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

The incandescent light in the interrogation room made one's scalp burn.

The crew-cut man was tightly handcuffed to the metal chair's partition. He had completely lost the arrogance he displayed last night at the night market stall, brandishing a knife.

He sniffled, his nose running. Cold sweat mixed with the charcoal ash that had smeared on his face, leaving two muddy ditch tracks.

"I'll tell you... I'll tell you everything."

He stared at the packet of blue stardust powder sealed in an evidence bag on the table. His Adam's apple bobbed twice with difficulty.

"The goods were handed over by people from a branch of Dingfeng Technology. The money was also directly deposited into their shell account in the finance department."

The crew-cut man was panting heavily, his voice trembling.

A complete transcript of the confession and a chart showing the flow of funds were slammed onto the interrogation table.

This effectively pins down the multinational pharmaceutical giant that rang the bell on Nasdaq.

The next morning. Lobby on the first floor of the Jinghai Municipal Public Security Bureau.

The exhaust fan above was whirring, trying to remove the smell of instant noodles and tobacco left over from last night's night shift.

The revolving glass door was forcefully pushed open from the outside.

The dry, cold autumn wind blew straight in in the early morning.

Dozens of people rushed into the hall, completely blocking the spacious entrance.

The people who came were all wearing dark, bespoke suits.

The leather shoes were polished to a shine, making a uniform clattering sound as they stepped on the terrazzo floor.

The air was suddenly filled with a pungent, high-end cologne scent.

It completely overshadowed the lively atmosphere that originally belonged to the police station.

The leader was a thin, middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He was carrying an expensive crocodile skin briefcase.

He used his white-gloved index finger to push up the lintel of his glasses.

His gaze swept over the grassroots police officers in the lobby, who were carrying steamed buns and soy milk. A clear look of disdain flashed in their eyes.

Zhao Tiezhu had just finished eating two large meat buns in the cafeteria.

His greasy hands were haphazardly wiping with a tissue. Looking at the group of uninvited guests in suits, he frowned, his thick eyebrows furrowing.

"What are you doing? Go to the machine over there to get a number if you want to report a crime."

Zhao Tiezhu gestured with his chin toward the service counter. The two-hundred-pound black iron tower slammed forward, blocking the aisle.

The man with the gold-rimmed glasses took half a step forward. He gave a forced, insincere smile.

"I am the General Counsel of Top Peak Technology Greater China. My surname is Chen."

He pulled a gold-embossed business card from his crocodile-skin bag, held it between two fingers, and handed it to Zhao Tiezhu.

Zhao Tiezhu didn't answer. His bald head tilted slightly to the side.

"Peak Technology? We've been looking for you, and you've delivered yourself right to our doorstep?"

Director Chen withdrew his hand and casually stuffed the business card back into his suit pocket. A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Officer Zhao is joking."

His voice wasn't loud, and it had a pretentious tone.

"The crew-cut guy your bureau arrested at the Nancheng Night Market last night was just a temporary worker in our company's outsourced logistics."

He slowly and deliberately flicked away the invisible dust from his cuffs.

"His personal involvement in the resale of prohibited items has nothing to do with our Peak Technology."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tiezhu's anger flared up instantly.

"Bullshit!"

He pointed at Director Chen's nose, his thick finger almost poking into the man's shiny glasses.

"The financial records are crystal clear. What are you trying to pull this 'temporary worker' nonsense about?"

Zhao Tiezhu had a loud voice that made the glass door vibrate.

Director Chen calmly took half a step back, dodging the spittle that was spraying towards him.

The dozens of elite lawyers behind him all stepped forward in unison.

They carried their briefcases neatly in front of their chests. Their posture suggested they were there to cause trouble or demonstrate, rather than to cooperate with an investigation.

"He also manipulated the company's financial records by exploiting loopholes. The company has already gone through the proper procedures to dismiss him last night."

Director Chen straightened his tie, looking confident and unconcerned.

