Chapter 5: Shifting World Lines (8)
==============================
“Comrade Colonel! According to regulations, the military cannot casually enter the city fully armed during peacetime. We have the authority to disarm you!”
With a wave of the SWAT Team Leader’s hand, over sixty SWAT members encircled Li Cheng and his men.
“WOW!” The crowd went wild again.
Some good Samaritan couldn’t help but shout, “Fight it out! Then we’ll know who’s tougher!”
“Let’s get it on, let’s get it on!”
The SWAT Team Leader glanced at the instigators with a frosty stare and deadpanned, “Any more troublemakers and you’ll be detained for seven days!”
The rowdy onlookers immediately went quiet, wary of raising their voices again.
Of course, that didn’t stop the rest from nervously watching the standoff.
Would the Colonel back down? Would they open fire?
Oh man, this is getting intense!
With so many people around, what if a shot went off accidentally? Who would take the blame?
Even though they knew they were risking being caught in the crossfire, the spectators were too eager for the drama to care about their lives.
If it weren’t for the SWAT blocking the way, they would’ve rushed right into the standoff to catch every juicy detail.
Li Cheng crossed his arms and shot a cool glance at the SWAT members, who outnumbered them two to one.
“You think your numbers scare us?”
The SWAT Team Leader replied stiffly, “Comrade Colonel, you need to recognize the situation. If something happens right here in the city center, the consequences will be something neither of us can afford.”
Li Cheng calmly quipped, “We won’t make the first move. The rest is up to you.”
The SWAT Team Leader wasn’t a fool; after a moment’s hesitation, he suggested, “How about this? We’re both just doing our jobs, so let’s not push it. Why not retreat quickly, and I’ll pretend this didn’t happen?”
Li Cheng shook his head, “No way! The crowd is watching and recording everything. I can’t just brush this under the rug after it goes viral.”
“If you agree, the police will handle all the aftercare.”
“Sorry, but I can’t agree,” Li Cheng replied, “But if you sincerely apologize to Ms. Lin, I might just let this go.”
The SWAT Team Leader chuckled coldly, “Looks like we won’t reach an agreement.”
Li Cheng sighed, “Fine, let me give you another suggestion. We both have quite the setup here; if a fight breaks out and a single citizen gets hurt, we’ll both be in deep trouble. How about a good old-fashioned duel? If I lose, my whole crew disarms without question.”
What do you think?”
The SWAT Team Leader pondered for a moment; if these special forces really stood their ground, with firearms involved and right in the bustling city center, it definitely could get messy.
Besides, he was one of the police force’s elite; how could he back down?
“Deal! If I lose… I’ll pack it up and leave immediately!”
“Great, it’s a pact!”
They both handed over their weapons to their subordinates, locked eyes, and stared each other down like they were in a shootout.
At this moment, three police officers gathered near their patrol car, while a circle of fully armed soldiers in camouflage stood just outside them, flanked by the recently arrived black-clad SWAT.
Middle-aged Nie Zhengchu was utterly baffled by the Bureau Director’s mindset.
As the deputy, all he needed to do was support his superior. After all… if he had gone to check on Patient 233 last night, they could’ve avoided this whole mess.
Finding a basic hospital room wouldn’t have been hard for him.
Lin Nan tilted her head to glance outside, where Li Cheng and the SWAT Leader were going at it, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit underwhelmed.
Given Li Cheng’s skills, if it came down to a brawl, that SWAT Leader probably wouldn’t last a single exchange.
Is he just stalling for time?
Lin Nan suddenly yawned; after a late night of LOL, she was feeling wiped out.
Now, sitting in the soft car seat, with the sun warming the day just right, she dozed off without even realizing it.
……
No doubt about it,
Li Cheng and the SWAT Leader’s showdown immediately ignited the crowd’s enthusiasm.
The punchy booms and the powerful clashes of arms had everyone glued to the action, not even daring to blink.
“Whoa! This is epic! Finally, it’s happening! Wow, this wait was totally worth it!”
“Go, soldier dude! You’re handsome and tough, and your fighting skills aren’t too shabby either; I love it!”
“That SWAT guy is looking tough too! Oh man, this is a duel for the ages; I almost want to jump in there myself!”
“Yeah, right! You’d get knocked out in one hit with those twig arms and legs.”
Most of the crowd didn’t pick sides, except for Ma Yongxin, who secretly hoped the Colonel would lose quickly, preferably getting his pretty face thoroughly battered.
If it turned out the Colonel and Lin Nan emerged unscathed, he’d really be losing out on this spectacle.
He just wanted to see that proud and aloof look on her face morph into regret and a desperate need for his help.
Even if she were a bit of a player, she was just too gorgeous; a few months of fun before breaking up wouldn’t be such a loss.
So Ma Yongxin kept his eyes on the Colonel and imagined his face smashed into the ground by the SWAT Team Leader’s fist.
Just as the brawl reached a fever pitch, a sleek black luxury car screeched to a halt behind the bustling crowd.
Everyone was too focused on the action to notice, except for some closer folks who shot disdainful glances at the unknown car.
A middle-aged man in a black police uniform, around fifty, flung open the door and hurried out.
The encircling SWAT members instantly froze upon seeing his insignia.
Holy moly! An olive branch with three stars! A Senior Police Supervisor!
Only the police bureau chief of Ocean City had the right to wear those epaulettes.
The SWAT members immediately saluted, shouting, “Hello, Bureau Chief!”
These three words broke through the crowd’s chatter, and the two fighters halted, both turning to face the police chief, Wang Shengli.
Wang Shengli frowned, “What on earth is going on here? You’re holding a boxing match in the city center hospital?”
The SWAT Leader forgot his confrontation with Li Cheng and rushed to Wang Shengli, saluting sharply, “Hello, chief. This was indeed our oversight. We’ll rectify it immediately. Quick and decisive!”
Li Cheng, however, turned away from Wang Shengli, uncertain of how to face the chief of the Ocean City police, only to find that Wang Shengli was striding toward him, led by the SWAT Leader.
