47: A Familiar Face in Blue

Upon hearing this, several of the surrounding henchmen gasped, drawing a sharp breath. They knew all too well the caliber of the Four Grand Enforcers (renowned powerful figures within the criminal underworld). They never imagined that this young man standing before them could be compared to experts of that level.

Li Fei's intuition about people was always spot-on. He felt that Shen Yifei was no ordinary expert, possessing at least the skill of a Four-Star expert.

The concept of 'Star-ranked experts' (a globally recognized system for ranking martial artists and cultivators by their power and skill) was worth noting. It was the most authoritative system for power assessment in the world, encompassing all skilled individuals globally, ranked from One to Nine Stars.

A Three-Star expert's combat prowess vastly surpassed that of an ordinary special forces soldier. Meanwhile, a Four-Star expert's strength was already beyond conventional understanding, capable of being considered a 'super expert' even among the underground forces (criminal syndicates) of Hua Hai City.

The higher the Star-ranking, the greater the power it represented. A Seven-Star expert, for instance, commanded respect even from nations. In a place like Hua Hai City, they could practically walk wherever they pleased without fear!

As for Nine-Star experts... they were merely a legend.

Stepping out of the Hai Sha Textile Company building, Shen Yifei finally let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected a simple debt collection to escalate to such a degree.

Navigating a bustling metropolis, while the law of the jungle might no longer be the sole rule of survival, violence still proved capable of solving certain problems.

Shen Yifei had no desire to be overly flamboyant; he was still hoping to enjoy a few more days of leisurely life.

Just then, a BMW X6 pulled up, coming to a stop outside the Hai Sha Textile Company.

"Shen Yifei!" Liu Xiaoxiao spotted him instantly and rushed over, her heart pounding with anxiety.

Shen Yifei raised an eyebrow, asking curiously, "Director Liu, what brings you here?"

Liu Xiaoxiao took several gasping breaths, speaking frantically, "Shen Yifei, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Shen Yifei shrugged.

Liu Xiaoxiao finally breathed a sigh of relief, then complained, "Good thing you're alright. By the way, why was your phone off? I couldn't reach you for ages!"

Shen Yifei harbored a slight resentment towards Liu Xiaoxiao. He was sure this woman had known the debt would be difficult to collect and had sent him here precisely to trouble him.

"Director Liu, collecting this debt today was certainly... challenging," Shen Yifei said with a sneer, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Liu Xiaoxiao's pretty face flushed. She pouted, "It's fine if you couldn't get it. I wasn't blaming you anyway."

Shen Yifei rolled his eyes, retorting exasperatedly, "Liu Xiaoxiao, stop pretending! Weren't you deliberately trying to push me into a fire pit?"

"I..." Liu Xiaoxiao was speechless, then huffed softly, "Who told you to always infuriate me?"

Shen Yifei's face darkened. He wished he could give this woman a good spanking.

"They... they didn't give you any trouble, did they?" Liu Xiaoxiao stammered, asking again.

"It would have been a miracle if they *hadn't* given me trouble," Shen Yifei said languidly. "However, I've already retrieved the five million. It's been transferred into the company's designated account."

Liu Xiaoxiao's face was filled with astonishment. "No way, you actually got it back?"

"Director Liu, listen to yourself," Shen Yifei said with a shrug. "Why wouldn't I get it back? If you don't believe me, you can call the company's finance department and have them verify it."

"How... how did you get it back?" Liu Xiaoxiao couldn't help but ask.

Just as Shen Yifei was about to answer, Li Fei and his group emerged from the Hai Sha Industrial Company building.

Liu Xiaoxiao saw Li Fei and the large group of henchmen in black vests behind him getting into their vehicles. A surge of fear went through her. She whispered, "Who are those people?"

"Definitely not good guys," Shen Yifei chuckled. "Let's get out of here."

No sooner had he spoken than police sirens wailed in the distance, and patrol cars zoomed in.

Shen Yifei's brow furrowed. "Why are the police showing up?"

