Ark, Just Tell Me Whether the Mission Was Completed

With just one phone call, he had talked Lin Yuxia into coming out.

And he was about to have dinner with the Rat King that evening.

More importantly, he had used her name, and she had no choice but to play along.

The moment she thought of that,

she felt as though she were being roasted over a fire.

"Luo Chen..." Chen Huijie muttered through gritted teeth.

"Superintendent Chen, did you have something to say?"

"Are both your parents dead?"

"Yeah."

"No wonder."

Evening.

The lights along Lungmen's streets flickered like scattered stars fallen upon the earth. Neon lights danced through the night, dazzling in every color.

The air carried the faint aroma of food, lingering scents drifting from the nearby restaurants.

The sound of vehicles in the distance broke the night's silence as a car stopped outside Gutsy Restaurant.

Luo Chen got out first, then beat the driver to it and opened Chen Huijie's door for her.

As a subordinate, he at least understood that much about looking after his superior.

"Once we're inside, don't talk nonsense. Settle this as quickly as possible."

As Chen Huijie stepped out of the car, she gave Luo Chen a quiet instruction.

She had originally had plans for that evening, but the thought of that inhuman bastard Luo Chen getting out from under her watch and possibly stirring up another major scandal—

Chen Huijie postponed every meeting and chose to attend the appointment with him.

With her there, she could at least keep things somewhat under control.

That would keep Luo Chen from doing anything too outrageous again.

The moment Luo Chen and Chen Huijie entered the restaurant, they ran into Lin Yuxia, who had clearly been waiting for a long time.

Lin Yuxia wore a form-fitting leather outfit in a deep, subdued shade, as though it contained endless depths within it.

The cut of the tight outfit was just right. It highlighted her graceful figure while adding a touch of heroic spirit. The collar had been designed with particular care; its slightly raised edge gave her an air of sharp competence.

She wore black stockings below, creating a striking contrast against the dark blue of her top and making her long, powerful legs stand out all the more. A hint of exposed skin at her knees added another touch of allure.

On her feet were black knee-high boots. The leather was smooth and fine, tightly encasing her delicate feet. Their height was perfect, protecting her ankles while still displaying her elegant bearing.

The only flaw was the heavy dark circles around her eyes, which damaged her overall appearance.

"Miss Lin doesn't look to be in very good condition."

"Those huge dark circles make it look like she hasn't slept for two days."

"And it looks like something even scratched a small wound across her face. Working so hard and still insisting on carrying on—being in the mafia isn't easy either."

"I hope she gets some proper rest, adjusts her condition, gets rid of those dark circles soon, and regains her unique radiance."

Luo Chen murmured to Chen Huijie.

Chen Huijie shot him a vicious glare, unable to understand how he had the nerve to say that.

Didn't he know why Lin Yuxia had dark circles under her eyes?

"Chen Huijie... you're finally here."

Lin Yuxia noticed the two of them as well and immediately came over.

Her gaze swept over Chen Huijie before locking onto Luo Chen.

"This must be the young and promising Officer Luo Chen."

"With your help, those slanderous videos all disappeared in less than two hours. We're truly immensely grateful."

Lin Yuxia naturally extended her hand toward Luo Chen. Luo Chen politely shook only half her hand, then lifted his head with confidence.

"Just a minor technical issue. It didn't take much effort."

"Even so, thank you for your help, Officer Luo. Please, this way upstairs."

"No, no. Let Superintendent Chen go first."

He was the one who uploaded those videos. How could it not have been fast? Ch'en listened to the two exchanging pleasantries in front of her and could not help complaining inwardly.

You Should Thank Superintendent Chen Properly

The restaurant appeared to have been entirely booked by Lin Yuxia. As Luo Chen made his way up to the third floor, he did not see a single customer besides the staff.

After arriving at the private room on the third floor, an energetic old rat with half his beard ripped away greeted them with a smile.

"Little Chen, it's been a long time. You're looking more spirited than ever."

"Uncle Lin, you too. You're in good health." Chen replied awkwardly.

The thought of the Rat King, a man his age, having half his beard ripped out by his wife—and the culprit behind all that being right beside her—made Chen feel needles pricking her back before she had even sat down.

"This must be Officer Luo Chen. I've heard Yuxia mention you. We have to thank Officer Luo for helping with this matter."

"Those rumors may not be fatal, but once they start spreading, they can still become quite a headache."

"Sit down, all of you. We can talk slowly."

Lin Ge Rui smiled as he studied Luo Chen and Chen Huijie. He had watched Chen Huijie grow up, more or less, and understood her personality fairly well.

Chen was the sort who preferred acting alone and disliked forming cliques.

In the past, Chen Huijie was never seen at social dinners like this.

Yet today, she had appeared unexpectedly, and even brought someone along. That made Lin Ge Rui extremely curious about Luo Chen's identity and background.

After some greetings and polite chatter, once the dishes had been served, Lin Ge Rui turned his gaze directly toward Luo Chen.

"I heard that Officer Luo wishes to interview me?"

"I may not be some celebrity, but countless reporters and media outlets have wanted to interview me. What exactly does the Lungmen Guard Department want by interviewing me this time?"

"And this slander incident—does it truly have nothing to do with your Lungmen Guard Department?"

As Lin Ge Rui finished speaking, an invisible wave spread from his body.

His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, as though it could see through the human heart. An intangible pressure filled the air.

Even Ch'en felt her breath catch, unable to draw in air.

