I’ll cut you some slack."
"Oh, so it’s about money!" Xiao Lin exhaled, patting his chest. "I don’t mind giving money, but how do I know you’ll let me go after I pay you this time?"
"Yo, you look so clean-cut yet seem experienced. Have you been played like this often?" The burly man burst into laughter, spitting once more on the floor, this time about a step away from Xiao Lin’s toes. "Don’t worry, that’s what ordinary people do. We have professional ethics."
"I see!" Xiao Lin looked at the burly man half-skeptically, still finding it hard to believe his words.
"How about this: you give me the money, and I’ll delete the photos in front of you, okay?" The burly man saw Xiao Lin’s continuing suspicion but remained civil, thinking his suggestion was reasonable. The digital camera hadn’t left his hand, so there was no chance to transfer photos to a computer or print them out.
"I don’t have cash. How much do you want? I’ll have someone send it over." Xiao Lin nodded, considering it and finding it acceptable, so he agreed to his request.
"This amount!" The burly man held up one hand, thinking he’s finally found a cash cow to fleece.
"Five hundred thousand!" Xiao Lin covered his hand in disbelief at such a high number, raising his eyebrows.
"Huh?" The burly man was also stunned, having only wanted fifty thousand. "What? Can’t someone with a Huaxia Bauhinia Card afford it?"
"Huh? How do you know I have that card?" Xiao Lin gleefully realized the burly man’s slip. "So, you’re not a cop."
"Damn it, you punk!" The burly man, realizing, quickly stood up from the stool and swung a punch at Xiao Lin. Just then, the door was kicked open once more, and flashlights flickered several times.
"The police are hitting people! The police are hitting people!" Amidst Xiao Lin’s high-pitched shouts, the burly man noticed something was wrong. He took a few steps back, stepping right on where he spat earlier. He found no matter how he swung, he couldn’t touch the man, always missing by just a bit, as if being toyed with.
"Who are you?" Realizing something was off, he stopped and scrutinized the man before him.
"Someone playing with minors." Xiao Lin, sitting on the bed, gestured to Hua Qingyi behind him, who then closed the door, shutting out the onlookers. "Oh, I don’t have five hundred thousand, but this person here has cash. Show me your camera’s photos, and if it’s true, we’ll make the transaction."
The burly man didn’t look at the person behind him. Instead, he opened the digital camera in his hand. "How can this be?" The camera was blank, with nothing on it, despite him previously capturing images. "Who are you, and what did you do?"
"Just a simple exposure trick, you can’t capture anything." Xiao Lin crossed his legs, elegantly swinging his raised leg. "Since you have no bargaining chips with me, let’s talk about another deal."
"What?" The burly man started to back away, looking for an escape route.
"Who are you really?" More alarmed upon hearing his identity revealed, the burly man, even trying to flee through the door, was intercepted by Hua Qingyi.
"I’d advise against attempting to escape. Before our deal is over, you won’t get away." Xiao Lin shook his head at him. "Even if you’re part of the underworld, you’re mere child’s play in the eyes of the one behind me. Attempt to resist before you’re old enough to lose limbs, and it won’t be a joke."
It was only then that the burly man turned to look. Upon seeing someone behind him who was even more attractive than a woman, he began to doubt the truth of the man’s words, but he dared not take the risk.
"So, are you interested in the second deal?" Xiao Lin asked, noticing the slyness in the burly man’s shifting eyes. "We recorded you hitting just now. You can see it if you don’t believe me."
"No need!" The burly man’s eyes rolled as he settled back into the chair. "Playing a game of the black eating the black with me?"
"Black eating black, what’s so fun about such a low-level game?" Xiao Lin shook his head. "Let’s make a deal. You give me your line, and I’ll spare you."
"Hahaha!" The burly man laughed as if hearing something funny. "You think with just some evidence, you can execute me on the spot? I have connections in the station, you know. Your evidence might only lock me up for a year, but a little bribe can fix it in a week. If I don’t want to sit in jail, spend a bit more, find someone to take the fall—this happens everywhere now, I’m not afraid."
The burly man’s words sounded credible, but to Hua Qingyi, they were nonsense. "Connected in the station? Lin Zhifang, or the precinct’s Xiao Lin?" With a cigarette lit, Hua Qingyi’s face was cold. The northern district was destined to be excavated. "But let me tell you, neither Lin can protect themselves. You think you can rely on them? I suggest you cooperate with me."
