Sun Jian emerged from the repair shop to find Zhou Ying waiting there. Both men were preoccupied, and both looked utterly drained. Sun Jian slumped into the car seat. "Take me to the unit." Zhou Ying nodded and started the engine; his expression was unusually somber. They rode in silence, the car cabin thick with unspoken tension. On top of Zhou Ying's head, Huo'er sat upright, chest puffed out, wings tucked, wearing an air of utter arrogance. "I refuse to believe there's anything that difficult to handle. Don't worry, Ying. I'm with you today. I want to see if he tastes good!"

Upon reaching their destination, Zhou Ying and Sun Jian voiced simultaneous concerns: "Are you alright? You look exhausted." "Are you okay? Why the long face?" They both chuckled at the mirror image of their worry, then shook their heads. How could Zhou Ying explain that he was being constantly harassed by some inexplicable entity? Lately, whenever Zhou Ying drove out, the figure was guaranteed to appear within ten minutes, threatening to arrest him if he didn't turn himself in. Sun Jian, meanwhile, had no idea how to explain his sudden, unwanted fame—his name was being used freely by criminals. Worse, his immediate crisis was figuring out how to explain the state of his beloved car to his colleagues. The thought of their reaction, perhaps meeting his own beloved vehicle's fate, sent a chill down his spine.

Neither said anything. After a moment of staring blankly at each other, Sun Jian got out, head bowed, preparing to face the inevitable punishment from his colleagues. The moment he left, Huo'er urged, "Quick, let's go find that guy! I'll show him what the word 'fierce' means! How dare he provoke you! Does he not know who Huo'er is?"

"No need to look for him. He'll come to me soon enough," Zhou Ying replied with certainty.

Huo'er seethed, squawking loudly, "This infuriates me! I haven't been out with you for just a few days, and someone dares to bully you! Who dares to bully under my watch! Show yourself! Come out!" Having grown accustomed to ordering demons around, the fact that Zhou Ying was being pestered—pestered the son of his father—meant this insolent being didn't respect Huo'er at all. Such an insult was unbearable!

The car continued moving amidst Huo'er's clamor. Before long, Zhou Ying spotted a familiar silhouette in the rearview mirror. He pulled the car into a shadowed spot and got out, quietly watching the figure chasing the car, running desperately toward them. Only when the pursuer was upon them did Zhou Ying quietly ask, "What exactly do you want? Why do you keep harassing me every day?"

Before the other could answer, Huo'er leaped onto Zhou Ying's head and shouted, "Is it you who bothers Ying every night? Let me tell you, bullying Ying is bullying me! You surely know the consequences of messing with me, Huo'er!" It announced this grandly, fully expecting the figure to flee in terror or drop to its knees begging for mercy. Then, Huo'er would swoop in to deliver a scorching lesson, showing the price of offending the Huo'er father and son. Instead, the figure didn't retreat. It lunged forward in one swift motion, bypassing Huo'er, and yelled at Zhou Ying, "You committed a hit-and-run and assaulted an officer! I am arresting you! Confess and receive leniency; resist and face the full penalty!" It was the same old line. Spreading its arms, it lunged at Zhou Ying, as if the fiercely burning Huo'er hovering above was completely invisible.

It was the first time in Huo'er's long life it had been so utterly disregarded. Rage boiled over, and its flames instantly whooshed into a golden yellow. With a bite, the pursuer immediately turned into a fireball. Huo'er didn't stop, swooping in to scratch and claw, yelling all the while, "This infuriates me! Daring to ignore me! Insufferable! I hate cops the most!" It grew angrier and angrier. The target had long since turned to ash, offering no vent for its fury, so it redirected its wrath. "I'm going to burn down the entire police station!"

Zhou Ying rushed forward to prevent the large-scale terrorist attack and, after promising hundreds of feasts and hundreds of cartoons, successfully saved the city. In the deepening night, the most brazen terrorist and the unsung "City Hero" drove onto the open road, heading toward a customer waving by the roadside. Behind them remained only a few specks of ash, soon dispersed by the night wind, vanishing into the darkness.

