Assault - Chapter 1

Warning: [NSFW 18+] The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violent and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. 

This continuous crime of "assault against a police officer" all started from a gang fight and the old cliche trope of the hero saving a damsel in distress...

Chapter 1

The loud piercing sound of sirens grew closer and closer before finally arriving at the chaotic crime scene. 

"Woah, my goodness! Looks like a lot happened here."

Nan Tian promptly hopped off his police motorcycle and flashed his badge with practiced flair at an officer stationed outside. "Bro, I'm from the Traffic Patrol Division. Did someone call for backup over the radio?"

"Traffic patrol? Why is the Traffic Patrol Division here too?  Forget it, just go in, it's like a damn war zone in there, corpses everywhere. At this point, we'd even take gynecologists. Chief's inside and we're short-staffed. Go ask what you can help with." 

"Yes!" Nan Tian ducked under the yellow tape and surveyed the scene before him.  

This crime scene area is quite large. Normally, a gang fight would result in four or five deaths, at most, but there are no fewer than twenty bodies here. 

This must be an internal gang war. Tsk tsk. The people in Special Investigations are so lucky. They get exciting crime scenes like this. Way better than traffic patrol. At most, we copy down license plates all day and get despised by everyone. 

From a quick scan, he couldn't spot the head of the Special Investigations Unit, but from experience, the chief was always the loudest person at the scene.

"Don't touch any of the firearms! Yan, count the bodies! Any survivors?"

"Not at the moment. Xiao(1) Fen and the others are searching the surrounding areas."

"Tell Xiao Fen to move the barricade further out and expand the perimeter. The escapees could be hiding in nearby buildings. Hey! Who's that over there? A civilian? What the fuck is a civilian doing in here? Get them out! Collect all the fingerprints! Is forensics here yet?" As the chief barked out orders, he turned and found Nan Tian standing before him. "Bro, are you from forensics?" 

"Sir! Traffic Patrol. I responded to the backup request."

"Traffic Patrol?" The chief frowned. "What is Traffic Patrol doing here? Where the fuck are those forensics people...?"

Nan Tian snapped into a flawless salute before speaking in a sonorous and powerful voice, "Zone C Traffic Division, badge number 1520. Officer reporting for support! Sir, awaiting orders!" 

"You're pretty lively. Fine, help maintain order. The residential area is too close to the crime scene. Civilians might bypassed the cordon. Remove any unauthorized personnel from the premise. You armed?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Stay sharp, we haven't cleared the scene yet, so there's still a chance armed suspects are out there.  If you encounter them, do not act tough. Call for backup immediately." 

"Yes sir!"

Nan Tian straightened up, energized by the assignment. 

While patrolling the chaotic scene,  he carefully navigated around a body lying out in the street and approached a nearby home.

Damn gangs... picking a location this close to the residential buildings for a shoot-out. Do they have no sense of morality left? 

Swish... A slight movement ahead caught his attention. 

A hoodlum? Alert, gun drawn, he advanced cautiously.  

For a traffic patrol officer, this was a gift from heaven—a real showdown with an active shooter. Despite the remote location and lack of patrol units, Nan Tian had no intention of calling for backup. He was capable of dealing with a cornered criminal. He hadn't forgotten the ambitions he had when he first entered the police academy. Sadly, some blind bastard decided to assign him to Traffic Patrol instead. 

With his back pressed against the wall, he held his breath and cautiously peeked around the corner.

Lo and behold, a man, who was obviously no good stood gripping a small pistol. Even from a distance, Nan Tian could still hear his ragged breathing. 

For reassurance, Nan Tian readjusted the gun in his hand and continued to observe the situation. 

Hold up, what's going on?! He's not alone. There's someone else at the scene, and that someone else was an unarmed man the thud was holding at gunpoint. 

A hostage! Despite the danger, excitement surged through Nan Tian.

My my... is today my lucky day? Dad, my fallen hero, this must be you blessing me. Even though I couldn't visit you on your death anniversary because of overtime, you're still going to bless me with an opportunity to become and brave and outstanding officer?

Not only had he encountered an armed criminal — there was also a hostage situation. The thrilling ordeal sent Officer Nan Tian 1520 of Traffic Division, Zone C into an adrenaline rush, his heart pounding at more than twice its normal rate. 

