------------
Nanning City West District—at the foot of Shilong Mountain, the Shilong Mountain Police Station.
It was already late at night. In the office outside the holding cell at the Shilong Mountain Police Station, things were quiet. This station was tucked away in a remote corner of Nanning City's West District, and the area was pretty sparsely populated. By nightfall, there was hardly anything going on, so most officers had clocked out and gone home. Captain Victor Zhang, a bit chubby, was lounging in his chair with his legs up, chatting and smoking with Officer Lu, an older cop on the night shift. They had a bottle of Sanhua liquor open, drinking and shooting the breeze. Meanwhile, in the brightly lit holding cell, Charles Morin sat alone, his face dark with frustration, gritting his teeth and swatting at relentless mosquitoes.
This kid lived a pampered life—fine clothes, gourmet food, the works. Even his blood probably tasted sweeter than most folks, which made him a prime target for the Shilong Mountain mosquitoes. He’d swatted quite a few, but the mother mosquitoes kept coming back for more. (Science note: Only female mosquitoes bite; male mosquitoes don’t suck blood.)
Originally, Charles Morin had been detained at the Chaoyang Police Station downtown, but that evening, the station got swamped with a crowd busted for illegal gambling. All the holding cells were packed. So when Captain Victor Zhang and two junior officers, Chen and Zeng, brought Charles and Alex Easton back, they saw the chaos and decided to leave Chen and Zeng to handle the paperwork for Charles, Alex, and Xu Dong, then let them head back to South University.
As for Charles Morin, Captain Victor Zhang wasn’t stupid—he knew anyone driving a fancy car and acting so cocky had to come from money. Victor figured if he made a rash move, he’d have to deal with the consequences himself. What he didn’t expect was that Charles was actually the heir to the legendary Morin family, one of the three great families of Huaxia!
Victor Zhang himself came from a complicated military family. His grandfather was once a local warlord in Shizishanlin, then became a general, fought in the famous anti-Japanese battle at Taierzhuang, joined the People’s Liberation Army after the revolution, and even served in the Korean War. Victor’s father kept the tradition, fighting in the ’79 Vietnam border conflict and serving in special ops against Vietnamese spies. Victor, though, was born in peacetime—no big heroics, just a mix of tough-guy genes and hot-blooded stubbornness. He was famous for his bullheadedness at the Chaoyang Police Station, always taking things too seriously. But luck wasn’t on his side—years as a cop, and all he ever caught were petty thieves and gamblers, never cracked a major case. So here he was, just a squad captain.
"Hey, Zhang, you just left that pampered kid in there to feed the mosquitoes while you sit here shooting the breeze with me? That’s cold, man. But he’s got a Beijing accent, doesn’t seem local, and probably has some serious connections. Besides, he hasn’t done much wrong—maybe someone’ll come for him tomorrow. Aren’t you worried he’ll get out and use his connections to mess with you?" Officer Lu asked, half-joking, half-concerned.
"That kid’s really something. I’ve been a cop for years and never seen anyone so cocky. Damn, I couldn’t help but go after him! Yeah, I know I acted on impulse, but I just couldn’t hold back. Once he gets out, he’ll probably try to get back at me. But whatever, I’m still single—if I lose my job, I’ll just go downtown and sell roasted sweet potatoes!" Victor Zhang grumbled, acting tough but clearly a little worried.
"Oh, come on, Zhang! When are you going to drop that bad attitude? You’re over thirty and still so hotheaded. If you quit the force and really end up selling sweet potatoes downtown, what girl would want to marry you?" Officer Lu said, half-serious, half-teasing.
"Heh—Luke, you know what? That old spinster Sergeant Hannah Pan at Chaoyang Station has been giving me some serious looks lately—feels like she might be into me!" Captain Victor Zhang grinned.
"Oh? You mean Sergeant Hannah Pan, the martial arts tomboy? She’s one of a kind! Looks pretty good, but her temper’s as fierce as any guy’s. Her dad’s the West District Bureau Chief, so if you win her over, you won’t have to sell sweet potatoes downtown anymore! But with her strong personality, if she really falls for you—man, you’re in for a wild ride!" Officer Luke Lu laughed.
