Chapter 54: The Village – Dad, Run!

Qu Nan’s expression darkened slightly.

Although the military had plenty of ammunition and soldiers, their authority among the people was no match for the local Public Security Bureau. It was nearly impossible for them to bypass the government and directly manage the survivors—unless they tore up the rules and imposed martial law.

But Su City hadn’t made any such moves, and his father, Qu Shangjin, the overall commander of Jiang City, didn’t dare be the first to stick his neck out. This left them in a passive, disadvantageous position.

Clearly, the main force protecting everyone was their army, yet they held no real power. The people only recognized figures like the Xiao family. Once they reached Su City, if these people colluded with Su City’s authorities to sideline them, and then made some political maneuvers, Jiang City’s army of over a hundred thousand could be devoured bit by bit, leaving the Qu family with nothing…

They had to win the support of the people in Jiang City.

First, they needed to remove the Xiao family, the biggest obstacle in their way.

But they couldn’t be too forceful about it—if they provoked Xiao Jing, that country bumpkin, there’d be trouble for themselves too.

He glanced at Gu Xu, softened his tone, and was about to speak when Boss Zhang rushed in. Seeing the tense standoff, he hurriedly said, “Everyone, calm down! Calm down! Young Master Xiao, Young Master Qu, let’s talk this out—no need for things to get like this!”

Qu Nan looked at him. “And you are?”

“Young Master Qu, I’m just the owner of an internet café in the new district. My surname’s Zhang. I used to be a low-ranking detective under Chief Xiao. Thanks to Young Master Xiao’s trust, I’m helping out now since we’re short-handed—taking statements and running errands. I took Miss Bian’s statement myself.” Boss Zhang’s face was full of flattery.

Xiao Jing snorted. “The report’s out, right? Was Bian Changxi the killer?”

He shot Boss Zhang a look. The reason he’d arrested Bian Changxi was partly because Boss Zhang egged him on, partly because he remembered this cold, beautiful woman and was curious how she could kill someone, and partly to boost the police’s visibility—to show the people in the new district that they still had authority, could get things done, and were fair and just.

But now that Qu Nan was involved, everything had changed. He absolutely couldn’t just let Qu Nan take her away—otherwise, wouldn’t that make him look scared?

Boss Zhang felt helpless. The autopsy hadn’t been done by a professional coroner; any experienced detective could tell how those people died. The report in his hand was handwritten—faking it wouldn’t be hard, but could he afford to?

He wasn’t a country bumpkin like Xiao Jing. He knew full well that in these times, whoever held power had the final say, and whoever controlled the army was the local king.

The Jiang City commander might not be much compared to Su City, but compared to the fragmented, faction-ridden police system, it was like tanks versus infantry. The only reason they were being cautious was for political reasons—if that veneer was torn away, well…

Don’t be fooled by Qu Nan only bringing a few people. If anything happened to him here, evidence or not, his father could easily wipe everyone out with his own gun!

So, no matter how unwilling he was to let Bian Changxi go, he could only say honestly, “According to the autopsy and crime scene reenactment, while Tian Jiaxing did have a physical altercation with Miss Bian, he wasn’t killed by her. Miss Bian acted in self-defense and is free to go. Sorry for wasting your time, Miss Bian.”

The last sentence was directed at Bian Changxi.

Xiao Jing almost exploded with anger.

Qu Nan smiled. “See? If you’d said that earlier, this would’ve been settled. Captain Gu, let’s go.”

Gu Xu led Bian Changxi out. That elite-looking man even brought Bian Changxi’s bag over, and Gu Xu took it as usual. Qu Nan extended his hand in a gesture of invitation. “Captain Gu, let me see you out.”

Xiao Jing tried to stop them, but Boss Zhang quickly grabbed him and shook his head. “Don’t, Young Master Xiao. Didn’t you see how polite Qu Nan was to Gu Xu? That guy must have some backing. Even if you stop Qu Nan, Gu Xu might have a trick up his sleeve.”

Xiao Jing shook him off angrily. “Weren’t you the one who said Gu Xu’s group was capable? That if we arrested Bian Changxi, they’d come begging, and then we could win them over? Hmph, turns out they are capable—just too damn capable!”

Boss Zhang listened bitterly, both resenting and mocking Xiao Jing, but also feeling frustrated. He hadn’t realized Bian Changxi had such strong backing—wouldn’t it be even harder to get her jade bracelet now?

But this only convinced him further that the thing really was a treasure, just as his boss had said.

Meanwhile, Gu Xu thanked Qu Nan. “Young Master Qu, thank you so much for today.”

Bian Changxi also expressed her gratitude.

Qu Nan quickly replied, “Please, don’t mention it. It’s my honor to be of help to Captain Gu. With your abilities, I’m afraid my help was unnecessary.”

The two stopped at the entrance. Several tricycle carts, led by two police officers and loaded with supplies, were being pushed in by workers. Gu Xu and Bian Changxi’s eyes were immediately drawn to them, and they exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion and gravity in each other’s eyes.

Qu Nan noticed and, thinking he understood their concern, lowered his voice to complain, “Xiao Jing’s people have taken over every little thing at the station—they want to control even the tiniest matters. Waving his authority around like this will only make the people resent him. And how many police stations are there in Jiang City? Not everyone under Chief Xiao listens to him. There are also the fire department, SWAT, city management, and so on—plenty of people want to step up and contribute. I’m afraid things won’t stay peaceful in this new district.”

Gu Xu nodded in agreement. “If this conflict isn’t resolved, it’ll be a hidden danger on the road to Su City. If you need anything from me, just say the word.”

Qu Nan looked deeply moved.

“Hey, what’s with these bugs?”

“Damn, are these ants or what?”

“Ow, it bit me! Help!”

Suddenly, the tricycle carts stopped. Black, finger-sized creatures started swarming out of the cardboard boxes, biting anyone they could reach. In the blink of an eye, several people by the carts had been bitten.

Because they were close by, the black bugs scuttled across the ground straight toward Bian Changxi. A few even took flight, swooping toward her head.

Bian Changxi had been watching that area closely. She shouted, “Watch out!” and drew the knife from her back, slashing down the first bug in midair.

The corpse of a cockroach-like bug, as big as a baby’s fist, hit the ground, still twitching. Black fluid oozed from its split abdomen, corroding the floor tiles with a hiss.

Bian Changxi only had time for a quick glance before the rest of the cockroaches came crashing in. She swung her knife but missed, then raised her arm to shield herself and flicked her left hand—several vines whipped out, forcing the bugs back.

The cockroaches buzzed angrily, joined by smaller black flies, all with blood-red eyes and bodies covered in slime, swooping at the crowd and stirring up a foul wind.

“Young Master Qu, look out!” Qu Nan’s people reacted quickly, surrounding him. One woman shot a jet of water, soaking several flies. A man sent out a few icicles, but missed. The rest simply shouted and swung their machetes and hammers, barely holding the bugs back.

Two others raised their submachine guns and fired in bursts, the muzzle flashes finally burning a few of the flying insects.

Everything happened so fast that most people couldn’t react—they just stood there, trying to fend off the attack, but with little effect. The lobby was still full of survivors, who were now screaming and running for their lives."