Faced with a barrage of questions from so many reporters, Qi Tongwei could not help looking a bit startled.
Noticing Qi Tongwei's awkwardness, Station Chief Zhang stepped in front of him, raised his voice, and spoke with absolute solemnity into the microphone.
"This officer's name is Qi Tongwei, and he is a graduate of Handong University!
Previously, Comrade Qi Tongwei led a team to smash two drug dens, arresting sixty-two drug dealers and confiscating over ten million in drug money and illicit gains!
Now, to rescue his fellow criminal investigators trapped in the scrap yard, Comrade Qi Tongwei has resolved to brave the danger alone!"
Through Station Chief Zhang's account, Qi Tongwei's heroic image was instantly established.
Eager to make Qi Tongwei famous, Station Chief Zhang even called over his apprentice, Wang Zhan.
"Wang Zhan, you are Qi Tongwei's apprentice and have been operating alongside him the whole time. Come and tell the reporters the details of what happened earlier!"
"Yes!"
Wang Zhan hurried over and, in front of the assembled reporters, recounted the details of how Qi Tongwei had smashed the two drug dens one by one.
Hearing that Qi Tongwei had almost single-handedly destroyed two drug dens, the reporters were astonished, but they also raised some skeptical questions.
"Officer Wang, according to your account, wouldn't that mean Officer Qi Tongwei can take on dozens of drug dealers all by himself?"
Believing the reporters doubted his words, Wang Zhan instantly grew defensive.
They could doubt him, Wang Zhan, but doubting his master, Qi Tongwei, was entirely out of the question!
"Our precinct has surveillance footage from both drug dens! If anything I've said is false, I am ready to take full responsibility!"
Hearing this, the reporters had no choice but to believe it.
They hurriedly took out their pens and jotted down Qi Tongwei's glorious deeds, ready to publish them in the papers as soon as they got back.
By this time, Qi Tongwei was fully equipped and had even retrieved two handguns and several spare magazines, secretly stashing them away in his Personal Space.
Amidst the admiring and complex gazes of the gathered police officers and reporters, Qi Tongwei walked alone toward the warehouse not far away.
As Qi Tongwei approached, the heavy warehouse doors cracked open just a sliver.
A handgun thrust out, pressed against Qi Tongwei's head, and violently hauled him inside.
Bang!
The next moment, the warehouse doors slammed shut!
Outside, everyone's heart leaped into their throats as they silently offered prayers for Qi Tongwei.
Meanwhile.
Due to the intervention of the Binhai journalists, Qi Tongwei's glorious exploits were broadcast live on the news through Wang Zhan's testimony.
The dramatic scene of him walking alone into the tiger's den—the drug traffickers' stronghold—was also captured on camera by the reporters.
At the Chen Family of Handong.
Chen Yanshi, Wang Fuzhen, Chen Shan, and Chen Yang were sitting together in the living room, watching the television news broadcast showing Qi Tongwei walking into the warehouse.
Instantly, unable to bear the shock, Chen Yang covered her mouth, burst into tears, and fled back to her bedroom.
Wang Fuzhen shot a fierce glare at Chen Yanshi, who sat in rigid silence, and could not help venting her grievances.
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't ignored Tongwei, how could he possibly have been assigned to the suburbs of Binhai City, and how could he have taken such risks!"
Chen Shan let out a sigh as well. Though he said nothing, his silence caused Chen Yanshi to clench his fists tightly as he questioned himself in his heart.
*Did I really do wrong?*
*If something actually happens to Qi Tongwei, how am I supposed to face my daughter?*
At the Liang family in Handong.
Upon seeing Qi Tongwei being dragged into the warehouse by the drug dealers, Liang Lu's eyes flashed with the vindictive joy of sweet revenge!
*This is the price you pay, Qi Tongwei!*
Since Qi Tongwei had refused to bow his head to her and had humiliated her in public, he would have to pay with his life!
