Chapter 17

Female workers coming off the night shift passed by in twos and threes, chattering as they brushed past. The two guys hid in an alley, disappearing from sight.

Afraid of being seen, their actions became even more suspicious.

Their immediate superior had never been in the military, let alone caught anyone. Gao Changxing took the initiative to take command, turning back and saying, "If those two guys try to break in or engage in other criminal activities, we'll split into two groups, one to deal with each. Xiao Yan and Xiao Shan will be in my group, and the rest will be with Yongliang.

Whoever runs faster and is closer to them should rush forward and tackle them. The other two will grab their hands to prevent them from carrying weapons and to stop them from panicking. Each group will have a pair of handcuffs, and once we catch them, we'll cuff them. If they don’t run after we are discovered and dare to resist, three of us will deal with one, and we must be measured in our actions. If they show weapons, we’ll use batons, but we must pay attention to our safety and be measured in our actions, especially not to hit their heads."

"Director Han, Instructor, don’t worry. As long as they dare to commit a crime, we’ll definitely catch them."

"I can handle both of them alone!"

After patrolling for over half a month, they finally had a chance to show their skills. The young men were rubbing their hands, full of high spirits.

Safety is more important than anything else. Han Bo couldn’t afford to be careless and sternly warned, "The instructor has rich experience in arrests. Follow the instructor’s instructions, no carelessness, no personal heroism."

Although Director Han didn’t manage the squad much, he was the true leader. Without Director Han, the squad leader wouldn’t have any allowance, no overtime pay for night market duty, let alone bonuses.

His authority was established, and Han Bo’s words were effective. Everyone nodded in agreement, promising to follow orders.

Female workers kept passing by Liu Dam Bridge, and the two figures kept peeking out. When they saw a crowd, they would retreat. Gradually, the road became less crowded, and the earliest passersby had already disappeared at the end of the road.

The road was empty, and it seemed the female workers walking together didn’t give them a chance to act.

If they didn’t act today, they could act tomorrow. This could go on indefinitely. There’s a saying that a thousand days of catching thieves is better than a thousand days of preventing them. Han Bo couldn’t help but regret his previous warning.

"Yongliang, how many passed by just now?"

"About seventy or eighty, I didn’t pay attention to counting."

"It’s hard to count those who live in the west. They probably don’t have the guts to rob on the road. They’re likely to break in, probably targeting the agricultural supply company’s storefront."

"They’re out again, acting suspiciously. It’s clear they’re not good people."

All the female workers had left. Gao Changxing turned to ask, "Director Han, what do we do now? Should we continue to watch or go and question them? If they stammer and their stories don’t match, we’ll take them directly to the Chengxi Police Station."

"Wait another fifteen minutes." They had done so much to catch these two hooligans, and Han Bo didn’t want to alert them prematurely.

"Okay."

Time passed minute by minute, and the two guys were still loitering at the bridge, making everyone anxious. Just as everyone was about to go and question them, a female worker on a bicycle turned from Renmin West Road onto Liu Dam Road.

"How can she be alone, and so late?"

As Xiao Yan spoke, the two guys who had been squatting suddenly stood up, looked around, and confirmed that there was no one else on the road. They then ran towards the approaching female worker.

Damn, they’re really targeting the female workers from our factory.

Han Bo was furious, reaching for the key to start the car and drive over to catch them. Gao Changxing grabbed his arm, "Director Han, wait a bit longer."

To catch them, they needed evidence. If it was for money, it would be a robbery; if it was for sexual motives, it would be an attempted rape. If they acted too quickly, the suspects might downplay it, saying it was just a joke, like the black car drivers at the bus station.

Han Bo understood and released the key, staring at the two scoundrels without a word.

Suddenly, two people rushed out, and the female worker screamed in fright. She gripped the handlebars tightly and pedaled hard, trying to go around them and get away.

The shorter hooligan missed his grab and almost fell, cursing as he chased after her. The taller hooligan moved quickly, grabbing the handlebars. The female worker was riding fast, and she and the bike fell to the ground with a thud.

The taller hooligan, afraid to stay in the middle of the road, wrapped his right arm around the female worker’s neck and covered her mouth with his left hand, dragging her to the side of the road. The shorter hooligan picked up the bag that had flown out of the basket, propped up the bike, and ran to the side of the road, clearly a premeditated crime.

It all happened in a matter of seconds.

"Move out!"

They couldn’t wait any longer. Gao Changxing suddenly opened the car door and ran towards the bridge, with Wu Yongliang and others following closely behind, shouting, "Stop!"

Han Bo reacted and immediately started the engine, turned on the headlights, and drove the minivan with the side door still open to chase after them.

The sudden appearance of so many police officers shocked the two hooligans. One let go of the female worker and fled into an alley, while the other jumped on the bicycle and rode towards Renmin Road.

They had a plan for the one on foot, and the one on a two-wheeler would be dealt with by a four-wheeler. Han Bo floored the gas, shifted into third gear, and chased after the shorter hooligan, forcing him to the side of the road.

"Give up, you can’t escape!"

Just as he warned, Wu Yongliang and the others caught up, their flashlights flickering as they shouted, "Stop, don’t run, or we’ll shoot!"

Shoot?

The shorter hooligan was terrified, accidentally colliding with the curb and falling, his nose and eyes bruised. Wu Yongliang, quick and agile, pounced and pinned him down. By the time Han Bo stopped the car and got out, the hooligan’s hands were already cuffed.

"You damn hooligan, trying to rob and assault!"

Wu Yongliang got up and slapped him several times.

"Yongliang, that’s enough."

Han Bo took the flashlight and shone it on the shorter hooligan’s face. He was about eighteen or nineteen, his forehead bleeding, and he was trembling in fear. If it weren’t for the two economic police officers holding him, he probably wouldn’t be able to stand.

"Put him in the car, watch him, and interrogate him. I’ll go check on the worker."

"What about the instructor?"

"He shouldn’t get away. Watch this one first."

"Director Han, Director Han, they have knives, they robbed me and tried to assault me, and they said they’d kill me if I screamed!" Running to the bridge, the female worker from the second workshop, Ji Xiaojuan, was terrified and burst into tears when she saw him.

"Don’t be afraid, we’re here, nothing will happen. See, we’ve already caught one, and the other won’t get away. Are you hurt? What’s wrong with your arm?"

"It’s just a scrape, a little skin off. Director Han, if it weren’t for you, I... I..."

"What’s the security department for? To protect you." Han Bo put his arm around her shoulder and said gently, "It’s okay, don’t be afraid. Later, you’ll go to the police station with us to give your statement, and then we’ll arrange for someone to take you home."