Chapter 4: The Reluctant Hero

Kris had no interest in the four men and one woman initially, but when OG Cat brought it up, he cast a sidelong glance toward the window. The four men were all wearing shearling coats, work pants, and worn-out leather boots. Their sharp gazes and the reddened, exposed skin suggested they weren’t from the Special Zone.

“They don’t look like locals,” Kris muttered.

“How can you tell?” OG Cat asked curiously.

“They’re dressed too warmly and have frostbite,” Kris replied succinctly. “They’re probably Lei Zi from the undeveloped zones.”

“What’s Lei Zi?”

“People who make a living on the edge,” Kris said, scratching his nose.

Hearing this, OG Cat grew uneasy. “So, if we play heroes here, we might not even be able to take them down, huh?”

“Did you bring a gun?” Kris asked.

“Coming here to eat? Of course not,” OG Cat shook his head.

“Then I suggest we don’t act for now,” Kris said after a brief thought. “Let’s call the team.”

As the two conversed quickly, the four men stood up with the woman, paid their bill, and prepared to leave.

“Damn it, they’re leaving,” OG Cat said nervously, his hand shaking as he raised his wine glass. “Should we follow them?”

“What are you, Nezha with Wind Fire Wheels?” Kris retorted. “They drove here. Are you planning to chase them on foot? Stop joking.”

“Oh, crap, I forgot about that…”

Kris glanced at the four men out of the corner of his eye, frowning. “If these guys are really trouble, they’re definitely carrying something. Even if we step in, we can’t stop them.”

OG Cat was genuinely nervous. While he worked in a frontline investigations team, he was more of a “freelancer” and rarely got assigned dangerous tasks. He wasn’t experienced in large-scale operations. Even so, he said to Kris, “If we were just regular civilians, I’d let it go. But we’re wearing these uniforms. We can’t ignore it. Think of something…”

“We’re unarmed, outnumbered, and can’t follow them. There’s no time to notify the team… What do you want me to think of?” Kris was sweating. “Unless a miracle happens, there’s nothing we can do.”

At that moment, the restaurant door opened, and six burly men entered. They scanned the room before the leader, Lao San, called out, “Kris!”

Both Kris and OG Cat turned their heads in surprise and muttered simultaneously, “Whoa, a miracle!”

Lao San, wearing a pale green police uniform, led five of his team members over. Tilting his head, he looked at Kris with a cigarette in his mouth and scolded, “You just got here, and you’re already eating out? Got money to burn, huh? Come outside; I need a word with you—”

“Lao San, are you here for the case?” OG Cat interrupted, stepping forward and grabbing Lao San’s arm.

“What case?” Lao San looked confused.

“You didn’t come for the operation?” OG Cat asked, puzzled.

“Well, I heard he was here, so I came.”

“Then you’re here for the case,” OG Cat said, nodding. “How many people did you bring? Are there more outside?”

“…!” Lao San was even more confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Are you stupid? I ran into it too, so why are you hiding it from me?” OG Cat slapped Lao San’s arm urgently. “Are we taking them down here or outside?”

“What are you talking about?” Lao San pointed at Kris. “I came to see him.”

OG Cat froze and subtly gestured toward the bar, where the four men were. “You’re not here to catch them?”

“Catch them? What did they do?”

“Well, isn’t this convenient,” OG Cat whispered, sweat forming on his forehead. “Those four kidnapped a girl. Kris and I were just discussing what to do when you arrived… Let’s take them down now. We’ve got enough people.”

“…” Lao San looked baffled and muttered, “I… I’m just here for Kris.”

“Lao San, isn’t this area outside your jurisdiction? Why are you worrying about Kris now?” OG Cat whispered urgently. “Just tell us how to proceed.”

“Proceed? I’m not prepared for this!” Lao San exclaimed, glancing at the four men. “I don’t even know who they are.”

Meanwhile, the four men had already noticed Lao San’s group. Seeing them in police uniforms talking to OG Cat and Kris, they began to feel uneasy.

The men exchanged glances, then placed the woman in the middle and started walking toward the door.

“Hurry up and figure out a plan!” OG Cat urged, his heart pounding.

“This is your situation. What plan do you want me to come up with?” Lao San stepped back in frustration. “You two are the ones who stumbled onto this!”

