Free Web NovelChapter 78: Chapter 78: Underestimated
"You... this is no joke. Even if you know how to fight, you can’t take this risk," a middle-aged man advised Tang Yuanxiao.
Tang Yuanxiao paused for a moment. "I’m not joking, and this isn’t a risk. When it comes to tracking and catching people like this, I might have even more experience than you. You can trust me."
He turned back to the map and began outlining a plan. "We’ll split into five groups. We search from here... here... all the way to this point, and finally..."
Tang Yuanxiao’s plan was quick, professional, and concise, without a single flaw. Every word he spoke inspired more confidence.
A few minutes later, the team leader in charge of the operation made the final call: Tang Yuanxiao would join them, partnered with Fang Luo.
Because they had spent the next few minutes huddled together discussing in low voices, Su Li couldn’t hear their conversation. She waited anxiously outside, and when she saw Tang Yuanxiao emerge, she immediately rushed forward.
"What do you think you’re doing?" Su Li’s tone was not friendly.
"I’m going with them to catch the suspects. You wait here for me. I’ll be back in two hours at most, and then we can go to the courthouse together. If you get hungry, go buy yourself something to eat."
As he spoke to Su Li, Tang Yuanxiao walked toward the small meeting room, took something out of his bag, and tucked it into the back of his waistband. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
"Tang Yuanxiao, Fang Luo and the others work hard to catch people. You..." Su Li’s brow furrowed deeply. "They’re the professionals, they’re better at this. You shouldn’t go, should you?"
Su Li barely stopped herself from telling him not to cause trouble.
’It wasn’t that she looked down on Tang Yuanxiao or anything. For him to have climbed to a high position without any connections, he definitely had to be capable. She figured he was probably a decent fighter, too. But his skills weren’t necessarily suited for catching criminals.’
Tang Yuanxiao looked at Su Li’s tightly knitted brow and listened to her words, his expression slowly turning cold.
"I know they work hard, which is why I want to help them. And I want to catch those traffickers myself... Su Li, don’t worry. I won’t hold them back."
"No, that’s not it, Tang Yuanxiao." Su Li pleaded earnestly. "I know you want to catch the traffickers, but you should trust the police. Fang Luo and his team are very good at what they do."
Tang Yuanxiao gave Su Li a hard look, then pressed his lips together and tossed out, "We’ll see who’s better," before walking straight past her.
"Hey, Tang Yuanxiao..." Su Li was caught completely off guard. She followed behind, calling his name a few times, but his strides only grew longer.
Fang Luo and several others followed behind him.
"Wait for us to get back," Fang Luo managed to say in his haste, the only words he had time for.
"Hey..." Su Li stood in the hallway, watching their retreating backs, unable to process what had just happened.
’She had no idea how things had ended up like this!’
Tang Yuanxiao had inexplicably offered to help catch the criminals, and somehow Fang Luo and the others had actually agreed to let him tag along.
While Su Li stood there feeling utterly helpless, Tang Yuanxiao’s expression was just as grim. His jaw was clenched, and he radiated a grim, murderous air.
Fang Luo, walking beside him, glanced at him several times before tentatively speaking up. "Brother Tang, Su Li is really worried about you, huh?"
Hearing this, Tang Yuanxiao’s face darkened even more. "No."
’She wasn’t worried about me,’ he thought. ’She was worried I’d hold them back!’
Tang Yuanxiao had never liked braggarts, but today he felt a sudden urge to make sure Su Li saw what he was truly capable of in the future.
’If it weren’t for this, he would have never known just how useless Su Li thought he was.’
Tang Yuanxiao glanced at the "very good" Fang Luo that Su Li had praised and snorted softly.
’Is this Fang Luo really all that great? I’ll have to see for myself in a bit!’
Fang Luo, who had been caught in the crossfire, found Tang Yuanxiao’s gaze unnerving and couldn’t help but inch away from him.
The group moved quickly, splitting up and soon disappearing into the streets of Fengcheng County.
For Su Li, who was left waiting, the time dragged on torturously.
Tang Yuanxiao had told her to eat if she got hungry, but how could she possibly have an appetite?
Su Li waited on pins and needles, checking the time dozens of times before a commotion finally erupted outside.
As soon as she heard it, Su Li rushed out and saw Tang Yuanxiao, Fang Luo, and the others returning.
They had captured three traffickers and were returning in triumph.
"They were hidden so well! To think they were really in a place we’d never have expected!"
"Tell me about it! They really made us work for it!"
"If it weren’t for Brother Tang, my arm would’ve been done for..."
"Brother Tang is incredible..."
"Ah, thank you all so much! Now that we’ve caught them, we can report back. Of course, a special thanks to Brother Tang—you’re amazing!"
Su Li stood on the steps, listening to everyone praise Tang Yuanxiao and give him thumbs-ups, momentarily unable to process it all.
A faint smile played on Tang Yuanxiao’s lips. He shook his head modestly, but his eyes, which were fixed on Su Li, were shining brightly with a hint of expectation.
Feeling baffled, Su Li couldn’t help but ask, "You caught them?"
Fang Luo was grinning from ear to ear. "Yes, we got them! We got them all."
He pushed Tang Yuanxiao in front of Su Li. "Su Li, Brother Tang is incredible! His foresight is practically godlike. It’s just... divine! I’ve never met anyone more capable than him!"
"If it weren’t for him, we could have searched for another three days and found nothing. We spent three days trying to catch them and failed, but the moment Brother Tang made his move, they were brought down. It was simply divine!"
He praised Tang Yuanxiao so effusively, he wished he could give him a thumbs-up with his toes too.
Listening to Police Fang’s words, Su Li looked at Tang Yuanxiao in surprise, her eyes seeming to ask, ’You’re that skilled?’
"Brother Tang, we need capable people like you! It would be great if you could come work with us. You’re just too amazing!"
In less than two hours, Fang Luo’s attitude toward Tang Yuanxiao had done a complete one-eighty. He was now full of genuine admiration.
Being admired so intensely by Fang Luo, Tang Yuanxiao straightened his back. He was pleased inwardly but maintained a nonchalant expression as he spoke to Fang Luo.
"You’re exaggerating. It was just a few guys, nothing to make a fuss about." Though he was replying to Police Fang, his eyes never left Su Li.
Su Li: "..."
She saw it written all over him—he was showing off.
Su Li pouted. She was genuinely surprised. ’She never imagined Tang Yuanxiao had this kind of skill.’
With the traffickers caught and an hour left before the court hearing, Fang Luo insisted on taking the two of them out for a proper meal to celebrate and show his gratitude.
At the dinner table, as Su Li listened to Police Fang’s thrilling account of the dangerous capture, she couldn’t help but look at Tang Yuanxiao.
’So Tang Yuanxiao... was really this capable.’
’I guess this was like getting to know a whole other side of him.’
They ordered a lot of food, and it was quite delicious, but Su Li’s feelings were complicated as she ate.
Su Li finished the meal amidst these complex emotions. Afterward, Fang Luo rushed to pay the bill. "I’ll get it, I’ll get it."
Su Li and Tang Yuanxiao stepped outside first.
As they walked out of the restaurant, Tang Yuanxiao suddenly asked Su Li in a low voice, "So, who do you think is more capable now? Fang Luo or me?"
Hearing the question, Su Li turned her head and saw Tang Yuanxiao’s nonchalant expression, as if he had just asked it casually.
Feeling baffled, Su Li gave Tang Yuanxiao a suspicious look but didn’t answer his strange question.
Tang Yuanxiao frowned, staring intently at Su Li. "I’m asking you a question. Why aren’t you answering?"
