Chapter 33: Forced Into a Corner
"Yao Yao? Did that bastard refuse? It's fine if he did—so what if he's good at driving? I'm sure your skills are more than enough to catch criminals," Ye Xiwen said, flipping through a stack of ledgers. She glanced up as Fu Junyao walked in, her tone light but laced with a hint of amusement. "Besides, since when do you *beg* someone to teach you? You practically strong-armed him. If I were him, I'd say no too."
Fu marched into Ye's office, slumping into a chair. A faint blush still lingered on her cheeks, making her look softer, less intimidating than usual. She scowled. "Xiwen jie, why are you taking his side? We're the police—helping us is serving the country, serving the people. Catching criminals makes the streets safer. Isn't that good for *him* too?"
"You're not wrong," Ye admitted, setting down the ledgers. "But he's an adult. You can't expect him to work for free." She knew Wu well enough—lazy, yes, but stubborn about his "principles," whatever they were. Strong-arming him would only make him dig in his heels.
Fu's mind wandered back to the security booth—to the press of Wu's chest against hers, the way his lips had felt against hers, soft and unexpected, the heat of his breath on her skin. Her cheeks burned hotter. *Stupid, stupid, stupid.* How could she have let that happen? She was a police officer, for God's sake—not some schoolgirl with a crush.
It wasn't just the kiss. It was the way her heart had raced, the flutter in her stomach, the split second where she'd *wanted* more. That scared her more than any criminal she'd ever chased.
"Yao Yao? Are you okay? Your face is really red," Ye said, reaching out to touch her forehead. "You're burning up!"
"Oh, it's nothing, Xiwen jie," Fu mumbled, pulling back quickly, as if burned. Her mind was a mess—part rage at Wu, part confusion at her own reaction. "Probably just tired from work. I'll rest later. I should go—don't want to bother you." She stood up in a hurry, nearly knocking over her chair, and fled the office, her steps faster than necessary.
Ye watched her go, frowning. *What happened in that security booth?* Something had shifted—Fu had never acted so flustered, so… *unlike herself*.
Back in the security booth, Wu Yifan slouched in his chair, legs propped up on the desk, replaying the kiss in his mind. Who'd have thought he'd end up locking lips with Beitian's "female tyrannosaurus"? And from the way she'd frozen, the clumsy way she'd kissed back—was that her first kiss?
He grinned, feeling a strange surge of pride. Snagging a police officer's first kiss? That had to be a new record, even for him.
But the grin faded quickly. Fu was a cop. A *angry* cop now, if her exit was any indication. What if she filed charges? "Assaulting an officer"? "Sexual harassment"? His reputation was already shaky—one wrong move, and he'd be in a jail cell faster than he could say "enhancement points."
He thought of the look on her face as she'd run out—mortified? Furious? Or… something else?
Wu groaned, scrubbing a hand over his face. This was a mess.
A knock on the door jolted him from his thoughts. Ye stood in the doorway, her expression curious. "You wanted something, Boss Ye?"
"I just… wanted to ask what happened with Yao Yao. She seemed upset when she left," Ye said, eyeing him suspiciously. She knew Wu was lazy and a bit of a troublemaker, but Fu was a police officer—he wouldn't dare cross *her*, right?
"Oh, *her*?" Wu scoffed, leaning back. "She kept badgering me to teach her my driving skills. Told her it's a family secret—only Wu blood gets to learn it. But she wouldn't drop it. Said if I refused, she'd lock me up, make me 'regret it.' When I still said no, she slugged me a couple times and stormed off. Classic cop move, huh?" He lied smoothly, knowing Fu would never admit to the kiss.
Ye's eyebrows furrowed, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face. "Yao Yao shouldn't have hit you. That's not right…" She knew Fu had a temper, but attacking her own employee? Guilt gnawed at her—if she hadn't told Fu where Wu worked, none of this would've happened.
"What was that?" Wu asked, feigning confusion.
"Nothing," Ye said quickly. "You're okay, though? Yao Yao can be… impulsive. Don't take it personally. I'll talk to her—maybe you two can call a truce." She didn't want to pick sides, but Wu was her responsibility, and Fu was her friend. It was a tricky tightrope to walk.
"Me? Hold a grudge? Never," Wu said, waving a hand dismissively. *A truce? With her? Fat chance.*
"Good. Oh, and how's it going with Wang Xuefei? The Yingjie Group CEO? The lease renewal is in a few days—you need to hurry," Ye said, her tone shifting to urgency. This was a big deal—tens of thousands of yuan on the line. If Wu pulled this off, Infinity would be safe for another year.
"Uh… she's playing hard to get, y'know? Rich folks love their games," Wu lied, his heart sinking. He'd never even *heard* of Wang Xuefei until Ye mentioned her. The "negotiations" were a total bluff. But with the deadline looming, he was officially cornered.
"You'll figure it out, right?" Ye asked, her eyes hopeful.
"Course I will. Even if I have to… *convince* her," Wu said, forcing a confident smile. Inside, he was panicking. *Convince a CEO he'd never met? How?*
"Good. Infinity's counting on you," Ye said, squeezing his shoulder before leaving.
As soon as she was gone, Wu slouched, groaning. *Yingjie Group? Wang Xuefei?* He'd need a miracle to pull this off. Maybe he could fake a kidnapping? No—Ye would kill him. Beg? He'd sooner kiss Fu again.
He grabbed the folder Ye had given him—"Wang Xuefei: Profile"—flipping through it. No photo, just dry stats: 31, widow, one daughter, owns half of Beitian's commercial real estate. *Great. A rich, possibly grieving single mom. This'll be easy.*
Wu sighed, shoving the folder back. He needed a plan. Fast.
He stood up, deciding a walk to the mahjong parlor might clear his head—maybe the old guys there knew something about Wang Xuefei.
But as he stepped out of Infinity, a sharp voice froze him in his tracks.
"Freeze! Hands up!"
A cold metal barrel pressed against the back of his neck.
Wu's heart stopped.
*This is it*, he thought. *Fu finally snapped.*
Slowly, he raised his hands, bracing himself for the worst.
"Turn around. Slowly."
The voice wasn't Fu's.
Wu's eyes widened.
This was a whole new kind of trouble.
And he had no enhancements left to save him.