Chapter 38

Chapter 38

"Ye Hao, please don't do anything rash. Wang Song just got out of prison—without anyone helping him, he can't hide for long. Trust us." Zhao Rong, having been a police officer for years, naturally sensed something was off and said tensely.

"Xiao Ye, the police are right. Don't ruin yourself over scum like him." Luo Meilan couldn't help adding.

Ye Hao looked at the knife beside her—the one she'd gotten two years ago after that incident, though she had never used it. If she had a choice, she didn't want this blade stained with blood.

Seeing Ye Hao remain silent, Zhao Rong sensed she was wavering and continued to persuade her. In the end, Ye Hao gave in and agreed to apply for a personal protection order.

After hanging up, Zhao Rong let out a long sigh. Though Ye Hao had finally agreed, he still had a nagging worry.

He didn't know if Ye Hao hadn't thought of that possibility, or had thought of it but didn't want to say.

Wang Song was way too vindictive. And this time, because Shen Dongqing had spotted the fire early, the arson hadn't done much damage. Even if Wang Song were caught and imprisoned, he wouldn't be in for long.

Wang Song went to prison to get back at Ye Hao, but she hadn't really lost much. Would he really be okay with that?

If Zhao Rong could see that, how could Ye Hao not?

Just thinking about it gave Zhao Rong a headache. He just hoped they'd catch Wang Song without a hitch, and that after the man went to prison, he wouldn't think about revenge on anyone else.

Zhao Rong's years of experience as a veteran officer told him that if Wang Song wasn't successfully apprehended—or if he still wanted revenge on Ye Hao after getting out—it was bound to end in tragedy.

After hearing the whole story from Luo Meilan, Shen Dongqing couldn't help but sigh as well.

These scumbags chose to go down that path and didn't give a damn about the law. But who in their right mind would want to break the law? They were all forced into it.

"Now I just hope the police can catch him quickly, otherwise..." Luo Meilan was worried too.

Shen Dongqing could tell Luo Meilan thought catching Wang Song would be the end of it.

But would catching Wang Song really solve everything?

Shen Dongqing shook his head inwardly. Wang Song was too vindictive. Unless he actually got scared and reformed in prison, he'd be trouble again once he got out.

Shen Dongqing found himself thinking about his own situation. What would he do if a criminal came after him for revenge after getting out?

Shen Dongqing hadn't forgotten that he'd already put quite a few people behind bars. At the rate he was going, he'd be sending even more in the future.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Dongqing realized he didn't need to worry about that for now.

Aside from thieves, the people he'd caught had committed serious crimes—by the time they got out, it'd be at least five years.

In five years, if he hadn't been taken down by the dangers from the Criminal Attraction Aura, anyone who dared to come after him after getting out would basically be signing their own death warrant.

And if the aura's dangers did take him down, then he wouldn't have to worry about any of this anyway.

But when it came to catching people, could he lend a hand?

Shen Dongqing glanced at the Criminal Attraction Aura. It was time for it to pull its weight. It couldn't just cause trouble when he wanted peace, then slack off when he was looking for criminals.

...

Shen Dongqing had planned to take a walk and see if he could bump into Wang Song—if he did, he'd report him right away. But then Ye Hao showed up at his door out of nowhere.

Luo Meilan was with her.

"Sister Luo, did you need something from me?" Shen Dongqing asked as he opened the door.

Luo Meilan looked at Shen Dongqing with some embarrassment, trying to figure out how to say it. Ye Hao stepped forward and said, "Can we come in and talk?"

Shen Dongqing looked at how they were standing, made sure they weren't being forced, and stepped back to let them in.

"Is there surveillance in here?" Ye Hao asked.

Wait, that's kind of scary!

Seeing the guarded look on Shen Dongqing's face, Ye Hao realized how her words sounded and quickly added, "I can't have what I say being recorded."

"I don't do anything illegal." Shen Dongqing grabbed a selfie stick nearby, looking wary.

"No, no—Xiao Ye, stop. You're making it sound way too scary." Luo Meilan, who had been too embarrassed to speak, saw Xiao Ye going off track and about to make Shen Dongqing think they were up to something illegal, quickly cut her off.

