Miss Assassin is heavily addicted

Chapter 17, Section 17: Running Away! Running Away!
—Baplow Credit Lending Company Meeting Room—

"Damn it, these bastards have imprisoned so many children! The purpose of this operation is to rescue them, right? Sir, I am incredibly honored by your decision!"

When He Ye returned to the spacious reception room, he was greeted by the impassioned speeches of the vagrants! — They were bruised and battered, yet full of pride, because these scars were the medals of the victors.

The battle with the thugs on the first floor had ended a few minutes ago, and some of the homeless had begun clearing the battlefield. Meanwhile, the loyal Rayleigh, along with a few close friends and family, chose to wait at the underground entrance to ensure the sheriff's safe exit.

So there was this scene.

"Sir, welcome back!" Rayleigh stepped forward with great emotion, offering a lousy salute.

The children were undoubtedly startled, and even Nicole choked on what she was about to say, clinging tightly to He Ye.

Eeeeeeee…

"Calm down, calm down. They are all brave warriors. Rescuing you is not just my achievement. These kind people also put in a lot of effort."

He Ye turned around and comforted the group of short, stout girls.

They emerged from the reception room, where a sparkling crystal chandelier hung high from the ceiling, surrounded by bookshelves and tea cabinets, their doors smashed and ransacked. Next to it was a square table used for discussions, on which a thug lay unconscious, his cheeks flushed red—the flashlight and keys he had offered.

The scene was a complete mess.

“What on earth happened…” a child muttered.

Upon hearing this, Rayleigh replied with bright, piercing eyes:

"Needless to say? The wise and mighty sheriff, along with his fearless warriors, destroyed this evil hideout and rescued you poor children!"

Knowing how to flatter, he seized the opportunity to sing praises of this achievement. Rayleigh thought to himself that he must impress his superiors and maybe they would rise to prominence and keep him by their side as a lackey!
As for He Ye—

Scratching his head.

"Simply put, they've taken down everyone here, and now Baplow Credit is practically defunct—you are free."

He Ye translated simply, saying it casually.

The children were amazed, after all, to them, Baplo Credit was like a tiger crouching on a mountaintop, majestic and inviolable.

As a result, now——

"Hurry up and move! Whoosh, we're going to make a fortune!"

Just then, a homeless man carrying a vase in both hands ran past the door, his running posture resembling a comical monkey from Flower Fruit Mountain. He was happily calling out to his companions, even though his face was bruised and swollen.

The Baplo Credit Company appears to be defunct, and all dungeons are now open for sweeping.

Nicole couldn't believe it, and blankly reached out to tug at He Ye's sleeve, saying:

"Sir, you really went to such lengths to save me? I... I thought you were paying to ransom us..."

"No, the former seems more realistic, okay?"

He Ye remained silent, not knowing he had that much money in his pocket. He casually reached out and patted Nicole's head, as if teasing a neighbor's child.

"In short, stop crying."

Nicole struggled to hold back her tears, rubbing her eyes: "I'm just so touched."

He Ye observed her like this, taking it all in; knowing how to be grateful was a wonderful quality. He didn't say anything more, but turned around to look at the group of children who shared similar fates.

He Ye mentally organized his thoughts, then said:

"I don't know if you were lured here or were trafficked here willingly, but you are now free. Just leave here and go back to find your families. Of course, you may not need to go. I hope you understand that your destiny is your own, and that you can live a happy life."

"Then let's go, stay close to me."

After He Ye finished speaking, he led them out of the reception room, where the lobby of the Baplo Credit Lending Company was just outside.

The battle was over, and the ground was a mess.

Most of the thugs lying on the ground were unconscious, and there were also homeless people who were injured and unconscious. As this group of people walked through the middle, many children exclaimed in amazement as if they were visiting some kind of museum.

Just then, a homeless man who happened to be in the lobby saw the group of people come out. Although he didn't understand why the sheriff was leading a group of children out, he stared wide-eyed and didn't forget to report it.

A strange homeless man blocked the way for the group.

"Report, sir! Thanks to our valiant and fearless fighting, we have successfully routed these thugs!"

"Very good." He Ye patted him on the shoulder.

"But sir, there's a problem now."