"Because I was worried about your safety, I just called 911," Liu Xiaoxiao said, biting her lip.

Shen Yifei was somewhat speechless. He retorted, "If you were so worried about my safety, why did you send me to collect the debt in the first place?"

Liu Xiaoxiao pouted, "Initially, I didn't know the full situation. President Su mentioned that this Hai Sha Textile Company had ties with underground forces..."

Seeing several police cars swarm towards them, the gang members' faces changed drastically. Those involved in the criminal underworld were always highly sensitive to the police presence.

"Brother Fei, cops!" a henchman whispered into Li Fei's ear.

Li Fei didn't reply directly. To demonstrate his boss's composure, he calmly took out a lighter and lit a cigarette.

The lead police car pulled to the side of the road, and a stunning woman in a police uniform emerged.

With long, shapely legs, ample curves, and a toned physique, she had an exceptionally alluring figure and a refined, beautiful face.

This beautiful woman was none other than Bai Qingyu.

The police station had just received a report about someone encountering danger at the Hai Sha Textile Company, and that a large number of unidentified vehicles had arrived there.

Normally, a matter like this wouldn't require the presence of Bai Qingyu, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Division.

However, the police had received a report from Aya International Fashion Group a few days prior, and Bai Qingyu had already uncovered evidence indicating that this Hai Sha Textile Company was indeed involved with underground forces.

Given the gravity of the situation, Bai Qingyu had personally led a team to the western suburbs.

As she stepped out of the police car, Bai Qingyu spotted Shen Yifei, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "What's *he* doing here?"

Without thinking much further, Bai Qingyu walked over briskly.

"Officer, I'm Liu Xiaoxiao, Director of Aya International. I'm the one who called in the report just now," Liu Xiaoxiao quickly explained.

Bai Qingyu nodded. "Hello, Miss Liu. I am Bai Qingyu, Captain of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Hua Hai City Public Security Bureau. What seems to be the situation here?"

"I apologize," Liu Xiaoxiao said, her expression slightly embarrassed. "I initially thought my subordinate was in danger here, but it seems nothing dangerous has actually occurred."

"Subordinate?" Bai Qingyu's expression betrayed a hint of suspicion. "Someone of Shen Yifei's apparent caliber, a subordinate to a mere company director?"

Shen Yifei chuckled, "Captain Bai, we meet again! What brings you to this part of town for a stroll?"

Bai Qingyu nearly choked on Shen Yifei's words. She snapped, "I'm here on official business! What about you?"

"I'm also here on official business," Shen Yifei chuckled. "'Official business' being, of course, collecting a debt."

"You... you two know each other?" Liu Xiaoxiao froze.

"Not exactly well acquainted," Bai Qingyu scoffed coldly.

"Captain, those guys look familiar. I think they're from the Hua Long Gang (a prominent criminal syndicate known for its distinctive dragon tattoos)!" a young officer leaned in and whispered to Bai Qingyu.

Bai Qingyu's eyes swept over Li Fei and the large group of men. Indeed, these fellows were clearly Hua Long Gang members.

Ordinary members of the Hua Long Gang typically had a green dragon tattooed on their arms.

She had already investigated and found that the Hai Sha Textile Company had ties to underground forces; she just hadn't realized it was the Hua Long Gang.

"Everyone over there, hands on your heads and squat down!" Bai Qingyu barked, her voice sharp and uncompromising.

As her words fell, a group of police officers quickly moved to surround them.

Li Fei's group outnumbered the police, and his henchmen remained indifferent. Far from putting their hands on their heads, they instead glared sullenly at Bai Qingyu's side.

This defiance, however, sent a shiver of apprehension down the police officers' spines.

"Brother Fei, what do we do?" a henchman quickly stepped forward, asking Li Fei.

Li Fei's face was devoid of expression. "Don't worry," he said. "That woman hasn't got any leverage on us. We'll just leave."

"I said, all of you, squat down!" Bai Qingyu yelled, exasperated. These guys were utterly lawless! Did they really have no respect for the police?