Thump, thump, thump...
A series of knocks sounded at the door. Ye Chen was startled and immediately felt joy creep into his brows as he took a slight step back.
"Freeze!" Yao Yue glared at Ye Chen and said, "If you dare to mess around, I'll definitely chop off your 'Lao Er'! You'll never get to enjoy women for the rest of your life!"
"This…" Ye Chen paused, then said, "How about we strike a deal? What would it take for you to give up on assassinating me?"
"Hmph, I've said it many times, those who take advantage of me have only one fate!" Yao Yue said coldly, clenching her teeth as she gazed at Ye Chen, "And that is death!"
Thump, thump, thump.
The knocking at the doorway grew more urgent.
"Who is it? What's the knocking for, in a rush to collect a corpse?" Ye Chen hurriedly replied first, fearful that the person at the door would leave without hearing a response from inside. That way, he would lose a crucial lifeline.
"Hmph, don't think the cops at the door can protect you!" Yao Yue sneered, "Killing you is as easy as flipping my hand over!"
"All talk and no trousers; you've been after me for a year, and I'm still alive and well!" Ye Chen mocked without courtesy.
"That's because there's a reason!" Yao Yue glared at Ye Chen and said, "Rest assured, I won't be after you anymore!"
Ye Chen was shocked. This... this was too sudden, wasn't it? Yao Yue's pursuit over the past year was like a nightmare. But life was interesting precisely because of it. Wouldn't it be boring if such a pursuit suddenly ceased? He quickly asked, "Why... why is that? Did something happen to Ghost?"
"Um!" Yao Yue nodded and said, "Actually, this year's pursuit was first to train your survival skills and second to protect you. Actually, you don't know, I've secretly assassinated several groups of people sent by the General!"
Sizzle!
Ye Chen was gobsmacked, as if struck dumb! He couldn't believe there was such a truth behind the pursuit! He slowly looked up at Yao Yue, swallowed, and asked, "Is... is that really true?"
"If you don't believe it, you can ask your deputy!" Yao Yue waved toward the window. A man in semi-old military attire jumped down from the window, his sharp eyes scanning the room before settling on Ye Chen, and nodded, "Brother Ye, Leader You is right, without her, our power would probably have vanished!"
"Yao Yue!" A deeply sincere expression suddenly formed on Ye Chen's face as he said to Yao Yue, "Thank you!"
"Hmph, what are you thanking me for!" Yao Yue glanced at him with annoyance and said, "Keep your life safe and your neck clean for me to cut when I return. I'm going back to the Golden Triangle. You can rest assured about General's forces, but you need to be careful with the people he sends!"
Thump, thump, thump...
The knocking became even more frantic, yet it still went unanswered.
"I understand!" Ye Chen nodded. For the first time, he felt that Yao Yue was so cute.
"Alright, I'm off!" Yao Yue, along with Ye Chen's deputy, leaped down from the windowsill and vanished from sight. Ye Chen hurriedly rushed over, watching their disappearing figures turn the corner.
Ye Chen quickly opened the room door, and there, standing in the doorway, were two strikingly beautiful female police officers. Ye Chen recognized the two, the same female officers who had been involved in the pursuit of criminals that day, one of whom seemed to be the team leader. His eyes swept over them both; their temperaments were entirely different, one like the plums of cold winter, the other fiery like a rose in spring.
The female officer on the left carried two bars and a star, apparently ranking at the police station level. Clad in a neatly pressed deep black uniform, topped with a policewoman's hat, she looked especially fetching, particularly how the uniform hugged her flexible figure, causing Ye Chen to involuntarily swallow his saliva several times. Zhang Yantong noticed all of this.
"What's the deal? Why did it take so long to open the door?" Fang Qin looked at Ye Chen unpleased and said, "Come clean, is there something unsavory in the room?"
"By my honor!" Ye Chen shook his head quickly and said, "I'm a good citizen, why would I do such things!"
"Hmph, a good citizen? A good citizen who dares assault officers and escape from police custody?" Fang Qin glared at Ye Chen.
That remark instantly ignited Ye Chen's rage. He had not yet recovered from Yao Yue's revelations, and now he was being wrongfully accused by these two girls. Enraged, Ye Chen retorted, "Damn it, I help you catch a criminal, and you repay me with a biting dog act, and now you're blaming me for assaulting an officer? If it hadn't been for me saving your life and taking a bullet for you, would you even be alive to stand here talking? What's a police officer anyway? Don't lecture without knowing pain. An arrest warrant, damn it, and I'm really turned into Lv Dongbin?"
It's true what they say, even a cornered rabbit will bite, to say nothing of a full-grown man like Ye Chen. Not to mention, he used to lead the notorious Remnant Wolf Organization. He had once commanded respect in the Golden Triangle, only to later be suppressed by the General's forces...
"You!" Fang Qin was immediately enraged, her whole body trembling with anger as she pointed at Ye Chen and snapped, "Don't play dumb! We're here to help you!"
"Help me? Haha..." Ye Chen laughed then and there, pointing at Fang Qin as he chuckled, "You accuse me of assaulting a police officer the moment you step in, and you're making a fuss about me escaping from the cops? What a joke. I'm not a prisoner, nor am I a murderer!"
