Chapter 56: What Goes Around Comes Around!

In a corner of Xiangcheng County, the lazy rays of the setting sun spilled over the mottled streets, casting a golden glow upon the ancient city.

Since ancient times, it has been known as the " Thoroughfare of Nine Provinces."

It lies twenty kilometers south of the coal city Pingdingshan, and forty kilometers north of the ancient capital Xuchang.

Yet, such historical distinctions mattered little at this hour; being situated in a flat plain, the area was densely populated.

Liu Zhiyu, acting as the captain of the criminal police, led his officers through the bustling crowd, initiating their investigative operation.

Their target was a gang of robbers who had recently been operating frequently within the urban district.

These individuals were cunning and elusive, posing a grave threat to the safety of the citizens.

Primarily, they had crossed paths with Lin Junsheng, having robbed the money belonging to Liu Zhiyu’s cousin.

To have a relative’s money stolen right in Liu Zhiyu’s own territory—how could he possibly let that slide?

If word of this were to get back, his family’s reputation would be utterly ruined by his own oversight.

Those three criminals had to be found.

"Listen up, according to informants, these three have been frequently active in this vicinity recently," Liu Zhiyu lowered his voice, speaking to the officers beside him.

His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, scanning every corner of the street, missing not a single trace of suspicion.

The officers nodded one after another.

Liu Zhiyu and his men began setting up a covert deployment nearby; some disguised themselves as leisurely passersby, others as peddlers, quietly encircling the area.

Time ticked away second by second. Pedestrians came and went on the street, yet there was still no sign of the three men.

Just as Liu Zhiyu was beginning to grow anxious, an officer transmitted good news via the walkie-talkie: "Captain Liu, the target has appeared, heading east!"

Liu Zhiyu’s heart tightened, and he immediately motioned for the officers to follow.

Maintaining a certain distance, they cautiously trailed the trio.

The three men seemed oblivious to the anomaly behind them, still swaggering along, occasionally turning back to exchange smiles, looking quite pleased with themselves.

However, their complacency did not last long.

Liu Zhiyu and his officers gradually tightened the encirclement, preparing to make an arrest at the opportune moment.

Right at that instant, the unexpected occurred.

The leader of the trio seemed to sense something amiss and suddenly quickened his pace, attempting to escape.

"Pursue!"

Liu Zhiyu issued a decisive order.

The officers immediately broke into a sprint, chasing after the ringleader.

Pedestrians on the street were startled by the spectacle, hastily stepping aside to clear the way. For a moment, shouts and commotions merged into a chaotic din.

The leader darted like a frightened rabbit, his legs moving as though fitted with springs, darting swiftly through the throng.

His figure weaved left and right, deftly dodging every obstacle as if he knew every inch of this street by heart.

Liu Zhiyu and his officers followed closely behind, their footsteps echoing through the quiet street, drawing long, urgent arcs.

Liu Zhiyu fixed his eyes on the fugitive's retreating figure, a resolute light flashing in his eyes.

Under no circumstances could this fellow be allowed to escape this time.

The officers were likewise brimming with spirit, expending every ounce of effort in pursuit, but the fugitive's speed was simply too great, and they were unable to close the distance between them.

"Faster! Move faster!" Liu Zhiyu urged the officers beside him while accelerating his own pace.

They charged through narrow alleys, leapt over haphazardly placed stalls, and recklessly dashed across a busy intersection.

Just when Liu Zhiyu thought the pursuit was about to fail once more, the three robbers suddenly stumbled, as if tripped by something.

A wave of joy surged in Liu Zhiyu’s heart; he lunged forward fiercely and finally captured the two accomplices trailing the leader.

Scared out of their wits by the sudden capture, the two men offered no resistance and obediently let themselves be caught.

However, taking advantage of this opening, the ringleader slipped away from right under Liu Zhiyu’s nose like an eel.

Nimble of foot, he vanished into the crowd within a few strides.

Liu Zhiyu gnashed his teeth in frustration, but for the moment, there was nothing he could do.

"Don't run! You can't escape!"

Liu Zhiyu shouted toward the direction where the leader had vanished, but only the clamor of the bustling crowd and distant noises answered him.

Breathing heavily, Liu Zhiyu looked at the two captured accomplices in his hands, feeling a mixture of gratification and regret.

He knew that although this pursuit had not been entirely successful, at least it had yielded partial results.

He instructed the officers to continue the pursuit while he lagged behind; he had twisted his ankle earlier in his excitement.

Now, he was merely putting up a calm front.

By this time, it was already half-past six.

Liu Siyao brought Lin Junsheng toward a nearby restaurant.

Since it was on the way home, Liu Junwei would wait for them directly at the restaurant.

As Lin Junsheng and Liu Siyao walked along, he caught sight of the very man who had robbed him.

The fellow was wearing a duck-billed cap and walking with hurried steps.

Lin Junsheng happened to be walking down this exact street.

He said nothing to Liu Siyao, fearing she would disapprove of his course of action.

Nearby stood a stall selling iron woks, where the vendor was enthusiastically shouting his wares, demonstrating how sturdy and durable his pots were.

Distracted by the commotion on the street, Lin Junsheng came to a halt.

He turned to look at the iron wok stall beside him, a sudden thought flashing through his mind.

Swiftly picking up an iron wok, he hefted it to test the weight and found it quite well-balanced.

Without a sound, he concealed himself behind a nearby corner, preparing to catch the ringleader in a classic ambush.

Panting heavily, the leader glanced back and saw that the police officers had fallen some distance behind.

A secret wave of relief washed over him, and he believed he had successfully eluded pursuit.

Yet, little did he dream that danger was creeping up on him.

At that exact moment, Lin Junsheng lunged out from behind the corner, hoisted the iron wok high, and roared at the top of his lungs, "Take this!"

Startled out of his wits by the sudden development, the fugitive—wholly focused on running forward—had never noticed Lin Junsheng's presence.

*Bam!*

With a deafening crash, the iron wok smashed viciously into the leader's head.

The man saw stars, a stream of blood instantly gushing from his nose as his body wavered and he crashed heavily to the ground.

The pursuing officers caught up and froze at the sight before them.

They never imagined the pursuit would end in such a fashion.

Notified of the situation, Liu Zhiyu hurried over as well.

The officers had already slapped handcuffs on the ringleader.

Liu Zhiyu inquired about the cause, his brow furrowing slightly.

Puzzled, he looked around, finally fixing his gaze on Lin Junsheng and Liu Siyao, who were conferring with the officers.

He strode over and asked curiously, "Why are you two here? What kind of trouble could you possibly be stirring up so late at night?"

Upon seeing Liu Zhiyu, Liu Siyao’s eyes lit up instantly as if she had found her backbone. She blinked playfully and said, "Brother, you're doing us a grave injustice! It was Xiao Sheng—he's the one who beat up that thief!"

Hearing this, Liu Zhiyu was stunned for a moment before bursting into a hearty, uninhibited laugh, "Hahaha! Who would've thought? Junsheng, you rascal, you've got some skills! Truly, justice has its cycle, and heaven spares no one!"

Lin Junsheng stood to one side, a lingering trace of anger still shadowing his features.

Pointing at the petty thief restrained by the officers not far away, he said indignantly, "Sister, this is the guy! He robbed me earlier, and today I finally ran into him!"

Liu Siyao stepped closer, wearing an expression of utter astonishment as she chimed in, "Ah? What a coincidence! This thief must be terribly unlucky to run straight into Xiao Sheng's hands."

"Does this count as a meritorious deed?"