Chapter 435

Chapter 435 Who the Hell Do You Think You Are!

Due to a police car blocking the way ahead, the State Security vehicles were unable to get close to the Nangong family’s main gate.

“State Security Major Crimes Unit on official business, clear a path!”

Xiang Feng didn’t get out of the car. Instead, he rolled down the window and flashed his credentials directly at the detective.

It had to be said that this move by Xiang Feng genuinely stunned the officers on the scene. They exchanged glances with one another, seemingly unsure of what to do.

Because in the eyes of ordinary government workers, the State Security department — shrouded in mystery — always seemed to carry an air of superiority. Whenever they crossed paths with them, you couldn’t help but feel your own confidence drop a few notches first.

Su Rui sat in the back seat and didn’t get out. His gaze crossed the distance of several dozen meters and settled on the front gate of the Nangong family estate.

“We received our orders long ago — we absolutely cannot back down easily!” The detective captain looked at Xiang Feng’s credentials, then produced his own police badge and shot back: “The Capital City Bureau Criminal Investigation Unit is conducting official business here. I ask that our State Security colleagues refrain from interfering!”

“Which case matters more — yours or State Security’s?”

Xiang Feng stopped the car and stood in front of the detective captain, his expression ice-cold and overbearing.

The detective captain swallowed hard and refused to budge an inch: “State Security has its cases, the Capital City Bureau has its cases. No case is bigger or smaller than another. Besides, we’re two separate systems — you have no authority over us, and you certainly can’t interfere with our arrest of a criminal suspect!”

“Every single State Security case involves national security. Can your cases even be mentioned in the same breath as national security?” Xiang Feng gave a cold laugh. “You say we’re interfering with your arrest of a suspect — so where is your suspect?”

The detective captain’s name was Diao Yiping. He was a figure of considerable weight within the Capital City Bureau, and with the next round of leadership reshuffling, he stood a very good chance of breaking into the front ranks. Although he had been taken aback at first by the dozen or so State Security vehicles, on second thought, this arrest operation had been ordered directly by a top leader from above — if anything went wrong, that powerful figure would have his back. No matter how formidable the State Security Major Crimes Unit was, could they really be compared to a ministry-level leader?

As long as he held to his principles and kept the top leader’s instructions firmly in mind, he would surely live up to the trust placed in him and complete the mission successfully.

Besides, this assignment wasn’t just a chance to forge a connection with a ministry leader — it was also an opportunity to dramatically strengthen his ties with the Nangong family, which would be enormously beneficial to his future career.

And so, having thought it all through, Diao Yiping stood his ground with absolute conviction. He had made up his mind: no matter how aggressive State Security got, there was no way they were going to snatch the fruits of victory from his hands.

“You ask me where the suspect is? I can tell you with complete certainty — the suspect is right there in your State Security vehicle!” Diao Yiping pointed a finger at Xiang Feng’s face, equally domineering. “You’re going to hand that person over!”

He was, after all, a full department-level official who had spent years navigating the political world. He had long since seen through certain things with great clarity. Xiang Feng’s rank was almost certainly lower than his, and so this detective captain had nothing to fear.

So what if State Security was aggressive? When it came time to get things done, you still had to follow procedure step by step.

“In my vehicle?” Xiang Feng’s aura suddenly erupted: “Fine. I likewise suspect that individuals posing a threat to national security are hiding in your vehicle right now. Hand them over!”

This was absolutely turning the tables.

But Xiang Feng didn’t care in the slightest. If it meant helping Su Rui, what did it matter even if he nailed these people to the ground with a rake?

Behind him, more than a dozen vehicles bearing State Security plates all came to a stop. The doors swung open, and battle-hardened agents stepped out with murderous intent.

“Everyone get over here! Come see just how great State Security really is!” Diao Yiping waved his hand, and the dozens of detectives behind him surged forward as well. For a moment, the two sides were surprisingly evenly matched in presence.

Just as the standoff reached its peak, a car door suddenly opened and Su Rui stepped out.

The moment he appeared, the officers immediately formed a tight formation, while the Nangong family members not far away showed expressions of shock.

More than five years ago, Su Rui at the height of his power had nearly turned this centuries-old family completely upside down. The terror of that bloody night was still deeply branded into everyone’s hearts, never once faded.

Perhaps many members of the Nangong family had come to believe that after five years of exile, Su Rui was no longer a threat. But when they saw that figure again after five long years, a trembling that came from the very soul enveloped them entirely.

Nangong Shun, dressed in a white suit, also caught sight of Su Rui, and immediately ground his teeth with hatred.

And from a corner, Nangong Yao likewise locked his gaze on Su Rui through the crowd. In that instant, a deep and venomous resentment surged from the depths of his eyes.

Five whole years of living a life that was neither fully human nor ghost — all of it was thanks to this man.

He simply stood there quietly, and yet it felt as though the entire world was pressing down. The Nangong family members already felt their breathing grow difficult.

Su Rui glanced in Nangong Shun’s direction. That single, understated look was enough to shatter the air of supreme arrogance Nangong Shun had worked so hard to build up. His entire body went rigid like a puppet, and even the muscles of his face trembled slightly beyond his control.

