The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

The shop quieted down again.

Huang Mao dared not shout anymore, his eyes fixed on the direction of the alley entrance.

"Bye-bye, the Enforcement Bureau will be here in six minutes at the earliest," Xiao Qi reported in her mind.

"Um."

"Your stamina is still slowly recovering, so those three won't dare to come any closer. Just now, Huang Mao glanced in your direction and then immediately looked away. He still remembers when you choked him."

"Auntie," Niu Niu peeked out from under the counter, her voice low and nervous, "Will Prince be alright?"

The proprietress bent down and tucked the stray hairs from her forehead behind her ear.

"It's alright, the enforcement team will be here soon."

"But that bad guy just said he was going to call a lot of people..."

"Then let them come." The proprietress straightened up and looked at Bai Ci sitting in the barber chair. "If he's not afraid, why should we be?"

A sound came from outside the alley.

The roar of the engine poured in from the alley entrance, mixed with the metallic clanging of car doors being opened and slammed shut, the sound growing louder as it approached.

Huang Mao looked outside. The alley was rather dark, and the car lights made him squint, so he couldn't see the license plates clearly. But the passenger window of the car in front was open, and there was a person sitting inside. He had broad shoulders, a round head, and a neck so thick that it was connected to his head.

"They're here! They're here!" He turned and shouted at Bamboo Pole and Potato, his voice hoarse, "Biaozi! Biaozi's in the passenger seat! Master Qi's car! Master Qi's here!"

Bamboo Pole and Potato squeezed towards the door at the same time, and the three of them blocked the glass door to look outside.

Bamboo Pole only glanced at him before shouting, "Yes, yes, yes! It's Biaozi! That build is unmistakable! You won't find another one as wide as him in the old town! Master Qi has brought his men!"

Potato chimed in, "Brother Mao! There are several more cars following behind, all full of people!"

Huang Mao turned around, his chest filled with renewed confidence.

He strode up to Bai Ci, standing this close for the first time, his voice booming so loudly it echoed throughout the store: "You're finished! You think you can fight? Get up and fight again! Where's that recording? Play it! When Master Qi comes in, play it for him! See how he deals with you!"

Bai Ci leaned back in her chair, crossed her hands on her knees, and looked up at him.

"Have your men arrived?"

"Nonsense!" Huang Mao's voice grew even louder, spitting almost onto Bai Ci's face. "You're scared now? Too late! Let me tell you, how you hit me just now, I'll make you pay tenfold later!"

Bamboo Pole chimed in from behind, "Brother Mao, ten times is too lenient! This kid was so arrogant just now, we'll make him kneel down and call us 'Grandpa' later!"

Potato chimed in, "Yes! Make him kneel down and call me 'Grandpa'!"

Bai Ci ignored them.

The door was pushed open from the outside.

The man who entered was wearing a dark blue uniform with a silver-gray pattern on the cuffs and a badge with a cold, gleaming finish pinned to his left chest, which read "Third Duty Squad of the Order Enforcement Bureau".

Behind him followed two officers in uniform, a man and a woman. The female officer was tall and thin with a short ponytail. The male officer had broad shoulders and a thick neck; his stab-proof vest was stretched taut, making him look like an oversized bucket.

Huang Mao's smile froze on his face.

His mouth was still open, the words "kneel down and call me master" still lingering on his tongue, as if someone had grabbed his throat. He stared intently at the male enforcement officer, broad shoulders, round head, his neck and head blending together. Just now, through the car window, he had only seen a blurry outline, the stab-proof vest making his shoulders appear even wider than usual, exactly like the thugs he had seen before.

The man was now standing under the shop's lights, a badge of the Order Enforcement Bureau printed on his sleeve, staring at him. It wasn't Biaozi; it was someone from the Enforcement Bureau.

"Impossible... I clearly saw... Biaozi..." Huang Mao's voice was weak, as if he were talking to himself.

Bamboo Pole's smile crumbled even faster than Huang Mao's, his lips trembling as he tugged at Huang Mao's sleeve: "Mao, Brother Mao... that's not Master Qi's car... that's the Enforcement Bureau..."

Potato shrank into the corner, burying his head in his knees, not daring to look at anything.

The lead male executive glanced around the store. His gaze lingered on Bai Ci's torn collar, then looked at Niu Niu huddled behind the cashier, and finally settled on the choking mark on Huang Mao's neck.

Who reported the incident?

"Me." The proprietress took a step forward and pulled Niu Niu behind her.

Her fingers were still trembling slightly, but her voice had steadied. "These three men came to my shop to extort money, demanding protection money, two thousand a month. When I refused, they started causing trouble and threw cigarette butts on the ground. That child," she pointed to Bai Ci, "was there to get a haircut and couldn't stand it anymore, so he helped me. The three of them started it, three against one, and the child's school uniform was torn to shreds. They just called more people over, saying they'd bring over a dozen, just now, the call record is still there."