"Xiao Shen, Ye Hao and I came to ask if you could teach us those moves you used to take down Zhao Zhi." Luo Meilan said.

Hearing this, Shen Dongqing relaxed. He'd thought Ye Hao was here to get him involved in something illegal—turns out it was just this.

"Why would you want to learn that?" Shen Dongqing asked.

"If I run into Wang Song again, I want to make sure he doesn't dare mess with me." Ye Hao's gaze was resolute. "I've been thinking these past few days—why does Wang Song dare to come after me? Why isn't he scared of me at all?"

"Because in his eyes, I'm still that weakling he overpowered who couldn't fight back. Naturally, he's not afraid of me." Ye Hao curled her lips into a bitter, sarcastic smile.

"I thought about it before—if Wang Song came for me, I'd stab him to death. Even if it meant I'd die too." Ye Hao's voice grew low. "But I'm not okay with that. Why should I throw away my life for scum like him?"

"You came to me because I seriously injured Zhao Zhi but didn't break the law?" Shen Dongqing suddenly understood.

Ye Hao nodded. That was exactly what had given her this idea after hearing Luo Meilan talk about it.

If she could make Wang Song afraid without sacrificing the rest of her life, she naturally didn't want to go to prison.

"That was me defending myself. Yours..." Shen Dongqing was about to say it might not work, when the mental principles of Unrestricted Combat Arts popped into his head, and he stopped mid-sentence.

Actually, maybe it could work. If Wang Song tried to harm Ye Hao, as long as she wasn't chasing him down with a pre-prepared weapon and was merely defending herself, that wouldn't count as a crime.

It was just that the line between the two was hard to walk—one slip and it went from self-defense to assault.

Shen Dongqing finally understood why she couldn't say this under surveillance. This couldn't leave a trace, or it would cause trouble.

"Sister Luo, is that what you're thinking too?" Shen Dongqing didn't know how to respond to Ye Hao right away, so he turned to Luo Meilan.

"Xiao Shen, to be honest, these past few days, I've had weapons lying around the house and keep waking up in the middle of the night." Luo Meilan forced a smile. "I've been to a few martial arts schools too, but nothing I saw would work immediately. Xiao Ye's suggestion reminded me—I'd like to learn your martial arts as well."

"Sister Luo, just buy more self-defense tools and change your door. If you're really in danger, don't fight the attacker—running is the best option. If you want to learn something, Sister Luo, you'd be better off practicing running, so you can escape faster." Shen Dongqing tried to talk Luo Meilan out of it first.

Last time he fought Zhao Zhi, it was because he had no time to wait. Otherwise, he would have preferred to wait for the police.

And if Luo Meilan actually learned martial arts, she might become overconfident in her abilities and not fear danger—which would be even more dangerous.

Though Shen Dongqing had stepped in to help multiple times, he still believed that when ordinary people faced danger, protecting themselves first was the most important thing.

Luo Meilan's desire to learn wasn't that strong anyway. After Shen Dongqing's persuasion, she felt that practicing running was indeed the better choice.

Shen Dongqing looked at Ye Hao. He knew he could refuse her now—after all, this had nothing to do with him. But meeting Ye Hao's anxious gaze, and thinking about what had happened to her, he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Though Shen Dongqing hadn't spoken, in Ye Hao's eyes, he had already given his answer.

Ye Hao pressed her lips together. She understood his concerns and didn't want to pressure him further. She apologized to Shen Dongqing and was about to pull Luo Meilan away to leave.

"Wait." Shen Dongqing called out to Ye Hao.

"I don't know any martial arts, and I won't teach you any. I'm only teaching you criminal law." Meeting Ye Hao's startled gaze, Shen Dongqing said, enunciating every word.

Though Shen Dongqing said that, Ye Hao knew exactly what she had been asking for just now. No matter how his words came across on the surface, deep down, Shen Dongqing had agreed to help her.

"Brother Shen, thank you." Ye Hao said gratefully.

Luo Meilan, seeing Ye Hao get what she wanted, breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing Shen Dongqing would want to talk to Ye Hao alone, she quietly left.

"I'll give you two days. Go home and study criminal law, especially the section on justifiable defense. Make sure you really study it."

