Chapter 79: The Mysterious Case on Campus

  "Lao Duan, I find it increasingly difficult to understand you. What exactly do you do for a living?" Pang Datou asked while peeling the shell of the small lobster in his hand: "Sometimes I feel like you're very capable and can handle anything, but at other times, I think you don't even have the slightest bit of pretension, when I invite you to a luxurious hotel, you decline, and instead insist on dragging me here to eat small lobsters. It's really puzzling!"

  "Can't this... be left unsaid?" Duan Yugang squeezed his eyes at Pang Datou, revealing a very mysterious expression: "This question is not easy to answer, as long as we remember that we were comrades-in-arms in the past and are good friends now, it's enough. As for what I do for work, let me keep a little mystery about it."

  "Haha, afraid that if I knew, I would give you trouble?" Pang Datou burst out laughing: "Old Duan, rest assured, I"

  "Now I propose, at this wine table, let's only talk about our experiences as soldiers and nothing else, okay?"

  "Haha, okay, I was wrong, I'll punish myself with three cups." Pang Datou finished the beer in his cup, poured two more, and indeed drank down three cups of beer with relish.

  "Has your son become more sensible after transferring schools?" Duan Yugang asked.

  Pang Da Hu's face sank after hearing this, he had been trying to avoid the case of Pang Guang being suspected of robbery by drinking and chatting with Duan Yu Gang. But now that Duan Yu Gang mentioned it again, he started to worry once more. He couldn't be sure if this matter really involved Pang Guang or not. Li Ke Zhang had already begun investigating, if it was true, what should he do?

  Duan Yuguang looked at Pang Dahu, who was frowning deeply, and said with a smile: "I should be punished." After finishing the wine in his cup, he picked up the beer bottle and poured more wine into it: "I'll drink three cups too."

  Pang Da Hu snapped out of his reverie, gave Duan Yu a cold glance: "If you're craving something, just say it straight out, no need to make excuses. Who in the army doesn't know that you're a legendary wine connoisseur?"

  "Unforgettable past, when we were young and strong, without money to buy wine, we would steal Commander Lian's wine. When Commander Lian found out that the wine was missing, I would tell him it was you who stole it." Duan Yuguang smiled slyly: "Didn't expect that, did you?"

  "Are you kidding me? You framed me and I ended up running around the playground all night!"

  "At that time, all the soldiers in the whole company were punished and had to run three laps around the playground. Haha, let's not talk about those annoying things, let's drink."

  "Alright, let's drink." Pong Datou raised his cup and clinked it against Duan Yuguang's, saying: "Do you still remember the time when Lian Longzi got a hole burned in his pants by a cigarette?"

  "I remember." Duan Yugang said without thinking, "I still remember that at that time, Lian Zhang was like a mad dog, catching whoever he could, and biting them. At that time, I was caught by Lian Zhang while smoking in the toilet, and I ran around the playground for an entire night."

  "The hole on your pants is something I did on purpose." Pang Da Hu said with a pleased tone, "We're even now."

  "Haha, killing a thousand enemies while suffering eight hundred losses yourself, you're not much better off either." Duan Yugang raised his wine cup: "Good brother, cheers!"

  After finishing the beer in his cup, Pang Dahu asked with a hint of drunkenness: "After we retired and went our separate ways, although we've been in touch, you never told me about your recent situation." Pang Dahu wanted to drink more, but found that his cup was empty. He tried to pour himself another glass, only to find the bottle was also empty. So he started pouring tea into a teacup instead.

  "Big Tiger, this... I really don't find it convenient to say." Duan Yugang sipped the tea that Pan Dahai had just poured and said: "My profession is very special, no matter what I do, I absolutely won't cheat you or sell you out, so there's no need to ask unnecessary questions. Even if you ask, I won't tell you. You just remember one thing, we are good comrades in arms, good friends, that's all."

  "Haha, okay, mysterious good friend, good friend, you can continue to be mysterious. I, Pang Da Hu, am straightforward and a born loser. Even if you're doing great, I, Pang Da Hu, won't ask for any favors from you."

  "It's getting late, shouldn't we be leaving?" Duan Yugang didn't respond to Pang Datou's words and instead called the waiter over to pay the bill.

  As the waiter walked away with a small card on the dining table, Pong Datou raised his teacup and said: "Old Duan, although the friendship between gentlemen is as thin as water, I still have to thank you for helping my son out."

  "It's just a small matter, we're old comrades, don't say such disgusting things." Duan Yugang turned his body and sat up: "Actually, I didn't want to mention it either, but since you brought it up, let me say a few more words. Recently, I heard rumors that Pang Guang instructed some young hooligans to rob people. Your son is my son too, I'll vouch for him. Whether or not this thing happened, I won't let anything happen to Pang Guang. If the school gives you trouble because of something, tell me immediately and I'll help you deal with it."

