He stopped looking at Bob, who couldn't stop grinning like an idiot, and pushed open the chief's office door. Several officers in the hallway were pretending to discuss cases, but their ears were all trained on the doorway. Li Jie acted as though he hadn't noticed and headed straight for the lobby without slowing down.
"Everyone, attention!"
Standing in front of the reception desk, he tapped its surface and swept his gaze over the familiar faces. Every officer-whether taking statements, sorting equipment, or just returning from outside-immediately stopped what they were doing and looked up at him.
"All hell's broken loose out there. The Mayor's Office, the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Tourism Bureau-all those bastards in suits are asking what gives us the right to arrest these people."
He paused, looking into their eyes.
"Some of you may already know. Some may not. I'll give you a quick briefing. The head of the Zatara Magic Troupe worked with an accomplice to kidnap Raven."
The corners of a few veteran officers' mouths twitched.
"Some of you may not have had much contact with this kid, but we fought two bloody battles alongside her. Enough bullets were fired to blanket an entire street, and several of our brothers now lie in the cemetery because of it. Whatever else she is, she's one of us here in the East End.
"They openly kidnapped a member of this department, treating us like we didn't exist. And those officials sitting behind government desks in their fancy suits are demanding we release them immediately for the sake of the city's reputation and economy."
"Here in the East End, kidnapping a child is kidnapping a child." Li Jie's voice turned cold. "Whether you wear a tailcoat or a prison uniform, whether you bring in tax revenue and