“What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you see the light wasn’t green yet? Rushing to reincarnate or what?”
The car door opened, and a young man in his early twenties stepped out, sporting large toad-shaped sunglasses and a gleaming Vacheron Constantin watch on his wrist.
At over 1.8 meters tall, he cut an imposing figure.
“How’s he talking like that?”
“Exactly, you almost hit someone, you know that?”
“Think you’re a big shot just because you’re rich?”
“Pah! This has nothing to do with money! She ran the red light!” The young man stormed forward, cursing, his presence making the onlookers step back.
This revealed the trembling elderly woman on the roadside, barely able to stand, and Lu Zheng supporting her.
The old woman was terrified, shaking and unable to speak, clinging tightly to Lu Zheng’s hand.
“It’s alright now, don’t be scared,” Lu Zheng comforted her.
“Thank you, thank you,” the woman repeated, tears streaming as the reality of her fear sank in. “If something had happened, I’d never forgive myself, even in death!”
“You’re safe this time, but please be careful. Wait for the green light, don’t rush, and always check both sides of the road. Safety first.”
To be fair, the elderly woman bore some responsibility, as the pedestrian light hadn’t turned green.
But…
“Even if it’s green, you’re supposed to slow down at a zebra crossing and watch for pedestrians. How’d you even get your driving license?”
Lu Zheng turned to the young man, his face expressionless.
“Who are you to question my license? I didn’t run a red light! That old hag wants to die, she can jump off a building, not try to scam me! What, planning to extort a million for pocket money?”
“You! You!” The elderly woman was too furious to speak.
“Wah!”
The two- or three-year-old child in the stroller burst into tears.
“Quit crying! Your grandma nearly got you killed, you know that?”
That was a low blow.
“Enough! If I hadn’t made it in time, you’d have hit them. Don’t you feel any remorse? You’re doubling down instead?”
“Oh, look at Mr. Ancient Hero, spouting idioms!” The young man sneered, throwing a punch at Lu Zheng’s face. “I didn’t break any laws, so mind your own damn business!”
“Ah!”
“Lu Zheng, watch out!”
“Stop!”
Lu Zheng’s eyes narrowed, catching the man’s fist.
Before the young man could react, Lu Zheng stepped forward, clamped the man’s arm, twisted it aside, and locked his elbow in a reverse hold.
With a quick turn, he applied pressure.
“Bloody hell! It hurts! Let go! It’s gonna break!”
The young man dropped to his knees before the elderly woman, face red, sweating profusely.
He felt his elbow and shoulder stretched to their limit, one move away from snapping.
“Apologize!”
“I’ll—”
“Apologize!”
“Crack! Crack!”
Lu Zheng applied slight pressure, and two faint pops came from the man’s body.
“Alright, I was wrong! Sorry, ma’am, I won’t do it again!”
Lu Zheng snorted, releasing him. The young man scrambled up, glared at Lu Zheng, then stepped back quickly.
“You—”
“Police!”
A sharp voice cut through as the healthy-looking beauty stepped forward, flashing her badge.
“I—” The young man froze, swallowing hard, but quickly rallied. “So what if you’re police? I didn’t break the law, and I didn’t hit anyone. You’re all in on it, aren’t you?”
“The speed limit on city main roads is 60 kilometers per hour. You were going well over 100 to catch that yellow light,” the woman said coldly.
“I… you’re not traffic police!”
“I’m a criminal officer. You nearly hit someone and then started a fight. I have the right to bring you in for questioning.”
“I… damn it!”
The young man nodded, holding back any further threats. He pointed at Lu Zheng with a sneer, gave a contemptuous look, and walked off.
He wasn’t stupid; he knew the officer wasn’t arresting him because Lu Zheng had fought back.
“Vroom!”
The Ferrari roared to life and sped off.
…
“Lu Zheng, you’re unreal! Since when are you this badass? Never saw it at uni!” Tong Muxuan crossed the road, looking at Lu Zheng like a stranger.
Su Mengmeng’s eyes sparkled with awe, while Luo Jun’s disbelief carried a hint of regret.
Who wouldn’t want a boyfriend with maxed-out hero vibes?
“There weren’t any brain-dead rich kids like that at uni,” Lu Zheng shrugged.
“He was venting,” the other female officer, who’d just caught up, said. “He was scared too, but his way of dealing with it was to lash out, hiding his fear.”
“Weird way to cope.”
“We’ve seen weirder,” the average-looking woman extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m Huang Xiumin, city bureau criminal officer.”
“Lu Zheng,” he shook her hand.
“How’s the grip?” Huang Xiumin teased with a sly smile.
“What’s—” Lu Zheng started, then paused.
“Lin Wan,” the long-legged beauty interjected, cutting him off.
Lin Wan shot Huang Xiumin a look, who giggled and turned to Lu Zheng.
“You’re fast! Are you a sprinter?” Huang Xiumin asked, then shook her head. “No, sprinters don’t have your moves. You practice martial arts, but you’re too quick.”
“Guess,” Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.
“Lu Zheng’s a programmer!” Tong Muxuan sold him out instantly. “Four years at uni, never saw him run or fight!”
“Old Tong, you’re gonna lose me like this!”
“She’s police! You gonna lie to her?”
Lu Zheng: (||๐_๐)
Huang Xiumin chuckled, “Add me on WeChat. Might get you a bravery award.”
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, “What’s the point?”
“Honor,” Lin Wan said.
Lu Zheng nodded, “Good stuff, that’s priceless!”
They exchanged contacts, and thanks to Lu Zheng, Huang Xiumin and Lin Wan agreed to join Su Mengmeng and the others for future games.
“It’s past five, shall we grab dinner?” Su Mengmeng suggested.
After the incident, a budding friendship formed. They comforted the elderly woman, saw her off, and returned to Fulon Plaza on the other side of the street.
They hit Lao Qingyu Hotpot, eating and chatting lively until eight, then parted ways with warm goodbyes.
