撞槍口上walked right into the line of fire
01
一到炎炎夏日，驕陽鎮整個城鎮柏油馬路上烤得軟軟地，踩上去還有點粘粘的感覺，街道上充斥著一股濃烈的柏油味，這個大中午的，除了偶爾有賣冰棒雪糕的路邊叫賣，很少有人在路上走，其他人都在家裡吹空調睡午覺。
“別跑！給我站住，再跑我就開槍啦！”三個警察在後面騎著摩托車追。警察不管有槍沒槍都喜歡用槍來嚇唬人，何況這三個民警除了警棍根本就沒有配槍。
前面兩個光著膀子有紋身的人在跑，從滿臉的青春痘來看應該都未滿十八歲，但身材發育很快體力一點也不比成年人差。這兩人在柏油馬路上瘋狂地奔跑，身上裝了馬達似的，在馬路兩旁左閃右躲。
只可惜這是一條大路上，除了店鋪根本就沒有其他小路，在一條筆直的大馬路上和摩托車進行馬拉松那是等於自討苦吃。
“你還跑，站住！開槍啦！”警察除了喊開槍就沒什麼別的招，一路開著摩托不緊不慢得跟在後面，嗚嗚的馬達聲像皮鞭一樣催促著前面這兩個少年快跑。
這時候一個男孩騎著自行車迎面騎過來躲避不及，與其中一個逃犯火星撞地球，男孩也從車上摔下來人仰馬翻，書包裡的書撒了一地。那個逃犯也撞倒在地，從地上還沒來及得爬起就被警察摁在地上。這時候另一個逃犯哪裡還管你什麼江湖義氣，繼續逃跑才是首要任務。
沒多久，只怪這條大馬路太長太寬，另一個逃犯和摩托車拼馬力之後身心力竭也立刻被逮住了。其中一個逃犯狠狠地瞪著那個男孩。那個男孩被身邊的同學攙扶起來，關心地問道：“吳應光，你沒事吧！”吳應光看那逃犯的眼睛冒著凶光，被盯得有些發顫，眼神恍惚中說著沒事沒事。
那個被撞倒的逃犯叫湯建華，他把怨氣都撒在這個騎自行車的男孩身上，威脅道：“吳應光！好，我記住你了！你給我等著！”
“你給我老實點，被我逮住了還敢這麼囂張！”其中一民警把湯建華的手臂背過來，掏出手拷，順手就給拷上，“我叫你跑！跑的比狗還快，年紀輕輕不好好讀書，在外面胡搞瞎混，看你能跑多久？你倒是給老子再跑呀！”
兩逃犯的汗滲出來，滲到全身像塗了一層油，在陽光下閃著老油條的光。湯建華和盧偉兩人體力再好，跑這麼久終究也是人肉馬達累得不行，雙手被戴上手銬，坐在摩托車上喘著粗氣，押回派出所的路上引來不少路人觀看，湯建華還昂著頭，一副不可一世的樣子。
02
驕陽鎮的人口不算多，只要周圍有什麼人犯事，很快全鎮都知道。中午是老民警馮孝光和剛入職的李細寶和另一位同事晏朝光出警，把湯建華從大馬路上抓了回來，他倆因打架鬥毆試圖逃逸被押回來現關在小黑屋裡，還沒來得及通知他們的家人，就來了兩個中年男女，一前一後走進派出所。
男的先開口說話：“我是來保證金的。”
女的跟著也說：“我也是。”
馮孝光瞄了兩人一眼：“你們來保誰呀？”
男的說：“我是湯建華的爸爸。”
女的說：“我是盧偉的媽媽”
馮孝光望了一眼這兩位家長，桌上一遝文件裡抽出兩張表來：“你們知道你們兒子犯了什麼事嗎？先填這兩張表。”
湯父看了一眼表格說：“小孩子不懂事，我回去一定打死這臭小子！”
馮孝光說：“小孩不懂事，你也不懂事嗎？他們兩人可是屬於非法群歐故意傷害他人罪，現在受害者還躺在醫院呢！”
湯父陪著笑臉，遞了一根煙過來：“警察同志，你看能不能寬大處理呀！”
馮孝光推掉了香煙，指了指牆上貼著‘禁止吸煙’的牌子說：“寬大處理就是你們賠人家的醫藥費誤學費營養費，回去好好教育你們孩子，年紀輕輕就爭強鬥狠，你們現在撒手不管，以後就是社會替你們嚴加管教。”
湯父盧母在一旁連連點頭，說著兩人分別從兜裡掏出幾張百元大鈔，小心翼翼得塞到馮孝光面前：“這個您收下，一點是小意思。”
馮孝光怒斥道：“你們這是幹什麼？公開行賄罪加一等。”
兩人趕緊把拿著錢的手縮了回去，央求道：“警官，你看就是小孩間的打鬧，那個小孩能傷到哪裡去，對方又是醫藥費誤學費營養費，這不是敲詐嗎？您看，能不能把我們孩子給放了，算交個朋友，改天再請您吃個飯。”
馮孝光忍著怒氣，見過不懂法但沒見過這麼不懂法的家長：“我告訴你們！打人本身就是不對，如果你們把打架鬥毆當作孩子間的打鬧來教育自己的孩子，就是縱容包庇。你們小孩走到今天這地步，你們家長也有一半原因。”
盧母開始走溫情：“警察大哥，你說的對！我們養個小孩也不容易，那混蛋回家我一定好好教訓他，我打死他，讓他以後再也不犯錯誤啦！”
馮孝光早已見慣不怪，直搖頭說：“什麼樣的家長就教育出什麼樣的孩子，一遇問題就拳棍相加。如果你們今天是來解決問題的，請你們把資料填了，交上保證金，該賠的賠，該道歉地道歉。”
“您這樣說就不對了，照我看，那個受傷的小孩家庭不就是想敲詐我們多賠點錢嗎？我就是把錢扔到河裡都不給他！警員同志，我們把營養費和誤課費給你，我就不想賠多點錢給他，我就是把錢捐給公安局都不賠給他們。還住院！這一下我一個月工資白拿了，這不知那家人怎麼想的！”盧母開始有點耍潑。
馮孝光氣得猛地拍了一下桌子，對面坐著的李細寶過來安慰師傅不要動氣，嚴肅地對盧母說：“請你注意你們的態度，這裡是派出所，不是你們蠻橫耍潑的地方！我不怕告訴你們，你們兒子打傷的可是我們警員家屬，沒有告你們小孩就算不錯啦！”
湯父下巴都快掉下來了：“警員家屬？誰呀？”
李細寶看了看馮孝光說：“就是你們面前的馮叔。你們兒子就是打傷了他兒子！”
馮孝光很生氣，後果自然很嚴重：“你就是把錢扔進了河裡，也要賠我兒子的營養費和誤課費！”
