Chapter 002
In the midst of the chaos, Chen Li was unable to dodge in time and was severely slashed on the arm, causing blood to flow profusely.
Whether it is a carjacker or a human trafficker, if things escalate to a serious situation, it will be difficult to resolve. It is best to know when to stop.
The inherent nature of the Chinese people is fully revealed, and this is evident everywhere. When faced with a knife-wielding assailant, they retreat at all costs. Yet now, when human traffickers are apprehended, they instead become valiant heroes of justice.
Although Chen Li was pulling and obstructing him, the middle-aged man, in a state of panic, still managed to start the car, completely disregarding the fact that a person was stuck in the window, frantically wanting to drive away as quickly as possible
The middle-aged man was also in a state of panic. Upon seeing Chen Li, he acted recklessly and threw a punch directly at Chen Li's chest. In his flustered state, he could not hold onto the folding knife properly, and it fell beneath the dashboard.
Upon taking office, the new official is full of enthusiasm. After working for many years in the developed coastal regions, Luo Rongmin's first task in the business city was to prioritize the development and construction of the Shangdong New District
The fierce noise of the engine reverberated through the streets, startling a crowd of people who jostled to get out of the way
Zhao Yang immediately took off his T-shirt and wrapped up Chen Li's bleeding wound first
Seeing Chen Li's arm still stuck in the car window, with blood streaming from his right arm, and still in the mood to joke, Zhang Haoran took the brick from the somewhat hesitant Zhao Yang and smashed the car window into tiny pieces in just two strikes. Without caring about the possibility of the shattered glass injuring his palm, he directly pulled down the glass from the window.
Zhou Bin, being tall and robust, wielded a solid iron rod in his hand, making him appear even more formidable at that moment. He struck the knee of the trafficker with another blow, knocking him to the ground instantly
Seeing that Chen Li had no intention of giving up, the middle-aged man hurriedly raised the car window, catching Chen Li off guard as his arms were directly trapped in the car.
Zhou Bin, this fellow, often seeks out trouble when there is none, and in the current situation, he directly picked up an iron rod and stabbed it into the windshield of the BMW
Zhou Bin stepped back in response, but the surrounding students were filled with excitement; at this moment, it seemed that no one could stop them except the police
"Xiao Liu, stop him." Not everyone was intimidated by the carjacker's madness. Two well-dressed men rushed forward from the crowd; the slightly older one lagged behind, shouting for the younger man to charge ahead and help Zhou Bin capture the carjacker.
Chen Li endured the pain and looked up, unexpectedly encountering an acquaintance at that moment, and a rather extraordinary one at that. Struggling against the intense pain in his arms, he asked in astonishment: "Brother Haoran, what are you doing here? Are you returning to Qingquan, or are you on a business trip to Shangdu City? A few days ago, when I called home, my dad mentioned you! He also said that when you transfer back to Zhongyuan Province for work, I could rely on your support after I graduate."
Chen Li, however, possessed a stubborn determination not to yield. He understood that any sign of retreat would allow someone to steal the car, leading to significant trouble. He pressed his wrist against the car window, leaned in forcefully, and did not forget to loudly call for others to come and help: "Someone is stealing a car, catch the car thief!"
"Chen Li, are you alright?" The middle-aged man, upon seeing the carjacker being restrained by the crowd, rushed over to assist Zhao Yang in helping Chen Li to his feet. Noticing the blood-soaked state of his arm, he anxiously inquired.
"Brother Haoran, this guy who hijacked the car is probably a human trafficker," Chen Li forced a strained smile again, then turned his head to call Zhou Bin over, "Stop hitting him, just leave it to the police to handle."
Zhou Bin and Zhao Yang, squatting at the street corner smoking, saw Chen Li walking over from a distance, who inexplicably turned towards a BMW car and then frantically jumped into the vehicle. The food street was bustling with crowds and noisy chaos; Chen Li was shouting something, but they did not hear a word.
