Chapter 95: Chen Ying
Ma Ling's words, like a sharp knife, pierced Yang Haoran's chest. He truly hadn't realized how cutting this young girl could be when drunk, every word hitting a raw nerve.
From a rational perspective, Ma Ling hadn't said anything wrong; she was speaking the absolute truth. But often, the truth stings the most.
"Haha, you're already thirty and still don't even have a girlfriend, Brother Yang! You really need to pick up the pace. If you were rich, it might be one thing, but if you're not, then it's going to be a real hassle. It'll be even harder to find someone in a few more years."
Wang Yiming burst into laughter, clearly delighted. To Yang Haoran, his words felt like another stab.
And it wasn't over. No sooner had Wang Yiming's laughter subsided than Ma Ling spoke up again, smiling.
"What you said is true. For an uncle like him, with his ordinary looks and already getting on in years, it's certainly hard to find someone. I heard from Wu Xiaoxiao that Uncle's family background isn't very good either, which just adds insult to injury. " At this point, Ma Ling smiled at Yang Haoran and continued earnestly, "Uncle, before you go bald, just find a good person and marry them. Don't be too picky."
The two laughed heartily, thoroughly amused, while Yang Haoran's mouth twitched, his smile becoming extremely strained. He had gone to such lengths to steer the conversation towards himself, hoping to find out if they had a way to deal with the Yin Qi on his body. Instead, he ended up stealing a chicken only to lose the rice used as bait, not only failing to get the answer he wanted but also being verbally battered to a pulp by the two of them.
When it came to verbal sparring, Yang Haoran wouldn't say he was a grandmaster, but he certainly had some experience. However, he usually only played around with Guan Hai, rarely doing so with outsiders.
Being hit by their verbal onslaught tonight piqued his interest, and he wanted to go head-to-head with them. But he didn't, because that wasn't his main objective.
"Haha, thank goodness, thank goodness! I have a girlfriend now, and she's quite good to me. From the looks of it, I probably won't end up like Brother Yang."
Wang Yiming had a look of drunken smugness on his face, his tone filled with triumph. Yet, the very instant his words faded, the private room door was suddenly forced open, and a group of police officers burst in, weapons drawn.
"Don't move!"
The three people in the private room were utterly dumbfounded. None of them had anticipated such a scene. They were chatting lively, when suddenly a group of police officers rushed in, pointing their guns at them.
It was standard protocol for Lecheng police to carry firearms when responding to calls. If a suspect didn't cooperate, they had the right to open fire. Although Yang Haoran and the other two weren't ordinary people, handguns still posed a certain threat to them, and what's more, there was more than one gun pointed at them.
Of course, that was secondary. The main issue was that they had absolutely no idea what crime they had committed to warrant such a large police presence.
"Wang Yiming? What are you doing here? !"
Just as surprise and confusion filled Yang Haoran's mind, one of the female officers suddenly called out Wang Yiming's name. From her voice, it was clear that she was utterly astonished.
Following the voice with his gaze, Yang Haoran couldn't help but frown slightly. He actually knew the female officer who had suddenly called out Wang Yiming's name!
This female officer was none other than Chen Ying, the very one who had arrested him and brought him to the police station during the rotten old woman incident. At that time, Yang Haoran had truly suffered several "son-extinction kicks" from her, and had also been severely beaten by the other officers who piled on.
Although the true circumstances of the incident were cleared up afterwards, and Yang Haoran was not the criminal who had committed the home invasion, the police had not offered him any apologies. They simply told him he could leave the station, and the person who saw him off at the time was this very female officer.
Yang Haoran clearly remembered what the female officer had said to him when he left the police station. Although he hadn't shown anything at the time, her attitude had definitely provoked him, which was why he had such a deep impression of her.
After the female officer called out Wang Yiming's name, the other police officers present also seemed to recognize Wang Yiming. Their expressions grew a little strange as they looked at Wang Yiming, then at the female officer.
"Chen Ying? What. . . what are you doing? " Wang Yiming looked at the female officer, his expression a mix of surprise and confusion.
"We just received an emergency call saying there were three dangerous individuals here, either lunatics or murderers. So we rushed over immediately. But I never expected that you'd be one of them!"
The female officer's brows furrowed tightly, her expression exceptionally displeased. However, whether her displeasure was directed at the caller or at Yang Haoran and the other two was anyone's guess.
"Lunatics? Murderers? Is there some mistake? " Wang Yiming's drunkeness subsided a little, and he sobered up considerably. He turned his gaze to the other police officers and said, "It's a misunderstanding, it must be a misunderstanding! Don't you all know whether I'm a lunatic or a murderer?"
