His man didn’t have to finish his sentence; Old Nine knew exactly what he meant.

Old Nine’s gaze darkened as he glared at Lu Yuanbin, wishing he could tear the man to shreds.

So he didn’t refuse. Instead, he simply nodded.

’Since Lu Yuanbin was foolish enough to waltz right up to him, he might as well not leave at all.’

Lu Yuanbin had been itching for a fight lately anyway. Seeing Old Nine’s men swarm him, he didn’t hesitate and immediately began to fight back.

Watching from the side, the girl saw Lu Yuanbin get surrounded, and a flicker of worry crossed her face.

The vendors nearby had all scattered before the fight began.

The girl wanted to leave too, but her two chickens were still near Old Nine’s men. They were meant to be sold for her grandmother’s medicine money—the only thing of value her family had. She couldn’t just abandon them and flee.

Old Nine couldn’t spare a thought for the girl right now. His eyes were glued to the men tangled in the brawl.

Lu Yuanbin had earned his title of Third Master and wrested away more than half of the black market from him. The man could certainly fight.

Luckily, Old Nine had the advantage in numbers. Gradually, Lu Yuanbin began to lose the upper hand.

Old Nine snatched a wooden club from a corner. Seizing a moment when Lu Yuanbin was distracted, he raised it high and swung.

"Watch out!"

"Stop! Hands up, all of you!"

Just as Old Nine, his face twisted into a vicious snarl, was about to bring the club down on Lu Yuanbin, a group of uniformed men burst in from outside. The sight of them made Old Nine’s face fall.

Lu Yuanbin himself was stunned.

’How did they get here?’

’People in the black market business like them dreaded dealing with officials more than anything.’

With the officials here, the fight was off. Lu Yuanbin and Old Nine’s men quickly separated.

The uniformed men moved in and quickly got everyone under control.

"We received a tip-off that people were violating regulations and conducting illegal transactions here. Is there any truth to that?"

Old Nine’s expression faltered. He rushed to explain, "No, absolutely not."

Lu Yuanbin’s eyes darted around before he spoke up. "Comrade, I’ll be a witness. They were conducting illegal trades. I just happened to walk by and caught them in the act, and this bastard here just tried to kill me."

Just moments before, Old Nine had been holding a club aimed right at Lu Yuanbin’s head. It was impossible to argue he wasn’t trying to kill him.

The official glanced at him, recognizing him almost immediately.

Lu Yuanbin had been reported for illegal trading before and even detained, but he was eventually released due to a lack of evidence.

And now here he was, testifying against Old Nine, trying to get him thrown in jail.

The official quickly jotted down some notes, then turned to the girl at the side. His voice was stern. "Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

The girl was scared. She was just an ordinary person and was naturally afraid of people in uniform. Her face was etched with fear.

Lu Yuanbin stepped forward, slinging an arm around the girl with a cheeky grin.

"Hey, Comrade, don’t be so serious. You’re scaring my girlfriend."

"This is my girlfriend. We were on our way to visit relatives when we stumbled upon these guys and their shady dealings. They wouldn’t let us leave."

The official gave Lu Yuanbin a look, his expression unreadable. "You, be quiet," he said directly. "I have questions for your girlfriend now."

He then turned his gaze to the girl.

The girl tensed up immediately.

Lu Yuanbin smiled reassuringly. "Don’t be afraid. He’s one of the good guys. Just answer his questions truthfully."

The girl nodded.

"Are you his girlfriend?"

The girl hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

Her face flushed red as soon as she said it.

She was blushing from the nervousness of telling a lie, but the official mistook it for bashfulness, and his tone softened slightly.

"What’s your name? Where are you from? Why are you here?"

"My name is He Qingqing. I’m from Zhao Jiagou. I was... preparing to go visit relatives with my boyfriend."

After speaking, He Qingqing lowered her head, looking even more abashed.

She didn’t actually have a boyfriend. She was so ashamed of herself for suddenly saying such things.

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