Chen Feiyu praised, "I didn't expect you to be quite good to your brothers."
Jiang Tianhu said proudly, "Naturally. We men of the underworld must value loyalty above all else. Anyone who is a brother to me, Jiang Tianhu, is a brother for life. Wouldn't you agree, sir?"
Suddenly remembering the current situation, Jiang Tianhu gave an awkward laugh, waved his hands to summon two of his subordinates, ordered them to carry Leng Dao away to tend to his injuries, and dismissed everyone else from the room.
Only Chen Feiyu and Jiang Tianhu remained in the private dining room.
Chen Feiyu sat while Jiang Tianhu stood.
Jiang Tianhu gave a dry chuckle and asked, "May I ask your name, sir?"
"Chen Feiyu."
Jiang Tianhu secretly frowned. He had never heard of any martial arts family with the surname Chen in Mingji City. Could he be from some hidden family? Or perhaps an overwhelming dragon crossing the river?
Chapter 25: Meeting Liu Shengnan Again
Jiang Tianhu took a deep breath and asked, "Pardon my presumption, Mr. Chen, but are you a master in the Mid Nether Penetration Realm?"
"By the way, what on earth is the Mid Nether Penetration Realm? I've heard you people mention it several times already," Chen Feiyu asked curiously.
"You've never heard of the Mid Nether Penetration Realm?" Jiang Tianhu's jaw dropped in disbelief as he explained, "It's the classification of martial artist levels, divided into Foundation Establishment, Body Tempering, Qi Unification, Nether Penetration, Grandmaster, Legend, and Xiantian realms. Leng Dao is a Late Qi Unification master, yet he couldn't even withstand a single move from you. That's why I guessed you must be a master of the Mid Nether Penetration Realm.
It is said that beyond the Xiantian realm, there are even higher and more profound realms, but those are no longer something mortals like us can hope to touch."
Chen Feiyu had a sudden epiphany. No wonder he had never heard of these martial artist rankings: he was a cultivator who had grown up in the mountains and had very little contact with martial artists. Of course, this was his core secret, and he certainly wasn't going to explain it to Jiang Tianhu.
Chen Feiyu nodded slightly and said, "Go on."
Jiang Tianhu continued, "According to reliable information, Young Master Zhao from the provincial capital is coming next month. His first purpose is to arrange a marriage alliance with the Xie Family, and his second is to seize the opportunity to incorporate the underworld of Mingji City."
"A marriage alliance with the Xie Family?" A playful glint appeared in Chen Feiyu's eyes as he suddenly thought of the incomparably radiant Xie Xingxuan. He smiled, "And what does this have to do with the secret you mentioned?"
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Jiang Tianhu's forehead. "As far as I know, that is merely the Zhao family's public objective. Their real goal is a treasure hidden here in Mingji City. It is said that whoever obtains this treasure can forcefully elevate their martial arts cultivation by an entire realm. The Zhao family is determined to secure it at all costs.
To hell with them! Even a powerful dragon shouldn't try to crush a local serpent. No matter how powerful the provincial Zhao family might be, what right do they have to stick their hands into our Mingji City's treasure? Isn't that a blatant slap in the face?"
Carried away by his anger, Jiang Tianhu forgot his current predicament, pulled up a chair to sit down, and took a large gulp of wine.
Chen Feiyu chuckled, "I didn't take you for a man with such lofty principles."
Jiang Tianhu paused his movements, gave an awkward laugh, and said, "Well, of course! Even though I'm in the underworld, I still have to carry myself with style and distinction. Wouldn't you agree, sir?"
Chen Feiyu smiled without replying, though the "treasure" capable of elevating one's realm had indeed piqued his interest.
Just as Chen Feiyu was about to ask for more specific details, the door of the private room was violently kicked open, and a squad of police officers flooded in.
Among them was a tall woman with red lips, white teeth, and an heroic aura between her brows. Her well-fitted police uniform only served to accentuate her spirited and valiant bearing.
Chen Feiyu stared in surprise. "Little wife, why are you here?"
Indeed, this policewoman was none other than Liu Shengnan.
She had received orders from her superiors about a brawl and had rushed over with her team immediately, never expecting to run into Chen Feiyu.