The pride of a police officer! The dignity of the badge! The righteous duty to protect the people!

The deep sense of responsibility instilled in him by his family of law enforcement officers left no room for fear. All thoughts flew out the window—including the chief's orders. Even if he had remembered them, he wouldn't have call for backup anyway. An criminal was holding an innocent civilian hostage and there was no time to think about anything else.

"Freeze!" Driven purely by instinct and sense of duty, he leapt out from behind the corner. The assailant froze for a split second before recovering and raising his gun.

Ha! Too late! *Bang* Nan Tian fired, striking the most effortlessly cool pose as he pulled the trigger.

Bull's-eye! A clean shot to the left side of the chest! Blood spewed from the assailant as he staggered backwards and collapsed to the ground.

"Are you hurt?" After taking down the criminal, Nan Tian dutifully hurried over to check on the civilian. 

"I'm fine."

Thank goodness. The civilian sounded calm. Nan Tian had never been good at soothing hysterical people.

"Don't worry, he won't be able to hurt you anymore—" The words caught in his throat. His breath hitched when he saw the man before him.

How handsome... He felt like a fish suddenly yanked out of water. His eyes widen as he stared at the man whose lie he had just saved.

Beautiful, delicately shaped lips. Strikingly handsome features. Is he a foreigner? Even though his skin is fair, his eyes and hair are black. He's most definitely Asian. But if he doesn't have any foreign ancestry, how can he radiate such dangerously exotic charm?

Dad... is this your arrangement? Have you finally stopped opposing the fact that I like men?

"Officer, thank you. I..."

"Shhh!" Nan Tian waved his hand nervously, stopping the handsome man from thanking him.

He wasn't done taking in such a beautiful sight! Nan Tian's eye's roamed over every detail, unable to look away.

Are those...red phoenix eyes(2)? God, it's downright criminal how captivating this man's eyes are. Ugh... that gentle, tender gaze, paired with those neat, adorable gold-rimmed glasses—it could awaken anyone's protective instincts. 

Hoo... deep breaths... keep it together! Crap, my heart's racing... hold it! I have to hold it! Little guy, this is a crime scene! Behave yourself! Damn it, I know it's a lot to ask of you...

"Officer? Are you alright?"

Mm... I'm okay." Seeing the man step closer, his beautiful face now just inches from Nan Tian's own, he forced himself to take deep, steadying breaths, drawing on the self-control he had honed at the police academy. "N-nothing... I... I'm observing the situation. This is a crime scene..." He stammered, carefully glancing down. Thank goodness—his pants hadn't tented yet. 

But this man... he was absolutely electrifying. Without a doubt—an undeniable masterpiece of a man!

"Am I free to leave?"

"Leave?"

The sound of hurried footsteps came from afar. Someone must have heard the gunfire...

"Comrade! Did you fire that shot?" A fellow officer came charging over, gun drawn, spotting Nan Tian immediately. 

"Yes. I've already taken down the armed assailant. He almost took a hostage."

"Hah, a hostage situation is the last thing we need in a chaotic situation. Any escapees? How's the hostage? Are they hurt?"

"I don't think so. It's dangerous here, so I'll escort him out of the cordon."

"I'll leave it to you."

"I'll escort you." Nan Tian looked at the handsome man, taking the opportunity to steal another look. 

Nan Tian couldn't be blamed for his lack of restraint. For a fit, young man who's into men, resisting this temptation was practically a sin. 

Every gesture of the young, stunning man was elegant, even though just a minute ago he had been utterly helpless under the criminal’s gun.

Those pure, innocent eyes, having just survived a sudden, life-threatening event—were enough to send Nan Tian's nerves singing with excitement.

The man seemed so refied, calm, and composed. Nan Tian's heart was racing, and as he stepped out of the cordon, he couldn't resist taking hold of the man's forearm, sneaking a little extra contact under the guise of caution, "Watch your step," he murmured, taking full advantage of the moment.

Even though his clothes, I can feel the sculpted contours of his toned muscles. 

If only I could... touch him every day... Stop! Nan Tian, you shameless excuse of a cop. How dare you fantasize about an innocent civilian?

