Chapter 99: The Miserable Thief

No way! I finally found an easy target, but someone else made a move first. I have to get it back!

Thinking this, I quickened my pace, squeezing through the crowd. Earlier, I only saw the thief’s hand, but there was a distinctive black mole on his middle finger, making him easy to identify. He had just succeeded, so he must still be nearby.

When I reached the chubby man, he was still looking dazed. I wondered how he even managed to leave his house like that. But when I arrived, I couldn’t find the thief. Too many people had their hands in their pockets, making it impossible to spot that distinctive finger.

It looked like I had to give up. Damn, what bad luck. It seemed I wouldn’t be able to fulfill Old Man Long Qingyang’s request today.

Just as I was about to leave, there was a commotion nearby. Someone was running, with two people chasing him, shouting, “He’s a thief! Stop him!”

But no one paid them any mind; everyone went about their business. I wasn’t planning to interfere either, but then I spotted that distinctive finger. Without a second thought, I dashed forward.

The chubby man who had been robbed perked up and muttered gleefully, “Those two are idiots, letting themselves get robbed!”

Hearing this, I almost turned back to slap him.

With the crowd being so dense, I couldn’t go too fast without risking bumping into people. Yet, while I was careful, there were still some collisions.

“What’s going on here?”

“Who touched me?”

“Are you in such a hurry to be reborn?”

The thief ran ahead without anyone complaining, but I was causing a stir. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

When I finally broke free of the crowd, the two people had already grabbed the thief. I let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he hadn’t gotten away.

But just as I relaxed, my heart raced again. The thief, caught, dared to resist, pulling a small knife from his pocket and lunging at one of his captors.

I quickly rushed forward, grabbing the thief’s wrist and averting a bloodshed. What a day!

The almost-stabbed man sighed in relief. “Thanks, brother!”

“No problem,” I replied with a smile. Then I asked, “What did he steal from you guys?”

The two exchanged a glance, one of them smiling and saying, “It seems you misunderstood. We’re police.” He showed his badge as he spoke.

Oh, so they were undercover officers!

“This area has had frequent pickpocket incidents lately, so we’re in plain clothes to maintain order.” One of the officers nudged the thief with his foot. “This kid has swiped several wallets already today.”

Hearing this, I felt a chill. Luckily, they hadn’t seen what I was doing, or I might have ended up with the same fate as the thief. Nowadays, even catching a thief, the police use undercover tactics!

“Bro, let me go! I won’t do it again!” The thief, who had just been prepared to stab someone, suddenly began to plead.

“Won’t do it again? Weren’t you just about to stab me?” The officer, nearly stabbed, gritted his teeth and kicked the thief to the ground.

The thief looked aggrieved. “I… I didn’t know you were police! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have even run, let alone tried to stab you!”

“Regret now? Too late!” The officer sneered, pulling out handcuffs to secure the thief.

Suddenly, the thief shouted, “Brother Liu, come save me!”

Did he have an accomplice? The two officers and I turned, but there was no one suspicious in sight.

“Damn it!” Realizing what had happened, I turned back, and the two officers caught on as well, spinning around immediately.

The thief had used our distraction to flee. But with so little time, he hadn’t gotten far. I’d had enough of his tricks!

Without the crowd in the way, I quickly caught up and kicked him to the ground. “Still think you can play games with me?”

The thief scrambled up, surprisingly fast. I hadn’t used much force for fear of injuring him, but I didn’t expect him to be so persistent.

I prepared to kick him again, but he suddenly grabbed a young woman, holding a knife to her throat. “Don’t come any closer!”

“Alright, we won’t come closer!” I sighed helplessly. This thief had the worst luck—of all people, he had to choose *her* as a hostage. He was digging his own grave.

The girl he’d grabbed wasn’t just anyone; it was the cold and proud police officer Wang Ziyan.

“Back off!” The thief, thinking I was scared, shouted again.

I turned to the officers who’d arrived and said, “Guys, let’s go play cards.”

They looked puzzled for a moment, then, recognizing Wang Ziyan, they both laughed. “Let’s play cards!”

“Smart choice!” The thief sneered in satisfaction. But as soon as he began to laugh, Wang Ziyan made her move. She elbowed him, then locked his neck, flipping him over her shoulder effortlessly.

“Serves you right!” Wang Ziyan dusted her hands, looking relaxed.

The thief hadn’t even recovered from his tumble when the two officers handcuffed him.

After everything was settled, the two officers saluted Wang Ziyan. “Ma’am!”

“Take him back,” Wang Ziyan ordered, then walked over to me.

I coughed awkwardly, muttering, “Nice weather for a bathroom break.” With that, I was ready to slip away. I didn’t want any more involvement with her.

“Stop!” Wang Ziyan’s commanding voice halted me, but I pretended not to hear, continuing on.

“A high-level Profound-rank expert, scared of a girl like me?” Wang Ziyan sneered in disdain.

“Who’s scared?” I couldn’t stand for that! Face was everything! I might lose some dignity, but I wasn’t about to lose face.

But I regretted it instantly. Damn, what was I thinking about saving face now?

Wang Ziyan walked closer, her expression stern. I scratched my head awkwardly. “Oh, what a coincidence!”

“Why do you always run when you see me?” Her piercing gaze sent a chill down my spine.

I forced a laugh. “It’s a misunderstanding! I just needed the restroom.”

“Hmph!” She huffed, clearly unconvinced. Sensing the tension, I quickly changed the subject. “By the way, I wanted to discuss something with you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“I’ve been training my movement skills lately, so…” I hesitantly explained that Old Man Long Qingyang had asked me to steal things for practice.

“Utter nonsense!” She gave me a disapproving look. “Who’s your instructor?”

I pointed to Long Qingyang, smoking his pipe in the distance. “Don’t underestimate him just because he’s short. He’s an Earth-level master!”

“Even if he’s an Earth-level master, he shouldn’t be doing such ridiculous things!” Wang Ziyan frowned, clearly displeased. Then her expression turned to shock, and she pointed incredulously at Long Qingyang. “Did you say he’s an Earth-level master?!”

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