“009527, a serious traffic jam has suddenly occurred on Yinquan Road. Proceed there immediately to direct traffic!”
“Understood. I’m on my way.”
It was midsummer, July. The blazing sun hung high overhead, its scorching rays like surging tongues of fire mercilessly licking the earth. Waves of heat seemed to ripple through the air, and the stifling warmth made it feel as though the world had become a giant steamer. Every breath brought an unbearable heat that left people nearly gasping for air.
Yang Luo had just bought a bottle of chilled mineral water from a roadside shop. He gripped it tightly, feeling a faint coolness seep into his palm, as if it were the only comfort left in the sweltering heat.
But before he could even twist off the cap, an urgent order from the Traffic Command Center crackled through his radio.
“Damn it, this godforsaken weather—are they trying to kill us?” Yang Luo muttered under his breath, his words full of helpless irritation at the scorching heat.
Then came a series of loud gulps. Yang Luo tipped his head back and drained the entire bottle of mineral water in one go, as if that could drive away the oppressive heat clinging to him.
He casually tossed the empty bottle into the nearby trash can with perfect aim. It clanged sharply as it landed.
Yang Luo deftly put on his snow-white helmet and swung nimbly onto the Traffic Police Motorcycle beside him.
He started the engine, shifted gears, and opened the throttle in one fluid sequence. With a roar, the motorcycle shot off like an arrow loosed from a bow, speeding toward Yinquan Road and leaving behind a fleeting blur.
When Yang Luo arrived, the scene before him was enough to give anyone a headache. The road was completely gridlocked, with all kinds of vehicles packed tightly together like a school of sardines that had lost its way.
Shrill horns blared one after another, joining into a cacophonous sea of noise that tormented everyone’s eardrums.
The road had one lane in each direction, with no median barrier between them, making traffic control all the more difficult. Yang Luo made a quick decision and parked his motorcycle sideways in the left lane at the intersection to keep more vehicles from entering and prevent the jam from getting worse.
But faced with such a long stretch of congestion, Yang Luo knew full well that solving this thorny problem by himself would be harder than reaching the heavens.
The road stretched so far that he could manage the front but not the back. He felt like a lone sailor struggling against a raging sea, powerless to cope.
Just as Yang Luo was so overwhelmed with work that he was nearly at his limit, an Auxiliary Police Officer happened to race over on a motorcycle.
“Brother Luo, it’s you!” The Auxiliary Police Officer called out warmly from a distance, his voice brimming with the youthful energy and vitality of a young man.
Yang Luo gave the Auxiliary Police Officer a brief glance, a friendly smile appearing on his face. “Ziqing, you’re right on time. Help direct the traffic here. I’ll go up ahead and check things out.”
“Sure thing, Brother Luo!” the Auxiliary Police Officer replied without hesitation, then quickly got to work directing traffic.
The Auxiliary Police Officer was named Li Ziqing, and he worked with Yang Luo at the Municipal Traffic Police Brigade. The two got along well, and both worked as Patrol Officers.
The only difference was that Yang Luo was a full-fledged traffic police officer, while Li Ziqing was an Auxiliary Police Officer. Though their positions were slightly different, it did nothing to diminish their rapport or friendship.
Yang Luo patrolled along the line of congested traffic. The vehicles had formed a long, winding queue. Though the jam was severe, most drivers were behaving themselves, staying in their own lanes in orderly fashion instead of cutting into the opposing lane.
This gave Yang Luo some relief, but he knew the real problem lay farther ahead.
Yang Luo continued his patrol and finally found the culprit behind the traffic jam.
Several cars had gone against traffic in the opposing lane to save a little time. This selfish move caused vehicles pouring in from both directions to pile up more and more, ultimately bringing traffic to a complete standstill.
“Hmph, so it’s you bunch of idiots who’ve got me roasting under this blazing sun!” Yang Luo muttered as he quickened his pace toward the cars. At the same time, he called into his radio, “Ziqing, hurry up and bring the camera and ticket book!”
“Understood. I’m on my way!”
Several drivers spotted a traffic police officer approaching from a distance and immediately looked flustered. But their cars were trapped tight in the jam, like beasts caught in a quagmire, unable to move an inch.
