CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40: FINALLY CAPTURED

[I feel bad for Susu! Hahaha, to be treated like this.]

[Forgive me for snorting with laughter. I bet this is the first time in her life Susu’s been so terrified.]

[Look at Susu, her forehead is sweating, but she’s still trying to act casual.]

[If the Anchor comes out and the Protectors call out her name, is she going to pee her pants?]

...

When Xia Liang came out carrying two cases, Susu breathed a sigh of relief, pleasantly surprised. It seemed Xia Liang hadn’t deceived her. This meant the cases really contained Yuan, solidifying his status as a rich heir. Thinking of this made Susu’s heart burn with excitement as she began to imagine herself living a life of luxury.

Susu quickly stood up with a sweet smile, ready to run over, grab Xia Liang’s arm, and call him "darling."

But some things are fated to go awry. Just as Susu ran forward to grab Xia’s arm, she saw him suddenly stop. He pointed at her and spoke to the two Protectors behind him.

"Is it her?"

Susu froze, her expression turning unnatural as her heart began to pound. She was utterly baffled.

No! It can’t be!

The next second, the two Protectors behind Xia Liang suddenly stepped forward, blocking her path.

"Miss Hou Susu, we’ve received a report that you’re suspected in multiple fraud cases, with the total amount defrauded reaching seventy cents. Please assist us with our investigation."

Hearing this, Susu panicked. Her once-delicate face was now a mask of horror as she frantically shook her head.

"I didn’t do it! Brother Xia, please explain to them, I’m a good person!"

However, Xia Liang’s next words plunged her into utter despair.

"I’m the one who reported you."

Xia Liang’s indifferent words struck her like a thunderclap, freezing Susu in place. She stared dazedly at him, realizing she was doomed. Never did she imagine that after a lifetime of hunting geese, she would have her eyes pecked out by one.

Now it all made sense. This entire affair was a trap set by the man in front of her. How laughable that she thought she held all the cards and that, given time, she could completely control him.

Realizing she had been duped by Xia Liang, she reflected on their past interactions, and one inconsistency after another emerged. She blamed herself for being blinded by greed. If only she’d been a little more careful, maybe...

Ah, it’s too late for regrets now.

Susu sighed, looking at Xia Liang with a complex gaze. With a hint of self-mockery, she said, "People say you shouldn’t trust the words of a beautiful woman. I believed it. The more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to lie. But now I have to add something: don’t trust the words of a handsome man, either. They’re even better liars than women."

With that, she voluntarily extended her hands, knowing there was no escape. She had certain items with her when she left the house, items that were exactly the evidence the Protectors wanted.

Seeing this, the Protectors knew Susu had accepted her fate. They took out their handcuffs and secured her wrists. At the same time, the System’s voice rang in Xia Liang’s head.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the hidden mission: Punish the Tea Scammer.

Mission Completion Rating: S-Rank

Mission Reward: 100 Work Points, God-level Hacker Skill, Contradictory Card x1 (When used on a designated target, their words and actions will contradict each other. Duration: 3 hours. Can be toggled on and off at will.)]

Damn! These rewards are seriously loaded.

Once the rewards were issued, the Protectors began to lead Susu away. As they passed by Xia Liang, he, who had been silent, spoke again.

"When you deceived others, you were smug and self-satisfied. You’d mock your victims for being stupid enough to fall for your tricks. You’d even console yourself by saying it wasn’t a scam, but a lesson to help them grow and learn about the harshness of society. I’m doing the same. I just want you to know that when you do something wrong, you have to pay the price. Go in there and reform yourself."

With that said, Xia Liang left with the money. The viewers in the livestream chat went wild with praise.

[Well said, Anchor! Give her a taste of her own medicine!]

[Awesome, Anchor! Your moral compass is spot on!]

[Am I the only one who thinks the Anchor was out of line? The girl was just trying to sell some tea. If it’s too expensive, just don’t buy it. Why go to all this trouble to mess with her?]

[To the person above, what are you talking about? Was she just *selling* tea? She was committing a crime! Why else would the Protectors arrest her?]

[Exactly. If she was just a legitimate tea seller, why would the Protectors arrest her?]

[I agree! The Anchor did the right thing!]

...

Amidst a flood of praise in the bullet comments, Xia Liang calmly got into his car.

"Alright, my friends, we’ve had our appetizer and our main course. That’s all for today’s stream. I’ll see you all tomorrow."

When the viewers saw that Xia Liang was about to end the stream, they frantically posted more comments.

[No! Wait, Anchor!]

[Didn’t you say you caught a wanted fugitive? What were those two cases you carried out? Don’t tell me it was money?]

[Uhh... wasn’t catching a fugitive just an excuse the Anchor made up to trick Susu into going to the Protectors’ office?]

[Then what’s in the case on the passenger seat?]

[Curious.]

[Curious +1]

Seeing the audience’s curiosity, Xia Liang rolled his eyes and sighed with feigned helplessness.

"Fine. Since my sons want to see, Daddy will show you!"

With that, Xia Liang opened the case. Inside were neat stacks of red, one-cent bills.

[HOLY SHIT! MOTHER OF GOD! IT’S ALL MONEY!]

[Somebody slap me! Am I dreaming?!]

[Dad! No, Grandpa! Look over here! I’m so poor I’m living on air!]

[Bro, do you remember that half a biscuit from six years ago?]

[Brother! Have you forgotten? When we were kids, Mom sold me to pay for your education...]

...

The chat room exploded. They already knew Xia Liang was rich—with a car worth 60 Yuan and a drawer full of Jade Coins. But those things felt too distant, almost unreal. This time, however, the Yuan had been exchanged for actual, tangible one-cent bills. The impact on the viewers was far greater.

If the money was real, that meant Xia Liang’s story about catching a wanted fugitive was also real. The thought sent a tingle down everyone’s spines. Some were even beginning to think Xia Liang was truly omnipotent.

Rich, handsome, with a strong moral compass, countless hidden talents, and both brave and fierce. Holy crap! Does such a perfect man really exist in this world? Instantly, Xia Liang became an unattainable god in the eyes of his many female fans, their perfect man placed high on a pedestal.

"Alright!" Xia Liang said with a relaxed expression as he closed the case. "Now that you’ve seen it, I’ll see you all next time."

And with that, amid a flurry of "See you next time" comments, Xia Liang ended the stream.