"You really think you can come and go from the Imperial Club as you please?"
Zuo Yi sneered, his tone dripping with arrogance.
Han Yuyao narrowed her eyes. She might be the captain of the criminal investigation unit, but Zuo Yi—heir apparent of the powerful Zuo family—wasn't someone easily intimidated.
"Is that so?" she retorted, her lips curling into a cold smile as she let go of Han Kun. "Then tell me, Young Master Zuo… what do you suggest?"
"How about sharing a meal with me?"
Zuo Yi calmly polished his glasses, put them back on, and let his greedy gaze linger on her curves. He had long coveted Han Yuyao, and now the opportunity was right in front of him.
"Bastard!"
Freed from his sister's grip, Han Kun finally exploded. His stomach was already full of rage from earlier, and now Zuo Yi dared to stir up trouble?
Without hesitation, he snatched up the basketball lying nearby and hurled it straight at Zuo Yi.
Bang!
Caught off guard—his eyes still glued to Han Yuyao—Zuo Yi didn't even see it coming. The ball slammed into him, knocking him back several steps until he crashed to the floor. His glasses shattered, shards cutting a thin line across his forehead.
"Have you forgotten how you once knelt before Brother Yu and called him dad?" Han Kun barked, stepping forward, eyes blazing. "And now you dare to covet my sister? Looking to get your skin peeled, huh?"
Zuo Yi stood slowly, blood trickling down his face. Though it was only a superficial wound, to the proud heir of the Zuo family, it was a humiliation beyond measure.
Still, he forced his fury down, his lips curling into a mocking smile.
"And who the hell do you think you are, Han Kun? Who the hell is Huang Yu? From the way you prance around, people might think the Han family has turned into the Huang family's lapdog."
"You son of a—!"
Han Kun stormed forward, fists clenched, murder in his eyes.
"I'll cripple you today!"
"Stand down!"
Han Yuyao lunged forward, dragging him back and glaring daggers into him. "Try throwing a punch while I'm here and see what happens."
This wasn't some street brawl. She had only come tonight because of that cross-dressing criminal earlier—this counted as official business. If a fight broke out here, things would spiral out of control.
She motioned sharply, and two officers immediately pinned Han Kun down.
But before they could leave, Zuo Yi stepped into their path again. His bodyguards fanned out behind him, their sharp presence radiating danger.
"What's this? Planning to assault an officer?" Han Yuyao's voice was icy.
"Come now, that's not what I meant," Zuo Yi chuckled smoothly, feigning innocence. "Of course Officer Han can leave."
He paused, then his gaze shifted meaningfully to Han Kun. The cut on his forehead still oozed blood.
"But your dear brother here assaulted me. Surely you don't intend to let that slide?"
He pressed on, his words sharp, designed to sting. "I'm just an honest businessman. My doors are open, I provide good service, I seek only prosperity. But Han Kun, hiding behind his family's official background, thinks he can bully people as he pleases."
He deliberately raised his voice on those last words.
"It's one thing if he trashes my club—I can overlook that out of respect for the Han family. But when he goes so far as to injure me, I demand an explanation!"
Clutching his head dramatically, he staggered, his voice laden with fake pain. "I feel dizzy… my head hurts… If Officer Han insists on covering for him, then I'll have no choice but to sue in court and call in the press."
Even as he spoke, the smirk tugging at his lips betrayed him.
He clapped twice.
Clap! Clap!
Like a well-rehearsed act, a flood of reporters poured in through the doors, microphones and cameras raised high.
The room burst into flashing lights and shouted questions:
"Officer Han, is Han Kun only so brazen because of your protection?"
"Rumor has it the Han family intends to suppress the Zuo family. Is that why you're targeting the Imperial Club?"
"Zuo Yi's been injured. What punishment will Han Kun face?"
"We've heard Han Kun leads a life of depravity—is that true?"
The media swarmed them, their lenses and microphones blocking every possible exit.
To anyone watching, the picture was clear: Zuo Yi, bleeding and aggrieved; Han Kun, restrained and furious; Han Yuyao, cornered.
Han Kun clenched his teeth, realization dawning. So this was the trap.
Jail? So what. It's not like I haven't been there before!
Seizing a moment when the officers loosened their grip, he tore free and lunged forward.
"I'll kill you—!"
But before he could take two steps, Han Yuyao moved faster, pinning him down with a precise grappling technique and snapping handcuffs onto his wrists.
"Don't make this worse!" she hissed, her eyes sharp, her tone a cold warning.
Her mind raced. This setup—could it really be Huang Yu conspiring with the Zuo family? It was almost too perfect. The Han family didn't have this kind of media power.
Rising, she glared at Zuo Yi. "What exactly do you want?"
Zuo Yi adjusted the broken glasses on his face, slipping back into his performance with a smug gleam in his eyes.
"What could I possibly want from Officer Han?" he said innocently, then turned to the reporters.
"Everyone, I'm just a businessman. I called you here not to make a scene, but to seek justice."
"Tell me, why—under broad daylight, in a lawful society—can police officers shield their relatives and allow degenerates to trample on the law unchecked?"
His face twisted with mock grief, his voice booming with false righteousness.
Han Yuyao's fists clenched. Every instinct screamed to shut him up with a blow, but with so many cameras pointed at her, she was powerless.
The headlines alone would destroy her: Criminal Police Captain Assaults Esteemed Entrepreneur.
Just as despair began to creep in, a shadow dropped down from the shattered window of the 28th floor.
A man in a security guard's uniform landed lightly inside, lips curled in a crooked, mocking grin.
"The hell with you, bastard!"
Without hesitation, the newcomer charged Zuo Yi and smashed a fist into his face.
BAM!
Zuo Yi flew backward five or six meters, crashing into the crowd of stunned reporters.
Han Yuyao's eyes widened, recognition dawning as her expression turned sharp.
That lopsided grin…
Xiao Zhan, that damned crooked-mouthed bastard…