Chapter 49: If They Won’t Reason, I Know A Bit Of Fist And Foot Kung Fu Too
In the prison, the air was filled with the smell of mold, blood, and a faint trace of rot.
Song Ban Tou stood with his mouth agape, staring dumbfounded at Hu Yu and Zhao Fu being escorted in, feeling like his brain wasn’t keeping up.
He didn’t know why.
He always felt like a raw recruit in front of Lin Fan.
He had just beaten Chen Ban Tou senseless that morning.
And not even half a day had passed before he went out for a turn and brought back Young Master Hu.
Looking at Hu Yu’s face swollen like a steamed bun and the dust on his fine clothes, it was clear he’d been well “entertained” on the way back.
He looked at Xu Ming, whom he remembered well.
From Yang Ming, he learned that Xu Ming had transferred to their side, working with Brother Lin, and would be under the master’s name from now on.
Song Qing had nothing to say about it.
Their trio would now be a quartet going forward.
“Yang Ming.”
Lin Fan’s voice rang especially clear in the silent prison cell.
“Bro, I’m here.”
Yang Ming responded immediately, his eyes gleaming with excitement and eagerness to get to work.
“Young Master Hu is a delicate flower new to this place and probably hasn’t experienced our enthusiasm yet. Go arrange a full family portrait process for him and make sure he feels our warmth.”
This full family portrait was Lin Fan’s latest invention—a full run-through of various punishments from feet to head, nothing missed. All the local ruffians who’d tried it said it worked wonders.
“Got it.”
Yang Ming grinned, showing his white teeth, as he chained Young Master Hu with iron chains. Hu Yu wailed and cursed like a ghost howling and wolf snarling, as foul-mouthed as could be, while Zhao Fu beside him kept roaring too.
“Young Master Hu, how did you end up here too?”
Pale-faced and disheveled, He Sen hadn’t expected it to be Hu Yu. He seemed familiar at first glance, but upon closer look, it felt like the sky was collapsing—this little tyrant of Yong’an City was being tortured too.
Hu Yu struggled and roared, glancing over amid the chaos. Seeing it was He Sen, he said, “It’s that damn Lin bastard. He grabbed me, dragged me from my home. Wait, why does your mouth stink so bad? Don’t talk, it’s choking me.”
He Sen was furious, his face flushed red with shame and anger.
“He ate shit,” Yang Ming said casually while working.
“Ah? Ate shit? Get away, don’t talk.”
Hu Yu was utterly disgusted.
He Sen was furious again.
In the prison cell, Shopkeeper Wang’s son Wang Hao was curled up on the dry grass, motionless like he’d been beaten to death. Shopkeeper Wang rushed to the bars, tears streaming down his old face, heartbroken beyond measure, his voice choked as he called out.
“My son…”
Wang Hao lying there seemed to hear the familiar voice. Extremely slowly and with great difficulty, he turned over. When he saw it was his father, his cloudy eyes suddenly cleared, filled with intense emotion. “Dad, why are you here?”
Then, as if remembering something.
“You dog constables, if you’re gonna touch someone, touch me. Don’t touch my dad.” Wang Hao roared.
Shopkeeper Wang saw his son could still move and speak, which eased his heart a bit, but hearing his son’s reckless words made him furious.
He reached his hand through the wooden bars. Wang Hao thought his father was heartbroken and wanted to touch his face, so he instinctively moved his red, swollen, bruised cheek closer, ready for that bit of warmth.
However—
“Pa!”
A crisp, loud slap landed unexpectedly on Wang Hao’s face, stunning him.
He clutched his face, eyes wide in disbelief as he looked at his father, completely confused.
“You bastard! Spouting nonsense! If not for Master Lin seeing through it all and enforcing the law impartially, you fool would’ve been framed and locked in this dark prison till death! Hurry up and thank Master Lin for his great kindness!”
Shopkeeper Wang scolded angrily.
Lin Fan opened the prison cell and released Wang Hao. He hadn’t expected Wang Hao to be locked up here—he truly didn’t know. It seemed many prisoners here were likely taking the fall or framed.
He needed to get the files and go through them carefully.
Wang Hao was baffled. He truly hadn’t expected anyone at the Public Security Bureau to reopen his case and seek justice for him. He’d offended Hu Yu, who had connections everywhere.
“What are you standing there stunned for? Hurry and kowtow to Master Lin. If not for him helping us, you couldn’t get out.” Shopkeeper Wang saw his son looking dazed and slapped his back in anger.
Wang Hao snapped out of it like waking from a dream, dropping heavily to his knees with a thud, banging his head hard on the cold ground, his voice choked with sobs and immense gratitude: “Thank you, Master Lin! Thank you for saving my life, Master Lin! Thank you for clearing my injustice!”
Lin Fan helped him up, sighing inwardly. The father and son were just honestly selling wine, business booming, but because local elites took a liking to it, they nearly lost everything. He had only done what a constable should, yet they were thanking him for justice.
