Chapter 9

“Slap, slap, slap…”

The cold blade slapped against his face, and the blond-haired guy slowly woke up, mumbling in confusion, “Am… am I dead?”

“Dead my ass!”

Wang Tiezhu snapped coldly, “Come on, Chicken Master, stop playing dead! Get up, let’s go another round!”

This guy was supposed to be the boss, but damn, he was pathetic. Wang Tiezhu had only hit him with the back of the blade, and yet he passed out from fear—and even pissed himself. Absolutely disgraceful.

Seeing Wang Tiezhu’s fierce face so close, the blond guy shuddered in terror. “Y-you… what do you want?” He scrambled backward, rolling and crawling away as if he had seen a ghost.

Wang Tiezhu didn’t bother chasing him. He got up, completely uninterested in dealing with this kind of weakling, and prepared to pack up and leave.

But suddenly—

“Hey! What’s going on here?!”

A female police officer squeezed through the crowd. She was tall—at least 1.73 or 1.74 meters—and those long legs of hers must have been nearly a meter alone.

She had delicate features, a slender figure, and a ponytail tied at the back of her head. Standing there in her uniform, she was the very image of heroic beauty, like a modern-day Mulan, exuding an aura that rivaled any man.

Sweeping her gaze over the scene of the commotion, she finally locked onto Wang Tiezhu. Her voice rang out sharply:

“Hands on your head! Squat down and drop the knife! If you resist, don’t blame me for being rough!”

“In broad daylight, you dare to attack people with a knife? Put it down immediately!”

“Officer, wait,” Wang Tiezhu started to explain. “You misunderstand, I’m the victim—”

“Drop the knife, NOW!”

The female officer didn’t give him a chance to speak. She immediately drew her gun and aimed it at him, her eyes ice-cold. “Or I’ll shoot!”

Wang Tiezhu was dumbfounded. He didn’t dare say another word, afraid she’d actually pull the trigger. He obediently tossed the knife to the ground.

Damn, this woman was fierce! She drew her gun without hesitation!

With no other choice, he put his hands on his head and squatted down.

The blond guy, seeing the police had arrived, acted as if he had just reunited with his long-lost mother. Immediately, he played the victim, tears in his eyes, his performance Oscar-worthy.

“Officer, thank goodness you’re here! We’re security officers responsible for maintaining order at the market. This bastard set up his stall illegally, refused to leave when we told him, and then started attacking us! Look at how badly he beat us up!

Officer, waahhh—!”

He ended his speech with a dramatic wail, bawling like a child.

The female officer, Lin Qing, furrowed her brows. Seeing the guy crying and the puddle beneath him—so he actually pissed himself? Disgusting.

“Enough! Everyone, come with me to the station. Try to run, and don’t blame me for what happens next!”

—–

Half an hour later—

At the station, inside the interrogation room.

Wang Tiezhu was restrained in an interrogation chair. Sitting behind the desk in front of him, Lin Qing had a stern expression, radiating an unapproachable aura.

“What’s your name?” she asked coldly.

“Wang Tiezhu.”

“Male or female?”

Wang Tiezhu rolled his eyes. “Officer, isn’t it obvious?”

Bang!

Lin Qing slammed her palm on the desk. “Answer my questions properly! No unnecessary comments! Male or female?!”

“…Male.”

“Where are you from?”

“Wang Jiabao.”

“Why were you fighting?”

“Officer, let me explain,” Wang Tiezhu said. “I wasn’t the one who started the fight. Those punks came after me first. I was just minding my own business, setting up my stall, when they tried to chase me away. Fine, I figured I couldn’t afford to offend them, so I backed off.

But they wouldn’t let me leave. They even tried to steal my stuff! Then, out of nowhere, they started attacking me. Five against one! What was I supposed to do—just stand there and get beaten up?”

“Who’s right or wrong, we’ll determine that in our investigation,” Lin Qing said coldly. “But what I saw was you attacking people with a knife. What kind of victim does that?

Stop playing innocent! I’ve dealt with plenty of punks like you. Save your excuses. You’re already here—just confess honestly. Otherwise, things won’t end well for you!”

Wang Tiezhu sighed. “I’m not lying. There were so many witnesses. Just ask them.

As for the knife—come on, it was self-defense. It’s not my fault those punks were weak.”

“You think beating people up is justified?!”

Lin Qing glared at him. “And it’s not just about the fight. You were also caught illegally selling wild animals—that’s an even more serious crime. You’re looking at jail time for sure!”

Wang Tiezhu chuckled. “Officer, you must be fresh out of the academy. Haven’t been on the job long, have you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re too rash.”

Wang Tiezhu shook his head. “Interrogations are supposed to be handled carefully and professionally. But you? You rushed in blindly, made assumptions, and acted on impulse. No logic, no investigation—just accusations.”

“You—!”

Lin Qing was furious. This bastard was questioning her professionalism?!

“What do you know, you thug?!”

“Heh.”

Wang Tiezhu smirked. “Seems like I hit a nerve, huh? You didn’t even bother figuring out who was actually at fault before arresting me. Now, you’re accusing me of selling illegal wildlife without proof.

Sure, selling wild animals is illegal—for some people. But not for me.

I’m from Wang Jiabao Our village survives through hunting. We have official permits. As long as it’s within regulations, we can legally hunt whatever we want—even tigers, if necessary!”

“You expect me to believe that?” Lin Qing scoffed. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Wang Tiezhu laughed. “Just because you haven’t heard of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. A simple concept, yet you don’t get it? Makes me wonder—did you get this job through connections?”

“You—!”

Lin Qing slammed the desk again, boiling with anger. “I graduated top of my class from the police academy! I was recruited into this department fair and square!”

“Ohhh.”

Wang Tiezhu nodded. “Not bad, then. Just saying—you need more field experience. You’re way too reckless.”

“You—!”

Lin Qing was livid. The entire interrogation, this bastard had been leading the conversation! She felt completely out of control.

“You don’t get to tell me how to do my job, you damn punk!” she shouted, even slipping into profanity.

“Heh…”

Wang Tiezhu just chuckled, watching her with amusement.

At that moment, the interrogation room door opened, and a male officer walked in. He leaned down and whispered a few words to Lin Qing.

Her expression darkened. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Captain Lin. Those guys were pretending to be market security, bullying and extorting vendors. We’ve dealt with them before.

Wang Tiezhu is actually the victim here. Also, he has an official hunting permit—it’s completely legal. So… I suggest we let him go before this escalates.”