Unaware that he had become the centerpiece of the police department's biggest gossip, Leon, upon sensing someone behind him, turned around and saw it was that troublemaker again. His face immediately darkened.
As a person with a relatively mild temperament, most of his anger from the previous day had cooled off. But seeing this persistent individual made his temper flare once more.
He put down the large rifle, stepped back from the shooting position, dusted off the dirt on his clothes, and asked with a pulled face,
"I've already said it many times, what happened yesterday morning was just an accident. The reason your target got away was mainly because your disguise had too many flaws, you didn't look like someone selling coffee at all!
"Besides, even if I did make you lose your capture target, you handcuffed me all morning and took away my lunch in the cafeteria. Isn't that enough? If you keep pestering me, don't blame me for being rude!"
Hearing Leon bring up yesterday's incident, recalling being played for a fool in the morning and the awkward situation in the cafeteria, the policewoman's temper flared. She glared and was about to shout back.
But when she noticed Leon's slender figure, and the old coat covered in dust he wore, her momentum suddenly deflated. She slouched slightly and murmured softly,
"Can't you just talk to me properly?"
*Did you take the wrong medication or something?*
Watching the policewoman transform from a fierce lioness one second to a bullied wife the next, Leon's mind lagged, and his accusatory momentum deflated as well.
*Is this... a trap hidden under a smile? A show of courtesy before force? A secret strategy? Or some new tactic I've never heard of?*
Just as Leon was bewildered by her soft words, staring suspiciously at the policewoman and trying to figure out what she was up to, he saw her pinch the hem of her clothes and timidly ask,
"How have you been lately?"
*I truly can't understand what she wants to do...*
Completely baffled by the policewoman's seemingly split personality, Leon paused for several seconds. Eventually, by frantically recalling her annoying traits, he barely gathered some remaining anger and replied grumpily,
"Thanks for your concern, but apart from being hounded by a petty troublemaker, I haven't encountered much misfortune recently."
Barely managing to suppress her anger, only to be mocked again right in front of her, the already short-tempered policewoman grew angrier. She raised her head sharply, glared back, and barked,
"As long as you're okay..."
After sneaking a glance at Leon's twitching eyelids and the uncomfortable expression reminiscent of tasting beef stewed in chocolate, the policewoman also turned her head away. Only when her line of sight no longer contained the old coat did she feel somewhat relieved.
There was no helping it. After reading Leon's file yesterday and learning about the wrongs her father and the military had done to his family, the policewoman felt so guilty she couldn't sleep a wink, leaving scratch marks all over the walls around her.
During other rebel captures in the past, she wasn't unaware of their angry accusations. Still, at most, she only sympathized with their plight and remained unyielding when it was time to act.
Because she firmly believed that no matter what injustices a person had suffered, joining the rebels and seeking revenge through means that endangered innocent people, such as assassination, poisoning, and bombing, made them a new perpetrator and they should bear their own crimes.
But Leon's file was excessively clean. Apart from a single extremely radical remark and disrupting a capture operation, it was almost entirely about him struggling to survive through hard, tireless work.
He not only didn't raise a blade against innocents but even saved an entire hospital of people. The evaluations he received were full of words like hardworking, diligent, and kind-hearted, with almost no one speaking ill of him. He was the type of impeccable victim who could not be criticized.
What's more damning, the injustices and betrayals he faced largely stemmed from the military, controlled by her father. Even her father's signature appeared on the proposal to prematurely stop pension payments to Leon's parents!
*I'm doomed... I'll never be able to hold my head up in front of this guy...*
Biting her lip with a mix of grievance and grief, the policewoman turned to the pile of gas cylinders and tried to sound as stern as possible when she asked,
"What exactly... are you trying to do with such dangerous shooting practice..."
As she stared at the face that had intruded on her view full of confusion, the policewoman, half-hardened then softened, shut her eyes tightly, steeled herself, and tried again,
"I'm warning you! This highly dangerous shooting method has been banned by the police department!"
"From now on, I will carefully check the records of the nails distributed to you. If any similar attacks occur in the Capital City, you'd better be able to account for every nail fired!"
"Don't think I will stop investigating you just because you haven't slipped up! I'll keep a close watch on you!"
"Leon Laine! Listen to me! You don't have a record of harming innocents yet; it's not too late to turn back!"
"I know you've suffered a lot of injustices, but that's not a reason to give up on yourself! I can help you get rid of them too!"
"Did you hear me? Speak up!"
Maintaining an angry expression (〃＞皿＜) and shouting for quite a while without receiving any response, the policewoman cautiously opened her eyes and peeked. Her face quickly flushed, turning from embarrassment to a liver color instantly.
The damnable idiot rebel had already put on soundproof ear muffs, with only his rear aimed at her while lying back down at the over-a-meter-high shooting position. All her heartfelt advice earlier had unknowingly been given to his backside!
Watching his two buttocks calmly facing her, swaying wildly with the recoil of the gunshots as if mocking her, the policewoman, overwhelmed with humiliation, let out a scream, then clenched her fists and rushed forward, delivering a full-strength punch to that damnable backside!
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Hearing the slightly strange footsteps and worryingly opening the door ahead of time, Anna dropped the bag in her hands and hurried over upon seeing Leon covered in dust and limping.
As she brushed the dust off his body, she asked worriedly,
"Bro! What happened to you?"
"Uh… even though I don't have to go on missions, I'm still part of the police department, so I practiced some combat."
Sneakily rubbing his still faintly aching rear, Leon waved dismissively, half-truthfully lying,
"It wasn't really anything, but the person I was sparring with was a bit off. I… got punched in the thigh. It'll be fine after moving it a bit...
By the way, have you finished packing? Can we make the move tomorrow morning?"