This scene opens with a description of the attempted rape of a student by a group of local policemen. The teacher, however, is adamant in his refusal to be raped. He accuses the policeman of being a rapist and threatens to beat the policeman to death if he attacks him again. The police officer, who is the mayor's secretary and a member of the local gang, enters and begins beating the teacher. He is followed by Donghua, the city official, and Mr. Song, who are also district policemen. When the teacher is finally able to explain what has happened, he explains that the policemen falsely accused him of rape and then tried to force a confession out of him. This is illegal, he says, for it is against the law to use torture to extract a confession.