Chapter 18

The old man had already spoken, which meant he was determined to protect his own.

The two police officers opposite, although they might be the kind of incompetent fools with poor professional skills, were still police officers. No matter how they had fared in their careers, they still had the ability to discern people.

The old man before them, though not tall, with gray hair and ordinary clothing, exuded a natural aura of authority. More alarmingly, from this old man, they seemed to sense a familiar presence, as if they were in the presence of a colleague.

The old man's stern face and his sharp, hawk-like eyes, which swept over their faces, made them feel as if they were being cut by a razor. This kind of ability was not something just anyone could cultivate.

This was definitely the kind of pressure that only a seasoned old police officer, who had frequently entered interrogation rooms and engaged in wits and courage against slippery criminals, could develop!

The two police officers now felt a tingling sensation, unsure of how to speak.

"You old man, why are you so unreasonable? We are currently performing our duties. I'm telling you, move out of the way right now, or we'll charge you with obstructing official business, and that's no joke!"

The young police officer with a face full of acne was still young and couldn't hold his temper. Moreover, although the old man exuded authority, being pressed like this made him both surprised and angry, and he couldn't control his emotions.

Hao Rentong, upon hearing the young police officer, immediately turned his anger into laughter.

"Obstructing official business? Fine, today I'll really obstruct official business! Who is your chief? Is it Sun Shangwu, Li Chengxiang, or Jing Nan? Call your leader immediately and have him come here. I want to ask them how they train their subordinates!"

Before retiring, Hao Rentong was the director of the provincial department, long serving as the provincial party secretary for political and legal affairs, overseeing the police system of Donghai Province for years. In the country, he was also a well-known senior figure, having participated in and solved many major cases, making him a renowned senior in the national police system.

After retiring, he was rehired to teach at the police academy for nearly ten years. Over the years, his students were spread throughout the provincial police system.

On a national scale, he could be considered a mentor to countless police officers. This old man was absolutely the kind of person who could command respect and authority wherever he went in the police system.

Today, these two police officers were not following proper procedures and had a very aggressive attitude. Moreover, they were targeting the grandson of the old man's master.

Even if Li Xiangdong had caused some trouble, the old man planned to step in and resolve it. But seeing their attitude now, he felt even more obligated to stand up for his own.

After decades in the police force, he had seen all kinds of situations. The attitude and tone of these two police officers, as well as their evasive behavior, made Hao Rentong realize that there was definitely something fishy going on.

If it didn't involve him personally, Hao Rentong might have turned a blind eye, as many underhanded practices had become unwritten rules. He didn't want to challenge the industry's unwritten rules over trivial matters.

But now, the two police officers were targeting Li Xiangdong, and that was unacceptable. These unwritten rules might work on others, but not on Li Xiangdong!

When the old man shouted, the two police officers were truly taken aback. The names the old man mentioned were not simple figures.

Sun Shangwu was the chief of the Huanghai City and #Ping# District Public Security Bureau, Li Chengxiang was the chief of the Haixi District Public Security Bureau, and Jing Nan was the top boss of the municipal public security bureau.

These names were like thunder to the two junior police officers. But when the old man mentioned them, it was as if he was calling out to ordinary people. How could the two junior police officers not be taken aback?

The young police officer with acne turned to look at the fat police officer, who quickly gave him a warning look, signaling him not to speak rashly. Then the fat police officer put on a smile.

"Comrade, our attitude was indeed inappropriate earlier. We apologize to the party involved. However, we did receive a report that someone had entered the headquarters of Hengfa Group in our jurisdiction and caused trouble, damaging company property and injuring several employees. We are just doing our job."

The fat police officer changed his attitude, but Hao Rentong didn't give him a good face.

"Don't give me that nonsense. Do you think an apology will fix it? Do you know how your attitude has greatly tarnished the image of our police force? Recently, the country has been strictly investigating the conduct of civil servants. I see you are acting against the wind. Don't mention Hengfa Group to me. It's a den of filth. I say it's a good thing it was vandalized! When people report incidents, you respond so enthusiastically and with such an attitude. Who are you working for? Remember, it's the people who pay your salaries, not Hengfa Group. Today, don't talk to me about the case. First, go and get your leader. I want to discuss the issue of police conduct with him."

When the old man mentioned Hengfa Group, he had a good idea of what had happened. It was definitely something Li Xiangdong had caused, but now was not the time to hold him accountable. The priority was to defuse the situation.

The old man's words were clearly a bit of a stretch, but his demeanor and attitude were so strong that it left the two police officers at a loss. He was clearly trying to escalate the matter.

Before they could think of how to respond, Hao Rentong spoke again.

"What? You're afraid to act? Fine, I know where the headquarters of Hengfa Group is, in the Development Zone. Let me think, the chief of the Development Zone Public Security Bureau should be Wang Shuren. Yes, I have his number. I'll call Wang Shuren first and ask him how he trains his subordinates."

The old man took out his phone and started flipping through his contacts. The two police officers' faces changed.

Despite their authority over civilians, in the eyes of the chief of the Development Zone Public Security Bureau, they were nothing.

Wang Shuren was known for his impartiality in the municipal police system. If the old man really brought in this "Yama," the two police officers would be in serious trouble.

They exchanged glances, then gritted their teeth. The fat police officer suddenly rushed to Hao Rentong's side and grabbed the old man's hand.