“Bang!”
A dull, heavy crash, followed by the sound of something hitting the ground, erupted at the entrance of the compound.
The man, bound tightly from head to toe and wearing a black hood over his head, was thrown onto the ground like a sack of potatoes.
A cloud of dust rose into the air.
With a rag stuffed into his mouth, the man could only let out muffled whimpers as he writhed on the ground like a worm.
The entire scene fell silent.
The crowd that had been so noisy moments ago seemed to have its throat seized by an invisible hand.
Everyone stared in terror at the man who had just jumped down from the military jeep.
Lu Zhan.
He was still wearing his combat uniform, which was covered in mud and bits of grass. There were even traces of dried, dark-red blood on it.
They were medals of sorts, left behind by the days and nights he had spent crawling and fighting through the border jungle.
His military cap was pulled low. Beneath its brim, his bloodshot eyes radiated a terrifying killing intent.
He simply stood there without saying a word, yet the air around him seemed to freeze, as though the temperature had suddenly dropped several degrees.
Officer Liu, who had been so aggressive about searching the house moments earlier, instinctively took two steps back under the pressure of that murderous aura.
His face went pale, and his Adam’s apple bobbed nervously.
So this was the legendary “Living Yama”?
That aura of someone who had crawled out of a mountain of corpses was simply more than an office worker like him could withstand.
Sister-in-law Zhang was even more frightened. Her legs trembled as she hid behind Officer Liu, not daring to make a sound.
Lu Zhan ignored everyone.
He strode directly toward Su Man.
The cold, stern look in his eyes softened almost imperceptibly when he saw that Su Man was safe and sound.
But he quickly noticed Da Bao and Er Bao standing behind her, clutching tightly to the hem of her dress, their faces filled with fear.
He also saw that although Su Man’s back was held straight, her shoulders were trembling slightly.
Lu Zhan’s heart clenched.
A violent rage instantly surged from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
He had been risking his life on the front lines, yet these bastards had dared to bully his wife and children while he was away?
“Who was it that said they wanted to search my home?”
Lu Zhan turned around. His voice was low and hoarse, like two pieces of rusty metal scraping against each other.
It wasn’t loud, but every word was clearly heard by everyone present.
His hand casually rested on the holster at his waist.
Something bulky was inside—a real firearm that had been taken on the mission and had yet to be returned to the armory.
Cold sweat instantly broke out across Liu’s forehead when he saw the holster.
“Commander Lu… this is a misunderstanding…”
Liu forced himself to step forward with a smile, though his voice was trembling.
“We received a report from the masses saying… saying that Sister-in-law was suspected of engaging in black-market trading and embezzling state property…”
“We were only carrying out a routine investigation. We just wanted to clarify the situation and prove Sister-in-law’s innocence.”
“A report from the masses?”
Lu Zhan let out a cold laugh, the corner of his mouth curling into a cruel smile.
He suddenly raised his foot and planted it firmly on the back of the bound man lying on the ground.
“Ugh—!”
The man let out a muffled cry of agony, nearly choking on the rag in his mouth.
“Since you want to investigate, then investigate this.”
Lu Zhan increased the pressure beneath his boot as if he were crushing an ant.
“A habitual criminal who broke into the compound last night and attempted to kill someone inside their home.”
“He has more than a dozen lives on his hands and specializes in targeting military families.”
“If my wife hadn’t been alert, there would already have been a murder in this compound last night!”
His words immediately caused an uproar.
“My God! Someone broke into the house? And he’s a murderer?”
“Last night? That means he was right under our noses!”
“How terrifying! Thank goodness Commander Lu caught him!”
The crowd’s hostility toward Su Man instantly shifted elsewhere.
Everyone looked at the hardened criminal on the ground with fear and lingering dread.
Lu Zhan swept his gaze across the crowd, his eyes as sharp as knives.
“I catch real criminals on the front lines and protect our country.”
“And yet you people sit safely behind the lines, believing every rumor you hear. Instead of catching criminals, you point your guns at a military family?”
“Is this what you call a ‘routine investigation’?”
That accusation was far too serious.
Liu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly waved his hands.
“No, no, no! Commander Lu, you’re taking this too seriously!”
“We didn’t know about the situation! If we’d known Sister-in-law had done such a great service, we would’ve been praising her instead!”
Seeing the situation about to turn against them, Sister-in-law Zhang, who had been hiding behind Liu, became anxious.
She had gone all out today. If she couldn’t crush Su Man completely, how would she ever be able to hold her head up in front of her again?
Jealousy overwhelmed her fear.
“Commander Lu! Let’s keep these matters separate!”
Sister-in-law Zhang jumped out from behind Liu and pointed at Su Man, shrieking.
“Catching a criminal is certainly meritorious, but that doesn’t erase the fact that she’s engaged in black-market trading!”
“That huge bundle of fabric—I saw it with my own eyes!”
“And the clothes she’s wearing today—the pattern, the style—they’re things you simply can’t get around here!”
“If she has nothing to hide, why won’t she let us search her house?”
“If we don’t find anything, I’ll kneel down and apologize to her right here!”
