Xiao Jing instinctively raised her hands.
Lin Li suddenly recalled a children's song.
"Two little bunnies… uh, forgot the middle part, forgot the rest."
"…Forget it, just do as they say. Get dressed first, then squat down with your hands behind your head!"
A deep voice coldly urged her on. Then, a man—clearly a Demon Suppression Division officer but not in uniform—walked past Xiao Jing and entered the room. His eyes locked onto Lin Li, who was lying on the massage bed, staring right back at him.
The officer's eyes widened.
In his entire career of busting brothels, he had never seen anyone react like this.
Not a trace of panic. Fine, that wasn't unheard of. But even after he had walked in, this guy was still lying on his side, propping up his face with one hand, looking at him helplessly.
There was even a hint of resentment and disappointment, as if Lin Li was frustrated that his "good time" had been interrupted.
Unbelievable.
Officer Yang Liang had led countless vice raids in his life, but he had never met someone so blatantly defiant.
Did this kid actually think that just because he was fully clothed, he could get away with it? That he wouldn't be implicated?
The technician at the door, with her disheveled state, had already said everything without uttering a word. There was no room for excuses.
Lin Li truly was resentful.
How could he not be? He had almost been pinned down and forced into submission, robbed of his innocence!
All because the Demon Suppression Division took their sweet time!
"Get up! Hands behind your head! Squat in the corner!" Yang Liang barked, pointing his baton at Lin Li.
"Unc—"
"Don't try to cozy up to me! Hands behind your head, now!"
Lin Li hesitated, then thought for a moment. In the end, he kept his mouth shut and obediently squatted in the corner.
Well, this was a new experience at least. Useless, but still a brag-worthy story to add to his collection.
The reason he didn't reveal his identity right away was simple—Xiao Jing was still here.
Running a brothel wasn't a death sentence. Even the people managing these places usually only got a few years at most, and as for the clients and workers? They'd at worst spend a few days in detention.
After that, they'd all go back to their normal lives like nothing happened—most of them being locals.
If Lin Li outed himself as the one who tipped off the Demon Suppression Division and Xiao Jing heard it… or if one of the officers accidentally leaked it here…
His days in Xiling Town would not be peaceful.
People are unpredictable.
And honestly, if he looked at it from another angle, what he did was kind of a dick move. It didn't really benefit him either.
The risk of retaliation was too high. Better to just go with the flow for now.
He'd clear things up once they got to the police station—consider it a new life experience.
Yang Liang frowned, noticing how young Lin Li looked. He stepped forward and asked, "Are you even of legal age?! Answer honestly! If you lie to me, there will be consequences!
"Not yet." Lin Li couldn't even be bothered to lie.
Xiao Jing, now fully dressed, heard that answer and went pale.
Game over.
Completely f***ing over.
Underage involvement? That was another level of crime. This meant even longer in custody. Damn this company, why the hell didn't they screen their clients properly?!
"F***ing hell, you're already a little delinquent! Are you even fourteen yet?!" Yang Liang cursed.
"Been past that for a while."
Yang Liang let out a few more curses before stomping off.
Before coming here, Lin Li had researched the laws.
For 14–18-year-olds, penalties were lighter.
For under 14, there were no punishments at all.
Since he was seventeen, a normal 15-day detainment for someone else might get reduced to 5 days for him.
Hell, maybe he'd even get off with nothing at all—depending on the local authorities' stance.
A few moments later, Yang Liang returned, holding a mask in his hand. He tossed it at Lin Li. "Put this on."
Lin Li took one look at it—
It wasn't one of those full-cover masks used for transporting death row inmates.
It had eye holes, clearly designed for protecting the identity of minors.
Since Xiao Jing didn't get one, it was obviously meant just for him.
"Thanks, Uncle." Lin Li eagerly put it on.
Sometimes, wearing a mask is actually the same as taking one off.
With the mask on, Lin Li felt like Daniel Wu.
Outside, a whole squad of Jackie Chans was waiting for him.
"You seem… way too excited about this."
Yang Liang couldn't hold back anymore.
He could see excitement and joy in Lin Li's expression.
Did this kid even realize what kind of situation he was in?!
Once Lin Li's family arrived, Yang Liang was definitely going to have a long talk with them.
He was genuinely curious—
What kind of parenting raises a kid like this?!
"Change into your own clothes and come out!" Yang Liang snapped, noticing Lin Li was still wearing the brothel's massage robe.
When Lin Li finally emerged fully dressed, the hallway was already packed with squatters.
A sea of miserable faces—looking utterly pitiful.
Damn.
Some of them were into some wild sh*t.
One guy had the word "PIG" written across his face in Chinese characters, and his partner was wearing full leather gear.
Clearly, they had been playing some BDSM roleplay before the bust.
Oh, and that stewardess outfit chick? She looked pretty damn good.
He hadn't seen her ID earlier, meaning she was probably already booked when he checked.
Probably the top-tier escort here.
…That one over there, though? Yeah, not great.
What the hell happened to that body shape?
As Lin Li was analyzing everyone, he suddenly locked eyes with Yang Liang.
Yang Liang just stared at him.
Lin Li started feeling a little awkward, scratched his head… then realized he was wearing a mask and awkwardly put his hand back down. "What's up, Uncle?"
Yang Liang took a deep breath.
Then another.
Finally, in a slow, deliberate voice, he said:
"Can you, for the love of god, act like you understand you're a criminal?! Get your hands behind your head and squat down! Why the hell are you walking around?!"
He was losing it.
What he just witnessed was beyond belief.
Lin Li had walked out of his room, wearing a prisoner's mask, and then paced up and down the hallway.
Not just that—he had his hands clasped behind his back, inspecting the other detainees like a supervisor inspecting his employees.
Nodding.
Shaking his head.
Sighing.
Yang Liang had been so stunned, and his colleagues had been so intimidated by Lin Li's aura, that nobody even realized he was one of the arrestees.
For a second, even Yang Liang himself felt like Lin Li was some high-ranking official, sent down to evaluate their work.
And this kid was tall as hell too—Yang Liang had to tilt his head up to meet his gaze.
This brat's guardian better come up with a damn good explanation—because there was no way he was getting out easily.
This kid was a menace to society.
A walking disaster for the entire ecosystem.
If possible, Yang Liang would advise the parents to start over with a new kid—this one was already beyond saving.
"Oh, right, sorry. Forgot my place for a second." Lin Li apologized and obediently squatted down.
"Uncle." He looked up again.
Yang Liang dragged out his response, "Whaaaat do you waaaaant now?"
"Everyone else has handcuffs. Can I get some too?"
Yang Liang: "???"