Fu Xinran knew Wang Zhuo was violent and a formidable fighter, but witnessing it firsthand was a novel experience. Those assailants had no idea who Wang Zhuo was; they treated him and Lu Weimin exactly the same. Based on appearances, Lu Weimin projected more menace, while Wang Zhuo seemed easier to bully, so more people targeted him.

But reality often defies subjective judgment. Wang Zhuo was the unyielding iron plate they couldn't break. In this brawl, Lu Weimin took a few hits, whereas Wang Zhuo remained untouched from start to finish.

Conversely, every person who dared to strike him from the shadows met a swift and harsh end. Fu Xinran even felt that if Lu Weimin was compared to Wu Song, Wang Zhuo was like Ximen Chuixue from a Gu Long novel. Lu Weimin fought back and forth, sometimes willing to absorb a blow to land a heavier one.

Wang Zhuo, however, moved like an ancient chivalrous hero with eyes that missed nothing; his movements were clean, decisive, and effortlessly fluid, giving the illusion that a grown man was merely playing with children, completely at ease amidst the fierce melee! When someone struck Wang Zhuo from behind with a truncheon, Fu Xinran gasped, thinking he was about to be injured. Instead, she watched Wang Zhuo execute a move like an immortal descending from the heavens—a Scorpion Kick that neutralized the threat from behind.

It was as if the back of his head had eyes! Siyuan, seated beside her, immediately burst into applause, her face alight with excitement and agitation. This made Fu Xinran slightly puzzled, wondering if the younger girl was simply naive or possessed blind faith in Wang Zhuo, as she showed no sign of tension when Wang Zhuo was sneak-attacked.

In fact, she had guessed correctly. Siyuan’s confidence in Wang Zhuo was absolute. At that moment, even if Mike Tyson showed up, Siyuan would have shouted, “Coach Wang, smash him!” Whether Wang Zhuo or Tyson would win is irrelevant for now.

The immediate situation was that Wang Zhuo and Lu Weimin had secured control of the vehicle, while Zhao Aiguo stood before Wang Zhuo, his face etched with shame, offering awkward apologies with a forced, strained smile. He hadn't wanted to apologize, but the call from his superior was crystal clear: if he failed to resolve this conflict smoothly, he’d be stripped of his uniform immediately and sent to the People’s Mediation Committee! The so-called People’s Mediation Committee was essentially a low-tier version of the police—temporary staff under a different name.

The city management officers who brutally beat people were temporary staff; when the police used excessive force, local governments often explained to the media and the public that they were merely part of this "Committee." "Anyone with low character is temporary staff"—this maxim applied across all professions, especially within various law enforcement sectors... Zhao Aiguo’s sudden shift from arrogance to deference confused many onlookers. But in the next second, they saw the young man being apologized to smirk disdainfully and ask Zhao Aiguo, "Do you even know who I am?" Zhao Aiguo thought to himself, Know who you are?

I know squat! His leader only mentioned that Wang Zhuo was an "honored guest" of some major figure from the province. The message had traveled from the province to the city, then to the county, and finally from his boss down to him; who knows where the communication got scrambled?

God knows his actual identity! Of course, he dared not think that aloud. With a servile smile, he repeatedly affirmed, "Yes, yes, I know now!

Our bureau chief just informed me that you are a distinguished guest of the county. I must have been blind; it was a complete misunderstanding!" Tianlu County wasn't large, and Zhao Aiguo had been a policeman for twenty years, making him quite well-connected. Losing face so publicly in front of so many familiar and unfamiliar townsfolk was torture for him.

The crowd formed three deep rings, maintaining a cautious distance due to the intensity of the scene. Everyone watched Zhao Aiguo suddenly rush forward to apologize to the out-of-towners, bowing and scraping with extreme deference, all wondering about the identity of this group from elsewhere. "Misunderstanding?" Wang Zhuo sneered at Zhao Aiguo and asked, "Then what if I were just an ordinary citizen, coming to Tianlu to pick up a friend tricked into joining a pyramid scheme?

Would this still be a misunderstanding? I’d probably already be sitting on a cold steel bench at your station by now, right?" Zhao Aiguo thought, How does he know about the steel bench? Sitting on that in winter is quite the experience; it’ll give you hemorrhoids so painful you’ll wish for death within two hours.

Out loud, however, he pleaded, "That was just an impulse, my methods were a bit extreme. Please, you are a magnanimous person, don't hold it against a small fry like me?" Fu Xinran, who had just gotten out of the car, was instantly incensed. Still furious, she had no intention of saving this policeman any face: "We wouldn't want to argue with you, but when you argue, you really mean to take our lives!" "Th-this, what do you mean by that..." Zhao Aiguo looked embarrassed, having witnessed the strike aimed at the back of Wang Zhuo’s head: "My men were careful just now; it absolutely wasn't as severe as you claim." "You know in your heart what really happened!" Fu Xinran didn't bother arguing further.

Wang Zhuo was the anchor; how the dispute was resolved was up to him. Wang Zhuo glanced at her, a mixture of amusement and frustration on his face. This woman appeared cold and aloof, but her fierceness didn't even match Qi Fei's.

