Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 356 The Daily Life of a Policeman

"Pfft!"

Jiang Zhong couldn't help but chuckle.

Last year, when he went on a trip with his wife, he heard almost the same advertisement upstairs in a temple. The general content was basically the same, and the sincerity and affinity with Buddhism were explained very clearly.

Just from this explanation, he knew he hadn't come to the wrong place this time.

The presentation and live stream abruptly stopped as soon as the waiter came upstairs. Seemingly startled, the upstairs area became very quiet. Then, the sounds of elderly men and women discussing the situation were heard, but were quickly and calmly silenced by someone trying to remain composed.

Two minutes later, it seemed that things upstairs had been tidied up, and finally, the sound of footsteps coming downstairs could be heard.

A man and a woman, both wearing ill-fitting Taoist robes, hurried downstairs. Their expressions changed drastically upon seeing two policemen loitering in the lobby. They exchanged a glance, then quickly regained their composure, coughing and quickening their pace to indicate they were already down and hadn't wasted any time.

"Hello, officer, what can I do for you?"

Zhang Yanxia walked forward expressionlessly, deliberately adopting a displeased attitude, and said, "What are you doing here all of a sudden? You've scared all my guests. Is there anything you need help with? Honestly, couldn't you have called if you needed anything?"

Before Jiang Zhong and Zhu Xiubo could speak, Xu Yinghui, the middle-aged man who had followed them down, quickly played the good cop, saying, "Hey! Don't talk like that! Police officers are also on official duty, and we, as ordinary citizens, should cooperate. Right, you two, what brings you here this time..."

"Don't you know what I'm here for?"

Jiang Zhong was already used to this kind of attitude. He said sternly, "When the police are investigating a case, be serious! Tell me, where you went and what you did. And by the way, don't even think about lying and causing me trouble. What you did is still under the surveillance cameras!"

"Tch! That kind of thing!"

Zhang Yanxia was taken aback at first, then curled her lip in disdain. Seeing Zhu Xiubo's eyebrows furrow, she quickly waved her hand and said, "Really, it's nothing! Officer, don't listen to that old geezer's nonsense... Oh dear!"

Suddenly, a cat darted out from behind the policeman.

Zhang Yanxia had barely uttered a curse when Lin Ge slapped her across the face, causing her to scream in pain.

"Mimi!"

Zhu Xiubo was taken aback, never expecting that the police cat would suddenly attack the suspect.

Even if this woman speaks harshly, she shouldn't hurt people!
As a police officer, who hasn't been cursed at by the public ever since they put on their uniform?

Many people call the police whether they have a valid reason or not, feeling that since they summoned the police, the heavens should be on their side. Meanwhile, the police, simply by acting according to the law, are inevitably subjected to a torrent of abuse.

What are these few words compared to what Zhu Xiubo has already endured? But as a police officer, what can he do besides swallow his pride? Neither retaliating verbally nor resorting to violence is permitted.

"Cough! Are you alright?"

Not quite used to the police cat's enforcement style at Zhanghe Police Station, Jiang Zhong felt both embarrassed and helpless. Fortunately, the cat was relatively gentle; Zhang Yanxia only received a slap without bleeding or swelling, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"What's wrong with this cat?!"

Xu Yinghui was startled to find the woman beside him being beaten. But facing the police, he ultimately felt guilty and didn't dare to cause any more trouble.

But Zhang Yanxia was much smarter. Her mouth would get better after a while, but seeing the two policemen's embarrassed and anxious looks, she immediately came up with a plan.

Hands on her hips, Zhang Yanxia glared and said, "What, you want to hit me? You won't let me tell you the truth? Everyone around here knew that the security camera footage was blurry and couldn't capture anything. I have plenty of people who can testify for me! That old hag dirtied my clothes worth over ten thousand yuan. Is it wrong for me to ask her for compensation? You've probably heard that many fashion items in France are absolutely unwashable! That means if the clothes get dirty, they're ruined! So why should I bear the consequences of what that old hag did? I felt sorry for her old age and knew she had no money, so I let her go. And she still has the nerve to call the police?"

"Will you swear again?"

