Chapter 45: Officer Mary is on the Case!

Chapter 45: Officer Mary is on the Case!

Operation: Scotty Doesn’t Know was making Nichole overly excited, and her increasingly wild plans were starting to make me incredibly nervous about getting caught. She even floated the insane idea of us using Linda’s actual bed for our rendezvous, but I put a firm, immediate veto on that suggestion.

When Nichole pouted and demanded to know why I was being such a buzzkill, I explained that Linda was not a revenge target in our feud with Scott, and using her private space would make me feel deeply uncomfortable and completely ruin the experience. She reluctantly agreed to find a neutral location on the property.

Just as we settled that detail, Nadia leaned across the space to whisper the next major concern in their playbook, holding up her smartphone to display the viral university forum post.

"Ricky, why is this Feng girl trying to get so close to you? I can tell just by watching the footage that you aren't actually into her like that."

Nichole had mentioned before that Nadia possessed a borderline sixth sense when it came to reading my body language, and she always felt a tiny bit jealous of how easily her sister could decipher my mental states. It was honestly surprising to watch Nadia pick up on my internal thoughts with the precision of a comic book superpower.

"She and I are casual friends," I whispered back, keeping my eyes on the front of the room. "I think she is mostly trying to convince herself that we could be something more, especially since her family selected me as a potential candidate for her, but the whole situation is kind of complicated."

Nadia patted my leg under the desk, her expression softening into a protective glare as she murmured, "Just let us know the second she crosses a line you don't like. My sister and I will happily deal with her on your behalf. I don't ever want you to feel sad or overwhelmed, Ricky."

I felt genuinely touched by her fierce loyalty, though she still hadn't allowed me to remove my right hand from its resting place between her thighs.

Trying to navigate the computer mouse left-handed was proving to be a massive chore, but Nadia had grown envious of the attention I paid to Nichole earlier. She clearly decided my hand needed to be kept warm within the tight grip of her smooth thighs, acting like a thoroughly spoiled princess. The rest of the lecture passed by in the blink of an eye, but the dismissal bell led directly into a massive, heart-stopping surprise for myself, Nichole, Nadia, and James.

Standing right beside the exit doors of the classroom was my wife, Mary, dressed in her full police uniform and sporting a massive, mischievous grin. Even the twins looked completely taken aback to bump into a uniformed officer at the end of a college block. Mary proudly held up an official visitor's pass that had been granted to her by my father-in-law, looking at the four of us with an amused glint in her eye.

"Hello, Jim, and hello, Tang sisters, it is wonderful to see you all. I just decided to swing by campus to spend some quality time with my husband, ha-ha!" Mary immediately marched over and firmly hooked her arm through mine. While I was happy to see her, a heavy layer of nervous anxiety washed over me considering our intense conversation from the previous evening.

She turned a piercing, calculated gaze toward the twins, adding, "You two girls had better not do anything to make my Rick unhappy, especially for the sake of that complete trash you're living with. You need to make sure you're nice to him moving forward, or I will personally come find you. Oh, and a huge congratulations on your pregnancies. I am absolutely certain Scott is thrilled about the news."

The absolute confidence in her delivery left me sweating. I was genuinely starting to wonder if she possessed master-tier acting skills herself, because anyone watching would assume she had absolutely no idea that I was the actual father of those babies. Nichole, who was certainly no stranger to hoarding female territory, immediately activated her villainous noble girl persona to counter the pressure, lifting her chin as she retorted, "Humph. We have no intention of going too far when dealing with Rick Lee, but I will certainly keep your words in mind, Officer. Oh, and our baby's father is absolutely thrilled about the situation, fufu!"

I could practically see imaginary sparks flying through the air as their eyes locked. Structurally speaking, they were technically on the exact same side of the equation, but they were still aggressively fighting for dominance on the team. Mary offered a victorious smile, tightening her grip on my bicep as she said, "Let's go find that floozy, redheaded boss of yours so I can put her in her proper place. Let's move."

As Mary literally dragged me down the corridor, Nadia leaned toward her sister, whispering in a worried tone, "I know Ricky's habits, and I'm positive he told his wives everything about us. Are we going to get completely neglected now?"

Nichole watched our departure with a highly amused grin, patting her sister's shoulder as she replied, "I actually really like her. She's good. She isn't going to stop us from seeing him. In fact, she basically just gave us her official blessing by telling us not to make Rick unhappy. We had no intention of leaving him alone anyway, regardless of her permission, but it is always vastly better to get along with the wives than to be adversarial... like that Feng girl is going to be." Nadia listened to her sister's logic, a happy smile returning to her face as she watched my back disappear around the corner.