Look at her arguing skills—what kind of fighting power is "you know in your heart"? She shouldn't even be on the field! "Your surname is Zhao?" Wang Zhuo gave Zhao Aiguo a condescending look, his voice coming from his nostrils, betraying his superior air.

Zhao Aiguo nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, my name is Zhao Aiguo, an officer at the East Street Police Station." "What's the situation?" Lu Weimin interjected with a faint smile from the side, "Nowadays, even police station officers patrol the streets with hired thugs?" "No, no, those four are from the People’s Mediation Committee," Zhao Aiguo quickly explained. "Oh, I thought they were the Public Security Auxiliary Brigade," Lu Weimin remarked. It was his first time hearing that term; he just nodded slightly and stayed quiet to avoid exposing his ignorance.

Zhao Aiguo nodded in agreement, thinking that they were essentially the Auxiliary Brigade. The higher departments had issued a notice to abolish that structure last year, so they simply renamed themselves the People’s Mediation Committee. It was the same group of people doing the same things; only the name had changed, not the substance.

Just then, the local leadership finally arrived. Their response time was relatively prompt, partly because this unexpected group required security explicitly guaranteed by the Municipal Committee leaders, and they feared any mishap. Furthermore, Tianlu County was in a delicate period.

A group of out-of-town reporters had recently conducted undercover investigations and were assaulted by a pyramid scheme group. The reporters didn't say much when they left, but once they were out of the province, they issued stern threats to inform all their national colleagues about the situation in Tianlu County, subjecting the county to the media’s righteous fury. The Director of Tianlu County requested provincial approval to attempt an inter-provincial arrest of those reporters, and surprisingly, it was granted.

But the reporters were wise to such tactics. By the time they quietly arrived in Beijing, the reporters had already vanished! When the leaders heard this, they thought, This is a mutually assured destruction scenario.

Either the police catch the reporters and pin fabricated charges like extortion on them, or the reporters manage to set things right and use media power to deliver a crushing blow to the Tianlu local government. So, the police remained in Beijing, attempting all manner of captures—by arrest, by lure, by entrapment—not daring to return to Tianlu without completing the mission. Meanwhile, Tianlu County was on high alert, setting up an inescapable net, waiting to see who was tougher: the formidable outsiders with their pens or the local snakes holding the territory!

It was at this moment of extreme tension that Wang Zhuo and his group happened to drive right into it, leading to the written record of Zhao Aiguo tailing Wang Zhuo's business van and the subsequent conflict. A black Passat sedan stopped silently by the roadside, followed by two Toyota police cars and a Pulman sedan. Wang Zhuo immediately recognized that the county's big shots had arrived.

However, even if the County Committee showed up, in Tianlu, where the leaders were the ultimate authority above the common folk, he considered them merely officials at the division level. Therefore, he had no intention of going over to meet them, merely signaling Fu Xinran to call Ji Guang, who was observing from a distance. Ji Guang’s performance this time was barely acceptable.

Although he didn't step forward to help Wang Zhuo fight, he also didn't use the chaos as an opportunity to flee again. In truth, Wang Zhuo’s gaze had been locked on him the entire time; had he truly run, he would have been immediately recaptured. The leader arriving in the first car clearly looked like an official: meticulously side-parted hair, short-sleeved shirt, dress trousers, leather shoes, and a gold watch flashing brightly on his wrist, complemented by an exquisite, luxurious LV belt.

He approached, sizing up the four people in Wang Zhuo's group. A man about thirty years old walking beside him stepped forward and asked, "Which one of you is Mr. Wang?" "That would be me," Wang Zhuo replied casually, examining the leader from head to toe, feeling a slight revulsion toward this bloated man whose face showed clear signs of excessive indulgence.

"Mr. Wang, allow me to introduce you," Zhao Aiguo quickly seized the chance to perform, extending his hand, "This is County Magistrate Qian of Tianlu County, and this is Secretary Wang." Wang Zhuo realized with a start that a County Magistrate was here. No wonder he was so reserved, standing there silent while letting his subordinate speak first.

But this mannerism immediately earned his contempt. A mere County Magistrate putting on airs—what was there to be so arrogant about? Didn't he see how even the Premier personally held an umbrella when visiting grassroots levels?

At this point, County Magistrate Qian stepped forward, extended his hand, and smiled, "Mr. Wang, hello, hello. Let's get acquainted.

I am Qian Qingfeng, the acting County Magistrate of Tianlu County." So he was only acting... Wang Zhuo felt even more disdainful, extending his hand for a perfunctory shake. Qian County Magistrate's handshake was also feather-light, lacking any pressure.

This arrogance of a superior instantly infuriated Wang Zhuo, who thought, You're the acting magistrate of a provincially impoverished county, turning a blind eye to the rampant pyramid schemes in your jurisdiction, and you dare to act so superior?! "County Magistrate Qian," Wang Zhuo applied slight pressure, holding Qian Qingfeng's hand to prevent a smooth withdrawal, and said with a forced smile, "I heard that Audemars Piguet watches generally cost over a hundred thousand yuan. I wonder how much yours is worth?"