Chapter 79: Sorry, I’m a Police Officer

They all knew how formidable Old Ning was, but when it came to Wang Wu, they couldn’t fathom the drastic shift in his strength. This was a mystery to most, except for Jiang Xiwen. While practicing boxing with Wang Wu, he’d once heard him say that the power displayed in a sneak attack could, at times, surpass a head-on confrontation by several times over. The effectiveness of an ambush was determined by a blend of environment, technique, timing, and psychology. Clearly, Wang Wu’s sudden outburst just now was a perfect marriage of speed and force. What seemed to the Five Chiefs like a simple attack from behind was, in truth, far more potent than anything Wang Wu had shown them before—and it was this difference that shocked them to the core.

Jiang Qi had remained silent, constantly calculating his next move as the situation unfolded. From the moment the Five Chiefs made the first move, he understood that their numerical advantage would soon evaporate. He’d issued countless warnings since they’d first conspired to capture Old Ning’s daughter and corner Old Ning himself, urging the Five Chiefs not to act on their own and to wait for his orders before every move. Yet now, these men, hailed as the gang’s strongest, proved themselves even more foolish than five pigs.

A tense silence settled over the basement after one of the two remaining Chiefs blurted out a fearful sentence. No other sound disturbed the air.

Old Seven and Black Skin had also fallen silent. When Jiang Xiwen attacked them, he’d used his full strength, so after a few brief screams, both collapsed into unconsciousness.

The old regimental commander didn’t move, nor did Wang Wu. During the fight, the old commander had shifted from his corner, now standing protectively in front of the child tied to the chair. From earlier exchanges, Jiang Xiwen realized this was the old commander’s daughter.

A liquid trickled from the old commander’s right hand. In the dim glow of the oil lamp, its nature was indistinct, but Jiang Xiwen could see that hand trembling slightly.

He neither moved nor spoke. Wang Wu had taught him that, when locked in a stalemate with an enemy, one should conceal their own vulnerabilities and wait for the opponent’s to show.

Were it not for the gravity of the moment or the quality of his adversaries, Jiang Xiwen would have used his glib tongue to provoke his opponents, seizing an opportunity to defeat them. But now, judging by the grave expressions of the old commander and Wang Wu, their true worry was not the two remaining Chiefs, but Jiang Qi, who sat silently in the corner.

Apart from his well-chosen position and the initial confidence with which he’d mocked his enemies, Jiang Xiwen found nothing remarkable about Jiang Qi, at least compared to the old commander’s seasoned competence. Although Jiang Qi’s face was hard to make out, his words suggested he was simply the trusted aide of the so-called Ninth Lord, sent to deal with the traitor at the head of the group.

Jiang Qi now regretted his rashness. When he’d first captured Old Ning’s daughter, he’d had a chance to kill Old Ning, but he’d hesitated. Old Ning had always been the brother he most enjoyed spending time with. As a child, Jiang Qi had been rescued from bullies and adopted by the Ninth Lord, who later sent him to join the army at eighteen. Aside from the Ninth Lord, he’d had no friends—until Old Ning, who showed him the value of true brotherhood, someone you could trust with your back.

That was why he’d hesitated. When the Fifth Chief used Old Ning’s daughter to threaten him and even managed to wound his right hand, Jiang Qi almost stepped forward to beat the Chief senseless.

He stared unblinking at Old Ning’s right hand. He had no time for further contemplation. He needed to seize the next opportunity. From the moment Jiang Xiwen had turned to look at him upon hearing his voice, Jiang Qi had judged this boy the weakest among the three on the opposing side.

Now, Jiang Qi’s plan was to have the two remaining Chiefs entangle Old Ning and Wang Wu—even if only for thirty seconds—which would give him a chance to seize Jiang Xiwen. With a hostage, he was certain he could kill Old Ning before the police arrived. Old Ning’s unconscious daughter would have made the ideal hostage, but with Old Ning standing guard before her, Jiang Qi doubted he could snatch her away again.

Compared to friendship, he valued the Ninth Lord’s kindness more.

“Water, I want water.” At that moment, Old Ning’s daughter began to come to, her voice raspy and weak from a parched throat.

Old Ning’s heart wavered, and, unable to help himself, he glanced toward his daughter.

Ning Yan! Jiang Xiwen heard the voice and turned. Ever since he’d entered this place, he’d found the girl’s silhouette familiar. Now he understood—Old Ning, the commander, and the old driver were all Ning Yan’s relatives.