Sun Jian's objective tonight was no longer tracking the assailant who attacked the driver but punishing the thugs who smashed his car yesterday. After returning to the precinct and apologizing to his colleagues, they had given him a sound beating over his wrecked vehicle; his neck still throbbed faintly. He swore he wouldn't be a man if he didn't seek revenge!

The gang of thugs often frequented this area at night, so Sun Jian decided to wait for them. He had been hiding in the bushes for two hours now, yet hadn't seen so much as a single strand of "rabbit" hair. Peering through the leaves at the plastic-looking policeman standing motionless there, Sun Jian couldn't help but feel a pang of admiration: Look at that dedication, that seriousness, that unwavering resolve... Lost in thought, a voice suddenly came from behind him. "What are you hiding here for?"

Sun Jian jumped. He thought he had been vigilant enough, yet someone had approached him unnoticed—that usually only happened with Zhou Ying! But Zhou Ying walked like a cat, completely silent, so that didn't count. He turned back with a sheepish grin and explained, "I'm a police officer, on duty. Not a suspicious person. Heh heh." He figured, hidden in the shadows like this, the person must think he was up to no good.

The other person was conveniently standing behind a thick holly bush. Instead of taking the badge Sun Jian offered, he stepped back half a pace, hiding himself completely behind the foliage so Sun Jian couldn't see him. He still asked, "What case are you working on? Are you looking for someone? Can I help?"

"I'm waiting for a gang of thugs who hang around here. They always ride motorcycles, speeding recklessly. Have you seen them tonight?" Sun Jian kept his eyes fixed on the road.

The person pondered for a moment. "Are they the ones who like to speed, and often snatch bags while driving, using chains or clubs to beat people? I saw them today..." Before he could finish, Sun Jian shot forward with a whoosh, grabbing the man's shoulder urgently. "What did you say? They are the ones who snatch bags on motorcycles? How do you know! Where are they now?" The person hadn't intended to be seen by Sun Jian, never expecting such speed. He was caught before he could even dodge. Grabbed by Sun Jian, he thought the officer's inevitable cry of alarm was coming soon. Alas, it was rare to meet a colleague who called him 'brother'; this was ruined. Most people fled upon seeing him.

"Heh heh heh, a colleague! You know about those guys? Tell me quickly, tell me quickly!" Sun Jian's reaction was entirely unexpected.

"I only know they aren't here today," the person stammered in surprise.

"Where would they go?" Sun Jian murmured. "Are those guys really the ones doing the bag snatching? That doesn't quite match the suspects we're investigating."

The other person said casually, "I know. They usually dress oddly, but they change clothes when they rob, making themselves look totally normal. I think I saw them earlier."

"Where? Where?" Sun Jian pressed repeatedly.

"In... I can't quite describe the place, but..."

"You know the area, right? Take me there!" Sun Jian dragged the man away. The person initially didn't want to lead him, but before he could react, Sun Jian had pulled and dragged him onto Sun Jian's motorcycle. As he started to say, "I can't go, I..." the bike was already roaring away.

"My name is Sun Jian, City Criminal Investigation Division. What's your name, old man?" Sun Jian shouted over the roar of the wind.

"My name is Ma Lu."

"Ma Lu... That's quite a name..." Sun Jian couldn't help but laugh. Perhaps his parents had foresight, knowing their son would become a traffic cop.

Sun Jian's driving speed was no match for speedsters. He tore down the highway. Ma Lu, behind him, continuously shouted warnings: "You're speeding! You're not wearing a helmet! You passed illegally at the intersection! You ran a red light..." Sun Jian pretended not to hear, secretly vowing never to let a traffic cop ride on his vehicle again.

Sun Jian's speeding motorcycle drew many stares. A child in one car inadvertently looked up as the motorcycle shot past and cried out, "Daddy, Daddy! That uncle has a strange thing on his bike!" But by the time the father turned to look, the 'flying vehicle' had long vanished. Meanwhile, a socially responsible driver in another car was busy dialing 110: "Hello, I want to report a crime! I saw someone steal public property and display it brazenly on a motorcycle! What was the license plate? I didn't see clearly; he was going too fast! Oh yes, he was speeding too! No helmet! Illegal passing..."