The homeless man's expression changed to one of distress, and he pointed worriedly to the ceiling—the third floor—and reported:
“My friends discovered that there was a fire on the third floor. The fire was huge, and it might spread to the ground floor in a little while, and then the entire building would be engulfed in flames.”

Hearing this, He Ye was puzzled—not because he was puzzled by the fire, because he was the one who started it, placing it in the archives room and letting the fire burn all the unsightly contracts there.

Logically speaking, it shouldn't have been discovered so quickly.

Unless the fire suddenly escalates and someone adds fuel to the fire, or...

"Ding dong."

Just then, the elevator doors opened, and two homeless men emerged carrying expensive plates and utensils. It was clear that these had been stolen from one of the floors, and their faces were covered in black ash.

"I'm rich! I'm rich! Mua~"

The homeless man excitedly kissed the plate and chuckled as he left.

Seeing this, Rayleigh, who had been following closely, immediately stood at attention as if facing a formidable enemy, and said:
"Sir! You know, victory is always accompanied by looting. I forgot to tell the brothers to watch their hands..."

Rayleigh wasn't sure if he would be blamed for this, so he decided to distance himself for the time being. It would be troublesome if the National Security Bureau investigated him.

It's no wonder the fire was discovered.

After a moment, He Ye waved his hand magnanimously, forgiving their robbery, since he wasn't really a robber. He then led the group of children outside the company.

As a result, the homeless people scavenging within the company became even more diligent.

Leaving the Baplo credit lending company.

The moonlight outside was hazy.

The air seemed to have never smelled so sweet.

A cold March wind brushed against his cheeks. He Ye stood at the top of the steps and let out a soft breath. Under the clear moonlight, he stood with his hands in his trench coat pockets.

Watching the children excitedly rushing outside, they are demonstrating freedom through their actions.

"They're out! They're out! They're really out!"

"I want to go home!"

"Thank you, Sheriff!"

The children below cheered with joy.

Although a fire was burning on the third floor of the Baplo Credit Company, it appeared exceptionally bright and warm under the cold moonlight.

Looking at them, He Ye also had a new worry.

"Let me think about how to settle you."

He Ye pondered where the little ones were going. Although some children had already wrapped themselves up tightly and quietly left the group, some were still staying behind, which was something he needed to deal with.

After all, some abducted children will cry:

"I don't know how to get home." And some trafficked children would say in a low voice:

"I don't know where to go back to."

This is a difficult question.

Undoubtedly, this was also brought to the forefront for He Ye.

"Sheriff! You'll take us home and find us a place to stay, right?"

The little ones, having seemingly come to their senses about their situation, asked the same question in unison.

Faced with sincere and expectant gazes, He Ye remained silent, never feeling that his identity was such an inconvenience—he wished he really was Sergeant Marlens of the National Security Bureau.

Fortunately, at that moment, the sirens wailed!
biu～du～biu～du～

From afar, the sound of sirens could be heard, so striking in the quiet night. The children immediately understood that more kind-hearted people were coming to help them!
Meanwhile, the homeless people still inside the company also peeked out, realizing this was a good time to claim credit.

Needless to say, Rayleigh, who had been following closely behind, strode forward, gazing excitedly at the police cars in the distance against the night sky, and shouted:

"Sir, reinforcements have finally arrived! We've been so capable, solving the problem before the reinforcements even arrived. We'll definitely be given a special reward!"

He Ye: "Hahahaha..."

Oops.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no—

Although they had expected the National Security Bureau to take notice, they were surprised by how quickly the police acted, with officers arriving at the scene in less than half an hour.

Without a doubt, anyone caught at the scene would be in jail.

He Ye will be no exception—he might even have to eat peanuts to chew on!

However, this also solved his worries to some extent, as the kids would be taken care of by the officials, and he wouldn't need to worry about them anymore.

Now, he only needs to worry about himself.

"Sir, why aren't you saying anything?"

Rayleigh felt a little strange at this moment. He had already walked to the side of the road and was waving his hands excitedly at the approaching police car to indicate his presence.

He Ye remained standing on the steps, saying nothing.

"Oh, this? Hahahaha..."

He Ye, who had just laughed awkwardly, was already secretly looking around, searching for his escape route.