Sister-in-law Zhang was taking a gamble.
She was betting that Su Man must still have some of the fabric and finished clothes hidden inside the house.
As long as they found them, the evidence would be undeniable!
Su Man looked at Sister-in-law Zhang’s face, twisted with jealousy, and sneered inwardly.
This fool really wouldn’t stop until she hit a dead end.
Fine.
Since you insist on offering me your own face to slap, don’t blame me for being ruthless.
Su Man gently patted Lu Zhan’s arm, signaling for him to remain calm.
She stepped out from behind him and stood directly in front of Sister-in-law Zhang.
Her calm and composed demeanor stood in stark contrast to Zhang’s frantic agitation.
“Sister-in-law Zhang, those are your words.”
Su Man’s voice was clear, but there was a bone-chilling edge to it.
“If you don’t find the so-called ‘stolen goods,’ or if it is proven that I’m innocent…”
“You won’t just kneel down and apologize.”
“You’ll also have to go to the compound’s broadcasting station and read a self-criticism for three consecutive days, admitting that you falsely accused a military family and damaged the unity of the compound.”
“Do you dare?”
Sister-in-law Zhang felt a twinge of unease under Su Man’s gaze.
But then she thought about all that fabric.
Even if Su Man had supernatural abilities, there was no way she could make all that fabric disappear overnight.
“I dare!”
Sister-in-law Zhang gritted her teeth and said viciously,
“If you’re proven guilty of black-market trading, you should go to prison too!”
“Fine.”
Su Man nodded and turned toward Officer Liu.
“Officer Liu, since everyone has made their positions clear…”
“Then search the house.”
“However, let’s follow the rules.”
“Don’t rummage through things or smash anything. Don’t frighten the children.”
“And we should invite a few respected neighbors to witness the search, so no one can accuse me of refusing to cooperate—or claim that someone planted evidence.”
Liu was now caught between a rock and a hard place.
Although Lu Zhan’s presence was intimidating, Sister-in-law Zhang was refusing to let the matter go. He had to give everyone an explanation.
“All right! We’ll do as Comrade Su suggested!”
Liu waved his hand.
“A few of you go inside. Be careful with everything!”
Sister-in-law Zhang’s eyes lit up with excitement. She was the first to rush inside.
“I’ll lead the way! I know where she hid it!”
Lu Zhan stood at the doorway, his face so dark it looked as though water might drip from it.
His hand never left his holster.
If these people dared to get physical, he didn’t mind teaching them exactly what a soldier’s temper was like.
But Su Man gave him a reassuring look.
There was a hint of cunning in her eyes, along with the confidence of someone who had already taken control of the entire situation.
It seemed to say: Just wait and enjoy the show.
A crowd of people poured into the Lu family’s small courtyard.
The quiet, tidy courtyard instantly became noisy and chaotic.
Like a mad dog, Sister-in-law Zhang headed straight for the eastern room.
“It must be on the kang! I saw her throw the bundle there yesterday!”
She kicked open the door and rushed to the kang, yanking off the quilt covering it.
“Let’s see where you can hide it now!”
As the quilt was pulled away, everyone froze.
There really was a pile of things on the kang.
But they weren’t the rolls of fabric Zhang had imagined, supposedly intended for resale.
Instead, they were neatly folded, beautifully crafted finished garments.
There were children’s vests, padded jackets for the elderly, and dresses for young women.
They came in a dazzling array of colors and patterns.
Each garment had a small slip of paper pinned to it.
Names and measurements were written on them.
“This…”
Sister-in-law Zhang was dumbfounded.
She picked up a padded jacket. The stitching was fine and meticulous, and the design was fresh and attractive. It had even cleverly incorporated a flaw in the fabric, embroidering a Chinese character for fortune over it.
How could this be stolen goods?
It was practically a work of art!
“This is the evidence!”
Sister-in-law Zhang came to her senses and shouted, holding up the padded jacket.
“She made so many clothes! She must be planning to sell them on the black market!”
“Officer Liu! Look! There must be at least dozens of pieces here!”
“What ordinary family makes this many clothes? This is conclusive evidence of black-market trading!”
Liu walked over and stared at the pile of clothes, his brows furrowing.
Indeed.
There were simply too many.
If Su Man couldn’t explain where all these clothes were going, she would have a lot of trouble proving her innocence.
“Comrade Su Man, please explain.”
Liu turned around and looked at Su Man seriously.
“What exactly were you planning to do with these clothes?”
Everyone’s eyes focused on Su Man.
Even Lu Zhan was looking at her.
He was somewhat puzzled.
Although he trusted his wife, he had no idea what Su Man was planning.
Su Man calmly stepped forward.
From the very bottom of the pile of clothes, she pulled out a sheet of red paper.
It was a list covered in elegant brush-written characters.
The handwriting was delicate and graceful, yet carried an unmistakable strength.
“An explanation?”
Su Man raised the red paper, the corner of her lips curling into a mocking smile.
“Officer Liu. Sister-in-law Zhang.”
“Open your eyes and take a good look.”
“Do you know what this is?”