Red Light

City at Night: Part 6

Slowly and carefully, they transferred the unknown man's body onto a stretcher. Without thinking, Fanxing swiped at his face to clear the tears and runny nose, then took the front position to take the man away.

He didn't even notice the quiet that was beginning to ripple outward. A stone tossed in a pond.

Videos and pictures were passing through social media at the speed of light. The young police officer trying to save the middle-aged protester was flashing through Beijing. There was a pause. A reminder not everyone in authority was like Jin Guangshan. There were those who were trying to make a difference for good.

The crowd in front of City Hall had gone almost silent. Only the gentle sussuration of so many breathing in one place remained.

Jiang Cheng was watching. Carefully, gauging the masses who no longer seemed quite so ominous. It felt like they were almost lost. They wanted to stop the wrongs, and now that the first urges of anger had passed, they didn't know what to do.

Taking his helmet off and handing it along with his shield to the officer next to him, he worked his way to the front of the riot line. He stood halfway between the riot line and the protesters to make himself more obvious.

There was a perk to always yelling. Jiang Cheng knew how to make his voice carry.

"May I suggest we all go home for tonight? This night has been shocking for all of us. We all need time to recuperate. I am not suggesting we ignore what has come to light. Far from it. I am saying I am tired, and I suspect you are too. Tired people make mistakes. Let us begin again tomorrow to find a way forward together. Do our best to fix what has happened and make sure it can never happen again." Jiang Cheng's voice was reasonable. Calm.

He knew he was seriously overstepping his authority, but now was the time to take advantage of what Fanxing had given them. There was no way the entire crowd would disperse, but if he could get even a few to reconsider, it would be better odds for his officers.

Maybe this night could pass without a riot, bloodshed, and chaos. However, if it did erupt, he wanted to give his people the best chance he could.

If he was reprimanded for it, so be it.

The people looked at Jiang Cheng. Without his helmet and shield, he was vulnerable. If they chose to rush him, he was too far from the other officers. He'd go under in a swarm.

The bruises on his face stood out in the harsh lighting. There was no indication he was playing for the myriad of phones recording his speech. He came across as genuine. Honest.

He tried to stand confidently and relaxed. His face was somber. He'd done what he could. Now, all he could do was wait.

Slowly, people began to trickle away from the mob. Some nodded to the Inspector, who nodded politely back.

Others scoffed and yelled. Accusing the police of being part of the trafficking. Jiang Cheng simply stared at them. All of his disdain for such a concept blatant on his face.

Just as the video of Zheng Fanxing sped through the city via social media to be picked up by the news, so did the video of the young inspector standing fair and firm before the mob.

It was riveting viewing.

Jiang Cheng waited until he could no longer see people departing before turning on his heel to pass through the riot line that opened before him. Behind him, with crisp precision, the two officers slid back into place.

Sergeant Feng Mingjing gave a harsh cry and Jiang Cheng's officers slapped their shields with their batons three times in salute.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!