“Hiss…”
In a certain department, everyone who heard Lu Zheng and Lin Wan’s account of the so-called “full truth” involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air.
When they then saw the evidence the two had taken from Old John’s villa, they were furious yet utterly incredulous.
Because the web of involvement was too wide…
Because it was utterly inhuman…
“Terrifying!”
“Badass!”
“Beautifully done!”
“The Eagle Empire has already sent people to the villa. Our people went too.”
“How was it?”
“Gruesome. There’s no way two people caused that level of carnage. That was clearly the work of a fully armed reinforced platoon.”
“Fuck, are Interpol officers this fierce now? How are we armed police supposed to keep up?”
“Relax. Not all Interpol officers are like this. We checked their backgrounds domestically. They’re not ordinary people.”
“Tell us more.”
“The guy practises traditional martial arts. He’s supposedly cultivated qi. Can knock someone out with a punch like hanging a painting. Once floored an international assassin with one fist. Absolutely ferocious.”
“The woman is even fiercer. In Japan she faced a hail of bullets head-on, killed and rescued in one smooth flow, and took down dozens of officers from the National Police Agency in a gauntlet.”
“Fucking hell. Male beast plus female dragon. A match made in heaven!”
“Of course. The higher-ups were pretty shocked today too. We knew they were strong, but we didn’t expect them to be this strong.”
“Even though those armed guards were definitely not professional soldiers, they weren’t a complete rabble either, and they had RPGs and grenades. Fighting their way out was no easy feat.”
“Easy? It shattered our entire worldview, alright?”
“If traditional martial arts are this powerful, why hasn’t the army promoted them?”
“The army has all kinds of national arts. You’ve seen them. But not everyone can train to that level, and the efficiency is extremely low. You think people like that grow on trees?”
“Every country has similar close-combat systems, but the cost-to-benefit ratio is too poor for mass adoption.”
“Fair point.”
“But…”
“But what?”
“I can’t help laughing at one thing. They claim they were kidnapped into the villa and forced to fight back. Do you buy that?”
“I buy… my arse!”
“Hahaha!”
…
Believe it or not, it no longer mattered. Lu Zheng and Lin Wan had already handed all the evidence over to the department and to Interpol headquarters.
James and the other three had also confirmed that Old John had intended to capture the couple, lock them in the dungeon with the four of them, and torture them all to death, only for the two to rescue them on the way out.
It was textbook self-defence, perfectly legal in every country.
So Lu Zheng and Lin Wan were completely in the clear. Apart from giving statements, they spent the rest of their time resting and shopping. Shopping was mandatory. They had finally come all the way to Gaul; how could they not do a bit of shopping?
Lin Wan had no interest in luxury bags or cosmetics. She just bought some souvenirs to bring back for her colleagues. After all, this case had caused a bit of extra work for Interpol.
Before returning home, the two met James and the others once more to accept their personal and family thanks.
“Lu! Lin! Give us a while, then we’ll come visit you!” Elizabeth said with a laugh.
The other three nodded enthusiastically, insisting they would definitely come.
Lu Zheng really wanted to say “please don’t; trouble follows you everywhere,” but with embassy staff from both sides still present, he could not bring himself to be so blunt.
…
Back in the country, Lin Wan went to file her report.
Although they had been on holiday, they had stumbled into this massive case midway, and she had handed a copy of Old John’s evidence to Interpol, so naturally she had to debrief.
Lu Zheng, meanwhile, set off again, flying across Eurasia, returning to Gaul, and tracking down Old John’s two illegitimate sons.
As expected, the two had already carved up their father’s remaining men and assets.
And although the brothers disliked each other, both had photos of Lu Zheng and Lin Wan pinned on their work walls, right alongside pictures of all their rival competitors.
“Tsk tsk, still holding a grudge. I wonder if it’s genuine filial piety or just for show in front of their underlings?”
“But none of that matters. Since they inherited Old John’s estate and might possibly come after us, that’s reason enough.”
“And they have plenty of enemies who want them dead.”
“Exactly as Lin Wan predicted, everything suddenly became simple.”
…
The next day, one of Old John’s illegitimate sons was run over and killed by a low-level member of a rival faction.
The same day, the second illegitimate son was shot dead by a turncoat subordinate.
Loose ends tied up. Game over.
…
“Huu… huu…”
“Did your leaders buy it?” Lu Zheng asked, calming Lin Wan’s heaving chest.
Lin Wan rolled her eyes. “They didn’t.”
“No problem?”
“Of course not,” Lin Wan laughed. “We have the evidence. The process doesn’t matter.”
“Interpol can operate like this?”
“Movies are based on real life.” Lin Wan’s hand slid downward. “And everyone protects their own.”
Lu Zheng firmly grabbed the bowl, then Lin Wan flipped over and pinned him again.
…
Ancient times. Early morning.
The scent of spring filled the air. A gentle breeze carried the sweet fragrance of peach blossoms.
The moment Lu Zheng stepped outside, he sensed Liu Qingyan’s aura. She had not yet left the house.
The instant he revealed his own aura, it was immediately noticed by several people next door.
“Lu-lang?”
“Big Brother Lu?”
“Brother-in-law!” ×2
Two small heads suddenly popped up over the wall: Liu Qingquan and Ao Qian.
With a light leap, Lu Zheng cleared the wall in a flash and appeared in the Liu family courtyard next door.
Hearing the commotion, Old Li, who had just come to the backyard to ask whether Lu Zheng wanted breakfast, only caught sight of his back as he vaulted over.
“Please sit, Lu-lang. Have some breakfast,” Madam Liu greeted him with a smile.
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Lu Zheng greeted the elder Lius, patted Liu Qingquan and Ao Qian on their heads, shared a knowing smile with Liu Qingyan, nodded to Du Yueyao, and took the seat beside Liu Qingyan.
Breakfast at the Liu house was simple: congee, pickled vegetables, and big meat buns.
“Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, how did your secluded training go this time?” Ao Qian asked with concern.
“Ahem, pretty well.”
Lu Zheng ate a bun and nodded helplessly, continuing to spin his cover story.
Liu Qingyan hid a laugh when she heard this. She did not know exactly what Lu Zheng had been doing while he was “missing,” but she was certain it was not secluded cultivation.
If it really had been closed-door training, was there any place better than Peach Blossom Flat south of the city?
“Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, now that you’re back, for this ten-day break, shall we go fishing again?”
“Sure, I’m in.”
“Can we add barbecue this time?” Ao Qian clasped her hands in front of her chest, looking at Lu Zheng expectantly together with Liu Qingquan.
“Of course, no problem!”
“Yay!”
