The shortie was about to succeed when he saw the person he had just knocked down with a brick stand up, causing him to stare in shock.

He had put all his strength into it, and with a hit from the brick, the person should have been dead or turned into an idiot.

But the guy in front of him seemed totally fine, with not even a trace of blood on his head—impossible.

"Lin Chen, run! Don't worry about me," Qin Lan struggled to shout as she saw Lin Chen stand up.

This shortie was too strong, even she was no match for him. If Lin Chen ran, there might be a chance of survival, but staying here meant certain death with her.

"Kid, you think you can run? No way, you're both going to die today," said the shortie as he got up again, a shiny dagger now in his hand.

"Run? Who said I was going to run? To dare hit me with a brick... let me tell you, big brother is very angry, and the consequences are serious," Lin Chen said with a smile, standing across from the shortie.

Hearing Lin Chen's words, the shortie was taken aback. He had killed many people, and everyone begged for mercy when they saw him, but this time the tables were turned—he threatened them. Now, he wondered if the brick had knocked Lin Chen silly?

"You're very angry? I'm even angrier! Kid, die!" said the shortie, swinging the dagger at Lin Chen.

Qin Lan saw the shortie lunge forward like lightning, the cold gleam of the dagger aiming for Lin Chen.

She closed her eyes, unable to bear the bloody scene she anticipated.

"Clang, ah!"

Accompanied by the sound of the dagger hitting the ground, Qin Lan opened her eyes.

She saw the shortie kicked away by Lin Chen, hitting a tree behind him and passing out, while Lin Chen stood with one leg on the ground, the other suspended in the air, striking a cool pose.

"How is that possible!" Qin Lan was almost dumbfounded. She had just fought the shortie, and to her, he had been terrifyingly strong. How could Lin Chen have sent him flying with a kick?

Lin Chen walked over, smiling: "Officer Qin, why are you looking at me like that?"

Qin Lan's cheeks flushed red upon hearing Lin Chen's words. She admitted that in that moment, she was indeed momentarily mesmerized.

"Hmph, stop being conceited. Now let me go," Qin Lan pulled herself together and shook her handcuffed hands.

Lin Chen took the keys from Qin Lan's pocket and unlocked the handcuffs.

"This damned scoundrel," Qin Lan got up, grabbed the handcuffs, and stormed toward the fallen shortie.

Just as Qin Lan approached the shortie and crouched down, the shortie's hand twitched.

"Watch out!" Lin Chen's eyes narrowed and he rushed over to push Qin Lan out of the way.

But it was too late, the shortie had pulled out a sachet of red powder from his pocket and scattered it in the air.

The shortie lunged forward attempting to run, but was flipped over by Lin Chen's sweeping leg once more.

Lin Chen showed no mercy, breaking the shortie's leg bone—there was no running away for him now.

Qin Lan wiped the dust off her face, marching furiously back to the shortie.

"You scoundrel," Qin Lan exclaimed angrily.

"Ow!" The shortie let out a cry of pain and truly passed out this time.

Lin Chen watched with a chill in his heart.

Qin Lan called the police, and soon several squad cars arrived, and the officers took the shortie away.

"Thank you!" Qin Lan expressed her gratitude to Lin Chen. If it weren't for him, today would have been perilous.

Lin Chen just smiled: "It's nothing, just lifting a finger, besides, didn't you thank me earlier?"

Qin Lan's cheeks colored slightly as she quickly changed the subject, "Why are you wandering around here so late at night?"

"I just finished up and was heading home," Lin Chen replied.

"I didn't think you'd understand how to start a business and make money at such a young age," Qin Lan said, moved by Lin Chen's words.

Last time, Qin Lan had checked Lin Chen's background at the station and knew his family wasn't well-off. Assuming he had been working in a small shop to earn money, she felt touched by his dedication.

"Just third best in the world, nothing special. Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading back now," Lin Chen gave a faint smile as he prepared to leave.

"It's late; let me give you a ride, I have a car," Qin Lan offered.

"No need, I'll take a cab," Lin Chen was about to leave, but Qin Lan insisted.

"As a police officer, it's my responsibility to get you, an underage brat, home safely," she said as she snapped one end of the handcuffs onto her own wrist and proudly dangled them in front of Lin Chen.

Lin Chen, somewhat helpless, got into Qin Lan's car, and shook the handcuffs on his wrist: "Can you take these off now?"

"Take them off, hmph, you can just stay cuffed, consider it your punishment," Qin Lan said with a mischievous smile, unlocking her own wrist but cuffing Lin Chen's to the car's overhead handle.

The car sped along the night road.

At this moment, Qin Lan's face was flushed as red as a ripe apple.

"It's too hot, I can't stand it!" Qin Lan felt as if her consciousness was blurring, she quickly slammed on the brakes and pulled the car over by the side of the road.

Lin Chen also noticed something was wrong with his body.

"Damn it, it must be that powder," Lin Chen suddenly remembered the red powder the shortie had scattered.

"I can't stay in the car," Lin Chen thought to leave but realized his hand was cuffed to the handle.

"Damn it!"

As morning broke and a ray of sunlight pierced through the car window, Lin Chen shook his still-dizzy head and was about to get up when he discovered...

Everything felt like a dream—vague yet real, surreal.

Suddenly, Lin Chen's gaze fell upon Qin Lan... and he felt indescribable emotions stirring within: happiness, sweetness, and a profound sense of guilt.

At that moment, Qin Lan's head moved slightly, and her beautiful eyes slowly opened.