Chapter 29: Chapter 26: Within and Beyond the Rules The roar of the rain.
The accumulated water poured down like a curtain from the eaves of the workstation, crashing into the gutter and stirring up waves.
A small identity badge tumbled up and down in the water, quickly being swept into a blob of sticky yellow mud.
Jamie looked like he’d seen a ghost, thinking he hadn’t heard clearly.
This arrogant Easterner, what is he saying?
Asking me to go and pick it up for him?
"Sorry, are you saying that you want me to fetch the badge you just dropped into the sewer?"
The shadow under the large black raincoat nodded, the seriousness of the manner instantly provoking another round of laughter from those around.
Hearing the laughter, Jamie’s face alternated between green and red, gritting his teeth and said, "Then you might as well..."
Before he could finish speaking.
A cold gun barrel suddenly pressed up, the metal’s chill rushing from the forehead’s skin straight down the spine, freezing the latter half of the sentence in his throat.
The laughter stopped immediately, everyone showing looks of disbelief.
A gun!
He’s crazy, Cheng Ye is crazy!
He actually dared to draw a gun at the inspection station, aiming it at one of his own?
"Go, get it back for me."
Cheng Ye repeated, the smile on his face completely retracted, cold as if he had become a different person.
There was bullying in the orphanage too.
The food in the cafeteria was often eaten by the older kids first, leaving only scraps for the younger ones.
But he, since the age of five, was always among the first to eat.
And it was never thanks to any charity from the older kids!
"You... want to scare me?"
"I am scaring you."
Cheng Ye squeezed out a slight smile, the gun muzzle slowly pressed down, from the forehead all the way to the chin.
Then the cold gun muzzle poked upward, causing a sharp pain in Jamie’s jaw.
"First Chapter, Third Rule of the Inspection Station Ordinance: During duty, an inspector’s orders are above all."
"Anyone who disobeys can be treated as an Infected Body."
"Mr. Jamie."
The sound of the safety catch being opened gently sounded, "Please answer me directly, are you an Infected Body hiding within the North Inspection Station?"
Arrogance.
What an arrogance!
Jamie’s throat moved with difficulty, ultimately falling into silence.
Because he had a hunch that if he didn’t say the next words correctly, the madman in front of him, who always had a smile, was really not joking, he would truly pull that damned trigger!!
But the gazes from those around him, like countless steel needles piercing his back, made it impossible for him to bend.
He could already foresee that if he really went to pick up the badge, he would become the laughing stock of everyone.
The disgrace of the Westerners, even affecting the face of the entire North Station!
But.
He, he didn’t want to die.
Even if it meant dying at the hands of an Infected Body, he didn’t want to be shot by an inspector for not being able to bow.
"Garcia, the inspector is now in a life-and-death situation."
"You’re just a lowly nobody, with no rank or position, willing to risk your life for a bit of pride, spurred on by a few words?"
The devil’s whisper continued in his ear.
Jamie suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with fear.
He looked at the people around him, everyone was indeed looking at him with encouragement, trying to make him use his life to prove Cheng Ye wouldn’t dare to pull the trigger.
But he...
"I’ll get it, I’ll go get it!"
Jamie’s legs buckled, scrambling towards the drain.
Under Cheng Ye’s seemingly amused gaze, and amidst the stunned looks of the young people around, he dug the badge out from the yellow mud, scrubbed it clean in a puddle, and finally used the cleanest fabric at his collar to repeatedly wipe it.
"Inspector... Inspector Cheng."
"Kneel down, and hand it to me!"