Chapter Fourteen: A Public-Order Dispute

The incident site was very close by.

By the time the two officers arrived, a crowd had gathered, causing slight congestion in the non-motorized vehicle lane, though it did not obstruct the flow of traffic.

The woman had a fiery temper; her shouting could be heard from a distance.

"You're a man! Don't you have any sense of responsibility? Can't you say a single word?"

"I'm talking to you! Are you mute, damn it?"

A stir of alarm rippled through the crowd as if the woman had struck again. Han Ling and Zhang Silei parked their bicycles nearby, activated their body-worn cameras, and hurried over.

"The police are here! The police are here!"

The crowd parted, and the two officers reached the center of the conflict, arriving just in time to see the woman in the pink dress pull back her right hand. She was standing so close to the man in front of her that she was practically pressed against him.

The man, in his mid-thirties, was thin and wore a plaid shirt. He looked like an honest, unassuming office worker who spent his days in front of a computer. Faced with the woman’s aggression, he sat quietly on his electric scooter, offering no response.

"Clear the area," Han Ling commanded.

Hearing this, Zhang Silei turned to the crowd: "Everyone, stop crowding here! You folks over there—don't block the non-motorized lane, let the traffic through! Move to the side! Thank you for your cooperation!"

Han Ling brought the two parties to the sidewalk. Seeing the woman in the pink dress put her hands on her hips, ready to speak, he interrupted, "Stay calm for a moment. Escalating the conflict won't do you any good. Tell me what happened. You go first." He pointed to the man in the plaid shirt.

The man remained composed and spoke clearly: "I was riding normally when she suddenly made a U-turn and started driving against traffic. I couldn't stop in time, and we collided. Then she started cursing and hitting me. She slapped me on the left cheek. Many people saw it. I was the one who called the police."

The woman in the pink dress grew anxious upon hearing this. "Who hit you? I didn't hit you!"

Impulse often clouds judgment, and now that the police had arrived, the woman’s rage had clearly subsided by more than half.

"You did! I saw it."

"I saw it too!"

Before the man could respond, the bystanders spontaneously volunteered as witnesses.

"Are you all blind?! I didn't hit him!" The woman became increasingly agitated. "Are you all bullying me just because I'm a girl?!"

Han Ling raised his hands to gesture for silence, then pointed upward. "Miss, look over there."

"What?"

The woman looked up, and her expression changed. Han Ling was pointing at a surveillance camera, which had a clear view of the scene. Over the past two years, the "Skynet" project had begun implementation; while not yet ubiquitous, the number of urban surveillance cameras, especially on roads, had grown significantly. As it happened, this road was well-monitored.

"Driving against traffic and assault—is that correct?" Han Ling asked, his tone calm and consistent from the start.

"I..." The woman hesitated for a long time, realizing she couldn't escape the camera footage. Suddenly, she raged, "So what if I did? He hit me first! Setting the facts aside, isn't he at fault too? Look! I have a scrape on my arm!"

*Setting the facts aside?*

Han Ling was briefly taken aback. The phrase sounded familiar—a popular internet slang term. Didn't that only become common a decade later?

Those six words ignited the crowd. Someone couldn't help but shout, "Setting the facts aside? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?! Are you crazy?"

"Who cursed at me?!" The woman snapped her head around, her eyes scanning the crowd like a flamethrower. No one admitted to it.

The situation was clear; they would all be taken back to the station. Regarding the woman’s assault, she might face detention unless the man chose not to press charges. Public order cases are not public prosecutions and carry a great deal of flexibility; if the assailant provides sufficient compensation, the matter can often be settled—which is why there is the cynical joke about victims "buying a car or a house" after being hit.

"Everyone, come back to the police station with us. We'll take your statements and see how to handle this," Han Ling said.

The man nodded, trusting the police. The woman, however, grew panicked and resisted. "Why go to the station? I'm not going! Look... I forgive him, I forgive him." With that, she turned to walk away.

