Chapter 97

Liu Handong felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. This feeling was just like when he was in junior high and a thug on the street hit him hard with a pool cue. At that moment, he knew he had been shot.

The man driving the car panicked and did not continue shooting. Instead, he put the car in reverse and fled in a hurry. Liu Handong, enduring the intense pain, pulled out his Type 77 pistol. The gun was not cocked, but he knew this type of gun could be cocked by pulling the trigger guard with one hand to increase efficiency in combat and gain the upper hand. However, when he pulled it, he felt a strong recoil, which hurt his hand. He fired several shots in a row, *bang bang bang*, hitting the car's hood. Due to the low power of the bullets, they probably only hit the fan, and the car's movement was not affected. It screeched away.

Comrades rushed out from the factory, aiming their assault rifles at the car, but the distance was too far, and they did not hit any critical parts. The car made a sharp turn in the open area, accelerated, and fled.

Since there were no cars nearby, the colleagues could not pursue. They could only angrily put away their guns. Geng Zhi came over to check on Liu Handong, who was sitting on the ground, leaning against a utility pole. The semi-circular lower part of his bulletproof vest had a bullet head embedded in it, now mushroom-shaped, with smoke curling up. The bullet head was half-sunk in. If it weren't for the high-quality bulletproof vest, Liu Handong would have been seriously injured.

"Ben Lei, how are you?" Xiao Fang came over to help Liu Handong up.

"Don't move him, let him rest for a moment," Geng Zhi stopped Xiao Fang.

The bullet had passed through the car door and then hit the bulletproof vest, losing much of its kinetic energy, but it was still powerful. The lower abdomen is the softest part of the human body, containing the intestines, which cannot withstand a heavy blow. Liu Handong's face was very pale, and he turned his head to vomit. After a few retches, he felt better, unbuttoned his bulletproof vest, and slowly stood up.

"I remember the license plate, it's Jiang CWZ235. The car is an old Buick Regal. There's a bullet hole in the right door. The driver is about thirty years old, wearing glasses, a blue vertical-striped shirt, and a 70-30 hairstyle. He has a common face."

Liu Handong slowly said this. After listening, Geng Zhi immediately asked for assistance from the Pingchuan police to apprehend the Buick Regal and to alert the local police, as this was a vicious drug dealer.

Xiao Fang tried to help Liu Handong, but he refused: "It's just a minor thing, I wasn't hit." He picked up his bulletproof vest and walked back, found a place to sit, and pried out the mushroom-shaped bullet head. He also took out the grenade pin from the day before and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Less than a day in the narcotics squad, and I've already received two gifts. How does that make you feel?" Xiao Fang sat down and handed him a cigarette.

"Absolutely thrilled," Liu Handong said. He was a veteran who had experienced life and death, but he was still not used to the life of a narcotics officer, who lived on the edge of death every day.

Xiao Fang took a puff of the cigarette and said slowly, "I also encountered a grenade once. It was Geng Zhi who saved me. He kicked me away and pounced on the smoking grenade..."

"How are you still alive and kicking?" Liu Handong was puzzled.

"It was a dud, a World War II relic that had become ineffective." Xiao Fang patted Liu Handong's shoulder. "Ben Lei, don't worry. The more fearless you are, the more bullets will miss you. It's just your bad luck. We're in the final stages of a major case, and it's been very busy lately. It's not like we have gunfights every day."

In the distance, Geng Zhi and the local narcotics police were arguing, probably about jurisdiction. Geng Zhi wanted to take the suspect and evidence away, but the local police said they had been watching the place for a long time and refused to let them go.

"Alright, I'll have the leadership of the narcotics division contact your leadership." Geng Zhi picked up his phone, but after several calls, he couldn't get through because it was not yet office hours, and he couldn't find the senior leadership to coordinate.

Coordination would take time, so Geng Zhi left some people to guard the scene and let the others go into the city for breakfast.

The private industrial park was desolate, with no breakfast places within a few kilometers. Fangzheng took Liu Handong and a few others, driving around the area until they found a stall selling baozi and spicy soup. They parked and had breakfast, ordering several pounds of baozi and a bowl of soup each. Liu Handong looked around. This was the outskirts of Pingchuan City, and it was still early. Not many shops were open. Across the street was a school with a sign that read "Pingchuan No. 1 High School."

"Hey, wasn't Huanxi from this school? They say Pingchuan No. 1 High School is a cradle of students for Peking and Tsinghua Universities. Students from poor areas know only to study hard, and their college admission rate is higher than that of famous high schools in the provincial capital. Almost 90% of the students can go to college, and every year, several students are admitted to Peking and Tsinghua. But I haven't heard of any of these students achieving great success after graduation. I guess the intense studying has drained their creativity and imagination."

The breakfast stall was located below a hotel, which catered to parents accompanying their children for study. Pingchuan No. 1 High School had strict rules, and there was almost no student dating, so the hotels nearby were not like those near other schools, which were essentially cheap love hotels for students.

The hotel was open 24 hours a day. At that moment, two people came out, and Liu Handong stood up: "Sister Mei, Huanxi."

What a coincidence. Sister Mei and Huanxi were staying at this hotel, probably to handle some matters at Pingchuan No. 1 High School. They had arrived late last night and stayed overnight, planning to have breakfast and go to the school in the morning.

