Chapter 7: Zhao Qing

Chapter 7: Zhao Qing

"Beep, beep."

Upon hearing the familiar alarm sound, Chu Yi knew that the reinforcements mentioned by Zhao Qing had arrived. She promptly stepped aside. Zhao Qing took out handcuffs and restrained the man's hands.

Fortunately, Chu Yi had been more restrained this time and hadn't inflicted injuries that would impede the man's movement. Zhao Qing led the man outside, and Chu Yi followed.

As they emerged, several police officers approached and took the man into custody. They examined the swollen cheek of the man and glanced at Zhao Qing with confusion. Zhao Qing hastily waved his hand, saying, "I didn't do this." He then cast a cautious glance at Chu Yi.

Chu Yi encountered familiar faces once again, including Officer Wu, who she had met previously. Zhao Qing briefly recounted the incident to Wu Guohua. Wu Guohua had a slight memory of the young girl in front of him; after all, it was rare to encounter someone of her age with such exceptional skills. Chu Yi had left a strong impression on him, and it was difficult for him to forget her.

Last time, the several hooligans they had apprehended had spent a week in the hospital before regaining their freedom. According to the doctors, they had suffered multiple soft tissue contusions, fractures in several limbs, and a few ribs broken in their chests. A girl who could be so ruthless was truly a rare find.

Seeing her again, Wu Guohua approached and said, "Thanks to the young lady for lending a hand this time."

Chu Yi waved it off, saying, "It's nothing. This guy nearly made me trip just now, so I considered it revenge for myself. Besides, I only gave him a light beating." It was indeed a very light beating.

Zhao Qing's mouth twitched as he looked at Chu Yi. He couldn't agree with the term "light beating" considering the man's pitiful condition. This girl was truly a powerhouse, and her combat abilities were off the charts.

Hearing Chu Yi's words, Zhao Qing secretly thought to himself that he should be careful not to offend this girl in the future. She seemed capable of delivering a merciless beating, and he couldn't afford to provoke her.

Wu Guohua also forced a smile and said, "We should thank the young lady; she has done us a favor at the police station."

Chu Yi, seeing that they kept bringing this up, decided not to decline further and asked, "Do you need me to make a statement?"

Wu Guohua replied, "No need for that; you're not related to this case, after all."

Realizing there was nothing else to do, Chu Yi said, "Alright, then I'll be on my way." After saying this, she turned to leave.

Zhao Qing, seeing her about to leave, hurriedly caught up and said, "Uh, Chu Yi, how about exchanging contact information? Heh heh, maybe you can teach me a few things one day." He finished with an awkward smile.

Chu Yi thought about his identity as a police officer and the possibility of needing his help in the future. After a moment's hesitation, she took out her phone and said, "Sure."

Zhao Qing happily exchanged WeChat contacts, saying, "If you ever need help in the future, feel free to reach out to me."

After giving it some thought, he added, "Except for illegal activities and things that violate principles, I'll do my best to assist with anything else. Haha."

By the end of his statement, he realized that there weren't many areas where he could actually offer his assistance, especially considering her exceptional skills.

Chu Yi nodded and said, "No problem, I'll head back now. I have classes tomorrow morning."

Zhao Qing stepped aside to let her leave. He briefly considered offering to escort her, but he knew that attempting anything against someone with her combat abilities would end badly for him, so he refrained from suggesting it.

Ever since becoming pregnant, Chu Yi had been in a great mood every day. Her current mindset was focused on earning money to provide everything her child would need.

The semester ended amidst Chu Yi's busy preparations for taking a leave of absence. She bid farewell to her caring dormitory roommates and, with the money she had saved over the past few months, rented a one-bedroom apartment in a relatively upscale residential complex with good property management.

The apartment was not in the city center but on the outskirts, a newly built high-end complex that had been completed only a year ago. There were only three other complexes nearby, and the occupancy rate wasn't very high. Chu Yi's complex was situated in a triangular configuration with the others, and there was an under-construction property development on the outermost edge.

She chose this location because of the excellent greenery and well-managed property. Although the occupancy rate wasn't high, the environment was peaceful. Despite daytime construction noise from a nearby construction site, it was far enough away from Chu Yi's complex to maintain a tranquil atmosphere.

Chu Yi gently touched her pregnant belly, which hadn't shown any signs yet, and a warm smile crossed her face. "Baby, be good and stay in mommy's belly. Mommy will work hard to earn money to buy delicious food for you."

"Ding dong."

Her phone chimed, and when Chu Yi checked, she saw a message on WeChat from someone with the name "Officer Zhao" in the contact details.

"Hello, Chu Yi."

Since they had added each other on WeChat, Zhao Qing had learned that Chu Yi worked as a martial arts coach for others and had even taken a few classes with her as a guide. Over time, they had become more familiar with each other. However, in the past two weeks, Zhao Qing had been occupied with something and hadn't contacted Chu Yi.

Chu Yi replied, "Officer Zhao."