這一男一女算是撞槍口上了，沒敢再說什麼，趕緊一個人掏了四千，領著自家的兒子離開。臨走時，馮孝光指著湯盧兩個人說：“我可是警告你們兩個，如果你們再敢動我兒子馮梓豪一根寒毛，就別怪我不客氣，你父母都救不了你們！下次抓到你們就不是這麼簡單了！”
走出門口，聽見盧母戳著兒子的腦袋念叨，你這個混球，書不好好念，學人家打架，別人不打，偏去打警察的兒子，要是再闖禍，把打斷你的腿。
01
As the scorching summer heat arrives, the asphalt streets of Jiaoyang Town soften under the sun, sticky to the touch, releasing a strong smell of tar. At midday, apart from the occasional ice cream vendor shouting on the street, no one is out; most people are at home, enjoying the air conditioning and taking a nap.
“Don’t run! Stop right there, or I’ll shoot!” Three police officers are chasing on motorcycles. Police, whether armed or not, often use guns to intimidate, and these officers are no exception—they carry nothing but batons.
Ahead, two shirtless, tattooed youths are sprinting. From their acne-covered faces, it’s clear they’re probably under eighteen, but their quickly-developed physiques make them as strong and fast as adults. They dash wildly along the tarred road, zigzagging to avoid the motorcycles, their bodies moving like motors.
The problem is, the main road is too wide and straight—there are no small alleys to turn into. Racing motorcycles on this open road is practically self-inflicted misery.
“Stop running, or I’ll shoot!” the police shout, but they do nothing but follow slowly, revving their engines, pushing the youths forward like a whip.
At this moment, a boy on a bicycle comes riding towards them. He doesn’t have time to avoid the chase and crashes into one of the criminals. The boy falls off his bike, scattering books from his backpack. The criminal falls too, and before he can get up, he’s tackled to the ground by the police. The other criminal, without a second thought, continues running, his main priority being to escape.
Not long after, with the road so wide, the other criminal is exhausted after a high-speed chase and is quickly caught. One of them glares at the boy who had been knocked off his bike. The boy, helped by his classmate, gets up and asks, “Wu Yingguang, are you okay?” Wu Yingguang looks at the criminal with a murderous glare, trembling slightly, and mutters, “I’m fine, I’m fine.”
The criminal, named Tang Jianhua, glares at Wu Yingguang with resentment and threatens, “Wu Yingguang! I won’t forget you! You’ll regret this!”
