“Captain Zhou, this little lady’s got quite a fiery temper she suits you perfectly. How about we brothers do you a favor and act as matchmakers? I’ve got just the right things to make this happen. Tonight, you two can get hitched and spend your wedding night together. What do you say?”
As soon as Four Eyes spoke, every one of his followers burst into loud, arrogant laughter.
Zhou Muchuan’s face turned dark as charcoal, and in the dim night light, no one could tell just how furious he was at that moment.
The group was acting utterly brazen, and their laughter was loud and grating to the ear.
“Whether Officer Zhou and I get married or spend the night together is none of your business, you petty thieves. Look at yourselves you’ve got working hands and feet and you look like strong men, but deep down you’re nothing but spineless good-for-nothings. How dare you even think you’re worthy of acting as matchmakers for us?”
“Little lady, watch your tongue. Don’t go too far, or you’ll bring trouble upon yourself,” Four Eyes said, his expression turning cold.
A few sharp words could be brushed off as nothing more than banter, but calling them cowards? No man could stand for that. If it hadn’t been out of respect for Captain Zhou, he would have already taught her a lesson.
“Too far? You actually know what it means to go too far? You’re the ones who’ve gone way beyond what’s right. You’re all grown men with strong bodies, yet instead of working hard to earn an honest living, you choose to go around robbing and stealing from others?”
“If you’ve got any real courage, why don’t you go after the truly wealthy people? Oh wait they drive cars with four wheels, and you’re stuck riding two-wheeled bikes. You can’t ride fast enough to catch up with them, isn’t that right?”
“Sure, we can’t catch up with four wheels, but your three-wheeled vehicle stands no chance against our two wheels. Little lady, stop running your mouth and hand over the money. I’ll teach you a lesson don’t go flaunting your wealth in front of others.”
One of Four Eyes’ men stepped forward aggressively. Shen Zhiyi wasn’t his mother, so why should he have to listen to lectures from some stranger?
“So now I’m not even allowed to spend the money I’ve earned? I buy a few things and you say I’m showing off my wealth? You’re the one who needs to stop daydreaming. This money was earned through my own hard work and effort why on earth should I give it to you as tribute?”
“You want to see who’s tougher, is that it? I was only released from Nancheng Prison just over ten days ago. What are you going to do about it? I’ve got no money to give you, but I’ve got a life that’s not worth much come and take it if you dare.”
“……”
Zhou Muchuan frowned. This woman really would rather risk her life than give up what was hers. There was no way around it tonight, they would have to fight their way out of this.
Her tongue was sharper and harder than his fist.
Just as Zhou Muchuan braced himself for the inevitable struggle, there was a loud thud from the case Shen Zhiyi carried, startling everyone present.
She opened her case named Ruyi, meaning “As You Wish” and inside were all kinds of strange and unfamiliar items, things none of these men had ever seen before.
“Zhou Muchuan, pick your weapon.” Shen Zhiyi picked up a can of pepper spray and aimed it directly at the man standing closest to her the same one who had just told her not to flaunt her wealth and pressed down on the nozzle.
“Damn it! What is this stuff? Fourth Brother, my eyes… I think I’m going blind!” The man who had been so bold and arrogant just moments earlier immediately fell to his knees, clutching his face and howling in pain.
“Hah!” Shen Zhiyi couldn’t help but laugh in delight.
“Fourth Brother, we have to get revenge for Gou Dan!” The rest of the men pulled out their weapons steel rods and daggers and began to close in around Shen Zhiyi and Zhou Muchuan.
“Keep your eyes closed! We only came for money, not lives, but little lady, you’ve forced my hand. Captain Zhou, I’m truly sorry about this.”
With a single signal from Four Eyes, the men driven by desperation and their refusal to live in poverty any longer rushed forward.
Shen Zhiyi sprayed them continuously, while Zhou Muchuan threw himself into the fight.
The wound on his left shoulder throbbed with intense pain, but he pushed through the agony and took down two attackers. The pepper spray proved to be incredibly effective; by the time Zhou Muchuan had dealt with two men, Shen Zhiyi had already incapacitated four of them.
