Chapter Eight: In Public, Please Show Some Restraint

“If you think I’m handsome, dear viewers, could each of you call me a real man?” As he spoke, Brother Wang struck a few poses that he considered dashing.

The viewers in the livestream were more than cooperative, quickly falling in line.

“I'll go first—Brother Wang is a real man, those who know, know.”
“Brother Wang is a real man, those who know, know.”
“Brother Wang is a real man, those who know, know.”

No one knew which cheeky viewer had started it, but the chat was instantly flooded with this phrase. What began as a perfectly straightforward compliment took on a whole new meaning with the addition of “those who know, know.”

“My surname is Liu. You can call me Captain Liu. Was it you who called the police?” A middle-aged man approached Bai Qingming. He was the local precinct chief and the acting commander for this operation.

“It was me. I’m glad you’re finally here,” Bai Qingming nodded.

“Take them away!” At Captain Liu’s command, the three murderers were handcuffed.

He turned to Bai Qingming, about to say more, when hurried footsteps echoed from the stairwell. Moments later, a swarm of reporters, cameras and microphones in hand, burst into the corridor.

The capture of three serial killers was major news! Reporters from various outlets had their own inside sources for breaking news. As soon as they received the alert, they rushed over and immediately surrounded Brother Wang.

Just moments earlier, the reporters had shared some background information among themselves and learned that Brother Wang was a retired boxing champion. Naturally, they assumed he had single-handedly fought off the three murderers and subdued them.

Thus, the first female reporter who managed to squeeze in her question pushed the microphone toward Brother Wang and asked eagerly, “Handso—cough, sir, was it you who subdued these three killers?”

Brother Wang was momentarily speechless. Was it really so hard to just call him handsome? Why start to say it and then change your mind halfway? Was he not good-looking enough?

Such shameless fibbing—how could this person call herself a reporter? She lacked any discernment; she wasn’t nearly as flattering as the viewers in Bai Qingming’s livestream.

Thinking this, Brother Wang glanced at Bai Qingming’s phone. His forlorn expression was caught perfectly by the audience, and the chat erupted again.

“Hahaha, this reporter just keeps blurting out uncomfortable truths.”
“Is she trying to make me die from laughter and inherit my credit card debt?”
“The damage isn’t much, but the humiliation is immense!”

“If you’re handsome, you get called handsome; if not, you’re just ‘sir’—this reporter is so real.”
“What are you talking about? Isn’t Brother Wang handsome? He’s drop-dead gorgeous, those who know, know!”

The livestream was filled with laughter. Brother Wang was initially a little annoyed, but then remembered the interview might make it onto television. His irritation vanished. He pulled Bai Qingming to his side and answered honestly,

“In fact, the two of us worked together to subdue the three murderers—it wasn’t just me.”

Hearing this, the reporters’ gazes immediately shifted.

“Got it!” The female reporter who had asked the first question ignored Brother Wang and redirected her microphone to Bai Qingming.

“Handsome sir, is what he said true?”

“Of course,” Bai Qingming replied.

“Well done! You’re incredibly brave—I must say, subduing three murderers must have been extremely dangerous, wasn’t it? Could you describe the process in detail?” The reporter posed the question.

What kind of question could draw the most attention? The reporters knew all too well: audiences loved hearing about the struggle with the killers. The more perilous the process, the more enthralled the viewers would be. If the hero had been wounded—stabbed, even better.

Risking injury to bring down murderers was the kind of story that sold.

Before Bai Qingming could answer, the reporter was already mentally composing a string of effusive praises, ready to use them at the end.

But hearing her question, Bai Qingming was momentarily stunned.

“Dangerous? Not at all!”

“How could that be? They were three murderers with blood on their hands! Are you sure you don’t want to think it over? If it wasn’t dangerous, how did you subdue them?”

As she spoke, the reporter winked at Bai Qingming.

For the audience, it was like childbirth: the outcome—boy or girl, whose child it was—didn’t matter. What really mattered was the process—how did it happen? What position was used? That was what everyone wanted to know.

So the reporter kept winking at Bai Qingming, signaling him to embellish the story, even if it meant making something up.

Unfortunately, Bai Qingming had no idea what she was hinting at.

He was baffled. Why was she constantly giving him flirtatious looks?

Was she trying to seduce him?

She was a woman, after all—shouldn’t she be a bit more reserved, even if he was handsome? Couldn’t this be done in private rather than in front of everyone?

Without thinking further, Bai Qingming simply replied, “It really wasn’t dangerous. Just like this and that, we were singing as we took them down.”

He made a few casual gestures as he spoke.

“Honestly, do I really need to show off about dodging bullets with my eyes closed?” Bai Qingming thought to himself.

Now the reporter was embarrassed, at a loss for words.

Fortunately, her professional instincts kicked in, and she quickly changed tack.

“They say true masters live among the people, and today, I’ve seen it for myself. Apparently, someone was livestreaming your fight with the murderers, and countless people saw it with their own eyes. You must think you looked quite cool, didn’t you?”

Wearing her professional smile, the reporter threw the question at both Bai Qingming and Brother Wang, determined to hype them up.

During his boxing days, Brother Wang had given plenty of interviews, but he wasn’t much of a talker, usually just spouting a few tough words before matches. Now, facing a serious interview, he found himself at a loss for words when the microphone was put in front of him. Scratching his head, he could only smile sheepishly and say nothing.

The microphone then turned to Bai Qingming.

“Do you know just how handsome you are?” the reporter repeated.

If heaven granted her another chance, she swore she would never ask this question again.

The moment Bai Qingming heard her ask if he knew how handsome he was, his spirits soared and his eyes lit up.

Of course he knew!

He knew better than anyone!

He even thought the question was entirely redundant.

She’d been flirting with him—how could she not know how handsome he was?

Well, since she didn’t, he’d reluctantly spell it out for her.

Bai Qingming quietly moved his livestreaming phone a little further away, adjusting for the best angle to showcase himself on camera.

At that moment, an overwhelming aura swept over the room.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Me too.”
“Could it be…?”
“Yes, it must be!”
“Back up, quickly!”
“The streamer is about to show off!”