"Oh, Da Dong, how did you get here?" Sister Mei was delighted, but Huanxi just stood quietly.

Liu Handong invited them to sit down and ordered two more servings of baozi and spicy soup. Fangzheng didn't say much, just focused on eating. He was a detective and could easily see through Sister Mei's worldly air. To avoid awkwardness, it was better not to ask.

Liu Handong didn't have such concerns. He asked about Huanxi's school registration issue, and Sister Mei immediately became angry: "Teachers nowadays are nothing like they were in my time. They only care about money. If you don't give them a bribe, they won't help with the registration, saying they're afraid that past graduates will affect the college admission rate."

"Past graduates don't count in the college admission rate, only current graduates do," Fangzheng interjected.

Sister Mei said, "I don't understand it either. I've talked to the teachers, the head of the teaching office, and even the principal, but they won't help. I know these hypocritical teachers are just looking for an advantage. They either want money or favors. They're animals!"

Huanxi bit her lip and looked down.

"There's only half a month left until the college entrance exam. If we don't get the registration done, it will be a wasted year. I'll go talk to them!" Liu Handong slammed his hand on the table, making the plates and bowls rattle.

"I think that's a good idea. Wear your police uniform; it will give you some clout," Sister Mei said. In her mind, the police were the most powerful, and everyone in society had to show them respect.

Liu Handong didn't say anything. After all, he was still on duty, and going out on his own would be a violation of discipline.

Fangzheng picked up his phone and called Geng Zhi: "Geng Da, Ben Lei has something to do. Can you give him a morning off? Okay, got it."

After hanging up, he smiled and said, "Alright, I've got you a morning off. Get it done quickly."

Liu Handong looked around and cleared his throat, "I'll give you my weapon; it's inconvenient for me to carry it."

He was referring to his service pistol, the Type 77.

"It's fine, you keep it. Just don't lose it," Fangzheng said, wiping his mouth and getting into the car with the takeout baozi.

It was seven o'clock, and the morning study bell at Pingchuan No. 1 High School rang. After breakfast, the three of them went to the school to apply for Huanxi's registration again. The entrance to the key high school was not easy to get through, with two security guards and a responsible old man at the gate.

Liu Handong's police uniform indeed worked. The old man and the guards were very polite to him. After a simple registration, they entered the school. Huanxi had attended high school here and knew the way well. She led them to the office of the senior grade and found her former homeroom teacher.

This was a plump middle-aged woman wearing glasses. Her attitude was not warm, and she flatly refused: "I can't help with this. Go to the teaching office."

So they went to the teaching office to find the head. On the way, Liu Handong asked Huanxi, "Girl, it seems your teacher doesn't like you."

"My family is very poor..." Huanxi said.

"Poor or not, what does it matter? Don't teachers like good students?" Liu Handong was puzzled.

"I failed the exam last year and affected the school's college admission rate."

"Oh, that makes sense."

At the teaching office, a middle-aged man with a square face was about to leave. He was wearing a white shirt, neatly pressed pants, and a tie.

"Director Wang, we're back. We need your help with Huanxi's registration," Sister Mei stopped him.

"I've already said it's not possible. The school has its policies. Besides, it's too late. The registration deadline has passed. I have a meeting at the education bureau. You'll have to talk to someone else," Director Wang looked at his phone and hurried away.

"Wait, what conditions do you need?" Liu Handong called out to him.

Director Wang looked at Liu Handong, "Which unit are you from?"

"Jiangjin Police," Liu Handong proudly stated his unit.

Director Wang clearly wasn't interested in the police from Jiangjin. If it were the police from Pingchuan, he might have been able to use them. He shook his head, "It's not about conditions. It's against the policy. The policy is set by the school. If you have any objections, talk to the principal."

He continued down the stairs, and Liu Handong was at a loss. He couldn't threaten Director Wang with his gun, could he?

A thin male teacher passed by, adjusting his glasses, "Isn't this Huanxi's sister?"

Huanxi's brother was in the first year of high school at Pingchuan No. 1 High School and was an excellent student. The teachers remembered him, and because the siblings were in the same school, they had some impression of them.

Sister Mei, like a drowning person grabbing a straw, caught the teacher and asked for help. The teacher shook his head, "I can't help. Registration is managed by the teaching office. I'm in the first year, so I can't do anything."

Sister Mei asked, "What policy prevents past graduates from taking the exam?"

The teacher said, "Past graduates can take the college entrance exam, but Pingchuan No. 1 High School values the college admission rate. They can't manage past graduates when they can't even manage current graduates."

Sister Mei said, "My daughter is an excellent student. She will definitely get into a key university and won't embarrass the school. She will bring honor to Pingchuan No. 1 High School."

The teacher said, "Pingchuan No. 1 High School is not short of good students. Besides, past graduates don't count in the college admission rate. Even if she gets into Harvard or Oxford, it won't help."

Sister Mei was almost in tears, "My daughter has studied hard for a year. We can't let it go to waste."

The teacher said, "What are you worried about? You don't need a school registration to take the college entrance exam. Anyone with equivalent academic qualifications can register, even if they are eighty years old. As long as they are willing, they can take the exam."