Bang!
Li Fei knocked down the last member of the Bear Power Gang, shaking the iron rod in his hand to fling off the fresh blood that had stained it.
His "Blood Rage" state hadn't subsided even up until this moment.
After the fight, he had lost a little more than two "Blood Souls"; one of them was consumed by the "Blood Rage."
"Being cautious is indeed the right approach," Li Fei muttered, touching the fabric at his lower back torn by a dagger.
To prevent any targeted attacks from the Tiger Saber Gang, he had not only prepared Lime Powder but had also specifically requested Anti-stabbing Clothes from Li Lei.
While the Myriad Blood Pearl could withstand injuries, wearing Anti-stabbing Clothes brought an additional level of assurance.
As an Inspector with the rank of Platoon Leader at the Inspectorate, it was easy for Li Lei to procure a set of Anti-stabbing Clothes for Li Fei.
Li Fei wore the vest which weighed more than ten pounds under his clothes every day, effectively using it as weight training to enhance his physical stamina.
"Who sent you?" Li Fei walked over to Liu Wen and asked.
Liu Wen, clutching his groin in agony, glanced at Li Fei with a resentful gaze:
"Ptui! If you've got the guts, just kill me!"
"Heh."
Li Fei couldn't be bothered arguing with him and squatted down to search him.
He finally found a handful of coins and some banknotes which totaled a little over fifty yuan—a fairly decent haul.
Next, Li Fei searched the more than ten other gang members in turn. Even the least injured among them had a broken arm, and after falling to the ground, they had each received an additional 'soccer kick' from Li Fei, leaving them unconscious with bloodied faces.
But they were quite poor—all of their money combined amounted to barely over ten yuan.
Fighting a battle, earning over sixty yuan, absorbing some energy, and gaining real combat experience left Li Fei feeling quite satisfied.
In the end, he tore someone's clothes into strips and used them to tie Liu Wen's hands behind his back, then carried him out of the small woodland.
After leaving the area, Li Fei found a convenience store with a public phone, handed the owner a five-cent coin, and prepared to make a call.
Telephones in this era were still dial-operated, and their popularity within the Da Lan Dynasty wasn't high—only about twenty percent of households used them.
The Li Family naturally had a telephone installed, but at this time, Li Lei was likely not yet home.
So Li Fei dialed the telephone number for Li Lei's office.
The phone was quickly answered:
"Hello, who is this?"
The voice on the other end was not Li Lei's.
"Hello, I am Captain Li's son, Li Fei. Is Captain Li there?"
"Oh, Xiao Fei, Captain Li is in a meeting right now. Is there something you need?"
"Well, I was attacked while on the road, and I need to speak with Captain Li."
"I understand. I'll notify Captain Li immediately. Please hold on!"
The person on the other end grew serious, followed by the sound of footsteps hurrying away.
Just over a minute later, rapid footsteps were heard, and then the anxious voice of Li Lei:
"Xiao Fei, you were attacked? Are you alright?"
Li Fei glanced at Liu Wen who was still clutching his groin, his face ashen, and said:
"Uncle Li, I'm fine. I've caught one of the attackers, and I am currently at a convenience store on Changle Street."
"Good, I'll bring people over immediately. Stay safe!"
"Okay."
After hanging up, Li Fei sat quietly outside the store, waiting.
At his feet lay Liu Wen, bound and prompting curious glances from passersby, but no one dared to interfere.
Inside the Inspectorate, Li Lei hung up the phone with a furious expression and instructed his subordinates:
"First team, assemble. We're going out!"
A squad at the Inspectorate consisted of ten people, and a Platoon had five or six squads. Li Lei managed dozens of officers; under normal circumstances, he did not need to lead missions personally.
Thus, when he announced his intention to lead the team, his subordinates realized the severity of the situation and braced themselves.
Within fifteen minutes, an Inspectorate special van parked in front of Li Fei.
Li Lei got out from the passenger side, and when the van's rear door opened, ten fully armed Inspectors, each holding a Tiger Rifle, stepped out in succession.
This display startled everyone on the street, making them keep their distance.
"Xiao Fei, are you okay?"
Li Lei walked quickly to Li Fei and gave him a once-over to confirm he was unharmed before he finally felt relieved.
"I'm fine."
