Chapter 6: The Beautiful Female Officer

As he bid farewell to his old boss, a faint, almost imperceptible odor wafted up to Li Huan's nose. He sniffed, scrunching his nose. The smell was coming from his own body, a foul stench. "Damn, whose clothes are these? How can they be so stinky? They couldn't have been taken off a dead body, could they?" Li Huan quickly stripped off the makeshift civilian clothes he had borrowed from his old boss in prison, leaving himself clean and bare...

It had been ages since he'd had such a refreshing bath. In prison, the special cell allowed a shower only once a month, and even then it was rationed and cold. Stingy to the extreme. Now, the warm water cascading over Li Huan felt like the bliss of the gods.

With a soft "click," someone had entered. Amidst his enjoyment, Li Huan caught the subtle sound. Having brushed past death numerous times, his alertness was exceptionally high. He swiftly turned off the hot water.

The sound came from the door of the outer room. Li Huan grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, just barely covering his rather intimidating appendage. Silently, he pressed himself against the bathroom door. Soft footsteps echoed in the living room. It wasn't his old boss returning; the steps were too light. Probably a thief, Li Huan quickly concluded.

He sensed the intruder approaching the bathroom. Indeed, a thief, and a foolish one at that. Li Huan chuckled to himself. He could feel the clueless intruder, like himself, pressing against the bathroom door, listening for sounds inside.

Assuming the bathroom was empty, the intruder quietly moved away from the door. As soon as the intruder turned, Li Huan, as if he could see through the door, opened it, lunged forward, and attacked. His hand just reached the back of the intruder's neck when he suddenly froze.

The intruder reacted swiftly, turning around the moment she felt the wind behind her head. She caught Li Huan's hand in mid-air and pulled, causing him to lean forward involuntarily. With a smooth motion, she used her shoulder to push against his body, executing a perfect judo throw. Li Huan flew through the air like a bird, landing with a thud on the ground, dazed and disoriented. That was a solid hit.

Li Huan's moment of hesitation in attacking was met with fierce retaliation. Before he could recover from the fall, the intruder moved swiftly and efficiently, twisting his arms behind his back and pinning him down. Her legs straddled his towel-clad buttocks...

Unable to resist, Li Huan lay compliantly on the cold floor. The intruder's technique was professional; the slightest movement caused excruciating pain. It was best not to struggle against such an adversary.

As the pressure increased, Li Huan realized he needed to speak up quickly to save his shoulder joint. "Hey, take it easy. Who are you?"

"Who are you?" came a clear, pleasant voice from behind鈥攁 young woman's voice.

"Who am I? Damn, I'm the owner of this house. What's the meaning of this? Let go of me!" Li Huan felt the young woman ease up on the pressure.

"You're the owner of this house?" The young woman on top of him asked in surprise. "What's your name?"

"Li Huan," he replied, his voice muffled, feeling wronged by the restraint.

"You're Li Huan?" Her tone was filled with doubt. "What's your code name?"

"Code name?" Li Huan was taken aback by the question.

"Your code name from your previous job."

"Previous job's code name?" Li Huan thought for a moment, realizing she was asking about his code name from his days as a special agent. It had been a while since he'd used it, and it took a moment to recall. "009, code name 009," he quickly said.

"You're really the former agent Li Huan with the code name 009?" The young woman still seemed skeptical that she had subdued a supposed super-agent so easily.

"Damn, are you annoying? I'm the real deal, 009." Li Huan was growing impatient, humiliated by being pinned down by a woman.

He had provoked her. Li Huan felt one arm loosen, followed by a sharp pain in the back of his head. "Smack!" That was a solid hit.

"Watch your mouth. Keep talking dirty, and I'll cripple you," the young woman warned, quickly returning her hand to its original position, continuing to restrain Li Huan's wrist.

"Hey, what do you want?" Li Huan was frustrated after taking a hit to the head. The young woman's technique was too skilled. His restrained wrist was losing circulation, making it impossible to break free.

"What do I want? An apology for your filthy mouth earlier," she replied, her voice tinged with disdain. A super-agent with no manners.

Damn girl, you're the boss, Li Huan regretted his earlier hesitation. When he had initially lunged at her, he had seen her military uniform. Since she wasn't a thief, he hadn't followed through with his attack. He hadn't expected her to be so skilled, her counterattack fierce and effective. Now, turning the tables seemed unlikely.

With no choice, Li Huan mumbled an apology, feeling utterly frustrated.