"Are you cold?"

"Hm?"

Ugh, just one simple syllable from him is already dangerously alluring. Nan Tian felt his urge to protect him surge to unprecedented heights.

He practically tore off his uniform jacket. "Here." Before the man could react, Nan Tian draped it over his shoulders in the most gentlemanly way possible. "Don't worry, people usually fell a little cold after a fright. It's mostly in the mind." Nan Tian had never used a tone this gentle, not even with his late father. 

"Thank you."

"It's my duty." Nan Tian replied in his most official officer voice, secretly working his little schemes in his mind.

Should I strike while the iron's hot? A man this stunning doesn't come around every day, and on top of that, I just saved his life. This must be destiny. If I personally see him home...

No! I can't... it's wrong to seduce an innocent civilian! But... if a heroic officer and a kind citizen hit it off, there shouldn't be any problem, right? No, no, no, stop twisting it! This is just proper police-civilian conduct, nothing else! 

"Shall I escort you home?"

"Okay, thank you, officer."

Yay! Overjoyed, Nan Tian guided the man to his police motorcycle, handed him a helmet, and hopped on. 

"Don't be afraid. Hold onto my waist."

The man behind him hesitated for a moment, then slowly wrapped his arms around Nan Tian's waist. 

Nan Tian's heart practically screamed. No! No! No way! This must be some cursed fate. How could a simple hug from him almost send my little friend straight to the heavens? Damn it, I absolutely cannot let him see me like this!

"Officer?"

"H...huh? What is it?"

"You haven't asked me where I'm headed."

"Right, what the address?"

The handsome man leaned in and whispered a location in his ear, sending a shiver through Nan Tian's earlobe. 

Sirens wailing, Nan Tian sped through the streets, kicking up dust and debris as he headed straight to the address the man had given him. 

"You live here?"

"No, I just have a friend I'm meeting here."

Watching the man get off and seemingly about to turn and leave, Nan Tian suddenly shouted, "Wait!"

"Is something the matter, officer? 

"Um... this," Nan Tian stammered, pointing to his badge, "I'm Nan Tian, Traffic Division of Zone C, badge number 1520."

"Mm."

"Wait a moment! Um... this is my work number. If you run into any problem, you can call me." Nan Tian grabbed a pen and paper, quickly scribbling down the number. "Sometimes I'm not at the station, so here's my cell number too. Oh, and if my phone's off, you can call my home. Well, sometimes the home phone is disconnected, so you can call my neighbors and they'll pass the message along."

Nan Tian quickly scribbled down a few numbers, then stopped, realizing he’d almost forgotten something. "Oh—sometimes I'm on leave. When I'm on leave, I usually go back to my hometown..."

Handing over the paper crammed with numbers, he nervously asked, "Um... can I ask for your number?"

Through his gold-rimmed glasses, the man calmly observed him. A faint, beautiful smile bloomed at the corner of his lips. "Officer, I'll call you. Goodbye."

It wasn't until the man's silhouette vanished at the end of the street did Nan Tian finally shook himself free from the daze that mysterious smile had cast over him. 

Dad, this has to be your gift to me! No matter what, I'm going to win him over!

Stunning beauty and a heroic cop—our love story is about to begin!

At the end of the street, the man pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number. "I was ambushed."

"Don't worry, I'm fine. But all the bodyguards are dead... even Ah(3) Da."

"Why have there been so many incidents lately? Who's behind this? Investigate immediately."

"I'm at E Street in Zone C. Take a guess how I made it out."

"A very enthusiastic officer personally escorted me here on his patrol motorcycle. Sirens and all."

"He even draped his uniform over me... said he was worried I might be cold."

"Heh, not bad-looking... a handsome guy, and his eyes are really striking."

"Of course. I never let something this delicious go to waste..."

Footnotes:

1. Xiao means "little" and can be placed before a person's first or last name. In this case, it is used before the person's last name to address someone younger and a subordinate of the speaker.
2. Red Phoenix Eyes are a highly desirable eye shape in China, characterized by narrow, almond-like eyes with inner corners slanting down and outer corners curling up.
3. Ah is placed before a name to denote familiarity, affection, or a close, casual relationship to create a diminutive nickname.