Chapter 65: Encounter

“This is nothing more than a well-intentioned lie,” Katerina paused for a moment before responding. “As his direct superior, it’s my responsibility to know who’s deceiving him.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Chang Yu rolled his eyes. “I mean over at the police station—aren’t they supposed to be handling this case? Are we really allowed to butt in like this?”

“I’ll inform the police officers to accompany me when the time comes,” she considered for a moment. “As long as I don’t interfere with their operation and remain just an observer, I’m not overstepping my bounds.”

The fraudster who claimed to be the First Emperor didn’t keep Katerina waiting long.

The very night after Feng Sanpao left, he called her and said the First Emperor had arranged to meet him that evening.

Katerina wasted no time summoning her colleagues from the police department, and together they hurried to the rendezvous point.

The park was quiet. Amidst a small grove of trees by the pond, a gentle breeze stirred under a dim moon. Feng Sanpao sat alone on a public bench, anxiously awaiting the grand arrival of the “First Emperor.”

But concealed in the nearby woods, three hundred axe-wielding guards lay in ambush—

No, that’s not quite right. It was just three plainclothes police officers.

Accompanying the officers was our comrade Osmanthus—Katerina herself.

As for Chang Yu, much as he wanted to come, he was still recovering from his injuries and could only obediently stay in the hospital.

“He’s here.” The first to spot something amiss was one of the plainclothes officers.

Almost as soon as he spoke, Katerina heard the scrape of metal against metal.

Clang, clang!

It was the distinctive sound of metal rubbing together, echoing far into the silent night.

Though the hour was late, by the faint glow of streetlights and moon, she saw a dark figure slowly making its way toward them.

The newcomer was bizarrely dressed, clad head to toe in bronze armor that glimmered with a pale golden sheen in the light.

The armor was complete: breastplate, pauldrons, greaves, the front plates long and pointed, shielding most of his upper legs. The chest and shoulders were inlaid with rectangular scales, crafted in the exact style of Qin dynasty armor.

That peculiar clattering came from the man’s body—the sound of bronze plates knocking and scraping against each other.

Fortunately, he wore no helmet, so everyone present immediately recognized him as the fraudster, Hu.

Otherwise, at a glance, one might easily have thought a Terracotta Warrior had crawled out of his tomb and was wandering the park.

“Is this… cosplay?” Katerina eyed the armored figure with a bemused expression.

With the rise of anime and gaming culture, more and more young people enjoyed dressing up as their favorite characters, striding through crowded streets in outlandish costumes and basking in the attention of passersby.

Though Katerina had little personal interest in anime or games, she understood the concept of cosplay.

Still, to her, someone roaming the park at night clad in full bronze armor could hardly be doing anything else.

Unless, of course, the First Emperor himself had truly appeared.

Meanwhile, on the park bench, Feng Sanpao spotted the newcomer.

He leapt to his feet, face alight with excitement, and sprinted over to the armored man.

With a grin as radiant as a chrysanthemum, he dropped to his knees with a clang and kowtowed three times, each thump echoing in the night.

“Long live the Emperor! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years!” His shrill voice sounded like a rooster being strangled.

His fawning expression and obsequious manner were exactly like a eunuch currying favor before the emperor.

The plainclothes officers in the woods gaped in disbelief.

They glanced at one another, then all fixed their gaze on Katerina.

They said nothing, but their baffled expressions clearly asked: Is this your colleague? Is he quite right in the head?

Katerina could only cover her face in despair—she’d never been so mortified.

She never imagined Feng Sanpao would pull such a stunt, making her a laughingstock before her peers in law enforcement.

“Your Majesty!” Still on his knees, Feng Sanpao piped up in his rooster’s voice, “I have brought you funds for the army’s march—ten thousand yuan in total. Please accept it with a smile.”

As he spoke, he pulled a wad of red bills from the back of his waistband and handed them reverently to the armored man.

Judging by the thickness, it was indeed ten thousand yuan.

Clearly, this was the money Katerina had previously lent him.

“Excellent.” The armored man finally spoke, his voice hoarse and imposing.

“You are truly my most loyal advisor. When I rule the world, I shall make you a duke for generations to come.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Feng Sanpao, prostrated on the ground with his rear in the air, stretched his hands forward in a posture of utmost reverence.

“I have one more request, and beg Your Majesty’s indulgence.” His expression and tone were so sincere, he seemed the very image of a loyal minister before the emperor.

Far more convincing than any television performance.

“Speak, my loyal subject,” the armored man said with theatrical gravity.