Zhou Ying was driving toward the destination specified by his passenger. While waiting for the red light to change, a familiar motorcycle flashed past his car. Zhou Ying’s eyes widened: "Sun Jian? Is that on his bike...?" As the light turned green a minute later, he abruptly told his passenger, "I have an urgent matter; please get out." Before the passenger could protest, a hundred-yuan bill was pressed into his hand, and he was promptly pushed out of the cab. As he stared at the money, bewildered, muttering, "You don't have to pay me if I'm not riding," the taxi was already speeding off in another direction.

Sun Jian spotted the thugs from a distance. They were still paired up on their bikes, swaggering and racing among the residential buildings. Today, however, there weren't as many as when they smashed his car—only three bikes with five or six people. Sun Jian quickly assessed the situation: with his skills plus Ma Lu as backup, dealing with them shouldn't be a problem. He asked behind him, "Brother Ma, you know some Sanda, right? Can you lend me a hand in a moment?" There was no reply. Sun Jian turned to look; Ma Lu had somehow slipped off the bike and vanished. Sun Jian shook his head: this man's movements were even lighter than Zhou Ying's; it was infuriating.

Huo'er seized Ma Lu and violently flung him onto the ground, shouting angrily, "He actually asked me to help him! He asked me to save this dark-skinned cop! I'm furious! It’s all your fault! I'm sending you to the scrap yard!" It pounced on him, tearing and clawing, using Ma Lu as an outlet for its rage. Unfortunately, Ma Lu was too fragile; within a few moves, he dissolved into a wisp of light smoke under Huo'er's claws. With nowhere left to vent its fury, Huo'er looked around wildly for another target. Zhou Ying watched apologetically as the fiercely blazing spirit shot toward another part of the city, likely aiming for its usual target—Liu Di. Meanwhile, Sun Jian was fully engaged in a one-against-six brawl. Seeing Zhou Ying from afar, he didn't question how he got there and yelled, "Old Zhou, help out!"

With Sun Jian’s skill, he was already holding his own against the thugs, but with Zhou Ying added to the mix, the thugs, who had thought their numbers gave them the advantage, were immediately crying out in pain. When Sun Jian swiftly handcuffed two of the gang members together, the rest scattered immediately, fleeing in different directions. Sun Jian and Zhou Ying, working with perfect synergy, each chased one. As Sun Jian subdued his opponent, he wondered: If I catch this one, will I still have time to chase the last one? When he looked up, the man Zhou Ying had pursued was on the opposite side of the road, but Zhou Ying was already right behind him. Sun Jian glanced toward the person Zhou Ying had initially chased; that thug was groaning on the ground. Whatever method Zhou Ying used, the man clearly wasn't running anywhere and probably had trouble walking.

Sun Jian crossed the road and vaulted the railing to help, but Zhou Ying had already pinned the last man to the ground. Looking at the restrained figure, Zhou Ying secretly lamented: It would have been better if Sun Jian wasn't here. This one looked like someone Huo'er might enjoy eating. Sun Jian clapped Zhou Ying on the shoulder. "Not bad! You always deny practicing, but look how smooth that move was! We should spar sometime, okay?"

Zhou Ying answered honestly, "No, I might hurt you."

"You stubborn Zhou Ying, how dare you sound so arrogant!" Sun Jian yelled, leaping forward. "Take my 'Fierce Tiger Heart Gouge'!"

Ma Lu had diligently stood guard on the road all day. When darkness fell and traffic thinned, he was preparing to stretch his limbs for his nightly work when he saw a line of motorcycles roaring toward him. They stopped near where Ma Lu was standing. Ma Lu knew these people well; they appeared every night to speed, snatch bags, fight, smash cars, and had repeatedly attacked him or scribbled graffiti on him. Besides, these were the same people Sun Jian had been looking for yesterday. Thinking of Sun Jian, a warmth spread through Ma Lu’s heart. Sun Jian had called him 'brother' and hadn't cared at all about his unusual nature. Ma Lu decided to stay a little longer and listen to what they were saying about the officer Sun Jian was trying to catch.

