"Listen up, everyone inside! This is Liu Li from the Bright Pearl City Headquarters. I'm warning you, cease all illegal activities immediately, put your hands on your heads, and stand against the wall!"
As soon as the words fell, a middle-aged man with a resolute face appeared at the doorway.
"It's Deputy Commissioner Liu! Deputy Commissioner Liu is actually here!"
"We're saved!"
".........."
Zhao Tianxing, who had been lying by the sofa and was splashed with cold water to wake him up, struggled to lift his head at the sound.
When he saw that it was indeed Liu Li, the Deputy Commissioner of the Bright Pearl City Police, he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha... Liu Yutong, you're done for!"
At the same time, he abandoned the thought of reaching for another pistol hidden behind the sofa cushion.
"Deputy Commissioner Liu, you must uphold justice for me! Look, just look at what they're doing!"
"They forced their way into my hotel, smashed everything, assaulted my staff and guests. They are utterly lawless!"
"Commissioner Liu, quick, order your men to arrest them all! Don't let a single one get away. Arrest them and have them executed!"
Liu Li looked at the Wanlong Society members, all uniformly dressed in black suits and radiating a fierce aura, then at the sorry state of Zhao Tianxing and the other gang bosses—some even holding smelly socks in their hands—and his frown deepened.
"What on earth is going on here? Who are you people? Give me an explanation immediately, or don't blame me for acting according to the law and taking you all back for processing!"
He had been waiting in the neighboring private room for a long time and only came out after hearing police sirens downstairs.
Calculating the time, his own men should have almost reached the top floor by now, which was why he felt emboldened.
Liu Yutong, shielded by the men in black, stepped forward and extended a hand. "Hello, Deputy Commissioner Liu. My name is Liu Yutong..."
Then, she recounted the course of events to Liu Li "in full detail."
After all, the other party was a leader from headquarters; an explanation was necessary.
She also explained why Zhao Tianxing and the others ended up in their current state.
However, her words sounded like a complete distortion of the truth to Zhao Tianxing and his crew.
"As for why the scene is so chaotic, it's entirely the result of Zhao Tianxing and those gang bosses fighting amongst themselves. They even tried to use violence against us when we came to intervene. We had no choice but to exercise limited restraint in self-defense. Some items might have been accidentally damaged during the process, for which we certainly will not offer compensation..."
Upon hearing this, Liu Li's frown tightened even more.
With years of experience handling cases, how could he not see the trickery here?
Zhao Tianxing and his men were indeed no saints, but this girl's account was far too full of holes.
He decided not to dwell on it further. Just as a large number of officers arrived,
Liu Li immediately ordered, "On suspicion of affray, organized crime, and gang-related offenses, everyone must come with me to the police station for investigation. Save your statements for the interrogation room!"
To his surprise, however, the newly arrived officers did not follow his command.
This group was entirely from the Lijin District Sub-bureau, operating under the direct orders of the special investigation team leader, Zheng Yi, and possessing special investigative authority.
Zheng Yi's mission here was precisely to investigate several connected homicide cases from last year and the serious organized crime incidents related to the major fire in Bright Pearl City at the beginning of the year.
"What are you doing? Why aren't you moving!" Liu Li, seeing the officers stand still, felt his authority undermined and rebuked them.
He didn't know that the personnel he had tried to mobilize earlier had already been intercepted by higher-level leadership.
"Deputy Commissioner Liu, these Wanlong Society members cannot be arrested."
At that moment, Qi Wei arrived belatedly.
Beside him was a young man in a suit with a special badge pinned to his chest—Zheng Yi, the special investigation team leader dispatched from above.
"Qi Wei?"
"What... what do you mean? Why can't they be taken away? Also, isn't this area outside your jurisdiction?"
Qi Wei walked up to Liu Li, first saluting him. "Deputy Commissioner Liu, please don't be angry. It's not that we're disobeying your order, it's just that... the situation is somewhat special."
Then he pointed to Zheng Yi and introduced, "This is Comrade Zheng Yi, the leader of the special investigation team sent down from above. Perhaps he can explain it to you."
Zheng Yi stepped forward and extended a hand to Liu Li. "Hello, Deputy Commissioner Liu."
Liu Li shook his hand, finding him increasingly familiar. "Team Leader Zheng, have we met before?"
Zheng Yi nodded. "Yes, we crossed paths once at a provincial police work conference."
Liu Li suddenly remembered the other's background, especially the high-ranking leader behind him, and his attitude instantly softened.
He also realized that the higher-ups were dissatisfied with their work here, or suspected protective umbrellas, hence the special dispatch.
It was just that Zheng Yi hadn't had time to report to him before this incident suddenly occurred.
"Based on the clues we currently have, much of the evidence in these cases points to Zhao Tianxing of the East Sea Alliance."
"Miss Liu is actually an informant assisting us. Today's events were rather sudden..."
After listening, Liu Li's attitude toward Liu Yutong changed as well.
"Oh, I see! Team Leader Zheng, why didn't you say so earlier? Look at this mess, a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding!"
"No wonder Miss Liu's demeanor is so extraordinary, and these Wanlong Society employees look so... uh... familiar. So they are all civilian heroes acting bravely for justice!"
"Everything you've done are necessary extraordinary measures taken to assist the police in combating crime, fully demonstrating the importance of police-civilian cooperation. It deserves praise! Must be commended!"
Liu Yutong replied modestly, "Thank you for the praise, Deputy Commissioner Liu. Cooperating with the police, maintaining public security in Bright Pearl City, and cracking down on criminal gangs are the duties of every member of the Wanlong Society!"
Liu Li listened, nodding repeatedly, his face showing even greater admiration. "Look at Miss Liu's awareness, her vision! It truly puts us to shame! If all entrepreneurs in Bright Pearl City had such awareness and sense of responsibility, how could we worry about social instability!"
".........."
The gang bosses nearby had initially been hoping the police would quickly arrest all the Wanlong Society members, preferably execute them.
But gradually, the joy faded from their faces.
The headquarters leader was actually engaging in mutual admiration with that woman, Liu Yutong?
What exactly was going on?
Especially Zhao Tianxing, hearing Liu Li's words, almost choked on his breath again.
He really wanted to curse: Liu Li, are your eyes on your ass?
The Wanlong Society people nearly beat me to death, trashed my place, stuffed smelly socks in my mouth... and you call her a praiseworthy entrepreneur?
Their Wanlong Society is the biggest gang of all!!!
Finally grasping the situation, the gang bosses' minds short-circuited, each one utterly dumbfounded.
"No... it can't be. Has the world really sunk this low? They're pulling this right in front of everyone?"
"It's over, completely over. These cops aren't here to save us at all. Damn it, they're here to congratulate the other side..."
"No wonder Liu Yutong dared to so brazenly bring hundreds of men to wipe us out. No wonder she's so fearless. Her connections must reach the heavens."
"Collusion... playing both sides of the law... I've truly witnessed it with my own eyes today..."
The men closed their eyes in despair. Today, they had finally felt the true darkness of this world.
