Chapter Seventeen: I Respect You

Fang Hongyan felt as if her spine had been broken. She lay on the ground for a long time, unable to move. Taking a deep breath and enduring the excruciating pain, she managed to turn over and sit up. Another gun appeared in her hand. Fang Hongyan didn't hesitate to raise the gun and fire, but as she pulled the trigger, she felt a slight movement in her hand. The trigger, which was halfway pulled, refused to budge. Looking at the gun, she saw that the barrel had been squeezed flat. It was a wonder if such a gun could fire at all.

Fang Hongyan's pale, oval face turned red, gradually turning the color of pig liver. Despite her excellent physical condition and notable strength, known for her speed, she had encountered a person today whose strength and speed far surpassed hers, leaving her with no way to vent her frustration. The Thirteenth District was no ordinary place. Strength was crucial everywhere, especially in a place crowded with strong individuals. Fang Hongyan's alluring appearance only gave her a slight advantage.

"I admit defeat," Fang Hongyan said, throwing the deformed gun onto the ground with anger. She sat on the floor, unable to get up. Her rage was redirected at Xiao Guo, whom she glared at fiercely. Xiao Guo, scared, quickly stepped forward to help her up. Yang Huawi was impervious to fear, but Xiao Guo was terrified. Fang Hongyan's speed was definitely a nemesis to his kind of ability.

Xiao Guo helped Fang Hongyan to the bed inside the room and looked at her weakened state. He swallowed hard, noting that Fang Hongyan, in her current state, was even more alluring than her usual fierce demeanor. Xiao Guo didn't dare stay longer. He picked up Yang Huawi's clothes and retreated, not forgetting to close the door tightly.

Yang Huawi reached for his clothes and began changing, saying, "That woman, is she one of yours? Why is she so temperamental? Even if she's got a temper, why is she like this with her comrades?" Yang Huawi's tone was filled with dissatisfaction.

"Uh..." Xiao Guo didn't know how to explain. He couldn't say it was all because of being spoiled by men, and no one dared to speak of strength in front of Yang Huawi, as it would be foolish.

Fang Hongyan, lying on the bed, could hear Yang Huawi's loud voice. Angrily, she pounded the iron bed, but she was helpless. Even with a gun, she couldn't win. "Just wait, I'll make you understand the consequences of provoking a woman," Fang Hongyan muttered angrily through clenched teeth.

Wang Pengfei arrived and paused when he saw the scene in the room. His gaze fell on Xiao Guo, who awkwardly smiled. "Captain, it's..."

Before Xiao Guo could finish, Fang Hongyan cleared her throat lightly. Xiao Guo quickly shut up and gave Wang Pengfei a helpless smile. Wang Pengfei, understanding the situation, knew Fang Hongyan's temper and could guess what had happened based on Yang Huawi's strength.

Worried that Yang Huawi might have injured Fang Hongyan, Wang Pengfei hurried into the inner room. Fang Hongyan, lying on the bed, looked at Wang Pengfei with a grievance, her pink lips pouting, which was quite damaging to men.

"How is it, Fang Hongyan? Is everything alright?" Wang Pengfei asked with concern, examining her from top to bottom.

"It's nothing serious, I won't die," Fang Hongyan said resentfully. "Who is he? Why is he so overbearing..." Fang Hongyan asked, unwilling to admit that Yang Huawi was formidable.

Overbearing? Who is more overbearing than you? Wang Pengfei chuckled inwardly and then said seriously, "You don't need to worry about this now. You'll understand in a couple of days. For now, avoid provoking him, got it?"

"Captain, could it be that even you..." Fang Hongyan looked surprised. Although the captain might not be the best in the Thirteenth District, he was close.

"You're right, but he hasn't used his full strength yet. Otherwise, even ten captains wouldn't see you today. Alright, rest now," Wang Pengfei said and walked out, leaving a stunned Fang Hongyan behind.

Yang Huawi was feeling somewhat tired, not physically but mentally. Having traveled through five hundred years of time to arrive in a strange world with nothing familiar and no battles, Yang Huawi felt an emptiness inside and just wanted to sleep. In the office, he cleared a space on the floor and fell asleep, finding it normal to sleep on a cold floor. During battles, sometimes lasting several days or even weeks, grabbing a moment of sleep was rare, so he had no regard for comfort.

Seeing Yang Huawi sleeping soundly on the floor, Wang Pengfei and Xiao Guo exchanged glances and smiled wryly. They left the office to the mismatched pair, not fearing Fang Hongyan would provoke Yang Huawi since he handled matters with care.

Two more people returned from a mission in the Thirteenth District and were stopped by Wang Pengfei, who occupied the adjacent office. The team members exchanged glances. Wang Pengfei remained silent, as did Xiao Guo, who kept his head down. Everyone understood the rules of the Thirteenth District. Although curious about who could share a room with the high-maintenance Fang Hongyan, everyone tactfully refrained from asking.

