Guilongchao: I played the domineering CEO to the bone.

Tong didn't dare to have too much contact with Du Juan and the others, and didn't know how to do so, so she pulled the reluctant Xiao Guang and Xiao Hui outside.

Xiao Hui finally breathed a sigh of relief—after experiencing so many life-and-death situations, the "lucky break" prophecy from Chan Chan must be coming to an end, right?

The most dangerous people have all been rescued, so it seems that's about it.

Finally, I can go back and lie down!

But the three hadn't gone more than a few steps when they suddenly spotted a familiar white-haired figure approaching from ahead.

Oops--

It's Officer Xingmu!

Tong suddenly sensed something was wrong and turned her head to look behind her—

Damn it! The Thousand-Handed Statue, the Cuckoo and the White Dove... they're all gone!

Only the three of them remained on the field, along with Officer Xingmu, who was walking towards them with his hand on the hilt of his knife!

Tong quickly pulled Xiao Hui and Xiao Guang to the side, trying to avoid the righteous Xing Mu officer!

But how could a few sneaky petty thieves escape the sharp, hawk-like eyes of Officer Xingmu?

"stop!!!"

Xingmu roared!

Suspicious individuals were found at the scene; how dare they attempt to escape?

Are you looking down on me, Star Priest Arthur (sir)?

Startled by the majestic roar, Tong quickened her pace and pulled Xiao Hui and Xiao Guang away, trying to escape!

Little Gray and Little Light realized this at the same time and started walking very fast on their own without Tong pulling them.

Seeing that the three suspects were stubborn and unyielding, Xingmu snorted coldly, drew one of the two swords from his waist, imbued it with the power of a fire-attribute dragon curse, and hurled it at Tong and the other two a meter in front of them.

"Ting——"

As Xingmu had anticipated, her sword steadily blocked the three of them, then unleashed a faint ring of fire, forcing them to a halt.

They quickly caught up and surrounded Tong and the other two.

In truth, although Xing Mu is a swordsmanship instructor in the Zhenlong Division, she only possesses a dragon curse of the Qilong rank, and her strength is merely at the Purple Third Rank. Within the Zhenlong Division, she is only in the upper-middle range, not a top-tier combatant. The rank of her dragon curse has limited the development of her strength. Now, in her prime, she is already at the peak of her combat power.

However, their strength is not significantly different from Hitomi's; only their swordsmanship and family martial arts are noteworthy. Furthermore, Hitomi has more combat experience and superior physical fitness and stamina due to years of martial arts training…

Okay, so it seems Xingmu is much stronger than Tong now—but actually, if Tongguanghui and the other two were at their peak, they might not be unable to fight him, and with good teamwork, they might even be able to defeat him...

But the problem is that Tong, Guang, and Hui are all extremely weak right now!

He only has the strength to walk...

Xingmu alone is enough to surround the three of them completely, ensuring they won't even have a chance to escape.

"...It's you guys again? What are your real identities?! Tell us the truth!"

At this point, Star Shepherd Arthur was highly suspicious of the identities of Tong and the other two—since entering this Dragon Realm, she had only encountered these three people, and she had also met them outside the Dragon Realm...

Is there really such a coincidence in this world?

What's more, Xing Mu had circled around the Dragon Realm several times before finally finding the entrance, only to find that these three had entered the Dragon Realm before her...

You say this is a coincidence? Arthur, do you believe that?

These three are definitely suspicious!

Xingmu picked up the short sword stuck in the ground with one hand, assuming an attack stance towards the three people with gray pupils, and placed his other hand on the hilt of another long sword at his waist.

It seems that if Tong, Guang, and Hui's first answer doesn't satisfy her, she'll take the initiative and arrest them all, taking them to the Zhenlong Division for interrogation!

(Actually, the fox is also curious: why does the swordsmanship instructor's weapon look like two swords, one long and one short???)

Little Grey covered his face with his hands, overwhelmed with grief, and no longer wanted to explain—*Wenming Zhongpu*...The misfortune isn't over yet?! When will this ever end?!

Xiao Guang was the first to run forward and explain.

"We're just a regular movie crew passing by. We...we've gone to the wrong place...we'll leave right away!"

Xing Mu sneered, not believing even a single punctuation mark. He slightly drew the longsword from its sheath at his waist, as if he had already seen through the truth, and said:

"He's stammering and spouting lies!"

"You—could you be members of the Sensoukai, the group skilled in deception and wreaking havoc in Nakaura?! Confess! Speak!"

A sharp glint flashed in Xingmu's eyes, and her aura suddenly surged, like a mighty tiger ready to devour its prey—she also drew her longsword completely!

"Arthur, we really aren't—"

"Still dare to talk back? Then come back to the Zhenlong Division with me and we'll talk!"

"Waaaaaahhhhhh... Help me...!"

...............