He felt no joy at all about this.
It was like taking the suffering of the common people and dressing it up as a gracious gift they should be grateful for, to praise some illusory era of peace and prosperity.
Lin Fan said, “I’ve investigated your matter clearly. Public Security Bureau constables took bribes and framed you. Now Hu Yu and that constable are locked up inside. Do you want to go see?”
“Ah!?”
Wang Hao jerked his head up, eyes bulging round, mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.
What?
Master Lin in front of him actually said Hu Yu was locked up inside too—this news exploded like thunder, and he couldn’t believe it.
Who was Hu Yu?
That was the Hu Family’s young master.
He’d thought his father must have sold off family assets, begged every connection, endured endless humiliation to get him out.
But who could’ve imagined Master Lin here truly enforced the law impartially and arrested Hu Yu.
Like sleepwalking, he shuffled unsteadily inside. Not long after, he returned, face ashen white, but his eyes completely changed—filled with indescribable shock, fanatical admiration, and utmost respect.
Thud!
He knelt heavily before Lin Fan again, this time prostrating wholeheartedly, forehead pressed tight to the ground, voice trembling with excitement.
“Master Lin, you truly are a living blue heaven of our time.”
“No need, really no need.” Lin Fan helped Wang Hao up and said, “You and your dad go home first and recover well. I’ll handle this matter. Once the Hu Family’s compensation arrives, I’ll send it to you. Rest assured, if you face any injustice in the future, come to the Public Security Bureau and find me.”
“Yes, yes…” Wang Hao nodded repeatedly. Master Lin before him seemed ever taller and more majestic, glowing with radiant light.
At this moment, a fanboy was born.
Wang Hao, who had suffered injustice with nowhere to appeal, now saw Lin Fan as his idol.
Lin Fan saw Wang Hao and his father off from the Public Security Bureau. As he headed to the prison, Song Qing said gravely, “Have you thought about the aftermath? Grabbing Zhao Fu is fine, but this Hu Yu is tricky.”
Song Qing was truly worried, sweat beading on his forehead.
How could the Hu Family watch idly as Hu Yu was convicted? No one had ever thought anyone in Yong’an City could convict the Hu Family.
“Tricky? What’s tricky about it.” Lin Fan didn’t stop walking, his tone casual. “Evidence is solid, law is ironclad. No one interceding will help.”
Song Qing said urgently, “How many years has the Hu Family dominated Yong’an? Deep roots, big tree! They’ll definitely go to Li Dian Shi, or even straight to the County Magistrate for pressure! When the higher-ups speak, what then? Are you really gonna resist to the end?”
Hearing this, Lin Fan finally stopped, turning his head to look at Song Qing with a half-smile.
“Squad Leader, after all this time with me, do you think I, Lin Fan, handle things reasonably? Follow the evidence?”
“Yes! Absolutely reasonable, follows evidence!” Song Qing nodded immediately.
“Then that’s it.” Lin Fan’s smile unchanged, his tone carrying a chilling calm. “If they want to be reasonable and present evidence, I’ll go along to the end, everything by the law.”
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly, continuing forward, his voice low but clear in Song Qing’s ears.
“If they think rank crushes people and skip reason… that’s fine too. I, Lin Fan, know a thing or two about fists and feet myself, so I can reason with fists and feet.”
So far, he hadn’t met a single master. If this world was crawling with masters, he wouldn’t dare be so bold—he’d hide and grow stronger.
But now, he wanted to force the masters out.
Even half of one would do.
Song Qing froze in place, then snapped to, startling and chasing after him. “My little ancestor! Don’t do anything rash! We need to plan carefully for any matter, think it through before acting. No impulse, absolutely no impulse!”
……
Yong’an wasn’t big, but lately it kept creating legends.
News that Public Security Bureau Constable Lin Fan had captured Hu Family young master Hu Yu spread like wildfire through Yong’an’s streets and alleys, teahouses and taverns—everyone was discussing this earth-shattering event.
A crowd of neighbors gathered in front of Shopkeeper Wang’s tavern.
Everyone saw Shopkeeper Wang helping his disheveled but clearly alive son Wang Hao out, and they marveled and gossiped.
“He’s really out!”
“Master Lin is truly a man who gets things done!”
“From now on, in the whole Public Security Bureau, I only trust Master Lin. No one else works.”
Wang Hao shrugged off his father’s support and said loudly, “Public Security Bureau’s Master Lin is a blue heaven. He cleared my injustice and got me justice.”
A neighbor cloth seller shouted, “Where’s A Hai? My kid just took a hot dump, come eat it.”
As for A Hai who was told to eat shit, he stuck out his neck, face red, arguing strongly.
“Who said that? I didn’t say it, you’re slandering me.”
Seeking monthly votes, recommendation votes, some tips, godfathers.