"Boss, that cop arrested six of our brothers in one go. I wonder if they'll give us up inside. What should we do next?"

"Yeah, Boss Zhao. Things might get rough for us down the line. Do you think the police will..."

These men were discussing strategies for dealing with the police. It seemed these outwardly lawless individuals were not immune to fear of law enforcement. They conferred about splitting up and leaving Lixin City, waiting for the heat to die down. Cases like theirs—not large enough to warrant extensive cross-region pursuit—would likely not occupy the police for long. As they discussed where to flee, their conversation drifted to their formerly carefree lives, now ruined by that one cop. With every shared word, their hatred for that officer deepened. Finally, someone suggested that even if they ran, they must first teach that officer a serious lesson. Their decision made, they roared off on their bikes again.

"That cop? Could he mean Sun Jian?" Ma Lu's heart began to pound with worry. Regardless of who they meant, he decided he had to check on Sun Jian. No one knew Lixin City’s roads better than he did. He thought for a moment and cut down a closer side street, heading first toward the Criminal Investigation Detachment Headquarters.

Ma Lu's running speed was comparable to a car at full throttle; up until now, there hadn't been a vehicle he couldn't catch. But today, he hadn't gone far before another figure appeared beside him. This person was even faster, overtaking him in a few strides, then turning to block his path.

Zhou Ying intercepted Ma Lu, staring at him coldly. He was furious. That inexplicable entity that had been pestering him couldn't touch him, so it went after his friends, specifically targeting the mortal, Sun Jian! Why didn't it go after Huo'er, Liu Di, or Nan Yu? Zhou Ying had never realized before that being friends with Sun Jian could put him in danger. If he hadn't arrived in time last night, what would have happened to Sun Jian? Would he have been chewed up and swallowed? When Zhou Ying arrived, would he only have been left to clean up the bones? The thought made him increasingly uneasy. Today, he had sought out Ma Lu specifically to resolve the issue permanently. Unlike usual, Ma Lu didn't seem willing to engage; he kept trying to swerve around Zhou Ying to leave. Zhou Ying adjusted his steps, always staying in front of Ma Lu.

Ma Lu couldn't shake off Zhou Ying, who blocked him at every turn. He checked the time; those men were probably close to reaching Sun Jian. For some reason, he felt a desperate urgency. Although he very much wanted to apprehend Zhou Ying, the long-sought fugitive, Sun Jian's situation weighed more heavily on his mind. Yet here was the fugitive, not avoiding him as usual, but actively blocking his way. "Move aside, I have an emergency!" Ma Lu roared at Zhou Ying.

Zhou Ying looked at him emotionlessly. "I came looking for you today. Until this is settled, you're not going anywhere."

"But I really have an emergency! You, you habitual offender, resisting arrest and assaulting an officer—and now you want to delay my business! Don't you think your behavior is excessive?" Ma Lu had always lived and strived for his job; this was the first time he wanted to do something for himself, and this guy was blocking him continuously. Didn't he understand the principle of work is work and rest is rest? Did police officers have to be busy with work twenty-four hours a day? This was too much!

Zhou Ying said no more. With a flick of his finger, the shadow beneath his foot solidified into a single-edged blade that landed in his hand. "Speak. Why have you been harassing me! And why did you go after my friend!"

Ma Lu turned to slip away from the other side, but his renowned speed was worthless against Zhou Ying. Before he could take a few steps, a flash of movement, and Zhou Ying was blocking him again. Ma Lu maneuvered left and right, unable to escape. Suddenly, he swung a fist at Zhou Ying. Based on past experience, one punch should shatter the glass of a car; he hadn't hit many people, but those he did ended up on the ground. Pushed to his limit by Zhou Ying, he put his full strength into this strike. Thud! Zhou Ying took the punch squarely in the face but didn't even twitch an eyebrow. "Is that all you've got?"

