Chapter 495: This Young Man Is Not Simple (2)

"It's them!" A short, stocky middle-aged man emerged from behind the police and pointed at Chen Long and his group. He shouted venomously, "You lowly slum-born bastards—I’ve finally found you!"

The expressions of Chen Long and his companions darkened. This man was none other than Du Longqi, the manager of Kindness Porridge House , the porridge workshop they had penalized earlier that day for resisting the new reforms.

Du Longqi, leveraging the influence of the Du family, had been caught red-handed committing a series of crimes, including selling expired and moldy nutritional porridge at high prices to slum distribution centers, forcing child labor, and engaging in illegal detainment. All these accusations had been substantiated.

By rights, Du Longqi should have been detained in the police station’s jail at this very moment. Yet here he was, released and swaggering around with vengeance in mind.

Chen Long’s heart sank. The very scenario they had feared the most, corruption undoing their efforts, was now unfolding before their eyes.

"Heh, Chen Long, feeling scared now?" Du Longqi sneered maliciously. He turned to the police captain leading the squad. "Captain Zhou, what are you waiting for? Arrest them all for me!"

Captain Zhou’s eyes swept over the group before he raised his hand and barked, "Move in. Arrest them."

The officers behind him immediately stepped forward.

"Wait!" Chen Long abruptly stood, his tall and sturdy figure exuding a faint aura of authority. "Which police department are you with? On what grounds are you arresting us for?"

His voice was firm and his gaze was steady, as if he was trying to assert some control over the spiraling situation.

"On what grounds?" Captain Zhou chuckled coldly. "On the grounds that I feel like it."

Chen Long and the others rose to their feet, preparing to confront them.

Li Zhixue shouted angrily, "We’re government officials under the New Reform Commission, led by Huang Fulai. You have no arrest warrant and no authority to detain us!"

"What New Reform Commission nonsense?" Du Longqi sneered disdainfully. "What reforms? It’s all a pile of garbage. Xue Xuanqi, that short-lived fool, won’t last a few more days. And as for you slum-born trash—Captain Zhou, hurry up and arrest them. Take them back so I can kill them myself!"

The police officers surged forward. Chen Long and his group braced themselves to resist.

Captain Zhou barked, "If anyone resists, execute them on the spot!"

The officers raised their specially modified energy rifles, aiming them squarely at Chen Long and his companions. Even Ren Dong was caught in the encirclement.

"Hahaha!" Du Longqi burst into triumphant laughter.

At that moment, Li Xiaofei stood up. He gently patted Ren Dong’s shoulder, signaling her to stay calm, and slowly stepped forward.

With a casual wave of his hand, the advancing police officers were sent flying backward as if they had slammed into an unyielding iron wall. Heads bloodied, they crashed to the ground in a sprawling heap.

He pressed down in the air, and the energy rifles in the warriors’ hands seemed to grow wings. They flew out of their grasp and neatly piled themselves at the feet of Chen Long and his group.

Everything had been so sudden and surreal that everyone froze, staring at Li Xiaofei in stunned silence.

"Hmm?" Captain Zhou was taken aback, but he immediately realized he was dealing with an expert.

Yet, his arrogance, honed from years of unchecked power in Haijing City, prevented him from feeling any fear. Instead, anger flared in his eyes.

He glared at Li Xiaofei and viciously smirked as he threatened, "Who do you think you are? How dare you obstruct the Haijing Police Department from performing its duties? You—"

Smack!

Before he could finish, Li Xiaofei raised his hand and slapped him. Captain Zhou's head twisted an unnatural 2,160 degrees on his neck. His head flopped to the side as his body crumpled lifelessly.

Du Longqi was terrified. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he didn’t dare utter a single word. He immediately scrambled backward as he tried to flee. But Li Xiaofei merely raised his hand and crooked his finger.

Du Longqi’s body jerked backward, soaring through the air until the back of his neck landed squarely in Li Xiaofei’s grip.

Crack!

The sound of his neck snapping was followed by instant silence. Du Longqi’s lifeless body hung limp in Li Xiaofei’s hand. Li Xiaofei tossed the corpse aside like a piece of trash.

"Go back and tell your director that if he wants to stay alive, he’d better fully cooperate with City Leader Xue’s reforms. Otherwise, his head won’t stay on his neck past tomorrow," said Li Xiaofei as his cold gaze swept over the fallen police officers.

The officers, already scared out of their wits, didn’t dare utter a word. Scrambling to their feet, they fled in a panic.

One of them, braver than the rest, hesitated for a moment and stammered, "Y-Your Excellency... but if the director asks me, I—"

"You only need to deliver the message," Li Xiaofei said calmly. "He’ll know who I am."

