Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

"Martial law is in effect throughout the city."

Lu Jingyan's voice, transmitted through the walkie-talkie, resonated throughout the entire command network, calm and undisturbed.

But everyone present could sense the impending storm behind those four words.

The prison break that occurred at the city's No. 1 Detention Center, especially after a violent attack, is no longer an ordinary criminal case, but a blatant provocation against the entire judicial system of Jinghai City!

When the news reached the municipal police bureau, Director Chen smashed his most beloved purple clay teapot on the spot and convened an emergency meeting that very night. In an instant, the entire police force of Jinghai City was mobilized, and sirens wailed throughout every corner of the city.

But in the eye of the storm, in the special investigation team's office, the atmosphere was unusually quiet.

Su Xiaoxiao's fingers danced across the keyboard, countless lines of code cascading across the screen like a waterfall. She had taken direct control of the city's "Skynet" system, and an invisible net of tens of thousands of cameras was slowly unfurling over the city.

"Captain Lu, we've found him!"

Less than ten minutes later, Su Xiaoxiao slammed her hand on the table and projected a blurry surveillance video onto the main screen.

The image shows an extremely remote sewage outlet on the outer wall of the detention center.

About three minutes after the riot broke out, a figure wearing a prison guard uniform and a mask crawled out of the building in a disheveled state. He appeared to be injured, walking with a limp, but his direction was unusually clear, heading straight into an alley in an urban village without surveillance cameras.

"That's him!" Zhao Tiezhu recognized the figure at a glance. "Damn it, he really got away!"

Lu Jingyan didn't speak, but just quietly watched the disheveled figure fleeing on the screen, his fingers lightly tapping the table.

He couldn't figure it out.

Logically speaking, a pampered and domineering CEO like Gu Yanchen shouldn't possess such counter-surveillance skills and the will to escape. What gave him the courage to orchestrate such a "victorious escape" after being arrested?

[Ding! Relevant plot information detected. Background information being added to the host...]

The system's voice sounded at the right time.

[Background Information: Inside the detention center, Gu Yanchen learned of Shen Youchu's "heroic act" of storming the detention center to save him from a prison guard who sympathized with him (who had already been bribed).]

This act deeply touched Gu Yanchen's "domineering CEO spirit." He believed that if a woman could go to such lengths for him, he, a man of integrity, could no longer remain so spineless.

To reclaim his "manly dignity" and to stage a classic "triumphant return, eloping with a beauty" scenario, he decides to escape from prison.

Lu Jingyan: "..."

He rubbed his temples, feeling a dull ache in them again.

Just because of this?

Just because of that self-indulgent suicide attack by a person with a severe case of obsessive love, does he think he's capable again?

The thought processes of these "protagonists" were so unique that he was amazed.

"Captain Lu, he's gone into the shantytown. The surveillance coverage there is less than 10%, and many areas are blind spots. It will be difficult to track him down now." Su Xiaoxiao's tone was somewhat anxious.

"It's not difficult."

Lu Jingyan shook his head, a glint of wisdom flashing in his deep eyes.

He walked up to the huge electronic map and traced a red line on it with his fingertip.

"These self-righteous 'protagonists' have very fixed ways of thinking. They believe that the most dangerous place is the safest place, and they are convinced that there is some kind of destiny-like bond between themselves and the 'female protagonist'."

"He doesn't know that Shen Youchu has been arrested. His only destination now is Shen Youchu's home."

Lu Jingyan's finger landed heavily on an inconspicuous old residential building on the map.

The "crime radar" flickered slightly in his mind. Although it was too far away to pinpoint the exact location, the faint malice coming from that direction had already given him the answer.

"Tiezhu, take your men and seal off all exits of Jinhua Residential Area."

"Xiaoxiao, take off the drone, infrared mode, monitor the heat source signal of the target building."

"Forensic Doctor Qin," he glanced at the aloof, mature woman wiping her scalpel in the corner, "you should also get ready. I'm afraid the situation later might be a bit...requires a professional."

After assigning the tasks, Lu Jingyan put on a tactical vest, personally led a team, and drove straight to that old residential area.

……

Meanwhile, in Jinhua Residential Area, Room 201, Building 3.

This is the rented room where Shen Youchu lives.

The room was pitch black, with only the faint moonlight filtering in from the window, outlining the messy furniture.

