Chapter 419: Those Who Come Are Not Kind!

Lin Yuan hurriedly stopped, looking at her with concern.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt?" Lin Yuan asked concernedly.

Mu Lingxue's pretty face was completely flushed, "No, it doesn't hurt…… you…… continue……"

This isn't pain, it's sensitivity……

But she couldn't bring herself to say it.

After all, her body had never been climbed by a man before.

Lin Yuan today is still the first man to climb this mountain of hers.

So Mu Lingxue felt quite strange and odd……

Lin Yuan continued.

His movements were especially gentle, fingertips exerting slight pressure, slowly pushing along the meridians, pressing while observing Mu Lingxue's reaction, afraid to hurt her.

Mu Lingxue could clearly feel the warmth from his palm transmitted through her skin; her body unconsciously tensed, her eyelashes fluttered violently, and her breathing became somewhat rapid.

A sore, distending feeling mixed with stabbing pain came from her chest, making her involuntarily let out a muffled groan.

Hearing her voice, Lin Yuan paused his movements, then asked softly, "Does it hurt badly? Want to stop for a moment?"

Mu Lingxue shook her head, her voice weak yet firm: "No…… continue."

Lin Yuan asked no more, slightly increasing the pressure.

His fingertips precisely pressed the acupoint, slowly transmitting inner force through his palm…… bit by bit pushing the bullet lodged under her rib outward.

As the pressure continued, the bullet tip gradually pushed aside the surrounding tissue, slowly revealing more of it……

Lin Yuan could clearly feel the foreign object beneath his palm approaching the skin surface.

Mu Lingxue felt no pain, only a strange sensation all over her body.

Is this the wonder of traditional Chinese medicine?

At this moment, Mu Lingxue's mind was in chaos, she didn't know what random thoughts were flooding her brain……

Lin Yuan held his breath, one hand maintaining pressure while with the other he picked up the disinfected tweezers, carefully extending to the wound's edge, clamping the bullet head slowly emerging.

"Hold on, it'll be out soon."

Lin Yuan reminded softly, his wrist exerting slight force, he gave a gentle pull——

With a "ding," the bullet head stained with blood fell into the tray beside him.

Just as the bullet was removed, fresh blood surged from the wound; Lin Yuan immediately pressed gauze on the wound to stop the bleeding, while simultaneously pulling three silver needles from his pocket!

He exerted force with his fingertips, the silver needles sealed Mu Lingxue's acupoints.

The blood from the bullet wound was staunched.

He carefully moved the gauze aside, looking at the wound still oozing blood.

Lin Yuan lit the alcohol, using fire to heat the silver needles until they glowed red-hot.

He used the titanium-alloy silver needles Qin Bore gave him.

These silver needles have extremely high thermal conductivity, making acupuncture more effective.

Lin Yuan swiftly inserted the red-hot silver needles into the skin around Mu Lingxue's wound……

The silver needles were like tiny sewing needles, precisely bringing the wound's edges together.

The hot silver needles not only sutured the wound but also served to disinfect, preventing infection.

Mu Lingxue only felt a slight burning sensation in her chest, without the expected intense pain; her tensed body gradually relaxed.

Lin Yuan focusedly manipulated the silver needles, stitching the wound shut one thread at a time, his motions smooth and precise.

Only after the last needle was set did he withdraw them, then gently covered the wound with clean gauze and carefully wrapped it with a bandage.

Having finished all this, Lin Yuan finally straightened up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at Mu Lingxue on the hospital bed whose complexion had slightly improved, and let out a sigh of relief:

"All right, the bullet's been removed, the wound's sutured; just rest well from now on."

Mu Lingxue opened her eyes, looking at Lin Yuan's weary yet still clear gaze; a faint blush rose on her pale cheeks as she whispered:

"Thank you……"

Lin Yuan rose to leave, his steps just reaching the door when his wrist was suddenly seized by a cool hand.

He startled, turned his head, and saw Mu Lingxue lying on the hospital bed, her cheeks still flushed with a faint red.

Her voice weak, she said: "Wait…… help me put on my clothes."

Lin Yuan glanced at that snowy white……

Then he realized——while treating the wound earlier, Mu Lingxue's police uniform and underwear had been cut open.

Now she only had a thin blanket covering her, wearing nothing at all.

Lin Yuan hastily said, "Okay…… I'll help you."

He walked to the bedside, picked up a clean hospital gown from the chair beside——

It was the one Doctor Zhang had left earlier.

He first gently lifted a corner of the thin blanket, carefully avoiding Mu Lingxue's wound, and softly helped her put on the sleeve.

