But after Zhang Lei said this, she looked at the murderer, who didn't make any further moves. This was so different from his previous ferocious state that Zhang Lei was a little puzzled. Was this murderer all bark and no bite? It shouldn't be that easy, right?
However, Zhang Lei thought of the murderer's unusual behavior, which was completely different from his previous actions. Zhang Lei immediately thought of Zhou Xuan's mysterious acupoint technique. Could it be that Zhou Xuan had secretly subdued the murderer?
Zhang Lei was taken aback, then secretly glanced at Zhou Xuan. Zhou Xuan looked lazy and indifferent. Zhang Lei immediately realized that Zhou Xuan had indeed secretly struck the murderer's pressure points; otherwise, he wouldn't have let a girl like her go up alone to deal with the murderer. Thinking about it this way, it really made sense.
Zhang Lei immediately took out the handcuffs from her waist and extended them towards the murderer, cautiously approaching him. She was prepared to stop immediately if he made any move. However, when Zhang Lei placed the handcuffs against the murderer's wrist, the murderer did not move.
Zhang Lei was overjoyed and quickly grabbed the woman, pulling her away from the assailant. The assailant remained motionless, and Zhang Lei knew at that moment that Zhou Xuan had indeed subdued the killer.
Zhang Lei suddenly became bolder. First, she kicked the murderer in the back of the knee, making him kneel on one knee. Then she twisted his hands behind his back and quickly handcuffed them tightly, so tightly that the teeth of the handcuffs were almost deeply embedded in the murderer's wrist flesh.
After Zhang Lei pulled the hostage woman away, she shrank to one side, trembling, but she was also relieved to be free from the fitness instructor's control.
Without hesitation, Zhang Lei knocked the murderer down again, sealed his mouth with the prepared transparent tape, and then wrapped his hands and feet around his body a dozen times. Under such restraint, the murderer could not break free no matter what.
Zhou Xuan smiled. Zhang Lei wasn't stupid either; even though she had the upper hand, she still managed to vent her anger.
However, seeing that Zhang Lei had sealed the murderer's hands and feet with plastic bags was still not a good sign. When they went out, this guy was a big, burly man, and he and Zhang Lei were too lazy to carry him. They didn't have any other companions, and Zhou Xuan also detected that the club had brought in another thirty or forty people from somewhere. The people who had been frozen by Zhou Xuan's ice energy were not given a short time; they would be unfrozen for at least an hour. Zhou Xuan had targeted this, using only enough energy to freeze them for about an hour, so that it would not cause any harm to their bodies, nor would it have any side effects or aftereffects.
Before the people from the club rushed in, Zhou Xuan managed to remove the duct tape from the assailant's foot and unfreeze his legs, allowing him to walk. However, he couldn't kick or hurt anyone because Zhou Xuan had only recovered one-tenth of his strength, and only his legs could move. Even if he wanted to hurt someone, he was powerless to do so.
Zhang Lei smiled and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Actually, the sweat wasn't from exhaustion, but from being scared and cold. But then she tensed up again.
Dozens of people, each armed with steel pipes and other weapons, rushed into the gym from outside, shouting. The sheer number of them instilled fear in Zhang Lei.
Zhou Xuan immediately went to meet him, freezing the first person who rushed at him. He snatched the steel pipe from him and then used it to strike here and there, freezing anyone who got within a meter of him with his ice energy.
But to outsiders, all they saw was Zhou Xuan wielding his steel pipe, knocking down a person with a single blow. His steps were relentless, and so was the pipe. Zhang Lei, holding the murderer back, kept her eyes fixed on Zhou Xuan. Seeing Zhou Xuan's ferocity, she was both surprised and delighted. This Zhou Xuan truly possessed the spirit to kill with a single step, invincible and unstoppable.
Actually, Zhou Xuan did this on purpose. Firstly, he wanted everyone to think that he was just a martial arts master who defeated them one by one, rather than using his superpower to take them all down at once.
The club's thugs who came this time to take down Zhou Xuan and Zhang Lei numbered about fifty. Because of their large numbers, they were even more arrogant and bold as they stormed into the gym. Zhou Xuan liked it, swinging a steel pipe in front. Before he even reached the door, forty or fifty thugs had already knocked them all to the ground.
Each time Zhou Xuan controlled someone, he would freeze them with his ice-based supernatural power, then knock them to the ground with a single blow. It didn't feel like they were acupunctured; rather, they felt like they were being knocked down by Zhou Xuan's blow. However, after being knocked down, they clearly felt that Zhou Xuan's blow wasn't particularly powerful, yet they were completely immobilized.
Without hesitation, Zhang Lei escorted the murderer out behind Zhou Xuan. At this moment, she felt no fear whatsoever. Zhou Xuan was simply too formidable. She knew Zhou Xuan was powerful when dealing with Zhu Jie's gang at the city police station, but even the most skilled person couldn't possibly handle dozens of people alone. Such a person only existed in fantasy movies and television dramas; they were impossible in real life. But Zhou Xuan was precisely that kind of powerful individual.
