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

The air in the living room seemed to freeze.

The luxurious crystal chandelier cast a pale light, illuminating Lu Zhenhua's deeply lined old face. Looking at his second son, who had just returned from outside, exhausted yet still ramrod straight, he felt a lump of cotton stuck in his throat, a suffocating tightness.

"Arrest the whole family?"

Lu Jingyan tossed his car keys onto the coffee table with a crisp sound, then sat down on the single sofa, poured himself a glass of water, and said, "Dad, what you're saying is a bit alarmist."

"Are you exaggerating?"

Lu Zhenhua sprang up from the sofa like an old cat whose tail had been stepped on. He pointed at the empty, frighteningly large villa, his fingers trembling violently.

"Open your eyes and look! Look at the state this house has become!"

He started counting on his fingers, one by one, and with each one he counted, his heart bled.

"Your older brother, Mingze, may not be the sharpest tool in the shed sometimes, but he's still your own brother! Just because he punctured a few tires, he's still in detention eating steamed buns, and I heard he's even competing with that Gu Yanchen to see who can memorize the prison rules faster!"

"Your second uncle, Zhenhai, may be a bit greedy, but he's been working alongside me for so many years. And what did you do? You had the Economic Crime Investigation Department take him away at the family dinner, without even letting him finish his meal!"

"And that Chen Aoxue! She's your fiancée! You put up flyers for her, made her cry in the street, broke off the engagement, and slapped her in the face. Who would dare marry into our Lu family now?"

At this point, Lu Zhenhua was overcome with grief and slumped back into the sofa, his eyes reddening.

"Even our longtime business partner, that kid from the Gu family, you sent him to work as a sewing machine. Now, everyone in the entire Jinghai business district treats me like I'm a plague carrier, terrified of being targeted by my good son who's so righteous, even turning against his own family!"

"A banquet in the capital..."

Lu Zhenhua slapped his thigh, his voice choked with emotion, carrying a sense of desolation like someone nearing the end of their life. "The New Year is just around the corner. In previous years, the house would be bustling with activity at this time, even if it was all fake, at least there would be some human presence."

"Look at the situation now! I can't even get enough people for a mahjong game! Do you want me to play cards with thin air?"

Lu Jingyan listened quietly to his father's accusations, his expression remaining completely unchanged.

He slowly took a sip of water to moisten his slightly dry throat, then put down the cup and pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses.

"Dad, let me correct you."

His voice was calm and composed, exuding an undeniable rationality. "My eldest brother went in for deliberately damaging property, my second uncle went in for embezzlement, and Gu Yanchen went in for... well, he's done too many things to list in a short time."

"As for Chen Aoxue, she was the one who parked illegally first. I'm a police officer, this is my duty."

You said the house is quiet and empty.

Lu Jingyan looked around and nodded. "It is indeed a bit deserted. But this means our family's 'criminal rate' has decreased, and the safety factor has increased. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Good news my foot!"

Enraged, Lu Zhenhua grabbed a cushion and threw it at him. "Don't you understand the saying 'too much clarity leaves no fish'?! Are you trying to turn the Lu family into a corrupt government office?! I'm a businessman, not a saint!"

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his soaring blood pressure, and adopted a serious tone.

"Son, I know you want to be a good policeman and prove yourself. But everything has its limits."

Lu Zhenhua leaned closer, his eyes pleading. "You've shown off your power, you've arrested the guy, that's enough. Leave some room for the Lu family line, okay? You can't really let your father become a lonely old man, can you?"

He was genuinely scared.

These past few nights, he's dreamt of Lu Jingyan holding a pair of silver bracelets, standing smiling at his bedside, saying, "Dad, it's time to go."

Every time I wake up startled, my back is soaked with sweat.

Looking at his father's trembling appearance, Lu Jingyan felt somewhat helpless.

He was certainly not a serial killer, nor did he intend to truly wipe out the Lu family. All he did was, with the system's assistance, eliminate potential threats that could lead to the Lu family's destruction.

In the original story, the Lu family ultimately met a tragic end, with everyone destroyed. Rather than letting others clean up the mess, it's better for him to do it himself; at least he can control the situation.

"Dad, you're overthinking it."

Lu Jingyan sighed, leaned forward slightly, and softened his tone, "As long as you abide by the law and do nothing wrong, the handcuffs in my hand will never be on yours."

"real?"

Lu Zhenhua's eyes lit up, as if he had grasped at a lifeline. "You promise?"

"I promise."

Lu Jingyan nodded, his eyes sincere. "I'm your son, not a heartless machine. As long as our family is clean and honest, who can do anything to us?"

"That's good, that's good..."

Lu Zhenhua let out a long sigh of relief, collapsing onto the sofa as if a tremendous burden had been lifted. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and a long-lost smile finally appeared on his face.

"You scared me to death! I thought you were coming back tonight to arrest me."

He picked up the iced tea on the coffee table and gulped down a large mouthful, trying to calm himself down. "Alright, now that we've talked it out, Dad won't worry about it anymore. You should go to sleep; you have to go to work tomorrow, don't you?"

As long as this kid doesn't arrest him, even if he causes a huge mess, Lu Zhenhua can help patch it up.

Lu Jingyan stood up, straightened his clothes, and prepared to go upstairs.

He suddenly stopped when he reached the top of the stairs.

As if remembering something trivial, he turned around, placed one hand on the armrest, and looked down at Lu Zhenhua, who was about to light a cigarette to relax.

"By the way, Dad."

Lu Jingyan's voice was very soft, yet it sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet living room.

"What's wrong?" Lu Zhenhua's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the lighter. His heart, which had just settled, jumped again. "Is there something else?"

Lu Jingyan pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a wise and sharp light under the lamp.

"When we were talking about 'clean and tidy,' something suddenly came to mind."

He looked at his father, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, his tone as gentle as if he were asking what they would have for breakfast the next morning:

"I looked at our group's tax returns from last year, and it seems... there's a minor issue?"

"Especially the tax refund application for overseas investment, it doesn't make logical sense."

"Clatter".

The lighter in Lu Zhenhua's hand finally fell to the ground.