"After him!"
After dodging the flying needle, the middle-aged man roared in anger and shot after Victor Tang, disappearing into the distance. The rest of the black-clad men scattered quickly.
The fight broke out and ended in a flash; most of the diners at Spring Moon Tavern hadn’t even reacted before it was all over.
After finishing his meal, Ian Song strolled toward the Special Police Base, not giving the incident another thought. Stuff like this was way out of the Special Police’s jurisdiction, and as Minister, he wasn’t about to play busybody.
As he passed the mouth of a cluttered alley, Ian paused—he’d just heard a faint, painful groan coming from deep inside.
A thought flashed through his mind. Activating Clairvoyant Vision, he peered into the alley—and sure enough, someone was hidden among the junk.
The person’s face was ghostly pale, with blood at the corner of his mouth. From the look of it, he was already unconscious.
Ian recognized him instantly—it was Victor Tang.
Everyone thought Victor had already escaped Mesa City, but instead, he’d doubled back to hide in the old streets. No way those black-clad guys would expect that.
Hiding right under their noses—smart move, but it’ll only fool them for a bit. I bet those black-clad guys come back to search soon.
With a flicker, Ian appeared inside the alley, bent down, and picked up the unconscious Victor. Suddenly, his expression turned odd—Victor’s body felt impossibly light, barely ninety pounds.
How could any guy be this light?
Plus, he had this faint, pleasant scent about him.
To double-check whether Victor was a guy or a girl, Ian used Clairvoyant Vision to look right through his clothes.
His chest was totally flat—definitely a guy. Even the flattest girls aren’t that flat.
Satisfied, Ian carried Victor out of the alley and teleported straight to his own villa in Mesa City.
As Special Police Minister, of course he had his own private villa—and it was actually pretty nice.
Too bad the place was empty for now—he was the only one living there.
Ian laid Victor in a guest room, channeled a strand of Radiance of Life into his body, tapped a sleep acupoint, and after a moment’s thought, swapped out Victor’s bloody clothes for a clean set of his own.
Not long after he got back to the Special Police Base, his secretary Xiao Liao came to report: someone from a special department wanted to see him.
"Hello, Minister Lu. I’m Gavin Wu, captain of Ninth Squad, Thunder Regiment. Here are my credentials."
The young man in black handed Ian his ID.
Ian glanced at it, handed it back, and asked, "Director Wu, what brings you here today?"
"Do you know this person?"
Gavin Wu pulled up a 3D image—it was Victor Tang.
Ian replied calmly, "Not really. Once, when I was eating at Spring Moon Tavern, this guy asked to share my table and we chatted for a bit."
"What did you talk about?" Gavin pressed.
"I don’t remember exactly—just some casual chat. Of course, I saw him again today, when you were chasing him. Is he a resistance fighter?" Ian looked interested.
"That’s right—he’s a pretty important figure in the resistance," Gavin nodded, though his eyes were still suspicious.
"Do you need the Special Police’s help?" Ian asked enthusiastically.
Gavin Wu’s face turned cold. "That won’t be necessary."
He secretly scoffed—what use were a bunch of Special Police anyway?
"If you ever need anything, Director Wu, just say the word—my Special Police team would be more than happy to help!" Ian said, a bit disappointed.
"If I need anything, I’ll let you know. Goodbye."
Gavin Wu said impatiently and headed for the door.
"Director Wu, let me see you out!" Ian offered.
"Minister Lu, that’s not necessary."
After Gavin Wu left, Ian’s expression darkened slightly. He hadn’t expected the Thunder Regiment to be so formidable—they even knew about him sharing a table with Victor Tang. Clearly, they had plenty of informants in Mesa City.
After work that evening, Ian ate out before driving back to his villa.
But as soon as he stepped into the hall, a cold dagger pressed against his neck, making his body tense up for a moment. Still smiling, he said, "Victor, is this how you treat your rescuer?"
"It was you!"
The dagger left Ian’s neck, and Victor Tang appeared in his line of sight.
"Who else could it be?"
Ian shrugged and smiled.
"Did you change my clothes?" Victor suddenly asked.
"I’m the only one living in this villa," Ian replied, looking at Victor. "Unless you mind? Don’t worry—I’m perfectly straight."
He couldn’t shake the feeling that Victor Tang was a little odd.
Victor looked annoyed, then asked again, "You healed my injuries too?"
"Yeah, I know a bit about medicine," Ian replied.
"Thank you, Minister Lu!" Victor cupped his fists in thanks.
"It’s nothing," Ian waved dismissively. Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from Victor’s stomach. Ian smacked his own forehead, "Look at me—I forgot to bring you something to eat."
"It’s fine, I’m not that hungry," Victor said awkwardly.
"Haha, no need to be polite, Victor. I can cook, you know—let me make you a bowl of noodles!" Ian said, heading for the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, Ian brought out a bowl of egg noodles and set it in front of Victor. "Sorry, there’s not much in the pantry. Hope this’ll do!"
"Thank you!"
Victor thanked him, picked up the chopsticks, and began to eat. His movements were elegant—almost like a woman’s.
After just one bite, Victor was stunned. The simple egg noodles tasted incredible—far better than the gourmet dishes he’d once had at the royal palace.
"Well, how’s my cooking?" Ian asked.
"Minister Lu, your noodles are amazing!" Victor exclaimed after swallowing.
"If you like it, have some more! If that’s not enough, I’ll whip up another bowl," Ian said with a smile.
"No need—one bowl is enough!"
Five minutes later, seeing Victor finish even the soup, Ian smiled and asked, "Want some more?"
Victor put down the bowl, a bit embarrassed. "Minister Lu, I’m full."
Suddenly, Victor stood up and cupped his fists to Ian. "Minister Lu, the mountains remain and the rivers flow—your kindness is remembered. I’ll take my leave for today!"
"Wait!" Ian called.
"Is there anything else, Minister Lu?" Victor asked.
Ian said seriously, "If I’m right, the Thunder Regiment is still in the city. If you go out now, you’ll probably be discovered. I suggest you stay here for a few days—leave after they’re gone."
"Wouldn’t that be a bit inconvenient?" Victor hesitated.
"We’re both men—what’s inconvenient about that?" Ian said with a smile.
"Then I’ll trouble you for a while, Minister Lu!" Victor cupped his fists again.