Time slipped away while sparring with Zhou Ying. Ma Lu truly couldn't wait any longer. He possessed a strange sensitivity to events on the road and knew in his heart that Sun Jian was currently surrounded by over twenty thugs on a seldom-used path. The attackers were prepared, armed with knives or clubs, while Sun Jian was empty-handed. "Let me go quickly!" Ma Lu shouted until his voice cracked at Zhou Ying. How could Zhou Ying let him go so easily? With a sweep of his blade, he forced Ma Lu back. Actually, dealing with Ma Lu was simple for Zhou Ying; the difficulty lay in how quickly this fellow would reappear, lively and whole. Zhou Ying had never seen a demon reappear even after being incinerated by Huo'er's flames, so until he understood the other's foundation, he wouldn't casually destroy him again—based on the events of the past few days, doing so would just let the opponent go free. After watching for so long, Zhou Ying still couldn't discern Ma Lu's unique quality. He regretted not calling Liu Di for help; Liu Di, with his vast experience, might know the secret of this plastic demon before him.

Sun Jian emerged from the precinct filled with frustration. With Zhou Ying's help, he had managed to catch six of the thugs, but after interrogating them all night, he got nothing. These kids were determined to outlast the police. What made it worse was that Sun Jian lacked direct evidence for arresting them, so even though everyone knew they were criminals, they loudly demanded lawyers and the prosecutor's office, threatening to sue Sun Jian for "police brutality."

"Let's see how long you can keep that tough front!" Sun Jian changed shifts with a colleague and planned to go home for food and a shower before returning to the fight. As he muttered and rode his motorcycle toward home, he didn't notice another motorcycle quietly falling in line behind him. As he drove further off the main road, more and more motorcycles converged behind him. When he reached a rarely traveled path, the bikes that had been following from a distance suddenly accelerated and swarmed around him, encircling him.

Faced with Zhou Ying's obstruction, Ma Lu was beside himself with worry. It was the first time he realized being held back was such an agony. "What on earth do you want for me to leave! I have to go help my brother!"

"Brother?" A flood of monsters like Ma Lu immediately flashed through Zhou Ying's mind. He couldn't help but press a step closer; Zhou Ying certainly didn't want to be plagued not by one of these creatures later, but by a whole host of them.

"Let me pass!"

Zhou Ying watched him in silence. Having just sent a signal to Liu Di for aid, Zhou Ying decided to wait and see exactly what this plastic toy was.

"I have to go through!"

Zhou Ying stepped across his path, continuing to block him, still not uttering a word.

Ma Lu anxiously beat his own head. Just then, a massive heavy-duty truck approached from the distance. Seeing the overloaded behemoth, an idea suddenly struck Ma Lu. As the truck drew near, while Zhou Ying was unprepared, Ma Lu suddenly leaped straight in front of it. With a loud thud, Ma Lu was struck and sent flying completely clear, crashing heavily onto the ground, shattered into pieces. Zhou Ying rushed over to examine him; indeed, only plastic shards remained on the ground. The fellow's soul was no longer present. The truck driver scrambled out, yelling, "What the hell is wrong with you? Why throw this junk in front of my truck! What if there had been a real accident? Damn, there's a dent here! Don't you move, tell me how you'll pay for this!"

Zhou Ying tapped the driver's forehead with a finger. The driver's expression instantly went vacant, and he mechanically turned and got back into his cab, driving away obediently. Zhou Ying stood in place, pondering for a long time, finally shaking his head before his silhouette vanished into the darkness.

A dozen motorcycles wove in and out, encircling Sun Jian. Every so often, one would charge forward, the rider raising their weapon high and bringing it down hard on him. Sun Jian blocked left and parried right, looking thoroughly wretched. Even with his superior skills, in this situation, he could only absorb blows. He deeply regretted not having carried his service weapon today. Seeing that Sun Jian was now meat on the chopping block, the thugs weren't in a hurry to finish him off; they circled back and forth, teasing him, playing a cat-and-mouse game.

An iron chain swept by, and Sun Jian ducked just in time, but he failed to guard against a club striking from behind. The blow landed on his back with a dull thud, sending him staggering several steps forward, nearly crashing into a dagger being presented right in front of him. Sun Jian stumbled around within the circle formed by the motorcycles, while the surrounding thugs occasionally let out strange cries and cheers—"Beat him to death!" "Kill him!"—the shouts echoing ceaselessly. Within a few minutes, Sun Jian cried out in pain as his shoulder took another heavy hit.

