Ark, Just Tell Me Whether the Mission's Complete?

Every breath came with a slight tremble of her body, as if even the air was filled with threat and oppression.

Her face was pale. Cold sweat rolled down from her forehead, soaking her clothes. The icy sensation clung tightly to her skin like fear given form.

She felt death calling to her.

"Hiss... Aaaah!"

Gravel turned and ran in terror.

She darted through narrow alleys, her heart pounding wildly in her chest like a war drum.

Behind her, Hart and his companions' roars and footsteps drew ever closer, like an omen of the Grim Reaper's arrival.

Gravel didn't dare slow down for even a moment. She pressed herself close to the damp, freezing walls, every breath seeming to draw that suffocating darkness into her lungs.

Her fingers lightly brushed across the wall, its rough, icy texture mirroring how she felt.

Gravel rushed out of the narrow alley and onto the main street, crying for help as she ran, her voice filled with terror and despair.

Yet the people around her all moved aside, not daring to intervene.

Fear and hesitation showed in their eyes, as though they were afraid of being dragged into this unknown conflict.

Gravel's heart was filled with helplessness and despair.

She understood that in the slums, no one was willing to risk themselves for a stranger.

She could only rely on herself and do everything she could to escape Hart's pursuit.

However, she was simply far weaker than Hart and his companions. Even with all her strength, the distance between them kept shrinking.

Finally...

At an intersection, Hart and his companions blocked off every route of escape from all directions.

Just as Gravel was forced into a corner with almost nowhere left to run, a piercing car horn blared. With a deafening crash, a speeding black sedan charged toward them like a feral beast.

Gravel's pupils suddenly contracted as she watched the car barrel straight toward Hart.

Hart was clearly stunned by the sudden turn of events as well. He tried to dodge, but it was already too late.

The sedan slammed viciously into Hart, sending him flying from the immense impact before he crashed heavily into a distant wall.

Hart let out a shrill scream, then fell silent.

But the rise and fall of his chest proved he could still be saved.

Even Thugs Could Appreciate the Beauty of a Law-Abiding Society

Gravel stared blankly at the scene before her, an indescribable shock and relief rising in her heart.

She could hardly believe her eyes. This car had actually saved her life at the critical moment.

The car slowly came to a stop. The door opened, and a striking figure stepped out.

Her presence was like a winter wind—biting and sharp. Every step she took was firm and forceful, as though the entire world were under her control.

Hart's companions had originally planned to seize the chance to make a move, but the moment they saw Lin Yuxia...

The dissatisfaction and rage in their hearts instantly froze. As if intimidated by an invisible force, they involuntarily took several steps back.

"What gang are you from, daring to cause trouble on my turf?"

Lin Yuxia's voice was cold and powerful, carrying an irresistible authority. Her gaze swept across Hart's companions' faces, making their hearts tremble.

One of Hart's companions refused to back down so easily. He forced himself to step forward and tried to provoke her.

"Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to meddle in our business?"

Just as Lin Yuxia was about to glare back at him, she caught sight of Luo Chen, who had gotten out of the car after her, holding up his phone.

"Officer Luo? What are you doing?"

"Filming evidence of you hitting someone with your car." Luo Chen smiled.

"Officer Luo really is humorous." A curve formed at Lin Yuxia's lips. She didn't take Luo Chen seriously, assuming he was merely trying to lighten the mood.

After all, Luo Chen had been the one in the car shouting for her to hit them.

"So it's the police chief, then." Hearing how Lin Yuxia addressed Luo Chen, Hart's companions immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Officer, how do you drive? Our boss was knocked unconscious by your car."

"Aren't you going to call an ambulance immediately? Otherwise, we'll hire lawyers and sue you!"

They had thought the other side belonged to some major Lungmen gang.

At worst, the Lungmen Guard Department would arrest them and lock them up for a few days. They were already used to that.

Besides, since an officer had hit someone with a car, they could demand compensation.

Hart's parents were senior executives at a major corporation. Once they found out their son had been hit by a Lungmen Guard Department officer, all they had to do was hire a lawyer and pull a few strings to win a sizable sum of Lungmen Dollars.

If the other side had been a Lower City gang, then Hart would have simply been hit for nothing.

But just then, three more cars arrived from the direction Lin Yuxia had driven from.

The vehicles stopped, and the big shots from the agency got out.

One of Hart's companions recognized Wang Jie from the agency and immediately went over to him with a fawning expression.

"Brother Wang... I'm Little Li from Red Pond Street. I toasted you last month."

"We were just hit by a Lungmen Guard Department officer. Brother Wang, you have to testify for us."

The moment he opened his mouth, everyone from the agency, including Lin Yuxia and Luo Chen, turned to look at him.

Wang Jie, who had already caused a huge disaster today, desperately wanted to find a hole to hide in. Yet because of one sentence from this little bastard, he became the center of attention.

"Lungmen profanity Who the hell are you?"

Wang Jie slapped the young man across the face with enough force to send him flying two meters away.

"Are these people your underlings?"

