Chapter 3: The Young Policeman

Du Long had just hung up the phone when several dark figures suddenly approached quickly from the direction of the barbecue stand. Du Long frowned as he looked at them, sensing something was amiss.

This road, with the party school dormitory on one side and a middle school on the other, was bustling with people during the day, but it was extremely quiet at night. Moreover, these people were moving hurriedly and acting suspiciously, clearly not just passersby. Du Long helped Feng Weiwu sit on a stone bench by the roadside and whispered to him, "Feng Ge, look at those people. Something doesn't seem right."

Feng Weiwu glanced at the approaching figures and said in a low voice, "Forget it. We're outnumbered. It's best not to cause trouble."

Just as Feng Weiwu finished speaking, the five hurried figures suddenly accelerated and rushed towards the two of them. Even Feng Weiwu realized the situation was dire. Normally, he wouldn't fear a couple of thugs with his police baton, but now, feeling as weak as a noodle, he had no strength to fight. As for Du Long, although he had easily taken down two large assailants before, in Feng Weiwu's eyes, a freshly graduated, gentle guy like him was hardly a match for these thugs.

Compared to Feng Weiwu's frantic attempt to call the police, Du Long remained much calmer. He narrowed his eyes and watched the approaching figures, then suddenly shouted, "We are police! What do you want?"

This shout was enough to scare off ordinary robbers, but the group only accelerated. The leader, wielding a wooden club, cursed and said, "Damn it, I'm going to take care of you two little cops!"

Du Long drew his police baton and moved to face the five men. Feng Weiwu, watching his back, couldn't tell if he was brave or foolish. Could a small baton really stand up to their clubs and knives? At this moment, they should have fled as quickly as possible.

The man with the wooden club, seeing Du Long approach, swung it down with great force, clearly intending to kill. Du Long, enraged, did not slow his advance. He simply sidestepped, and the club narrowly missed his ear. If it had hit, he would have needed ear surgery. Du Long's baton, used as a short club, struck the man's armpit with great force.

The man felt his arm go numb, dropped the club, and was pushed back by Du Long's shoulder, flying through the air. When he realized what had happened, he was lying on his back, dazed.

Du Long immediately moved to the next target, a young, muscular man with a half-meter-long kitchen knife. The baton extended to its second section and, with a swift motion, struck the man's wrist. The man screamed, dropped the knife, and stopped. Du Long kicked him in the chest, sending him tumbling into the bushes.

Du Long's quick and decisive actions left the remaining three men shaken. However, they were still fierce. They exchanged glances, roared in unison, and two of them, wielding kitchen knives, charged at Du Long. The third, holding a steel pipe, circled around to attack Feng Weiwu.

These two were well-coordinated and armed with dangerous weapons. Although the knives were short, they were highly lethal. If Du Long used his baton to fight them, it might take too long to subdue them, putting Feng Weiwu in danger.

Du Long quickly made a decision. He bent down, picked up the wooden club the first man had dropped, and kicked him to the ground. The man rolled to the side, blocking the path of the thug with the kitchen knife.

The thug hesitated, giving Du Long the chance to strike. He rushed to the left, swung the wooden club, and struck the thug's wrist as he raised his knife. The sound of bones breaking was clear, and the thug screamed, dropping his knife. Du Long turned and charged at the other thug, swinging the club. A loud clang echoed, followed by two more screams and the sound of another knife hitting the ground.

After quickly neutralizing the threat, Du Long rushed to Feng Weiwu's aid. The second scream had come from Feng Weiwu, who had already been hit several times. Du Long shouted, "Stop!" and charged at the thug. The thug, seeing Du Long approach, swung the steel pipe at his head. If he had hit, Du Long might not have survived.

Du Long could have blocked the pipe with his club or dodged, but he didn't. Instead, he raised his left hand to block the pipe and then struck the thug's forearm with his club.

The exchange left Du Long's arm burning with pain, but he held on. The thug, however, couldn't. His forearm was shattered, and he would likely never use that hand to hurt anyone again.

Du Long, enduring the pain, kicked the thug to the ground. He helped Feng Weiwu up and asked, "Feng Ge, are you okay?"

Before Feng Weiwu could answer, Du Long heard the sound of rapid footsteps. He turned and threw the wooden club like a javelin. It struck the back of a thug who had just tried to escape, and he collapsed, landing in the spot where Feng Weiwu had been hit. When the thug regained consciousness, his face and mouth were covered in filth, and he could only vomit, unable to run.

Feng Weiwu had been hit several times on his arms and back, but he was not seriously injured. The pain helped him regain some strength. Together, he and Du Long apprehended the five thugs. Du Long then called the police. Due to the tight budget of the Yuming City police force, Du Long and Feng Weiwu, as probationary officers, did not have police radios and had to pay for their own phone bills.

When Yang Chengfa arrived from the internet cafe, he saw Du Long and Feng Weiwu sitting on a stone bench, smoking, with four handcuffed men squatting beside them.

Yang Chengfa shone his flashlight and asked, "Feng, are you okay? Did you catch all these guys?"

Feng Weiwu shook his head and replied, "Yang Chief, I'm fine. Du Long caught them all. I didn't do much. There are five in total; one is still vomiting over there."

Yang Chengfa then noticed another man vomiting by a tree, tied with a belt. Du Long and Feng Weiwu each had two handcuffs, so they used a belt to secure the extra man to the tree.

Yang Chengfa understood the situation and praised, "Du Long, you took on five and caught them all? I didn't know you were so capable. What's the deal with these guys? Why did they attack you?"

Du Long, with a grim expression, said, "They were after us. I suspect they are accomplices of the two killers we caught in Liyuan Neighborhood. Seeing us alone, they came for revenge. Fortunately, this road is dark, and Feng Ge distracted them, allowing me to take them down. I got a bit carried away and might have injured some of them. Yang Chief, please explain for me. Both Feng Ge and I are injured."

Yang Chengfa glanced at the pile of weapons on the ground and said, "They were clearly planning this. There was no fight at the internet cafe; they reported a false alarm to lure me away and then attacked you. It's possible that Feng's stomachache was also their doing. You two against five, with them armed, would be considered self-defense even if you killed them. Don't worry, it's fine. These guys are likely involved in other cases. We'll interrogate them and might uncover more. Are you two okay? Do you need backup? Otherwise, let's take these five back to the station."

The most difficult to handle was the man with a face full of filth. No one wanted to get close to him, but they had to prevent him from escaping. In the end, Du Long took him to a public toilet near the market to wash up before they all returned to the station.