I Am a Journalist

“Next time you receive a strange call like this, don’t overthink whether the caller dialed the wrong number. Just go along with what they say.”

“Especially if they’re asking about delivery or takeout, act natural and try to get their address. Then notify the officers to dispatch. Got it?”

Before heading out, Xu Mo reminded the dispatchers.

He instructed them not to respond carelessly if they encountered such situations again. Instead, they should follow the caller’s lead.

If the caller was subtly asking for help, a single wrong word from the dispatcher could put the caller in danger.

“Understood,” the dispatchers nodded, acknowledging the instructions.

…

Ten minutes later.

At Building 7, Unit 1 of Xinduhui, two police cars pulled up.

Eight officers got out of the vehicles and prepared to head upstairs.

Xu Mo was leading the team.

The address provided by the caller was Room 304, Building 7, Unit 1 of Xinduhui.

One elevator was stuck on the 15th floor, while the other had just gone up from the ground floor.

To save time, the officers decided to take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator.

They climbed to the third floor and knocked on the door of Room 304.

“Your delivery is here.”

“Coming!” A man’s voice echoed from inside.

The next second, the door opened a crack, and a man peeked out.

He cautiously opened the door just enough to reach out for the delivery, ready to shut it immediately.

But as soon as the door opened slightly, the officers rushed in.

Without a word, they pinned the man to the ground.

“Police! Don’t move!”

The man was stunned, his face filled with confusion, as if he hadn’t expected this at all. But soon, a flattering smile appeared on his face.

“Officers, you’ve got the wrong guy! I’m not a criminal, I’m a journalist! Look over there, there’s a camera. We were just testing how the police would react to a strange call and how quickly you’d respond.” His voice was loud, perhaps out of nervousness.

With his hands restrained, he couldn’t point, so he just glanced in the direction of the camera.

Following his gaze, the officers saw a camera sitting on the coffee table in the living room.

“A journalist? Testing? Don’t you have anything better to do?” Wang Dachuan snapped, clearly annoyed.

To get here as quickly as possible, they had run multiple red lights and nearly gotten into an accident. And now, they were being told it was all just a test by some journalist.

Calling it a test was putting it nicely. In reality, it was more like a prank. Even the most patient person would be irritated, let alone the officers who had rushed here.

It was clear from their expressions that they were angry at the journalist’s actions.

Of course, once they realized it was just a false alarm, the officers relaxed.

They even let go of the man they had pinned to the ground.

He was a journalist, not a criminal, so there was no need to restrain him.

As for his false report, while it was illegal, the offense wasn’t severe, and the punishment wouldn’t be too harsh either.

At most, the journalist would face five to ten days of detention and a fine of 500 yuan.

Once released, the man stood up with a grin.

“Heh… Officers, don’t be mad. I won’t do it again. But your response time is really impressive—just over ten minutes!”

“Cut the flattery. You think there’ll be a next time?” Wang Dachuan said irritably. “What you did is illegal. You’re coming with us for detention.”

“Sure, sure, I’ll go with you. Let me just put on my shoes, and I’ll follow you.” The man’s attitude was surprisingly cooperative, even eager to go to the police station.

At first glance, nothing seemed off.

But Xu Mo sensed something was wrong.

When he had taken the call earlier, the voice on the other end had clearly been a woman’s.

If this was really some kind of test, the woman who made the call should also be a journalist and would likely be waiting in the living room.

After all, if it were a genuine test, there was no reason for only one person to be in the living room.

Xu Mo’s sharp hearing came into play at that moment. He detected movement in the bedroom—more than one person was inside.

He recalled how the man had loudly explained that he was a journalist, almost shouting.

At the time, the man hadn’t raised his voice out of nervousness. Instead, he had been warning his accomplices inside the room.

By now, the officers had completely relaxed, treating the whole incident as a false alarm.

They only knew someone had called for help but didn’t know whether the caller was male or female. To them, everything seemed plausible—some journalists would do anything for a story or for clicks.

Just as the officers let their guard down and allowed the man to walk toward the shoe rack by the door, Xu Mo suddenly sprang into action.

He struck the man with a swift chop to the neck, knocking him out. He then caught the man and gently lowered him to the ground, ensuring he made no noise as he fell.

The other officers were stunned by what had just happened.

It all occurred so quickly that they didn’t have time to react.

What was Xu Mo doing?

Wasn’t this guy a journalist? Why knock him out?

Even though he had made a false report, this seemed excessive.

But as they stood there confused, ready to ask Xu Mo for an explanation, he raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

Then he began using hand signals to convey a brief message.

Hand signals could only communicate so much, so the officers still didn’t fully understand Xu Mo’s reasoning.

But they followed his lead.

Xu Mo dragged the unconscious man to the door, opened it, and deliberately let it slam shut with a loud *bang*.

The officers hid by the entrance, out of sight.

Moments later, the bedroom door creaked open, and a man holding a fruit knife stepped out.

He cautiously peered into the living room, scanning the area. Seeing no one, he assumed the officers had left.

“Damn it, you b*tch, you actually dared to call the police? I’ll show you what happens when you mess with me!” he cursed.

As soon as he finished speaking, the officers hiding by the entrance rushed out…