Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

"Go to jail for your own good."

Lu Jingyan's casual remark was like the last straw, completely crushing Ye Tian's newly ignited "protagonist's heart."

When two SWAT officers helped him into the police car, he had completely given up resisting. His eyes were vacant, like a puppet whose soul had been taken away, and all that was left was unconscious muttering to himself.

"It's all over...it's all over...my system...my national treasure...my life of triumph..."

On the other hand, Zhang Sanye, who called himself "the Tomb Raider Captain," met a much worse end.

His "fire escape talisman" not only failed to harm Zhao Tiezhu in the slightest (the SWAT team's combat uniforms were made of fireproof material), but instead set himself on fire, burning half of his tattered cotton-padded coat. At this moment, he was being sprayed with dry powder by several SWAT officers using fire extinguishers, choking and rolling his eyes back, completely losing any semblance of his "masterful" demeanor.

"Cough cough... You... You have no sportsmanship..."

Even as he was handcuffed, Master Zhang was still trying to maintain his last shred of dignity: "What kind of hero bullies the few with the many?"

"Heroes and heroines?"

Zhao Tiezhu picked him up like a chick and gave him an extremely "kind" smile at his face, which was blackened by soot.

"Excuse me, we are police officers. We only care about efficiency."

"As for your mystical talismans..."

Zhao Tiezhu searched his pocket and found a stack of yellow paper covered in scribbles, along with the iconic Luoyang shovel, and put them into an evidence bag.

"Keep it for the judge to perform. Maybe they'll see you have some 'special skills' and sentence you to 'special talent introduction,' letting you make the most of your time in prison, like... digging a septic tank or something."

Master Zhang rolled his eyes and fainted from anger.

……

Temporary office of the special investigation team, Provincial Public Security Department.

Lu Jingyan had barely taken office when he started a case analysis meeting without even having a sip of hot tea.

The chipped and broken bowl, "seized" from the antique market, was carefully placed in the center of the conference table.

"Old Zhang, Old Ye, you're experts, take a look."

Lu Jingyan spoke to the two appraisal experts who had been urgently invited from the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau.

Two elderly professors with white hair put on gloves, picked up magnifying glasses, and carefully studied the bowl for a long time. Their expressions changed from solemn to surprised, and then to ecstatic.

"Oh my god...oh my god!"

Professor Zhang put down his magnifying glass, his hands trembling with excitement. He adjusted his reading glasses, his voice shaking, "Although it's not Ru ware, this... this is a large official kiln sacrificial red glaze bowl with incised dragon design from the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Look at this glaze, so deep and rich, like chicken blood—it's the long-lost 'sacrificial red' technique! And the engraved dragon pattern on the bottom is so lifelike, with five toes on its claws—this was once an item reserved for the imperial family!"

"Most importantly!"

Professor Ye pointed to the almost worn-down inscription on the bottom of the bowl, his voice trembling with emotion, "'Made in the Jiajing Reign of the Great Ming Dynasty'... It's an official mark! It's genuine!"

"Although it's broken, it's in excellent condition with a pure glaze. This...this is absolutely a national first-class cultural relic! A national treasure! A true national treasure!"

The two elderly professors were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes. They hugged the bowl as if they were stroking their long-lost son.

The young officers in the office were dumbfounded.

They never imagined that the broken bowl that Captain Lu casually "picked up" from a street stall on his first day of work would actually be a national treasure.

"Then... how much is this bowl worth?" Zhao Tiezhu couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"valuable?"

Professor Zhang glared at him, puffing out his beard and staring intently. "Vulgar! Art is priceless! It's a treasure of our nation, a testament to history! How can it be measured in money?"

"but……"

Professor Ye added from the side, "If it were put at Christie's auction house, conservatively speaking, it would start at... nine figures."

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the office.

Nine figures?

Wouldn't that be several hundred million?

All eyes turned to Lu Jingyan, as if he were a walking money-printing machine.

