Dust and broken iron fragments filled the air. Ye Chenghuan wrinkled his nose, pinched it shut, pulled out a thick stack of cash from the safe, counted it, then stuffed the rest back in. He brushed off the debris on his tank top, put it back on, and turned to the dumbfounded boss.

“This is my salary for this month. Not a cent more, not a cent less.”

As he spoke, he walked up to Manager Qi and said in a flat, emotionless tone, “You didn’t fire me. I quit. Got it?”

Manager Qi dumbly nodded.

“Oh, and one more thing...” Ye picked up the pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from the table, stuffed it into his pocket, and added, “I’m a security guard, not some lowly thug. Respect is earned by showing respect. You’ve failed at that. This pack of cigarettes—consider it your tuition.”

With that, he popped a cigarette between his lips and walked out of the smoky office without looking back.

Whew...

Manager Qi finally let out the breath stuck in his throat. “Is this guy even human?”

Ye Chenghuan stepped into the elevator. Watching the indicator lights flash floor by floor, he started planning his future. Sigh... another job gone. Who knew how long it’d take to find a new one. It wasn’t the job hunt that annoyed him—it was the hassle. And if there’s one thing he hated most, it was trouble. Still, no regrets about what he did today.

The elevator reached the ground floor. As soon as the doors opened, several men in police uniforms rushed in.

“We’re from the local precinct. You’re under suspicion for disturbing public order and robbery. You need to come with us.”

Ye gave them a dry, wry smile. “Officers, you must have the wrong guy.”

“Save it. Come with us!”

Just like that, he was taken into a patrol car and soon arrived at the district police station.

“What? That actually happened?” In the precinct director’s office, a young officer was reporting to a woman in a third-level supervisory uniform. She sat behind the desk, twirling a pen between her elegant fingers. As she listened, she raised her head in surprise.

Her face was youthful and delicate, framed by sleek, professional short hair. But the maturity and calm in her eyes contradicted her apparent age. A beauty mark near her lips added a strange allure to her otherwise composed demeanor.

She set the pen down and said crisply, “Bring it in!”

Two officers brought in a mangled mess—a chunk of concrete and twisted metal. The broken safe looked like it had been through a war.

The woman circled it, frowning harder with each step. “You’re sure about this?”

“One hundred percent.”

Now her expression was more than shocked—it was intense. “Bring him to Interrogation Room One. I’ll handle this myself. And... bring his file.”

Interrogation Room One was a plain space in the east wing of the first floor. A ceiling lamp, a basic cot, and a makeshift wooden table gave it a stern atmosphere, helped by the slogan on the wall: Leniency to Those Who Confess, Severity to Those Who Resist.

Ye Chenghuan had been sitting on the uncomfortable wooden chair for what felt like ages, itching all over like he’d caught fleas.

He yawned and raised his cuffed wrists. “Yo, officer. Can we get this over with?”

“Shut up,” the male officer snapped.

Click.

He lit a cigarette to distract his mouth from talking.

“Who let you smoke? Put that out!” the female officer barked.

He obediently took two deep drags before stubbing it out and replacing it with a matchstick in his mouth. “Alright, alright. I’ll talk. Ask me anything.”

“You’ll speak when the director arrives. Until then, keep quiet,” she replied coldly.

“What if she shows up tomorrow? You guys serve meals here, or do I have to starve? What’s for dinner, anyway?”

“God, you’re annoying. Shut your mouth!”

Ye rolled his eyes. “Is there a law against talking and smoking now?”

“I said so,” came a cool voice from the door.

Click, clack, click, clack.

A beautiful woman strode in confidently. The two officers stood up to salute, and she waved them off before taking the center seat, adjusting her uniform and brushing her fingers over her rank insignia.

Ye stared. Just now, he’d been expecting some stern, middle-aged man as the precinct director. Instead, in walked this goddess.

“I’m Wu Xiao,” she introduced herself with a faint smile. “Wu as in martial arts. Xiao as in drizzling rain.”

Ye saluted. “Hello, Director!”

“Leave us,” she told her subordinates. Once they were gone, her smile vanished. Her beauty mark seemed to chill the room.

“You seemed dissatisfied with my rules just now.”

“N-no! Your rules are totally reasonable. Lawbreakers must be dealt with harshly!”

He said it politely, but his eyes roamed shamelessly.

She clearly noticed. Her delicate face darkened.

Ye smiled flirtatiously. “Director, I’m innocent. Just trying to get my unpaid wages from a shady boss. Isn’t protecting worker rights part of government policy now? Besides, you and I—we’re kind of in the same line of work.”

“Same line of work?” She raised an eyebrow.

“I’m security, you’re police. We both protect the peace.”

“You sure know how to talk.”

“Thank you.”

Ye stood up. “So, can I leave now?”

“Sit down.” Her tone turned icy. “You think a few sweet words can get you out of here? You think I’m stupid?”

Ye sat back down awkwardly. “Director, let’s not waste your precious time. Fire away.”

She opened his file. “Name.”

“Ye Chenghuan.”

“Sex.”

“Want me to prove it?”

Without missing a beat, she replied, “Go ahead.”

He sighed. “Now I understand how you got promoted so fast.”

That got a small smile out of her. She even flashed two pearly white tiger teeth—adorably sharp. Then she asked, “Is it true you broke into the safe with your fists?”

“What? That’s ridiculous. I’m not Popeye. If I had fists like that, why would I be a security guard?”

“Well, if that’s not true, I have every reason to suspect you of using explosives. That alone could land you ten years behind bars.”

Ye groaned. “Come on, Director. Don’t bury me alive.”

“Unless you prove otherwise.”

“Prove I’m a man? That’s easy. But how do I prove I didn’t blow up a safe?”

Wu Xiao stood, removed her hat and jacket, revealing a Kevlar vest underneath.

“You’ll hit me,” she said calmly.

Ye frowned. “You’re insane. If my punch really is that strong—”

“This vest can take bullets three times the speed of sound. Unless you hit harder than a bullet, I’ll be fine.”

Ye winced. “I prefer using other parts of my body on women. Fists are at the bottom of the list.”

“I’ll say it again: if you really have that power, I’ll let you go. No further questions. But if you don’t even have the guts to try... don’t blame me.”

Ye sighed. “I’m afraid you won’t survive it.”

Wu Xiao raised her chin defiantly. “Now I have to try. Let’s see if you’re all talk.”

“You sure?”

“You don’t have a choice.”

She tossed him the key. He unlocked the cuffs, stretched his arms, cracked his neck, and stepped forward.

“You really decided?”

“Yes.”

“No regrets?”

“I don’t like men who can’t make up their minds. Show me what you’ve got.”

Ye tilted his head, spat out the matchstick, and took a step back. His previously dull eyes suddenly turned icy sharp. His pupils shrank to pinpoints—like needles.

Wu Xiao’s face changed. A wave of bone-deep cold slammed into her chest. Despair clutched her heart—she couldn’t even breathe. One more second and she might collapse.

Then it was gone.

She blinked. Ye Chenghuan was already seated again, casually putting the cuffs back on. His fist had only gently tapped her cheek.