Mu Lingxue could clearly feel Lin Yuan's fingertips being careful, plus his deliberate avoidance of skin contact, which made her feel a strange warmth in her heart and gave her a bit more courage.

When Lin Yuan had helped her button the hospital gown up to the third button and was about to straighten up……

Mu Lingxue suddenly grabbed his hand again, this time with greater force than before.

"Officer Mu, is there something else?" Lin Yuan asked, puzzled.

Mu Lingxue bit her lip, her tone carrying a hint of weak threat: "You just…… saw and touched my whole body; you…… need to take responsibility."

"Huh?" Lin Yuan's hand remained frozen in the motion of tucking the blanket corner for Mu Lingxue, his whole body as if hit by a pause button.

His eyes widened round, his mouth slightly open, unable to close for a long time——

How did this turn into "take responsibility"?

"No, Officer Mu, why do I have to take responsibility..." Lin Yuan asked innocently.

Mu Lingxue lay on the hospital bed, her chest wound still throbbing faintly, but hearing Lin Yuan's words, her face instantly darkened.

Her originally pale cheeks grew a shade fiercer; she bit her lower lip, propped herself up with her uninjured left hand on the mattress, and with effort sat up a little, her voice hard and stubborn:

"I don't care! You saw my body and touched my wound—if you won't take responsibility, what do you want to do?"

Lin Yuan was left speechless by her logic, only able to spread his hands helplessly:

"That was to save you! All I could think about was removing the bullet—I had no other thoughts; does that count?"

"How couldn't it count?" Mu Lingxue's voice suddenly rose, tugging at her wound; she winced, drawing a sharp breath, and fine cold sweat beaded her forehead.

Yet her eyes grew brighter and fiercer, like a provoked little beast: "Are you simply unwilling to take responsibility? Do you see me as a burden, a nuisance?"

Lin Yuan replied helplessly, "No, Officer Mu, I was trying to save you—you can't blame me for that."

Before Lin Yuan could explain, he saw Mu Lingxue suddenly reach out, grabbing for the blood-stained police uniform piled on the bedside table—

It was the uniform she had taken off while treating her wound, not yet put away.

Her fingertips trembling, she managed with great effort to pull something from the uniform's inner pocket and slapped it down beside the bed with a "pa" sound.

It was her police gun.

Mu Lingxue slightly raised the gun's muzzle; though not aimed at Lin Yuan, it radiated sheer menace, her voice laced with grit-teeth determination:

"Go ahead and say one more time you don't want to take responsibility."

The pain in her chest wound flared with that emotion, another layer of cold sweat beading her forehead, yet her eyes showed no softening as she fixed Lin Yuan with the stare of a beast refusing to back down—

She had never been this obstinate in her life, insisting on getting to the bottom of this matter.

Lin Yuan was momentarily choked by her "fish dead, net broken" demeanor.

He spread his hands helplessly, his tone full of bewildered amusement:

"It's not that I don't want to take responsibility; it's that our situation makes it completely unnecessary! We were just pretending to be a couple for your parents—how did it turn into real responsibility?"

"How is it unnecessary?" Mu Lingxue suddenly tapped the gun against the bedside table, a soft "click" ringing especially loud in the quiet medical room.

She panted, her voice tinged with grievance yet still carrying unyielding firmness:

"You saw my body, touched my wound—besides making you, my fake boyfriend, official, what else counts as taking responsibility?"

Lin Yuan looked at her unreasonable yet fragile demeanor and was utterly speechless…

Ah, this police beauty may be pretty, but she's really a hassle!

Pretty women are nothing but trouble!

Lin Yuan was still pondering how to explain things clearly to Mu Lingxue, so she wouldn't get agitated and aggravate her wound…

But Mu Lingxue suddenly lowered her gaze, staring at the gun on the bedside table for two seconds, then a self‑mocking smile tugged at her lips.

She reached out, carefully pushing the gun into the drawer, her movements slowing considerably, and the rise and fall of her chest gradually steadied.

When she lifted her head again, the redness in her eye sockets faded, the dominance in her gaze receded, replaced by a few parts of candid softness.

"All right, look at you, all flustered." She gave a soft hum, the previous fierceness gone from her voice, replaced by a helpless smile: "Just now… I was joking; I couldn't really threaten you with a gun."

Lin Yuan blinked, not reacting at first, then instinctively asked, "You were joking?"

"What else?" Mu Lingxue raised an eyebrow, her fingertips lightly touching the gauze on her chest; it hurt enough to furrow her brow, yet she kept looking at him, her tone turning sincere:

"You can't force a melon to be sweet; I, Mu Lingxue, may be stubborn, but I wouldn't go so far as to make someone do something unwilling. However—"

She paused, her eyes brightening as if she'd made a decision, her voice rising a notch, clearly reaching Lin Yuan's ears:

"What I just said—that I think you're not bad—is true. Even when we were pretending to be a couple, I found you reliable, and now you've saved me again… So I intend to officially pursue you."