He was like a towering mountain, lofty and unreachable, forcing others to look up at him. His very existence was a form of pressure, a power that could not be ignored.

No one had expected the old man, who had been chatting casually just a moment ago, to transform in the blink of an eye into an imposing underworld emperor.

Even Lin Yuxia could not understand why her father had suddenly tried to intimidate Chen and Luo. "Dad... what are you doing?"

Lin Ge Rui glanced at the silent Chen Huijie, then snorted softly.

"Yuxia, don't you think all of this is far too coincidental?"

"Someone had just started spreading slander about me, and then the Lungmen Guard Department immediately dealt with the rumors and proposed meeting with me."

"Doesn't all of this look like a carefully planned conspiracy?"

At those words, Chen Huijie was already drenched in sweat.

The old really were wiser. Luo Chen could fool Lin Yuxia with petty tricks and threaten her, but when he encountered an old hand like Uncle Lin, the problem had been exposed in an instant.

Now let's see how Luo Chen planned to talk his way out of this.

Ch'en glanced toward Luo Chen.

Lin Yuxia had originally been looking at Chen Huijie, but when she saw her turn to look at Luo Chen, she immediately sensed that something was off.

Then she looked at Luo Chen as well.

She had a feeling that Chen Huijie was not actually the main figure today. This Officer Luo, who was supposed to be her subordinate, was.

Yet Luo Chen showed no panic at being exposed. Instead, he calmly poured himself a cup of tea and took an unhurried sip.

"So that's what Mr. Rat King thinks? You think the Lungmen Guard Department wants to secretly play dirty against you?"

"I haven't drawn that conclusion. I simply wish to hear the Lungmen Guard Department's thoughts." Lin Ge Rui tossed the question back at him.

Faced with the Rat King's intimidation, Luo Chen no longer bothered observing table manners.

Because the Lungmen Guard Department had a temper too.

Without waiting for Lin Ge Rui to pick up his chopsticks, Luo Chen helped himself to a dish first. As he picked up food, he said somewhat impatiently,

"I only have one thing to say. The reason we can still sit here and eat together is entirely thanks to Superintendent Chen."

"Officer Luo, what do you mean?" Lin Yuxia frowned slightly.

Luo Chen leaned back in his chair like a superior and casually pointed at Chen Huijie.

"Miss Lin, you can ask Superintendent Chen whether she was the one who came to me this afternoon and asked me to help deal with your problem."

"You can also ask Superintendent Chen whether my attitude was that I didn't want to help you."

"If you ask me, saying that protecting the Rat King's reputation helps maintain stability is complete bullshit."

"Only by completely ruining the Rat King's reputation would the Lungmen Guard Department benefit the most. With the Rat King, someone everyone despises, as a negative example, the Lungmen Guard Department's righteousness would stand out all the more."

"If I were in Superintendent Chen's position, I would publicly announce on the media platforms right now that the Lungmen Guard Department could assist in investigating and clearing up the Rat King's false accusations."

"Then I would tell the public that we intended to interview Mr. Rat King in front of all Lungmen's media. If the Rat King accepted an investigation by the Lungmen Guard Department, we would dig into his past. We could make up any charge we liked, and it would be enough to keep him locked up until his funeral."

"Even if we found nothing, this interview would still reveal the Rat King's true identity to the entire land. Then we could let the Rat King's enemies see whether the old Rat King still had any fight left in him."

"If Mr. Rat King refused to come, that would be even better. The rumors outside would grow tenfold, twentyfold."

"If Superintendent Chen hadn't stopped my open scheme, would you still be sitting here eating with me?"

"If the Lungmen Guard Department really wanted to play dirty, old Lin, you wouldn't get to keep the other half of your beard either."

"You should properly thank Superintendent Chen for being someone who values old ties and acts with restraint."

Luo Chen did not raise his voice in the slightest, but what he said exploded through the private room like thunder, plunging the surroundings into brief silence.

Chen Huijie was stunned by Luo Chen's words.

She had never expected such a malicious strategy even existed.

If the Lungmen Guard Department truly did as Luo Chen described, it could legally and properly dump an enormous amount of filth on the Rat King.

It might not deal a devastating blow to the Rat King's power, but it would definitely disgust him badly enough.

Now she was starting to wonder whether Luo Chen saw the Lungmen Guard Department as a law enforcement agency or a gang that preyed on other gangs.

After hearing Luo Chen's analysis,

Lin Yuxia was secretly shaken as well. If the Lungmen Guard Department truly had been the mastermind behind the rumors,

then the consequences would have been far more explosive than any of the possibilities Luo Chen had just described.

Moreover, if the Lungmen Guard Department did things Luo Chen's way, everything would look legal and reasonable on the surface. Even Governor Wei would have nothing to say about it.

Besides, if Chen Huijie really had such a devious mind, Governor Wei might even be secretly delighted.

Luo Chen's Understanding of Modern Gangs

"Little Chen indeed deserves our thanks."

"If the Lungmen Guard Department truly wanted to smear me, it would not have given up halfway merely because it wanted to meet with me."

"Besides, if the Lungmen Guard Department truly intended to target us, why would it come here so calmly for this appointment?"

"I was muddleheaded just now and said the wrong thing in the heat of the moment. I apologize and hope you will not take it to heart."

Lin Ge Rui watched Luo Chen calmly, appreciation shining in his eyes.

After that brief round of probing, his attitude toward Luo Chen could now be summed up in just two words: admiration.