This pattern of dodging while getting beaten continued for quite some time. Just as the anger churning in Sun Jian's heart reached a boiling point, the attackers' patience ran out. The leader nodded toward one of the men on a motorcycle. The two understood immediately, raising their baseball bats, preparing to strike Sun Jian with full force.

The bat whistled through the air, smashing down towards Sun Jian's head. Sun Jian was already prepared. He swiftly tumbled to the ground, rolling away. Although the space within the encirclement was tight, he just managed to evade that fatal strike. However, by doing so, Sun Jian rolled right next to the wheel of a motorcycle, leaving him no room to dodge. Not only was the baseball bat, which followed right after, difficult to fend off, but even the boot encased in a heavy leather shoe kicking from the adjacent motorcycle was hard to avoid. Instead of dodging, Sun Jian let out a roar and lunged toward that foot. He wrapped both hands around the leg and heaved upward with all his might. The owner shrieked and was flung flying, crashing into another motorcycle. Sun Jian used the momentum to spring up, knocking the passenger off the bike behind him with a single punch, and then settling himself onto the saddle. This sequence of carjacking was completed smoothly, but he could no longer evade the club smashing down from behind. Although it didn't strike a vital spot on his head, the baseball bat hit his shoulder with a loud thwack. Sun Jian immediately felt a sharp, agonizing pain shoot through half his body. But escape was paramount now. Gritting his teeth, he managed to operate the motorcycle with his nearly useless arm and shot toward the edge of the encirclement.

The thugs were naturally unwilling to let Sun Jian escape with one of their vehicles, immediately giving chase with loud shouts from behind. Sun Jian had initially hoped to flee by car; if he could just reach a busy main road, his chances of shaking them would be much greater. But this alley was narrow and dark, Sun Jian was covered in injuries, and his arm hurt so badly he could barely grip the handlebars. The pursuing thugs kept ramming their bikes into him. After only a few hundred meters, Sun Jian’s bike finally slammed into a wall, throwing him to the ground. The thugs promptly abandoned their bikes, and before Sun Jian could even try to get up, they swarmed him, beating him with clubs, fists, and kicks.

If he hadn't been wounded, Sun Jian could have handled these thugs to some extent, but now, he couldn't mount a defense for more than a few blows before being swallowed by the crowd, rolling on the ground while protecting his vital areas. At this moment, Boss Zhao strode forward, carrying a club and with a cigarette dangling from his lips. The other thugs wisely made way, revealing Sun Jian before him.

"The police, huh? Think you’re something, daring to meddle in my business!" Boss Zhao spat his cigarette butt onto Sun Jian, cursing as he brought his club down. Sun Jian managed to raise an arm to block, letting out a pained cry.

"Let me show you what happens when you cross me!" Another blow landed.

"You asked for your own death by crossing me!"

"Weren't you so high and mighty as a cop? Show me that face!"

...

Boss Zhao rained down blow after blow. Sun Jian was covered in wounds, clutching his head, curled up on the ground almost motionless. Yet, Boss Zhao wouldn't stop. He threw down the club and began stomping down on Sun Jian, kick after kick. Suddenly, Sun Jian found a surge of inexplicable strength, grabbing Zhao's leg and yanking him down forcefully. Before Boss Zhao could react, Sun Jian was on top of him, unleashing a flurry of punches that landed everywhere on Zhao’s face. Boss Zhao let out a howl, and his subordinates rushed forward, trying to pull Sun Jian off and rescue their boss. But Sun Jian was beating the other man with crazed fury; several people couldn't pull him away.

"Beat me to death! Quick, help!... You idiots, what are you standing there for! Help me!... Stop hitting! Save me..." Boss Zhao screamed for help under the rain of fists. In desperation, one of his underlings grabbed a club and brought it down hard on Sun Jian’s head. The club fell, and Sun Jian collapsed to the ground, utterly still, blood visibly trickling from his head.

"He killed someone..."

"That cop is dead..."

"Dead..."

Panic immediately spread among the thugs. If Boss Zhao hadn't given an order, many of them would have bolted already. Boss Zhao, his face bruised and swollen, hadn't even recovered from the shock of being pummeled by Sun Jian before rushing over to kick and strike Sun Jian, venting his rage through his newly toothless mouth with sputtering curses.