Xingmu escorted Tong, Guang, and Hui to the Zhenlong Division without any problems, and the three of them were almost unharmed.

Hoshimaki had originally planned to be on high alert, as he dared not let his guard down against the largest fraud gang in Nakaura Ward—Sensoukai—which was as slippery as an eel and had repeatedly failed to be apprehended.

But to her surprise, just as she got serious, she discovered that these three were like spineless wimps, collapsing at the slightest touch...

As a highly ethical detective of the Zhenlong Division, she naturally had no reason to use excessive force against these three people.

And so, Tong, Guang, and Hui were imprisoned in the Zhenlong Division prison by Xingmu by a twist of fate, and at a young age, they began to live a life without having to worry about food and lodging.

Because Xingmu needed to report to the intelligence department of the Zhenlong Division first to provide intelligence information for the subsequent emergency suppression and sealing of the dragon domain, he did not interrogate Tong, Guang, and Hui immediately.

The three were separated and placed in three adjacent cells, spending a night in constant fear...

The three of them thus managed to get a free meal of prison food for dinner and breakfast at the Zhenlong Division—and to be honest, the prison food at the Zhenlong Division was quite delicious for them!

Even after the three of them finished their prison meals, they still felt a lingering sense of satisfaction and even discussed wicked thoughts in front of the prison guards: if they ever got so hungry that they couldn't afford food, they would just find a bad guy on the street, kill him, and then come in for a life sentence... uh... a permanent free meal.

Isn't that much more comfortable than struggling outside on your own?

Prison guard: My God! They even knew to find a bad guy to kill? Are these prisoners really that morally upright?

Of course, the three of them only thought about it—although prison food was a little better than what they usually ate, if they really did that, they would lose their freedom—nothing is more precious than freedom, so they could consider the hardship and fatigue of working as the price of enjoying freedom.

After the three were detained at the Zhenlong Division, they were held there for no more than ten hours, from evening to morning.

Then a sudden phone call interrupted their reverie of "looking up at the prison bars and thinking about their next meal"...

"Are you all safe and sound in Zhenlong Division? I have completed the formalities and can now leave with peace of mind."

"I went to great lengths to get you out of here."

A tired voice came from the other end of the phone, and faintly, a cute little girl could be heard crying, "Little gray kitten~"

"Director, please return to Dragon Tide Pavilion as soon as possible. A new commission awaits your attention."

"No way??? I've been locked up in jail! I can't eat or sleep properly, I'm terrified, and you... you just got me out, and now you're going to exploit this director's labor??? You—you... you... so Dragon Tide Pavilion is short-staffed for their jobs, that's why you came to bail me out?"

Tong angrily shouted into the phone—"They're treating people like cattle!"

Besides... I'm still a little reluctant to give up prison food...

Mr. Du on the other end of the phone ignored Tong's complaints—this guy goes crazy for about twenty days a month, and it's been like this for years.

Changing his tone, he said to Wang Hui:

"Wang Hui, why don't you come to Longchao Pavilion with Tong later? The little darling you sent to me... is really 'clever and adorable'! I must thank you properly!"

Wang Hui chuckled sheepishly on the other end of the phone, scratching the back of his head, trying to bluff his way out of the situation.

"Of course, of course... Hehe... I just noticed that you seemed a bit lacking in energy, Master Du, so I brought Chan Chan to keep you company and chat. Consider it my way of showing my respect!"

"Um...? As for thanking me or anything—? Well... that's not necessary, is it?"

Master Du's "kind and amiable" voice suddenly turned cold.

"You little bastard!"

"Don't make Du personally come to find you."

After speaking, Mr. Du hung up the phone.

After the call ended, the heavy iron gate was opened, and Tong, Guang, and Hui were finally released from the Zhenlong Division.

Having regained their freedom, they boarded the light rail and returned to the brightly lit Nakaura Ward.

Who's paying for the light rail ride?

Hitomi: My frail little wallet!!! Waaaaaah... It's all my fault, Hitomi-neechan, for being so useless. I can only watch my wallet grow thinner and thinner...

The three people who got off the train walked back to the neighborhood from the station, chatting as they went.

Because Tong and the other two still need to go through various procedures upon their release from prison, such as retrieving their confiscated personal belongings, and because Tong's wallet was simply too weak to afford a fast, comfortable train ticket with no waiting and guaranteed seats...

No matter how much Xiao Hui and Xiao Guang complained about Tong's stinginess, Tong was only willing to pay the lowest price for a train ticket—and it was a standing ticket—are you two kidding me? You two just think that your Tong-jie can live without eating this month, right?

In short, by the time the three of them returned to Nakaura Ward, it was already evening. Moreover, they had been standing the entire time without any seats, and hadn't had a chance to rest until they were completely exhausted. The short ten hours they spent in the Chinryu Division over the past two days were the best rest and happiest time they had ever had.

Of course, after most of the day has passed, how can we not eat?

