Chapter 59

Wang Xiaoqiang called Xu Yongqian. From their previous encounter, Wang Xiaoqiang could tell that Xu Yongqian was no ordinary person. Although he had retired, he still wielded considerable influence in the provincial capital. This was evident from the incident at the store, where both the police station and the industrial and commercial bureau had to heed his word. The police station was understandable, as Xu Yongqian's daughter was the deputy director of the district public security bureau, but the key was the industrial and commercial bureau. Despite his limited education, Wang Xiaoqiang knew that the municipal bureau of industry and commerce was not directly under the municipal government's jurisdiction; only the provincial government could intervene. This showed just how much power Xu Yongqian had.

After making the call, Wang Xiaoqiang was genuinely afraid that the other party might have the phone turned off or no one would answer. Fortunately, the phone rang once and was answered.

"Hello, who is this..." Since Wang Xiaoqiang had only saved Xu Yongqian's phone number and hadn't given his own number to Xu Yongqian, Xu Yongqian found Wang Xiaoqiang's number unfamiliar.

"Uh, Old Xu, it's me, Wang Xiaoqiang, from the last time..." Wang Xiaoqiang was afraid that Old Xu might have forgotten him, so he tried to remind him.

Before he could finish, Old Xu laughed and said, "Ha ha, Xiaoqiang, how could I forget you? To be honest, I haven't forgotten you at all. In fact, I've been dreaming about you these past few days..."

"Uh..." Wang Xiaoqiang felt a chill run down his spine. If it had been a young and beautiful girl, like Old Xu's daughter Xu Qingsnow, he might have been able to accept it, but the one saying this was a man in his sixties. It was bound to be awkward. However, what Xu Yongqian said next made Wang Xiaoqiang feel even more uncomfortable:

"Unfortunately, I don't have your number. If you hadn't called me, I wouldn't have known how to contact you. Xiaoqiang, after we finish this call, you must give me your phone number..."

"Uh, sure, Old Xu, but there's something I need to trouble you with..." Wang Xiaoqiang didn't have time to chat and got straight to the point.

"Uh, not at all, Xiaoqiang, go ahead!" Xu Yongqian said cheerfully, "As long as this old man can help, I'll do my best to make it right for you..."

"Here's the thing, Old Xu. My girlfriend and I came to the provincial capital for a visit. Just now, we encountered a group of hooligans on the street. They tried to snatch my girlfriend, and when they failed, they turned around and accused me. Now they're taking us to the police station."

"Who are these people to be so bold?!" Old Xu's voice was filled with anger, like a raging lion.

"I'm not sure who they are yet, but we're being taken to the West District Police Station," Wang Xiaoqiang said.

"Alright, Xiaoqiang, I understand. Don't worry, I'll take care of it. I promise you'll be fine," Old Xu's voice calmed down, but it sounded more like the calm before the storm.

Old Xu usually went to bed early, and at this time, he would normally be asleep. However, today his son, daughter-in-law, and daughter had returned home, and the family was having a rare reunion. After dinner, they sat together, drinking tea and chatting. It was during this time that Wang Xiaoqiang's call came in.

After hanging up, Xu Kunpeng, the son of the provincial party secretary's secretary, asked, "Dad, what's going on? Why are you so angry?"

In Xu Kunpeng's memory, his father had never been this angry since retiring.

Xu Yongqian didn't answer immediately. His stern gaze swept over his son and daughter. "I never thought the security in the provincial capital would be so chaotic! A young brother I met recently brought his girlfriend here, and they were accosted by a group of hooligans. Not only that, but the hooligans turned around and accused him. This is outrageous..."

As the deputy director of the district public security bureau and the secretary of the provincial party, both Xu Kunpeng and his sister had some responsibility for the security in the provincial capital. Under their father's gaze, they both felt ashamed and lowered their eyes, falling silent.

"Dad, is it the young man named Wang Xiaoqiang who saved you at the store last time?" Xu Qingsnow, knowing this wasn't the time to be silent, raised her eyes and asked her father. She still remembered Wang Xiaoqiang from the store incident.

"Yes, it's him. Xue, go back to your unit and check if Wang Xiaoqiang has been taken to the West District Police Station. If he has, make sure he comes out unharmed. If not, call me back. I'll have your brother handle it," Xu Yongqian instructed his daughter.

"Understood, Dad," Xu Qingsnow replied crisply, standing up and leaving the room.