"Put your guns away."
The speaker was presumably the captain of these police officers. As soon as he spoke, all the officers, including Chen Ying, holstered their pistols.
"Wang Yiming, you're quite something now. Your circle of friends is really broadening! I truly admire you for getting mixed up with charlatans like these."
It was Chen Ying who spoke. She looked at Wang Yiming, then at Yang Haoran, her expression quite unpleasant. It was clear that she had not only noticed Yang Haoran's presence but also recognized him.
"It hasn't been long, and you've already learned to dress yourself up. But no matter how you dress, you can't change the fact that you're a charlatan. I told you last time, I really dislike charlatans like you who deceive and defraud people. You are the cancer of this society!"
When Chen Ying's words came out, Yang Haoran felt quite uncomfortable inside, but he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he put on a show of an innocent, bitter smile.
"Haha, Uncle, she seems to be talking about you! Calling you a charlatan! Haha, I'm dying of laughter! Don't take it to heart, she's just a mere mortal with ordinary eyes, hahahaha!"
Ma Ling was laughing so hard she was out of breath. Chen Ying, however, sank into a grim expression. In her view, Ma Ling's reaction was a blatant provocation.
"Little girl, what are you laughing at? Is it that funny? Do you think it's glorious to be mixed up with a charlatan like him? " Chen Ying said in a cold voice.
Upon hearing this, Ma Ling's smile vanished, and a surge of anger immediately rose within her.
It was no wonder she was displeased. They had been having a perfectly good conversation when a group of police officers suddenly burst in and pointed guns at them. No one would feel comfortable in such a situation.
With Ma Ling's capabilities, wherever she went, people treated her with courtesy, even figures like Old Master Wu were no exception. For so many years, she had rarely suffered any indignity, so how could she endure such a provocation?
Just as the anger in her heart was about to erupt, Wang Yiming spoke up.
At this moment, Wang Yiming, by some unknown means, had completely shed his drunkenness, returning to his usual demeanor, his face stern as if someone owed him a fortune.
"Chen Ying, what nonsense are you spouting? They're my friends! Can't you be a little more polite when you speak?"
Wang Yiming and Chen Ying's relationship seemed quite unusual; this could be heard from his tone of voice.
"Of course, I know they're both your friends, otherwise you wouldn't be sitting here drinking and chatting. But I'm curious. You're discussing ghosts and spirits, and even various murders. It's hard not to suspect you of having some ulterior motive," Chen Ying said.
After speaking, Chen Ying ignored Wang Yiming's darkened face and turned to their captain, saying, "Captain, let's take them back to the station first. It's not a good look here."
The arrival of the police had drawn a crowd of onlookers outside the private room, some of whom were customers dining at the restaurant, while others were restaurant staff. They certainly didn't believe Yang Haoran and the other two were innocent. In their eyes, if the police were involved, then they must definitely be problematic.
The captain nodded. He had actually been thinking the same thing, but considering Wang Yiming's identity, he hadn't acted on it. Now that Chen Ying had spoken up, he had fewer reservations.
"Let's discuss this back at the station. It truly doesn't look good here," the captain said.
"Hmph, and what if I refuse to go with you? " Ma Ling scoffed, asking.
"Little girl, if you don't come with us, then we'll have no choice but to use forceful methods. Don't try to resist. If you resist, we have the right to open fire directly. Besides, if you genuinely haven't done anything wrong, what's there to be afraid of by coming back with us? " Chen Ying retorted.
"This girl doesn't want to go back with you. It's purely because I don't want to, and it has nothing to do with being afraid or not. And also, you can try opening fire and see if this girl has no ability to resist your broken gun."
Ma Ling showed not the slightest intention of backing down. Her words not only intensified the anger in Chen Ying's heart but also caused the faces of the other police officers present to darken.
Chen Ying was furious and about to speak, but the captain waved his hand, stopping her.
"Little girl, I've been a police officer for so many years, and I've seen all kinds of arrogant people. But in the end, they were always the ones who suffered. If you continue to not cooperate with us, then you will also become one of them."
The middle-aged captain spoke. Perhaps due to his profession, his words carried an inherent authority. His voice wasn't loud, yet it was very powerful.
Ma Ling was also someone who had seen big scenes. The middle-aged captain's words might have had a considerable effect on ordinary people, but for Ma Ling, she paid no attention to them at all.
"Oh, really? The more you say that, the more excited I get. Just come at me with all you've got. Let me see how you're going to make me one of them."
As her voice fell, Ma Ling picked up the Black Leather Case placed beside her. From her demeanor, it seemed she was truly prepared to fight the police.
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