"Sun Jian! You—what did you do to him!" A sharp shriek pierced the air. The thugs were startled at first, but upon realizing it was only one person, they relaxed. Two thugs arrogantly stepped forward, shoving him, "If you don't want to get hit, get out of the way!"

Followed by two synchronized screams of agony, those two thugs were sent flying. Before the others could rush forward for revenge, they clearly saw who it was and screamed anew: "Monster! It's a monster!"

Ma Lu rushed frantically toward Sun Jian. Anything blocking his path—be it person or motorcycle—he grabbed and flung far away until only Boss Zhao remained in front of him. Boss Zhao retreated step by step, unable to believe what he was seeing—had this cop really died? Had he come back so quickly as a ghost seeking vengeance? Ma Lu took another step forward, and Zhao’s eyes rolled back, and he passed out. Ma Lu ignored him entirely, urgently flipping Sun Jian over and shaking him wildly: "Sun Jian, Sun Jian! Are you still alive?"

"Sigh..." After a moment, Sun Jian let out a long sigh and opened his eyes, grinding his teeth.

"Sun Jian, how are you? If only I had gotten here a little sooner! You—you can't die..."

"It's Old Ma..." Sun Jian finally recognized the person shaking him—adding injury to insult. He tried to push Ma Lu's hands away, but his head was throbbing violently. He could only lean his head against the nearby wall and groan, "Are you trying to shake me to death..." The blood was still flowing from his head, staining his clothes a large patch.

Ma Lu paid no heed to speaking; he frantically pressed against the wound on Sun Jian's head, but the blood kept pouring out. He grew increasingly flustered, repeating, "What do we do? What do we do? Are you dying?"

Sun Jian asked, "Did you call 120?"

"120?" Ma Lu replied, confused.

"Are you trying to murder me!" Sun Jian felt another wave of dizziness; he knew he was losing too much blood. Realizing that Ma Lu hadn't even called an ambulance yet sent a chill through him. He fumbled for his cell phone to dial 120, but his arm was shaking so badly he couldn't dial correctly several times. Anxious, he tried to sit up suddenly, but the movement pulled at the wound, causing a surge of pain that made him black out.

"Hello! Hello! You didn't die, did you?" Ma Lu patted Sun Jian’s face.

A hand grasped Ma Lu's wrist. Zhou Ying appeared beside them, sounding slightly annoyed, "He's like this, and you're still hitting him!" He gathered Sun Jian up, intending to help him, but Ma Lu lunged forward: "What are you trying to do! You deal with me, just let go of Sun Jian!"

"I'm saving him!"

Ma Lu simply refused to believe that Zhou Ying, a criminal, would save a police officer, and began struggling with him over Sun Jian. During their tug-of-war, Sun Jian woke up again and whispered, "Zhou Ying?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Don't let those guys who beat me get away, and take me to the hospital... It's so good that you came..." Sun Jian let out a breath of relief upon hearing Zhou Ying’s voice and fell back into unconsciousness. Zhou Ying quickly began applying healing spells to him. Looking up, he saw Ma Lu still standing there in a daze and said to him, "Don't let those people run off. Sun Jian wants to catch them... Also, I didn't realize you were here to save Sun Jian. I apologize."

Ma Lu had been momentarily stunned by the shock that Zhou Ying and Sun Jian were friends. Hearing Zhou Ying say, "Sun Jian wants to catch these people," he immediately lunged forward, employing his most effective method to stop them from escaping—breaking every bone in their bodies ensured they couldn't run even if they wanted to. After finishing that chore, he remembered that Zhou Ying had seemed to be apologizing to him just now. When he tried to say something, he found that Zhou Ying was already holding Sun Jian and driving away. He cried out involuntarily, "You're a hit-and-run suspect, how dare you drive on the road! Put Sun Jian down!" He sprinted after the car.