"Are you threatening me?" The burly man didn’t believe what Hua Qingyi said.
"Don’t believe me, but you can call the station right now and ask the old man." Hua Qingyi handed over the hotel phone to the burly man. "Call now."
To verify, the burly man indeed dialed the precinct.
"Hello?" Director Zhao answered the phone irritably. Today had been earth-shattering; a group barged in and took Xiao Lin away. At first, he thought it was robbers, but when they showed their IDs, he was so scared he couldn’t even swallow. He still hadn’t dared to touch the drink on his desk, unsure which group they belonged to.
"Lao Zhao, I’m looking for Xiao Lin." The burly man looked at Hua Qingyi and tossed a sentence to Director Zhao. The age-old dictate of thieves fearing soldiers seemed inverted now as the soldier relied on the thief to cover up.
"Oh!" Director Zhao, recognizing the voice, quickly lowered his voice. "I’m telling you, don’t call me for a while. Xiao Lin was taken, and I don’t want any trouble right now."
"What, he was taken? When did this happen?" The burly man felt sweat breaking out on his forehead, his hand trembling as he gripped the phone.
"You didn’t know?" Director Zhao craned his neck to peek outside. "Just a moment ago, less than an hour, a group came in and took Xiao Lin away."
"Do you know who they are?" The burly man began to lower his voice too, covering the phone with his hand. "Can you get him out?"
"I guess that’s unlikely. It was the Sharp Sword Special Forces. No idea who he pissed off; you better lie low for now."
The burly man hung up the phone, glaring at Hua Qingyi. "Who are you people?"
"Who we are isn’t important. What’s important is whether you will cooperate." Xiao Lin believed the burly man had heard enough from Director Zhao, achieving the effect he intentionally left for him. He didn’t arrest Director Zhao, allowing a line for the underlings to follow, this man being the first, with more to come in due time.
"How do we cooperate?" the burly man asked, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. He realized he was not dealing with ordinary people now, and that whoever commanded such a unit must have significant power. "I don’t know anything."
"I bet you do," Hua Qingyi replied with cool detachment as he lit a cigarette. "The North District is going to be dug up, it’s inevitable. And neither Lin can help themselves; don’t think you can rely on them."
Not believing Hua Qingyi, the burly man started to leave, but every exit was blocked.
"I advise you not to try escaping. Before we finish our deal, you won’t get away. Even if you’re a low-level thug, the man behind you sees you as nothing more than a small-time player. If you try to escape, you’ll be the one left short a limb or two. I mean it."
So, do you want to make a second deal?" Xiao Lin asked him, seeing the cunning sparkle in his eyes. "Now we’ve recorded you hitting someone; you can check if you don’t believe it."
"No need!" The man’s eyes darted around as he sat back down. "Playing a blackmail game with me?"
"Blackmail? That’s so basic it’s boring." Xiao Lin shook his head. "Let’s make a deal. Give me your intel, and I’ll let you walk."
"Hahaha!" The burly man laughed mockingly as if he had heard something amusing. "You think just because you have some evidence, you can bring me to justice? I’ve got friends in the station, you know. Your so-called evidence might send me in for a year barely, with some money, I can be out in a week. And if I don’t want to see the inside of a cell, I’ll pay someone else to take the blame—it’s done everywhere, I’m not scared."
What the burly man said sounded plausible to anyone, but to Hua Qingyi, it didn’t ring true. "Friends in the station? Lin Zhifang, or the little guy at the precinct?" Hua Qingyi lit a cigarette, his face cold as he remembered that the North District was bound to be unearthed. "But I want to tell you, neither Lin can protect themselves, better not count on them."
"I don’t believe you. I’m calling the station right now to ask that old man," said the burly man, and he picked up the phone and dialed the police station.
"Hello?" Director Zhao picked up, sounding irritable. Following the unexpected raid and Xiao Lin’s removal, he thought they were some kind of robbers until they showed their credentials, at which point he could only muster the energy to swallow his own words.
"Lao Zhao, I’m looking for Xiao Lin." The burly man gave a quick glance towards Hua Qingyi and delivered his message to Director Zhao, clearly frightened.