Back with Wang Xiaoqiang, since he and Xia Gui Fang were sitting face-to-face with Chen Kai and Cui Wei, they could hear his phone call clearly. They didn't think Wang Xiaoqiang could know anyone in the provincial capital, so after he hung up, they both looked at him with a mocking and contemptuous gaze. Chen Kai said, "Kid, you still know how to call for help, huh? Tell us, who did you call? The police chief or the mayor... ha ha~~"

"Ha ha~~ Chen Kai, you're so funny, ha ha~~ I'm laughing so hard. A country bumpkin like him could know the mayor? If he knows the police chief, that's already impressive, ha ha~~" Cui Wei joined in, nearly laughing until tears streamed down his face.

Wang Xiaoqiang stared at them with disgust. "Laugh! Laugh as much as you want. You'll be crying soon!"

"I'll cry? Ha ha, kid, if you can make me cry, I'll take your last name..." Chen Kai said, losing himself in his own arrogance.

"Someone like you, I'd be ashamed to take your last name," Wang Xiaoqiang retorted.

"You damn..." Chen Kai, in a fit of rage, was about to punch Wang Xiaoqiang when the tall police officer in the front passenger seat barked, "Both of you, behave!"

Chen Kai's fist froze in mid-air. At that moment, he suddenly realized how lucky he was. If he had punched Wang Xiaoqiang, given Wang Xiaoqiang's skills, he would have been the one to suffer.

The tall police officer, out of professional instinct, had been paying attention to the situation in the back. When he heard Wang Xiaoqiang on the phone, it seemed he was seeking help and addressing the other party as Old Xu. He pondered, "Is there an old man surnamed Xu in the police force?" The answer was no. He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had overreacted. A simple farmer, even if he knew someone in the provincial capital, would likely know someone with little influence. At the police station, he would be of no use.

The police car arrived at the West District Police Station. The tall police officer instructed his two subordinates, "Take the girl to the interrogation room for questioning, and take this man in to rest for a while."

His intention was not to interrogate Chen Kai and Cui Wei at all.

Wang Xiaoqiang didn't protest because it would have been futile. He had already called Old Xu, and he would just have to endure until Old Xu's people arrived to avoid any unnecessary complications.

In the end, Xia Gui Fang was taken to the interrogation room, and Wang Xiaoqiang was taken to a temporary holding room.

Wang Xiaoqiang realized he wasn't being taken to a rest room but to a holding room, but he still walked in. He knew he wouldn't be detained for long, so there was no need to interact with the other inmates. Seeing a chair in the corner of the room, he walked over and sat down.

There were eight people in the room. Four of them were huddled in one corner, and when Wang Xiaoqiang entered, they looked at him curiously. Wang Xiaoqiang knew he wouldn't be detained for long, so he had no need to interact with them. He saw a chair in the corner and walked over to sit down.

The other four were more muscular, with tattoos on their exposed arms, exuding a thug-like aura. One of them, with a scar on his face, was lying on the bed, while the other three were sitting by the bed. When Wang Xiaoqiang entered, they exchanged glances, and the three by the bed stood up and walked over to him, saying with a sinister look, "New guy, don't you know the rules?"

"This chair isn't for you. Go, give the boss a foot massage!"

Wang Xiaoqiang glanced at the scar-faced man on the bed, who extended his dirty feet toward him. Wang Xiaoqiang sneered and then looked at the three men in front of him. "Is someone telling you to take care of me?"

"Heh heh! You're not stupid, are you? You figured it out. Yes, someone did tell us to take care of you..."

The three men then grinned and reached out to grab Wang Xiaoqiang, intending to beat him up.

The four inmates huddled in the corner watched the scene with pity and sympathy, imagining the brutal beating Wang Xiaoqiang would receive. However, they didn't see Wang Xiaoqiang being beaten; instead, they saw the three thugs being beaten to the ground.

After taking down the three men, Wang Xiaoqiang stomped on them fiercely and then walked over to the bed. He looked at the man still lying there and said, "You want me to give you a foot massage, right?"

The man on the bed was stunned by the scene. Three of his toughest brothers had been taken down by a teenager. Shocked, he forgot he was still lying on the bed. When he heard Wang Xiaoqiang's words, he jumped up, trembling, and moved aside, saying, "Sir, please, lie down and rest..."

Wang Xiaoqiang sprawled out on the bed. Seeing the man trying to slip away, he coldly said, "Come back, give me a foot massage!"