Sun Jian had been in the hospital for five days now, feeling as if his entire body was stiffening up. But every time he mentioned being discharged, his girlfriend would start tearing up, forcing him to stay day after day. Today, Zhou Ying came to visit, finally giving him someone to talk to. He began chattering on and on about how perilous the last few days had been, boasting about how calm and heroic he remained in the face of danger. Zhou Ying listened quietly, his heart filled with remorse: If he hadn't been overly cautious and stopped Ma Lu, Sun Jian wouldn't have been so severely injured. He truly hadn't expected that demon named Ma Lu would also be Sun Jian's friend.

"Oh, right, there was a traffic cop there when you came to save me, wasn't there? That guy is terrible; he hasn't even visited me once in all the days I've been hospitalized!" Sun Jian complained while devouring the fruit Zhou Ying brought.

"Probably busy," Zhou Ying knew Ma Lu was indeed very busy, standing dutifully on the road during the day and running around all night "maintaining traffic order." Zhou Ying was genuinely shocked when he learned that Ma Lu had been chasing him solely because he wanted to see the fallout from Zhou Ying running over the demon: "But I hit a demon!" "A demon?" "Yes, he’s not human, how can you say I fled after hitting a person?" "This... a demon isn't human and isn't protected by law. Is hitting a demon the same as hitting a cat or a dog?" Ma Lu pondered this for a long time and concluded that Zhou Ying hadn't broken any laws by running over a demon, and he never appeared before Zhou Ying again. Zhou Ying couldn't help but smile bitterly as he thought of this: Ma Lu could regenerate so quickly because of some profound reason, but that reason turned out to be pathetically simple—just forty-odd bodies made on an assembly line, yet they only gave birth to a single soul.

"...So I'm saying I'm immortal... Hey, Zhou Ying, what are you spacing out about? Are you even listening to me?" Sun Jian waved a pear in front of Zhou Ying's face.

"I'm listening, I'm listening..."

"Hmph, I single-handedly busted that huge illegal street racing ring! Who dares suspect me of being an accomplice to criminals now!" Sun Jian said, spraying saliva everywhere as he ate. "The worst part is that midnight car-smashing demon stopped his crimes after leaving a note saying, 'Sun Jian is innocent; it was me trying to frame him.' Isn't that the same as writing 'Guilty Conscience' right on my face! He's trying to make me look more suspicious! I must catch him and hang him..."

Zhou Ying: "..."

After leaving that note that was "equivalent to writing 'Guilty Conscience' on Sun Jian's face," the mysterious midnight attacker never appeared again. Sun Jian was finally discharged half a month later. The incident had become a cold case at the precinct—with a major case of robbery and assault unsolved, this matter, which hadn't caused widespread severe consequences, received less police focus once the public outcry died down. Only Sun Jian, whose name was casually used by the criminals, remained preoccupied with it. Whenever he was free, he would patrol the road segment where the trouble originally occurred; it had almost become a habit for him.

One day after work, with nothing else to do, Sun Jian sneaked his colleague's car keys and drove out to the Outer Ring Road. From afar, he saw a real traffic cop busy near the location of the plastic traffic officer. He assumed the large plastic toy had been maliciously vandalized again, so he drove over to lend a hand and ask, "Brother, what are you moving this thing for?"

"Ah, this thing gets damaged here too often. Our unit decided to set up a mobile post here from now on and just take this thing back."

"What? Retiring already!" Sun Jian patted the plastic officer. Recently, due to work, he had been driving back and forth on this road frequently, and he felt a strange sense of camaraderie with this "half" colleague. Hearing that it was being "scrapped" now made him feel a bit reluctant. "What will happen to it now? It won't be sold to the scrap yard, will it?" Sun Jian imagined its possible tragic fate.

"Something this expensive can't just be sold for scrap. It'll be placed over there once the new road on the east side is finished." The traffic cop stuffed the item into the truck bed and slammed the door shut heavily. Sun Jian leaned against the car window and waved at the plastic officer: "Brother, you get a long vacation now. I'm jealous of you..." As he finished speaking, he thought he saw the plastic officer wink at him. Sun Jian quickly rubbed his eyes and looked again; it was clearly just a plastic toy lying quietly in the truck bed. He shook his head, smiling, straightened his clothes, and began strolling down the road...