Director Li had originally been in the observation room, discussing the feasibility of the next day's tasks with Huo Wenye.
Then his assistant suddenly rushed in, shouting as if his ass were on fire, "People from the neighboring village are here causing trouble! Xie Chen went to handle it alone! He wouldn't let anyone follow him—he only brought one cameraman!"
"What?!" Director Li shot to his feet. "Isn't that nonsense?! Hurry up and take a look! Don't let them start fighting, or how are we supposed to keep filming this show?!"
He lifted a foot to run, but a cool, clear voice fell beside his ear. "I'm going too."
"No, no, we have enough people..."
Before Director Li could finish speaking, Huo Wenye swept past him like a whirlwind.
The situation was sudden and urgent. He had no time to worry about anything else and could only chase after him before figuring things out.
By the time they finally found them, the first thing they saw was several village thugs rolling on the ground in pain.
Xie Chen stood in the middle, smiling like a blooming begonia, as though everything around him had nothing to do with him.
Director Li was stunned on the spot.
Those were all strong men used to farm work. They even had hoes in their hands—practically weapons. A single blow from one would be enough to leave someone unable to stand...
How had Xie Chen done it?!
The others who had rushed over were also frozen where they stood.
They had no idea whether they should help up the people who had been beaten or comfort Xie Chen, who was completely unscathed.
Huo Wenye was the first to break the strange atmosphere. He pressed his thin lips together and asked, "Should we leave first so you can continue?"
Biaozi, lying on the ground, thought he had been saved. But upon hearing that, his eyes immediately widened. "Don't, don't leave! Save us! He's a total lunatic! If you leave, he'll beat us to death!"
Huo Wenye remained unmoved, his deep eyes still fixed on Xie Chen's face.
As though everyone else around him was nothing but air, the only thing he cared about was that single beam of light.
"Wenye! Brother Ye! Huo Buddha! Stop joking around!" Director Li's legs were going a little weak with fright. "The police will be here soon. Let's leave it to them!"
Xie Chen was somewhat disappointed, but he still lowered his leg.
After all, with so many witnesses around, it would not be easy to clear himself of involvement.
In all his life, Biaozi had never looked forward to the arrival of the police more than he did now.
Thinking back on everything that had just happened, it had been nothing short of a nightmare!
So, sitting in the police car, he kept sobbing, "You have to arrest him!"
"That guy seems insane!"
"He hits like a demon!"
"He's like an evil ghost here to claim lives!"
As Biaozi sniffled and whimpered, the police officer was already looking impatient. "Whose hoes are these?!"
"O-Ours!"
"How many of you were there in total?!" the officer asked again with a stern face.
"E-Eight." Biaozi felt that the direction of the questioning was off.
Sure enough, the officer sneered. "Eight people, carrying hoes, and you're saying he attacked you?! That he wanted your lives?!"
"It's true!" Biaozi cried emotionally, handcuffs on his wrists. "Officer, you have to believe me!"
"Don't call me officer. I don't have a nephew as old as you," the policeman said matter-of-factly. "Whether I believe you isn't important. What matters is whether the law believes you. Wasn't there a livestream recording? We'll review it carefully later, and the truth will come out."
Biaozi, "..."
A livestream recording?
Wasn't that an evidence chain?
So it had not been a recording—it had been livestreamed?!
If he remembered correctly, the stream had been shut off before that guy made his move?!
This had all been planned?!
He had set me up?!
Biaozi finally understood everything. His face immediately turned ashen, and the sobbing hiccup caught in his throat, neither rising nor falling, nearly suffocating him.
The two brothers from the Xie Family, who were still resting at the guesthouse, heard the other guests talking through the door. Roughly speaking, people from the neighboring village had come to cause trouble, Xie Chen had stubbornly gone to help by himself, and the livestream had been forced to stop. No one knew the exact situation yet.
Xie Ran suppressed his delight and put on a worried expression. "Third Brother, Xie Chen won't be in trouble, will he?"
"What trouble could there be?" Xie Jinran gave a cold snort. "Don't worry. Eldest Brother and Second Brother only wanted to teach Xie Chen a lesson. At most, they'll break his legs and make him quit the variety show."
"Quit the variety show?!" Xie Ran became even more excited upon hearing that.
Xie Jinran nodded. "Eldest Brother said that if this continues, Xie Chen will become harder and harder to control. He's the adopted son of the Xie Family, yet he keeps talking about cutting ties with us and opposing us at every turn. If we don't deal with him, it'll damage the Xie Family's reputation."
"That's true," Xie Ran said with a deliberately regretful sigh. "It's just that Xie Chen will have to suffer again."
As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of police sirens sounded outside the guesthouse.
Xie Ran hurried to the window and saw Xie Chen getting out of a police car, with Huo Wenye following behind him.
"What's going on?! Why is Huo Wenye with Xie Chen?!" His face twisted with jealousy, and his voice involuntarily rose several pitches.
Hearing that, Xie Jinran quickly approached the window and looked down through the glass. Sure enough, Xie Chen was standing together with Huo Wenye, and he could not help frowning.
Earlier, Eldest Brother had said that Huo Wenye was secretly helping Xie Chen, but he had not believed it.
Now that he saw it, it clearly was not baseless gossip.
What exactly was Huo Wenye after?!
Could he be trying to use Xie Chen to swallow up the Xie Family?!
"Huo Wenye is an investor. If the variety show runs into trouble, how could he possibly stand by and do nothing? Don't panic yet. Let's go downstairs and see what's going on," Xie Jinran said, knowing Xie Ran had feelings for Huo Wenye. He patted his shoulder reassuringly.
Xie Ran nodded slowly. "Xie Chen probably lost his temper and started fighting. At most, it counts as a mutual brawl, so it won't be too serious. But his legs..."
A flash of disappointment passed through Xie Ran's eyes.
They had not been broken?!
Those villagers were completely useless!
With police cars arriving and such a huge commotion, all the guests had been drawn outside.
Luo Mingyu darted to the front at once. "What happened?! Xie Chen, what did you do?! Did Brother Ye bail you out?!"
"Pah. I'm a law-abiding citizen. What crime could I have committed?" Xie Chen rolled his eyes. "I only went to assist with the police investigation."
As soon as he finished speaking, an upright-looking police officer behind him spoke up. "We thank this comrade for helping us take our anti-crime campaign one step further!"
"Biaozi and the others have long been notorious pests in the area!"
"Not only have they bullied villagers, they've also gathered to fight and damaged public property. We will certainly punish people like them severely!"
"Comrade Xie Chen," the policeman said, stepping forward and wanting to shake Xie Chen's hand, only to be silently blocked by Huo Wenye.
The officer paused, then continued without caring. "Thank you for your courageous actions. If it weren't for you, how would these honest villagers have dared to resist, let alone provide evidence? If we need you to supplement your statement, please be sure to cooperate!"
"And regarding that legal matter..."
Before the policeman could finish, Xie Chen waved a hand. "I can't do legal education for free. It costs extra, and my hourly rate is very high. You might not be able to afford me. If it's for charity, contact my assistant..."
Only when he sensed the strange silence all around him did he realize—
Damn.
His identity was exposed!
Before you continue