Yang Luo walked up to one of the cars and looked through the window. The driver had the windows rolled up and was sitting back comfortably, enjoying the cool air from the air conditioner.
Yang Luo was instantly enraged.
“Damn, do you really think I’m a joke?” Yang Luo said angrily, pounding hard on the car window.
Only then did the driver slowly lower the window, looking thoroughly displeased, as if Yang Luo had disturbed his relaxing afternoon.
“Please show me your driver’s license and vehicle registration,” Yang Luo said sternly, his gaze fixed intently on the driver.
“Officer, you need to show me your law enforcement identification card, too. And you didn’t even salute me,” the driver said, deliberately giving Yang Luo a hard time in an attempt to evade responsibility.
“Show me your documents. I won’t ask a second time.” Yang Luo’s tone grew even firmer, leaving no room for argument.
“You don’t even have your law enforcement identification card. Why should I let you inspect anything?”
“He’s a full-fledged traffic police officer. He has the authority to enforce the law at any time,” Li Ziqing arrived in time to explain to the driver.
Yang Luo had no patience to keep arguing with the driver. He issued a stern warning outright: “official warning!”
“That’s your second official warning!”
But the driver seemed not to take Yang Luo’s warnings seriously at all. He simply rolled up the window, openly challenging him.
In the blink of an eye, just as the driver’s window had risen halfway, Yang Luo lunged like a leopard pouncing on its prey, clamped his hand down on the glass, and forced the rising window back down.
The sudden move left the driver dumbstruck. His eyes widened in disbelief. Damn, how strong did you have to be to push down a motorized window with your bare hand? The traffic police officer in front of him didn’t look particularly burly or muscular. Where had that incredible strength come from?
The driver swallowed nervously, fear beginning to creep into his heart. He had thought his tall, muscular build would let him intimidate the officer, but reality was far more damn terrifying than he’d imagined.
“Your third official—”
“No, no… Officer, I’ll hand them over right now.”
The driver no longer dared to put up a fight. He hurriedly handed over his documents, looking as panicked as a startled rabbit.
Yang Luo took the documents and checked them carefully before asking sternly, “Don’t you know there’s a solid yellow line in the middle of the road?”
“Officer, please give me a break!” the driver pleaded meekly, his face full of desperation.
“Give you a break? Who’s going to give me one? Not sending you to jail is already being lenient. People like you think you’re great drivers, weaving recklessly from side to side and breaking the law. That’s what causes traffic jams and frequent accidents. If I could, I’d revoke your driver’s license so you couldn’t endanger anyone else.” Yang Luo berated him without mercy.
“Officer, could you at least not deduct points? I’ll accept the fine,” the driver said anxiously. He knew his license didn’t have six points left to spare; if another six were deducted, they’d all be gone.
As he spoke, the driver hurried out of the car and grabbed Yang Luo, pleading desperately as if he were clinging to his last lifeline.
Yang Luo ignored the driver and turned to Li Ziqing. “Ziqing, write him a ticket and take a photo. And fine every driver who crossed the solid line and drove against traffic 200 yuan, with six points deducted.”
“Yes, Brother Luo.”
In the end, none of the drivers who had crossed the solid line to drive against traffic escaped punishment. They were extremely unhappy with Yang Luo’s tough attitude, but there was nothing they could do. They had, after all, broken traffic laws.
Looking at the hostile expressions of the drivers gathered around him, Yang Luo remained unmoved and said firmly, “I’m a traffic police officer, badge number 009527. If you’re dissatisfied with how I enforce the law, you can file a complaint at any time.”
“I’m definitely filing a complaint against you. I’ve never seen such an arrogant cop,” one driver said furiously, his voice full of resentment.
“You’re welcome to,” Yang Luo replied calmly, as if none of it had anything to do with him.
The sun still blazed mercilessly, pouring down its heat. Yang Luo and Li Ziqing worked under the scorching sun for over an hour before finally clearing the road.
By then, the two of them were soaked with sweat from head to toe, as if they had just come out of a steam room.
