Fair Community.
Gao Teng and Fang Meng stepped out of the car.
Fang Meng had her hair tied in a high ponytail, revealing a smooth forehead. She wore a red off-shoulder T-shirt paired with ripped denim shorts, exuding youthful energy.
Gao Teng, on the other hand, was dressed casually, not really worth describing.
They were headed to Zhang Jianming's apartment, 702 in Building 8.
The two entered the elevator, ascended to the seventh floor, and arrived at door 702. Gao Teng knocked gently.
"Anyone home?" Gao Teng called out loudly.
No response.
He knocked again, but still, there was no movement from inside.
"This isn't good," Gao Teng's expression shifted. "Zhang Jianming might be dead. You wait here, I'll go buy some funeral paper money."
Fang Meng, speechless, rolled her eyes. "How about we try calling him?"
She pulled out her phone, found Zhang Jianming's number, and dialed. After a few rings, the call connected.
"H-hello?" Zhang Jianming's timid voice came through.
"We're from the Security Bureau—"
"You finally remembered me!" Zhang Jianming interrupted with a shout.
"Are you outside my door?" he asked eagerly.
"Yes, we—"
Before Fang Meng could finish, they heard a commotion inside, followed by the sound of something shattering.
Suddenly, the door flew open, revealing Zhang Jianming with a potbelly, standing in the doorway.
The smile that had briefly flickered on Zhang Jianming's face faded quickly as he sized up the two.
Fang Meng instinctively glanced at Gao Teng. He really was getting on her nerves.
"The Security Bureau must be joking," Zhang Jianming grumbled. "I've waited this long, and they send two kids who don't even have a shred of maturity."
Both Gao Teng and Fang Meng looked quite young, their youthful faces barely masking their true capabilities. Zhang Jianming's dismissive attitude immediately soured the atmosphere.
His words were an insult, and Fang Meng's temper flared. "Say that again if you dare!"
"Why?" Zhang Jianming sneered. "Did I lie? Or did I just hit a nerve?"
He swept his hand over his shiny bald head and arrogantly met Fang Meng's gaze.
"You—!" Fang Meng clenched her fist, ready to punch him, but Gao Teng stepped in front of her.
"Oh, so you want to hit me, huh?" Zhang Jianming taunted, his tone dripping with arrogance. "Believe me, I'll go straight to the Security Bureau and file a complaint against you."
Zhang Jianming's smug demeanor reminded Fang Meng of a bossy manager in a low-level electronics factory. She hesitated. If she laid a hand on him, and he reported her to the Security Bureau, she might get into trouble.
The Bureau had strict rules—ordinary citizens could not be harmed. Fang Meng knew that if Gao Teng hadn't intervened, the consequences could be serious.
But Zhang Jianming's arrogant face made her blood boil. He was so infuriating that she couldn't stand it.
"So, you think we're too young?" Gao Teng smiled coldly. "Interesting. Seems like back when you were our age, your hair hadn't even grown in properly. Your wife must have had a hard time putting up with an underdeveloped husband all these years."
"What did you just say?!" Zhang Jianming's face flushed with anger. He reached out and grabbed Gao Teng by the collar in fury.
Before he could react, Gao Teng grabbed his index finger and bent it backward. Zhang Jianming let out a scream that echoed through the hallway.
"I'm filing a complaint! I'm filing a complaint!" Zhang Jianming hollered in pain.
Gao Teng chuckled indifferently. "Go ahead. Just like you're making things hard for me, I can make things hard for you."
"L-let go!" Zhang Jianming was sweating profusely, his face contorted in agony.
"Honey!" A middle-aged woman with curly hair, clad in pajamas, suddenly rushed over, holding a folding stool. She was ready to attack.
Before she could get anywhere near them, she was blown back by an invisible force, slamming into the wall. She slid down, groaning in pain, unable to stand.
"You two really are a pair," Gao Teng muttered, shaking his head. He turned to Fang Meng. "Are we sure we didn't come to the wrong place? This looks like a trash dump."
Fang Meng couldn't help but smile, feeling a bit of satisfaction. Dealing with Zhang Jianming and his wife had been irritating, but with Gao Teng around, things were much easier. Without him, she might have lost her temper and ended up in trouble with the Bureau.
"By the way, I'm curious," Gao Teng said, dragging Zhang Jianming into the living room. He glanced at the photos on the wall—pictures of the couple, but no children. "No kids? Thank goodness your miserable genes aren't getting passed on."
Then Gao Teng slapped his forehead as if he'd just had a revelation. "Oh, now I get it. You enjoy bullying new employees because your inadequacies have left you psychologically twisted."
Letting go of Zhang Jianming, Gao Teng strolled over to the refrigerator and began rummaging through it like he was in his own home. He found some snacks and drinks, settled on the sofa, and patted the seat next to him for Fang Meng to join.
Zhang Jianming, now trembling with rage, spat, "I—I'll go straight to the Security Bureau and file a complaint!"
"Go ahead." Gao Teng casually flicked a potato chip, which sailed across the room and sliced Zhang Jianming's earlobe, causing blood to drip down his neck.
"Ahh!" Zhang Jianming shrieked in pain, clutching his ear.
"You see, when capable people fight, sometimes ordinary folks like you get caught in the crossfire. If I killed you right now and pinned it on Liu Zan, no one would question it."
The room fell into a heavy silence, as if someone had hit the pause button. Zhang Jianming stood frozen, too afraid to move.
Gao Teng chuckled. "Relax, I'm not some psycho killer. As long as you cooperate with me, you'll be just fine. So, how about it? Are you going to cooperate?"
"Yes! Absolutely!" Zhang Jianming nodded furiously, beads of sweat rolling down his face.
"Good. Now, why couldn't you just have been this reasonable from the start?" Gao Teng sighed, shaking his head. "But, some people are just power-hungry in all the wrong places. Why bring your petty factory-manager mentality into real life? You're not as tough as you think."
"I'm sorry. I was wrong. Really, I was," Zhang Jianming said, his tone more sincere than before.
Gao Teng waved dismissively. "Go hide in the bedroom. I don't want to see your face—it's too disgusting."
"Yes, yes…" Zhang Jianming and his wife quickly scurried into the bedroom, leaving Gao Teng and Fang Meng in peace.
"So," Gao Teng said with a satisfied smile, "what do you think? Didn't I handle that beautifully? Don't I deserve some applause?"
Fang Meng laughed and clapped her hands, giving him the praise he sought.
"Clap, clap, clap…"