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

The morning sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on Leng Qingqiu's beautiful face.

She sat in the huge CEO's office chair, holding an expensive cup of Kopi Luwak, but her eyes were not focused on the multi-million dollar merger and acquisition contract in front of her. Instead, she would occasionally glance at the antique clock on the wall.

She is waiting.

The man who made her experience her first defeat was then delivered to her like merchandise by her people.

She had already devised 108 different "training" plans. She wanted to make Lu Jingyan understand that in this world, money and power are the only eternal truths. What nonsense about faith and duty? They are worthless in the face of absolute power.

"Ring ring—"

The intercom on the table suddenly rang, interrupting her reverie.

It was the receptionist's voice, tinged with barely suppressed excitement and nervousness: "Mr. Leng... Mr. Leng! Officer Lu... Officer Lu is here! He... he brought a lot of people with him, saying he wants to see you!"

coming?

So fast?

Leng Qingqiu's smile instantly blossomed, like a blooming poppy, beautiful yet dangerous.

It seems "Ghost" is more efficient than she imagined. They brought the person back and even escorted them to the company gate? Good, saves her the trouble of going to the dock to pick up the goods.

"Let him come up."

Leng Qingqiu put down her coffee cup, straightened her perfectly tailored business suit, touched up her lipstick in front of the mirror, and made sure that every pore of her body exuded a queen-like aura.

She wanted to greet her "spoils" as a victor.

The office door was pushed open.

Lu Jingyan walked in.

He was still wearing his crisp police uniform, the silver stars on his epaulets gleaming under the lights. Behind him followed Zhao Tiezhu and two other heavily armed SWAT officers; their menacing aura made the temperature in the entire office seem to drop several degrees.

Leng Qingqiu's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Not right.

The script is wrong.

Lu Jingyan's face showed no trace of humiliation or resentment at being captured; instead, it was as calm as a deep pool. His eyes, hidden behind his glasses, were scrutinizing her with the look one might give a suspect.

"Officer Lu, what a big fuss!"

Leng Qingqiu suppressed the inexplicable unease in her heart, a self-assured smile playing on her lips. "What? You've come to your senses? Ready to sign that multi-million dollar annual salary contract with me?"

"contract?"

Lu Jingyan laughed, a laugh tinged with a cold mockery.

"Miss Leng, I think you may not have received the 'good news' from your subordinates yet."

He pulled an evidence bag from his pocket and tossed it onto the expensive mahogany desk. Inside the bag was a satellite phone with a shattered screen.

"Your 'Ghost' squad attempted to kidnap an on-duty police officer in Jinghai City last night. Unfortunately, they failed."

"Now, all twelve members, not one missing, are at our special police training base... receiving 'ideological education'."

"What did you say?!"

Leng Qingqiu's smile froze instantly. She abruptly stood up from her chair, her chest heaving violently, her face filled with disbelief.

Failed?

How is that possible?!

That's "Ghost"! A top-tier mercenary who can even kidnap the heads of state of small countries! How could he not even handle a small local police force?

"It seems you still don't believe me."

Lu Jingyan shook his head, feeling somewhat disappointed by the woman's foolishness.

Without further ado, he pulled a folded document from his pocket and slowly unfolded it in front of her.

That wasn't a contract, nor was it a check.

Instead, it was a document stamped with the bright red national emblem and the official seal of the Jinghai Municipal Public Security Bureau—

Arrest warrant.

"Desolate Autumn".

Lu Jingyan's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Leng Qingqiu's heart like a hammer blow.

"You are being arrested in accordance with the law on suspicion of multiple crimes, including hiring someone to kidnap, intentional injury, and endangering public safety."

"boom--!"

Leng Qingqiu felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her mind went completely blank.

Arrest warrant?

Kidnapping?

Looking at Lu Jingyan's cold and ruthless face, and then at the two special police officers beside her who had already raised their handcuffs and were looking at her with hostile eyes, an unprecedented fear instantly gripped her heart.

She then realized just how foolish a mistake she had made.

She thought it was just a domineering CEO-style "forced love" game, a way to conquer a man's feelings with money and power.

She forgot that this is China.

She forgot that what she was trying to "conquer" was not an ordinary man, but a police officer representing the will of the nation.

"No...this isn't real..."

She staggered back, her high heels scraping harshly on the floor. "I...I just wanted to ask you to come and talk...I didn't mean to hurt you..."

"You call 'chatting' someone on a cruise ship in international waters?"

Lu Jingyan sneered and gave Zhao Tiezhu a wink.

"Let's do it."

"yes!"

Zhao Tiezhu and another special police officer stepped forward, giving her no chance to react at all.

"Click."

The cold handcuffs mercilessly fastened to her wrist, which was adorned with a limited-edition Richard Miller pendant.

That bone-chilling cold finally jolted her completely awake from that absurd dream of being a "domineering female CEO".

"No! You can't arrest me! I'm the president of the Leng Group! I have connections! I have money!"

She struggled frantically, her expensive suit torn and crumpled, her meticulously styled hair disheveled, looking like a madwoman. "Let me go! I need to make a phone call! I need to find a lawyer!"

"Save your breath, Mr. Leng."

Lu Jingyan picked up the merger and acquisition contract on the table that had not yet been signed and gently blew away non-existent dust.

"Your legal team must be very busy right now. Busy figuring out how to get your sentence reduced."

He walked to the door, turned to the side, and looked at the woman who still believed in money and power until this moment, his eyes filled with pity.

What you perceive as "overbearing and forced love" is, in the eyes of the law, the most foolish crime.

"take away."

The office door was opened.

Outside, all the employees on the floor were peering around, their faces filled with shock and gossip.

When they saw their usually domineering and queen-like female CEO being escorted out in handcuffs by two policemen, everyone gasped in shock.

This scene was even more shocking than their company's IPO bell ringing.

As Leng Qingqiu was led into the elevator, the news spread like wildfire throughout the elite circles of Jinghai City.

Gu Yanchen went in, Ye Fan went in, Chu Tianjiao went in, and now, even Leng Qingqiu, who has the strongest background and acts the most arrogantly, has fallen.

Those once-proud individuals who thought they were above the rules finally felt the fear of being dominated by the "iron fist of the rule of law" at this moment.

In the elite circles of Jinghai City, there is no longer any room for romantic fantasies.

……

Inside the special investigation team's office, Lu Jingyan looked out the window at the gradually setting sun and let out a long sigh of relief.

With Leng Qingqiu's capture, most of the troublemakers in this world who possessed the "protagonist's halo" were basically sent to work as sewing machines by his own hands.

The public security environment in Jinghai City has reached an unprecedented level of harmony.

Just then, the familiar system notification sound in my mind, carrying a solemn feeling of retiring after achieving success, slowly rang out.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have successfully eliminated all "protagonist halo" carriers in Jinghai City!]

The first phase of the main quest – "Purification of Jinghai" – has been successfully completed!

[Final settlement in progress...]