Li Shang’s back tensed instantly, his knuckles silently clenching under the table.

Before he could speak, Chang Erbing already slammed the table with a bang and stood up:

"Captain Feng, what kind of bullshit is this you’re pulling?"

Feng Ju didn’t even lift his eyelids, he just cast a gaze as if looking at something dead over Chang Erbing, finally fixing on Li Shang’s face, saying with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes:

"Captain Li, tell the brothers next door to relax a bit, the walls are thin, and I find their heavy breathing quite annoying."

As he spoke, he casually reached out, picked up his chopsticks, and picked up a piece of oily stir-fried meat, bringing it to his mouth.

At the moment he lifted his chopsticks, Li Shang’s right hand had stealthily slid under the table, his palm pressing against the cold metal.

The gun barrel, through the table, was precisely aimed at Feng Ju’s chest, ready to pull the trigger the moment he made any sudden move.

Li Shang himself was unaware that on one hand, he looked down on Feng Ju, feeling this father was far less capable than his son, yet on the other hand, he had an inexplicable fear of Feng Ju.

It’s hard to say if this fear wasn’t due to the uncanny resemblance in features with Feng Mu.

Feng Ju seemed completely oblivious, putting the piece of meat into his mouth, chewing a couple of times.

Then his brows furrowed, his Adam’s apple moved, and he spat the chewed meat onto the empty plate in front of him with a "pah."

After coming back to life, it seemed his sense of taste had undergone some transformation. These dishes that ordinary people found delicious, to him tasted like rotten slop, each bite accompanied by an unbearable stench.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to swallow, yet he had no choice but to eat. Not eating would make him hungry.

Feng Ju, feeling agitated, put down the chopsticks and met Li Shang’s fiery gaze with a dangerous curve at the corner of his mouth:

"Don’t shoot. Once the gun goes off, I can’t guarantee whether I’ll die, but at this range, you will certainly be dead."

The air froze in an instant.

Li Shang’s breath hitched, and for a moment, it was as if he was transported back to that rainy day when Feng Mu first visited his home.

Damn it, there’s something off about Feng Ju’s face!

Cold sweat seeped from Li Shang’s palm holding the gun handle, sticky and slick.

He had no idea where Feng Ju’s confidence came from. Was it the mechanical arm glinting with cold metallic light, or was there some hidden card he was unaware of?

But with his detective instincts, he could tell Feng Ju wasn’t bluffing.

Was the guy genuinely convinced that if the gun went off, he’d be the one to die?

Damn it, was Feng Ju’s martial arts this good?

A massive wave of doubt and cold fear coiled around Li Shang’s heart like a poisonous snake, freezing his finger on the trigger, unable to pull it.

Feng Ju’s unsettling face was giving him too much pressure.

Feng Ju observed the uncertainty in Li Shang’s eyes and secretly breathed a sigh of relief himself.

He wasn’t here to kill Li Shang, quite the contrary, he was here to seek cooperation.

But a bit of posturing and pressure was necessary to make his next words carry more weight, to move Li Shang, and to try to gain some advantage in the upcoming cooperation.

Feng Ju thought he was some acting prodigy, oblivious that he thrived on his face value like a celebrity.

He took a deep breath, leaned forward slightly, and spoke in a low voice:

"Captain Li, don’t get me wrong, this meal is not my treat, rather, it’s the special agent who asked me to treat you."

With that, he locked his gaze on Li Shang, enunciating each word:

"Captain Li, do you understand what I mean?"

A cold shiver shot up from the soles of Li Shang’s feet to his skull, as if plunged into an icy cave.

His throat felt blockaded by coarse sandpaper, too dry to produce sound.

"You... what exactly are you trying to say?"

"Hehe—"

Feng Ju let out a short, cold laugh, full of mockery,

"Captain Li is a smart man, why pretend to be ignorant?"

He leaned back, arms crossed over his chest, the mechanical arm glinting coldly under the light, continued:

"Before I came here, a maid died in the special agent’s villa, Captain Li, as a detective, why don’t you deduce how that maid died?"

Li Shang’s heart sank heavily.

Feng Ju’s voice continued:

"I actually don’t know what exactly was recorded in the sheepskin scroll you gave to the special agent.

However, one thing is clear to me, which is that the special agent is very satisfied with your gift, so satisfied that he can’t wait for you to die."

Chang Erbing let out a frightened "ah," collapsing back into his chair, face pale, lips trembling without a word.

Li Shang’s complexion was already as dark as the bottom of a pot, veins bulging at his temples.

Forcing himself to remain calm, he gritted his teeth, squeezing through them to question:

"You’re talking nonsense, if the special agent really sent you to kill me, why wouldn’t you just do it and instead tell me about it?"

This was Li Shang’s last attempt, trying to find a logical flaw.

Feng Ju saw Li Shang clinging to hope with a cold chuckle, each word like a dagger:

"The special agent said if I killed you, I would be the only candidate for Chief of the Patrol Office!"

He stared deeply into Li Shang’s eyes, asking slowly:

"Captain Li, do you think I should listen to the special agent?"

Without waiting for Li Shang’s response, Feng Ju gave a self-deprecating smile, answering himself:

"I don’t think I should!"

"If I kill you, I still won’t become the Chief, because..."

He extended a finger, pointing at Li Shang, then directed it toward himself:

"The next one, it would be my turn!"

Li Shang’s grip on the gun tightened and relaxed, over and over, staring at Feng Ju with a gaze that could eat him alive, signaling him to continue.