In Liang Lu's eyes, Qi Tongwei was bound to die this time around!
Dozens of veteran criminal investigators had already fallen into that warehouse.
With Qi Tongwei walking in there all by himself now, there was simply no other possible outcome than death!
Back at Handong University, in a law school evening study classroom, the entire class was watching the live news broadcast on the projector.
When Qi Tongwei entered the warehouse, Chen Hai, sitting in the rows below, felt his heart skip a beat and lowered his head in anguish.
As for Hou Liangping, who had just been reprimanded by Gao Yuliang, his face beamed with excitement, feeling even happier than he would during the Lunar New Year.
Hou Liangping even turned his head and shot a provocative look toward Zhong Xiao'ai.
Zhong Xiao'ai completely ignored Hou Liangping, who was acting like a clown making a spectacle of himself; her gaze remained fixed blankly on Qi Tongwei's receding figure.
Suddenly, Zhong Xiao'ai recalled the scene from their very last meeting.
Outside the school infirmary door, those were the words Qi Tongwei had said to her:
"Whether someone brings disgrace to the police uniform is not for you or me to decide—it is up to the people to judge!"
And right now, Qi Tongwei was living out those words, sparing no regard for his own life!
"Xiao'ai, Senior Qi... he actually went in!"
"Isn't that just walking to his death? Why on earth would Senior do something like this?"
Zhong Xiao'ai took a deep breath, her heart a tangled knot of complex emotions. At that moment, she did not know what to say.
Yet, that final, resolute silhouette of Qi Tongwei was deeply etched into the very depths of her soul.
It is no exaggeration to say that Qi Tongwei's action had successfully propelled him to the moral high ground, earning the praise of people across the entire nation!
This cast a halo of supreme righteousness around him.
However, right at that moment, Qi Tongwei stood in the center of the warehouse with his hands clasped behind his head, gazing coldly at Ma Gang and the other drug dealers.
Surrounding him were at least ten handguns, all aimed right at him.
Before letting him in, Ma Gang's thugs had thoroughly frisked Qi Tongwei to ensure he was unarmed, which was why they allowed him entry.
Naturally, these drug dealers had no inkling that Qi Tongwei had concealed firearms inside his Personal Space!
At this moment, Ma Gang sat swaggering in a chair not far from Qi Tongwei.
Beneath his feet lay Li Hongqi, covered in blood and barely clinging to half a breath after being beaten to this state.
"You must be this Qi Tongwei fellow, right?"
Holding a gun, Ma Gang looked Qi Tongwei up and down, then mockingly pointed a finger down at Li Hongqi at his feet.
"See that? That's going to be your fate in a minute!"
A surge of anger rose in Qi Tongwei's chest.
"Ma Gang, you dare to murder a police officer? You have completely lost your mind!"
Aside from Li Hongqi, the rest of the First Team's criminal investigators were lying scattered around the warehouse.
Through a quick scan, Qi Tongwei spotted several among them who had already stopped breathing.
Hearing this, Ma Gang let out a sneer. He stepped off Li Hongqi's head, stood up, and spoke with supreme arrogance.
"Kid, haven't you figured out the situation yet? How dare you talk to me like that? Do you have any idea whose hands your little life is in right now?"
"What do you want, then?"
Qi Tongwei's primary objective was to rescue the hostages; if this dragged on any longer, even someone as skilled in martial arts as Li Hongqi wouldn't hold out much longer.
"What do I want? It's simple!"
Ma Gang exchanged a smirk with two towering foreign thugs beside him, a playful, cat-and-mouse amusement playing across his face.
"I hear you've got quite the martial arts skills and you're a real fighter, is that right? How about this: these two brothers of mine—one is a former Southeast Asian kickboxing champion, and the other is a retired European military elite. If you can beat both of them, I'll let one person leave alive! What do you say? Sounds pretty fair, doesn't it?"