A chorus of boos rose from the crowd; it was clear that only the police could handle someone so unreasonable.

Han Ling blocked her path. "Miss, you are involved in a public order case. You cannot just leave as you please. Please accompany us to the station."

"I'm not going! Move!" The woman was bold, daring to stand up to the police, and she shoved Han Ling’s arm away.

On the other side, Zhang Silei moved in. "Please cooperate!"

The woman seemed to realize that the situation was spiraling out of her control. Attempting to force her way through, she was stopped when Han Ling stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders.

"Let go! What are you doing? Are you going to hit me?!" The woman turned back, shouting angrily.

Han Ling’s expression remained calm. "This is your first warning. Please accompany us to the station."

The woman stepped toward him. "I'm not going! What are you going to do? Come on, hit me!"

The gap between them narrowed. Han Ling stepped back.

"This is your second warning!"

"You think I'm afraid of your warnings?!" The woman pointed at Han Ling.

Han Ling continued to retreat as the crowd scattered—they knew a show was coming.

"This is your third warning!"

As the words left his lips, seeing the woman continue to advance, Han Ling suddenly stopped, grabbed her wrist, twisted it behind her back, and took her down with a single sweep of his leg.

Handcuffs were produced a second later, securing the woman’s wrists.

"We are officers from the Wanglou Police Station! We are now placing you under arrest in accordance with the law! Please cooperate!"

"Let go! Let go of me!" The woman struggled, but it was useless.

The crowd erupted into cheers and even applause. Seeing the woman’s sorry state was gratifying; if you refuse to behave with dignity, the police will ensure you do.

Zhang Silei rushed over to assist, looking at Han Ling with a hint of surprise. He hadn't expected Han Ling to be so decisive—to act the moment it was necessary—especially since his colleague was a rookie who had joined only a few months ago and had just received his law enforcement credentials. He felt a sudden pang of envy; after all, Han Ling was a professional, trained in the formal rigors of the police academy. He wished he had applied for the academy himself back in the day.

"Have the patrol team take her back," Han Ling said as he pulled the woman to her feet. The station had few police cars, and they were prioritized for the patrol units, who could transport suspects more easily.

"Right." Zhang Silei contacted his colleagues via radio.

Soon, a patrol car arrived. After the officers questioned the situation, they took the two parties away. Han Ling and Zhang Silei stayed behind to disperse the crowd and deal with the electric scooters, taking a moment to provide some legal education to the onlookers before heading back to the station themselves.

When they returned, the man was in the mediation room, while the woman had been taken directly to the interrogation room. In a case where the facts were this clear, there was no need for a formal interrogation—they only needed to secure the evidence and take statements. Han Ling left that to his colleagues.

He walked into the mediation room, poured the man a glass of water, and asked how he wanted to proceed. He suggested that if possible, a settlement would be best. Since there were no injuries or other serious consequences, reconciliation was the ideal path to prevent the conflict from escalating.

Encouraging victims to settle wasn't biased; it was what the police academy taught, and what his mentor, Zhu Yue, had taught him. For instance, if a party in a minor dispute were sent to detention and left with a criminal record, they might harbor a grudge and seek revenge later. One person might not dare, but what about a thousand? Or ten thousand? As the numbers grew, there would always be someone vindictive enough to act.

If that happened, it would no longer be a simple public order issue; it could escalate into a criminal case, which would be a far worse outcome. Thus, facilitating reconciliation was a way to maintain social stability to the greatest extent possible. Furthermore, it allowed the case to be resolved quickly without complex legal procedures, reducing the burden on the judicial system. Overall, reconciliation was the optimal result.

"I won't settle, and I don't want any compensation," the man said firmly.

Han Ling was surprised. The honest-looking man was determined to send the woman to detention. It seemed that back at the scene, he had been holding back a great deal of rage. The only reason he hadn't fought back was his concern that the police might classify it as a mutual brawl.

A very wise decision. At least, in this era, it was the correct one.