Once Li Huan conceded, the young woman released him and stood up. Without the restraint, his wrist still tingled with numbness, making it hard to stand. Li Huan got up awkwardly, swaying slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Li Huan tried to maintain some dignity in front of the young woman. As he straightened up, a stunning face came into view. A beautiful female officer, with two bars and a star on her shoulder鈥攁 major. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on him, still showing a trace of annoyance. On the floor, there was a large travel bag.

Unexpected beauty. Li Huan, who had expected a shrew, was momentarily stunned. His mental image of a "bitch" transformed into a celestial beauty.

Just then, the female officer's expression changed to one of panic. Li Huan was puzzled by her sudden change in demeanor when she let out a surprised "Oh!" Her enchanting eyes closed tightly, and a blush spread across her beautiful face, stunning him.

Her scream startled Li Huan. What was she screaming about? Wasn't he handsome? He instinctively touched his cheek, feeling the stubble. After being in prison for so long, he probably looked a bit like a ghost. Li Huan laughed at himself, also feeling a bit disdainful of the beauty in front of him. Never judge a book by its cover, right?

As Li Huan felt slightly dissatisfied with the beauty, a breeze came through the open window. Having just showered, he felt a chill and shivered. Something felt off. Looking down, he realized his intimidating appendage had slipped out from under the towel. Damn it, Li Huan was shocked. It must have happened when he was being restrained. She had gotten an eyeful. Damn, it wasn't worth it. Li Huan felt awkward.

"You... is your towel... fixed?" The female officer's voice trembled slightly, her blush even more charming.

"It's... fixed," Li Huan replied awkwardly, hastily covering himself.

The female officer slowly opened her eyes, cautiously, as if facing a great monster. Even with such caution, her eyes nearly closed again when she saw the man standing awkwardly in front of her, his upper body bare. A quick glance confirmed the intimidating object was no longer visible.

The female officer spat, her face still red. "What do you mean it's fixed? Why don't you put on some clothes?"

"I don't have any clothes," Li Huan said with a bitter smile.

"Aren't those clothes over there? What are you playing at? Put them on!" The female officer spotted the clothes on the sofa, her eyes showing annoyance. A pervert.

Li Huan glanced at the clothes on the sofa and grimaced. "Those clothes stink so badly I can't wear them. I can't stand that smell." He added, "They're borrowed, not mine." He needed to clarify that he wasn't a slob in front of the beauty.

"Just make do with them," the female officer suggested, not wanting to face a half-naked man. It made her feel unsafe.

"I can't make do," Li Huan shook his head firmly, rejecting the suggestion.

"Then what do we do?" The female officer was getting annoyed. This guy had no manners.

"Heh... I don't know what to do either," Li Huan replied lazily, plopping down on the sofa. He habitually tried to cross his legs but quickly sat up straight upon seeing the female officer's disapproving look. He couldn't risk another exposure.

Sitting somewhat awkwardly, Li Huan smiled as he admired the beauty in front of him. But his smile wasn't exactly charming; it was a bit lecherous. After two years in prison, even a sow would look like a beauty, but the female officer in front of him was genuinely stunning. Her eyebrows were like paintings, her eyes like water, her nose delicate and straight, and her lips slightly upturned in a charming way. Yet, her beautiful face wore an unfriendly expression, cold and slightly irritated.

This guy was a complete rogue, nothing like the legendary super-agent. The female officer's eyes showed a hint of doubt. The man in front of her, with his stubble and lecherous look, was indeed the man in the file photo. The thought of having to work with this annoying guy left her speechless.

"Sit down, don't be shy in my home," Li Huan said with a grin, trying to mask the lecherous look in his eyes.

Your home? Treating a temporary base as his home? This guy had thick skin and an annoying smile. The female officer couldn't help but glare at Li Huan again.

Harmony, not conflict, Li Huan thought, not minding her cold stare.

"And you are?" Li Huan asked more seriously once the female officer sat down.

"Chen Meng. I've been ordered by the Military Commission's Intelligence Department to contact you. From now on, you'll have to follow my every command," Chen Meng said, handing him her credentials.

The Third Department of the General Staff Intelligence, Li Huan thought. When he first saw her in uniform, he had guessed she was from the military. Seeing the red letters "Third Department" on her credentials, he couldn't help but view the delicate beauty in front of him differently. The highest intelligence agency in the military, with a global network, the most secretive department at the core of the war machine, directly under the Military Commission. As a former agent, Li Huan was well aware of this mysterious military institution, though he had never worked with them before.

"Hmm, the credentials are real," Li Huan said solemnly, handing them back. He had heard of but never seen the Third Department's credentials before.

Seeing his feigned seriousness, Chen Meng knew he was talking nonsense. She rolled her eyes at Li Huan. The credentials were not usually shown to outsiders, and she was certain Li Huan had never seen them before...