Chapter 115: A second accidental kiss.

Someone fired a gun.

Donghai hurled the lighter toward the bamboo pile. Officers scrambled, shouting. Someone crashed a glass box and pushed the alarm. Linlin activated the sprinkle system and drones with special fire deactivating gas crushed inside.

But the bamboo sticks caused an explosion–flames roared upward. The warehouse was quickly becoming an inferno.

A collapsing beam fell, narrowly missing Liwu, but knocking one of the drones directly into the heart of the fire, extinguishing most of it. The rest started going out as well, little by little. Donghai screamed in frustration.

[+250 points : burned hair.]

Linlin pulled Liwu to her feet. “Your bad luck just saved us!”

Liwu grinned, hair singed at the edges. “My hair….my hair!”

“I will cut it for you.” Linlin offered.

Donghai staggered, coughing like a smoker whose lungs were rotten. “What have you done? This was supposed to the the biggest one. What will I do now? It will consume me!”

Liwu stepped closer, flames reflecting in her eyes. “Systems don’t control us. We control them. You chose to obey when you could have gone to the bureau for help. We run ads on television and every social media platform in the world, encouraging hosts with dangerous systems to seek help from the bureau. We parade success stories of system hosts that survived destruction from the systems that attached to them without their will. We even encourage people to reject activating systems with dangerous names. Nobody in their sane mind will hear something like ’fire starting system’ and jump for joy.”

Linlin snorted. “It is literally in the name.”

Donghai spat on a box and it inflamed! “I will burn with you!” he screamed, very desperate.

Another drone put the fire out. Liwu reared her fist and punched Donghai. Linlin injected him with a de-stabilizer and then Liwu handcuffed him.

“Have you ever seen something like this partner?” Linlin asked.

“Saliva that doubles as an accelerant?” Liwu arched her brows. “Nope.”

“I am bleeding.” Donghai cried out.

Suddenly, they both realized that Donghai had been shot in the arm–a little something that had skipped their eyes when they were trying to stop everyone from burning. “Why don’t you spit on it?” Liwu asked, sneering.

Detective Abby’s voice came from Liwu’s watch. “Why don’t you conduct yourself professionally. Bring the culprit to the precinct to be bandaged and transferred to the capital.”

Linlin and Liwu scoffed. They had chased after the culprit for twenty four hours, had not slept or bathed! They had barely eaten anything. Now, agents of the bureau or the president’s people were going to take credit for the achievement.

“How shameless.” Liwu muttered.

“Detective, this is not a suggestion.” Her mother’s came. “Deliver Gong Donghai and go home. You have a day off. Paperwork will be done at headquarters by the agents.”

Liwu clenched her jaw. The same agents were probably already carting off all the evidence.

“Mom, we did all the hard work. Why can’t we take credit for the arrest?” She asked.

“Because the minister for justice is launching a cold case squad to investigate the back logged crimes related to system hosts. This case is going to be used to grease palms, open wallets and buy public support.” Alix told her.

Her mother’s tone had that steel quality which said this was not up for debate.

“I know it’s not fair, which is why I lobbied for your team to be named as the support team on the ground.” Alix continued. “You will all be commended.”

Linlin snorted.

Liwu scoffed.

“I heard that.” Her mother said.

“I knew you would.” Liwu replied. She tugged on Donghai’s arm, “Let’s go fire bug, looks like you are going to be very famous.”

With no enthusiasm whatsoever, they drove back to the precinct, leaving the techs behind to collect evidence. By the time they arrived, agents were already waiting. Gong Donghai had even confessed half of his crimes on the way over, a side effect of Liwu’s handcuffs. That confession was taken by the agents as well.

Liwu took her handcuffs off and agents with satisfied grins took him into their custody.

“Great work,” one woman told Liwu.

“You too.” she replied, sarcastically.

Despite hearing the sarcasm, the brunette with wide oval eyes and sharp lips smiled. “Is there anything he said to you that might not have been recorded on your cameras?”

“No.” Liwu replied dryly.

The woman extended her hand, still smiling, “I am Agent Ku Zizi. I admire your work and tenacity, I have always wanted to work with you.”

“You mean claim her work.” Weijun himself between them. He was just as displeased about Liwu’s win being taken away.

Zizi lowered her hand. She sighed. “This was not my decision either, the order came from the minister of justice personally. He made a deal with President Alix for the bureau to choose half of the agents on the cold case team. In addition to that, our activities are overseen by the SOB internal affairs team. This was a political move, and last time I checked, I am not a politician.”

Liwu sighed. She pulled Weijun back, “I understand. It doesn’t mean that I am happy about it. It is actually a fact that we have over five thousand accumulated cold cases that are system related. Here, we investigate current ones as they occur, not past ones. It makes sense that a team be put together to investigate old cases.” Just like the case she had never forgotten.

“But…” Weijun argued.

Liwu pulled him further back, causing him to trip. In the process, she stumbled back and they both landed on the ground. Her, on top of him, her lips brushed against his! An accidental kiss witnessed by half the squad.

Xuanji whistled. “Now this is the highlight of the last twenty four hours.”

Su Jin snapped a picture.

He Xiao Yi snorted. “I am writing this in the report and sending it to internal affairs. Inappropriate work behavior at its finest.”

Linlin helped Liwu help and the chief helped Weijun up.

“Case closed, go home.” The chief declared. “Just like Liwu and the mayor over here, you can finally kiss your spouses.”

Xuanji raised his hand.

Chief Abby rolled his eyes. “If you have no one to kiss, then follow me to my house. I have three unmarried daughters.”

Xuanji turned to Su Jin and he pouted. “Baby…” he drawled comically.

In turn, Su Jin ran away from him.

The rest of the team laughed. The city was safe, and they were off duty. For now, all was good. But they all knew, it was just a matter of time until something bad happened.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep