“Captain Wang, no need. I’m going out with my boyfriend tonight.” A flicker of disgust passed through Xu Tian’s eyes as she gave an apologetic smile to the man approaching.
Lin Hai was completely dumbfounded.
What the hell? What’s going on? Boyfriend?
Damn, do I really look that much like a human shield?
Once he realized what was happening, Lin Hai immediately felt annoyed. This was already the third freaking time.
“Boyfriend?” The short, stout man’s face instantly darkened, and his beady eyes sized up Lin Hai with clear hostility.
“Yes, my boyfriend, Lin Hai.” Xu Tian nodded with a smile.
Seeing Lin Hai hadn’t reacted at all, Xu Tian pinched his arm hard.
“Lin Hai, this is Captain Wang Chunzhu from the Second Traffic Police Brigade.”
“Oh, hello,” Lin Hai said with a sullen face.
Being dragged into this mess as an impromptu shield, he naturally wasn’t in the mood to be polite.
Hearing the name ‘Lin Hai,’ Wang Chunzhu across from him seemed to find it familiar, as if he’d heard it somewhere before. But seeing Lin Hai’s attitude, he instantly got angry.
He curled his lip disdainfully at Lin Hai and turned back to Xu Tian.
“Listen, Xiao Xu, you’re still young. You just made a significant contribution, and I was planning to give you more responsibilities next. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for you to get a boyfriend now? You should really focus on your career,” Wang Chunzhu said.
“Thank you for your concern, Captain Wang. I know what I’m doing,” Xu Tian replied coolly, her heart filled with loathing.
“Hmph! You’d better watch yourself!” Wang Chunzhu huffed, waving his arm as if to leave.
After taking two steps, he turned back again.
“Xiao Xu, let me add one more thing. It’s work hours right now. Don’t bring irrelevant people to the work site. What if something gets stolen if you bring every Tom, Dick, and Harry here? So undisciplined!”
Hearing this, Lin Hai was not pleased.
Tom, Dick, and Harry? Damn, is he aiming that at me?
“Hey, Captain… Chun-zhu, was it? I’m not quite following you. Who’s the irrelevant person here? And who are the ‘Tom, Dick, and Harry’?” Lin Hai deliberately adopted a rascally tone.
“Who are you calling ‘Chun-zhu’?!” Wang Chunzhu bristled immediately, spittle flying.
“Huh? Isn’t your name Wang Chunzhu?” Lin Hai feigned confusion.
Xu Tian, listening beside them, couldn’t hold back a snort of laughter.
Wang Chunzhu’s face turned livid with anger.
“My name is Wang Chun-zhu!”
“Right, Wang Chun-zhu,” Lin Hai nodded.
“It’s Wang! Chun! Zhu! Chun as in spring (chun), Zhu as in pillar (zhu)!” Wang Chunzhu enunciated each word slowly.
“Oh, Wang Chunzhu,” Lin Hai said, putting on an expression of sudden realization. “Who gave you that name, anyway?”
“My dad. What about it?” Wang Chunzhu’s face was dark.
“Oh. Your biological dad?”
“Of course, you moron!”
Lin Hai shook his head.
“Listen, Brother Chun-zhu, I suggest you go home and ask your mom carefully. Maybe even get a paternity test or something,” Lin Hai said in a tone of concern.
“Why would I do that?” Wang Chunzhu was utterly confused by Lin Hai’s line of questioning.
“I think your dad definitely isn’t your biological father.”
“Bullshit!”
“Don’t not believe me. Think about it, if you were his own son, who the hell would give you a name like that?”
Xu Tian couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing, holding her stomach.
“Are you messing with me?!” Wang Chunzhu pointed angrily at Lin Hai’s nose.
“Whoa, you just figured that out?” Lin Hai shook his head again. “Seems calling you Chun-zhu really isn’t unjustified.”
“You… you… Believe it or not, I’ll have you arrested!” Wang Chunzhu blustered, his threat lacking real force.
“Go ahead then. Whoever doesn’t arrest me is a grandson,” Lin Hai taunted, blowing a whistle at Wang Chunzhu.
“What’s going on here?” Suddenly, an authoritative voice rang out.
Peng Tao walked over with several police officers.
Seeing Peng Tao, Wang Chunzhu immediately put on a fawning, grandson-like smile and hurried over.
“Chief! Why have you come personally? If there’s anything, just let your subordinate Xiao Wang know. I’ll handle it for you perfectly.”
Peng Tao completely ignored him and walked respectfully towards Lin Hai instead.
Seeing this, Wang Chunzhu’s heart leapt with joy.
The Chief is personally stepping in to teach this obnoxious kid a lesson for me!
Wang Chunzhu wasn’t about to miss such a great opportunity to show off. He quickly strode ahead, surpassing Peng Tao, and reached Lin Hai first.