At present, Chen Li appears calm and untroubled, yet the beads of sweat continuously rolling down his forehead clearly indicate that he has sustained significant injuries. The cut on his arm is not critical; however, the more serious issue is that his arm was caught in the car window and forcefully pulled out by the vehicle, which could very likely have injured his tendons and bones
Luo Rongmin was reassigned three months ago to serve as the Executive Vice Mayor of Shangdu City, and Zhang Haoran, who has worked alongside Luo Rongmin for many years, was naturally also transferred to take on the role of Deputy Secretary-General of the municipal government
Chen Li, with one arm injured, reached out with his other hand to snatch the folding knife from the middle-aged man's grasp, preventing him from having another opportunity to commit an act of violence
Seeing Chen Li gasping in pain, Zhang Haoran was worried that Chen Li's arm might be permanently damaged. He regretted not reacting sooner to intercept the carjacker together and said, "I have been transferred to work in Shangdu City and have always wanted to get in touch with you. However, I thought you might have gone back to Qingquan for the summer vacation. Today, I happened to pass by here..."
At this moment, the bystanders, filled with righteous indignation, gathered around, and Zhou Bin's assault on the trafficker quickly escalated into a collective beating
At this moment, Zhang Haoran could not care less about understanding what was happening; Chen Li's injury was the most urgent matter. He shouted into the crowd, "Master Liu, call the police and wait here for the officers to arrive." After saying this, he unceremoniously picked up Chen Li and said, "Let's go, we are going to the Municipal People's Hospital right now"
The little girl in the back seat was frightened and cried out loudly at the chaos before her
Chen Li, with both arms trapped in the car window, experienced a momentary inertia that nearly tore his arms apart, the excruciating pain almost causing him to faint
Zhang Haoran is also from Qingquan. When he was in high school, he was involved in a car accident that severely injured his leg. At that time, the driver responsible for the accident fled the scene, and due to his family's financial difficulties, he could not afford surgery and considered conservative treatment with a cast. It was Chen Li's father, who was working in the orthopedic department of Qingquan City People's Hospital, that covered the medical expenses and helped him undergo surgery in a timely manner, preventing any long-term complications
In just two moves, the carjacker lost the ability to resist. Zhou Bin, who often got into fights, was well aware of the power of the iron rod. Using it would surely result in a fatality, so he simply discarded the iron rod, seized the carjacker by the collar, and his large fist came crashing towards the carjacker's eye socket.
The current mayor will step back to a secondary position in the next session of the People's Congress. Regardless of who takes over, it is unlikely that Yang Minghui, as the current mayor's chief steward, will continue to hold a position in the municipal government
Zhou Bin was still unclear about what was happening, but upon seeing Chen Li at a disadvantage, he quickly grabbed a solid iron poker used by a roadside vendor to stoke the charcoal fire and dashed out; Zhao Yang, who reacted a bit slower, had already been left behind.
As the main assistant to Luo Rongmin, Zhang Haoran has also been extremely busy over the past two to three months. Today, he accompanied the investors for a site inspection in the morning and only made an excuse to handle some matters at noon, giving up the opportunity to have lunch with the investors to Yang Minghui, the Secretary-General of the municipal government and the Director of the municipal government office, who was also accompanying the inspection.
Chen Li has maintained a habit of jogging in the morning for many years, and his physical fitness is not bad. However, he is not like Zhou Bin, who, without any restraint, vents his frustrations by hitting a sandbag and is naturally inclined towards bravery and combativeness. At this moment, he was struck in the chest by a middle-aged man, causing him to be knocked back a step, nearly falling to the ground.
Zhou Bin, who has loved to stir up trouble since childhood, has not had many opportunities to take action after entering Zhongyuan University. Today, he finally seized an opportunity, and unexpectedly, Chen Li was injured by this person. When it comes to fighting, he is exceptionally fierce.