After leaving the gym, Zhou Xuan carried the stick and walked forward. At this time, many more people rushed over, but when they saw the people in front of them lying like corpses, they were too scared to go forward and made a move. They retreated and stayed to the side, not daring to block Zhou Xuan's sharp edge.
Zhou Xuan didn't need to look behind him; his supernatural abilities allowed him to detect everything clearly. Zhang Lei effortlessly escorted the murderer behind him. After descending from the second floor to the first floor, the people who had surrounded him in the lobby and been subdued by him had all been moved out of the lobby. The dozens of people in the lobby were those who had arrived later. However, having received news from the gym on the second floor that Zhou Xuan had easily defeated them, they were all terrified. So many people, almost a hundred, and yet they couldn't capture this man? It was too terrifying. Almost all the male staff members in the club, from top to bottom, had been defeated by Zhou Xuan alone. Now, they were all lying or standing, unable to move. There weren't many left; they were mostly high-level managers of the club. And the higher the position, the more afraid of death they seemed to be. So, when the remaining people saw Zhou Xuan fearlessly walking out with a stick, they didn't dare to attack him anymore.
They knew that all one hundred or so people had been taken down by him alone, so even if they rushed in again, it would be futile, and the final result would be the same as the people in front.
Zhou Xuan was almost at the entrance of the lobby. A few more steps and he would be leaving the club. At this moment, a slightly overweight man, who looked to be around forty years old, stepped forward and said to Zhou Xuan in a deep voice, "Do you know what the consequences of what you've done will be? Do you know you've already gotten yourself into a big mess?"
Zhou Xuan waved his hand and said calmly, "I don't care if you're a winter melon or a watermelon. Show me what tricks you have, what abilities you have, whether it's to my face or behind my back. Don't give me any threats. No matter how much you say, it's useless. Now I only give you two choices: get out of the way, or settle things with your fists."
Zhou Xuan's eyes flashed like lightning, his gaze piercingly fixed on the man. Judging from his attire and expression, he was likely a high-ranking member of the club. His face was filled with disdain and arrogance, but under Zhou Xuan's even more forceful words and actions, the man still backed down.
Whatever thoughts or ideas he had, whether it was revenge or retaliation, he could only leave them for later. In the current situation, the other party was unlikely to give him any face. Even if he had a powerful background or a great influence, the other party seemed to disregard him. Under such circumstances, he could only choose to back down. He couldn't win in a fight, and talking was useless. Whether he used words or fists, he would not achieve anything.
Zhou Xuan turned to Zhang Lei and said, "Get the person into the car and return to the Municipal Bureau immediately."
As the two men pushed the murderer into the back seat of the car and prepared to get into their own vehicles, the man from the club couldn't help but shout, "What you're doing is illegal. I'll sue you until you're bankrupt, you believe me?"
Zhou Xuan got into the car, then leaned out the window and said calmly to the man, "Your words are like farts, worthless. Let me tell you, I'll make sure your establishment closes down immediately and can't do business anymore. Do you believe me?"
Volume 1, Chapter 543: Offense is the Best Defense
The club's executive was furious, his face turning green. Although they outnumbered the other person, they were no match for him. No amount of threats or intimidation worked. Even if he mentioned his background and connections, the other person ignored him and instead told them to shut down. How could he not be angry?
He naturally had no idea that this very incident would bring them to such a terrible disaster. After Zhou Xuan easily caught the murderer, he could then let Wei Haihe exert his power and allow Fu Yuanshan to completely take over the Municipal Bureau. Once Wei Haihe's foundation was solid, he could easily crush or eliminate businessmen who colluded with corrupt officials at will.
Zhou Xuan uttered a few harsh words, then pointed to the large, luxurious electronic advertising screen above the gate and said, "Oh no, this electronic billboard is going to fall down! Get out of the way!"
The club's executives and others couldn't help but look up. Sure enough, the large electronic advertising screen welded to the wall had fallen off by more than half. Because of the fall, the internal wiring had short-circuited, and sparks were flying everywhere.
This startled everyone, who scattered and ran to avoid it. Of course, this was done by Zhou Xuan using his supernatural ability to transform and devour. However, there were still many people below, so Zhou Xuan did not completely remove the billboard. After everyone below had run away, he used his supernatural ability to devour the welded parts of the electronic screen. The electronic billboard, which was more than 100 square meters in size, crashed down with a loud bang.
Everyone present at the Emperor's Club was stunned. It was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly; not only had they encountered such a ruthless figure as Zhou Xuan, who had smashed up their establishment, but even the storefront sign had fallen down on its own.
As Zhou Xuan looked at the still intact characters "Emperor" on the electronic sign in the car, he curled his lip in disdain, then said to Zhang Lei, "Drive, back to the Municipal Bureau."