Lin Yuxia stared fixedly at Wang Jie with deep, icy eyes, her expression carrying an indescribable indifference.

"Boss, I don't know them~"

"Then why did he come talk to you just now?"

"I-I don't know~"

Wang Jie trembled like a leaf under Lin Yuxia's questioning. Even his voice shook with an electronic tremor.

As soon as Lin Yuxia and Wang Jie finished speaking, Hart's companions felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over them. The dissatisfaction and anger in their hearts vanished without a trace.

They knew they had run into someone they couldn't afford to provoke.

Anyone who could frighten a gang big shot was undoubtedly a big shot among big shots, yet they had just demanded compensation from her.

Seeing Wang Jie collapse from fear after just one look, Luo Chen kindly gave him a way out.

"Little Wang, go ask them what they're doing here. Who told them to cause trouble here?"

"Yes, Inspector Luo. I'll go right away."

Like a drowning man clutching at a lifeline, Wang Jie nodded repeatedly and immediately went to question Hart's companions.

Facing the gang, Hart's companions didn't dare conceal anything. It didn't take long before they explained everything about collecting protection money and beating people.

After hearing their story, Lin Yuxia frowned slightly.

"You dared to collect protection money on my turf? What are our rules again?"

"Boss, according to the rules of the underworld, anyone who collects protection money without permission loses a finger," the agency owner beside her added.

"Then follow the rules. One finger from each of them."

As Lin Yuxia delivered her judgment, Hart's companions began to tremble. Sweat rolled down their foreheads, mingling with the terror in their hearts.

Some of them even dropped to their knees on the spot, begging Lin Yuxia to spare them.

But Lin Yuxia remained completely unmoved. She waved her hand and told her subordinates to get it over with.

As if trying to earn credit, Wang Jie immediately pulled a dagger from his clothes and rushed ahead of everyone else.

"I'll do it..."

However, before he could finish, Luo Chen reached out and stopped him.

"Little Wang, wait a moment."

"Miss Lin, if you're going to cut off their fingers, then as a Lungmen Guard Department officer, I can't pretend I didn't hear that."

Luo Chen stepped in front of Hart's companions, his eyes calm and resolute.

Like a warrior determined to defend the dignity of the law.

Hart's companions, who had already fallen into despair, looked at Luo Chen's figure and felt endless gratitude and respect well up inside them.

Warmth surged through their hearts, as though drowning men had grasped a lifeline. They stared at Luo Chen with wide eyes, hope gleaming within them.

Warm light fell upon Luo Chen, as though draping him in a sacred halo.

Only at this moment did they realize the beauty of the law and the greatness of the Lungmen Guard Department.

"Officer Luo, what do you mean?" Lin Yuxia furrowed her brows, deep confusion filling her eyes.

"Miss Lin, if you cut off one finger, they still have nine left. With those remaining nine fingers, they can still collect protection money, exploit the people at the bottom of Lungmen, and disrupt the order of the dark side."

"Also, if you handle them today, they'll definitely hold a grudge against you in the future."

"If even one of them gets lucky, finds a powerful benefactor, and rises to success, he could become a major threat someday."

"If you ask me, for the people of Lungmen, for social stability, and for your future safety, Miss Lin, we might as well just kill them all and put an end to it once and for all."

As Luo Chen spoke with a serious expression, he raised a hand and made a slicing gesture across his throat.

A Suggestion Where Everyone Wins

Hart's companions' minds were in utter chaos, their thoughts scattered like fallen leaves in a gale.

They couldn't believe what they had just heard. The phrase "put an end to it once and for all" lingered in their minds like a curse.

They had only been going to lose a finger. How had it suddenly become a matter of losing their lives?

Wait, was this really a Lungmen Guard Department officer?

He wasn't some deranged serial killer, was he?

Even Lin Yuxia, who had seen plenty in her life, was shocked by Luo Chen's words.

Was he serious?

Wasn't it a little extreme for a police officer to start talking about killing people?

Yet Luo Chen looked at her with firm, profound eyes. Not only was there none of the panic or hesitation one would have before killing, he instead looked as though he were doing a good deed.

That sent a chill rising from the depths of Lin Yuxia's heart.

She frowned deeply, trying to understand Luo Chen's way of thinking.

But she simply couldn't make sense of it.

Lin Yuxia shook her head. She couldn't accept Luo Chen's suggestion.

"Officer Luo, you're really funny. Lungmen is a society governed by law. How can we kill people so casually? Besides, the underworld has its own rules. Even I can't break them. We'll just cut off their fingers."

"Ah... good people die young, while calamities linger for a thousand years. Only by punishing evil can good be upheld." Luo Chen shook his head regretfully and muttered to himself.

When Hart's companions heard that Lin Yuxia only wanted to cut off their fingers, some color finally returned to their bloodless faces.

At that moment, they actually felt that losing a finger was a good thing.

"We'll never collect protection money again."

"We're actually students from Upper City who skipped school. We'll go back to Upper City and never come here again."

"We promise we won't hold a grudge against any of you bosses."

"Hurry up and cut off one of our fingers."