The generous Tong Jie treated Xiao Guang and Xiao Hui to a pack of instant noodles and a bottle of water.

"Fortunately, Master Du is very resourceful and managed to get it out for us."

Little Grey let out a long sigh, patted his chest, looking somewhat unsettled, but what he was really thinking was:

Chan Chan's prophecy, should it finally come to an end? From now on, if I hear Chan Chan say that someone around me is about to "strike it rich," I must stop her, I must not get involved... I almost got myself caught up in it.

"Hehe... that's perfect, we can use the movie we filmed yesterday to repay Mr. Du's kindness."

Tong rolled her eyes. The thought of returning to Longchao Pavilion and facing endless exploitation made her wish the journey back would be longer.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Guang showed a look of disgust.

"Don't repay kindness with enmity... It's already a kindness of Master Du not to stop you outside the Longchao Pavilion Film Studio."

"By the way, Little Grey, are you really going to listen to Master Du and go back to Dragon Tide Pavilion? I have a feeling that Master Du's words have a hidden meaning."

Xiao Guang had the air of a wise man—she felt that Master Du's tone was not quite right, but she couldn't tell what was wrong. She just felt that if Wang Hui went to Longchao Pavilion, he might be murdered by Master Du.

Actually, of the three, only Xiao Guang didn't notice the deep resentment in Master Du's voice...

"No, no, Sister Tong, Sister Guang, school will be letting out soon, and I have some things to do, so I won't go back to the studio with you two."

"Oh, so you, Little Grey, stopped studying a long time ago? What, trying to find an excuse not to go back to Dragon Tide Pavilion to face Master Du? That's a bit too abrupt, isn't it?"

Tong said jokingly that she was the one who tricked Wang Hui once. She didn't communicate well with Master Du and let Wang Hui bring Chan Chan to Master Du. But she didn't feel any self-awareness or guilt. She even felt gloating about the "Master Du · Gale" that Wang Hui was about to face.

What's he doing at school?

Xiao Guang was also wondering about it.

"No... School's almost over, I need to pick up Chanchan."

Little Grey laughed along, seemingly trying to avoid Master Du, but what a perfectly legitimate reason!

He wasn't worried that Chanchan would skip school because he wasn't there to take care of her. Because Chanchan's mother was busy with work and often away from home, Chanchan, despite her young age, was much more independent than her peers. She would go to school by herself and was very obedient to her mother. She wouldn't skip school just because she wanted to play.

Tong also told Xiao Guang about Wang Hui's temporary job at "Sister Hua's Maternity Matron and Domestic Service Center"—actually, filming with the director was Wang Hui's hobby.

"This job is quite suitable for Old Gray."

Xiao Guang and Wang Hui each called each other by their own names, one calling her "Sister Guang" and the other "Old Hui."

"Come on... *yawn*"

Wang Hui turned gracefully at a street corner, walked away with his back to them, and waved to Tong and Xiao Guang.

"Just remember to pay me my wages when the dividends arrive~"

"Oh right, and there's also the fare I paid for the ride back from Zhenlong Division..."

"no?!"

Tong shouted to stop Wang Hui.

"What do you mean by 'the fare I incurred just now on my way back from Zhenlong Division'? You're denying it, aren't you, Xiaozhi? It was clearly your sister Tong who paid for it for you, okay?"

Wang Hui stopped, turned around, and pointed to his two not-so-long legs.

"see it?"

"What's wrong?"

"This is the bicycle I, Old Gray, ride: Route 11 - fully automatic - green energy - personalized version - bicycle! Hahahaha..."

"........"

Wang Hui fled the scene with a lingering smile on his lips—as long as he ran fast enough, he wouldn't hear Tong and Guang's complaints!

I'm in such a great mood!

So the so-called "lucky break" must be over now, right? Absolutely!

We're safe now!

It gives you a feeling of relief and peace of mind!

It's so nice not having to worry about anything!

Wang Hui hummed a little tune as he walked towards the No. 1 Experimental Primary School in Zhongpu District.

In a dark corner, Dujuan and Baige looked at Wang Hui's back, then at Tong and Xiaoguang's backs... and finally fixed their gaze on Wang Hui.

"Are you going or am I going?"

Du Juan couldn't hold back any longer. Seeing the two groups of people walking further and further apart, she was the first to ask a question.

"What did Master say she should do when she encounters a man who gets too close to her? First? Intimidate? Kidnap? Or kill him first and then...?"

Bai Ge couldn't quite recall how Min Moyou had explained things; she vaguely remembered a few words, but forgot the order of events...

Who told her to be so captivated by Min Moyou's tall and slender figure at the time...?

This might reflect that four-character idiom, something about a big brain? (Why are all my beloved subjects silent? (laughs))

"Then I shall go..."

Du Juan agreed and quietly followed Wang Hui.

Although she couldn't remember clearly, tying her up first was definitely the right thing to do.