"Little hooligan, it's actually you! Ha, talk about finding no place else to look after a long fruitless search, only to stumble upon it effortlessly!" Liu Shengnan said, both startled and delighted as she gave a triumphant humph.
Then, shifting her gaze, she caught sight of the person beside him, and her expression froze as she blurted out, "Jiang Tianhu?"
Chen Feiyu, Jiang Tianhu, and the utter wreckage of the private room—even with bloodstains on the walls.
Connecting these dots, Liu Shengnan immediately deduced that the little hooligan must have come into conflict with Jiang Tianhu. Jiang Tianhu was known as the First Tiger of Mingji, and his backing reached the heavens. If the little hooligan crossed paths with him, he would bound to come out on the losing end.
At this thought, an unbidden wave of worry washed over Liu Shengnan.
Jiang Tianhu was dumbfounded as well. He had already found Lin Yujia and Qin Tanya stunning, but he never imagined that Liu Shengnan, the flower of the police force, would also be on such intimate terms with Chen Feiyu. He had even heard Chen Feiyu call her "little wife," and Liu Shengnan hadn't even refuted it.
It seemed Mr. Chen was quite the romantic player indeed.
Jiang Tianhu immediately stood up and offered a respectful, apologetic smile. "Captain Liu, it's been a long time. I had no idea you and Mr. Chen were acquainted. You should have said something sooner! Please forgive me for any offenses I might have committed in the past."
Liu Shengnan was completely dumbfounded, and so were the police officers behind her.
Jiang Tianhu—Tiger Jiang, hailed as the First Tiger of Mingji, a man whom even their bureau chief had to treat with cautious respect and address as a brother—was actually acting this deferential and polite?
Had the sun risen from the west today?
Liu Shengnan felt a little dizzy.
Chen Feiyu walked over with a cheeky grin, breathing in the faint fragrance emanating from her and wearing an intoxicated expression as he said, "Little wife, I haven't seen you in days. Did you miss me?"
Liu Shengnan snapped back to reality, took two steps back, glared at him furiously, and then said coldly, "I received a report that someone was fighting and causing a disturbance here. It seems it was you. Officers, put the cuffs on him and take him away!"
Jiang Tianhu gave a start. Chen Feiyu was a master of the Mid Nether Penetration Realm, yet Liu Shengnan actually dared to cuff him? She had some serious guts!
No, wait—this was probably just how the young couple flirted with each other. Didn't they just hear Chen Feiyu calling her "little wife" right to her face?
At this realization, Jiang Tianhu inwardly gave a thumbs-up. Truly, an extraordinary expert; even his method of cultivating a relationship was out of the ordinary. Mortals like them were truly having their horizons broadened.
The surrounding police officers wore strange expressions, hesitating whether to step forward. After all, Jiang Tianhu was right there, and Chen Feiyu seemed to share a very close relationship with Captain Liu. What if they really cuffed Chen Feiyu and Captain Liu settled scores with them later?
Liu Shengnan glared at them and snapped coldly, "Well? What are you waiting for?"
Only then did they grit their teeth and step forward to cuff Chen Feiyu, who simply grinned and offered no resistance.
As for Jiang Tianhu, he casually found a lackey to take the fall for him, and strictly speaking, Jiang Tianhu hadn't even thrown a punch.
Once Chen Feiyu left with Liu Shengnan, Jiang Tianhu's expression turned dark and gloomy.
His subordinate had been severely injured and nearly crippled, and he himself had been forced to kneel in public and apologize for mercy.
As a lord of the underworld in Mingji City, when had Jiang Tianhu ever suffered such humiliation?
While Chen Feiyu was present, fear kept him in check and he had no choice but to smile submissively. Now that Chen Feiyu was gone, the fury in his heart finally broke through.
Jiang Tianhu slammed down a large gulp of baijiu and violently hurled his wine glass to the floor.
In an instant, glass shards scattered everywhere.
Suddenly, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a handsome man in a light blue suit stepped inside, clapping his hands with a smile. "Tiger Jiang truly lives up to his reputation as a regional lord—capable of bending and stretching. This little brother is in awe."