Li Fei shook his head and pointed to Liu Wen on the ground, "He is the one who led the attack on me."
"Liu Wen?" Li Lei recognized him instantly.
The Bear Power Gang, as a newly risen gang with connections to the Tiger Saber Gang, naturally had a file with the Inspectorate.
Li Lei glanced at Liu Wen and chose to close his eyes.
"Fine, you now dare to attack the families of the Inspectorate!" Li Lei said in a cold tone, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
Although he appeared stern at home, he was always gentle to both Li Lei and Tian Yu and rarely spoke harshly.
It was only in this moment that Li Fei was reminded that his Uncle Li was once an old soldier on the battlefield.
"Tie this bastard up and bring him back!" Li Lei pointed to Liu Wen on the ground.
"Yes!" Two team members stepped forward, handcuffed Liu Wen, and then violently took him back to the vehicle.
"Xiao Fei, you come back to the Institute with me to give a statement," Li Lei said to Li Fei, his anger receding into a gentler tone.
"Okay." Li Fei nodded.
...
"So, that's roughly what happened." In Li Lei's office, Li Fei recounted the events of the ambush he'd faced earlier that day.
When Li Lei heard that Li Fei had been stabbed in the lower back with a dagger, his face became frighteningly grim.
At the same time, he felt an immense relief, as if it weren't for Li Fei's caution in having requested an Anti-stabbing Clothes beforehand, Li Fei would have truly been crippled today!
He had a brother-like relationship with Li Fei's father over the years and had always regarded Li Fei as his own son.
Now, with his own "son" nearly crippled, one could only imagine Li Lei's mood.
"I understand, Xiao Fei. I'll have someone take you home in a little bit. Don't worry, I'll handle this. You won't be bullied in vain!" Li Lei told Li Fei and then turned to leave his office.
The first thing he did was head to the interrogation room, where Liu Wen was being questioned.
"How's it going?" Li Lei asked his team member.
"Captain Li, this guy is an old hand in the World; he's tight-lipped. We won't get anything out of him with normal questioning, should we get tough?" the team member asked.
Li Lei responded, "You decide, but watch your step."
After saying this, he left without staying to personally interrogate Liu Wen.
He knew that if the Tiger Saber Gang was behind this, Liu Wen would definitely keep his mouth shut.
He'd bear the consequences, at most face a few years in jail, endure some hardship.
But if he ratted out the Tiger Saber Gang, not only would Liu Wen die, but his family would likely die with him!
Li Lei quickly went up to the fourth floor and arrived outside an office, knocked, then walked in and closed the door.
Sitting inside the office was the Captain of the First Platoon of the Xing City Inspectorate, Lu Sheng.
"Captain Li?" Lu Sheng looked somewhat surprised to see Li Lei, glanced at the door being closed, and smiled, "Sit, what brings you here?"
"Captain Lu." Li Lei didn't sit but instead saluted, "My son, Li Fei, was attacked this afternoon in the Changping District by Liu Wen, the Gang Leader of the Bear Power Gang, along with a dozen of his lackeys. Liu Wen is now in custody at the Institute."
"Oh?" Lu Sheng's face changed slightly, and he leaned forward, "Is Xiao Fei okay?"
Li Lei explained, "Thankfully, he learned a thing or two from Master Hao Yi at the Martial Arts Hall. He's okay, but it was a close call. He was almost crippled."
"Hmm." Lu Sheng pondered, "So, what do you want from me?"
"I suspect there is a mastermind behind this, highly likely to be the Tiger Saber Gang. I would like to request to personally lead a raid on the Tiger Saber Gang's stronghold and capture some suspects!" Li Lei, as the Platoon Leader of the Second Platoon, should technically be submitting his action request to the Captain of his own Second Platoon.
But he went directly to Lu Sheng.
Of course, with the First Platoon having a special status, Lu Sheng indeed had the authority to approve Li Lei's action.
Lu Sheng looked deeply at Li Lei, then suddenly slammed the table:
"This Tiger Saber Gang now dares to instruct others to attack our Inspectorate families; it's completely lawless!"
"Captain Li, I approve of your action request. Go ahead and do what you must. If anything goes wrong, I'll take the responsibility!"
Upon hearing this, Li Lei stood up straight and saluted Lu Sheng again:
"Yes, I will complete the mission!"