Zhao Qing responded, "Oh come on, how many times have I said it? Please don't call me Officer Zhao. I'm only a few years older than you. Just call me Zhao Qing."

Chu Yi, seeing his message, replied with a smile, "Zhao Qing."

Zhao Qing typed, "That's better. Well, I've been quite busy lately, and it's been a while since we last talked. I hope you're not upset with me."

Chu Yi asked, "So, what's keeping you busy lately? A lot of cases in your jurisdiction?"

Zhao Qing replied, "Not really, haha, just a case that's a bit more demanding."

Actually, there was an international fugitive who had fled into the mountains in their suburban area. Despite a national reward of two hundred thousand, the criminal hadn't been caught yet. An informant had provided a tip that the fugitive had escaped into the mountains in their city.

Higher-ups had sent people to track the fugitive, and their police department had deployed many officers to assist in combing the mountains and capturing the criminal. Zhao Qing was currently at the foot of the mountains, preparing to go up. Several teams had already started the search, but the vastness of the forest required even more manpower.

This was confidential; aside from the police, nobody could be informed to avoid leaking information. Therefore, Zhao Qing didn't divulge any details to Chu Yi.

The fugitive was highly skilled at hiding, making it difficult to capture them quickly. Zhao Qing was just taking a break to eat and greet Chu Yi. He had learned a lot from the few classes he had attended at Chu Yi's, planning to continue, but had to put it on hold due to the case. He was contacting Chu Yi now to discuss scheduling more classes.

"Okay," responded Chu Yi.

Zhao Qing said, "Well, I've been quite busy lately and can't schedule classes. When things settle down, I'll need to book a few more lessons with you. Make sure you give me priority for those classes, okay?"

"No problem," Chu Yi assured. "I'm on summer break now and have lots of free time. Just let me know whenever you're ready."

Most of her martial arts coaching students were high school and college students who had paused their lessons for the summer break. With only one or two students left and even they reducing their lessons, Chu Yi found herself with even more spare time.

Chu Yi had initially planned to use an intermediate healing potion to treat a sick tycoon in exchange for money. However, finding such a person was challenging, as the intermediate healing potion wasn't supposed to exist in this time and space. She needed to be discreet and find the right person, which was proving difficult.

"Really? That's great! As soon as I wrap things up here, I'll contact you," Zhao Qing replied, visibly excited. His colleagues at the police station looked at him with strange expressions, prompting Zhao Qing to regain his composure with a touch to his nose.

"No problem," Chu Yi confirmed.

"Alright, I've got to get going. We'll talk later," Zhao Qing said, preparing to head into the mountains.

"Okay," replied Chu Yi.

Zhao Qing was a police officer, and Chu Yi valued maintaining a good rapport with him. She was particularly diligent in instructing him, thankfully made easier by Zhao's basic foundation in the subject.

Staring at her phone's black screen, Chu Yi found herself daydreaming. With summer break, many of her part-time jobs were no longer viable. Those that were still available had lower wages due to the influx of student workers during the break, which Chu Yi was unwilling to accept, leading to the loss of several jobs. Now, she had even more idle time at home.

She knew she needed to find a way to earn money, especially while her child was still young. As it was getting late, Chu Yi decided to rest and leave any concerns for the next day.

The next day, Chu Yi packed her small backpack and went out job hunting. After several unsuccessful inquiries, she returned home, backpack in tow. Thinking that finding a job was challenging, she decided to relax for a few days and enjoy herself. She planned to ask Zhao Qing for part-time job recommendations when they met again.

After resting for a few days without any contact from Zhao Qing, Chu Yi decided to go for a walk in the suburbs to clear her mind, especially since she didn't have much work at the moment.

Early in the morning, Chu Yi set off to visit a scenic area in the city. The surrounding landscape was particularly beautiful, ideal for hiking and enjoying nature. Having never seen so many trees during her time in space, Chu Yi was deeply moved by the sight.

Perhaps due to the summer vacation and the hot weather, the scenic area was surprisingly empty. Chu Yi walked along the quiet paths, curiously observing everything around her. Having been restricted to studying and part-time jobs previously, she had never explored such places. After arriving in this time and space, Chu Yi, facing financial constraints, had also opted for part-time jobs to earn money.

Unknowingly, Chu Yi wandered into an undeveloped area, oblivious to her surroundings. Absorbed in the scenery, she missed the 'No Entry for Visitors' sign and kept walking forward.

By the time Chu Yi realized her situation, it was almost noon. Fortunately, she had packed some food in her backpack. Looking around, she noticed the concrete path was no longer visible, replaced by stones and mud, overgrown with moss and wild grass, as if untouched for a long time.

Chu Yi didn’t mind at all. She found a large rock, brushed off the small stones on it, and sat down. She then took out her prepared food and began to eat slowly.

Since arriving in this world, Chu Yi had developed a fondness for the local cuisine, snacks, and especially the various spicy sauces, which were delicious mixed with rice. This was particularly true in the hot summer when her appetite was low. Chu Yi had even secretly stocked up on these sauces in her space, ensuring she could enjoy them anytime without running out.