"Based on the presumption of innocence, you are now defaming a legitimate and compliant Nasdaq-listed company."

He stared at Zhao Tiezhu's face, which was flushed red, and sneered.

"I brought my entire legal team here today to give the Municipal Bureau a heads-up. If they randomly audit our accounts and it affects the opening stock price, you won't be able to afford the consequences."

Zhao Tiezhu gritted his teeth.

His hand went straight to the quickdraw holster on his waist. His thumb had already released the safety.

"I don't care about your damn stock price. Today, I'm just going to arrest you, you civilized scoundrel, and send you to jail!"

"Iron Pillar. Let go."

A clear, calm male voice came from the corner of the stairs.

The voice wasn't shouted, but it carried a chilling edge, effectively suppressing the tense atmosphere in the hall.

Lu Jingyan slowly walked down the stairs.

He was wearing a clean white shirt. No tie. The top button of his shirt was undone, revealing a hint of his hard collarbone.

He held the old, chipped stainless steel thermos in his left hand.

Two soaked red goji berries floated on the surface of the water. Steam rose from the rim of the cup.

His leather shoes clicked on the tiles. He walked up to Zhao Tiezhu.

He stretched out his right hand and pressed down on the thick arm that was touching the gun. The pressure wasn't strong, but Zhao Tiezhu obediently lowered his hand.

Lu Jingyan lifted his eyelids. His dark eyes swept over the row of lawyers standing in a sea of ​​black across from him.

It's like looking at a row of plastic mannequins stacked in a recycling center.

"Peak Technology's legal department?"

He unscrewed the lid of his thermos and took a sip of warm water. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"Quite a show of force."

Looking at the young police chief in front of him, Director Chen felt his capitalist arrogance resurface.

He had heard the incredible rumors about Lu Jingyan before.

But so what? A mortal stripped of superpowers. What is he compared to this legal system woven from money?

"Commander-in-Chief Lu."

Director Chen raised his chin, his jawbone slightly lifted.

"Our company pays hundreds of millions in taxes every year. You can arrest temporary workers if you want, we'll cooperate."

He paused for a moment. He then pulled a lawyer's letter bearing several red stamps from his briefcase.

"But if they want to use this as an excuse to forcibly investigate our accounts and core databases..."

He shook the paper in mid-air, making a rustling sound.

"This is interfering with the normal operation of a business. We will file a joint lawsuit with the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the International Court of Justice."

Lu Jingyan didn't even glance at the lawyer's letter.

He put the lid back on and tightened it. The metal threads made a soft, grating sound, which was particularly jarring in the quiet hall.

"The stolen goods seized last night contained high-dimensional cell extracts from the Sirius region."

Lu Jingyan spoke calmly, directly slapping the logic of criminal investigation in the other person's face.

"This dimensional reduction and purification technology... In the entire Jinghai City, only your headquarters' sterile laboratory possesses the necessary hardware."

His dark gaze fixed on Director Chen's eyes.

"The funds are being transferred through your shell company. The equipment is being used in your laboratory."

Lu Jingyan's lips twitched subtly.

"Use the excuse of being a temporary worker to fabricate a story for the presiding judge."

Director Chen chuckled.

He found the policeman in front of him utterly naive and laughable. What's the point of talking about physical logic in the face of the iron wall of capital?

He casually tossed the intimidating lawyer's letter onto the reception desk next to him.

He put his hands into the high-end pockets of his trousers. His shoulders relaxed.

"The judge looks at irrefutable evidence, not your subjective conjectures and criminal investigation speculations."

Director Chen leaned forward.

They were separated by less than half a meter of air. He looked directly into Lu Jingyan's calm and unwavering eyes.

The light from the overhead incandescent bulb shone on the lenses of the gold-rimmed glasses, reflecting a cold, white light.

Director Chen pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and said mockingly, "Commander Lu, the law is based on evidence. Without a search warrant, you can't even get through the gates of our company."