"Lin Yuan, just wait—I'll definitely catch you."

Her final words were crisp and resolute, with no hesitation, like she was declaring a settled goal, her eyes full of confident light.

Lin Yuan was completely dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open for a while, his head buzzing—

He had unintentionally rescued this police beauty.

And ended up stirring up a huge trouble.

To Lin Yuan, Mu Lingxue herself is a massive trouble!

Lin Yuan was still stunned by Mu Lingxue's sudden "pursuit declaration," words caught in his throat before he could respond.

The ward door was lightly knocked, then a hurried, anxious male voice followed:

"Lingxue! Lingxue, are you in there? I heard you got shot—are you okay?!" It was Mu Lingxue's father, Mu Tiecheng's voice.

Lin Yuan reacted, immediately turning and striding to the door; his hand had barely touched the handle when he turned the lock open.

As the door opened, Mu Tiecheng appeared in casual clothes, his hair somewhat disheveled, his face full of worry he couldn't hide—evidently he'd rushed over upon hearing the news.

Mu Tiecheng didn't first look at Lin Yuan; his gaze swept past him straight to Mu Lingxue on the hospital bed.

Seeing his daughter pale but conscious, his tense shoulders slumped at once and he let out a long sigh.

He hurried to the bedside, gently taking her uninjured hand, his voice softened yet still tinged with lingering fear: "Sweetheart, how do you feel? Does it hurt? What did the doctor say?"

Mu Lingxue looked at her father's anxious expression, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, and she shook her head:

"Dad, I'm fine; Lin Yuan already helped me remove the bullet, and it didn't hit anything vital."

Only then did Mu Tiecheng turn his head to look at Lin Yuan standing nearby.

Mu Tiecheng's eyes brimmed with gratitude; he stepped forward and firmly pat Lin Yuan's shoulder—neither too light nor too heavy, yet full of sincerity: "Lin Yuan, I truly thank you this time; if it weren't for you, my little girl…"

He trailed off mid‑sentence, then simply gave Lin Yuan's arm another heavy pat, pouring the rest of his gratitude into the gesture.

Lin Yuan quickly waved his hands, speaking earnestly: "Uncle Mu, you're too kind; I just did what anyone would—anyone would help Lingxue the same way."

Mu Tiecheng didn't stand on ceremony, turning to Mu Lingxue with a slight frown: "Lingxue, I've already greeted your bureau chief and secured you a half‑month leave. I'll take you home today; I've also arranged a family doctor so you can recuperate at home conveniently."

Mu Lingxue glanced at Lin Yuan, didn't object, and gave a light nod: "All right, I'll listen to Dad."

Mu Tiecheng immediately began packing; Lin Yuan stepped forward to help, neatly folding Mu Lingxue's police uniform and personal items into a bag.

Soon, Mu Lingxue was escorted away by her father.

It was already past ten o'clock at night.

Lin Yuan was also preparing to leave the police station.

But he was stopped by the captain of the criminal police squad, Huogang.

"Lin Yuan, wait a moment! There's a thorny matter; I need you to lend a hand." Huogang's voice sounded urgent.

Lin Yuan's steps halted, and he asked doubtfully: "Captain Huo, what's the problem?"

Huogang sighed, lowered his voice, and explained: "It's Yudong, the deputy director of the Housing Management Bureau. We've interrogated him, but he's as tight-lipped as a piece of iron—no matter how we ask, he refuses to speak. All we can do is ask you to try the traditional Chinese medicine interrogation method."

After hearing this, Lin Yuan didn't hesitate, nodded slightly, and said: "Alright, take me to the interrogation room."

The two quickly walked to the door of the interrogation room.

Through the glass, Yudong could be seen sitting in the interrogation chair, head bowed, hands cuffed to the armrests, yet his whole body radiated a tense resistance.

Huogang pushed open the door, gave a glance to the recording officers inside, and the officers immediately stood up to make way.

Lin Yuan walked to the chair opposite Yudong and sat down.

Yudong heard the movement, slowly lifted his head, and upon seeing Lin Yuan, a flicker of fear crossed his eyes, yet he forced himself to turn his face away: "I have nothing to say."

Lin Yuan didn't respond, pulled a silver needle from his pocket, pinched the tip between his fingers, and calmly fixed his gaze on Yudong's wrist: "If you won't speak, I have a way to make you willing."

Before his words faded, he rose and swiftly stepped to Yudong's side, lifted his wrist, and the silver needle precisely pierced the Hegu point on Yudong's wrist, moving so fast Yudong had no time to react.

