Rebirth in the Dragon Kingdom: The Strongest Blade

Chapter 73 Touching the Bottom Line

When all seven pistols were pointed at him, Lin Zhe finally frowned.

It wasn't fear, nor anger, but a feeling of being offended—like a tiger being attacked by a few wild dogs, not fatal, but annoying.

Dragon Fang, Dragon Claw, and the others' eyes also turned cold. They were "Hidden Dragons," the nation's sharpest blade, a war machine directly under the command of the highest levels. They could infiltrate enemy territory to carry out decapitation strikes, fight to the death with enemy special forces on the border, and be held at gunpoint by drug traffickers and terrorists.

But being held at gunpoint by police from your own country?

This is the first time.

Moreover, it was all for a group of spoiled brats, for a so-called "investigation" that distorted the truth.

Lin Zhe didn't speak, but just glanced at Long Ya.

One look is enough.

The next second, the air in the private room seemed to freeze.

Longya moved. Quick, as fast as a shadow. He was closest to the door; before the first policeman could react, his gun was snatched away. Longya gripped the pistol in one hand, his fingers flying across the floor. In less than three seconds, the pistol was reduced to a pile of parts, scattering on the ground with a clatter.

Almost simultaneously, the dragon claws, dragon shadows, dragon spikes, and dragon scales moved. Four people, four dark figures, pounced like cheetahs. The police officers only felt a numbness in their wrists before their guns slipped from their hands. Then they watched helplessly as their service pistols were rapidly dismantled, parts clattering and falling to the ground.

Long Qing didn't move, but she sat there, her eyes as cold as ice. Her hand was on her waist—not a gun, but several specially made tranquilizer darts. If necessary, she could render everyone present unconscious in half a second.

The entire process takes no more than ten seconds.

Seven policemen and seven guns were all reduced to parts scattered all over the ground.

Inspector Liu's eyes widened. He still had the gun in his hand, but his finger was frozen on the trigger, unable to pull it—because he saw that Longya was staring at him, his eyes looking at a dead man.

Inspector Li and the other officers were also stunned. They were soldiers themselves and had seen skilled fighters before, but they had never seen anything so fast. The disarming and dismantling of the gun were all done in one smooth motion, as if they had practiced it countless times.

"You...you dare to assault a police officer?!" A young police officer reacted, his voice trembling, but he still tried to remain calm.

"Assaulting a police officer?" Longya laughed, a cold laugh. "Are you worthy?"

"Insolence!" Military Inspector Li finally snapped out of his daze and shouted, "Which unit are you from? State your unit number! This isn't over!"

Police Inspector Liu, having recovered his composure, said with a livid face, "You dared to seize a police officer's gun, and even dismantle it... Do you know what kind of crime this is? This is a serious offense!"

Lin Zhe finally stood up.

His movements were slow, but every step he took made everyone present tense. It was an aura of someone who had long held a high position and controlled life and death; it wasn't something he could fake, but something he had forged in countless battles.

"A serious crime?" Lin Zhe looked at Inspector Liu. "And what about you? Threatening active-duty military personnel with a gun, standing up for spoiled brats, distorting the truth... what crime is that?"

Inspector Liu opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

"And you," Lin Zhe turned to Inspector Li, "the military discipline inspection commission? Specializing in handling military misconduct? Then tell me, in today's incident, who violated discipline?"

Military Inspector Li's face turned pale. He was a veteran, and he could tell at a glance that these seven men were no ordinary soldiers. Their demeanor and skill were not qualities that could be cultivated in a regular military unit.

But he can't back down. If he does, and word gets out that this happened today, he won't be able to stay in the military region anymore.

"No matter what unit you're from, you must come back with us today for questioning!" Inspector Li gritted his teeth. "Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Lin Zhe interrupted him. "Are you going to call in troops to arrest us?"

He shook his head, took out his phone from his pocket, and dialed a number.

The call was answered quickly.

"Dad, it's me." Lin Zhe's voice was calm. "I ran into some trouble at a teahouse in the western suburbs of Beijing. Police Inspector Liu Zhenguo from the Municipal Public Security Bureau and Lieutenant Colonel Li Jianjun from the Military Region's Discipline Inspection Commission brought people to arrest me. They said we were involved in a fight and caused injury."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Lin Guodong's calm voice came through: "What's going on?"

"A group of spoiled brats caused trouble and harassed our comrades. We acted in self-defense. They brought the police and the military discipline inspection commission, distorted the truth, and even pointed guns at us," Lin Zhe explained simply. "We could have handled this ourselves, but considering that one is under your jurisdiction and the other is under Xueying's father's jurisdiction, I decided to tell you."

"Give the phone to Liu Zhenguo."

Lin Zhe handed over the phone: "My dad's looking for you."

Inspector Liu's hands trembled slightly. He took the phone, and as soon as he put it to his ear, he heard Lin Guodong's icy voice: "Liu Zhenguo, you have some nerve."

"Mayor Lin... Mayor Lin..." Police Inspector Liu broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

"You'd better give me a satisfactory explanation for what happened today. Otherwise... you can forget about being a police inspector."

The phone hangs up.

Inspector Liu's hands trembled even more violently. He looked at Lin Zhe, his eyes filled with fear. Mayor Lin's son…this identity…

Before he could even catch his breath, Lin Zhe made a second call.

"Dad, it's me." This time it was a call to Zhang Dajiang. "Lieutenant Colonel Li Jianjun from the Military Region's Discipline Inspection Commission is bringing men to arrest me. The reason...fighting and assault."

Zhang Dajiang's voice was even more aggressive than Lin Guodong's: "What?! Li Jianjun? Has he lost his mind?! Give him the phone!"

Lin Zhe handed the phone to Inspector Li.

Military Inspector Li took it and had just uttered a "feed" when he heard Zhang Dajiang roar, "Li Jianjun! You think you've got guts now? Daring to arrest my son-in-law? Do you know who he is? He's directly under the Central Military Commission of the Dragon Nation! You, a mere lieutenant colonel, dare to arrest someone directly under the Central Military Commission? Do you believe I'll dismiss you right now?!"

"Military... Military Commission?" Inspector Li's hand went limp, and he almost dropped his phone.

He finally realized what kind of person he had messed with.

"The squads directly under the command of the Central Military Commission are legends in the military, the country's most mysterious and powerful special forces. Every member is a top-notch soldier, one in a million, and reports directly to the highest level. Not to mention a lieutenant colonel like him, even a general wouldn't have the authority to manage them."

The call ended. Inspector Li's face was as white as paper.

Although Inspector Liu did not know the contents of the phone call, he knew from Inspector Li's reaction that things were serious.

Wang Shaofeng, oblivious to the danger, approached and asked, "Uncle Liu, Uncle Li, what's wrong? Are they arresting someone?"

"Shut up!" Inspector Liu turned around abruptly, glaring at him fiercely, his eyes filled with anger and fear—it was all this bastard's fault that he had kicked a hornet's nest, no, a steel plate!

Military Inspector Li took a deep breath, stood at attention, and gave Lin Zhe a crisp military salute: "Sir, I'm sorry! We...we didn't know your identity..."

Lin Zhe waved his hand, ignoring him, and instead looked at Inspector Liu: "Inspector Liu, do you still think we are criminals?"

"No... I wouldn't dare..." Inspector Liu shook his head repeatedly, "It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding?" Lin Zhe's voice turned cold. "If it weren't us sitting here today, but ordinary citizens, what would have happened to us? What would have happened to you, colluding with Wang Shaofeng's father, distorting the truth, and abusing your power?"

He paused for a moment: "What you did today has crossed the line. The line for soldiers, the line for police, and... the line for being a human being."

Inspector Liu and Inspector Li had their heads down, sweat pouring down their faces.

"These people," Lin Zhe pointed to Wang Shaofeng and the thugs outside the door, "are suspected of provoking trouble and threatening the safety of active-duty military personnel. You should know how to handle this."

"Understood, understood!" Inspector Liu quickly replied, "We will definitely handle this seriously!"

"As for you..." Lin Zhe looked at Inspector Liu and Inspector Li, "I will report today's events to my superiors truthfully. Whether you were misled or colluded with others, let the Discipline Inspection Commission investigate."

These words struck them like a thunderbolt.

It's over, it's over.

Lin Zhe stopped looking at them and turned to Longya and the others, saying, "Let's go."

The seven people stood up and left the private room. As they passed Wang Shaofeng, Longya glanced at him, a look that made Wang Shaofeng's legs go weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

Outside the teahouse, the sound of police sirens grew louder as they approached. This time, it wasn't the police officers brought by Inspector Liu, but rather those from the Municipal Criminal Investigation Team—clearly arranged by Lin Guodong.

Wang Shaofeng, Qiang Ge, and the group of thugs were all handcuffed and put into police cars.

Inspector Liu and Military Inspector Li were also taken away—not as an arrest, but to "cooperate with an investigation." But the two knew that once they left, they might not return.

Inside the teahouse, the owner stood trembling at the door, watching everything unfold, not daring to utter a sound.

Lin Zhe and his six companions got into the car, and the two SUVs drove away from the teahouse.

In the car, Longya lit a cigarette and took a deep drag: "Damn it, I just wanted to have some tea and relax, but I ran into this mess."

"I'm used to it." Dragon Claw leaned back in his seat. "We're out there risking our lives, while some people are enjoying themselves in the back, thinking they're so great."

Long Qing looked out the window: "But Lin Zhe, you handled today's matter correctly. Some parasites should be removed."

Lin Zhe didn't say anything, he just looked at the street scene rushing past the car window.

He knew that today's events wouldn't end there. There were likely many more people behind Wang Shaofeng's father, Inspector Liu, and Inspector Li.

But it's okay.

He is the "Hidden Dragon," the sharpest blade in this country.

The existence of the sword is to cut through all decay and darkness.

If we can't even protect ourselves, how can we talk about protecting this country?

Night was falling.

The two SUVs disappeared into the streets of Beijing.

And this turmoil has only just begun.

Some people are destined to pay the price for what they do today.

Because the bottom line cannot be crossed.