“Brother Luo, I’ll go buy us a couple of bottles of water. Wait here,” Li Ziqing said, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead. The droplets glistened in the sunlight.
“No need. It’s lunchtime, and I’m hungry. Let’s go back to the brigade cafeteria and enjoy the air-conditioning.”
Yang Luo’s city was called Xinzhou City, in the south of Xiangnan Province. It was a fourth-tier city with a population of fewer than five million.
Three months ago, Yang Luo was transferred to Xinzhou City as a traffic police officer. As it happened, the Mayor of Xinzhou City had arrived around the same time. These two seemingly unrelated events had strangely converged on the timeline of the city.
Yang Luo must have been truly starving. The plate of food and bowl of soup before him were gone in the blink of an eye, devoured so quickly that Li Ziqing, sitting beside him, stared in astonishment.
“Brother Luo, you eat faster than anyone I’ve ever seen in my life—and you don’t leave a single grain of rice.”
Yang Luo pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, and lit it. After taking a deep drag, he smiled at Li Ziqing and said, “I’m used to it.”
“Used to it? Brother Luo, what did you do before?”
At Li Ziqing’s question, a trace of gloom flickered in Yang Luo’s eyes, but it vanished like a shooting star, too quickly for anyone to catch.
“Heh… I served as a rank-and-file soldier for a few years,” Yang Luo replied casually, as if he were talking about something trivial.
“No wonder, Brother Luo. So you served in the military. I admire soldiers most of all, especially special forces soldiers,” Li Ziqing said, his face full of admiration.
“If you admire soldiers so much, why didn’t you serve in the military?”
“My grandpa wouldn’t let me. Luckily, my Elder Sister fulfilled that dream for me.”
“Is your Elder Sister a soldier?”
“My Elder Sister isn’t just a soldier; she’s one of the best in the military, an elite member of the Special Forces.”
“Your Elder Sister is that impressive?”
“Of course. You served in the military, Brother Luo. Have you heard of the Wolf Fang Special Forces?”
“Of course. They’re the most mysterious special forces unit in the Huaxia Army.”
“You’re mistaken about that, Brother Luo,” Li Ziqing said mysteriously, as if he were about to reveal a monumental secret.
“Are they not?”
Perhaps worried that someone might overhear, Li Ziqing cautiously glanced around before lowering his voice. “There’s actually another mysterious special forces unit in Huaxia, made up of 24 people. Compared to them, Wolf Fang is far behind. My Elder Sister wouldn’t tell me the unit’s name. She said it was classified and couldn’t be told to anyone, or she’d be court-martialed.”
“Oh, there’s a unit like that?”
“Brother Luo, do you know what my sister calls them?”
“What does your sister call them?”
“Once, I accidentally overheard my Elder Sister talking with Grandpa. They called that unit the War Machine.”
Yang Luo gave Li Ziqing a meaningful look. He felt Li Ziqing’s family background was not simple; it was quite possible he came from a military family.
Li Ziqing looked at Yang Luo and continued, “Brother Luo, do you think wars really happen in this peaceful age? Otherwise, why would they call them the War Machine?”
Yang Luo’s expression shifted slightly, then immediately returned to normal. He said calmly, “Maybe they do.”
“It’d be amazing if I could go to the battlefield!” Li Ziqing said wistfully. “By the way, Brother Luo, please don’t tell anyone what I’ve told you. I’m only telling you because I consider you a friend.”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
“I knew you wouldn’t, Brother Luo. In these three months working together, you’ve struck me as someone who’s fiercely loyal and would take a knife for his brothers and friends,” Li Ziqing said sincerely, his words full of trust in Yang Luo.
A person might have many friends, but how many were truly sincere? In Yang Luo’s heart, the word “friend” meant a great deal; it was worth its weight in gold. He never casually told people, “You’re my friend, my brother,” but once he did, he made sure to live up to the profound meaning of those words.
Li Ziqing’s words touched Yang Luo a little. In the other man’s clear eyes, he saw sincerity, a warmth like winter sunshine that reached into Yang Luo’s heart.
“Ziqing, thank you for trusting me so much.”
“Friends should trust each other. That’s the most basic principle of friendship.”