"Cough cough."

Lu Jingyan cleared his throat, interrupting everyone's reverie.

"Now that it's been confirmed as a national first-class cultural relic, things will be much easier."

He picked up the phone on the table and dialed the number for the evidence department.

"I am Lu Jingyan. There is a national first-class cultural relic here. Send someone over immediately to complete the procedures for its storage and sealing."

"Also, notify the procuratorate. Suspects Ye Tian and Zhang San are suspected of the crimes of illegally excavating ancient tombs and trafficking in cultural relics. The evidence is conclusive, and we can prepare to file a public prosecution."

Ye Tian's dream of a comeback by "picking up a bargain through his own abilities" was completely shattered at this moment.

He will face severe legal punishment and a long prison sentence.

……

A few days later, that familiar scene played out again at the entrance of the Provincial Public Security Bureau.

The gongs and drums are loud, and the firecrackers are all fired.

The leaders of the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau personally led a team to present a huge, gleaming gold banner to the top leader of the provincial department.

On the banner, two lines of large characters were written in a flowing, elegant style:

[A discerning eye to identify national treasures, a swift and decisive strike to suppress villains]

The provincial leaders were all smiles, holding Lu Jingyan's hand and taking countless group photos. They immediately expressed their intention to commend the special investigation team.

Lu Jingyan stood among a group of "big shots," a standard professional smile on his face, but inwardly he was sighing helplessly.

Why is it that I can't escape the process of presenting a banner of appreciation no matter where I go?

"Well done, Xiao Lu!"

In the conference room, the top leader of the provincial department personally poured him a cup of tea, his appreciation evident on his face. "You've only been in the provincial department for one day, and you've already given us such a great gift! Not only did you recover the national treasure, but you also followed the clues and dismantled a tomb-raiding gang that had been entrenched for many years. It's a fantastic start!"

"It's all I should do," Lu Jingyan said modestly.

"Well done, calm and composed."

The leader nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject, his expression becoming serious.

"However, Lu, this is just the beginning."

He pointed out the window to the much larger and more complex city.

"The waters of the provincial capital are much deeper than those of Beijing. The recent 'strange people and events' are just the tip of the iceberg."

"According to the intelligence we have, with the arrival of that 'purple light,' the major ancient martial arts families that have been dormant for hundreds of years seem to be showing signs of awakening."

"They possess superhuman strength, yet they may not have any reverence for the law."

The leader stared intently at Lu Jingyan.

"You have a heavy burden to bear."

Lu Jingyan put down his teacup, stood up, and there was no fear in his eyes. Instead, his eyes burned with an unprecedented fighting spirit.

"Please rest assured, sir."

He looked out the window at the bustling traffic, his voice not loud, but firm and resolute.

"As long as they are still on this land."

"It's under my jurisdiction."

Just as he made these bold statements, the door to his office was pushed open.

A newly assigned young policewoman walked in somewhat nervously, carrying a stack of documents.

"Captain Lu... Captain Lu, these are the 'special case' files reported by various municipal bureaus below... uh, 'special case' files."

Lu Jingyan turned around and glanced at the pile of documents that was taller than him, and his temples began to throb again.

It seems the workload for this third volume's dungeon is a bit excessive.

He casually picked up the top file.

[Case Summary: In Longyin Mountain, Qingcheng City, villagers witnessed a man breathing fire and burning down the forest, claiming, "I've returned from a broken engagement; don't underestimate a young man's potential..."]

Lu Jingyan: "..."

He put down this one and picked up the second one.

[Case Summary: In Jiangnan City, a bodyguard known as the "King of Soldiers" killed three people in the street while protecting the daughter of a certain conglomerate, claiming it was "self-defense"...]

Lu Jingyan: "..."

He felt his blood pressure rise again.

"Alright, put it down."

He waved wearily, "Tell the brothers, don't rest."

"start."