To the absolute shock of the campus rumor mills, my uniform-clad wife did not let my arm escape the tight embrace of her chest for a single second during the entire walk to Tina's classroom. She was very clearly executing the display on purpose, but since she was my wedded wife, I couldn't exactly find a polite way to tell her to stop.

The moment Tina stepped out of her lecture hall and spotted Mary utilizing my left arm like a personal koala tree branch, her smug expression instantly stiffened.

Tina hadn't spent a significant amount of time around my wives; she had run into Hana at the racing tracks on a few occasions, but Hana was never overly clingy or possessive in public the way Mary was acting right now.

"Hello, Miss Feng, it is wonderful to see you," Mary said, her smile widening as she went on the offensive. "My husband explicitly promised to treat me to an exceptionally good lunch last night, so I decided to visit the university today to shower my man with affection."

Remembering the intensive culinary labor I had endured the night before, I looked over at Mary and asked, "Ah! Wait a minute, what happened to the special lunch box I slaved over in the kitchen?"

"I ate the whole thing for breakfast, silly," she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

I could only smile at her logic, marveling at how she managed to maintain such a thin, athletic frame despite her massive appetite. I had honestly expected her to start packing on the pounds during her pregnancy, but Mary had always been incredibly active on duty, naturally burning off every calorie she consumed.

Come to think of it, she used to drink a significant amount of beer after her shifts, so her body was probably just demanding extra food to compensate for the sudden lack of alcohol. That explanation made a lot more sense.

"Oh? Does this mean you are planning to join us for our Kung-Fu Club block as well?" I questioned as we walked toward the exit.

Mary pulled a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her expression turning dead serious as she countered, "You're damn straight I am going to sit off to the side and watch my man work out. Though seeing him practice with all of his clothes on is going to feel a bit different from our usual nightly exercise routines. But I suppose that might be a bit too much information for the public, right?"

A wave of understanding crashed over me, and I finally realized exactly why Mary had shown up in full uniform to throw her weight around campus.

She had undoubtedly seen the viral video of my stadium fight on the university forums, and the sight of Tina planting a kiss on my cheek had completely pissed her off, driving her to front like a dominant wife right here on Tina's home turf.

I couldn't even bring myself to feel bad for Tina; she had brought this intense scrutiny entirely on herself by pulling that stunt on the mat. Women were truly terrifying creatures when provoked.

The surrounding students were treated to the bizarre sight of a sulking Tina and a grinning Jenifer trailing closely behind a blissfully happy police officer as she dragged a completely defeated martial arts star through the campus pathways toward the parking lot.

We ended up at a famous local fried chicken joint called, Kung Fu Chicken, where Mary could be seen eagerly munching away on a massive platter of extra-hot buffalo wings, licking the spicy red sauce from her lips and fingers without a care in the world. She insisted that I sit close and share the meal with her, which made the look of sheer, uncomfortable awkwardness on Tina's face absolutely priceless.

I had never actually seen Mary display this specific brand of jealousy before, and while it was a little bit scary, it was incredibly adorable and completely bearable.

Tina shifted in her seat, clearing her throat before asking, "Mary, if it isn't considered too rude of me to ask, since you and Rick lived as brother and sister for so many years, why exactly did you transition into lovers and get married?"

Mary paused, sucking a final drop of hot sauce from her fingertips before turning her sharp eyes directly onto Tina to tell her, "Because I was the very first woman in existence to ever truly love him. I have always known exactly how incredible my little brother was, and the moment he saved my life, I fell for him completely. No other man in this world could ever hope to fill the massive space in my heart that Rick has occupied from the start. Now, I wasn't romantically in love with him until I turned eighteen, only fully realizing the depth of my feelings when Rick was graduating. I knew right then that I wanted his heart and his children. Does that sufficiently answer your question, Miss Feng?"

Tina offered a slow nod, her gaze shifting to me for a brief second as she replied, "You are the primary reason he is completely invincible."

Mary, possessing the sharp instincts of a veteran detective, could tell that specific comment held a much deeper meaning, causing her to swell with a visible sense of pride. I, on the other hand, completely missed the underlying context of the statement.

"Until Hana officially entered our household, we only had each other to rely on, so we function as a permanent team," Mary added, wiping her hands with a napkin.

Tina nodded respectfully in response, quietly finishing the last of her grilled chicken skewers. Watching the interaction play out across the table, I desperately wished my past life had allowed me to bring along some kind of specialized skill to understand the female psyche. It would have only cost me a single attribute point, damn it. But then again, my past self had never actually interacted with real ladies outside of adult videos, so I was completely out of my depth.