At first, Zhang Haoran did not understand what had happened; he only saw the BMW crash headfirst into the flower bed, with a person stuck in the window, blood streaming down and soaking their clothes. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the person was none other than Chen Li, whom he had been wanting to meet.
As for Yang Minghui personally, he also hopes that before the old leader steps back from the front line, he can be supported to secure a substantive position at the district or county level, so that his years of diligent service in front of the old leader will not be in vain
"I f*** your mother!" A loud shout came from behind, and Chen Li instinctively turned his head to see Zhou Bin swinging an iron rod and thrusting it towards him
After graduating from university, Zhang Haoran began working at the Provincial Coal Department. Chen Li's maternal grandfather held an important leadership position at the Provincial Coal Department throughout the early 1990s, until he retired from his role as Party Secretary. Before retiring, he specifically introduced Zhang Haoran to Luo Rongmin, who was then serving as the Deputy Party Secretary of the Provincial Coal Department, to work as his secretary
Before they could react, Chen Li suddenly leaned into the car and then stumbled out, one of his arms covered in blood.
The carjacker, unable to pay attention to much, endured the pain and attempted to break through the crowd to escape, but was met head-on by a young man known as "Xiao Liu," who kicked him back with one swift motion
The carjacker's eyes glinted with menace. As he jumped out of the car, he deftly picked up a folding knife and began to wield it, thrusting it towards the person blocking his path. With a whoosh, a solid iron rod came crashing down from behind, striking his arm with great force
A sudden panic-stricken scream erupted from the crowd, leaving Zhou Bin frozen in place, drenched in cold sweat
"I'll kill you, you son of a dog!" Zhou Bin, unaware of Chen Li's situation, saw Zhao Yang running towards Chen Li. Enraged, he pulled out an iron rod and fiercely thrust it towards the carjacker inside the vehicle, determined to prevent him from having any chance to start the car again. Realizing the situation was dire, the carjacker jumped over the barrier and pushed open the passenger door to escape.
Zhao Yang is a high school classmate of Chen Li. Chen Li has encountered most of the people he knows in the provincial capital's business city. It is quite strange that this middle-aged man, who came to help, actually knows Chen Li.
Although the incident occurred suddenly, when Chen Li shouted for the first time, someone nearby noticed it. However, as people gathered around and saw the individuals in the car suddenly brandishing knives, they were all momentarily intimidated by the ferocity of the carjacker, and no one dared to approach further
This medical expense was only settled by Zhang Haoran after he graduated and started working, but the medical fee was a minor issue. After Zhang Haoran underwent surgery, he maintained a very close relationship with Chen Li's family.
The middle-aged man instinctively darted to the passenger seat, turned the steering wheel sharply to the left, and the car suddenly surged onto the sidewalk, crashing headlong into the flowerbed before stalling again
The young woman rushed over, but in her panic, she stumbled and fell to the ground, her jade hairpin shattering upon impact. With her hair disheveled, she got back up and lunged towards the car, but unfortunately, the right-side window was tightly shut. All she could do was cry out for help, frantically pounding on the window.
After Zhang Haoran, Luo Rongmin was transferred to work in another city for several years
Zhang Haoran naturally understands Yang Minghui's thoughts. At this critical moment, everything should be arranged to allow Yang Minghui to take the lead, which also allows him to enjoy some leisure.
With a clang, the folding knife fell to the ground, and the arm of the carjacker twisted and then drooped down.
Buzzing ... ...
In the morning, I accompanied the investors to several places, and Zhang Haoran was indeed feeling quite hungry. As the car passed by Zhongyuan University, he thought that Chen Li should be in his third year there. He was still hesitating whether to invite Chen Li to have lunch together when he unexpectedly witnessed a carjacking incident.
"Secretary General Zhang, please take my car." Upon hearing someone call out loudly, Zhang Haoran turned around to see a portly man approaching, pointing to a nearby Mercedes-Benz sedan, and kindly asking Zhang Haoran to take Chen Li in his car to the hospital