Chen Ling had finished patrolling Frost Street. He walked along, his hands full with dozens of plastic bags, which dangled like two giant weights.
Chen Ling sighed deeply.
So many chicken hearts and pig hearts! Even if he stir-fried them for every meal, he couldn't finish them in months... And eating like this every day, who could stand it?
He couldn't finish them by eating, and it would be a waste to throw them away. Helpless, Chen Ling had no choice but to carry them all back.
"With this weather... they should last a bit longer."
As he was about to turn back home, a commotion suddenly arose from the side of the street ahead.
It was at the intersection of Frost Street and the adjacent street, a medium-sized wet market. Chen Ling often came here on weekdays; he was a regular customer.
After a moment of hesitation, he still walked straight towards the wet market.
Strictly speaking, this wet market was also within his jurisdiction. If anything happened there, he had to check it out. Besides, he only had a pile of hearts; he'd need to buy some side dishes to stir-fry them. Since he was already there, he might as well buy some more groceries to take back.
Chen Ling walked into the wet market and saw two figures dressed in law enforcement uniforms. They were standing in front of a stall. The wet market, which should have been bustling with activity in the morning, was now eerily silent.
Beside the stall, a middle-aged woman was sprawled amidst potatoes and cabbage. There was a footprint on her chest, as if she had been violently kicked to the ground.
"Officers... this month's money, didn't, didn't I already pay it?"
She looked at the two men in terror, her face full of bewilderment.
"Who did you pay it to?" Brother Guo asked blandly.
"...To Officer Zuo."
"What does it have to do with me if you paid him?" Brother Guo kicked aside a nearby vegetable basket. He slowly squatted down in front of her and spoke unhurriedly. "This wet market is now under my jurisdiction... Do you understand?"
Looking at Brother Guo's sinister eyes, the woman immediately began to tremble. "I... I really have no money in my shop, officer, could you, could you give me a few more days..."
Hearing this, Brother Guo stood up immediately, not bothering to look at her again. Instead, he waved his hand at the other law enforcement officer beside him.
"I suspect this shop is hiding drugs. Search it."
"Yes, sir."
The officer immediately walked into the shop and quickly began rummaging. Cabinets, boxes, and even vegetable baskets were overturned all over the floor. Under his brutal search, the entire shop was completely turned into a mess.
"Officer, officer... there's really nothing in my shop..." Seeing this, the woman staggered to her feet, speaking with a pained heart.
"Officer, this area is under Officer Chen's jurisdiction... Isn't what you're doing a bit inappropriate?"
Other pedestrians who had come to the wet market, as well as the local vendors, were cowering to the side. Only an elderly man stepped forward, trying to persuade the two men to stop.
"Officer Chen? Which Officer Chen?" Brother Guo said slowly. "I haven't heard of him."
"It's Officer Chen Ling..."
"That would be me."
A voice suddenly came from the side. Chen Ling walked calmly, carrying plastic bags in both hands.
Seeing Chen Ling arrive, the crowd immediately parted, making a path. The figure walked through the crowd, straight towards Brother Guo. The latter's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said with a cold laugh:
"What Officer Chen Ling? Just a newly promoted law enforcement—"
Bang!!
Before Brother Guo could finish his sentence, a blur instantly appeared before him. Then, a tremendous force struck his chest. He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string!
The onlookers around them were all stunned. They hadn't even clearly seen what happened, yet Chen Ling was already standing where Brother Guo had been.
"Brother Guo?!" the other law enforcement officer exclaimed.
Brother Guo crashed through two stalls consecutively. Only then did the force dissipate. He lay on the ground like a pile of mud, painful groans emanating from his throat.
Without a word, Chen Ling put down his plastic bags, casually pulled out a sharp boning knife from a nearby butcher stall, and walked up to Brother Guo.
"You... you... what do you want to do??"
Brother Guo's eyes widened. He thought Chen Ling had gone mad!
The reason he had caused this scene was to force Chen Ling into a conflict with them. He was even worried Chen Ling wouldn't take the bait and had devised several ways to provoke him. But he never expected Chen Ling to appear without a single word and kick him flying for over ten meters!
"What am I doing?" Chen Ling said indifferently. "Aren't you looking for death? I'll grant it to you."
The boning knife in his hand suddenly plunged downwards!
The sharp blade pierced through Brother Guo's shoulder blade. A painful shriek immediately echoed through the wet market; the sheer agony made all the onlookers shudder.
The other law enforcement officer was dumbfounded.
From the moment Chen Ling appeared until now, he had done only two things: kicked him flying and stabbed him. He hadn't said a single superfluous word; his movements were clean and decisive. Before anyone could even react, he had already plunged the knife into Brother Guo's shoulder.
"Since when did Frost Street become your territory?" Chen Ling pulled out the boning knife expressionlessly. Crimson blood quickly spread from the wound.
"Chen Ling!! You're asking for it!! Just wait until you're... Ahhh!!"
Brother Guo was halfway through his sentence when Chen Ling plunged the knife into his lower abdomen again. The pain made him wail once more on the spot.
"Keep talking." Chen Ling's voice showed no emotion. "The cross-section of a boning knife is very small, so even if I stab you, it won't easily cause significant blood loss... Provided I avoid vital organs, how many times do you think I can stab you?"
"Madman... you're a mad... Ahhh!!"
"Stop."
A voice came from behind.
At the entrance of the wet market, Han Meng, dressed in a trench coat, walked in with a grim expression. Several law enforcement officers followed him, one of them being Xiao Zuo, who had just left.
Xiao Zuo saw Brother Guo lying in a pool of blood on the ground. Deep shock appeared in his eyes!
"Chief Han Meng is here!"
Hearing someone shout this from the crowd, Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly. He looked down at Brother Guo, who was pale with pain, and slowly stood up from over him.
"Can someone explain to me what happened?" Han Meng's deep voice resonated.
"Chief Han Meng!" The other law enforcement officer immediately spoke. "This Chen Ling intimidated residents in his jurisdiction and amassed wealth. Brother Guo merely said something to him and was stabbed on the spot..."
Han Meng raised an eyebrow. His gaze towards Chen Ling was somewhat peculiar.
"Intimidating residents... and amassing wealth?"
"It's true!" Xiao Zuo immediately chimed in. "I saw it too! The bags on the ground are full of evidence!"
Chen Ling's expression suddenly became subtle.
The onlookers from Frost Street paused in surprise and began to whisper among themselves...
Han Meng and Chen Ling exchanged glances. The former paused for a moment before slowly speaking:
"Chen Ling, open the bags."
"..." Chen Ling finally understood what these law enforcement officers were trying to imply. He couldn't help but ask in return, "Are you sure?"
"Open them."
"...Alright."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Chen Ling bent down and slowly untied the bulging plastic bags scattered on the ground...
The next moment, a dense pile of chicken hearts, duck hearts, and pig hearts was exposed to the air.
Audience Expectation Value: 7!
The atmosphere suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
Xiao Zuo, standing nearby, and Brother Guo, who had gritted his teeth and stood up, were utterly stunned by the sight.
"..." Han Meng's mouth twitched slightly. He looked at the innocent-faced Chen Ling and couldn't help but ask, "All these hearts are for..."
Chen Ling pondered for a moment, then braced himself and replied,
"I love to eat them."
[1 minute ago] Chapter 155: Starfall Returns to Cangwu
[2 minutes ago] Chapter 189: Morning
[4 minutes ago] Chapter 171: Brother
[4 minutes ago] Chapter 85
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