Emerging from the elevator, people in the lobby all turned their heads toward Ye Chen, watching with astonishment as the police escorted him out, with everyone chattering away. Being taken away by the police was certainly not a good thing, and the mindset of the people had long since been fixed: while condemning the police as scum that both eat and benefit from the public, they also firmly believed in the actions of the police.
"Hey, I bet that guy has stolen something, look at the thief written all over his face!"
"No way, I think he looks quite handsome!"
"Hehe, you guys have no idea, right? Let me reveal the truth. This kid solicited a prostitute the day before yesterday and didn't pay, so..."
"Cut the crap!"
The crowd certainly held a variety of opinions, ranging from a petty thief to a river and sea bandits, and in the blink of an eye, Ye Chen had become an evildoer capable of any and all crimes. Poor Ye Chen, for trying to do a good deed by drawing his sword to assist others, had ended up in such a plight.
Outside the door, three police cars flashed their lights.
"Put him in the car!" ordered the leading police officer.
Ye Chen blinked and, inadvertently catching sight of Yao Yue searching for him not far away, couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. He pondered secretly whether he should use Little Ni Yao Yue to make his escape. After some thought, he concluded that the police were far more frightening than Little Ni Yao Yue, so he suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs, "Little Ni Yao Yue, Mr. Ye is right here!"
Not far away, Yao Yue was searching for Ye Chen, having already taken a trip around the neighboring city these past few days without catching sight of his shadow. She mulled it over carefully, considering Ye Chen's cunning nature; he was likely to stay in Jianghuai City, so she immediately turned back to search, focusing on Tianya Group's entrance—where Ye Chen had shaken her off.
To her surprise, just as she started her search, she heard that familiar voice. Yao Yue's eyes lit up, and she quickly pulled out the meter-long Half Moon Curved Blade from her bosom, clenched her teeth, and charged toward Ye Chen. At that moment, in Yao Yue's eyes, there was no one else but scoundrel Ye Chen.
"Stop! Don't move!"
Seeing the other party brazenly draw a weapon, the police shouted urgently.
However, Yao Yue didn't stop because of the police's shouting, only quickened her pace. Swinging her blade twice, her slender legs sprang from the ground as she leapt into the air, leaving the crowd agape, wondering incredulously if this woman was a former gymnast given her sharp moves.
"Ye Chen, your life is forfeit!" Yao Yue lunged toward Ye Chen.
Snap!
The police team leader fired a shot at Yao Yue without hesitation. Yao Yue, startled, flicked her scimitar, knocking the bullet out of the air. The team leader watched, dumbstruck. Was there really such a proficient person in this world? He trembled in fear, shouting, "Fire… Fire!"
Snap snap…
The policemen, feeling as if they were facing a formidable enemy, unhesitatingly fired at Yao Yue. With Yao Yue outnumbered and lacking superhuman abilities, she was forced to retreat under the barrage of police fire. Ye Chen, with a smug grin, quietly slipped away amidst the chaos. He turned and ran like mad, quickly reaching the side of Tianya Group, flipped his clothes over his head to cover his arms and hands, and hurriedly hailed a taxi to leave the scene swiftly.
Yao Yue, hiding around the corner, glanced around and noticed that Ye Chen had vanished, fuming with rage, feeling like she had been used by that scoundrel. Clenching her teeth, she cursed, "That bastard, if I catch you, you're in for it!"
"Quick! Find someone!" The police also realized Ye Chen was gone, shouting in alarm, jumping with frenzy. If the suspect was lost, they'd be in deep trouble. It was one thing not to have caught him, but to have had him in their grasp and let him get away…
"Boss, he's gone!" The policemen shook their heads helplessly.
"Damn it, let's go back and face punishment from Captain Zhang!" The leading officer shook his head resignedly. It seemed today was destined to be a rough one.
The sounds of the gunfight alarmed Li Ruo up on the twentieth floor. As the CEO, she immediately stepped forward when a shootout took place at her company's doorstep. After learning the details, she instructed Lin Ziwen to contact Ye Chen, only to find that the man had turned off his phone. Li Ruo rushed to the twentieth floor to find Li Cheng.
"Minister Li, do you know about Ye Chen's situation?" Li Ruo sat in Li Cheng's office.
"Well…" Li Cheng blinked, looking at his sister who was a year younger but infinitely more capable than himself. He smacked his lips and twiddled his fingers.
"Er… you scoundrel!" Li Ruo glared at him, saying, "When will you ever get rid of that habit?"