When Zhang Lei saw the signboard of the Emperor's Club fall from the sky, causing them to flee in a disheveled state, she couldn't help but be both surprised and amused. She was surprised by the coincidence; not only did they come to cause trouble, but even the signboard fell down. Logically, such a thing shouldn't happen, but the fact was right in front of her, making it impossible for her not to laugh. She was amused because these people, who had initially been fierce and aggressive, were easily defeated by Zhou Xuan, leaving them in a sorry state, looking like clowns.
As soon as Zhou Xuan told her to drive, Zhang Lei obediently started the car immediately and even turned on the siren. The mission was successful, so of course it could be brought into the open. At this moment, she no longer had any fear in her heart. Zhou Xuan's level of skill had far exceeded her imagination. More than a hundred people armed with weapons surrounded them, but she and Zhou Xuan went in and came out unscathed, while at least a hundred of the other side were defeated by Zhou Xuan. Such things and such scenes were something she had only seen in movies before. Apart from not being able to fly over rooftops, Zhou Xuan's performance was just like those of highly skilled martial arts heroes.
So Zhang Lei is no longer afraid of causing any trouble or consequences. She doesn't care about that. But at least now that she's with Zhou Xuan, she doesn't have to worry about anything. With someone like him, she's guaranteed to be safe on any mission. It's obvious that Fu Yuanshan will definitely use such a helper. It would be a waste not to let such a talent go to waste.
Zhang Lei became more and more excited as she thought about it. At first, she thought Liu Xingzhou was just being perfunctory with her, but later she realized that Director Liu and Director Chen really only treated her as a decorative vase. They didn't dare to send her out for dangerous tasks. This was obviously because of her family background. They transferred her to be in a group with Zhou Xuan. It was clear that they also regarded Zhou Xuan as a relative of Fu Yuanshan. So they put the two of them in a group. As long as they didn't give them any actual tasks, at most they would let them patrol the streets and provide backup support.
Zhang Lei also realized that Liu Xingzhou and the others had never expected Zhou Xuan to have such amazing skills; he was definitely not an ordinary person.
Therefore, Zhang Lei had no dissatisfaction with Zhou Xuan's instructions and did as he said in a very conscientious and obedient manner. At this time, she also thought that Zhou Xuan's previous instruction for her to handcuff the murderer was not to put her in danger, but because he had already subdued the murderer, which was why he asked her to do such a thing. After seeing Zhou Xuan's frightening skills, she became even more certain that since Zhou Xuan had such high skills, how could he let a girl like her go into danger alone?
Thinking about this made Zhang Lei feel better. Zhou Xuan was the kind of person who was extremely skilled but kept a low profile and never explained himself. Zhang Lei couldn't help but smile slightly. Looking in the rearview mirror, she saw Zhou Xuan leaning against the car seat, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. He didn't even glance at the criminal next to him, acting as if he didn't exist.
Zhang Lei knew that Zhou Xuan had completely controlled him, so there was nothing to worry about. The criminal seemed unable to move even slightly; his eyes were wide open, and his teeth were clenched tightly, as if he wanted to devour someone. It was easy to imagine that if his body were free, he would definitely do something terrifying.
Zhang Lei no longer doubted Zhou Xuan. Just as Liu Xingzhou said, Zhou Xuan was indeed a super expert. However, Zhang Lei also knew that Liu Xingzhou was not well-intentioned. The possibility that he did not know that Zhou Xuan had such amazing skills was at least 99.9%.
Today's operation went too smoothly, so smoothly that Zhang Lei could hardly believe it. At least she couldn't believe that the person she and Zhou Xuan had caught was unlikely to be the murderer in the case file. The case file recorded that the murderer was armed and extremely cruel. But the murderer they caught didn't seem to be extremely vicious. At least there was no gunfight as expected. It was too smooth, too simple. It was as easy as children playing house. They caught him without even trying.
At this point, they were still unaware of the situation of the other action groups. Zhang Lei, of course, didn't know about the other groups either, because Fu Yuanshan knew that Zhou Xuan was extremely capable and had chosen the most important case. Since he had chosen it himself and didn't want any other helpers, he just wanted to catch the person discreetly. As for how Fu Yuanshan would write the report and how he would divide the credit, that was his business. In any case, Zhou Xuan only intended to provide support behind the scenes, and all Fu Yuanshan needed was to claim the credit for this operation for himself. The other members of the operation only had the credit for the arrest; the main credit would go to Fu Yuanshan.
Zhang Lei was completely unaware of this operation. Zhou Xuan's intention in ordering her to take action was to have her write a report after they returned. It was Zhang Lei who made the arrest; Zhou Xuan himself did not lay a finger on the murderer.
As they approached the Municipal Public Security Bureau, their tall office building came into view from afar. Zhang Lei asked, "Zhou Xuan, what should we do with this person? I wonder what's going on with Director Fu's teams?"