She was quick and agile, and even Four Eyes who was brave and fierce by nature tried to dodge the spray by keeping his eyes tightly shut. But the spray didn’t only affect the eyes; it also irritated the nose and throat, making every breath feel painful and difficult. Their fighting strength dropped drastically within minutes, and they had already lost half their advantage.
Just then, a loud, deep bark echoed from the distance: “Woof! Woof, woof!”
Immediately after, the roar of a jeep and the rumble of motorcycles could be heard speeding toward them. Zhou Muchuan’s colleagues had arrived.
“Fourth Brother, run!”
Ignoring the men writhing in pain on the ground, Four Eyes and the remaining members of his gang jumped onto their motorcycles and fled.
The jeep gave chase, while two motorcycles pulled to a stop. The officers got off to secure the scene and handcuff the men who were still clutching their eyes and crying out in pain.
“Captain Zhou, are you alright?” Wang, the security guard from the police station, hurried over to check on him.
“I’m fine. What are all of you doing here?” Zhou Muchuan asked, gritting his teeth against the sharp pain. Earlier, three men had attacked him at once; he had managed to take down two, but one of them had slashed his right arm with a dagger.
“I was out walking with Wangcai when we reached the intersection. Not long after we saw you ride off, we heard that strange whistle, and then four motorcycles gathered there. I sensed something bad was about to happen, so I rushed back to the station with Wangcai to call for backup.”
“Thank goodness we got here in time,” Wang said with a sigh of relief.
Zhou Muchuan was a skilled fighter, but even he couldn’t hold off such a large group of ruthless criminals for long. To make matters worse, one of them was injured, and the other was a woman who had no combat training or experience. They had been completely outnumbered and at a terrible disadvantage.
“Yes… it really was just in time,” Zhou Muchuan replied. Sweat beaded on his forehead from the pain, but he kept his voice steady as he gave orders. “Two of you take Shen Zhiyi safely back to Lihua Village. Wang, take these men back to the station and lock them up. We’ll question them properly tomorrow morning.”
“Understood, Captain Zhou.”
“Officer Zhou… are you really okay?” Shen Zhiyi asked, looking at him with concern. There was something odd about his voice it sounded strained and unsteady, as if he was struggling to speak through pain.
Had he gotten himself hurt again?
“I’m perfectly fine. Just go home. And when your break is over and you’re back at work, come find me at the station when you have time. I have some questions for you.” Zhou Muchuan was burning with curiosity about the liquid she had sprayed it was incredibly powerful and effective.
He was just glad she hadn’t turned any of those strange, powerful items against him. Could that stuff really blind a person? What exactly was it? Pepper water?
This woman had quite a fierce streak, but Zhou Muchuan also felt a sense of respect for her. She certainly knew how to protect herself. Even in such a dangerous and terrifying situation, she had remained calm, clear-headed, and completely fearless. She was truly impressive she had both courage and capability.
It was just that sharp tongue of hers; she never let anyone get away with anything.
“Blood? Captain Zhou, you’re injured?”
One of Zhou Muchuan’s men had shone his flashlight over, originally wanting to get a good look at Shen Zhiyi and figure out why his captain would go out of his way to escort her home late at night. He had been on leave the day everyone went to eat at Fumanlou, so he hadn’t met her then. Later, he had heard everyone teasing Captain Zhou about her, which was how he first learned who Shen Zhiyi was.
He had always thought women were supposed to stay home, cooking meals and taking care of household chores. He had never imagined there was actually a woman who worked as a chef in a restaurant.
But before he could even catch a glimpse of Shen Zhiyi’s face, the beam of light landed on the ground at Zhou Muchuan’s feet, where dark blood had pooled. When he lifted the light up, he saw Zhou Muchuan’s face it was ashen and pale, so colorless it looked frightening. His lips had lost all trace of red, clearly from severe blood loss.
“Captain Zhou!”
“Officer Zhou… you really know how to endure pain, don’t you?”
Shen Zhiyi felt completely exasperated. He was hurt, so why hadn’t he said anything? Why did he have to suffer in silence like this, acting as if he was some kind of hero? Did he not realize he could lose too much blood and end up dead?