Upon hearing Zhang Hao's words, everyone present was stunned.
The first thought that crossed Ai Xiaoxi's family's minds was: trouble. While Ai Xiaoxi knew Jiang Hai held some influence back in the capital, she couldn't help but worry.
Considering Qi's backing, things should be manageable. With Qi on his side, it wouldn't be difficult for Jiang Hai to deal with Zhang Hao—or even the town's mayor. The only potential obstacle was that the current county magistrate might not be as cooperative.
Qi's name still carried weight, but if the local authorities decided to arrest Jiang Hai outright, beat him into a confession, and convict him before Qi could intervene… then even Qi wouldn't be of any help.
It had to be admitted—people watch too much news and too many movies. It breeds a kind of quiet paranoia. When something happens, their minds jump to the worst-case scenario.
But caution is necessary. Especially in a place so far from the seat of power, where who knows what might happen?
When Ai Xiaohui saw the police arrive, he instinctively pulled out his phone and started recording. What he didn't know was that the glasses Jiang Hai wore weren't just for show—they were recording everything as well. That's why Jiang Hai hadn't held back earlier.
Like the Ai family, Jiang Hai's heart also skipped a beat. But not out of fear—he was excited.
He had read countless novels where gangsters colluded with corrupt police and officials. The hero beats up the bad guys, the police show up and arrest him without question, and he's taken to the station for a round of torture—until a lawyer storms in at the last minute and turns the tables.
As cliché as it sounded, scenes like that showed up in over 90% of urban novels. Jiang Hai couldn't deny it—he might "borrow" from them if he ever wrote one himself.
But if they really dared try that on him, he'd flip the whole place upside down.
His roots weren't in China, but he had powerful connections there. He had money, influence. Though the saying goes "a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake," Jiang Hai had never once considered becoming part of this place—only that he could crush it if needed.
Friendship? Connections? All meaningless in his eyes. If anyone dared lay a hand on him, he'd uproot them completely.
Yes—uproot. Not just arrest Zhang Hao. He wanted Zhang Hao's "umbrella"—his backers—taken down too. The police chief, the mayor—he'd see them all fall. Poor oversight alone was reason enough. What was Jiang Hai in China for, anyway?
Sure, he wanted a better, more comfortable environment. But smashing the corrupt people he despised? That was just as important.
But what surprised Jiang Hai was that the man Zhang Hao had called "Uncle Zheng" didn't storm over with a cold face and slap on handcuffs like he expected. Instead, the man paused to assess the scene, then slowly approached Zhang Hao and his group.
The other officers examined the injured thugs and immediately called an ambulance.
Officer Zheng squatted in front of Zhang Hao, eyes serious.
"Tell me, have you been drinking again? Why can't you behave yourself? Drinking in broad daylight?" he said sternly, pointing at Zhang Hao.
Everyone was stunned—Zhang Hao included.
Even Jiang Hai was taken aback. What did drinking have to do with any of this? Shouldn't the police have stormed in, arrested him without a word, and continued the usual bloody script? What was happening?
While Jiang Hai stood there confused, Zhang Hao quickly caught on.
"Ah… I had a little at lunch, Uncle Zheng. Not much. Hey, why is there a dagger stuck in my arm…" He trailed off, clearly playing along.
He knew Officer Zheng was a trusted subordinate of his uncle. He'd definitely help—even if not openly, then quietly. But judging from the situation… things didn't look good.
"Enough nonsense. Take him to the hospital," Officer Zheng said coldly. He gestured to the other officers, who then rounded up the group and waited for the ambulance to arrive.
Then, Officer Zheng walked over to Jiang Hai with a smile.
"Looks like that bastard caused all this. I'm really sorry. If there's any damage, we'll have his family compensate you. We're all from the same place—no need to make this too ugly, right? Besides, look at the state they're in…" he said, gesturing to the groaning thugs.
"What's going on?" Jiang Hai asked, growing more and more confused. Was this really the local police? Since when were they so reasonable?
"What else? We all know what kind of scum this kid is. We just came to sort it out. No need to escalate. If you want to settle privately, fine. If you'd prefer to file a civil lawsuit, we can take you back for a statement and go from there."
Jiang Hai was speechless. He turned to Ai Xiaoxi's family and saw the same puzzled look on their faces.
"What's going on here? Some bigwig in town?" Jiang Hai asked, still suspicious. If things just ended like this, there wouldn't be any real leverage. Sure, Ai Xiaoxi's father had been kicked a few times, but the others would be laid up for months. Still, Jiang Hai had to consider the Ai family's safety. If he weren't around, and the local snakes got vengeful, it could get ugly.
"Heh… So? What do you think of my proposal?" Officer Zheng asked casually, glancing at Ai Xiaoxi's father.
"Alright, but he has to return the 10,000 yuan he took from us," the man said, wary of stirring up more trouble.
People have always feared clashing with officials, and that hasn't changed—even in modern times. While Zheng wasn't a county magistrate, his power wasn't small. And although blatant abuses were rare now, Wei City wasn't far off, and the area wasn't entirely lawless.
Still, if someone wanted to make your life difficult, they certainly could.
So after a moment's hesitation, Ai Xiaoxi's father decided to let it go. He'd live. A few kicks wouldn't kill him.
"This is how it should be," Officer Zheng said smoothly. He turned to Zhang Hao, retrieved the 10,000 yuan Jiang Hai had given him, and handed it back.
With the money returned, Ai Xiaoxi's father quietly ushered Jiang Hai and the others away. Jiang Hai was a bit disgruntled but didn't press the issue.
He saved the video footage and called the lawyer he had just contacted, telling him not to come—for now.
Jiang Hai didn't entirely trust the situation. It wouldn't be the first time corrupt officials pulled something sneaky after someone walked away. He'd read enough gritty novels to know some people weren't afraid of bloodshed.
As Jiang Hai and the others left, Officer Zheng let out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his brow.
Just then, the ambulance arrived. Officer Zheng helped Zhang Hao into the vehicle and sat beside him.
"Uncle Zheng, is someone important visiting town? You're being awfully careful today," Zhang Hao asked, dropping the drunk act. He clutched his shoulder and looked at Zheng in confusion.
"No, no one special's visiting. But the person you just offended is important," Officer Zheng replied flatly.
Zhang Hao blinked, baffled.
As Jiang Hai had suspected, Zhang Hao had picked the fight deliberately. He knew a bit about the Ai family—he knew their daughter worked for a modeling agency in the capital. So what? That didn't mean they had real backing. As far as Zhang Hao could tell, Jiang Hai didn't look like anyone special.
"Don't doubt me. Ask your uncle when you get home. If he doesn't beat you to a pulp, I'll let you come back and beat me. The man you just messed with is named Jiang Hai. He's a mega-rich guy. His wife's family owns a top-tier company in the capital, and he's got connections at the highest level. If I had said the wrong thing earlier, not only would I be done for—you and your entire family would be paying for your mistake behind bars for the rest of your life."
Officer Zheng's voice turned cold and serious.
"Hiss…" Zhang Hao drew in a sharp breath. He'd had no idea Jiang Hai wielded that kind of power.
"I just hope he chooses to let it go…" Officer Zheng murmured, sighing.
He only knew about Jiang Hai because of a document he'd seen.
Two months ago, while Jiang Hai was in China, he'd submitted a request to bring some animals back to the U.S. The donkeys in Shandong Province were among his targets. To avoid any incidents, provincial authorities had quietly issued a directive: Don't provoke this man.
Officer Zheng had a good memory—and clearly, he hadn't forgotten.