Now! The opportunity had arrived. Jiang Qi’s lips curled into a cold smile. He sprang from his chair and shouted, “You two! Hit the girl!”

However unremarkable they might be compared to Old Ning, the two remaining Chiefs were still formidable fighters against ordinary people. Hearing Jiang Qi’s command, they immediately understood his intent. Ignoring Old Ning standing in their path, they snatched up their weapons and swung at Ning Yan’s head.

Bastards! Jiang Xiwen’s anger, already stoked by their cruelty toward a child, now erupted on realizing the girl was his classmate Ning Yan. Without a second thought, he leapt forward, launching a powerful side kick at one of the men’s ribs.

“Wang Wu, keep an eye on Xiwen!” Old Ning kicked at one Chief’s knee, raising his injured right hand to block the iron bar aimed at his daughter.

Knowing Jiang Qi as he did, Old Ning suspected he would seize this moment to threaten Jiang Xiwen. Unable to divide himself, he could only shield his daughter from the two immediate threats.

Wang Wu, though highly skilled, hadn’t foreseen Jiang Qi’s move, so his reaction lagged by a split second. By the time he rushed to save Jiang Xiwen, it was already too late.

Jiang Qi’s heavy kick arced toward Jiang Xiwen’s head.

Weightless—nowhere to anchor himself—Jiang Qi had scarcely registered this sensation when a sharp blow landed on his neck.

In those few seconds, the flurry of actions produced an outcome Jiang Qi could never have predicted. Jiang Xiwen’s kick, meant to save Ning Yan, ended up saving himself as well. For all Jiang Qi’s cunning, he failed to anticipate Jiang Xiwen’s reckless attack on the Chief at the sight of Ning Yan in danger.

Jiang Xiwen’s move coincided almost exactly with Jiang Qi’s, allowing him to avoid the full brunt of the kick. At that critical moment, Wang Wu’s iron fist arrived, smashing into the right side of Jiang Qi’s neck and sending him sprawling, his body crashing to the ground.

On the other side, Old Ning shattered one Chief’s knee with a kick, dropping him instantly into unconsciousness. Jiang Xiwen’s kick landed squarely on the waist of the man wielding the iron bar—a perfect ambush. Though Jiang Xiwen’s combat skills were lacking against formidable adversaries, his sneak attack here was enough to send the man howling in pain, clutching the softest part of his body and losing all ability to fight back.

As soon as Jiang Qi hit the ground, he rolled away, narrowly dodging Wang Wu’s follow-up attacks. But as he scrambled to his feet, another massive fist came crashing at him—Wang Wu again. Against an opponent as dangerous as Jiang Qi, there could be no letting up until he was completely incapacitated.

Jiang Qi raised both hands to block Wang Wu’s punch, his own foot snapping out to strike Wang Wu’s shin.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiwen, with his limited combat experience, failed to follow up after downing his opponent. Old Ning made up for the mistake, knocking the man unconscious with a single blow, then shouting, “Xiwen, look after my daughter!”

Jiang Xiwen didn’t need to be told twice. Striding quickly to the chair, he untied Ning Yan’s hands, his voice gentle: “Don’t worry, Ning Yan. You’ll have water soon.”

Ning Yan slowly opened her eyes and, recognizing Jiang Xiwen, was overcome with joy. She threw her arms around his waist, crying and laughing at once, her usually stoic demeanor dissolving. “Jiang Xiwen, is it really you?”

“It’s me, Ning Yan. It’s all right now. We can leave soon. Are you hurt anywhere?” Jiang Xiwen asked, his concern genuine—seeing what these scum had done to her left him furious.

“I’m fine…” Ning Yan began, then, recalling the chaos before she lost consciousness, she suddenly sprang up, glancing around frantically, “Dad, where are you…”

As she called out, she saw her father and Wang Wu had already beaten Jiang Qi to the ground, leaving him incapable of resistance.

“Old Ning, to lose to you—I accept it,” Jiang Qi said. “I just want to know: who are you, really? Will you tell me?”

“I’m sorry. I’m a police officer,” Old Ning replied, his voice calm and resolute.

“Be careful!” Wang Wu, watching Jiang Xiwen, suddenly cried out in alarm.

Ning Yan turned just in time to see the Chief with the shattered knee—who no one realized had stood up—grab his companion’s iron bar and swing it viciously at Jiang Xiwen’s head.

“Watch out!” Without thinking, Ning Yan cried out and shoved Jiang Xiwen away. But she was still weak from her ordeal, her push feeble. Halfway through, her strength gave out and she collapsed.