He would be exposed as soon as they met, since forging documents and hacking into files are two different things. His identity was not registered at all, and the police officers who came to the National Security Bureau would know he was a fake as soon as they saw him.

Nicole seemed to understand He Ye's predicament, though it was unclear why she saw through it. Perhaps it was because she had secretly seen the contents of that brown paper diary while rummaging through his suitcase.

In short, Nicole tugged at his sleeve anxiously and whispered:

"Sir, let's run away together!"

"Run away?" Rayleigh frowned.

Suddenly, He Ye felt many eyes on him.

Right now, the area in front of the Baplo Credit Loan Company is full of homeless people who came out after hearing the police sirens. They even seem to be surrounding He Ye, since he is the leader.

He Ye quickly covered her mouth, then turned around and calmly explained:
"It's nothing, just go down and greet my colleagues."

"Yes, sir!"

Soon a large crowd of people, including adults and children, gathered by the roadside, all of them looking excited.

The National Security Bureau officer who arrived in a police car was puzzled by this.

What the hell? Why are they lining the streets to welcome me?
He only received a call from Baplo Credit Loan Company and came over for a brief inspection, but it seems...

It seems extraordinary?

more importantly--

The company is on fire; the third floor is on fire.

Sensing something was wrong, the sheriff pondered for a moment, then took out his pager in the police car, relayed the intelligence he had gathered to his superior, and requested more reinforcements.

As for himself.

The sheriff slowly applied the brakes, pulled the police car over to the side of the road, checked his sidearm and magazine, then opened the door and stepped out, remaining vigilant.

And the moment he stepped out of the car.

"Run! Run! The National Security Bureau officers are here to arrest us!"

He Ye still couldn't go against his conscience and shouted as he ran towards the alley entrance. He waved to remind everyone, and his fleeing figure stunned everyone for a moment.

"Actually, I'm not a police officer from the National Security Bureau! I'm just a nice guy passing by! Run, my friends! If you get caught, you'll be in jail!"

The sound that came again was like a wake-up call, filled with a feeling of unbearable reluctance.

Those were He Ye's heartfelt words!

"Wha, what?!"

Some of the homeless people gasped in disbelief, such as the man holding a ceramic bottle standing near the police car, who seemed to find it absurd.

The next moment, the sheriff seemed to wake from a dream, skillfully took out handcuffs, and without saying a word, fastened them to him: "Don't go yet, I need to ask you some questions."

"I go!!!"

The homeless crowd finally erupted in protest.

Rayleigh was the first to react. A brief moment of thought made him realize the monstrous disaster they had committed—if this Sheriff Marlens was an imposter, then they would be held legally responsible for beating someone half to death without cause, looting the property of the Baplo Company, and even for the fire that started and the people who died.

This is!--

Getting caught would be a terrible disaster, a life sentence in jail!

"Born!!!"

Rayleigh only managed to utter that one curse before turning tail and running towards the alleyway of the slums, his face filled with terror, to hide.

His friends reacted quickly upon seeing this, and the moment they realized they had been tricked, they scattered like frightened mice, leaving only a few slow-moving guys who were knocked to the ground and handcuffed.

"Newborn, newborn!"

The homeless man, slapping his thigh in anguish, slumped to the ground, eating his handcuffs. He thought that Sergeant Marlens was no human being—how could he be a fake? Such a big fuss!
"Report, this is Corporal Lawn from the Security Patrol Team. I've discovered that what's happening in the Kobolo neighborhood might be a bit serious and requires more reinforcements. There's a fire here, with over thirty or forty people injured, many homeless children, and, more importantly, it seems someone has died. The person in charge of Baploo hasn't shown up yet."

After reporting into the walkie-talkie, the sheriff looked at the homeless people crying on the ground. Detaining four was his limit.

Waiting for reinforcements to arrive and then capturing more people is another matter, but what happened tonight is indeed a bit unusual.

Faced with the group of bewildered children—although the little ones had heard He Ye's final confession, they did not panic, because, in their eyes, the National Security Bureau would not harm the victims.

"Can someone tell me the whole story...?"

Sheriff Lawn Cher said wistfully, touching his thinning hair and looking around.

(End of this chapter)