"Hey there!" Director Zhao lowered his voice as he recognized the caller. "I’m telling you, don’t call me for a while. Xiao Lin’s gotten into some trouble, and I don’t know who it was that he crossed, but someone powerful has had him picked up. I suggest you don’t do anything reckless for now."
Putting down the phone, the burly man was visibly shaken. "Who are you guys, really?"
"As I said, it doesn’t matter who we are. What matters is if you’re willing to make the deal?" Xiao Lin asked, noticing the cunning in the man’s shifting eyes. "I recorded you hitting just now, you wanna take a look?"
"There’s no need!" The burly man’s eyes darted nervously as he sat back in the chair. "You want to play a game of black eats black with me?"
"Black eats black, what’s exciting about such a low-level game?" Xiao Lin shook his head. "Let’s strike a deal: you give me your line, and I’ll let you go."
"Hahaha!" The burly man laughed as if he had heard a good joke. "You think those so-called pieces of evidence can send me to jail? Let me tell you, I know people in the station, your evidence might at best land me in for a year, but with some cash, I can get out in a week. If I don’t want to go to jail, I just need to pay a bit more, find someone to take the fall—stuff like this happens all the time. I’m not scared."
What the burly man said might have seemed solid, but to Hua Qingyi, it sounded otherwise. "Friends at the station? Lin Zhifang, or the little guy at your local precinct?" Hua Qingyi lit a cigarette, his face icy cold. The Northern District was certainly a place to be unrooted. "But I want to tell you that neither Lin can save themselves. If you think you can rely on those two, I’d suggest otherwise—unless you’re planning to spend the rest of your life missing a few limbs."
At this point, the burly man finally thought to turn his head, and upon realizing the person behind him was a man more beautiful than a woman, he started to doubt whether what the man was saying was true. But he didn’t dare take chances.
"So, do you want to make the second trade?" Xiao Lin asked him, detecting his cunning from his flickering gaze. "I just caught footage of you hitting. See for yourself."
"No need!" The burly man’s eyes darted as he slipped back into the chair. "You want to play the blackmail game?"
"Blackmail? What’s so fun about such lowbrow games?" Xiao Lin shook his head. "Let’s make a deal. Give me your contact, and I will let you walk free."
"Hahaha!" The burly man exploded with laughter, as if he had heard some ridiculous joke. "You think with whatever makeshift evidence you just gathered, you can nail me? You know I have connections inside the station, right? Your so-called evidence might just land me in for a year, but with a bit of cash, I can be out in a week. And if I don’t want to serve time, I’ll just pay a bit more to have someone take the fall. It happens all the time, so I have nothing to fear."
The burly man’s words seemed plausible, but to Hua Qingyi, they didn’t sound convincing. "Know people in the station? Lin Zhifang, or that junior officer, Xiao Lin?" Fluttering the cigarette, Hua Qingyi’s face was all cold and serious. The northern district was sure to be dug deep. "But let me tell you, neither of those Lins can protect themselves. If you’re planning to get by on just those relationships, I advise you to think again before you find yourself missing a limb while you’re still young. I’m not joking."
The burly man turned around, surprised to find someone more beautiful than a woman behind him, and again doubted the truth of this man’s words. But he didn’t dare take any risks.
"So, are you going to do a second deal?" Xiao Lin asked him, seeing the slyness in his blinking eyes. "We just captured you on camera hitting someone; if you don’t believe it, you can take a look."
"No need!" The burly man’s eyes shifted nervously as he settled back into the chair. "Playing a black eats black game with me?"
"What’s fun about such a low-level game?" Xiao Lin shook his head. "Let’s make a deal. Give me your line, and I’ll let you off the hook."
"Hahaha!" The burly man laughed as if hearing something amusing. "You think you can just get me with some flimsy evidence and get me convicted? Know that I have contacts in the precinct too. Your evidence might get me locked up for a year at most, and with a little money, I’ll be out in a week. If I want to avoid being jailed, I can always pay a bit more and find someone else to take the fall. It’s common practice nowadays, I’m not afraid of that."