Lin Ge was furious, and at that moment he felt like killing this woman. Even if he had some complaints about Liu Junshu before, he was the only one who could complain; who the hell would dare to say a bad word about the old woman?

"Mimi, calm down!"

Jiang Zhong quickly squatted down and held Lin Ge down, then looked up at Zhang Yanxia and said, "Madam, some things can't be explained away with sophistry! Your words are completely different from the testimonies I collected from the crowd. Do you think I'll believe you? Both the evidence from the security cameras and the testimonies from the people present at the time prove that you extorted money from that old man! This isn't something you can get away with by sophistry. You need to understand the consequences of lying to the police!"

Zhang Yanxia retorted fearlessly, "Consequences? The consequences are that I, an old woman, did a good deed and ended up being framed by the police! You even brought that old woman's cat to teach me a lesson? What, is that old woman someone important? Even you have to be her dogs? Cameras, huh? Surveillance cameras, huh? Come on! Look this way! I have cameras in my shop too! Who's going to give me an explanation for what happened when that cat scratched me? Hmph! The police bring cats to bully ordinary people? Well done! Come on! Keep hitting! I'll send this video to the whole country to judge, and see if you police officers can bully us ordinary people at will!"

In the end, Zhang Yanxia quickly steered the conversation in her most comfortable area, and unhesitatingly started to throw a tantrum.

"What nonsense are you talking about! Who bullied you?"

Zhu Xiubo was so angry that he gritted his teeth. How dare this woman compare them, the police, to dogs?
But Jiang Zhong was more experienced. He remained expressionless, ignoring everything, and said coldly, "Zhang Yanxia! If you have any objections, how about we go to the police station right now? We can sit down face to face and discuss it slowly to see who is right and who is wrong?"

"..."

Zhang Yanxia's cursing stopped abruptly.

Even the most arrogant person, who dares to argue with the police, will eventually lose their temper when they see handcuffs or are asked to come to the police station. Even if someone dares to cause trouble at the police station, don't forget that it's just steps away from the detention room!

Is throwing a tantrum useful?
it works!

A seasoned veteran who's been in and out of jail many times will tell you that acting like a tantrum will only make the police dislike you more, and then they'll give you a harsher sentence.

A lighter sentence requires the officer involved to apply and obtain approval from their superior, but few officers who have been verbally abused to the point of baldness would actually ask their superiors to help the abuser apply for such a thing. Criminal penalties are relatively easier to handle as they are governed by the courts, but administrative penalties…

Seeing that Zhang Yanxia had become obedient, Jiang Zhong snorted coldly and said, "What's the point of making excuses? Does the police decide cases based on who shouts the loudest? What's done is done, and a mistake is a mistake! Do you think we're blind or what we consider the law?"

"..."

Zhang Yanxia lowered her head and remained silent. Xu Yinghui, who was standing next to her, tried to comfort her, but Zhang Yanxia impatiently shook him off.

Several elderly people enjoying services in the shop watched this scene as if it were a theatrical performance. Two old men exchanged glances and nodded to each other, finding this scene even more amusing than the service they received from their daughters.

Jiang Zhong glanced at Zhang Yanxia again, then continued to ask, "Tell me, what happened back then? You'd better give me an honest answer first, or I'll deal with you for obstructing official business!"

"It's nothing! I just bumped into that old lady while walking, and something she was carrying got my clothes dirty. I asked her for money back, but she wouldn't, and I didn't care about that little bit of money, so I just turned around and came back. What did I do wrong from beginning to end?"

Zhang Yanxia's words were evasive, and Jiang Zhong truthfully recorded them as she said. When he was halfway through writing, Xu Yinghui curiously came over to take a look, but Jiang Zhong just glared at him and ignored him.

Xu Yinghui looked at it and found it matched Zhang Yanxia's description, so he was relieved.

"Where are the soiled clothes? Let me see if they're really worth over ten thousand?"

Jiang Zhong knew very well where the core of the problem lay: the luxury coat that Zhang Yanxia claimed to have purchased from France was the key to the case.