“You’re the main force! We don’t have anything on us.”

“Main force, my ass!” Lao San cursed, turning to his team. “We can’t ignore this… OG Cat will report us if we do. Everyone, spread out. Xiao Hu, notify the team.”

“What about me?” asked Guo’er, one of the younger officers.

“You go inspect their IDs. Ask for residency permits. If they don’t have one, ask for Special Zone entry permits. If they resist, shoot them.”

“You want me to go?” Guo’er almost cried. “Why not OG Cat?”

“They’re not in uniform. Just go.”

“Damn it, this sucks,” Guo’er muttered, bracing himself as he stepped in front of the four men. “Black Street Police. Show me your residency permits.”

The four men stopped, their expressions unreadable, while the woman stood between them, sweating and clenching her fists.

“I’m talking to you. Show me your permits,” Guo’er repeated.

“We’re from an undeveloped zone, here for supplies,” the short man said quietly. “We don’t have long-term permits.”

“Then show me your entry permits,” Guo’er said, extending his hand.

“Fine.” The short man reached into his pocket.

Seeing this, Lao San instinctively stepped back, his right hand moving toward his gun.

As the short man reached into his pocket, the woman suddenly screamed, “Help me! They’re kidnapping me!”

“Don’t move!”

The short man’s companion immediately pulled out a military-grade T-34 grenade and shouted, “I’ll pull the pin! Move, and we all die!”

The restaurant erupted in chaos as diners scattered, screaming.

The short man grabbed the woman and started backing away, his expression calm. “Cover me; I’ll head out through the back door.”

Lao San, sweating profusely, placed his hand on his holstered gun and addressed the man with the grenade. “Calm down, brother. It’s one thing if it doesn’t go off, but if it does, it’ll be a whole different story.”

Before the words had fully left his mouth, OG Cat suddenly lunged forward, grabbing a wine bottle from the table and smashing it against the man’s wrist.

“Clang!”

The man staggered back, his expression fierce. Without hesitation, he hurled the grenade into the crowd.

Kris acted immediately, grabbing OG Cat by the collar and dragging him backward several steps.

“Boom!”

The grenade detonated, blasting a crater into the floor. Debris flew everywhere, smashing tables into splinters. Three officers were hit by shrapnel and fell to the ground, injured.

Lao San dove to the floor and yelled, “Take cover! Someone shoot the guy with the grenade!”

“Bang! Bang!”

Gunshots rang out, and just as Lao San attempted to get up, a spray of blood erupted from his backside. He collapsed back to the ground with a thud.

“Damn it! Damn it!” Lao San cursed, frantically reaching for his wound and seeing blood streaming out. He glared at OG Cat and yelled, “OG Cat, you mother— You’re the worst luck ever!”

The short man didn’t hesitate, dragging the woman toward the back door. Two of his companions pulled out pistols and started firing toward the officers.

“Cover fire!” Lao San shouted, clutching his injured buttocks.

Kris finally sprang into action. He grabbed OG Cat and pushed him down behind an overturned table. “Stay down! You’re more of a liability than a help!”

“You’re really just going to sit here?!” OG Cat shouted.

“Of course not!” Kris snapped back. He peeked out from behind the table, eyes narrowing as he calculated the best approach.

The man holding the woman barked orders to his companions, “Hold them off for 30 seconds! I’m almost out!”

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Kris muttered under his breath, “Guess I don’t have a choice.” He turned to Lao San and yelled, “Cover me for 10 seconds!”

“Cover you with what? My blood?!” Lao San retorted, still clutching his wound.

“Fine! I’ll do it myself!” Kris growled.

He burst out from behind the table, grabbing a chair and hurling it at one of the gunmen. The distraction gave him enough time to close the distance. With a fluid motion, he tackled the gunman to the ground, knocking the weapon away.

“Bang!”

Another shot narrowly missed Kris, hitting the wall behind him. He ducked and rolled, using the fallen gunman as a shield while grabbing the pistol.

“Drop your weapons, or I’ll shoot!” Kris shouted, aiming the gun at the remaining assailants.

The man with the grenade hesitated, glancing at his injured companion on the ground. The short man holding the woman froze, realizing his escape route was blocked.