Since Shen Dongqing had decided to teach, he didn't hold back and immediately revealed the most important principle.

Ye Hao nodded, waiting for Shen Dongqing to continue.

The two of them stood there, staring at each other.

"Aren't you going home to read?" Shen Dongqing asked, puzzled.

"That's it? Just reading?" Ye Hao was confused.

"Yes, just reading." Shen Dongqing nodded. "If you don't know criminal law, you might break it when you act, and get yourself in trouble. But if you know it, your actions count as justifiable defense."

After sending Ye Hao off, Shen Dongqing went back to watching his driving test videos. He had almost finished them all and could take the test anytime.

But the test wouldn't come that soon, since he had to make another trip to Chongshan City in a few days.

Shen Dongqing counted up everything he needed to do and got lost in thought. He was supposed to be a full-time streamer who worked one day and rested for several, so why did it always feel like he never had enough time?

...

Over the next two days, Shen Dongqing spent his time roaming around. Though he had decided to teach Ye Hao, the time was too short. If she ran into Wang Song before she was ready, it would be dangerous.

Better to catch Wang Song first. Once he was behind bars, Ye Hao could take her time mastering the Unrestricted Combat Arts, and that would be foolproof.

But after two days of roaming, Shen Dongqing had caught two thieves at the vegetable market but still hadn't spotted Wang Song.

While at the market, Shen Dongqing also went live, specifically teaching his followers how to pick good produce and how to guard against pickpockets who might be lurking there.

Of course, he also gathered some material along the way—what fresh fruits and vegetables looked like versus ones past their prime.

Some followers were very satisfied with the stream, but a small group—specifically those who had won the beef jerky—were crying and complaining that they hadn't learned how to make it, that even watching the clips didn't help, and they wanted Shen Dongqing to make it again.

Did they really not learn?

They just wanted more to eat!

Shen Dongqing's lips twitched slightly. These followers' schemes were too transparent; he couldn't pretend not to notice even if he wanted to.

Other followers didn't sense anything off and stepped up to defend Shen Dongqing.

"The beef jerky tutorial was practically hand-holding. How could anyone not learn it?"

"Don't tell me you got creative while making it. Don't do that—getting creative is how you end up with a kitchen disaster."

"Come on, be reasonable. The streamer's beef jerky recipe is the most detailed one I've ever followed. There's no way you can't learn it. If you can't, just watch it a few more times."

"Wait, those accounts yelling the loudest look familiar."

"After checking, the ones complaining are either the ones who won the beef jerky or new accounts. Suspect they're old fans in disguise."

Under the sharp analysis of the eagle-eyed followers, those complaining couldn't hide anymore. Some stubbornly denied having ulterior motives, while others, seeing Shen Dongqing unmoved, couldn't hold back and started bragging.

Having amazing food and not being able to show off to others was like wearing fine clothes at night.

"Fine, I'll admit it. I'm just craving the streamer's beef jerky. I got a decent amount and planned to snack on it, but it was gone in under an hour."

"Are your teeth okay?"

"You should be asking how good the beef jerky actually was. Side-eye.jpg"

"Crying. I only ate two sticks. I was in a hurry to go out, so I put the jerky on the cabinet, thinking the dog couldn't reach it."

"And then?"

"Looks like a tragedy is coming."

"Turns out I have a cat too. It jumped onto the cabinet, dragged the jerky down, and by the time I got back, the dog and cat had eaten it all."

"Tragic. But that jerky was really good—beefy aroma with a hint of vegetable freshness, not too salty, and the more you chewed, the more flavorful it got. You only eating two sticks is actually a good thing."

"That's a good thing?"

"After eating, my craving kicked in, so I went to a beef jerky shop. But just from the smell, it didn't seem like the streamer's jerky, so I asked the owner if I could try a sample."

"The owner was pretty generous and said yes. But I tried too much, and the owner's face got worse and worse. Probably suspected I was just there to eat for free. I had to buy a pound of jerky, but I don't even want to eat it."

"Once you've had the best, it's hard to go back. Why don't you try making it yourself? I followed the streamer's method and made some jerky. It's not as good as his, but it's still pretty tasty."

...

When the time Shen Dongqing had set arrived, Ye Hao showed up.