"Squeak—"

The door was pried open with a bank card, and a dark figure slipped in.

Gu Yanchen clutched his injured shoulder, leaning against the door, breathing heavily. He took off his conspicuous prison guard uniform, revealing a designer shirt underneath, now covered in mud.

He looked around the small, dilapidated room, his brow furrowing as he smelled the cheap air freshener in the air.

Is this where that woman lives?

It's like a doghouse.

But instead of feeling disgusted, he felt a surge of inexplicable pride.

For the sake of this woman living in a doghouse, Gu Yanchen escaped from his impregnable cage! What a magnificent love!

He imagined the touching scene of Shen Youchu rushing into his arms with tears streaming down her face when she saw him, and a wicked smile involuntarily crept onto his lips again.

He decided to give her a surprise.

Gu Yanchen didn't turn on the light, but instead groped his way into the bedroom by the moonlight.

He planned to hide first, and then, when Shen Youchu returned, he would suddenly appear like a king and give her a "wall slam" that she would never forget.

Where should we hide it?

The wardrobe is too small, and it's too obvious behind the curtains...

Got it!

Gu Yanchen's eyes lit up when he saw the single bed covered with pink sheets.

He flashed what he thought was a cool smile, and with a standard tactical roll, he tumbled under the bed.

Although the space was small and had a faint musty smell, Gu Yanchen felt it was all worth it when he thought about the wonderful scene that was about to unfold.

He even had the leisure to take out the compressed biscuit he had swindled from the prison guard from his pocket and happily munched on it.

As long as his woman returns, he will take her away from this city that has brought him shame, to a private island overseas, and live a life of blissful happiness!

However, what he received was not Shen Youchu, but a series of uniform footsteps approaching from afar.

"Bang!"

The door to the rented room was kicked open from the outside.

The blinding beam of a flashlight shone in instantly, illuminating the small living room as bright as day.

"Team one, guard the door! Team two, check the kitchen and bathroom! The infrared detector shows the target is in the bedroom!"

Zhao Tiezhu's roar echoed in the room.

Gu Yanchen, who was under the bed, dropped the compressed biscuit in his mouth onto the floor with a "thud".

He was stunned.

What happened? How did the police find this place?!

Didn't he already escape?

Before he could react, the bedroom door was kicked open.

Several beams of powerful flashlight light swept in like sharp swords, finally focusing on the pink single bed.

Wearing night vision goggles, Lu Jingyan slowly walked in. On the thermal imager in his hand, a humanoid silhouette radiating eerie heat was curled up under the bed, clearly visible.

Without saying a word, he raised his foot, clad in military boots, and kicked the edge of the bed hard.

"Bang!"

Accompanied by a loud crash as a wooden plank shattered and a man's scream.

Gu Yanchen rolled out from under the bed like a startled cockroach, his face covered in dust and cookie crumbs, looking utterly disheveled.

He looked up at the towering, godlike figure, his eyes filled with despair and bewilderment.

"Why...why...why do you always manage to find me?"

Lu Jingyan turned off the thermal imaging camera, removed his night vision goggles, and revealed his cold eyes.

He didn't answer the question, but simply glanced down at his watch, his tone as flat as if he were announcing a given fact:

"Gu Yanchen, from the time you broke out of prison until now, a total of two hours and thirty-seven minutes have passed. Congratulations, you have broken the record for the 'shortest prison break time' since the founding of Jinghai City."

He waved to the team members behind him, "Cuff him and take him back."

"No! I won't leave!" Gu Yanchen suddenly struggled frantically. "Where's my woman? Where's Youchu?! What have you done to her?! I need to see her!"

Looking at his foolish, love-crazed appearance, Lu Jingyan finally couldn't help but take pity on him.

He took out his phone, pulled up a video that had just been sent from the interrogation room, and placed it in front of Gu Yanchen.

In the video, Shen Youchu, handcuffed, cries her heart out:

"Officer! I was wrong! I was really wrong! I don't want to go to jail! What love! It was all a lie! Gu Yanchen forced me into this! He's a monster! Please, execute him!"

Gu Yanchen was completely petrified as he watched the woman in the video who was verbally abusing him.

His burning ambition as a domineering CEO was instantly chilled by a bucket of ice water.

He muttered to himself, his eyes vacant:

"Why...why aren't you following the script..."