Jiang Tianhu whirled around, his eyes flashing like sword glints as he sneered, "So it's the young master of the Li Family. Are you here to mock me?"
Li Tongwei said solemnly, "I wouldn't dare. The two of us share a common enemy, and I believe this is an opportunity for us to cooperate."
"Are you talking about Chen Feiyu?" Jiang Tianhu sized Li Tongwei up, then let out a derisive laugh. "So you have a grudge against him too. But he is a Mid Nether Penetration master; you probably don't understand the terror of such an expert. Let me put it this way: all my men combined might not even be able to beat him. I have no choice but to swallow this loss."
Li Tongwei frowned. He hadn't expected Chen Feiyu to be so formidable, but he still didn't take him too seriously. "You're mistaken," he said. "No matter how strong he is, can he withstand pistols and bombs? Does he dare to openly defy state organs?
To be frank with you, I've already spoken with Deputy Chief Zhou of the Ping'an Precinct. Chen Feiyu being hauled in by the police this time is entirely due to Deputy Chief Zhou. I guarantee you, once Chen Feiyu is inside, he'll be stripped of a layer of skin even if he survives.
When he gets out of the police station, you can contact your friends in the underworld and plant assassins to ambush him. Severely injured as he'll be, no matter how powerful he is, he won't escape death!"
By the end of his sentence, bone-deep hatred surfaced in Li Tongwei's eyes.
Ever since he had been thoroughly beaten up by Chen Feiyu in Su Yingxue's office last time, he had harbored a fierce grudge against him. Now that he had finally found an opportunity for revenge, he wasn't going to let it go!
Jiang Tianhu was also a man who sought an eye for an eye. After a brief moment of contemplation, a fierce light suddenly flared in his eyes, and a ruthless expression surfaced on his pale face. "Damn it all! Offend me, Jiang Tianhu, and you have to pay the price!" With that, he pulled out his phone and started making calls to his underworld connections, mobilizing martial arts experts and snipers to prepare an ambush!
At that moment, Chen Feiyu had no inkling that a crisis was closing in on him. The thought of flirting with his little wife soon filled him with a mild sense of excitement.
Upon arriving at the police station, Chen Feiyu was escorted directly into an interrogation room. Liu Shengnan dismissed all the other officers, leaving herself alone to conduct the interrogation.
"Name?" Liu Shengnan asked coldly without raising her head.
Chen Feiyu smiled. "My surname is Ni, and my given name is Husband."
"Chen Feiyu, stop messing around with me!" Liu Shengnan slammed her hand down on the table.
Chen Feiyu rolled his eyes and said, "Little wife, you already know my name, so why ask?"
Liu Shengnan stood up angrily, her knuckles cracking as she clenched her fists. She sneered, "You flirted with me repeatedly earlier, and I haven't settled accounts with you for that yet. Now that you've fallen right into my hands, humph!"
Chen Feiyu feigned panic and said, "What are you doing? You're not going to sexually assault me, are you? Don't come any closer! This is a police station—careful or I'll scream rape!"
Liu Shengnan almost fainted from rage. *I spit on you! This lady is naturally beautiful with hordes of suitors—do I need to flirt with you?*
"Of course, if you're truly determined to have your way with me, then go ahead. Who else is going to take responsibility since you're my little wife?" Chen Feiyu closed his eyes, tilted his head up, and looked ready to meet his doom.
Liu Shengnan fumed, "Jerk! You think you're getting the short end of the stick by being flirted with by me? Even if the bureau chief comes down here today, I'm going to teach you a lesson and show you why the flowers are so red!"
Stomping forward, she threw a punch straight at Chen Feiyu's face.
Of course, she held back and didn't use her full strength; she only wanted to teach Chen Feiyu a lesson and vent some of her burning anger.
Suddenly, moving like a nimble monkey with nimble footwork, Chen Feiyu evaded the punch while planting a swift kiss right on her flushed cheek. He then slipped past her and said in an intoxicated tone, "Smells so good."
Infuriated and embarrassed, Liu Shengnan's face flushed even redder, as if water might drip from it—whether from anger or shame, it was hard to tell. She delivered a high kick straight toward Chen Feiyu's waist.