More and more people were entering the traffic police cafeteria. Yang Luo took a deep drag on his cigarette and asked, “Ziqing, are you done eating?”
“Yeah. Let’s go!”
Yang Luo picked up his empty plate and had just stood up when an annoyed woman’s voice suddenly came from behind him. “How can you be so inconsiderate? You’re smoking in a public place.”
Yang Luo turned around and saw a female police officer in uniform glaring at him. The word “Special Police” was clearly visible on her armband.
What was a Special Police officer doing in the Traffic Police Brigade cafeteria?
The female Special Police officer was still glaring at him. Yang Luo looked around and realized that he was the only one smoking.
“What are you looking around for? I’m talking to you. Put that cigarette out right now.”
Yang Luo wasn’t someone who let others push him around. Though he’d worked at the Traffic Police Brigade for less than three months, his reputation as a ruffian had already spread throughout the entire brigade. On top of that, the Municipal Police Bureau Director had personally recommended him, so many of his colleagues didn’t dare provoke him. Even the Brigade Commander of the Traffic Police Brigade could do nothing about him.
When the female Special Police officer snapped at him, Yang Luo shot back, “What’s it to you? I’m not smoking in your house.”
“You…”
“What about me? Since when does the Special Police Brigade get to boss the traffic police around? I’m smoking in my own department. How does that concern you? Go cool off somewhere else.”
“You dare talk to me like that? Want me to hit you?”
“I don’t believe you would. Go ahead and try.”
The female Special Police officer was named Zhou Xiulin, and she was the Deputy Captain of the Special Police Brigade.
The Municipal Leaders planned to conduct a surprise inspection of the Traffic Police Brigade that day. She had received orders from the Municipal Police Bureau Director to arrive ahead of time and check things out so they could make the necessary preparations.
The cafeteria was always one of the areas leaders paid close attention to. When Zhou Xiulin stepped inside, she hadn’t expected to find someone smoking openly in the cafeteria.
She had only meant to remind the guy to mind his manners in public, but not only had he refused to appreciate her concern, he had even insulted her. His behavior was simply too much for her to tolerate.
Zhou Xiulin was instantly furious. Without another word, she charged at Yang Luo as if she meant to fight him. Li Ziqing hurried to stop her and said, “Miss Special Police officer, please calm down. Don’t get worked up. We can talk this out.”
“He has to apologize to me, and he has to put out that cigarette right now. Otherwise, this isn’t over!”
Yang Luo turned his gaze to Zhou Xiulin and looked her up and down. He couldn’t help thinking that this fierce-tempered woman actually had rather delicate features and could be considered pretty. She was just a little dark-skinned and a little flat-chested.
Yang Luo’s unabashed gaze roamed over her. He gave a slight shake of his head, then a gentle nod, a nasty, irritating grin appearing on his face.
The bastard clearly hadn’t taken a word she said seriously. Worse, he was staring lecherously at her chest. Zhou Xiulin shouted furiously, “You bastard! What are you looking at?”
“The ball—no, the airport.”
The moment the words “the airport” slipped from Yang Luo’s mouth, it was as if he had lit the fuse on Zhou Xiulin’s fury. She gritted her teeth and glared at him, looking as if she wanted to devour him alive, flesh and all.
The words “the airport” had struck the most sensitive nerve deep within her, hitting a sore spot she had long endured.
Zhou Xiulin had always had a fiery temper, and now she was completely enraged. She darted around Li Ziqing, having already decided she would give Yang Luo a lesson he would never forget, no matter what it took, and make him understand the consequences of offending her.
But the instant Zhou Xiulin had just moved past Li Ziqing, Yang Luo calmly took a deep drag on his cigarette. Before she could react, he suddenly blew all the smoke in his mouth straight into her face.
“Cough… cough…” Caught completely off guard, Zhou Xiulin’s eyes watered from the smoke. She coughed again and again, left in a thoroughly miserable state.
“You bastard! I’ll never forgive you!”
“Ziqing, run!”
Seeing that things were going badly, Yang Luo shouted to Li Ziqing and took off toward the cafeteria exit.
“Oh.”
“You bastard, don’t run… Stop!”