“I know a young lady who, ever since I recounted your glorious deeds, has been filled with admiration for you,” Feng Sanpao replied ingratiatingly.

“She hopes to meet you in person, to witness your unparalleled presence. Would Your Majesty be willing to see her?”

“Oh?” The armored man’s interest was clearly piqued at the mention of a female admirer; his voice even quivered with excitement.

“Is she pretty?” he edged closer, his tone tinged with lasciviousness.

“Very pretty, very pretty,” Feng Sanpao nodded eagerly.

“Hehehe, gah gah gah~”

“As long as she’s pretty, that’s all that matters!” The armored man’s laugh was lecherous and twisted.

“Go and tell your colleague that I’m willing to meet her—but not by day, by night.”

“If she’s truly as beautiful as you say, I might even summon her to the palace to serve me.”

“That’s wonderful!” Feng Sanpao clapped his hands in delight. “Why wait? Let’s do it tonight!”

“What?” The armored man was stunned, caught off guard.

Before he could react, Feng Sanpao turned and shouted toward the woods, “Sakura-chan, come out now! His Majesty is willing to meet you!”

The plainclothes officers all looked at Katerina in confusion.

Sakura-chan? Wasn’t that some character from a Japanese anime? Was it a code between Katerina and Feng Sanpao?

A volley of odd glances struck Katerina like arrows, her face flushing crimson, breath catching in her chest.

Katerina squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment, her cheeks burning as shame overwhelmed her.

Mortifying—more humiliating than anything she’d ever experienced.

She swore to the heavens: never in her life had she been so shamed.

If there were a crack in the ground, she’d have crawled into it without a second thought.

Of all times for Feng Sanpao to act out his adolescent fantasies, he had to pick this moment, before so many people…

Before the officers could puzzle it out, Katerina took the initiative. “It’s our turn. Let’s move.”

Upon hearing her, the officers snapped into action.

Suppressing their thoughts, faces grim, they dashed from the woods, silver handcuffs in hand, shouting:

“Freeze! Police!”

Their sudden appearance caught the armored man’s attention at once. He instantly grasped the situation.

“How dare you bring the police! Just wait till I deal with you!” he snarled at Feng Sanpao, then spun on his heel and bolted.

His movements were crisp and decisive—clearly, he was practiced at fleeing.

“Your Majesty, don’t run! Don’t run! They’re all friends!” Feng Sanpao called after him, but the man gave no heed.

To Feng Sanpao, Katerina was certainly a friend.

He couldn’t fathom why the “First Emperor” would flee at the sight of her, like a startled rabbit.

Hadn’t the emperor himself said he wanted to meet her?

Now that she was here, why run?

Feng Sanpao stood rooted to the spot, utterly bewildered.

The officers quickly caught up with the armored man and pinned him to the ground, armor and all.

It served him right—lugging around all that heavy bronze, he could hardly run. Even a child could outrun him, let alone three robust officers.

“Release me! Do you know who I am?” the armored man struggled with all his might.

“I am the First Emperor of Qin! As great as the Five Emperors!”

“Who are you fooling? The First Emperor’s been dead for centuries,” one officer scolded.

“I’m not lying! I really am the First Emperor—I never died!” the armored man howled hoarsely.

“I tell you, I took an elixir of immortality, that’s why I’m still alive! I have three thousand tons of gold and three million Qin soldiers sealed in Shaanxi. I only need ten thousand yuan to unseal them. If you send me the money, I’ll adopt you as my son and make you crown prince—I give you my word!”

“Cut the nonsense. It’s the modern age—who believes in that feudal stuff anymore?” another officer snapped.

This guy—swindling money and trying to make people his sons! Outrageous!

“Let go of His Majesty! Release the Emperor!” At last, Feng Sanpao realized what was happening.

He scrambled up from the ground and charged toward the officers and the armored man in a frenzy.

“Do you know who he is? He’s the Son of Heaven! If you must arrest him, then take me first!”

“Enough!” Katerina seized Feng Sanpao, preventing him from interfering. “Don’t obstruct police business.”

“Let go! Sakura-chan, let go!” Feng Sanpao thrashed, trying to break Katerina’s grip, nearly toppling himself in the process.

Though Katerina wasn’t known for her strength, Feng Sanpao was even smaller.

Faced with someone a head taller than himself, he struggled in vain to escape her “clutches.”

“Your Majesty!” he cried desperately from a distance, his face frantic, reminiscent of a traitorous lackey in an old war film, loyal to the end.

“Let these scoundrels witness your might—they’ve brought this upon themselves!”