  "No need, no need, can't bother you every time." Pang Dahu shook his head like a rattle drum: "You won't think I asked you out for drinks because of his business, no, let Pang Guang go, he's not born to be a student, I've thought it through, can't always spoil him, if he gets expelled again, let him find a job himself, going out into society early and suffering a bit is not necessarily a bad thing."

  Duan Yuguang smiled and remained silent after hearing what Pang Datou had said.

  Mr. Han left the school amidst the principal's angry rebuke, just as Pang Datou and Duan Yuguang were drinking with flushed faces. He found the complaint hotline numbers of all administrative departments of the provincial government on the government affairs website and printed them out on a piece of paper. After leaving the school, he immediately found a quiet place to start dialing the numbers on it. The first one was the Education Department's phone number. As soon as he finished dialing, he burst out laughing in his heart, "Pang Guang, you've ruined my career and made me suffer so much! This time I won't let you off easy, or else I'll be known as Pang!"

  After a while, the phone finally connected, and Mr. Han cleared his throat: "Hello, is this the Education Bureau?"

  "Yes, how can I assist you?" The operator's voice was sweet and cloying.

  "I want to file a complaint, against the head of Dongcheng District Public Security Bureau."

  "Complaint about the Public Security Bureau Chief?" The operator was stunned for a moment: "Hello, this is the Education Department's complaint hotline. If you want to complain about the Public Security Bureau Chief, it is suggested that you call the Public Security Department's phone number. Thank you for your call."

  "Oh... no, I want to complain about the son of the Dongcheng District Public Security Bureau chief, Pang Guang, a student at Dongcheng No. 1 Middle School." Teacher Yuan hastily said, fearing that the operator would hang up the phone.

  The operator hesitated for a moment, wondering how the student had managed to call here, thinking that they were very idle. She calmed down: "Okay, please provide your name and ID number, we will forward your complaint to the relevant department for verification, and generally respond within 15 working days."

  "Okay." Teacher Han reported his own name and ID number, then described what had happened.

  "Robbery of classroom notes or notebook computer?" The operator thought he had misheard and asked again, "You mean a high school student in grade two ordered some young people to rob a notebook computer? What brand is it? How much is it worth?"

  "It's not a laptop, it's class notes, just what the teacher says on the podium and students record with pen, as for its value...it's hard to say, there are hardcover and softcover ones, many students were robbed, I guess no more than 10 yuan." said Mr. Han.

  The operator was a college student who had just graduated and started working, encountering an unreasonable troublemaker within two days. After listening to Mr. Han's description, he couldn't hold back his excitement: "Mr. Han, are you joking or making trouble for no reason?"

  "What's your attitude? You'll be complained about too." Mr. Han suddenly became furious: "I'm not causing trouble, everything I said is true."

  "The Education Bureau set up this complaint center to supervise and improve all irregularities related to education and teaching within its jurisdiction. Mr. Han, please be clear that all false reports and concealment may lead to crime, do not waste precious public resources, and do not waste taxpayers' money."

  "I guarantee with my personal integrity that everything I said is true. If you don't believe me, you can go to Dongcheng School to investigate and collect evidence." Han Dongping sneered: "You can choose not to record the truth, after this call, I will also call the Public Security Bureau."

  The operator was speechless. Today, she was originally scheduled to be off-duty, but as a result of swapping shifts with a colleague at the last minute so that she could go on a date with her boyfriend tomorrow, the complaint hotline, which rarely rang all year round, suddenly started ringing non-stop. She took several deep breaths to calm down her excited emotions: "Okay, I've recorded your complaint accurately. Within 15 working days, relevant personnel will conduct an investigation and then give you a response. Thank you for calling."

  The operator had just finished speaking and immediately hung up the phone. She wanted to go find some cold water to splash on her face to wake herself up, to prove that the call she had just received was not an illusion or something she had heard while in a daze. What kind of person is this? It's like they've taken the wrong medicine and are talking nonsense - a student who robbed someone of 15 yuan worth of class notes is now complaining to the provincial education department?

  "Hello, is this the Public Security Bureau? I want to make a complaint. I'm complaining about Director Pang Datou of Dongcheng District Public Security Bureau for dereliction of duty and covering up his son Pang Guang's criminal activities."

  "Hello, complaints are handled on a real-name basis, please provide your name and ID number."

  "After Mr. Han reported his real name and ID number, the operator asked: 'What would you like to complain about?'"

  "Complaint to Dongcheng District Public Security Bureau Director Pang Datou and Criminal Investigation Department Head Li, Pang Datou's son incited a group of young hooligans to rob students' class notes in school. After getting the loot, Dongcheng District Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Department Head Li dodged the issue, fabricated facts, and let the suspect off scot-free." Teacher Han finished speaking in one breath, having rehearsed these words many times in his mind, so he could recite them fluently without a script.

  "Robbery in the classroom?" The operator didn't understand, and asked again: "Are you saying that Pang Guang, the son of Dongcheng District Public Security Bureau Director, robbed a laptop, and his father intentionally covered it up? How much was the stolen laptop worth, I'll record it for you."