“You think you can walk out of here alive?” Kris continued, his voice icy. “Drop the grenade, or this ends badly for all of you.”

The tension in the air was suffocating. Everyone seemed frozen, waiting for the next move.

The short man finally sighed, letting go of the woman and raising his hands. “Fine. You win.”

The other assailants followed suit, reluctantly dropping their weapons.

“Everyone down on the ground! Hands behind your head!” Kris ordered, his gun still trained on them.

The woman collapsed to the floor, sobbing in relief as the officers moved in to secure the suspects.

Lao San, still lying on the floor, groaned. “Next time, don’t count on me for miracles. My ass can’t take another hit.”

OG Cat crawled out from behind the table, trembling. “You were awesome, Kris! Like a damn action hero!”

Kris shot him a glare. “Shut up and call an ambulance. And get Lao San something for his ass.”

As the tension eased, the restaurant fell into a chaotic mix of relief and cleanup. Customers who had been hiding began cautiously emerging from their hiding spots, their faces pale and their hands trembling. Some muttered prayers of gratitude; others just stared blankly at the aftermath.

The injured officers were being helped by their colleagues, while Lao San, still lying on his stomach, barked at anyone who got too close to his wound.

“I swear, if anyone so much as pokes me, they’re next!” Lao San grumbled, sweat dripping down his face.

“Relax,” Kris said, pulling a first-aid kit from behind the counter. “I’ll patch you up myself.”

Lao San groaned. “Oh, great. Just what I need. Dr. Kris and his magic touch.”

Ignoring the sarcasm, Kris quickly tore open a disinfectant pack. “Quit whining. It’s just a graze. You’ll live.”

Meanwhile, OG Cat was pacing nervously, phone pressed to his ear as he called for backup and medical assistance. “Yes, I said grenade! And yes, it went off! Just get here already!”

He hung up and looked around the wrecked restaurant. “Man, this place is totaled. The owner’s gonna flip.”

Kris glanced at him while wrapping a bandage around Lao San’s wound. “You mean the same owner who serves us watered-down drinks? I think they’ll survive.”

“Still, this is gonna be a lot of paperwork,” OG Cat muttered, running a hand through his hair. “And I’m pretty sure my report’s gonna make me look bad.”

“Maybe because you were bad,” Kris shot back. “Smashing a bottle without a plan? Seriously?”

“It worked, didn’t it?” OG Cat said defensively.

“Barely,” Kris replied, tying off the bandage. “If I hadn’t pulled you out of there, you’d be a pile of ashes right now.”

Lao San chuckled weakly. “Yeah, OG Cat. Stick to being comic relief. Leave the hero stuff to Kris.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lao San,” OG Cat muttered, crossing his arms.

Just then, the sound of sirens grew louder. Moments later, more officers flooded the scene, securing the suspects and setting up a perimeter. Paramedics arrived shortly after, tending to the injured.

The officer in charge, a stern-looking woman with sharp eyes, approached Kris. “Report?”

Kris straightened up. “Four suspects, one female hostage. Suspects were armed and had explosives. We managed to subdue them before they could escape.”

She nodded, her gaze sweeping the room. “Good work. But next time, wait for backup.”

“Didn’t have a choice,” Kris said with a shrug.

As the suspects were led away in cuffs, the woman turned to OG Cat. “And you? What’s your excuse for nearly getting yourself killed?”

OG Cat opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by Lao San. “He doesn’t need an excuse, Captain. That’s just his natural state of being.”

Laughter rippled through the room, lightening the mood.

The captain shook her head and sighed. “Alright, everyone. Wrap this up. I want detailed reports on my desk by morning.”

Kris helped Lao San to his feet and supported him as they headed for the exit. “You owe me one,” Kris said, smirking.

“I owe you nothing,” Lao San grumbled. “If anything, you owe me for the emotional trauma.”

OG Cat followed behind, still shaking his head. “I’m putting this in my memoirs. ‘The Day I Almost Died—Twice.’”

Kris glanced back. “Make sure to spell my name right when you write about how I saved your sorry ass.”

As they stepped outside into the cool night air, Kris took a deep breath, feeling the tension finally drain away. Despite the chaos, they had made it out alive—and that was enough for now.