In the hazy night, the cold gleam of a dagger flashed under the lights. Accompanied by a miserable shriek, Brother Qiang clutched his injured right hand and collapsed to the ground in agony.
Seeing this, Jiang Wan fled the scene immediately and ran toward Bai Xiaoxi.
This sudden conflict stunned everyone present.
Standing to the side, Tang Hao witnessed everything and knew in his heart that he had emerged as the victor of this fight.
Yet he did not let down his guard, for he knew all too well that gangland enmities were rarely easily resolved.
Just as Tang Hao was about to step forward to join Jiang Wan and Bai Xiaoxi, an authoritative voice rang out: "Don't move!"
Tang Hao caught the faint sound of a woman's voice.
A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Could another helper have appeared? He slowly turned around, and the sight before him took him somewhat by surprise.
Outside the open-air barbecue stall stood a spirited and heroic-looking woman. She wore a tight police uniform that outlined her curves, blending feminine softness with an undeniable martial air. Her gaze was firm and sharp, as if it could pierce through everything.
At that moment, the police pistol in her hand was aimed squarely at Tang Hao, the barrel pointed directly at him. Tang Hao could not help feeling a surge of tension, but he forced himself to remain calm, trying to conceal the guilt in his eyes.
Staring intently at Tang Hao, she asked coldly, "Aren't you quite something? You took down so many people all by yourself, and they were all carrying weapons. Let me tell you, you're in big trouble."
Faced with the female officer's interrogation, Tang Hao had no choice but to raise his hands and say helplessly, "Officer, guns have no eyes, so please be careful. Actually, these people picked a fight with me; I was merely acting in self-defense."
The female officer refused to take Tang Hao's word at face value. She decisively ordered her subordinates to make arrests, placing Tang Hao and the armed men all under control.
Afterward, she walked over to Jiang Wan and Bai Xiaoxi and said, "The two of you can act as his witnesses. Come with me to the station to give a statement and verify what happened here."
Nodding in agreement, Jiang Wan and Bai Xiaoxi followed the female officer into a police cruiser. The group was quickly taken to the Jinghai City police station.
As it turned out, one of the men who had fled earlier had called the police, and officers arriving at the scene had happened to witness the fight.
Inside the police station, Tang Hao, Jiang Wan, and Bai Xiaoxi were placed in two separate interrogation rooms. The police did this to prevent them from colluding beforehand and fabricating stories.
Jiang Wan and Bai Xiaoxi were questioned first. Inside the room, two female officers listened seriously and recorded their statements.
"What relation are you to him? Why did such a violent incident happen on the snack street? What was the cause?" one of the female officers asked.
Jiang Wan answered truthfully, "I am his boss, and Bai Xiaoxi is my best friend. We didn't know what was happening, but those people rushed over wanting to kill us. Tang Hao fought them off simply to protect us."
The female officer frowned slightly and continued to press, "Can you tell us the specific individuals involved in the conflict? What was their purpose in coming to your company?"
Without hesitation, Jiang Wan replied quickly, "It was Cai Lili from Cai's Perfume Company and Xie Nan from Xie's Loan Company. They came to our company to force us to hand over the perfume formula. When we refused, they tried to resort to violence. Tang Hao stepped in just in time to resolve the conflict."
Meanwhile, another female officer was quickly recording Jiang Wan's statements, which served as crucial evidence for the investigation.
"Alright, we now have a general understanding of the situation. You may leave for now and wait for further notice." The female officer nodded politely to the two of them.
Jiang Wan and Bai Xiaoxi exchanged glances, their anxiety surging like a tide. Seeing that each other was safe and sound, their thoughts inevitably drifted back to Tang Hao. That man who had always stood by their side to protect them—how was he doing now?
Noticing the worry in their eyes, the female officer smiled gently, trying to ease the tense atmosphere: "Don't worry. Although his situation is somewhat serious, with your testimonies, he shouldn't face severe punishment. For now, you should both go home and wait for news."
Although anxiety still lingered in their hearts, Jiang Wan and Bai Xiaoxi knew there was nothing else they could do besides wait. Thus, harboring doubts, the two of them left the police station.
Meanwhile, in the interrogation room across the hall, Tang Hao's hands were tightly bound by handcuffs. He sat in the suspect chair, staring blankly ahead.
The police officer before him was none other than the officer in charge of this case, the captain of the criminal investigation squad—Xiao Zitong.
"Name, age, occupation." Xiao Zitong's voice was calm and firm.
Taking a deep breath, Tang Hao replied, "Tang Hao, twenty years old, currently a security guard at Jiangshui Group."
A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Zitong's eyes as she asked bluntly, "Why did you resort to harming those people? What was your motive?"
Frowning slightly, Tang Hao explained, "They struck first. As President Jiang's security guard, it is naturally my duty to protect her safety."
Xiao Zitong was no rookie; she instantly sensed that something was amiss: "Just a security guard? Why would President Jiang be having a meal with you? Tell me honestly, are you two hiding some kind of relationship?"
Hesitating for a moment, Tang Hao ultimately decided to come clean: "I am indeed the company's security guard, but I'm also their personal bodyguard. That's why I have to stay by their side at all times to protect them."
"A bodyguard?" Xiao Zitong frowned deeply, falling into thought.
Just then, a female officer from outside the interrogation room walked in and handed Xiao Zitong a file—the interrogation records of Jiang Wan and Bai Xiaoxi.
Under the lights of the interrogation room, Xiao Zitong intently reviewed the transcript, casting occasional glances at Tang Hao across the table as if searching for clues.
"You're their bodyguard? Those people are from Xie's Loan Company? They genuinely intended to kill you?" Disbelief laced her words.
Tang Hao nodded, his expression composed. "Yes, that should be correct."
As she thoroughly read the statement and reviewed the results of the preliminary private investigation, the outline of the entire incident gradually grew clear.
Xiao Zitong began to realize that she might have truly wronged Tang Hao. Yet, driven by professional intuition and persistence, she decided to dig deeper.
At that moment, the male officer beside her suddenly brightened and pointed at the laptop screen, saying, "Look, we've got a breakthrough! His identity has been checked."
Her heart stirring, Xiao Zitong leaned closer to the screen. Tang Hao, meanwhile, felt his heart leap into his throat, fearing his secrets would be exposed.
The information displayed on the laptop screen caused Xiao Zitong's expression to shift from doubt to shock.
Slowly closing the laptop, a complex light flashed in her eyes. She walked up to Tang Hao, her gaze as sharp as a blade, as if trying to peer straight into his soul.
"Turns out... we're actually in the same line of work." A trace of hard-to-conceal excitement edged Xiao Zitong's tone.
Tang Hao was momentarily stunned, but he quickly realized they must have uncovered his background in the national military. A wave of relief washed over him, though he maintained his guard on the surface.
Xiao Zitong continued, "No wonder you can fight like that. You're a soldier, and a major at that. My earlier judgment was dead wrong."
Tang Hao remained silent, but the tension in his heart gradually dissipated. He realized his true identity had not been fully compromised.
Releasing Tang Hao's handcuffs, Xiao Zitong said with a hint of helplessness, "Considering you didn't conceal the facts, that it was an act of self-defense, and that no casualties resulted, I'll let you off this time. But if there's a next time, I won't show any mercy."
Tang Hao stood up and, without looking back, walked straight toward the exit of the interrogation room.
Just as he was about to cross the threshold, Xiao Zitong's voice sounded once more: "This is my phone number. If anything comes up in the future, you can come directly to me." With that, she handed a business card to Tang Hao.
Taking the card, Tang Hao gave Xiao Zitong one deep look before turning and walking away.