Before long, our group arrived back on the college campus. Jenifer split off from us to attend her afternoon lecture, while the three of us navigated our way back into the massive martial arts stadium.

I quickly handed my firearms over to Mary, asking her to securely hold the bags for me since weapons were strictly banned on the canvas area.

"I will be cheering for you right from the sidelines, so you have to impress me today, husband," Mary smiled, her eyes gleaming with anticipation as she pushed her glasses up her nose with a look of wanting to see a display of absolute dominance.

I could only laugh at how her cute, aggressive side was creeping out to the surface. It was only at that exact microsecond that a sudden realization hit me; the entire reason I found mature women wearing glasses—like Victoria Long—so visually appealing was because Mary had consistently worn glasses ever since she was a teenager.

My personal aesthetic taste had been subconsciously molded by her appearance all along. Tina, feeling entirely outmaneuvered and sidelined by Mary’s dominant presence throughout the lunch break, let her frustration slip, blurting out, "You really should have seen him handle himself yesterday, Mary. His movements were absolutely amazing!"

Mary, thoroughly loving the fact that her trap had worked perfectly, casually replied, "Oh? I did happen to see it, along with absolutely everyone else down at the police station. Even Woo, that total ass, watched it. Everyone thought the combat was incredible, but they kept asking me about the random woman who decided to kiss my husband's face out in the open, and I honestly didn't know what to tell them. Maybe not kissing a married man is the absolute best lifestyle choice moving forward, Miss Feng?"

The surrounding air instantly turned dead silent. Nobody muttered a single syllable, creating a thick, painful layer of awkwardness across the entire stadium entrance. I decided the smartest move for my continued survival was to keep my mouth shut, look up at the ceiling, and admire the architectural design of the acoustic tiles.

It was entirely obvious from the recorded footage that I had been completely blindsided by the cheek kiss, meaning I was technically innocent in this scenario, but arguing the point right now would be absolute suicide.

Tina, for the first time since I had met her, looked completely ashamed of her actions and found herself utterly incapable of defending her behavior. Matching my posture, she also began staring up at the roof to avoid eye contact, while Mary stood beside us looking thoroughly pleased with her total victory.

After heading into the changing rooms to swap back into our gray kung-fu uniforms, we gathered on the wide canvas mats to prepare for the afternoon practice session.

Mary had taken a seat over in the designated visitor section, but she wasn't alone; she was sitting directly next to the Dean of the University, who warmly waved in my direction. The display left the surrounding students completely confused as to why a sexy police officer and the highest-ranking academic official on campus were acting so familiar with a random freshman.

The head coach, still caught up in her love-triangle drama mindset, called over toward the stands to ask, "Hello, Dean Chang! It is wonderful to see you visiting our facility today. What exactly brings you down to the training mats?"

My father-in-law offered a warm, relaxed smile, pointing a finger directly toward my spot on the floor as he replied, "Mary and I just came down to watch my son-in-law, Rick, in action today. Please just ignore the two of us and proceed with your standard lesson. I am not visiting in any official administrative capacity, I'm just here cheering on the family."

Internal panic washed over me as I realized the sheer depth of Mary's strategic genius. She was being absolutely vicious, going so far as to drag my new father-in-law into the stadium to shoot a massive, coordinated volley of rumor destruction right across the university landscape.

I could only bow my head in absolute awe of how ruthless my former older sister and current wife truly was when protecting her territory. Not only had she completely solidified her spot as the dominant head wife by knocking Tina's confidence down a peg, but she had even cleverly hooked Hana into the defense grid by bringing the Dean himself into the equation.

The head coach looked between my position, a sulking Tina, and a triumphant Mary, her analytical mind immediately piecing together the gossip chain. I know his daughter, Hana, and she is this kid's wife too? she thought, her eyes practically lighting up with the raw thrill of campus drama. Who would have guessed that this stern martial arts instructor secretly spent her free time writing fictional drama stories?

Over on the edge of the lineup, Cat Woo stood close to Tina, intentionally poking at her aristocratic pride as she whispered, "Steve is going to be absolutely thrilled to find out that his future woman isn't actually involved with that common brat, fufu."

"Do you honestly believe me when I tell you that I possess the capability to kill you at any given moment, you cheap whore?" Tina hissed back, her voice dropping into a razor-sharp whisper that barely carried across the mats. "What even are you? A piece of lesser nobility desperately hooking your entire future onto a wannabe crime lord? Shut your mouth, and make sure to tell Woo that his physical skills are complete trash. He will never have me, nor will he ever gain control of the Fire Birds."

