"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't think you can bribe me with money. It won't work. If I drag you all back, a promotion and a fortune are practically guaranteed. Compared to this pocket change, even an idiot knows which is the better deal." Taking the money wouldn't stop her from arresting them.
Yuan Si patted her pants pocket. "Consider this payment for my services," she said. "I chased you all the way from Ping County, by train and by bus. Plus, I had to take time off work, and who knows how much pay I'll be docked for that. I'll just hold onto this for now. If it's more than I'm owed, I'll use the extra to buy some joss paper to burn for you. If it's not enough, I'll be back for more."
The three of them, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, froze. 'What does she mean by that? Is she just going to take the money and double-cross us? We've never met anyone so shameless!'
"You're going too far!" the middle-aged man growled, clutching his broken right hand and glaring at her with venom.