Based on his experience, Zhang Yanxia was highly unlikely to buy genuine French goods; counterfeit or knock-off products were more probable. Once this was confirmed, all subsequent arguments and explanations became meaningless. Whether it was a genuine encounter or not, demanding compensation for counterfeit goods as genuine was already a crime. This kind of thing was actually very common in Jiang Zhong's police career; he handled at least forty or fifty cases a year, if not a hundred. Some people had even been genuinely harmed, only to end up in jail themselves due to greed and extortion. Sometimes, all the other party needed was an apology, and the greedy person would be forced to spend a few days in detention. "..."

Zhang Yanxia fell silent for a few seconds before awkwardly saying, "The clothes...the clothes got dirty, so I put them in the washing machine."

Lin Ge raised his head and gave the woman a disdainful look.

"Didn't they say we couldn't wash it?"

Zhu Xiubo spoke coldly from the side.

Feeling guilty and nervous, Zhang Yanxia continued to stubbornly insist, "Well...it's already dirty, isn't it? Whether I wash it or not, I can't wear it out anymore! So, since that's the case, I can only try washing it, right? What if it gets clean? That makes sense, doesn't it?"

Several elderly men nearby stared at the proprietress with disdain; even they, as old folks, wouldn't believe what she said.

Jiang Zhong nodded, seemingly accepting Zhang Yanxia's explanation, and slowly extended his hand again: "Where's the invoice? Or proof of purchase? Even if it was purchased through a third-party agent, there should be a payment record, right?"

"I paid with WeChat, but I didn't have enough storage space, so I cleared the chat history."

"Can you show me the bill details?"

"It's been cleared out too."

"Are you trying to fool me?"

Zhu Xiubo finally lost his temper.

"Officer, don't get agitated! Yanxia didn't lie! WeChat bills really can be deleted. I'll show you how!" Xu Yinghui quickly stepped forward, bowing and scraping, "Hey! Officer, this matter is already over, isn't it? Yanxia's clothes were dirtied, but she took the initiative to back down and not ask for compensation. Shouldn't she be praised for that? Of course, she shouldn't have washed the clothes, since they're... evidence, right? So there's really no need to waste your precious time on this! How about I go talk to that old lady again? We're just ordinary people; let's settle things privately. Why make you two worry about it?"

Zhu Xiubo sneered, "Heh... Since when can criminal liability be settled privately? According to my country's criminal law, extortion exceeding two thousand yuan is considered a 'relatively large amount,' which meets the standards for filing a criminal case! You first extorted ten thousand, then changed your story to five thousand. Doesn't that count as a large amount...?"

"Ah! I didn't try to extort that old geezer!"

Zhang Yanxia suddenly screamed, angrily interrupting Zhu Xiubo's explanation of the regulations. Clenching her fists, her face flushed, she stared intently at Zhu Xiubo and said, "You're a policeman, right? Are you trying to drive me to my death? You keep talking and talking, are you only satisfied when I die? Don't worry about how much my clothes are worth. That old hag dirtied my clothes, she should pay me back, right? What do you care about how much I asked for? It was clearly her fault first! Huh! What do you mean by 'relatively large amount'? Two thousand yuan is nothing! I'll give you two thousand yuan right now, can you just get out of here? Do I have to kill myself right now before you'll leave?"

Zhang Yanxia became increasingly agitated as she spoke, and without a word, she turned and banged her head against the wall. The dull thuds sounded real, startling Zhu Xiubo. But Jiang Zhong quickly reached out and pulled Zhang Yanxia away from the wall, only for her to fall to the ground instead.

Lin Ge stared in disbelief at the scene, realizing for the first time that there were women who could be even more shrewish than the old woman! This guy was really banging his head against the wall; his forehead was now red and swollen, looking quite intimidating.

Holy crap! Do the police officers at Longquan Police Station usually deal with such difficult characters?

Even Lin Ge didn't know what to do at this point.

To be honest, he's met quite a few people and solved quite a few cases in the past few months. But someone like Zhang Yanxia, ​​who's so reckless as to threaten her own life, is someone Lin Ge has never encountered before.

Actually, this matter is not difficult to resolve. Just put her in handcuffs and she will definitely behave.

