Chapter 294: Prelude (Part 4)

Two days later.

The door to the detention room opened; the screeching noise of the metal door was ear-piercing, even for the individual cell that Xue Zhangming had specially prepared for Chen Che.

Chen Che frowned in displeasure, squinted his eyes, and turned around to take a look, discovering two figures, a man and a woman, walking in.

"You two are slower than I imagined."

Chen Che yawned, sat up unsteadily, and looked up, only then seeing the faces of the people who had arrived.

Jiang Lan and Shen Qi.

"You brat, I already rushed back as fast as I could."

Jiang Lan stood with her hands on her hips, looking at Chen Che with annoyance.

Chen Che was stunned. He met Jiang Lan's gaze, but at that moment, she curled the corners of her lips; that charming, playful little expression and the tone of her voice convinced Chen Che that she was not Jiang Lan.

At this moment, Shen Qi walked forward slowly and nodded, saying, "Master, my apologies."

Chen Che blinked, looking completely bewildered.

"Slap!"

Just as Chen Che was about to speak, Shen Qi slapped him across the face. Chen Che's head turned to the side, and he widened his eyes.

"Chen Che, I've put up with you for a long time! From today on, I'm the one in charge of the Scorpion Society! Your woman is mine too!"

Shen Qi pointed at Chen Che and roared fiercely.

A trace of annoyance appeared on Chen Che's face. He looked back at Shen Qi, only to see that while the latter was still putting on an act, he was winking and gesturing frantically, his expression pleading, earnest, panicked, and uneasy.

"Jiang Lan" at his side also frowned at Chen Che, her phoenix eyes darting toward the camera at the top of the detention room.

Chen Che understood immediately and played along: "Shen Qi, are you tired of living?! If I weren't wearing these shackles that restrict my True Qi, I would definitely kill you!"

Shen Qi raised his arm and signaled to Chen Che with his eyes. Chen Che grabbed Shen Qi and pulled him onto the iron bed, and the two immediately began to wrestle.

Seeing this, "Jiang Lan" looked panicked and pulled at the two entangled men to break them up: "Don't fight... please don't fight anymore..."

In the office, Xue Zhangming, who saw this scene on the computer screen, was so angry his nose almost went crooked. He slammed his teacup onto the desk with a clatter and cursed loudly: "Bastards, even if you're going to pull a stunt, at least make it look realistic! Do you think you can fool a ghost with something this clumsy?!"

Xue Zhangming stood up abruptly, his chair pushed back with force. He strode toward the door, but as he opened it, he bumped into Tang Ying, who was just about to enter.

"Chief Xue."

Tang Ying squeezed past Xue Zhangming into the office and closed the door.

"Is something the matter?"

Xue Zhangming frowned and asked.

"I want to come back to work."

Tang Ying stated her purpose.

Xue Zhangming looked Tang Ying over and said, "You can, but you won't be in Jinling anymore. I will write you a letter of recommendation; go work at the Magic City Patrol Department. It just so happens that Dr. Cheng is also a good friend of yours, and you will have better development there."

Tang Ying looked at Xue Zhangming without speaking. After about a minute of silence, she finally spoke: "Thank you, Chief Xue."

Tang Ying saluted Xue Zhangming and then left.

Xue Zhangming's brows were locked tight; he felt something was wrong. Given Tang Ying's personality, with Chen Che still locked up here, it was impossible for her to leave.

But what was going on...?

"Oh no!"

Xue Zhangming suddenly realized and immediately turned back to the computer screen. On the screen, the fight between Shen Qi and Chen Che had already ended, and it looked like Chen Che had actually lost!

Chen Che sat on the iron bed, bruised and looking depressed, while Shen Qi wore the smug, treacherous grin of a subordinate who had usurped power, and he even had his arm around Jiang Lan's slender waist.

"Stop them."

Xue Zhangming issued the order and ran quickly toward the detention room.

Shen Qi was holding Jiang Lan as they left the detention room, but they were stopped just as they were about to walk out the main gate of the Patrol Department.

Xue Zhangming caught up and looked at the two of them, looking puzzled.

"Is there something you need, Chief Xue?"

Shen Qi asked.

"Did you come here just to fight with Chen Che?" Xue Zhangming retorted.

"The big brother is in prison, the little brother usurps power and occupies the sister-in-law, and then uses the excuse of visiting the big brother to assert dominance—doesn't Chief Xue know about such dramas?"