Chapter 26: Framing
Chen Feiyu chuckled, suddenly slipping his hands out of the handcuffs, dodging her attack with a sidestep, and lunging forward with a bold step to close the distance. In an instant, he appeared right before Liu Shengnan, face-to-face, close enough to catch the fragrance lingering on her skin.
Caught off guard, Liu Shengnan was startled, nearly losing her footing as panic flickered in her eyes.
Seeing this, a flash of amusement crossed Chen Feiyu's eyes. He swiftly reached out, scooped up her raised leg with one hand, wrapped his other arm around her slender waist, and pulled her forcefully into his arms.
Just as Liu Shengnan let out a breath of relief, the next moment, Chen Feiyu lowered his head and captured her soft, red cherry lips.
Smooth, soft, and sweet.
Chen Feiyu felt slightly intoxicated.
*It's over... my first kiss is gone.*
With a loud "boom," Liu Shengnan's mind went completely blank.
"So comfortable, so soft," Chen Feiyu murmured as he raised his head and said triumphantly, "Little wife, that was my first kiss. You'll have to take responsibility for me from now on."
"You jerk! You stole my first kiss and you still dare to ask me to take responsibility? I'm going to beat you to death!" Overcome with anger, Liu Shengnan swung her fists at Chen Feiyu's eye sockets.
How formidable was Chen Feiyu? He easily dodged the attack, gave Liu Shengnan's lips another triumphant peck, and smiled, "Little wife isn't being good. Keep this up and I'll have to punish you."
"You... you... you're bullying me." Liu Shengnan's eyes suddenly reddened, and she began to sob.
Captain Liu was actually crying because she was being bullied by a man—if word got out, no one in the police force would ever believe it.
Yet, this absurd reality was unfolding before their eyes.
As the instigator, Chen Feiyu immediately panicked, fluttering about helplessly. "Don't... don't cry! I'll let you go right now, okay?"
Liu Shengnan gently broke free from his grip, turned around to present her slender back to him, and kept her shoulders trembling slightly.
Suddenly, Chen Feiyu's eyes sharpened. "Little wife, stop crying for a second. Someone's coming outside."
Liu Shengnan gave a start. Sure enough, footsteps were approaching. If her colleagues saw her looking like this, she would never be able to show her face in the police department again.
Forgetting her resentment toward Chen Feiyu for the moment, she reached out to wipe away her tears, only to realize she didn't have any tissues on her.
Suddenly, a hand reached out beside her holding two sheets of tissue paper, gently wiping away Liu Shengnan's tears as a voice chuckled, "I grabbed these on the way out of the restaurant. Who would've thought they'd come in handy?"
Liu Shengnan gave him a deep look, then let out a heavy huff. "Don't think I'm easy to push around. I'm keeping a ledger of this debt—I'll settle accounts with you later! And if I find out you breathe a single word of this to anyone, I'll... I'll..."
She tried to threaten him to salvage a shred of dignity, but failed to find a suitable threat.
Chen Feiyu suddenly leaned in close to her ear and teased, "You'll exhaust me to death in bed? How about that?"
Liu Shengnan's pretty face flushed bright red all over again. Glaring at him, she scolded, "Hooligan!"
She tried to put on a fierce look, but with her blushing cheeks and the lingering tears in the corners of her eyes, her threat looked less like intimidation and more like flirtatious eye-contact. She looked breathtakingly stunning.
Chen Feiyu couldn't have felt more pleased.
Suddenly, the door to the interrogation room swung open, and three men walked in. Seeing Liu Shengnan standing right next to Chen Feiyu, all three of them furrowed their brows.
Chen Feiyu looked at the trio. Whether it was his imagination or not, he sensed a faint hint of hostility directed at him, which left him slightly puzzled.
Liu Shengnan quickly composed herself and asked in surprise, "Deputy Chief Zhou, what brings you here?"
The man in the lead was nearly fifty and rather plump—none other than Zhou Guotai, the deputy chief of the Ping'an Precinct.
As for the two men behind him, they were his trusted subordinates, Zhou Hao and Wang Taili.
Zhou Guotai first sized Chen Feiyu up, then put his hands behind his back and chuckled, "Xiaoli, you just made a massive contribution a few days ago, you should be taking a proper rest. As for this case, just let Zhou Hao and the other guy handle it."
