Chapter Sixty-Nine: Lin Baozhu, you hit me again!

Upon hearing this, Lin's mother was furious! She shoved aside the captain blocking her way, rushed over, and pointed at Zhao Xiaoyu's nose, yelling, "Zhao Xiaoyu! What kind of filth are you spewing! Open your dog eyes and look! The police officers are here to recruit my Baozhu to be an official! Everyone knows you're always eyeing my Baozhu; anyone who didn't know better would think you were trying to steal something from her again..."

Zhao Xiaoyu was sprayed in the face with spittle by Lin's mother. Especially when she heard the words "hire" and "official position," the flames of jealousy instantly ignited her reason, and she screamed, "Hire her? On what grounds? What qualifications does Lin Baozhu have to be a police officer? She's just lazy—"

"Enough!"

The police chief rebuked him sternly.

He stood at the Lin family's door, his eyes coldly fixed on Zhao Xiaoyu's face, his words full of defense of Lin Baozhu: "Comrade, Comrade Lin Baozhu is a special talent that our Public Security Bureau exceptionally recruited. You have repeatedly and openly questioned her abilities and the Public Security Bureau's personnel decisions, and you've even made such outrageous remarks here... Do you have some dissatisfaction with our organization's decision? Do you need to come with me to the city to report this in detail?"

Zhao Xiaoyu trembled at the cold gaze and the words "go to the city." The sharp question in her throat seemed to be squeezed tightly, and she could no longer utter it. Her face instantly drained of all color.

Zhao Xiaoyu stiffly explained, "Comrades, you've misunderstood. I... I was just worried and confused, I was so concerned about Baozhu that I said the wrong thing..."

"Young comrade!"

The director gave her a sharp look and continued, "Some 'good intentions' are often just excuses to cause harm. 'Worries' that lack tact are better left unsaid."

After saying that, he turned to Lin Baozhu with a warm smile: "Baozhu, then we'll be waiting for you to report for duty tomorrow."

"Please wait a moment, Director..." Lin Baozhu took two steps and said a few words in a low and hurried voice.

The bureau chief's face suddenly darkened, his brows furrowing. After a moment, he solemnly nodded to Lin Baozhu: "Understood! Don't worry, I'll arrange for people to interrogate Director Zhang again tonight. If it's true, he must be punished for all crimes."

"Thank you for your hard work!" Lin Baozhu watched the police officers leave.

As soon as the police car disappeared from the village entrance, Zhao Xiaoyu, standing alone in the crowd, stared at Lin Baozhu's radiant face. Unable to suppress her jealousy any longer, she murmured, "Baozhu... why would a young woman like you become a police officer? All you do is brandish knives and guns and fight thugs—it's so dangerous! Look at our village, so many strong young men are unemployed! If you ask me... why don't you give up this job? After all, it's very difficult for a woman to climb the social ladder!"

These words were like a spark, instantly igniting the burning desire in the eyes of several young men from the nearby village! They exchanged glances, their gazes burning intensely on the Lin family.

"Awooo—!"

*Slap! Slap! Slap!* Before this thought could even form, Lin's mother, Guo Cuicui, roared like thunder! She rushed straight to Zhao Xiaoyu, her large, fan-like hands whistling through the air, and delivered several resounding slaps to her face! The crisp sounds sent a shiver down one's spine!

"Zhao Xiaoyu! You little slut! You think you're so great?!"

While whipping her face, Lin's mother cursed furiously, "I originally thought that if we broke off the engagement, our two families would go our separate ways! I was wrong! I was blind to think that I could still show some mercy! Your Bi family and you, you troublemaker, have repeatedly jumped out to disgust my Baozhu!"

Do you really think she's made of clay?! She risked her life for this job, and you dare to swindle her?! If you're so kind as to care about the village boys, why don't you ask Bi Yuntao to 'give up' his golden factory job so everyone can have a share?!

Zhao Xiaoyu was so badly beaten that she felt dizzy and saw stars. Blood gushed from her nose, smearing half her face. She was just…

She simply couldn't stand seeing Lin Baozhu so glamorous and overshadowing her! She especially didn't want Bi Yuntao to see Lin Baozhu's current dazzling brilliance! These past few days, although Bi Yuntao hadn't said anything, his coldness towards her was obvious to anyone! As Lin Baozhu became more and more dazzling, in Bi Yuntao's eyes, she was probably becoming more and more like a clown used to highlight the main flower. What if he regretted marrying her… No, she absolutely couldn't let that happen.

The captain frowned as he looked at Zhao Xiaoyu, whose face was covered in blood, before slowly trying to "mediate": "Alright, alright, Baozhu's mother, that's enough... What are you all standing there for? Pull them apart!"

Then Lin's mother shoved her hard! Zhao Xiaoyu fell to the ground with a thud, covered in dirt and blood.

"Zhao Xiaoyu, listen to me!" Lin's mother looked down at her, her eyes icy. "If I hear another word about Baozhu... I'll tear your stinking mouth apart myself!!"

Zhao Xiaoyu covered her burning face, tears and snot streaming down her cheeks, still trying to look pitiful: "Baozhu... I did it all for you..."

"Lin Baozhu! Are you ever going to stop?!" A furious shout filled with displeasure suddenly rang out. Bi Yuntao pushed through the crowd and rushed in, looking at Zhao Xiaoyu on the ground with heartache in his eyes. He glared at Lin Baozhu and said angrily, "Why do you always have to go against Xiaoyu?! What good does it do you?!"

Before Lin Baozhu could speak, the captain's wife, hands on her hips, spat out, "Pah! Are your eyes in the back of your head?! The police officers kindly invited Baozhu to be a consultant, and Zhao Xiaoyu was stirring up trouble at the door, saying Baozhu had committed a crime! Even after being exposed, she's still trying to sow discord! She's jealous of someone's promising future that they earned themselves! Asking her to give up her job? How dare she?!"

Bi Yuntao's face was ashen, his heart churning with a torrent of resentment and jealousy—how could Lin Baozhu become a police officer?! She should be dead! That way, he could… And those other police officers, are they out of their minds?! Is arresting criminals, that kind of dangerous, life-threatening work, something women can do?! It should be men doing it. A police advisor is someone who can work or not; if he can have two jobs, that's two sources of income…

He suppressed his surging anger, feigning a frown, but his voice betrayed an undisguised selfishness: "She's a woman, it's just not suitable for her to be a police officer! It's too dangerous! Xiaoyu... was worried about her safety, and in the heat of the moment, she didn't think before she spoke. I think... this job is better suited for me. I'm willing to pay five hundred yuan; she'll not only be safe but also have money..."

BOOM!

Before he could finish speaking, Bi Yuntao felt as if his heart had been struck by a sledgehammer! The excruciating pain, accompanied by a feeling of suffocation, instantly gripped him! He was sent flying like a tattered sack, crashing heavily onto the muddy ground a few steps away with a loud thud!

"Ugh—!" He curled up, clutching his aching chest, and looked up in disbelief and humiliation, his eyes filled with disbelief: "Lin Baozhu! You! You hit me again?!"