"It's about time. I'll order some food," Xiao Guo said, glancing at the time, which was already past seven in the evening. Besides Wang Pengfei, there were two other team members present. Xiao Guo picked up the phone on the desk and dialed a nearby restaurant.

Xiao Guo ordered dozens of dishes, all rich and meaty. At first, it seemed normal, but as the list grew, even Wang Pengfei was astonished.

"Xiao Guo, what are you doing? Feeding pigs?" a team member with an ordinary appearance asked in surprise.

"I'm not feeding pigs; I'm feeding hippos," Xiao Guo replied irritably. "We've got someone who eats more than a pig, but he can fight too. I'll eat more tomorrow as well." Xiao Guo slammed the phone down, frustrated not just by the defeat but by the fact that despite his efforts, Yang Huawi had easily subdued him.

Before the food arrived, a car rushed into the police station's courtyard. The duty officer peeked at the license plate and noticed it had "Special Operations" written on it. Muttering, he retreated, donned a police helmet and bulletproof vest, and hid under the desk, feeling uneasy about the large number of Special Operations personnel arriving. What trouble they might bring was beyond the small officer's control.

Two burly men in sunglasses and suits accompanied a tall, somewhat disheveled woman in a white coat as they got out of the car. The woman wore thick glasses, had a dirty face, and some rice grains stuck to the side of her mouth. Struggling, she dragged a metal box in front of her while the two men acted as if they didn't see her struggle, letting her drag the box toward the building.

Wang Pengfei and his subordinates went out to meet them, bowing from a distance. "Hello, you came quickly, as always," Wang Pengfei said with a smile.

"Got your message, came by military plane, how could it not be fast?" one of the burly men said, removing his sunglasses with a smile.

The two men took out their credentials and handed them to Wang Pengfei. "Here, and also one for your new recruit," another burly man said, handing over another similar credential.

Wang Pengfei took the black credentials, looked them over, and returned them. Everyone was old acquaintances; it was just a formality. The blank credential contained only Yang Huawi's photo, with the rest not yet filled in. However, the stampings and numbers were complete. Adding detailed information would make Yang Huawi an official Special Operations member.

"Where is he?" the somewhat disheveled woman asked with a soft, slow, and pleasant voice.

"Oh, he's inside. Please come in," Wang Pengfei said, inviting the three inside.

"Hey, that woman..." a team member tugged at Xiao Guo's sleeve and gestured to his mouth. However, before he could make the gesture, Wang Pengfei, who had already taken a few steps, quickly turned, his arm extending with a slap that almost sent the team member tumbling. Xiao Guo, covering his mouth, silently rejoiced that he hadn't spoken and looked at the unlucky teammate with a bit of schadenfreude before striding after Wang Pengfei.

As soon as the door was pushed open, a pair of cold eyes greeted them. The two burly men quickly moved to shield the woman, but she seemed not to notice and continued dragging the box forward, bumping into the two men's broad backs with a thud. Her glasses slid down to the bridge of her nose.

The woman snorted softly, clutching the box tightly with one hand and adjusting her glasses with the other before looking up and meeting Yang Huawi's gaze.

Yang Huawi instantly stood up from the floor, as if he were an ancient zombie, causing the two burly men to become even more tense. Yang Huawi glanced at the men, shook his head slightly, and then focused entirely on the woman. Yang Huawi then snapped to attention and saluted, though his military salute differed slightly from modern military standards. His fingertips, still at the brow, had elbows angled almost parallel to his body. Nevertheless, no one doubted the standard of Yang Huawi's salute due to his stern and crisp demeanor.

"Yang Huawi reporting to you. Affiliated with the Fourth Border Defense Brigade, Third Squad of the Holy City. Rank: Second Lieutenant. Assigned to investigate the beastmen invasion through time and space," Yang Huawi's resolute expression and serious tone made the two burly men step aside. Even though they were strong, they could tell Yang Huawi's salute was not meant for them. They recognized his contempt but respected him nonetheless.

"My name is Liu Rubmei. Umm... Umm..." Liu Rubmei blushed slightly, her dirty face obscuring her features. She coughed twice, and a grain of rice fell from her mouth. "I'm a researcher from a certain confidential research institute. Oh, they also gave me a rank, I think it's Major." Liu Rubmei, flustered by Yang Huawi's sudden military salute, which resembled a report to a superior, quickly let go of the box she had been holding and awkwardly returned a military salute.

"You resemble our mad scientist director, who is also a researcher. Without researchers like you, humanity would have been extinct long ago. Although it's a world of strong people five hundred years later, scientists with weak bodies are still the most respected. I respect you," Yang Huawi said earnestly.