Zhou Hao immediately stepped forward with a smile. "That's right, Shengnan. You should be careful not to wear yourself out."
His tone was overly intimate, causing Chen Feiyu to frown in displeasure.
Liu Shengnan nervously glanced at Chen Feiyu, feeling a flutter of anxiety as she quickly said, "Zhou Hao, please address me as Captain Liu. Furthermore, Deputy Chief Zhou, I was just about to report to you—this case has already been investigated and cleared. It's just an ordinary street brawl, nothing major. A simple fine is all it takes to release him."
Zhou Hao frowned slightly. Knowing Liu Shengnan's deep abhorrence of evil, he knew she would never normally suggest releasing someone just by paying a fine. Moreover, he had heard colleagues outside discussing how this fellow named Chen Feiyu had an extremely close relationship with Liu Shengnan...
At this thought, Zhou Hao looked at Chen Feiyu, jealousy flashing in his eyes.
Zhou Guotai was displeased, his face darkening as he said, "Just an ordinary street brawl? Then why did the victim just call the police to report that Chen Feiyu stabbed his shoulder through with a knife and inflicted severe injuries?
This has escalated into a criminal case; we can't just release him so casually. Alright, Xiaoli, you can head out now. Leave this case to Zhou Hao to handle."
Liu Shengnan opened her mouth to argue, but Chen Feiyu gently tapped her back and gave her a slow shake of his head.
He could already see that the three of them were deliberately targeting him; no amount of persistence from Liu Shengnan would change that.
Even so, who was pulling the strings behind the scenes? Jiang Tianhu was the most likely culprit, and even if it wasn't him, he was bound to be involved.
With a worried look at Chen Feiyu and a soft word of caution, Liu Shengnan turned and left.
Zhou Hao took in this entire exchange, fueling an even deeper resentment toward Chen Feiyu in his heart.
He let out a cold laugh. Now that the man had fallen into his hands, he would see just how slowly and thoroughly he could torture him!
"Chen Feiyu, someone has accused you of intentional assault. You'd better confess honestly, or else we'll throw you into the prison cells and make sure you never see the light of day again," Zhou Hao threatened.
Chen Feiyu frowned. Suddenly, his phone rang—it was a call from Han Muqing.
With a playful, mocking smile, Chen Feiyu picked up the call and spoke preemptively, "Sister Qing, I've been locked up in the police station. The guy in charge even threatened that I'll never get out of here for the rest of my life. As for Old Master Xie, you might want to start preparing his coffin in advance."
"What?" Han Muqing was startled. She had called Chen Feiyu intending to discuss tomorrow's acupuncture treatment for Old Master Xie, never expecting him to be arrested. She immediately asked with urgency, "Feiyu, what on earth did you do? Which police station are you at?"
"The Ping'an Precinct, I think." With that, Chen Feiyu hung up.
"Sister Qing, did something happen?" Xie Xingxuan, who happened to be sitting in her office, asked upon seeing the change in Han Muqing's expression.
Han Muqing gave a wry smile. "Chen Feiyu has been locked up in the Ping'an Precinct. Who knows what kind of police officer is threatening that he'll never come out."
"What?" Xie Xingxuan immediately stood up, her brows arched in anger. "Chen Feiyu is an honored guest of the Xie Family now! I'd like to see who is so blind that they dare to arrest an honored guest of the Xie Family!"
With that, she whipped out her phone and called the Chief of Public Security of Mingji City directly to demand an accountability.
At the same time, at the Chaoran Group building, Su Yingxue hung up a phone call, shook her head, and let out a dry laugh. "Chen Feiyu got locked up in the Ping'an Precinct? Hmph, when you left looking so righteous and full of yourself, I thought you were actually some big shot. Now look—aren't you still going to need me to bail you out?"
Right after, Su Yingxue dialed the director of the Ping'an Precinct and said coolly, "Uncle Li? It's me, Su Yingxue..."
Meanwhile, after hanging up the phone, Chen Feiyu clasped his hands behind his head and kicked back lazily in the interrogation chair, looking entirely confident and sure of success.