"If you run into Wang Song coming after you, what do you do?" Shen Dongqing started testing her right away.

Ye Hao's mind was full of legal provisions, so she was caught off guard by the question. She hesitated and replied tentatively, "Run?"

"Good. Your reading wasn't wasted." Shen Dongqing clapped. He felt Ye Hao had good instincts.

"Try to run toward areas with surveillance cameras." Shen Dongqing said. "But that's not mandatory, since not every place has cameras."

"Do you know why you should run?" Shen Dongqing continued.

Ye Hao thought for a moment and said, "If I don't run and end up fighting Wang Song, it could easily turn into mutual combat."

"Ye Hao, you have great instincts." Shen Dongqing praised.

Ye Hao had been nervous these past two days, afraid she wouldn't meet Shen Dongqing's standards. Hearing his compliment, she froze for a moment, then a smile unconsciously spread across her face.

"Call the police, run, and show your desire to disengage—that's crucial." Shen Dongqing said earnestly. Whether you actually want to disengage or not, the law only looks at your actions, not your thoughts.

Shen Dongqing asked a few more questions, confirmed that Ye Hao had truly grasped the core principles, and then began teaching her how to use everyday objects to maximize damage.

"For justifiable defense, preparing an obvious weapon beforehand won't work, so we need to learn to use the tools around us."

"When you're facing a big man, you can't think about holding back or martial arts honor. What we need to do is strike to end it in one blow. If you can finish it in one move, do it in one move."

"When fighting, stay calm. Remember you only have one move. Don't chase after them unless they take that hit and come back at you—only then can you continue to counterattack."

Over the next two days, Shen Dongqing devoted himself entirely to teaching Ye Hao how to defend herself legally.

Ye Hao studied with full concentration, her eyes growing brighter and brighter. She felt incredibly fortunate to have met Shen Dongqing; otherwise, she would have had no choice but to resolve the situation with Wang Song at the cost of going to prison herself, with no other way out.

"I'm teaching you this so you can protect yourself in the most critical situations. Don't use it lightly in ordinary circumstances," Shen Dongqing said finally.

Ye Hao nodded. She knew the stakes—if she used that kind of force in a minor conflict, she could easily end up breaking the law.

"Brother Shen, you've been teaching me for two days now, and I don't have any other way to thank you. Let me treat you to a meal," Ye Hao said gratefully.

Shen Dongqing was about to decline, but seeing how insistent Ye Hao was, he thought it over and agreed.

"Brother Shen, the guobaorou here is really good. Don't let the small place fool you—last time I came, I thought this place had the best guobaorou in Ningchuan City," Ye Hao said as she led Shen Dongqing to a small restaurant, worried he might think she was being cheap for not picking a bigger place.

"But this place isn't very well-known yet, so there aren't many customers at this time." Thinking about it, Ye Hao felt a bit lucky—if it weren't for the small crowd, they might not even have gotten a seat coming at this time.

Shen Dongqing looked at the somewhat familiar sign, the somewhat familiar waiter, and the chef who hurried over.

"Master Shen, you're here!" The chef looked at Shen Dongqing happily. Since Shen Dongqing's last visit, the man hadn't come by much, and the chef had figured he'd lost interest—but here he was again.

"You know Brother Shen?" Ye Hao asked in surprise.

"Of course I do. The guobaorou I make was perfected thanks to Master Shen's guidance," the chef said, then said respectfully, "Master Shen, what would you like to eat?"

Though the restaurant didn't have many ingredients left, that was fine—he could always borrow from another restaurant if needed.

Shen Dongqing glanced at the menu, ordered a portion of guobaorou and a vegetable dish, then let Ye Hao order what she wanted.

The two chatted as they ate, and Ye Hao was clearly curious about Shen Dongqing, asking him a bunch of questions.

...

"Damn that bitch, sees a handsome guy and can't help but throw herself at him."

Watching Shen Dongqing and Ye Hao chatting so amiably, Wang Song gritted his teeth in anger.

After his arson attempt failed last time, Wang Song had gone into hiding when he saw the police arrive. He'd been hiding out in the building across the street, and even without going out, he could see the balcony of Ye Hao's house.