“Stay calm, or I’ll make things worse for you,” one of the officers warns as he handcuffs Tang Jianhua. “You run like a dog, don’t study, and mess around outside. Let’s see how long you can keep running.”
Both criminals are drenched in sweat, their bodies greasy under the sun, glowing like old motor oil. Tang Jianhua and Lu Wei, despite their physical stamina, are exhausted after running for so long. Handcuffed, they sit on the police motorcycles, gasping for air, attracting the curious gazes of passersby as they are taken back to the station. Tang Jianhua lifts his head proudly, wearing an air of arrogance.
02
Jiaoyang Town isn’t very populous, so when something happens, everyone knows about it quickly. At noon, Officer Feng Xiaoguang, newly appointed Li Xibao, and another colleague, Yan Chaoguang, were on duty when they brought Tang Jianhua back from the main road. He and Lu Wei had been fighting and tried to escape, and now they were locked up in the small interrogation room. Before their families could be contacted, two middle-aged people walked in, one after the other, into the station.
The man spoke first, “I’m here to post bail.”
The woman followed, “So am I.”
Feng Xiaoguang glanced at them, then pulled two forms from a stack of papers. “Who are you posting bail for?”
The man replied, “I’m Tang Jianhua’s father.”
The woman added, “I’m Lu Wei’s mother.”
Feng Xiaoguang looked at the parents and handed them the forms. “Do you know what your sons have done? Please fill out these forms first.”
Tang’s father glanced at the forms and said, “The kids don’t know better. I’ll beat this brat when I get home.”
Feng Xiaoguang shook his head. “If they don’t know better, then neither do you. Your sons are facing charges of illegal group violence and intentional harm. The victim is still in the hospital!”
Tang’s father grinned and offered a cigarette. “Officer, can we get some leniency here?”
Feng Xiaoguang pushed the cigarette away, pointing to a sign on the wall that read “No Smoking.” “Leniency means paying for the victim’s medical fees, tuition, and other costs, and going home to properly educate your sons. If you don’t, society will do it for you.”
Tang’s father and Lu Wei’s mother nodded quickly, then took out several hundred-yuan bills, cautiously offering them to Feng Xiaoguang. “Here, take this as a token of appreciation.”
Feng Xiaoguang scolded them, “What are you doing? Bribery will make things worse for you.”
The parents quickly withdrew their hands, begging, “Officer, it’s just kids fooling around. How much harm could they have done? The victim’s medical and tuition fees—aren’t they just trying to extort us? Please, let us off the hook. We’ll treat you to a meal next time.”
Feng Xiaoguang, now truly angry, responded, “Fighting is wrong. If you treat this as ‘kids messing around,’ you’re condoning their behavior. Your sons got to this point, and half the responsibility lies with you as parents.”
Lu Wei’s mother softened. “You’re right, Officer! Raising kids is hard. When I get home, I’ll teach that brat a lesson. I’ll beat him until he never makes another mistake!”
Feng Xiaoguang had seen it all before, shaking his head. “What kind of parents raise these kinds of kids? The first thing they do when there’s a problem is resort to violence. If you’re here to solve the problem, fill out the forms, pay the fees, apologize, and move on.”
“But you’re wrong,” Lu Wei’s mother argued. “That injured kid’s family is just trying to extort more money from us. I’d rather throw my money in the river than give them anything! Officer, we’ll pay the nutrition and missed class fees, but we won’t give them more. We might as well donate the money to the police station instead!”
Feng Xiaoguang slammed the desk, enraged. Li Xibao came over to calm him down, then sternly said to Lu Wei’s mother, “Watch your attitude! This is the police station, not a place for you to throw tantrums! Let me tell you, the person your sons hurt is a relative of ours. We haven’t even filed charges yet!”
Tang’s father nearly dropped his jaw. “A relative? Who?”
Li Xibao glanced at Feng Xiaoguang and said, “It’s Feng Shu, the officer sitting right in front of you. Your son injured his son!”
Feng Xiaoguang was furious, and the consequences would be severe. “You better pay for my son’s medical and missed class fees, or I’ll make sure you regret it!”
The man and woman quickly handed over four thousand yuan and left with their son. As they walked out, Feng Xiaoguang pointed at Tang and Lu. “I’m warning you both, if you dare harm a single hair on my son Feng Zihao, you won’t get off so easily next time. Your parents won’t be able to save you!”
As they left, they heard Lu Wei’s mother scolding her son. “You idiot! You can’t even study properly and you’re out here fighting. You didn’t just pick a fight, you went and messed with a cop’s son. If you ever get in trouble again, I’ll break your legs!”The God Sent to Save the Day