The burly man’s words seemed really plausible, but to Hua Qingyi, they were far from the truth. "Friends in the station? Lin Zhifang, or the little guy at your precinct?" Hua Qingyi lit up a cigarette, his face ice-cold. The North District was definitely going to be dug up. "But let me tell you, no matter which Lin, they’re both unreliable for their own skins. If you’re planning to rely on them, I suggest you collaborate with us before you can’t even walk out of this room."
The burly man finally turned to look behind him and found an incredibly handsome man standing there. Doubt crept into his mind, but he didn’t dare to take a chance.
"Okay, how do we make this second deal?" he said, lighting a cigarette, realizing he had crossed paths with someone he shouldn’t have. "I don’t know anything."
Hua Qingyi spoke, full of composure, "The station people you know, Lin Zhifang or the guy from your precinct, Xiao Lin?" As she lit a cigarette, her expression remained cold, knowing that the North District would surely be excavated. "But I want to tell you, no matter which Lin, they can’t protect themselves. If you’re thinking of relying on those two, I’d suggest cooperating instead of trying to run."
Do you want to make a second deal?" Xiao Lin asked, seeing the slyness in the burly man’s eyes. "We managed to capture you hitting someone on camera just now; if you don’t believe it, you can see it for yourself."
"No need!" The burly man’s eyes darted as he sat back in the chair. "Playing a game of black eats black?"
"Black eats black, such a low-level game isn’t any fun." Xiao Lin shook his head. "Let’s make a trade. Hand over your line, and I’ll let you go."
"Hahahahaha!" The burly man seemed to have heard a hilarious story. "Do you think you can get me kicked out with some so-called evidence? I have people in the bureau, you know. Your evidence might put me away for a year at most, and with some bribe money, I could get it settled in a week. To avoid jail, spend more, and find someone to take the fall; it’s pretty common now, you know."
The burly man’s words sounded somewhat credible, but to Hua Qingyi, they were far from it. "People in the bureau? Lin Zhifang, or your precinct’s Xiao Lin?" Hua Qingyi lit a cigarette with a steely expression; the North District would be excavated for sure. "But let me tell you, neither Lin can protect themselves, and if you’re relying on either of them, you better cooperate with us."
"Are you threatening me?" The burly man did not believe Hua Qingyi.
"Don’t believe me? Dial the number for the precinct right now, ask that old man." Hua Qingyi handed the hotel room’s phone to the burly man. "Go ahead, call."
Looking to confirm, the burly man indeed called the precinct.
"Hello?" Director Zhao answered grumpily. It had been a hell of a day; a group had barged in and taken Xiao Lin. Initially, he thought they were robbers, but seeing their IDs had left him too scared even to swallow, to the extent that he didn’t dare touch the drink on his desk, unsure of which side they belonged.
"Hey, Lao Zhao, I need Xiao Lin." said the burly man, throwing a line at Director Zhao while looking at Hua Qingyi, almost reflexively relying on the cops to cover up, an ironic reversal.
"Oh!" Director Zhao immediately recognized him and, lowering his voice, replied, "I’m telling you, don’t call me right now. Xiao Lin’s been taken. I don’t want any trouble amidst all this."
"What? He got taken? When did that happen?" The burly man began to sweat, his grip on the phone trembling.
"You didn’t know?" Director Zhao craned his neck, peeking out twice. "Just a moment ago, less than an hour. A group came in and arrested Xiao Lin."
"Do you know who they are?" The burly man whispered, shielding the receiver with one hand. "Can you get him out?"
"I doubt it; it’s the Sharp Sword Special Forces. I don’t know who that kid messed with, but I suggest you don’t do anything reckless."
The burly man placed the phone back down, glaring at Hua Qingyi. "Who the hell are you people?"
"Who we are isn’t important. What matters is whether you want to cooperate." Xiao Lin believed the burly man had gotten enough information from Director Zhao. This was exactly the effect he intentionally left for him. He let Director Zhao go, leaving a line for the underlings to follow, beginning with this man, followed by a second, and a third...
"How do we cooperate?" The burly man took out a cigarette, lighting it up. This time, he had bumped into a significant figure, courageous enough to arrest Xiao Lin. Presumably, they didn’t even care about the police bureau’s chief. He wasn’t familiar with the Sharp Sword Special Forces, but knew anyone able to move such a unit had considerable influence. "I don’t know anything." (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation.)