"Bastard..." Unable to argue back, Fang Qin's fiery temper surged up immediately. She raised her fist, ready to swing.
"Enough!"
Zhang Yantong, who had been standing by, finally spoke up. Her cold observation just now was simply to get an understanding of Ye Chen. To be honest, she had investigated Ye Chen's background and it was a blank slate. This meant that there was no record of him in the civil affairs system. There were only two possibilities for such a person: first, this guy wasn't Chinese at all but a stowaway from abroad. Second, his information was in a highly confidential category. Without national SSS-level clearance, there would be no way to access his data.
Zhang Yantong was more inclined to believe the second option, but the recent conversation had made her reconsider the first. The guy in front of her was not only sleazy, but also slick-tongued, lacking the mysterious aura of someone with classified information.
Zhang Yantong had graduated from Public Security University, having received training in various weapons and seen many powerful people. She had also encountered the legendary Iron Eagle Special Forces. It's said that the identities of every member of the Iron Eagle Special Forces are highly confidential, and each person's identity is a state secret. They once served as instructors at the Public Security University, and Zhang Yantong was fortunate enough to be one of their students. When she witnessed firsthand the formidable skills of the Special Forces warriors, she was completely in awe. She could hardly imagine that a person's prowess could reach such heights. It was simply inconceivable.
"Mr. Ye!" Zhang Yantong parted her red lips and said, "I'm very sorry to intrude!"
"If you're sorry, then why don't you leave?" Ye Chen crossed his arms, acting cocky.
"..." Zhang Yantong hadn't expected him to kick them out so quickly. She considered herself fairly attractive, and it seemed that she had caught Ye Chen's eye as she entered. How could this bastard not take the hint and now want to drive her out? Zhang Yantong revealed a light smile, saying, "I assume... you really want to clear yourself of the wrongful death charges, right?"
"What? Did I do something wrong by saving you?" Ye Chen was very annoyed. Without realizing it, he had grown somewhat vexed with the two women. In the past, he wouldn't have cared about meddling in others' business—let the criminals run, what business of his was it? Now, here he was, stubbornly being held onto by the scruff of his neck.
"And what about Feng Zhixiao?" Zhang Yantong quirked her mouth into a smile, saying, "He is now facing charges of intentional assault, you wouldn't bear to see him take the fall for you, would you?"
Mentioning Feng Zhixiao immediately softened Ye Chen's heart. That foolish kid, what was he thinking playing the fall guy? Now, faced with charges of intentional assault, Ye Chen looked up at Zhang Yantong and asked, "What do you want?"
"Nothing, we really shouldn't have made the atmosphere so tense! Let's sit down and have a proper chat!" Zhang Yantong made herself at home, walking to the sofa, patting it, and then sitting down. Fang Qin also sat down, leaving only the homeowner Ye Chen standing. He looked innocent. Seeing Ye Chen in such a state, Zhang Yantong chuckled and said, "Don't be like that, we didn't come to arrest you!"
"Alright, enough, what do you really want?" Ye Chen glanced at the two women.
"Actually... we're here to propose a cooperation!" Zhang Yantong said with a faint smile, playfully running her hand through her hair that fell from the brim of her hat. That gesture, paired with her pure and elegant smile, momentarily stunned Ye Chen.
Her eyes were alluring, her delicate nose enchanting, her cheeks blushing, and her small cherry lips white as snow, her delicate snow-white complexion smooth as jade, and her figure stunning. She sat there quietly, much like a rare blossom in a secluded valley. Zhang Yantong noticed Ye Chen's gaze and giggled, saying, "Hey, can't you keep yourself in check? Do you stare at every girl with that pighead gaze?"
"Uh..." Ye Chen was taken aback, quickly scratching his head and saying, "Let's get to the point!"
"It's simple, agree to cooperate with us, and I'll take care of this mess and Feng Zhixiao's issue for you!" Zhang Yantong stood up and said, "Otherwise, wait for the police to come catch you."
With that, the two stood up and started walking out. Ye Chen suddenly felt the pressure. It was one thing if it was just him, but with Crazy Xiao involved, he couldn't just stand by.
Zhang Yantong was also making a bet, gambling on how much Ye Chen valued Crazy Xiao. She had done her research and even inquired carefully about Crazy Xiao. From all the information, it seemed that Ye Chen was rather fond of Feng Zhixiao, which is why Zhang Yantong dared to take this gamble. She walked step by step towards the door, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, yet did not dare to slow down, her white teeth biting her red lip, waiting for news from Ye Chen. However, as she approached the door, that annoying kid hadn't made a move.
"Stop!"
Just as Zhang Yantong was about to give up, Ye Chen suddenly turned around and called after them.
"What is it?" Zhang Yantong asked with a grin.
"You won," Ye Chen sighed and said, "You won the bet, yes, I really do like that kid Feng Zhixiao. Let him go!"
"I knew I wasn't wrong about you!" Zhang Yantong giggled.
"So what's this case that requires me to be your informant?" Ye Chen was resigned.
"Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, be at the police station on time to find me!" Zhang Yantong handed Ye Chen her business card and said, "This is my card. Call me when you get there! I'll have someone meet you downstairs!"
After saying that, she turned and left, this time walking away briskly and with ease, without the struggle and complexity she initially felt.