Of course, he could also vaguely make out the scene inside from the balcony of Shen Dongqing's place.

Ever since he found out it was Shen Dongqing who had foiled his arson attempt, Wang Song had been holding a grudge against him. But after looking into Shen Dongqing's reputation, he didn't dare make a move.

If Shen Dongqing hadn't been in contact with Ye Hao, Wang Song probably would have stayed scared and done nothing. But Ye Hao had gone to his place—though from a distance he couldn't see what they were doing, a man and a woman alone in a room together—what else could they be doing?

Thinking about how Ye Hao always gave him the cold shoulder and refused him outright, yet smiled warmly at Shen Dongqing—and especially the thought that his own arson might have brought them together—Wang Song's rage burned even hotter.

Still, he had enough brains to know he probably couldn't beat Shen Dongqing alone. After much deliberation, he recruited a partner.

The guy was someone he'd met in prison. Because Wang Song had learned some skills there, the man had wanted to recruit him into his crew, but Wang Song had hesitated and never agreed.

Now, though, he decided to go for it—but on the condition that the man do him a favor. He wanted to make that bastard Shen Dongqing and that bitch Ye Hao pay for this.

Their original plan was to take care of Ye Hao first, then go after Shen Dongqing. But since the two had come out of the restaurant, Wang Song changed his mind—he'd take care of them right now.

"You sure? You're not changing your mind again?" Ma Qiang asked. If it weren't for the fact that Wang Song had some useful skills and he'd need him for work abroad, he wouldn't have bothered to help. The guy changed his mind every day.

Wang Song could see Ma Qiang's impatience and nodded quickly.

The two decided to wait until Shen Dongqing and Ye Hao finished their meal, then force them into the van at knifepoint as soon as they came out, and take care of them afterward.

But that wait went on for nearly two hours.

Shen Dongqing hadn't wanted to eat that long, but the owner was too enthusiastic—he'd eat, taste, give feedback, and the owner would remake the dish. With all that back and forth, a lot of time passed.

It was past eight o'clock when Shen Dongqing and Ye Hao left the restaurant. They'd planned to head home, but Ye Hao spotted a convenience store nearby and went in to grab something, leaving Shen Dongqing waiting outside.

A scooter was parked nearby. Shen Dongqing casually glanced at its rearview mirror and suddenly froze.

Shen Dongqing had been followed by Du Wei and his crew before, and since then, he'd gotten a rough idea of what a tail looked like. He wasn't an expert, but the person following him wasn't exactly skilled either.

When he stopped, the other person didn't stop, but every move they made seemed deliberately slow, lingering in place, and they kept glancing his way.

He was being followed!

Shen Dongqing took a deep breath and looked ahead, spotting a van parked by the roadside.

Vans were rare these days, and when someone got out of it, their face was barely visible in the darkness. Most people wouldn't recognize them, but Shen Dongqing's facial recognition skills had improved significantly—he could tell at a glance that it was Wang Song.

Wang Song was in front, and the tail was behind him. Shen Dongqing couldn't believe they weren't working together.

He scanned his surroundings, trying to figure out how to escape.

If it were just Wang Song alone, Shen Dongqing would have felt confident letting Ye Hao face him. But there was another one behind—and this guy wasn't scrawny like Wang Song. He was tall and burly, clearly someone not to be messed with.

As for the man's face, Shen Dongqing didn't dare look at the rearview mirror again—he was afraid the guy would notice he'd been spotted.

Shen Dongqing racked his brain and finally remembered where he'd seen him: a wanted poster.

That wanted notice had been particularly difficult because there was only a blurry photo—no fingerprints, no blood evidence—so the man had never been caught.

Shen Dongqing took another deep breath. He really did have a knack for running into wanted criminals, especially this kind.

Thinking about the crimes the man had committed, Shen Dongqing knew that with only the unrestricted combat arts he'd learned, he'd definitely lose in a fight. This guy was a true hardcase—carjacking, robbery, murder, and burying bodies—there was nothing he wouldn't do.

"Brother Shen, sorry to keep you waiting." Ye Hao came out of the convenience store, speaking to Shen Dongqing.

"It's fine." Shen Dongqing shook his head, then casually glanced back as if by accident, noticing the man had moved a bit closer.