Chapter 119: The End

When Chen Liang reached the alley entrance, he saw Xiao Yu with tear-streaked, red-rimmed eyes and a face full of grievance.

Chen Liang’s heart ached instantly. He hurried to her side. “Honey, are you alright?”

He took the gun from her hand, engaged the safety, and gently held her small hand, examining her carefully. Thank heavens, apart from a little redness at the corner of her eye, his precious Xiao Yu was otherwise unharmed.

Chen Liang’s arrival gave the frightened Xiao Yu a sense of security. She called out, “Brother!” and threw herself into his arms, sobbing softly.

Chen Liang held her close, soothing her for a while until the tears subsided and her trembling settled. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Everything’s fine as long as your brother’s here…”

The four troublemakers who had harassed her whimpered quietly, feeling the oppressive aura rolling off Chen Liang like a tiger stalking its prey at the top of the food chain.

Closing his eyes, Chen Liang took a deep breath and resisted the urge to draw his gun and end them on the spot.

Xiao Hei grumbled in his mind, “Are you serious? If you’re too scared, don’t just sit there doing nothing. Let me handle it! I’m the best at shooting people!”

Xiao Bai retorted, “Get lost! This is no time for your nonsense, Black Brother!”

Xiao Hei snapped back, “Bullshit! That’s my wife! Someone almost laid hands on her, and you think you can just stand by? Might as well call the Leshan Giant Buddha to take your place, you scaredy-cat!”

In the end, Xiao Bai metaphorically kicked Xiao Hei out of his mind, bidding him farewell.

“Neighbors, could someone please notify the security department…”

“Chen family’s second son, don’t worry. Someone’s already been informed. They should be on their way!”

Chen Liang thanked them earnestly, “Thank you so much, neighbors!”

“No need to be so polite! Hey, Chen family’s second son, your wife wasn’t hurt by those thugs, right?”

“Yeah, I heard the gunshot and came out to see your wife standing there holding a gun. Is she okay?”

“My wife’s fine. Nothing wrong at all. Don’t believe me? Come see for yourselves!”

Gently nudging Xiao Yu, who was still clinging to him, Chen Liang signaled her to greet the neighbors. Seizing the moment, he shifted the topic.

“My wife learned her marksmanship from the heroines of the Red Detachment of Women. Pretty impressive, right?”

His diversion worked perfectly; the neighbors quickly veered off into tales praising ancient heroines like Hua Mulan, who enlisted in the army to protect her father. Chen Liang breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

If he hadn’t steered the conversation away, the entire city of Forty-Nine would have known by nightfall that his beloved Xiao Yu had been molested.

The foremost intelligence organization of later generations, the CY Aunties, originated from today’s capital’s network of vigilant neighborhood matrons, who knew every whisper in Forty-Nine City.

After a while, the security team from the Red Star Steel Mill arrived, albeit belatedly. From afar, they saw Chen Liang in his security uniform and wondered who this was, arriving faster than themselves.

Approaching, they recognized Chen Liang and immediately united in righteous anger. Damn it, which blind fool dared to bully a family member of the security department?

“Xiao Liang, what happened here?” asked Xing Lirong, a familiar face who had accompanied Chen Liang earlier that morning on a raid.

“Xing brother, are you on duty tonight?”

“Yes, since it’s the mobile unit’s first night on duty, I was assigned to lead as an example.”

Previously, the mobile unit didn’t have night shifts, but after a theft incident, the division leader decided they should also take turns. It was a good thing: most of the mobile unit were young and strong, with little to do at home, and the night shift came with an extra five yuan monthly allowance—enough to feed an adult for half a month.

After Chen Liang briefed Xing Lirong on the situation, the man’s eyes reddened with fury. He strode over and pummeled the four sprawled on the ground.

“Hey, big brother, stop! We just drank some bad stuff and got disoriented. Please have mercy!”

“We’re with the security department too—from the First Printing Factory! Big brother, the security forces are one family. We’re all on the same side!”

“Bullshit! I’m a proud warrior of the Red Star Steel Mill Security Department. There’s no way I’d be family with a bunch of thugs like you!”

Those words left the security guards, fiercely proud of their department, mouths twisted in anger. Were these riffraff really worthy to call comrades?

Another round of beatings followed. With their gunshot wounds, the four barely remained conscious, nearly incapacitated.

Only after Xing Lirong handcuffed them all was the farce finally over.

Greeting the neighbors once more, Chen Liang took Xiao Yu home.

Given what had happened to Xiao Yu, Chen Liang had no heart to join the others for dinner. When they came looking for him, he simply said he was busy and would reschedule.

Fearing his parents' worry, Chen Liang said nothing at home. At dinner, seeing Xiao Yu acting as if nothing had happened, even playing games with their little Chen Hong, he finally relaxed.

He marveled inwardly at his wife’s remarkable psychological resilience. He remembered his own first time firing a gun—how nervous he’d been—and how he’d had nightmares all night.

After dinner, Chen Liang didn’t join his father and elder brother outside for some cool air and chatting. Instead, he stayed with Xiao Yu, teasing and playing with her.

After a while, Xiao Yu insisted on washing Chen Liang’s feet.

To this simple-minded girl, Chen Liang was the only light in her life. As long as she could be with him, she was willing to do anything.

Watching her carefully lift the water and wash each of his toes, Chen Liang couldn’t help but touch the special tether that bound them.

Tonight, sleep would elude him. The battle was about to ignite. When he went out to empty the footbath, he secretly took a sip of a special tonic from a drawer—a potent vitality elixir.

“Hmph! Tonight, I alone shall command the battlefield! Bring it on, you clingy little enchantress!”