Terrified beyond reason, the officers stumbled over themselves in their rush to escape.

The crowd, which had gathered to watch, stood frozen in stunned silence. Slowly, they began to back away, their gazes filled with a mix of awe and fear as they looked at Li Xiaofei. Only Ren Dong seemed entirely unsurprised. As his former classmate and a comrade who had once fought alongside him, she knew Li Xiaofei’s character all too well.

He was utterly intolerant of injustice and cruelty. He couldn’t stand by when faced with corrupt merchants abusing their power or law enforcement officers aiding such atrocities. That was who he was. His legendary actions back in Liuhe Base City had already proven it.

When she saw Li Xiaofei’s swift and decisive actions, combined with his overwhelming strength, Ren Dong realized that the six months since they had last met must have been full of extraordinary and thrilling experiences for her old friend.

Chen Long and his group were at a loss for what to do as they stared at the lifeless bodies of Du Longqi and Captain Zhou.

As civil servants, they were obligated to apprehend a killer. But this young man had just saved their lives. For a long moment, no one spoke.

Chen Long clasped his hands and said, "Sir, you should leave quickly and hide somewhere safe."

Li Xiaofei glanced at him and shook his head slightly, offering no further explanation.

Meanwhile, Ren Dong cheerfully began packing up her stall. "I’m closing early today! Anyone who needs medicine or treatment, come back tomorrow! Bye, everyone!"

With that, she slung her medicine chest over her back, grabbed Li Xiaofei by the arm, and made a quick escape through the crowd.

Chen Long and his companions exchanged bewildered glances.

So, this formidable young man is Ren Dong’s friend?

After some discussion, they decided not to take any chances and promptly reported the entire incident to their superior. Moments later, Huang Fulai arrived in a hurry.

"Director?"

Chen Long and the others were stunned.

Such an incident had actually alarmed the big boss himself?

"Where is he?" Huang Fulai asked urgently.

Based on the report from his subordinates, especially the detailed description of the young man, Huang Fulai was certain it could only be Li Xiaofei.

Li Xiaofei had remained in hiding for some time, despite Huang Fulai’s repeated attempts to contact him. The city leader’s reforms were facing mounting resistance and pressure from all sides. If they could secure Li Xiaofei’s support, it might shift the tide in their favor. Yet Li Xiaofei had already disappeared by the time Huang Fulai rushed to the scene.

When they saw the director’s obvious urgency, Chen Long and the others grew even more curious.

Who is this young man to warrant such attention from the boss?

Chen Long stepped forward and said, "Sir, he’s already gone."

Huang Fulai sighed in disappointment and said, "Tell me everything that happened, in detail. Leave nothing out."

Chen Long hesitated briefly before organizing his thoughts and recounting the entire event. When he finished, a smile spread across Huang Fulai’s face.

"You’re saying the young man told the Haijing Police Department officers to inform their director to support City Leader Xue’s reforms, or he’d come after him personally?"

Chen Long thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, that’s exactly what he said."

"Hahahahahaha!" Huang Fulai couldn’t contain his laughter, throwing his head back in joy.

Brother Li truly supported the reforms. Not only that, but he had already begun working behind the scenes to back them.

With this unparalleled powerhouse who had once slain two Saints with a single sword on their side, Huang Fulai felt the chances of successfully implementing the reforms had skyrocketed.

At last, he could breathe easier. This great news had to be shared with his teacher immediately.

"Little Chen," Huang Fulai addressed Chen Long seriously, "What happened today must not be spread to outsiders. Especially that girl named Ren Dong; her information must be kept confidential and protected at all costs."

"Understood, sir. I’ll handle it right away," Chen Long replied, snapping to attention and saluting.

Huang Fulai patted him on the shoulder in satisfaction. "You and your team, report to my office tomorrow. You’ve all performed well lately. It’s time to give you more responsibilities."

He quickly turned and left. Chen Long and his group stood frozen, processing what had just happened.

After a few seconds, Li Zhixue cautiously asked, "Chief, does that mean... we’re getting promoted?"

Chen Long nodded and said, "Now you see, if you work hard for the citizens and put effort into pushing the reforms, you’ll be rewarded. But remember, a promotion doesn’t mean you can slack off. Got it?"

"Got it!"

"Don’t worry, Chief. We won’t let you down!"

Their voices rang with excitement as they answered.

However, Chen Long couldn’t stop wondering about the young man’s identity. The way the boss had reacted made it clear that the youth was no ordinary person.

A simple message from him had caused their normally stern and composed boss to laugh out loud in public. The weight this young man carried was undoubtedly far beyond anything Chen Long could have imagined.

Who could he possibly be?

The thought gnawed at him, and he couldn’t help but feel the urge to ask Ren Dong for answers.