Patrol Station

Jinghai City, Yunfu District, Tai'an Road Patrol Station.

This was the Yi Kingdom's most basic official organization, mainly responsible for maintaining public order in the various districts of the outer city.

Most of the people at the station were ordinary people who handled grassroots work.

At that moment, on the third floor.

Inside the station chief's office.

Zhang Qu sat on a leather sofa, holding a phone to his ear, his face full of obsequiousness.

He looked to be around forty, with a paunch and a face shiny with grease.

He was all smiles as he spoke in a fawning tone about Su Han.

"Miss Wang."

"Please rest assured, I'll definitely take care of it today."

"That kid Su Han is too stubborn. I have to wear him down slowly, don't I?"

"It really has taken too long this time. Next time, I'll definitely be quicker."

A young woman's voice came through the phone, icy and utterly impatient.

"Zhang Qu, this has taken too long. It's been five days, and you still haven't settled it."

"I'm telling you, this is your last chance."

"President Mo has already asked about it. He said you've been incompetent!"

"If you keep dragging this out, plenty of people have their eyes on that position your ass is sitting in."

Cold sweat beaded on Zhang Qu's forehead, and he hurriedly replied.

"Yes, yes, I understand. It'll definitely be finished today."

"Before this evening, I want to see the confession, the statement, the surveillance footage, the complete set of materials."

"Absolutely, absolutely!"

"Beep, beep-"

After the call finally ended, Zhang Qu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

He slumped on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and took a vicious drag.

"Fuck."

He cursed under his breath.

But he wasn't cursing Miss Wang on the other end of the line. He was cursing Su Han.

Now that he was sitting in the station chief's seat, he had grown accustomed to taking money and doing things for the rich.

He was currently handling Su Han's case.

According to his usual practice, he should have beaten a confession out of him and thrown him in jail to await death.

But this kid was a little different.

"Little bastard, you've got tough bones, don't you? Can't beat them into submission?"

"Fine, then I'll smash those bones of yours to pieces!"

He smoked as he considered what to do later.

He wondered whether to try some new methods and give the kid a proper torturing, so he'd sign as soon as possible, then turn on the surveillance, record his statement, and go through the procedure.

Once the case was completely closed.

He'd get his money, and the higher-ups would be satisfied.

As he was thinking, a sudden series of thuds came from the hallway outside.

It sounded like something heavy hitting the floor.

Zhang Qu immediately frowned.

Miss Wang had just given him a dressing-down, and he was already in a bad mood.

Now who was making a racket outside?

It rubbed him the wrong way, so he shouted toward the door.

"Who's out there? What are you doing?"

No one answered.

Was no one there? Then what was that noise?

Zhang Qu looked even more displeased.

Irritated, he put down his cigarette, stood up, and walked slowly to the door.

He gripped the handle and was about to pull it open.

But the door opened on its own first.

Zhang Qu froze.

Because he was standing in the doorway, the figure was backlit when the door opened, and he couldn't make out the newcomer's face at first.

He could only see an outline.

The figure wasn't tall and was somewhat thin, wearing tattered clothes covered in stains.

"Who is it?" Zhang Qu asked irritably, beginning to curse.

"So there was someone out here. Why didn't you say anything just now?"

"Don't you know to knock before coming in?"

"Which department are you from, kid? Don't want your job anymore, is that it..."

As Zhang Qu cursed, he suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

He smelled the bloody stench washing over him, and the man's figure was becoming more and more familiar.

Zhang Qu calmed down and asked in a low voice.

"Who are you?"

Su Han immediately stepped forward, bringing his face into clear view.

It entered Zhang Qu's sight.

It was a young, pale face with delicate features, but those eyes were like two deep pools.

Zhang Qu's mind went blank for a second as he recognized the newcomer.

"You're Su Han?"

Zhang Qu was instantly startled.

His eyes widened, and he instinctively took a step back.

How was this possible?

Shouldn't this kid still be in the basement?

Shouldn't he be chained up and still being tortured?

And where were Zhang Ping, Yu Qiang, and the others? How had they been watching him, to let this kid escape?

Countless questions flooded Zhang Qu's mind.

But he was an old hand, after all, and quickly forced himself to calm down again.

He sized Su Han up.

Su Han's clothes were in tatters, but he stood straight, his gaze cold.

Most importantly, Su Han had blood on his hands.

This probably wasn't his blood.

The wounds he'd had were already scabbed over.

Then was the blood on his hands someone else's?

Zhang Qu's heart skipped a beat.

His pupils contracted, and he was horrified.

Had something happened?

But the very next moment, Zhang Qu immediately recalled Su Han's background.

He came from an ordinary family. His parents ran a noodle shop, his older sister was a kindergarten teacher, and he himself was a student at Jinghai University.

When they'd caught the kid before, he'd resisted, but they'd pinned him down in just a few moves. He had hardly any strength at all.

What kind of storm could a college student like that possibly stir up?

Maybe Zhang Ping and Yu Qiang had simply been careless.

And somehow let the kid sneak out.

Yes, that had to be it.

What other explanation was there?

With that thought.

Zhang Qu's face quickly darkened, and he regained his usual air of authority.

"Su Han, you've got some nerve, sneaking out on your own."

He pointed a finger at Su Han's nose and demanded sternly.

"Who let you out?"

"This is a jailbreak, do you know that?"

"That adds another charge to your crimes."

Su Han said nothing, merely watching him in silence.

That look made Zhang Qu's skin crawl, but he steeled himself and kept cursing.

"What?"

"You lowborn bastard killed your own parents. Don't tell me you want to kill me too?"

"I'm telling you, this is a patrol station."

"This is my turf."

"You dare lay a hand on me? Go ahead and try. I'll make you..."

Zhang Qu hadn't finished speaking.

Su Han moved.

Without any warning or winding up, he raised his hand and slapped him.

The motion wasn't fast; it was even a little slow.

But Zhang Qu couldn't dodge it at all.

He watched helplessly as the hand came toward him, growing larger in his field of vision.

Finally.

"Smack!!!"

The crisp sound of a slap rang out in the private office.

Zhang Qu felt as though he'd been hit by a truck. His whole body flew off the ground and slammed heavily into the desk.

The desk shattered into pieces, and everything on it scattered across the floor.

Zhang Qu lay in the wreckage, one side of his face swollen beyond recognition.

Four or five of his teeth had fallen out, and he spat them out with blood.

At that moment.

He was dumbfounded.

His ears rang, and stars burst before his eyes.

He raised his head and looked at Su Han with difficulty, his face full of disbelief.