The instant the needle entered the point, Yudong felt a sharp pain spreading up his arm.

Immediately afterward, his muscles began to twitch all over, as if countless ants were gnawing at his bones, and cold sweat instantly beaded his forehead.

"What... what did you do to me?" Yudong gritted his teeth, his voice trembling, his body shaking uncontrollably, yet he still tried to hold himself together.

Lin Yuan returned to his seat, watching his pained expression, his tone still calm:

"This is just the beginning; if you don't speak, what comes next will be even harder to endure—who sent those assassins?"

Yudong bit his lip so hard it was about to bleed, but the pain in his body grew stronger, his vision began to darken, and even breathing became difficult.

After holding on for less than a minute, he finally broke, his head drooping heavily, his voice cracking with a sob: "I... I'll talk! It's the White Gold Han Group... they sent the assassins!"

Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed as he pressed on: "Do you have any evidence? Why would they want to kill you?"

Yudong shook his head, tears mixing with cold sweat streaming down: "No evidence... I helped them launder black money for five years; they feared I'd be caught and inform on them, so they wanted to kill me to silence me."

Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he continued the interrogation!

Under Lin Yuan's interrogation, Yudong completely broke down.

He confessed all the criminal evidence of his accepting bribes, colluding with enterprises, and falsifying approval documents...

Huogang and the nearby officers recorded rapidly, the scratch of pen on paper unusually clear, both of their eyes filled with shock—

They never expected Yudong to be involved so deeply.

After Yudong finished speaking, Lin Yuan rose, walked to his side, lifted his hand, and pulled the silver needle from Yudong's wrist; Yudong instantly went limp in the chair, gasping heavily, his face as pale as paper.

Lin Yuan walked over to Huogang and spoke softly:

"What he said should be true; you just need to verify the accounts and projects afterward."

Huogang hurried forward, clasping Lin Yuan's hand: "Thank you so much, Lin Yuan! Without you, I don't know how long this case would have been stalled!"

Lin Yuan shook his head, said no more, and turned to walk out of the interrogation room...

After leaving the police station, it was already 11 p. m.

Lin Yuan let out a sigh.

Since Mu Lingxue was injured tonight, she probably wouldn't be staking out the Goddess Bar.

Thinking that, Lin Yuan scanned a Meituan bicycle, rode to the Goddess Bar's second branch to have a look and inspect the work.

As the general manager, he hadn't gone to the Goddess Bar to inspect work in a long time.

……

Late night.

More than twenty minutes later, Lin Yuan's bicycle stopped at the entrance of the 'Goddess Bar Second Branch'.

Neon lights at the bar's entrance flickered.

Lin Yuan pushed the door open and walked in; the security guards at the entrance excitedly saluted.

The bartender at the counter, Yu Meng, immediately lifted his head; upon seeing Lin Yuan, his eyes brightened, and he hurriedly put down the cloth he was wiping cups with and came over.

"Manager Lin, you've finally come; we haven't seen you these past few days," Yu Meng said with a hint of familiarity, handing over a cocktail.

Lin Yuan took the drink, his gaze sweeping over the scene inside the bar—

The bar's sound was pounding, countless men and women wildly twisting their bodies, freely venting their drunkenness.

"How's it been lately? Any problems with the business?" he asked, leaning against the bar, his tone calm.

Yu Meng's tone carried a hint of reassurance: "Pretty good; we've remembered the precautions you previously mentioned, and lately the nightly business has been packed every night."

Lin Yuan nodded, then asked about the liquor supply chain and staff situation; Yu Meng answered each in detail.

……

Meanwhile, outside the Goddess Bar Second Branch, on the dark street.

Suddenly, blinding car lights flashed!

Engine roars erupted from the corner, shattering the night's tranquility.

A line of black BMWs surged forward like a tide, their headlights piercing the darkness, forming a semicircle on the road in front of the Goddess Bar, tightly sealing off both entrances!

The sound of tires rolling over the ground carried a full sense of oppression.

Dozens of car doors swung open almost simultaneously, and black-suited enforcers poured out in single file!

Each was tall and broad, with faint bluish-black tattoos peeking from their cuffs!

The black-suited members' footsteps were uniform and orderly; in an instant they gathered in a dark mass at the bar's entrance, blocking out most of the streetlight.

The bar security guards on duty at the entrance suddenly changed expression!

They had seen drunk troublemakers before, but never such a big show; at a glance it wasn't ordinary trouble-making.

One guard turned back, urgently shouting at the two young security guards behind him, his voice trembling: "Quick! Go inside and find Manager Lin! Say the entrance is surrounded, a large crowd has come!!"