Chapter 27: A Massive Volunteer Charity Event?

Under the utility pole opposite the Anning Laundry in District 69, Ye Yue had been standing for three hours. As she waited, she would glance toward the laundry and the intersection from time to time, occasionally wiping away tears and sniffling. It was not that she wanted to cry; the spray she had been hit with was simply too potent, and she still hadn't recovered, her eyes stinging intensely.

To the local neighbors, however, the scene looked quite different. A beautiful woman standing under a streetlight, waiting for three hours, crying and red-eyed—wasn't that explanation enough? Naturally, several neighbors came over to comfort her.

"Young lady, stop crying, dear. Tell your auntie, what kind of trouble are you going through?"

"Oh, don't be shy. I’ve been around; you’re pining for love, aren't you?"

"Abortion? A breakup? Did you run into a scumbag? Or was it a catfight between a mistress and a wife? Just let it out!"

Several older women crowded around, the fire of gossip burning bright in their eyes. Some even pulled out small stools, ready to settle in for the spectacle.

Ye Yue was baffled. What was all this? She sniffled and said, "No... Auntie, do you know when Ren Jie usually gets back? I’m waiting for him..."

At the mention of his name, the women’s eyes lit up. Could it be that this girl and Little Jie...? *Tsk, tsk, tsk.*

"Little Jie? He usually doesn't get back until two or three in the morning, and he’s out again before dawn. He’s such a good kid. Whenever the neighbors have any trouble, they go to him..."

"Fixing an air conditioner, finding a lost pet, clearing a clogged drain, moving furniture, tutoring kids—there’s nothing he can’t do."

"It’s just a shame his life is so hard, with his family situation and all. Say, girl... you and Little Jie, you wouldn't happen to be..."

Ye Yue coughed lightly and wiped her nose in embarrassment. "Auntie... it’s not what you think. My business with Ren Jie is something we will handle ourselves."

The woman pressed on, "Let me tell you, girl, you don't find kids as good as Little Jie these days. Don't let him go if you've got him..."

"And if he ever does you wrong, just tell me. I’ll beat him up for you!"

Ye Yue’s expression was incredibly strange. Ren Jie? A "good kid"? The boy who put laxatives in pigeons and blew up the bathroom? None of that sounded like a "good kid" to her.

"Auntie... it’s really not—"

Before she could finish, the sound of screeching tires echoed from the street corner. A swarm of people piled out of cars, armed with steel pipes, paint, baseball bats, and even a few gene warriors. A wealthy-looking man, covered in bandages and encased in plaster casts, was carried over on a stretcher by his minions.

"I’m telling you, Brother Ma, we could have handled this ourselves. Did you really have to come in person?"

The wealthy man glared. "You don't know a damn thing! Get in there, smash that Anning Laundry to pieces, and splash paint everywhere!"

"And don't let that mother and daughter off easy. I’m going to make that kid realize he messed with the wrong person. Let’s see if he dares to be cocky again!"

The mob surged toward the Anning Laundry. The neighbors’ expressions shifted. "Oh dear, trouble has arrived. Little Jie shouldn't have been so impulsive this morning. The people from Shanhe Group aren't ones to mess with!"

Anning heard the commotion outside and rushed downstairs, while Tao Yaoyao watched nervously from above. The neighbor urged, "Anning, call the police quickly, or it’ll be too late!"

Anning looked distraught, pulling out her phone to call for help. But at that moment, Ye Yue’s brow furrowed, her gaze turning cold as she watched the thugs charge forward.

"Auntie... no need to call the police. I am the police!"

Anning was stunned. "You are..."

Without looking back, Ye Yue strode toward the mob. "I’m a friend of Little Jie’s. Don’t worry, Auntie, I can handle this!"

When the wealthy man saw Ye Yue, he grew even bolder. Where did this stunning beauty come from? A bonus for the night? "Get her! Whoever tries to stand up for him, take them down too!"

Ye Yue narrowed her eyes, her pupils turning a crimson blood-red. She snapped her fingers, and the gene warriors all collapsed to the ground, blood mist erupting from their bodies. The mist condensed into blood-spikes, and with a wave of her hand, they hovered inches from the throats of the thugs.

"Who were you planning to take down?"

"Move another inch, and you can all go to hell!"

The gene warriors turned pale, looking at Ye Yue in sheer terror. What rank of gene warrior was this woman?

At that moment, Anning and the neighbors stared in shock. This girl was incredibly powerful. Was she really a friend of Little Jie’s?

The wealthy man’s face went white. Had he kicked a steel plate? That poor kid had connections like this?

"You... where are you from? Ever heard of the Shanhe Group? You’d better..."

Ye Yue narrowed her eyes. "You want to know where I’m from?"

"Captain of the Third Squad of the Demon Suppression Division. Does that tell you where I’m from?"

With that, she flashed her credentials. The wealthy man’s head buzzed, and cold sweat poured down his face. The Demon Suppression Division? No matter how powerful his family’s faction was, they wouldn't dare challenge an official organization, especially one with as much authority as the Demon Suppression Division. Did that kid have ties to them?

Ye Yue’s tone turned icy. "Public gathering for a fight, armed conflict, attempting to destroy a citizen’s property, and involving gene warriors? Do you all want to spend time in the detention center?"

The wealthy man trembled. "N-no, not at all! We were just... here to help renovate the old building and the shop, to paint the walls!"

"And you brought baseball bats, steel pipes, and machetes to do that?"

"Ah... haha, no, no. Those are... those are for picking up trash, weeding, and cleaning the neighborhood! We only came in the middle of the night so we wouldn't disturb the residents’ business and rest..."

Ye Yue said coldly, "Do you take me for blind? In broad daylight, in the light of day, you show such contempt for the laws of the Great Xia. Is there anything you people wouldn't do?"

Just then, Ren Jie walked in from behind the thugs with a dark expression, casting a freezing glance at the wealthy man. He stepped forward, kicked the stretcher over, and walked right over the man’s face. The wealthy man shivered in pain, not daring to show a hint of anger.

Ren Jie then looked at Ye Yue, sounding somewhat helpless. "Um... it’s the middle of the night, not exactly broad daylight..."

Ye Yue blushed. "That... that’s not the point. I think the Shanhe Group deserves a thorough investigation!"

The wealthy man panicked. If he got the Demon Suppression Division involved, his father would kill him. "Don't... please? Spare me..."

Ren Jie walked up to Ye Yue and raised an eyebrow. "How long have you been waiting for me?"

Ye Yue smiled. "A long time. Do me a favor? Let’s talk?"

Her thought process was simple: the monk might run, but the temple remains. Ren Jie had to come home eventually. Ren Jie sighed; there was no running away from this.

"Fine, let’s talk. Auntie Anning, I’ll be back in a bit. You and Yaoyao should get some sleep."

Anning, Tao Yaoyao, and the neighbors were still in a state of shock, unable to process what had just happened. How did Little Jie know someone from the Demon Suppression Division? That was the Demon Suppression Division!

Ye Yue looked delighted, grabbing Ren Jie by the wrist. "Come with me!" She looked back one last time, her voice cold. "You’d better hope what you said is true!"

With that, she dragged Ren Jie away. The wealthy man, with a black shoe print on his face, lay on the ground and shouted, "What the hell are you all staring at? Get to work!"

And so, a strange scene unfolded. In the early hours of the morning, a group of tough guys in suits and sunglasses, wearing dark glasses and tattoos, began weeding with machetes, picking up trash with steel pipes, and acting as painters with buckets of paint. A massive, heartfelt volunteer charity event had begun in full swing.