After listening, Lin Yue looked at Bai Ci.

Is what she said true?

Bai Ci handed over the phone.

"I have a recording."

The recording played from the beginning, with Huang Mao's line "Two thousand a month, guaranteed to keep you safe," Zhu Gan's chorus, and Huang Mao's entire phone call to call people, "Brother Qi, bring a few more people," "Wait there," "I want to see who dares to touch my people in my territory," echoing in the store.

Huang Mao's face turned from white to green, then from green to gray. The bamboo pole and the potato both lowered their heads, not daring to look at anyone.

After listening to the recording, Lin Yue returned the phone to Bai Ci. He turned back to look at Huang Mao, his gaze turning cold.

"Order Enforcement Bureau, Third Duty Squad. I am Enforcement Officer Lin Yue." He turned his head to look at Huang Mao. "You three, your identification documents."

Huang Mao's hands were shaking so badly that he had to fumble around for a while before finally pulling a crumpled ID card out of his pocket.

Bamboo Pole and Potato were also pulled out shakily. Potato's ID card fell to the ground. When he bent down to pick it up, his hand was held down by the big, fat male executor.

"Behave yourself." The male executive's voice was deep and imposing, just like his size.

Lin Yue glanced at the three identity cards, his gaze lingering on Huang Mao's face.

"Huang Mao, Ma Changhe, and Sun Tiao. Registered residents in the old city area, with two prior administrative penalties." He handed his ID card to the enforcement officer behind him. "This time it's extortion, plus gathering people with the intention of making violent threats."

Huang Mao suddenly shouted, pointing at Bai Ci: "He hit me first! Look at my neck! Look how he hit me! I was acting in self-defense."

Lin Yue glanced down at him.

"The complainant's statement and the recorded evidence both point to extortion and threats of violence. The injury on your neck was sustained during the attack where three people were beating you." His tone remained unchanged. "The premise of self-defense is not even established. If you have anything to say, say it when you give your statement at the duty station."

He nodded to the two enforcers behind him. The two men stepped forward simultaneously, their movements swift and decisive. The burly male enforcer grabbed Huang Mao's shoulder with such force that Huang Mao sank down, along with the bamboo pole and potato. Three hands were then bound with silver-gray restraints, which tightened easily with a single buckle on the wrists.

"You have the right to apply for legal aid during the statement process," Lin Yue said. "The statement will be recorded by the Third Duty Squad of the Order Enforcement Bureau, and the entire process will be audio and video recorded. Everything you say will be recorded."

With his shoulders pressed down, Zhu Gan cried out in a tearful voice, "Brother Mao! Didn't you say Master Qi was coming? Didn't you say Biaozi was coming?!"

Huang Mao didn't turn around. He was being led away by the burly executor. When he passed Bai Ci, he suddenly stopped and glared at her with bloodshot eyes.

"Don't get cocky." His voice was low and laced with rage. "Just because Master Qi didn't come tonight doesn't mean this is over. Once he finds out, you'll be walking alone in the old town at night from now on..."

"Quiet down, behave yourself." The burly bailiff holding him tightened his grip, and Huang Mao's shoulders sank another half inch. "We'll talk at the enforcement bureau."

Huang Mao was led away, his mouth shut, but his eyes remained fixed on Bai Ci. Before being put into the car, he glanced back at the alley entrance; it was empty. There was no Master Qi's car, no Biaozi, nothing at all.

Lin Yue looked at Bai Ci: "Are you a student?"

Bai Ci took out her student ID from her pocket and handed it over.

Lin Yue opened it.

St. Andrew's Academy, Bai Ci.

His fingers paused on the student ID for a moment. Then he closed the ID, handed it back, and did so swiftly.

But a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes as he looked at Bai Ci. The boy in front of him was standing in a run-down hair salon in the old town. His school uniform was torn, and there were red marks from the straps on his collarbone. There was also dust on his cuffs. After hearing the proprietress's description, he assumed that Bai Ci was a student from some ordinary middle school nearby.

Lin Yue didn't say much, but turned to the proprietress and nodded: "After you two have finished handling things, come to the duty detachment to make a statement. Minors don't need to be present."

Huang Mao and the other two were put into the patrol car, and the hair salon fell silent again.

"Ding, [Fierce Aura Unleashed] has been deactivated. Current stamina: 32/100, rest recommended."

Bai Ci stood still, letting out a soft breath. The burst of energy in those three seconds had taken its toll on her frail body, leaving her feeling a little weak.

"Bai Bai, you were amazing just now!" Xiao Qi excitedly replayed the scene in her mind. "The look on Huang Mao's face when you pinned him to the ground, his eyes were practically popping out of their sockets!"

Before Xiao Qi could finish speaking, Bai Ci heard Niu Niu crying behind him.