As Zhu Yuan drove into the entrance of 11th Street, she was thinking that if Qingyi still hadn't come around by the time they arrived, she would be in trouble.
She would have to resort to some special means to wake her up. She had just thought of several methods that were sure to be effective, but Qingyi woke up at that very moment.
Zhu Yuan felt relieved, though also a little disappointed, because there were two methods in particular she had been wanting to try for a while...
"Senior Qingyi, you're finally awake!"
"Yeah... my great-grandmother personally escorted me back..."
"Is that a popular new cold joke?"
"... Something like that."
Aside from the great-grandmother reason, the other reason Qingyi had snapped back so quickly was a sudden, inexplicable chill that crept over her — a feeling that if she didn't wake up immediately, something truly terrifying would happen.
Not the world-ending kind, but something so awful that living would be worse than dying, like being stripped bare and strung up on a telephone pole...
Although she didn't believe anyone would dare lay a hand on a police officer with Zhu Yuan right there, that piercing chill was enough to jolt her awake.
"Zhu Yuan... next time you drive, you absolutely cannot——!?!"
Just as Qingyi was about to lecture Zhu Yuan on her earlier reckless driving, a sudden brake sent her body lurching violently forward. Thanks to her seatbelt, her forehead stopped just two centimeters short of the dashboard.
The rebound from the sudden stop sent her swinging back just as forcefully, and she hit the backrest hard.
A trickle of liquid spilled from the corner of Qingyi's mouth, running down her chin and onto her uniform. This was, of course, not saliva — it was the tea she had been drinking before they left...
She suddenly felt grateful to be an android. First a drift, then a sudden brake. At least she no longer needed to eat. If she were an ordinary person, she wouldn't have even needed to wait until the urge to vomit hit; by the time she left the Public Security Bureau, her soul might have already departed...
Qingyi's expression darkened. Just as she was about to say something, she turned and found that Zhu Yuan had somehow already thrown open the door and run outside.
Through the car window, she could clearly see Ye Qingfeng on the roadside, Zhu Yuan standing beside him empty-handed, and the two suspects crouching by the curb.
Qingyi casually wiped the liquid from the corner of her mouth, grabbed her short baton, opened the car door, and walked over towards Zhu Yuan. With a flick of her wrist, the short baton instantly extended into a full staff. Not only that, but the staff also had two joints; by twisting the middle section, it could transform into a three-section staff.
Unlike Zhu Yuan, who had completely let her guard down despite the two suspects still being right there and was instead chatting away with Ye Qingfeng, Qingyi thought: what if they suddenly attacked and hurt someone? Better to have her weapon out just in case.
Back to Zhu Yuan's perspective.
Zhu Yuan had spotted Ye Qingfeng from a distance. After the sudden stop, she got out of the car, rushed to his side, and asked with concern, "Qingfeng, are you okay? Were you hurt anywhere?"
She had completely forgotten about the two suspects still crouching by the roadside.
Ye Qingfeng had expected Guangming Plaza to be a solid ten-plus minutes from 11th Street. But less than five minutes after making the call, a police car was already braking sharply right in front of him.
Moreover, from the moment it first appeared in his line of sight to the moment it stopped before him, it had taken about five seconds...
He had been startled by the sudden move himself, let alone the two suspects. Seeing the police car bearing down on them, they had thought they were about to be run over. The just-revived Passerby B turned to bolt, but Passerby A grabbed him by the collar and forced him back down into a crouch...
Their civic awareness was really quite commendable, all things considered...
"Hmm? Why would you think I was hurt?"
As for Zhu Yuan's concern, Ye Qingfeng looked down at his completely unharmed body and asked with genuine puzzlement.
"Is that so... I'm glad you're okay!"
Zhu Yuan glanced up at the clinic sign behind him, her brow furrowing slightly, lips lightly pressed together. He must be trying not to worry her...
Why else would he be standing at the clinic entrance? He must have taken a small injury subduing those two suspects. And that obvious pause when he called — he had probably been checking the clinic's name at the time.
So he went to get it treated. But seeing that he appeared perfectly fine now, Zhu Yuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Even so, the thought of the two suspects being responsible made her shoot them a fierce glare.
As if to say: just you wait, you two.
The two suspects reacted rather differently to Zhu Yuan's glare.
Passerby B: "What do we do, bro? Run?"
Passerby A: "Run your ass! See her? That's Zhu Yuan from the Public Security Bureau's Administrative Special Operations Group!"
Passerby B: "So what? If we don't run now, we'll lose our chance!!"
Passerby A: "Normally in a situation like this, only regular officers would show up. I never expected her to come personally... We can't escape! We need to own up and show remorse! Try to get that guy to forgive us!"
He had assumed it was just an ordinary emergency call, but it turned out to be a direct line to her personal number!
A response this fast, and all that fussing and concern from Zhu Yuan herself — without a doubt, this guy had connections. And not just ordinary ones; the backing behind him was on a level completely beyond their reach....
Although Passerby A kept insisting they shouldn't run, Passerby B remained restless. Just then, they noticed another person stepping out of the police car.
To Passerby B's eyes, it looked like just a kid — completely unthreatening.
When Passerby A saw the green-haired, twintailed girl, he immediately averted his gaze and pressed his head down lower. These two from the Public Security Bureau had a fearsome reputation among thugs like them.
The Dragon-Phoenix Twin Terrors!!
Passerby A was just about to warn Passerby B not to do anything stupid when he turned his head and saw him suddenly leap to his feet and bolt straight for the alley he had fled through earlier.
Before he could get far, a long staff cut through the air with a sharp whistle and struck Passerby B squarely across the back.
The force instantly threw off his balance, sending him crashing heavily to the ground. Even so, he struggled to push himself back up.
The alley entrance was less than a meter away!
Behind him came the sound of rapid footsteps, like a death warrant closing in. Just as he was about to cross the threshold into the alley, a sharp gust of wind cut past his ear, followed immediately by a burst of pain at the back of his skull. His vision went black, and he pitched forward uncontrollably.
Qingyi calmly performed a flourish with her staff and turned to look back at the two with some anticipation. But those two hadn't spared her so much as a glance and were still chatting away by the roadside!!!
Ordinarily, Zhu Yuan would have said: Senior Qingyi, you worked hard!
As for the staff flourish she had deliberately put on, it was to catch at least an admiring look in Ye Qingfeng's eyes. A surprised expression, at the very minimum!!
He hadn't even noticed her at all!!
Angry! (?°?д°?)
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