"Xiao Wan, what brings you here?" Xiang Ri's expression was slightly awkward. He hadn't expected the female officer to show up at this moment, and with such a large group of police officers in tow. Could something truly significant have happened?
"Am I not allowed to come?" Tie Wan asked with a half-smile, her gaze fixed on him. As she noticed the blood steadily dripping from his right hand, her expression shifted, and she rushed forward. "What happened to you?"
"It was just a minor accident," Xiang Ri tried to pull his hand back, but she held it tightly.
"Still trying to deceive me?" The female officer's eyes hardened, a tear threatening to escape. "You got hurt in a fight, didn't you? A single man taking on dozens, feeling rather impressive, aren't you?"
Seeing the anger and the hint of tears on the officer's face, Xiang Ri had no time to wonder how she knew the details. In a rush, he began to explain, "Wife, please listen to me—"
"You don't need to say anything!" Tie Wan interrupted him sharply, her eyes shifting to a certain girl protected in the crowd. "Xiao Nan, come here!"
The little girl bounced over energetically. "Sister, what's going on?"
"Tell me what happened. Was his hand really injured by accident?" Tie Wan asked, her tone softening as she addressed the girl.
Naturally, Zeng Nan, who had no affection for Xiang Ri, did not come to his defense. The moment she saw the expression on the officer's face, she guessed what had happened. Seizing the opportunity to take a jab at him, she exaggerated the facts, embellishing the story beyond recognition.
Xiang Ri, feeling utterly helpless, regretted trying to help earlier. Not only had he received no benefit, but he was also being severely slandered.
However, this situation also gave him a clear understanding of how the female officer knew he had single-handedly fought off dozens of people. Who else but this blabbermouth girl could have told her? But when had they become so close? And why had they become so friendly?
Xiang Ri shot the little girl a furious glare. "You better watch your mouth, little girl, or I'll teach you a lesson!" He shook his left fist to further emphasize his threat.
The little girl let out a shrill scream, darting behind the female officer. "Sister, look, he's going to hit me!"
"Don't worry, he wouldn't dare!" Tie Wan stepped protectively in front of the girl, her face hardening as she glared at Xiang Ri. "Now, what else do you have to say?"
Xiang Ri shook his head and let out a bitter laugh, about to speak, when the fat man who had followed behind them, though unsure of what had transpired, sensed that something was wrong. Seeing that his boss was in trouble, he spoke up first: "Sister-in-law, this isn't Big Brother's fault. Actually—"
"Don't say anything more!" Though the fat man's respectful tone had earned him a faint goodwill in the female officer's heart, the feeling was fleeting. More than anything, she was furious. If it weren't for them, that bastard wouldn't have shown up, and if he hadn't shown up, he wouldn't have gotten hurt.
With this realization, Tie Wan wasn't about to be kind to the fat man. "I've understood the situation clearly. Since none of you actually got involved in the fighting today, I'll let this slide. But next time, if there's another brawl like this, don't say I wasn't courteous!"
"Yes, yes, thank you, Sister-in-law!" The fat man broke into a cold sweat, afraid to say another word, and obediently stepped aside.
In truth, he had already recognized this "Sister-in-law." The last time they met was at that bar that had been burned down. He never expected her to have changed so drastically—once a mature and alluring woman, she was now a sharp, competent, and merciless police officer. The pressure she exerted on him was immense, especially with her piercing gaze that made it impossible for him or anyone else to look her in the eye.
Tie Wan nodded without comment, her attention shifting back to Xiang Ri's injured hand. Though her tone remained stern, there was an unmistakable concern in her eyes. "Do you think a few quick bandages will do the trick? The bleeding hasn't stopped. Hmph... I'll take you to the hospital, and next time, let's see if you dare act so recklessly again!"
She then turned to the group of officers behind her. "You handle this. Arrest those who need arresting, and punish those who need punishing!"
"Yes, Officer Tie!" the officers responded in unison. Though their superior had ordered fair treatment, they could all sense the underlying resentment in her voice.
