"For f—'s sake! Is your brain filled with nothing but filthy crap?!"
"You [Lungmen expletive]—apologize to my brother right now!"
Ch'en Hui-chieh slammed the desk and shot to her feet, cursing Hoshiguma out at full volume. The sheer force in her voice made it painfully clear just how furious she was.
She'd been seriously organizing paperwork, and then this Oni woman barged in, pointed at Chen Mo, and went, "I brought your man."
That single sentence nearly blew Ch'en Hui-chieh's top. Her good mood for the entire day vanished in an instant.
Because if Chen Mo misunderstood—if he thought she was using "family" as an excuse to get close to him while plotting something indecent—then Hoshiguma could forget about ever having a peaceful life again.
"Old Chen, calm down, calm down. I really didn't know you two were siblings…"
Hoshiguma forced an awkward laugh and scratched the back of her head. She glanced at Chen Mo behind her—who was very obviously having the time of his life—and let out a long sigh.
On the way over, she'd tried again and again to confirm what his relationship with Ch'en Hui-chieh actually was, dropping hints both subtle and not-so-subtle. But every time she asked, this man just smiled without answering—like he was tacitly admitting it.
So Hoshiguma assumed it was just a man's pride and reserve.
And then she walked straight into this disaster.
Now thoroughly chastened, Hoshiguma lowered her head, turned to Chen Mo, and apologized properly.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chen Mo. I shouldn't have speculated about your relationship with Old Chen."
He looked so beautiful, yet his personality was this black-bellied.
Hoshiguma raised her eyes and took in Chen Mo's refined face, feeling strangely emotional.
Old Chen's suddenly-appeared older brother… felt like one of those male leads from the comics she used to read—the type who loved teasing people.
Exactly the type she was terrible at dealing with.
But after he'd laughed enough, Chen Mo waved his hands quickly.
"No, no. The one who should apologize is me."
"Sorry, Hoshiguma. I shouldn't have used you for a laugh. If you're still upset, you can punch me once to let off steam."
…This guy's that wild?
The moment Chen Mo said that, Hoshiguma felt a chill down her spine. Even without turning around, she could practically feel Ch'en Hui-chieh's blade-sharp gaze stabbing into her back.
"…You're joking, Mr. Chen Mo."
"Just call me Chen Mo. You and Chen are close friends, so that makes you my friend too. If anyone gives you trouble in the future, just say my name."
Without the slightest regard for the usual distance between women and men, Chen Mo stepped forward and gave Hoshiguma's stiff shoulder a heavy pat. That straightforward, almost woman-like ease made Hoshiguma relax despite herself.
It felt like hanging out with her old sisters again. As expected, Old Chen's brother really didn't seem like a bad person.
As for the "use my name" thing, Hoshiguma only smiled—she didn't take it seriously.
But just as she was about to chat with this strange man, Ch'en Hui-chieh's voice—cold enough to freeze bone—cut in.
"Don't look so pleased with yourself, Chen Mo. I've told you countless times: keep your distance when dealing with women. Don't let other people take advantage of you."
"I know you're strong, but that isn't an excuse for you—as a man—to be this careless. Also, those links I sent you this morning, did you read—"
"Stop, stop, stop! Let's talk business first, Chen!"
He never expected this long-lost "maternal nagging" would come from Ch'en Hui-chieh of all people.
And remembering how much he used to enjoy spamming her deadpan face in memes, Chen Mo suddenly felt… complicated.
Under Hoshiguma's deeply sympathetic gaze, Chen Mo obediently walked over and sat down in the leather chair in front of Ch'en Hui-chieh's desk.
Seeing her brother put on that "I'm listening seriously" act, Ch'en Hui-chieh frowned—but she didn't continue.
Fine. There would be plenty of chances later.
She pulled a file from the stack she'd organized that morning, opened it, and slid it across the desk to him.
"Fifty-three trash punks, plus a senior cadre from the Bloodhand Gang. You handled them quickly. You left almost nothing behind—just scraps."
Flipping through the on-site photos and the absurdly exaggerated descriptions of his combat capability, Chen Mo lifted his chin, his dragon tail swishing happily from side to side.
"Of course. Don't you know who your big brother is?"
"…I wasn't praising you."
Hoshiguma leaned in curiously and scanned the contents over Chen Mo's shoulder.
"Wait—Chen Mo, you're the 'Fire Dragon' that's been making waves in Lungmen's underground world?"
"What, I don't look like it?"
Staring at a man who matched the rumors far too perfectly, Hoshiguma choked on her own surprise and couldn't force out another word.
Alright. Looks like using his name in a gang standoff might actually work better than using hers.
"Under Lungmen law, even though you're part of the disadvantaged sex, using force for legitimate self-defense while surrounded by violent criminals isn't a major issue," Ch'en Hui-chieh said evenly.
"But you went too far. Fifty-four people, not a single survivor. That constitutes excessive force."
She tapped the final conclusion on the report with her index finger. A bright red line of text was especially glaring:
RECOMMENDATION: DETAIN SUBJECT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS FOR OBSERVATION
In this cannibalistic, glittering metropolis, a man brawling with vicious gangsters and leaving behind a floor of bodies was hardly rare.
But the Bloodhand Gang's boss was a freak—despite being a crime lord, she personally called the police. Everyone at the time saw it with their own eyes, and that bizarre story was still being passed around the Guard Department even now.
And Ch'en Hui-chieh was rigid and by-the-book. Even if she felt reluctant inside, she couldn't pretend not to see it.
But that hesitation wasn't necessary anymore.
Seeing that Chen Mo wasn't nervous at all, Ch'en Hui-chieh sighed, retrieved the file, and then handed him a single page that was even more eye-catching.
The moment Chen Mo saw the release document clearing him of wrongdoing, and the signature at the bottom, it clicked immediately.
Wei Yenwu.
"I was originally planning to use the next few months to keep you here at the Guard Department and straighten out some of your bad habits," Ch'en Hui-chieh said, rubbing her forehead as she leaned back in her chair. "But… today, someone went and scrubbed your record."
She tucked the file containing Chen Mo's combat record into the bottom drawer.
"Anything else you want to ask, Chen Mo?"
"Not really."
Chen Mo leaned back in the swivel chair like a spoiled kid, kicked off with his feet, and spun in a circle.
A moment ago, he'd been considering whether—if his argument failed—he should just demonstrate his strength and make them understand that the Guard Department couldn't possibly hold him by force.
But someone had already taken care of everything.
So this was what it felt like to have backing.
In the end, he'd become exactly the kind of person he used to hate.
And in that moment, Chen Mo was in an absurdly good mood—so relaxed that Hoshiguma, who'd been watching the whole show, couldn't help chuckling.
"Isn't this a good thing, Old Chen? Why do you still look unhappy?"
"I just can't stand that man abusing his power."
Ch'en Hui-chieh waved Hoshiguma off casually, then stood up, preparing to take Chen Mo to lunch at the Guard Department cafeteria.
"Come on. I'll take you to—"
Bang!
The office door was suddenly kicked open with brute force. Before anyone even saw who it was, a bright, sharp voice blasted through the room.
"Deadbeat dragon! You skipped work for no reason yesterday and dumped everything on me! You—may your kids be born without an asshole—I—"
The torrent of insults cut off mid-sentence.
A pretty woman with golden curls and visible tiger fangs stood frozen in the doorway, staring blankly at Chen Mo—who had walked up to greet her, curiosity and politeness on his face, and even lifted a hand in a friendly wave.
"…Xiao Ta?"
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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