34. The Return of the Mischievous One

Soon, the escort vehicle drove into the Southern City Police Substation. As soon as Ye Feng was pulled out of the car, Captain Xu’s curses came ringing over: “Throw this guy into the isolation room! Let him go hungry for a day first. Daring to threaten me—I'll show you what it means to wish for death!”

With that, he strode toward his office. He had just gotten a call and rushed out in a hurry, not even taking a sip of the exquisite Longjing tea he had just brewed—no doubt it would go to waste.

When Captain Xu returned to his office, he found Director Liu sitting anxiously in his chair. Xu’s heart skipped a beat; it seemed trouble was brewing. He quickly approached, plastering on a smile, and said deferentially, “Director Liu, what brings you here?”

“Out!” Director Liu cut him off with a furious roar.

Faced with such rage, Captain Xu was momentarily at a loss, anxiety welling up inside him. Could it be such a coincidence? Did that kid really have a powerful background?

“Speak! Did you just arrest a kid?” Director Liu interrogated him as if facing a criminal.

Captain Xu shivered involuntarily. No way, that guy really had connections? But how did the director find out so quickly? The thought flashed through his mind and was gone; that wasn’t his concern now.

He quickly answered cautiously, “Just now, Li’s boy called saying he’d been bullied. Seeing how badly he’d been treated, I brought the troublemaker in for questioning.”

“Xu Wen, oh Xu Wen!” Director Liu turned, pointing at Xu with exasperation. “I always thought you were steady, which is why I valued you. But look at this mess you’ve made! Don’t you know what kind of character Li Wenqiang’s son is? Bullied, was he? Check the files in the archives—how many are records of him beating others? Now Director Wang has already labeled them: organized crime! We’re finished! I told you not to focus only on currying favor with your superiors. Haifeng City is no simple place, full of hidden talents. One day you’ll kick the iron plate, and now look—you’ve dragged me down with you!”

After Director Liu’s lament, Xu Wen’s legs began to tremble like leaves in the wind. He’d never imagined things would spiral this far. He thought today was like any other—Li Baobao had just lost a scuffle to a bunch of fools and wanted him to step in, something Xu had done plenty of times before.

“What are you standing there for? Go and order his release! If you can settle this yourself, good. If not, you’re finished—I won’t save a useless fool like you!” With that, Director Liu stormed toward the door, ready to humble himself before Director Wang, who was surely on his way to demand answers.

The isolation room at the Southern City Substation was notorious among the small-time thugs of Haifeng’s southern districts—a true purgatory. A day or two inside was tolerable, but a week left everyone coming out with symptoms of mental breakdown.

No one quite remembered when the isolation room was built—decades ago, perhaps. Since then, no sunlight had ever reached its interior, and it had never been cleaned. It was perpetually damp and dark, thick with a stench that made it filthier than any sewer.

The moment Ye Feng was shoved inside, his breath caught; he nearly fainted on the spot.

“What is this godforsaken place?” he thought to himself, covering his mouth and trying to suppress his breathing.

“The thugs here call it hell,” came a familiar voice.

“Huaihuai?” Ye Feng asked uncertainly.

“It’s me. I’m back.”

“Where have you been these past days? I was worried sick.”

“I used up all my energy saving you last time. Fortunately, you’ve gathered enough bioenergy recently for me to restart.”

“Oh, then you’re all right now?” Ye Feng was still afraid Huaihuai would vanish again.

“I’m fine for now, but once we’re home, I’ll have to teach you some new things. You’re not the same as before,” Huaihuai said mysteriously.

“What’s changed? I’m just a bit stronger and tougher, that’s all. Nothing else is different,” Ye Feng replied, unable to see what Huaihuai saw.

“With your eyes, you can’t notice much. It’s not the time to explain—too much to tell. When you dream, I’ll show you. But let me give you a taste now.”

“A taste of wha—” Ye Feng hadn’t finished speaking when he noticed the foul air around him had vanished.

“What’s going on?” Ye Feng wondered aloud.

“That’s a biological air shield. Think of it like an oxygen mask—usually for outer space, but seeing how little oxygen there is here, I thought I’d let you try it. If you don’t like it, I’ll turn it off; it does drain my energy,” Huaihuai threatened playfully.

“No, no, leave it on! I don’t even know how long I’ll be stuck here, or how quickly Luo Ming can call for help. I’m about to suffocate,” Ye Feng hurriedly pleaded.

Ye Feng wanted to continue chatting with Huaihuai, but just then, hurried footsteps and angry shouts sounded from outside: “Who told you to lock this distinguished guest in here? How do you do your jobs? Do you still want to keep them?”

Ye Feng’s ears were sharp; he immediately recognized Captain Xu’s voice. So Luo Ming had come through—he settled himself comfortably, eager to see just how far Xu would go.

Soon, with a clatter, the chains on the iron door were unlocked and pulled away. Bang! The door was kicked open, and Captain Xu charged inside at a speed that would put an Olympic sprinter to shame. The moment he entered the isolation room, though, his pace faltered, and he nearly collapsed from the stench.

Ye Feng watched, letting out a cold chuckle. “Well, if it isn’t Captain Xu, champion of justice. What brings you to such a filthy place?”

Xu flushed with embarrassment, nearly suffocating. He wanted to keep his mouth shut, but since Ye Feng had spoken, how could he not respond? If he didn’t get him out now, who knew how Director Liu would deal with him once he arrived? Forcing himself to ignore the nausea and dizziness, Xu spoke: “It was all my fault earlier. I hope you’ll be magnanimous. This isn’t the place for conversation—allow me to invite you out for tea and a meal at Paradise?”

Ye Feng, hearing this, couldn’t help but shrug to himself. “He’s really willing to spend. A meal and tea at Paradise costs at least ten thousand. As a lowly captain, if he’s not corrupt, he’s just spent five months’ salary in one go.”

Though surprised by Xu’s generosity, Ye Feng had no intention of forgiving him. Smiling, he replied, “Captain Xu, you can talk anywhere. Isn’t here just as good? I rather like it here.” With Huaihuai’s biological air shield, he didn’t mind staying a little longer.