Shen Qi was all smiles; although he had fought with Chen Che, there wasn't a single mark on his face.

Jiang Lan's body trembled when he said that, and she turned her head to glare at him in annoyance.

This brat couldn't keep his hands to himself even when talking to others!

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Seeing that Xue Zhangming didn't speak, Shen Qi ignored his confused expression, turned and left with his arm around Jiang Lan, not forgetting to wave his hand.

Xue Zhangming had no reason to stop them, so he had to let his subordinates let them pass.

The door to the detention room opened again. Chen Che rubbed his face, looked at Xue Zhangming who had walked in, and said unpleasantly: "Is Chief Xue here to see me make a fool of myself?"

Xue Zhangming looked Chen Che over carefully and asked in return: "Are you sure you aren't playing me?"

"What kind of talk is that, Chief Xue? Do I have any ability to play you right now?"

Chen Che looked innocent.

Xue Zhangming asked again: "Are you Chen Che?"

Chen Che found it amusing: "Can anyone leave the Patrol Department? Especially while wearing this thing?"

Chen Che lifted his foot to show Xue Zhangming the shackle on his right ankle.

Xue Zhangming turned to look at the guard, and the guard replied: "There are no special circumstances, and there has been no alarm that the shackles have been unlocked."

Xue Zhangming felt a sense of relief in his heart, but he still warned: "You had better not be playing me, or I will make you know the consequences."

Chen Che shrugged indifferently. Xue Zhangming left, and the door to the detention room closed once again.

Seeing that everyone had left, Chen Che finally breathed a sigh of relief, touched the swelling on his face, and winced in pain: "The master's hand is too heavy. If I had known, I would have used less force when I slapped him."

Shen Qi, who was once again disguised as Chen Che, muttered in a low voice and turned over to lie down.

On the other side, Chen Che, who had swapped faces with Shen Qi, was already sitting in the car; he tore off the face mask and peered at "Jiang Lan" with a smile.

"Don't look at me like that. Do you know how exhausted I am from saving you? Traveling through the night and having to develop this thing, I haven't closed my eyes for almost three days."

As the mask was torn off, Li Qingyan's elegant face was revealed; just as she had said, there was a heavy look of fatigue between her brows.

"How long can this thing stay on a person's face?"

Chen Che asked.

"One week at most; any longer and it will grow into the skin."

Li Qingyan put the mask away, "Your Ghost Gate Needle is still at the Inspection Bureau, but Tang Ying said she would find a way, and it should be retrieved by tonight."

Chen Che nodded and asked again: "The others didn't come? And how did you all manage to do this?"

"Xue Zhangming is very guarded against the people around you now, and the Inspection Bureau's security system is also very powerful. I only managed not to be exposed because of Tang Ying's help; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get in with just this mask alone."

"Also, that leg shackle of yours was unlocked using an Interferer newly developed by your Sixth Senior Sister, and the method was provided by Tang Ying, which is why it didn't trigger an alarm and we swapped successfully. Furthermore, Shen Qi has a Contract with you, and the True Qi on his body is the same as yours, so even if Xue Zhangming uses instruments to detect it, he won't be able to find any flaws."

Li Qingyan explained.

"This rescue plan is perfect. Senior Sister, having you all is truly a blessing I cultivated in my past life!"

Chen Che said sincerely.

Li Qingyan rolled her eyes at him: "It was your idea in the first place, otherwise how could we have come up with such a meticulous plan."

"No matter how meticulous the plan is, it still needs people to execute it. In any case, I am very grateful to you all!"

Chen Che said with a serious face.

"Hee hee, then how do you want to thank me?" Li Qingyan's smile was very provocative.

Chen Che smirked, and his hands slowly reached toward Li Qingyan: "Of course, it's however you want me to thank you, Senior Sister..."

Li Qingyan slapped away his mischievous claws and pushed him away:

"Alright, stop messing around. Now that the hurdle of Xue Zhangming is passed, hurry back; everyone is waiting for you to take charge of the big picture."

"It will still take a while to get back, there's time."

"No, don't touch me! Ah! There's someone else here! Stop it!"

"It's fine, the driver is driving, don't worry about him."

"You are shameless! Ah! Don't move! Take your hand out... take it out!"

The driver silently raised the partition, chanting in his heart: I can't hear, I can't hear, I can't hear...

………