Cat remained completely unaffected by Tina's lethal threats, her lips curling into a mocking grin as she countered, "Bitch, you can't touch a single hair on my head. It is strictly against the foundational rules of the tournament to target a contender's family members, and if you are banking on Rick Lee over there to save you, don't bother. Steve openly stated that his physical skill is merely average, nothing that his own martial arts talent can't easily dismantle on the mat. So make sure to enjoy being ridden by my husband in the future, you proud woman. Oh, and don't worry, I will be an incredibly good sister-wife and videotape the entire encounter so you can watch it over and over again."

Tina held in her boiling rage, forcing a cold smile onto her face as she replied, "When Rick wins this game in the end, the organization's no-killing rule won't protect you anymore, and your head will be personally removed from your neck by my own blade."

"Really?" Cat smirked, leaning in closer. "Well, when Steve wins, he isn't just going to take you as his prize. He intends to take that Mary woman over there as well. She is only safe right now because of the exact same family protection clause keeping your hands off of me, bitch."

Tina's smile turned genuine as she heard Cat confirm that Woo still harbored physical designs on Mary, looking at the arrogant woman with an amused expression. "Thank you, Cat. Now that Woo has officially stated his intention to put his hands on Mary, Rick won't spare his life for a single second. What a beautiful way to completely guarantee your husband's death and your own. Good, good."

Cat, refusing to believe that she had just accidentally triggered a lethal death flag for her family, shifted the topic to information Tina wasn't yet aware of, stating, "Danny Shu—Number 5—officially issued a challenge last night and completely defeated Number 4. He is already working his way up the rankings specifically to destroy your precious Rick Lee. Hell, my Steve might not even have to step onto the mat to handle Rick himself."

Tina hadn't received any news regarding Number 5's sudden advancement, and she glanced across the arena toward Danny. Sure enough, his hands and face carried a few fresh, purple bruises from a recent full-contact bout. "Number 3 won't even be inside the city limits for at least another month because of an overseas corporate business trip," Tina noted, calculating the numbers. "So why exactly is Danny rushing the ranking system all of a sudden, rather than just fighting Rick directly?"

"Because Number 3 was your original first pick before you ever brought Rick Lee into the organization," Cat explained with a mocking chuckle. "Danny doesn't want him remaining in the tournament bracket after he finishes beating Rick. It's actually hilarious when you think about it. Even if Number 3 manages to beat Danny down the line, you will be forced to watch your only two personal candidates fight each other to the death. So who exactly are you going to support then? Your first handsome, successful, and incredibly talented Number 3, or that scruffy, common Number 2? Personally, I think Number 3 is vastly more my type, but that's just my opinion."

"I think killing you out in the open is far too merciful," Tina whispered, her eyes turning dangerously gold. "Maybe throwing you into the labor sectors of the Fire Birds is a better punishment."

The coach called the class to order, and I was promptly paired off with a few other students to execute our standard training drills. Naturally, I made sure not to abuse the nice guys in the class, keeping my movements controlled and standard, but anyone who dared to look toward the visitor section with that distinct, lustful Woo-aligned glare directed at Mary received some immediate, high-intensity attention on the canvas.

By the time the block concluded, I had finished my training, taken a fast shower, and changed back into my black track jacket. Walking out into the main corridor, I spotted a gathering that left me completely confused. Linda Lang was standing near the exit, engaged in a highly casual conversation with both the Dean and Mary. I quickly walked over to the group to see what was going on.

"I am officially done with practice," I announced, looking between them. "So what exactly am I missing out on out here?"

Linda turned toward me, her expression maintaining its usual detached composure as she pointed a finger toward an elegant invitation card resting in the Dean's hand, as well as an identical one held by Mary.

"When my father first informed me about the mandatory family social gathering taking place this Saturday, he mentioned that I was perfectly welcome to invite my university Dean and my immediate neighbor, so I did exactly that," Linda explained, her gray eyes locking onto mine. "I even informed him directly that you would be attending the party. He grumbled about it at first, but the moment I told him that I would refuse to attend his function entirely if he declined, he reluctantly agreed to the terms. The entire estate belongs strictly to me, not to the collective Lang family, so I don't technically have to let any of them past my gates if I don't want to, right?"

Internal alarms instantly blared inside my mind. Operation: Scotty Doesn't Know has been completely compromised! I repeat, abort the operation immediately!

The absolute absurdity of the situation hit me like a truck. I wouldn't even have to worry about confessing my upcoming secret weekend date to my wives later tonight, because both of them—along with my father-in-law—were now officially scheduled to be sitting right inside the exact same house.

The pure level of upcoming family drama was going to be absolutely spectacular.