Harvey Hu walked up to Ian Song and Fiona Xiang, cleared his throat in an official manner, and said, "Let me introduce myself first. My name is Harvey Hu, deputy director of the Campus District Precinct. What are your names, and are you both students?"
"Hello, Director Hu. My name is Fiona Xiang, and he's Ian Song. We're both students at Saint Night High School." Fiona answered gracefully.
"Saint Night High School—that's the best high school in our province. You two must be top students to get in." Hu squinted and praised them, then suddenly changed the topic: "Do you know who those two robbers are?"
Ian, quick-witted and attentive, had overheard the two officers talking, so he knew the two he knocked out were wanted criminals. He replied, "They're wanted criminals."
Hu's expression grew serious. "That's right. Both are wanted murderers. In Beihe City, they teamed up with two other fugitives to kill a family of five, then fled to Riverstone City. So I have a suggestion: when you give your statements at the precinct, just say the two fugitives were subdued by police officers. That way, their accomplices won't come looking for you."
Hearing this, Ian thought this chubby director seemed unimpressive but actually cared about people, so he was about to agree. But Fiona tugged his sleeve and spoke up: "As far as I know, giving false testimony carries legal responsibility. Besides, Ian was the one who took down those fugitives. And I've heard that catching wanted criminals brings a reward. If we say the police caught them, you'd get both the credit and the bonus, which wouldn't be fair to Ian."
Fiona emphasized the word "credit" especially strongly.
Hearing Fiona's words, Hu was stunned. He thought fooling two young people would be easy, but this beautiful girl was clearly sharp.
Ian also realized what was going on after hearing Fiona. So this fat director was trying to steal his credit. He felt a bit annoyed with himself for being slow to catch on—must be because his mental stat is too low.
Hu laughed awkwardly and said, "Don't worry, this young man will definitely get his bonus. Honestly, I'm just looking out for you—after all, you're both students and those two fugitives still at large are extremely dangerous. If..."
"Director Hu, may we speak privately?" Fiona interrupted Hu with a smile, clearly not interested in hearing his nonsense.
"Sure," Hu nodded.
So Fiona and Hu stepped aside to whisper for a while. Ian was curious—what was Fiona saying to the chubby director?
After about two minutes of talking, the two returned together. Ian noticed that Director Hu now seemed to treat Fiona with noticeably more respect.
Hu spoke politely, "Ian Song, here's the deal: the ones you caught are all Class-A fugitives. By regulation, each one earns you thirty thousand yuan. I'll report this to my superiors, and try to secure a portion of the bonus for the police—about twenty thousand. We'll also send someone to your school to present you with a 'Bravery in Righteous Deed' certificate. When we get to the precinct, just say you cooperated with us in arresting the fugitives. How does that sound?"
Ian sensed a hint of nervousness in Hu's gaze, which was odd—he wondered what Fiona had told him. Still, he was satisfied with the proposal: he'd get eighty thousand yuan and a certificate, plus some Fame Points.
"No objections, Director Hu," Ian said.
"Great, it's settled then!" Hu said excitedly, then politely invited Ian and Fiona into the car to go to the precinct. On the way, he chatted with Ian about key points and details for giving their statements.
Soon after Ian and Fiona arrived at the Campus District Precinct, Fiona's family showed up: a man and a woman. The woman was in her early forties, an elegant, beautiful lady who looked quite similar to Fiona—likely her mother. The man, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, was tall and muscular, a head taller than Ian, dressed in a black suit and very serious—probably a bodyguard or driver.
"Fiona, are you alright?" The elegant woman asked, holding Fiona's hand with concern.
"Mom, I'm fine. It's all thanks to Ian Song for saving me," Fiona said, shaking her head.
Immediately, the elegant woman's gaze turned to Ian, her face warming with a gentle smile. "Hello, Ian Song. I'm Fiona's mother—my surname is Liu. Just call me Aunt Liu."
"Hello, Aunt Liu," Ian replied politely.
From her clothes and bearing, Ian could tell Aunt Liu was wealthy and distinguished. Remembering how Director Hu treated Fiona, he was nearly certain the Xiang family was influential. Suddenly, he recalled that the city mayor also had the surname Xiang—could Fiona be the mayor's daughter or relative?
Normally, a high schooler like him wouldn't care about politics, but since his uncle was deputy director at the Education Bureau, he'd heard mention of Mayor Xiang at family dinners.
Sure enough, after meeting Fiona's mother, Director Hu became even more deferential, never once straightening his back.
"Ian, come visit Aunt Liu's house sometime when you're free."
As they parted, Fiona's mother extended the invitation to Ian.
"Thank you, Aunt Liu. If I get the chance, I'll definitely visit," Ian replied.
"Bye, Ian!" Fiona leaned out of the car window, waving at him.
"Bye," Ian waved back instinctively.
"Madam Liu, Miss Xiang, take care," Director Hu said, nodding and bowing obsequiously.
Watching the black Mercedes disappear into the night, Ian felt a bit emotional. Thanks to Fiona's mother's arrival, many procedures were skipped, and Director Hu personally handled their statements. Everything was settled in less than half an hour.
Once the car was gone, Director Hu finally straightened up, grinning at Ian. "Little brother, let me drive you back to school."
Hu no longer dared treat Ian as just a regular high schooler. After hearing his subordinates' reports, he knew Ian had crushed the right wrists and broken the ribs of both fugitives. Hu privately winced for them—clearly, Ian was strong. Plus, if Ian was Fiona's boyfriend and might become the Xiang family's son-in-law, he had even more reason to curry favor.
"No need, Director Hu. The school isn't far; I'll just walk back," Ian refused. He knew Hu's enthusiasm was mostly for the Xiang family's sake, and he didn't want to rely on someone else's status.
"Don't be so polite, little brother. You're Miss Xiang's boyfriend—your future is boundless!" Director Hu insisted.
Ian frowned slightly. "Director Hu, you've got it wrong. Fiona and I are just classmates, nothing more."
"I get it, I understand," Director Hu replied with a sleazy grin.
Ian was speechless. He knew that no matter how much he explained, Director Hu wouldn't believe him, so he gave up. In the end, he couldn't refuse and let Director Hu drive him back to school.