Chapter 4 Handling the Incompetent Police Officer

"You have a body camera on your chest. In court, the judge's verdict might not be in your favor!" The police officer's pupils contracted sharply. He sneered and pulled the trigger. Bang! Irene threw her keys, hitting the officer's wrist. The gun's aim shifted, and the bullet grazed a bystander's cheek, embedding itself in the wall. The crowd scattered, screaming, finally reacting! Irene's gaze was so fierce that it made the officer stiffen. His hand holding the gun trembled, his wrist numb. Irene smiled beautifully, but the officer couldn't appreciate it: "Have you forgotten something?" Why? She's just a young girl! How could she have such a commanding presence, like a military instructor, exuding a menacing aura? The officer was filled with dread. His wrist throbbed, making it impossible to shoot. Looking at the mocking crowd and Irene's cold stare, the officer tried to hold his ground: "What nonsense are you talking about?" Irene sneered, "You just shot at an innocent person, violating police regulations. Do you want me to report you to the FBI?" The officer haughtily said, "Go ahead, the South District is full of drug dealers and robbers. Who will believe you lowlifes?" Someone in the crowd had enough and rushed forward, fists raised. The officer sneered, eyeing the person grabbing his collar: "Trash should know their place! We police are funded by the wealthy! You poor people don't deserve our protection! I'm already doing you a favor by bringing justice!" Everyone present was red with anger, breathing heavily. Seeing no one dared to actually hit him, the officer grew even more arrogant. This was the borderline between the South District and downtown; even a fool would know they wouldn't dare touch him here in the CBD office towers! The officer, basking in the angry glares, didn't notice Irene's expression change at his words. It was a look of death. Cold, ruthless. Irene smirked, standing on the periphery of the crowd. Suddenly, she kicked, sending the officer crashing to the ground. "Who did that?" The excruciating pain twisted the officer's face. Before he could get up, a hand reached down, yanking off his body camera. A pair of Martin boots stomped down, smashing the camera into black plastic fragments! The onlookers exchanged glances. Then they cheered, slowly closing in on the officer. "What are you doing? I can shoot you for assaulting a police officer!" "Stay back! Ah!" "Get lost!" The sound of fists hitting flesh was sickening, but the people cheered, raising their hands, liberating their feet, turning it into a party! "As a police officer, you neglected your duties, only thinking about pleasing the rich. If that's the case, you should have expected to be beaten today, right?" Irene smiled, lifting the officer by his collar, patting his face. "I... I'll remember you. Just wait." The officer, with swollen lips, stammered. Irene pointed upward, smiling, "There are no cameras here. Your body camera is broken, and if I'm not mistaken, it was just issued today, so you don't have permission to use it yet, right?" The officer's eyes filled with terror. How does she know? Irene punched the officer in the face, hitting harder than anyone before, knocking him unconscious. Cheers erupted around them. Without Irene needing to act further, several burly men in clothes with random patterns dragged the officer into a garbage-filled alley. "Serves him right." "This should've been done long ago! Damn, this feels great! I punched a cop, ha!" "FBI? My ass!" Among the crowd, someone tried to talk to Irene. "Miss, may I know your name?" asked the young man who had mentioned his family sold weapons. Irene had no interest in romance and refused outright. The young man didn't mind Irene's indifference and smiled, "Here's my contact info. You can call me, and I'll give you a 20% discount." The hostage lying nearby groaned and woke up. Irene knew some medical skills. She squatted down, looking at the bruises on the girl's neck, and softly asked, "How do you feel? I've already called an ambulance." The girl looked at Irene and burst into tears, hugging her tightly. After the girl calmed down, she blushed and said, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do." The girl had beautiful blonde hair, her blue eyes pure like the vast ocean, and her skin delicate and fair, as beautiful as a fairytale princess. "It's okay. When the ambulance arrives, go to the hospital for a checkup." Suddenly, the girl stood up in a panic, "I can't go to the hospital! Oh no! My family is still at the art store! They'll be worried if I'm not there!" "Art store? Which one?" The crowd murmured, and someone asked loudly. Could it be the Ardenset Art Store where Schneider was viewing the exhibition? "Ardenset Art Store." The murmurs grew louder, and there were boos. "Rich people, huh? Still able to go to Ardenset Art Store." "Where's that?" "Heard of Stefan? The people at Ardenset today are all wealthy or politicians!" "Who is this girl?" Irene wasn't surprised. Despite the girl's simple-looking clothes, the tailoring and details were exquisite, likely handmade. Plus, the sapphire earrings she wore made her outfit worth millions. "I've called the police too. They'll be here soon. You can ask them to escort you back." With that, Irene was ready to leave. The girl tugged at her sleeve, her blue eyes teary, "Kind lady, don't go! Please take me back to the art store! I'm scared to go alone." Seeing Irene's hesitation, the girl pleaded, "I'll ask my family to repay your kindness." Irene, looking into the girl's big eyes, couldn't refuse. "Alright, I'll take you back. No need to repay me; it's the right thing to do." A few people stayed behind to watch over the suspect as Irene and the girl headed back to the art store. Through their conversation, Irene learned the girl's name was Marta Mosinaghan, and she had an older brother. Her brother had brought her there but left her alone when he ran into business partners. "Brother! I'm here!" Before reaching the door, Marta spotted a man with a dark expression standing at the entrance. She happily shouted and ran towards him.