"Huh?"
Did I brush my teeth?
Was this guy seriously asking if I brushed my teeth?
Tang Xiaoxiao froze, eyes wide. Then, her face flushed red like she was about to boil over.
"You bastard!"
Her anger surged, and without thinking, she raised her leg to kick Jiang Chen across the face.
But Jiang Chen shifted sideways with ease, dodging it completely.
Tang Xiaoxiao didn't give up. She grabbed his arm, aiming to throw him over her shoulder.
But her fingers slipped through air—Jiang Chen ducked and twisted out of reach again. Her breath turned ragged as she glared at him, fists clenched tight. Not only did she miss, she hadn't even grazed the corner of his clothes.
Jiang Chen dusted his sleeves casually and sighed.
"Officer Tang, the world is so wonderful, yet you're so irritable. That's not good for your complexion, you know."
"Shut up!"
Tang Xiaoxiao raised her leg again, intent on finally landing a hit.
But just then, the iron door of the interrogation room creaked open.
A cold voice barked from the doorway, "Tang Xiaoxiao, what are you doing?!"
A middle-aged man in his forties stepped into the room, frowning hard. His expression was strict, brows furrowed into a sharp V.
It was Director Zhao.
"The bureau has issued repeated orders—no physical force during interrogations! Why can't you follow simple instructions?"
"Director Zhao, I was just—"
Before she could explain, Jiang Chen let out a pitiful wail, full of injustice.
"Director! You're finally here! You must seek justice for me!"
He pointed at Tang Xiaoxiao with trembling hands and continued, "This officer... she's hit me over a hundred times already! My poor face—she nearly killed me!"
Tang Xiaoxiao's jaw dropped. "You liar! It was just one punch! Two others missed!"
As soon as she said that, her hand flew to her mouth.
Too late.
Director Zhao's face turned black with rage.
"Tang Xiaoxiao! You never learn. Go home and reflect. Starting today, you're suspended. You'll write a 3,000-word self-critique and hand it in when you return next Monday!"
"But Director—he—"
"Enough!" Director Zhao cut her off. "Officer Wang already told me what happened. Was all this really necessary over something so trivial?"
Tang Xiaoxiao's face turned red with frustration. She felt wronged beyond words.
She had been the one bullied—now she was the one punished?
As Director Zhao turned away with a tired sigh, he gestured toward Officer Wang and then at Jiang Chen.
"Take him out. Notify his guardian to come pick him up."
Jiang Chen blinked.
"Guardian?"
Notify a guardian? What guardian?
He didn't have parents here. If Aunt Tang or Lin Yuechan found out about this, they would laugh themself unconscious.
After a moment of internal debate, he let out a sigh and muttered under his breath:
"…Guess I've only got one choice."