"Heh—Luke, my grandpa always said: women like her are the real deal! Especially in the bedroom! Hahaha—" Victor Zhang took a swig of Drunkard Chinese Liquor, and just talking about women put him in a much better mood.
"Ha! You sure know a lot, kid. Tried it yet? Is she really that good?" Luke Lu snickered. When men talk about women, it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, high or low—everyone acts the same.
This chapter isn’t finished yet—click Next Page to read more!
"Haha—not yet, but she keeps sneaking glances at me whenever she gets the chance. I bet she’s got the hots for me—spring fever, you know!" Victor Zhang smirked, full of himself.
"Oh yeah? Then you’d better find a chance when you’re alone together and seal the deal—make the rice cooked and then marry her, keep cooking!" Luke Lu, ever the old hand, laid out his 'wisdom' with gusto.
"Wait—make the rice cooked? Then marry her? You think that’ll work?" Victor Zhang perked up, curious.
"Of course it’ll work! Listen, women are like this: if you’re too nice, you’ll never get a shot. They like bad boys—guys who take the initiative. If you push a little, most women will play hard to get, but keep pushing and you’ll take the hill! That’s how I won my wife, and honestly, it’s the manliest thing I’ve ever done!" Luke Lu bragged about his 'heroic' exploits.
"No wonder you look like an eggplant but landed such a pretty wife—so that’s your trick! Haha—guess I’ll have to find a chance to get Hannah Pan alone, talk about life and dreams, then make sure the rice gets cooked!" Victor Zhang’s eyes lit up with mischievous understanding.
"Oh—did I just hear my name? What are you two gossiping about?" Just as Captain Victor Zhang and Officer Luke Lu were getting into their banter, a cold female voice interrupted them.
The two men jumped and clammed up, turning to see a tall, tough-looking young policewoman standing nearby, hands on her hips, eyebrows arched in a fierce scowl. She wore her hair short, her face was sharp and pretty, and her figure was downright impressive. But her thick, blade-like brows and high cheekbones gave her a masculine vibe—by old Chinese face-reading, she was as strong-willed as any man, proud and hot-tempered. In plain terms: a bona fide tomboy!
"Uh—Sergeant Pan—you, uh, what brings you here?" Victor Zhang stammered, face red, suddenly remembering he'd just been fantasizing about her.
"Hmph—why shouldn’t I be here? I heard you arrested some rich kid from Beijing, but then you went nuts and put a gun to his head! Victor Zhang, do you have any idea how much trouble that could cause? He’s loaded and well-connected—if he presses charges, you’re toast!" Sergeant Hannah Pan shot him a cold glare.
"Uh—you don’t get it. That kid was way too cocky, I just couldn’t take it anymore and cuffed him! Besides, he trashed someone’s property—a BMW, no less!" Victor Zhang tried to explain, still defensive.
"Hmph—Victor Zhang, you’ve lost your mind. The BMW’s owner, Vincent Wang, already filed a report at Chaoyang Station, said he wrecked his own car—it had nothing to do with your suspect. And that ‘illegal gathering’ you mentioned? Total nonsense! It was just a bunch of rich kids parking at the entertainment club, then heading into Golden Dragon V. What’s your problem—got a grudge against the wealthy?" Hannah Pan fired back, relentless.
"Uh—well, still! That kid’s got zero manners, cursed me out and insulted the police! I was just trying to teach the next generation some respect!" Victor Zhang protested, stubborn as ever.
"Come on, Victor Zhang—why do you have to be such a pain? I came all the way out here in the middle of the night to help you, not to listen to you complain. Can you snap out of it for once? Damn it!" Hannah Pan’s eyes flashed as she let loose a stream of colorful language.
"Uh—Sergeant Pan, don’t get so worked up. Let’s talk this through, okay?" Victor Zhang backed down, trying to calm her down—he knew she was genuinely there to help.
"Uh—well, I’m off duty now. You two—have a good chat. I’ll leave you to it!" Officer Luke Lu sensed the tension, quickly made an excuse, and slipped out to the yard, firing up his motorcycle and speeding away from Shilong Mountain Police Station.