"I… hehe!" Li Cheng chuckled, smacked his lips and said, "No way to help it, when I was in the orphanage and had no money, I had to trick people for money, and slowly it became a habit!"
"Brother, I know you have always hated Dad, but… he is, after all, our Dad!" Li Ruo couldn't help but tear up every time she heard Li Cheng say this. Li Cheng was her own blood brother, who became separated from his father more than twenty years ago due to an accident. Their father had never been able to find his son, and after Li Ruo was born, he gave up the search entirely, devoted himself to his career, and poured all his effort into her. Two years ago, her brother suddenly returned and, after a DNA test, was finally acknowledged and accepted back into the family.
But since then, a barrier seemed to have formed between father and son, a barrier that only grew after their father transferred control of the Tianya Group to her last year. To console Li Cheng, she had given him control of the Security Department. Having grown up in an orphanage, Li Cheng had not received a good education. In contrast, Li Ruo had been nurtured by Western capitalism from a young age and was a truly excellent businesswoman.
"I know!" Li Cheng nodded, forced a smile, and said, "I never said I didn't acknowledge him!"
"Brother, Dad actually feels very guilty, he was always talking about you to me!" Li Ruo said, her eyes brimming with tears as she hugged Li Cheng, "So, please, can you stop blaming him?"
"I won't, I won't!" Li Cheng shook his head.
"Then tell me, why was Ye Chen arrested by the police?" Li Ruo pouted and said, "If you don't tell me, I won't acknowledge you as my blood brother anymore!"
Li Cheng's lips twitched slightly.
"He… he accidentally killed two people yesterday while rescuing you and then pursuing the fugitives!" Li Cheng said with a wry smile, "It should have been a good thing, but I'm guessing the city leaders have their own thoughts. They don't want to escalate the situation. They want to set an example, and Ye Chen popping up like that, haha, isn't that like asking for death?"
"Is it really him?!" Li Ruo was shocked. Despite being mentally prepared, she still found it hard to believe upon confirmation. Why couldn't she reconcile the sleazy figure with the heroic one from the video?
"Yep, I feel there's something special about this guy!" Li Cheng chuckled.
"Why?" Li Ruo looked at Li Cheng, puzzled.
"This guy gives off an inscrutable feel!" Li Cheng blinked and said, "He's like a hedgehog that knows how to protect itself, no one can understand what's in his heart."
"Really?" Li Ruo was skeptical. If someone was as reserved as a hedgehog, what was the point of their existence? Or perhaps, was he just someone with a dual personality?
"At least that's what I think!" Li Cheng nodded.
"Thanks, brother!" Li Ruo nodded back, her smile one not often seen by others. Then she turned and left the office. As soon as Li Ruo was gone, an extremely unnatural expression crossed Li Cheng's face, his lips twitching slightly. He quickly regained his composure.
…
The taxi stopped in front of the Xin Hai Apartment. Ye Chen hurriedly pulled out money to pay the fare.
"Kid, if you've got trouble, go to the police," the driver kindly advised him. "You look so nervous, as if someone's after you!"
"Thank you, uncle!" Ye Chen quickly nodded.
He turned and dashed upstairs. Closing the door behind him, he sat on the floor gasping for air. He nervously watched the window, then jumped up to pull all the curtains closed before unbuttoning his clothes. Taking a paper clip from the counter, he inserted the tip into the handcuff keyhole. After fiddling for a while, the handcuffs clicked open.
Whew…
Ye Chen exhaled a breath of murky air and grumbled, "Damn it, finally escaped their clutches. But I have to thank that girl Yao Yue. Without her, escaping would've been a real hassle!"
"Hehe… so how do you plan to thank me then?" Out from behind the curtains came Yao Yue, clad in black leather and dangerously curvy, with a smirk on her face. Her right hand was hidden behind her back, undoubtedly concealing a Half Moon Curved Blade. Fierce...
"You… how did you get in here?" Ye Chen was startled.
"This place? Don't I come and go as I please?" Yao Yue teased with a smile.
"Damn, you think this is a public restroom or something?" Ye Chen cursed.
"Oops…" Yao Yue shrugged her shoulders, pretending to be apologetic, "At least the restrooms I use are cleaner than this place!"
That was a blatant insult, and Ye Chen's face turned red with embarrassment. At that moment, he dearly wished he could pin Yao Yue, this 'Little Ni,' to the ground and fiercely torment her, to tear that leather apart and spread those pale, lifted cheeks...
What a pity, he was no match for her, likely to be defeated within a few moves in her hands.