Moreover, thanks to the loose lips of a certain talkative officer, the entire East City Police Station was already buzzing with rumors about Officer Tie's fiancé. Though they hadn't yet met, it was clear that this young man, so closely accompanying Officer Tie, was the one in question.
As numerous unmarried officers seethed with jealousy, they could do little but direct their frustration at the gangsters sprawled across the floor, their glances turning enviously green.
The thugs, still reeling from the beating and unable to get back on their feet, felt the temperature drop several degrees around them, and involuntarily, their hairs stood on end.
At first, they had thought that the arrival of the police meant their salvation, but when they saw the close rapport between the brutal man who had just beaten them senseless and the female officer leading the group, they immediately felt as though they had plummeted from heaven to hell. Was this collusion between the police and criminals?
Their fate was sealed! They had never imagined that the "Hungry Wolf Gang" could be so entwined with the police. They should have investigated more thoroughly, but now it was too late for regrets. They would be lucky if they didn't end up dead or severely punished. Fear flooded their minds.
Contrary to their dark thoughts, Monkey and the others were absolutely elated!
Did those officers just address her as "Sister-in-law, Officer Tie"? That was the title reserved for the head of a precinct—no wonder their boss had been so arrogant. No wonder those officers had been loitering around the bar like they had nothing better to do.
It all made sense now—there was a precinct head, a true figure of power, as their sister-in-law! They had truly hit the jackpot. From now on, they could walk through this district with impunity. Anyone who dared interfere could be tossed into a cell with a single word from them. The group exchanged glances, their eyes glinting with lascivious understanding.
Unaware of how her mere presence had emboldened the already reckless thugs, Tie Wan was in the process of ushering Xiang Ri out when a loud voice suddenly interrupted.
"Officer, they're attacking people! Aren't you going to do anything?"
It came from one of the gangsters lying on the ground, his arms covered in skull tattoos. Taking advantage of the large police presence, he attempted to play the tough guy. He had used this tactic before, and it typically worked well in front of an audience!
Beside him, Xiao Wu, practically livid with anger, wished he could kick the thug to the curb. He hadn't dared greet Officer Tie when she first arrived, fearing being associated with her in front of his superior. And now, this idiot, clueless and loudmouthed, was about to draw attention to him. Damn it!
However, his worries proved to be in vain. Tie Wan didn't pay him any attention. Instead, she calmly asked, "Who are you saying attacked someone?"
The tattooed thug, thinking the officer was buying his accusation, swelled with arrogance. Ignoring the warning glances from his companions, he pointed at the plainclothes officers who had been encircling them, including Xiao Wu, and said, "It's them, for sure! And that guy next to you, he hit the hardest! You should arrest them all!"
The room's collective opinion of him was unanimous: fool. Everyone else had clearly already formed bonds, and here he was spewing nonsense no reasonable person would utter. It was pure suicide.
Xiang Ri, too, hadn't anticipated the presence of such a dimwitted character among the thugs. Feigning casualness, he commented, "I seem to remember that my hand was struck by this guy's bench, and then... well, the blood just wouldn't stop."
Tie Wan's expression darkened immediately. She turned to Xiao Wu, who was standing beside the thug, and said, "Xiao Wu, you handle this. I didn't see anything."
Xiao Wu, initially concerned he'd be reprimanded, froze for a moment before quickly realizing that this was his chance to make a name for himself. His face lit up with a grin. "Don't worry, Officer Tie, I'll take good care of him!"
The gangster still lying on the ground remained oblivious, not realizing that his loose lips had already signed him up for a "delicious" punishment.
"Where to now, wife?" Xiang Ri asked with a hint of boredom from the police car.
"To the hospital, of course," Tie Wan answered tersely.
"Uh... I meant, which hospital?"
"The nearest one. I remember there's a hospital nearby... yes, the Ninth People's Hospital, that's it."
"The Ninth People's Hospital?" Xiang Ri's voice unconsciously rose in pitch.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"No, no..." Xiang Ri quickly denied, thinking to himself, how incredibly coincidental.