"Drugs? How could I be hiding drugs? Is this a mistake?" Russell was shocked, but then a shiver ran through his body as he suddenly realized the truth. This wasn't a mistake in intelligence—this was a setup aimed directly at him.

"How vicious!" Russell had never experienced such a relentless assault. First, they tried using underhanded tactics, and now they were attacking openly?

This strategy hit Russell at his weakest point. With his current resources, he wasn't too worried about physical threats; Kaiser alone was formidable enough. Plus, with the acquisition of the extraterrestrial iron giving him nearly 3715 points, he could exchange for a few more fierce beast slaves like Kaiser if necessary.

However, if his adversaries used the power of the Chinese authorities against him, he, as an ordinary citizen, was completely cornered.

In a whirlwind of thoughts, Russell quickly decided to stop Kaiser from retaliating. Reluctantly, he faced the wall, knowing full well that the IDs and search warrants the officers presented were legitimate. Although these officers didn’t represent the entire Chinese legal system, any resistance would only earn him a much more severe charge. They could use their authority to bury him beneath a mountain of bureaucratic power, the unfair fate of a common person.

In seconds, two officers trained their guns on him and Kaiser, while the other five scattered to search the villa. It was only a matter of minutes before they returned with findings.

"Captain, we found a large quantity of drugs, estimated to be over ten kilograms."

"Captain, there's more. We found an N18 police-issued handgun in one of the rooms. After verification, it matches the one stolen from our officer last month."

"Hmph, no doubt about it. This is the gun stolen from Officer Xu Jian last month. Looks like we solved that case after all."

The captain with the mustache sneered, "Kid, you're in deep. Over ten kilograms of drugs, plus a stolen service pistol that seriously injured one of our officers? You're done for. Prepare for a long time behind bars."

As the captain issued orders for Russell and Kaiser to be cuffed and taken back to the station, Russell knew he had to act.

"Do it, Kaiser," Russell shouted suddenly, deliberately drawing the officers' attention to himself.

Shit, Russell's heart sank. Over ten kilograms of drugs and a stolen service pistol? His enemies were clearly determined to ruin him.

In that moment, Russell realized there was no turning back. If they took him in, without any power or influence, he'd be doomed.

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"What are you doing?" the captain shouted in shock.

While Russell's shout drew their focus, Kaiser, who had been ready, pushed off the wall with a powerful motion. Using the momentum to strike, he flung his captor aside and in a swift move, had the captain's throat locked in his grip.

"Drop your guns if you want to live," Kaiser growled. His agility wasn't exceptionally high, only at 12 points—something a well-trained underground fighter could achieve. But against these officers, it was more than enough, especially with Russell's distraction.

In mere seconds, as the other officers processed what had happened, Kaiser had already 'captured the king.'

From the moment Kaiser acted, whether Russell was framed or not became irrelevant. If they were set on destroying him, he had no choice but to fight back.

"Stand down, damn it! Everyone, stand down!" the captain shouted with fear. He could feel Kaiser’s overpowering intent to kill, and knew any hesitation might cost him his life. It was clear this hulking bear of a man could crush his throat with ease. The captain had never imagined Russell would act so decisively.

"Get a car ready. Tell your men to stay quiet, no following, or any tricks—or your family will be arranging your funeral," Russell ordered with a glare full of wrath. If he could, he would have dealt with the captain then and there.

Clearly, this captain was either bought by Chen Jincheng or was always his man. As for the other officers? Russell didn’t have time to ponder their involvement. All he knew was that from now on, he was a fugitive.

Originally a law-abiding citizen, he was being forced into exile. Could he not be furious?

"Your mental fluctuations are highly agitated. Shen Yuan power stimulated, cap +1. Your Shen Yuan power cap has increased to 14 points."

The system notification acted like a calming anchor in Russell’s storm-tossed mind, the synthetic voice reassuring him.

If he had to rebel, so be it. As long as the system stood by him, the world was his oyster.

"Send this message to Chen Jincheng. Well played, he’s driven me away... but expect my revenge, Russell will be back," Russell said with a wicked smirk, kicking aside a blocking officer as he slowly backed out of the villa.

Rather than feeling trapped by the situation, his mindset had shifted. With nothing to lose, he could see who dared to challenge him.

This unexpected turn of events forced Russell into action, and his worldview had shifted dramatically. He realized that in this world, strength alone didn’t guarantee power. Without influence, he could never truly control his fate. He needed to build his own power base.

Russell understood; he had planned to focus solely on spiritual cultivation, leading a peaceful life, but that was no longer possible.

With the police captain as a hostage, Russell took off in a patrol car.

Soon after he forced the officer into the car, the entire Xuan Yang district police force was mobilized, and Russell’s name was added to the wanted list.

...

"What do you mean he got away? How could he escape under the noses of officers with over a dozen guns?" roared Commissioner He, knowing the situation had escalated. This was no ordinary adversary. With a super bodyguard at Russell’s side, they had effortlessly overcome two police contingents.

Commissioner He couldn’t believe the power Russell wielded with just two people.

If Russell retaliated without restraint, raising a public uproar, He’s aspirations for promotion would vanish, and his position would be in jeopardy. It was a disaster.

"Someone, get me on the line with Chen Jincheng," He ordered, unease gnawing at him.