“You punk, this is our Chief Peng. Causing trouble right under the police’s nose? We’re definitely taking you in today!” Wang Chunzhu said with the air of a petty villain tasting power.
“Can’t you understand human language? I already said, whoever doesn’t arrest me is a grandson,” Lin Hai replied with a nonchalant slouch.
“Chief Peng, look at how arrogant he is! Damn it, today I’m definitely going to…” Before Wang Chunzhu could finish, Peng Tao pushed him aside roughly.
“Mr. Lin, have you chosen a car?” Peng Tao asked respectfully with a smile.
“Chief, he… he…” Wang Chunzhu was dumbfounded. Why is the Chief being so polite to him?
“You shut your mouth!” Peng Tao snapped coldly.
“I did pick one, but I can’t drive it away,” Lin Hai said with a helpless shake of his head.
“Can’t drive it away?” Peng Tao whipped his head around to glare at Wang Chunzhu, his voice sharp. “What’s the meaning of this?!”
He had seen Lin Hai and Wang Chunzhu arguing from a distance earlier and assumed Wang Chunzhu was causing trouble.
Wang Chunzhu almost wet himself from Peng Tao’s roar.
“I… I don’t know, Chief,” Wang Chunzhu said, his face wretched.
“Hmph! Daring to deliberately obstruct Mr. Lin when he’s here to pick up his car? Seems you don’t want your job anymore!” Peng Tao grew angrier as he spoke. Lin Hai was a person of great capability. How dare a mere traffic police captain offend him?
“Chief, really, it really has nothing to do with me,” Wang Chunzhu said, tears nearly welling up.
What the hell is going on? I don’t even know what this guy is here for. How could I be obstructing him?
“Hmph! Still refusing to admit it? Effective immediately, you are suspended. Captain Xu Tian will take over your position as Brigade Captain!” Peng Tao directly stripped him of his rank.
“Chief, please no, Chief!” Wang Chunzhu grabbed Peng Tao’s arm, pleading desperately.
“Chief Peng, how wise! Just now, this guy was planning to use his position to ‘press for favors’ from Xu Tian. Good thing you arrived in time,” Lin Hai promptly added fuel to the fire from the side.
Xu Tian’s face flushed red. ‘Press for favors’? What an awful way to put it!
“Is that so?” Peng Tao was even angrier. Xu Tian was a hero in cracking the Hu Group’s evil organization. He never expected that Wang Chunzhu would be so despicable as to dare to harm a hero.
“Chief, I’ve been wronged! Don’t listen to this bastard’s nonsense, he…”
“Take him away. Let the discipline inspection comrades have a good look into him!” Peng Tao waved his hand. Several officers from behind stepped up and hauled Wang Chunzhu away.
“Chief, I’ve been wronged… I…”
Only after Wang Chunzhu was dragged off did Peng Tao turn to Lin Hai with a respectful smile.
“Mr. Lin, which car caught your eye? Now, no one will give you any trouble.”
“Really?” Lin Hai shot a smug look at Xu Tian.
“Hmph!” Xu Tian simply turned her head away.
“Chief Peng, I quite like that Porsche Cayenne over there.”
“If you like it, Mr. Lin, just take it,” Peng Tao replied.
“Wait a moment,” Xu Tian quickly interjected. “Chief, after the price adjustment, that car is 450,000 RMB more expensive than Lin Hai’s car.”
“Hey, hey, hey, Officer Auntie. We just finished scamming someone together. We’re comrades-in-arms from the same trench, however you look at it. Do you have to spoil my good fortune?” Lin Hai exclaimed theatrically.
“Who scammed someone with you?” Xu Tian said, somewhat guiltily.
She genuinely couldn’t stand Wang Chunzhu harassing her daily, so when Peng Tao earlier asked about obstructing Lin Hai, she hadn’t stepped forward to clarify the situation.
Indirectly, she had teamed up with Lin Hai to scam Wang Chunzhu.
Peng Tao, standing to the side, was also confused.
“What do you mean, scammed someone together?”
“Ah, it’s nothing, nothing. Just a code between Xu Tian and me. You understand,” Lin Hai said to Peng Tao, giving him a look that all men supposedly understand.
“Oh…” Peng Tao nodded with a meaningful expression. “Well, Mr. Lin, about the car…”
“No problem at all. If Mr. Lin likes it, just take it,” Peng Tao said magnanimously.
“Chief, what about the 450,000…”
“Xiao Xu, sometimes, whether in life or work, one needs to be a bit more… flexible in thinking…”
“Chief Peng, thank you.” Lin Hai completed the on-site paperwork and slowly started the car.
As he drove past Xu Tian, Lin Hai leaned out the window.
“Learn from your Chief, Officer Auntie!”
“You shut up! If you dare call me ‘Auntie’ again, I’ll tear your mouth…”
Unfortunately, Lin Hai didn’t hear a single word. He left her with nothing but the view of his car’s rear end.