But who dares to take the gamble?
To be honest, Lin Ge didn't dare, and neither did Zhu Xiubo. As for Jiang Zhong, he frowned and took two steps back, quietly watching Zhang Yanxia lying on the ground, her limbs twitching. The woman seemed to have the intention of taking off her clothes, but Xu Yinghui quickly stopped her.

Once you get her to take off her clothes, things get complicated.

"Let's go outside first! We'll deal with this after she calms down."

Jiang Zhong waved his hand expressionlessly and left the health product store first. To be honest, there were quite a few problems with this store, but dealing with them hastily would have serious consequences.

"Seriously... how can there be such a difficult woman?"

Lingo sighed, his tail drooping.

The two men and the cat stood expressionless at the shop entrance, watching as Zhang Yanxia was helped to her feet by Xu Yinghui. Zhang Yanxia was still cursing and swearing, displaying an arrogant yet truly difficult-to-deal-with attitude.

"Or, how about I take control of this woman?"

Zhu Xiubo raised his head, eager to try, and said, "Anyway, this woman is a criminal suspect, so there's nothing wrong with taking coercive measures. Her current attitude is clearly one of refusing to cooperate, or you could say resisting arrest, right? I don't think there's any need to show mercy to this kind of person. Just pin her down a couple of times and she'll behave. Hehe... At most, I'll just get scratched a couple of times. What else could she possibly do? Or, let them complain about me later!"

"Then you'll be transferred to the logistics department to clean toilets! After a few months, if you can't stand it, you'll either resign or be transferred. Do you think it's worth it for such a shrew?"

Jiang Zhong glanced at Zhu Xiubo.

"What should I do?"

Zhu Xiubo knew perfectly well it wasn't worth it, but he didn't want to go through the hassle of retreating and finding a new solution. How did something so simple extortionate become a real-life drill for the police on how to deal with a tantrum?
“Under normal circumstances, we can indeed head back home.”

Jiang Zhong uttered a disheartening remark, but quickly added, "But this time is different! I suspect this shop is not only luring the elderly into buying health products, but also engaging in illegal fundraising! Mimi, do me a favor! Try to get in on the second floor from the outside and see what's going on inside. Zhu Xiubo and I will leave this area first to lower their guard. We won't go too far, and we'll be there to meet you. Of course, it would be best if you could get any evidence."

"Heh... If we confirm it's illegal fundraising, then it's no small case! We'll team up with the Economic Crime Investigation Department, and even if this woman really wants to commit suicide, we'll tie her up and throw her in jail!"

Zhu Xiubo excitedly rubbed his hands together, then looked at Lin Ge expectantly.

"In other words, for minor cases, the police do need to weigh the consequences. But for major cases, no matter what, the suspect cannot be allowed to act recklessly, right?"

Lin Ge understood Jiang Zhong's meaning.

Moreover, extortion targets only one victim, but if it is illegal fundraising, the number of victims, the amount of funds raised, the social impact, and the nature of the case all fall under the category of serious situations where the police no longer need to weigh the pros and cons.

Cases like these, where the longer they drag on, the more serious the consequences become, cannot be handled arbitrarily by the suspect.

"At most, attempted extortion would result in a reprimand or a few days in jail. But if it's illegal fundraising, this woman must go to jail without a doubt! Yes! That's how you avenge the old lady!"

Lin Ge accepted the task without hesitation.

When Jiang Zhong asked Lin Ge if he wanted to bite his body camera while climbing the building, Lin Ge shook his head and refused. His own collar was capable of taking pictures, and its clarity and wide-angle range were far superior to the body camera.

Therefore, he didn't need any help at all, and just waited for Jiang Zhong and Zhu Xiubo to leave in front of Zhang Yanxia. Not long after the two left, Lin Ge, who was hiding in the tree, clearly saw Zhang Yanxia and Xu Yinghui eagerly return to the second floor.

The second-floor window was closed, and the curtains were drawn. Soon, the sound of a microphone came from inside again. Zhang Yanxia, ​​with a very professional attitude, actually continued to introduce the '120-year-old' miraculous old man.

She spoke eloquently, and then finally added a sentence at the end, asking people to join the association and offering rewards for recruiting others.

(End of this chapter)