I emptied my family's possessions to join the army, and my abstinent superior doted on me.

Chapter 5 Unexpected Gain: Her in My Dreams
The fat and thin duo were jolted awake by the sound of police sirens. Seeing a mountain-like man charging towards them, they panicked and ran in a chaotic frenzy.

Qiao Muting kicked the fat man to the ground, and two steel bars on the ground got stuck in his fat belly. The fat man shouted, "Boss, Shuanzi, run! Don't worry about me!"

Qiao Muting stepped on his body, leaped forward, and clamped "Shuttle" in place. The man turned to retaliate, but Qiao Muting threw him to the ground with a back throw, where he was immediately surrounded by the police who rushed in from outside.

In the chaos, Qian Lai quickly and secretly slipped to their "habitat" and opened the sack on the ground to take a look.

Wow! It turns out they weren't just desperate criminals, but also a gang of ruthless thieves who steal cultural relics without batting an eye.

Just as he was about to reach out to check, he suddenly heard someone shout, "Fourth brother, run!"

As I looked up, a dark shadow flashed by.

There was no time to think. Qian Lai flipped over the window frame and chased after the dark figure. The blood from the cut on her foot, caused by the long nail, had already congealed. The sudden movement caused the cut to reopen, and she could clearly feel the blood soaking her socks.

Under the moonlight, two people with mobility issues, one in front of the other, limped and chased each other.

After meandering through two blocks, "Old Fourth" ran into a scrap metal recycling station near the steel mill.

Qian Lai remained hidden in the shadows and did not approach.

The fourth brother stood in front of the scrap yard shack and knocked on the door.

"Who?"

"I am the fourth brother."

"Oh, you have it? Put it in the usual spot."

The fourth brother looked around. Dragging his crippled leg, he shuffled deeper into the recycling center.

At that moment, the door to the cabin opened.

Qian Lai was shocked! Could this really be viewed for free?
There stood Fat Old Wang at the junkyard, his arm around a woman. The woman playfully planted a kiss on his balding head.

"This is all our worldly possessions. You'd better keep it safe."

Fat Old Wang looked at the wooden box in the woman's hand and affectionately kissed the folds of her skin: "Keep it in the cellar. Nobody will find it!"

Qian Lai gasped!
Qin Hongxiang, you really played it cleverly.

So there's a story about him and Old Wang next door. That fat Old Wang's face...it looks familiar?
"You go and release it yourself. I'll go check on the fourth brother in the back."

Qian Lai watched as Qin Hongxiang carried the wooden box into the cellar. A moment later, she swayed back into the house. As soon as she closed the door, the singing from the microphone began.

Always stay with me.

Qian Lai took three steps at a time and sneaked into the cellar.

This long, narrow cellar wasn't very large. On one wall, wooden shelves held bottles and jars that Fat Old Wang had collected. At the far end of the other wall was a pickling jar.

She knew Qin Hongxiang too well. She always hid things either in a jar or behind a brick.

as predicted!

The wooden box was found inside the pickling jar without any effort.

He opened it and wow! There was cash, food coupons, a necklace, and a watch.
Quickly store the money and valuables into the space and put the wooden box back in its original place.

Turning around, wait a minute! What's this?
Beside the pickling jar lay a triangular rough stone, completely covered in dried mud. On the surface, it was just an ordinary stone. But the exposed corner revealed a dark green, jade-like texture, reminiscent of Xiuyan jade.

It closely resembles the sacrificial jade artifacts unearthed in later Neolithic periods.

Qian Lai, who had followed his grandfather to various treasure appraisal events since childhood, could almost certainly tell that this was a priceless treasure.

This is truly an unexpected bonus!
She stored the treasure in her spatial storage and, when the time was right, wanted to donate it to the country as soon as possible.

Qian Lai quickly hid behind a tree, just in time to hear Lao Si kicking and stomping as he followed Fat Lao Wang out.

After giving a brief explanation, the fourth brother turned around, quickened his pace, and rushed towards the residential area.

not good!

Qian Lai had a bad feeling.

He's so cunning! He's followed her through four or five alleys, it's like he's leading her in circles.

Where is he going?
Qian Lai was getting impatient, mainly because the wound on her ankle was getting more and more painful.

Lost in thought, Qian Lai saw the fourth brother turn into another alley ahead. Before he could catch up, he heard a woman's shrill scream: "Ah! Help!"

She followed closely behind, and as she turned the corner, she saw the fourth brother tightly embracing a young woman, with a sharp weapon held against her neck.

The girl trembled with fear: "Don't hurt me. I... I can give you money... just, just don't hurt me, sob sob sob..."

The fourth brother ignored her completely, glaring at Qian Lai and asking, "Let me go! Otherwise, I'll kill her."

