"You've hogged all the glory, what's left for us?"
The three fell silent, their hearts filled with admiration.
This kind of combat power was why he won the national championship...
"Xiao Chen, are you alright?"
A voice called from behind.
Wang Qian, along with dozens of people from the Town Spirit Bureau, walked over.
"Uncle Wang, I'm fine..."
Chen Shu clutched his chest, spitting blood. This continued for a full thirty seconds.
"???"
The three Imperial Dragon Guards' eyes widened. What kind of artificial fountain was this?
"..."
Wang Qian's lips twitched. This guy was truly outrageous!
He shook his head, chuckling, and said, "Alright, we'll get you your bounty!"
"Then I'm fine!"
Chen Shu grinned and said, "Eh, you caught them all?"
He spotted the twelve righteous Black Iron level criminals from before in the crowd.
"There were twelve, right?"
A woman with a golden arm band also asked.
"Should be no one missed."
Chen Shu nodded, surprised that four Imperial Dragon Guards were dispatched.
"Fortunately, there were no casualties."
Wang Xuanyang breathed a sigh of relief. If the three Silver level criminals had caused trouble, the consequences would have been dire.
Chen Shu spoke, "Uncle Wang, please clean up the ground."
"..."
Wang Qian's lips twitched again. He instructed people to handle the scene.
Half an hour later,
The group left the suburbs, each heading home.
Just as Chen Shu was about to put away Xiao Huang, its mouth moved.
"Guji!"
A figure was spat out.
"Holy cow, Young Master Tang!"
Chen Shu's eyes widened. No wonder he felt like he forgot something.
He said, "Don't provoke criminals next time!"
"..."
Tang Lie wiped the slime off himself, feeling incredibly wronged.
He just wanted to go home for the New Year, but he had to suffer this undeserved misfortune.
"Thank you."
Tang Lie said, turned, and left.
Chen Shu shook his head and returned to his apartment complex.
"Mom, Dad, I'm back!"
Chen Shu opened the door and called out habitually.
He expected them not to be home, but both were staring at him intently.
"What's up?"
Chen Shu looked at himself, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
His father, Chen Ping, had a serious expression. "What were you up to?"
"Just taking a walk."
"It's almost midnight, what kind of walk is that?"
His parents' expressions were odd, filled with doubt.
"Is that not normal? As the saying goes, 'On a dark and windy night, it's perfect for a stroll!'"
"Cut the crap!"
Chen Ping handed him his phone. "The Town Spirit Bureau sent a message to the whole city earlier. Take a look."
"What is it?"
Chen Shu took the phone. On it was a single line of text:
Cherish your life, stay away from Chen Shu! Report any suspicious activity immediately!
"???"
Chen Shu's lips twitched. What was going on? Was he considered a criminal now?
...
Meanwhile, Wang Qian and the others finally returned to the Town Spirit Bureau and managed to wrap things up.
"Director Wang, was it appropriate to send that message to the entire city?"
A new staff member from the Town Spirit Bureau asked.
"He's the biggest hero, and we might have tarnished his reputation."
"The situation was too urgent!"
Wang Qian explained, "Chen Shu was fighting criminals. If any citizens saw him and got inadvertently involved, wouldn't they be in danger?"
He raised an eyebrow and said,
"If Chen Shu is a criminal, versus Chen Shu fighting criminals, which scenario would the public find more believable?"
"..."
The new staff member fell silent. It seemed to make some sense!
After a moment, he hesitantly asked, "He won't come looking for us, will he?"
"No, his reputation has nowhere further to fall."
Wang Qian smiled and said, "Besides, if we give him a generous reward, he'll probably be delighted."
If a single false accusation could earn him Chinese Yuan, Chen Shu might bankrupt the Town Spirit Bureau.
The staff member suddenly understood, "As expected of the Director!"
...
"You're telling the truth, kid?"
At this moment, Chen Shu had finished explaining, successfully painting himself as a righteous individual who outsmarted the criminals.
"Absolutely!"
He nodded with utmost seriousness.
Chen Ping said, "Good job, son. You've got your grandfather's spirit! He was also determined to fight against evil forces. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten that king-grade material."
"..."
Chen Shu's lips twitched. "Wasn't that just thieves fighting amongst themselves?"
"It's all the same!"
His father, Chen Ping, waved his hand and got up to go back to his room to sleep.
Just then, he seemed to remember something and said seriously,
"If you really get a global manhunt, don't worry, just come straight home."
Chen Shu's expression froze, a hint of emotion in his eyes. "Dad..."
"Also, try to get the bounty as high as possible. Our family's living standards depend on you."
"???"
Chen Shu's expression turned rigid. Was this the mountain of fatherly love?
...
Time moved on to Lunar New Year's Eve.
Chen Shu stayed home for several days and didn't go out.
Two million Chinese Yuan had been deposited into his account, all from the government's bounty.
The three members of the Night Organization were top-level international criminals, but no bounty was placed on them.
However, his file with the Town Spirit Bureau received a commendation.
"Another sunny day!"
Chen Shu stretched and walked into the living room.
"Mom, Dad, aren't you going out?"
"What's the point of going out? Although the Town Spirit Bureau issued an explanation, many people still think you're a criminal!"
His father, Chen Ping, sighed and said, "Your reputation has returned to what it was before."
"..."
Chen Shu's lips twitched. He didn't think his reputation was that of a criminal before...
"It's almost New Year's, so stay put."
His father, Chen Ping, said, "It's best to wait for Xiao Fang and Dali to return before you go out."
"Why?"
"So you have a companion in the iron bars!"