In that moment, he couldn’t help but recall the horrific way Mai Taishan had died. Though he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes, Li Xuan’s description had been extraordinarily detailed. During this period, Nangong Shun had often dreamed of that body reduced to fragments, coming to claim his life.

Although Diao Yiping knew about the bloody night in the capital five years ago, he had no idea that the person he was here to arrest tonight was the same extraordinary figure who had single-handedly cut a path of destruction through half the capital five years prior.

“I am Diao Yiping, captain of the Capital City Bureau Criminal Investigation Unit. You are suspected of involvement in a deliberate homicide case, and we need you to come with us to cooperate with the investigation.” Before arriving here, Diao Yiping had already burned Su Rui’s appearance into his memory.

“You want me to go with you? Where’s your evidence?” Su Rui looked at him and gave a cold smile.

“There are many eyewitnesses on the scene. If you believe you are innocent, then once you come back to the bureau with us, you’ll have every opportunity to clear your name.” Diao Yiping fixed his eyes on Su Rui’s, a look of amusement crossing his face. “Of course, the truth will come out in the end. But if you insist on resisting arrest, that only gives me more reason to believe you’re guilty of deliberate homicide.”

“Bullshit!”

Before Su Rui could say anything, Xiang Feng had already lost his patience. He grabbed Diao Yiping by the collar and hoisted him off the ground with one hand.

Xiang Feng was a top-tier special forces soldier from the classified combat training division. How could a middle-aged man like Diao Yiping — whose experience at the dinner table far exceeded his investigative skills — ever match him in raw strength?

Diao Yiping’s reaction wasn’t entirely slow. When Xiang Feng lifted him up, he didn’t immediately struggle. Instead, one hand moved toward his waist, reaching for his gun.

Xiang Feng’s other hand wasn’t idle either. He had already beaten Diao Yiping to it, drawing the man’s service weapon before tossing it aside.

“I am the captain of the Capital City Bureau Criminal Investigation Unit! Do you have any idea what kind of consequences treating me this way will bring?” Diao Yiping’s face flushed red. He was dangling with both feet off the ground, his shirt yanked out from his belt, the fat on his lower back and belly exposed to the open air. Every trace of the senior officer’s dignity he’d carried moments ago had completely vanished.

The officers behind him had all drawn their weapons and were watching with fierce eyes, yet not a single one dared to make a move.

Compared to the bold and aggressive actions of State Security, they seemed far too restrained and by-the-book.

“I’ll say it again — if you want to arrest someone, what evidence do you have?” Xiang Feng said coldly. “No evidence? Then get the hell out of here.”

With that, Xiang Feng shoved hard with both hands, and Diao Yiping went flying several meters back, landing flat on his backside.

Watching their leader get thrown down so roughly, the detectives still stood there holding their weapons, not a single one daring to act. It wasn’t that they lacked anger — it was that they had never encountered an agency as brazenly domineering as State Security, and for the moment they simply didn’t know what to do.

“He wants evidence? Then give him evidence! Show him the arrest warrant from the ministry!” Diao Yiping climbed up from the ground, slapped the dust off his backside with a heavy thwack, and roared.

“An arrest warrant issued directly by the ministry?” Xiang Feng looked at Diao Yiping, a complex expression flickering in his eyes.

It was clear that this situation had already far exceeded anything he had anticipated.

If it were just the Capital City Bureau, he might have been able to use the name of the State Security Major Crimes Unit to hold the line for Su Rui. But an arrest warrant issued directly by the Huaxia Public Security Ministry was well beyond his level of authority.

Su Rui’s eyes narrowed slightly as well. It seemed Nangong Shun was not the biggest fish after all — at the very least, there were still quite a few big and small fish that this one had dragged along with him.

“An arrest warrant issued directly by the Public Security Ministry?” Repeating the words, a look of amusement spread across Su Rui’s face.

“Let me see it.”

Xiang Feng gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and reached out to take the arrest warrant.

He had already made up his mind: if these officers dared to take Su Rui away, he would throw caution to the wind and drag the emperor off his horse. At worst, he’d strip off this uniform and go back home to farm. Before he joined the military, he had been a dirt-poor kid with nothing to his name — what was there to be afraid of?

However, his movement was stopped by Su Rui.

“Xiang Feng, leave what comes next to me.”

As he spoke, Su Rui stepped forward and said to Diao Yiping: “Go back and tell your leader that if he keeps acting without any regard for right and wrong, I won’t mind paying a visit to his home in the middle of the night for a good long talk.”

Su Rui was absolutely not joking. Anyone who knew him understood exactly what he meant. But Diao Yiping had no idea who Su Rui was. Hearing this, he assumed the man was just running his mouth, and gave a cold laugh: “Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that? Someone take him away! If he resists arrest, shoot him on the spot!”

This time, Diao Yiping had truly gone all in. He simply didn’t believe that with so many officers present, Su Rui would actually dare to resist.

As long as Su Rui dared to fight back, he would dare to kill him right then and there.

“Go ahead and try.” Xiang Feng stepped in front of Su Rui and roared.

“Diao Yiping, just who the hell do you think you are, talking to my captain like that? Believe it or not, my old man will have that uniform stripped right off you!”

At that moment, Qin Ranlong’s brash and furious voice rang out from a distance.