"Ah! No... Brother... Don't kill me!" The girl's voice trembled.

Qian Lai's eyes darted around, and he replied, "Fourth Brother, don't be afraid. I'm Shuanzi's girlfriend; he sent me to find you."

"You're the one I'm tethered to? Aren't you a police officer?" "Huh? A police officer? No, no." Qian Lai smiled and slowly approached him.

"Brother Shuanzi was supposed to introduce us today."

Who knew you wouldn't show up even after I waited for ages.

Later, the police arrived.

They covered my escape and told me to talk to you about how to save them…

Say something, then take a step closer.

A flicker of doubt crossed the fourth brother's eyes. As he remained skeptical of her words, the sharp blade pressed against the girl's neck gradually loosened.

"Fourth Brother, I've heard so much about you. Look, this is a keepsake from Brother Shuanzi." Qian Lai clenched his left fist, as if to hand the object in his palm to the other party.

The fourth brother instinctively reached out. She seized the opportunity to turn around nimbly, brushing past the man's arm, and the stun gun instantly slid from her sleeve into her palm, thrusting straight at the fourth brother's neck.

After a series of crackling sounds, the fourth brother didn't even have time to struggle before he fainted.

The girl who had been held hostage almost collapsed to the ground when she saw that the danger had passed, but Qian Lai caught her.

"You...?" The girl sobbed, still shaken. "I really thought you were in cahoots... Comrade, what's your name? I want to write you a letter of commendation."

Don't!

Qian Lai couldn't be happier that no one knew she had been here.

The capture of a tomb-raiding gang at an abandoned factory in the dead of night will likely make the news very soon. If Qian Jiangang and Qin Hongxiang find out that they were also at the scene, then all their plans will fall apart.

"That's not important! Go call the police!"

Qian Lai told the girl the location where Lao Si had hidden the stolen goods and took her to the hotel's phone booth. By the time she hung up the phone, Qian Lai had already disappeared.

On the other side, Captain Xiao of the Criminal Investigation Team was holding Qiao Muting's hand and thanking him profusely.

"Comrade Qiao, if it weren't for your keen observation, you could have spotted the wanted criminals just by buying a newspaper. We might not have been able to catch these guys so easily. Thank you so much!"

Qiao Muting's mind was wandering; he just wanted to get back to "Little White Rabbit" as soon as possible, and he had a hundred questions on his mind.

What's her name?
Where are you from?

What are you doing here all alone on such a dark night?
I just saw her staggering forward, where was she injured?
……

After searching around, the girl was nowhere to be found.

He should have turned back and gone after her. That one wrong decision could have cost her dearly.
Later, he heard that a girl had called the police and revealed the whereabouts of the fourth brother who had escaped the case and the stolen goods. He rushed over excitedly, but the person he saw was not the one he expected.

After hearing the girl who called the police recount the whole incident, he became even more panicked.

That was so close! She was really brave.

He raised his hand and touched the tip of his nose, and the unique fragrance of gardenias emanating from the woman still lingered.

It was late at night when he returned to his hotel room. He took off his shirt, which still carried her faint scent. He covered his head with it, closed his eyes, and pretended that she was right beside him.

He took a deep, greedy breath, his body trembling slightly.

Damn it! You're seriously ill!
He cursed himself again.

But moral boundaries cannot restrain willpower, and in a daze, that person gently enters my dream.

In his dream, that soft, boneless body pressed tightly against his strong chest. Strands of her hair gently brushed against the corner of his lips, her nose occasionally touching his Adam's apple. Slender, white fingers, scented with gardenias, lightly caressed his face.

The girl glanced up casually, as if inviting him.

A pair of large hands grabbed her playful yet soft little hands, pulling her arms behind her back and drawing her close. The girl's hands were clasped behind her back; she neither struggled nor tried to escape. Her eyes, filled with deep affection, gazed at him with the same longing he held for her.

Countless of his dead cells were activated.

At this moment, his willpower was making a desperate struggle. Just as he was about to let go, her slender arms wrapped around his neck, and her pink and moist lips locked his lips before he could even ask for his consent.

At this moment, fine beads of sweat from the man's brow clung to his skin. To him, it was no longer poison, but rather, a welcome relief!
My throat involuntarily swallowed.
He then realized, where was his reason?!
"what!"

He woke up with a start, only to find his shirt crumpled into a ball.

Damn it! These are hotel sheets!

He was breathing heavily, too afraid to close his eyes any longer.

He swept the shirt, which carried a unique scent, across his chest with both hands, and felt a sense of comfort in his arms and chest.

Ugh, here we go again!

I couldn't fall asleep anymore. I thought to myself: I need to get down to business first thing tomorrow morning.

(End of this chapter)