The two of them were running so fast that everyone on the street finally caught up. Though cultivators were no longer a secret, most had only seen them on videos—few had actually met one in person. Today, not only did they witness the strength of cultivators firsthand, but they saw two of them at once—both beautiful women and handsome men. Someone suddenly called out, "Don't go, handsome! My daughter is on her way over here now—she'll be arriving soon. You must stay and have a meal, chat a bit, okay?" Only a few people who moved quickly managed to snap photos with their phones as Qin Feng and Qingya engaged in action. But that wouldn't matter much—online, there are always so many people. These rare, precious videos are sure to spread quickly and satisfy the growing curiosity of many. A police officer stirred awake faintly and said his first words: "There's an assault on the officer! A cultivator has attacked the police—call for help right away..." Despite him shouting several times, no one reacted. To them, it was entirely expected that someone would be beaten; to be punched by a cultivator was truly a lifetime of good fortune. The atmosphere on the food street immediately warmed up, with people rushing to call their relatives and friends to share what had happened. Many came in person, so the street soon filled with crowds, shoulder to shoulder. "He was about to say he couldn't manage it himself when Wei Qingtian's phone rang, asking him to head over to the command center. 'I'll be right back,' he said, and took off like a shot. 'Qin Feng, you have to help me sort this out,' she shouted from behind, stomping her feet. 'I'm your boss—my reputation's on the line, and if it's ruined, you'll be in trouble too.' What does it matter to me? My guys are street fighters—my image's already solid as a rock. You're dealing with police officers—how is that any of my business? Wei Qingtian hummed, "If it weren't for you taking the initiative, would she have even moved? You two are truly impressive—once the trouble arises, you just vanish, and I have to wipe the dust off your behind." Qin Shao brightened, "You've handled everything perfectly." The elder nodded, "Of course I have. The public needs an explanation, and the one I've provided is that the police and the crime syndicate have colluded— they're all in it together—and thus, they ended up getting beaten up." He raised his thumb proudly, "As old as the hills, you know. I'm truly at a loss for words to express my admiration for you. How could you have thought of making the police take the fall? That's brilliant." "Brilliant? Do you think I'm setting them up for false charges?" The elder snapped his fingers. "Am I the kind of person who makes subordinates bear the blame? That's my very style." Qin Shao's face tightened, and he quickly adjusted, "Of course you're not. This was done by one of your subordinates, isn't it?" "Yes... yes, for heaven's sake." Wei Qingtian gave him a sharp slap: "I'm a principled man. My subordinates, of course, are also principled. How could they possibly do such things? Let me be honest with you—those police officers actually do have ties with the crime syndicates. Otherwise, how could they have responded so promptly? The beating they've received is just the beginning. I've already reported this to the disciplinary committee leadership; they won't escape unpunished." "Wow, I didn't know that!" he exclaimed, looking genuinely shocked. "Everyone always says police and gangsters are colluding. I always believed the police officers were as principled and selfless as you are. I never thought they'd be so ungracious. If that's the case, then I and the head officer won't have any pressure at all—haha." The elder looked at him with thoughtful intent, and only after a few seconds did he ask: "Have you ever felt any pressure yourself?" “Well, that’s… possible,” the elder said immediately, adopting a look of utter disbelief. The secretary approached and said, “Chairman Wei, several southwestern nations have jointly submitted a plea for assistance, requesting our Chinese nation to send troops to defeat the demonic race. They’ve even stated they’re willing to use nuclear weapons.” He gave a light scoff. “Assistance? You’ll see. All these years, those nations have been constantly causing trouble for us, following closely behind their American patrons. Now that they’ve finally decided to lean on us, it’s too late. Tell them clearly—exactly as I said—‘It’s better to rely on yourself than to ask for help from others.’” “Understood,” the secretary replied, saluted formally, and then turned to leave. Qin glanced at the electronic map on the side and remarked, “Those smaller nations must be genuinely frightened. I’d say their citizens have already fled in the majority—six or seven out of ten—otherwise, they wouldn’t have spoken of being willing to deploy nuclear weapons.” Wei Qingtian lightly tapped the desk with the fingertips of his right index finger and said, "It's not that we can't help them. It's just that those people are all utterly unprincipled. After driving off the demonic forces, they won't only fail to thank us—they might even stab us in the back. This has happened more than once, more than twice. How many times has the Chinese nation suffered such betrayal? The lessons from past experiences are still fresh in our memory. Unless someone is truly out of their mind, they won't agree to their requests." "Qin offered a prompt, unhesitating response: "We completely disregard them. The Chinese people have no obligation to shed blood or make sacrifices for them, nor do we possess such a relationship. Should they send a request for assistance, we will simply present them with two clear options." "What options?" asked the secretary. He replied calmly: "First, to fight valiantly—dying with dignity, even if it means death; second, to die in humiliation, with the entire nation and race extinguished." The secretary was momentarily taken aback: "Isn't there much difference between these two?" "Ah, whatever you think," Qin shrugged. The secretary found himself at a loss, turning to the elder: "Chairman Wei, what's your view?" The elder smiled: "What Qin suggests is exactly what I would propose—our response will be delivered unchanged."