Volume One, Chapter Four: Depart Quickly
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Although I am unaware of what benefits Su Jianshe has granted you, as the head elder of this courtyard, I advise you to leave at once! Otherwise, if anything happens, the situation will be difficult to control.
As he spoke, he compared the physiques of the two sides.
Shazhu, having often enjoyed the cafeteria’s best dishes, was burly and robust.
In contrast, the two patrol officers appeared somewhat lean, which gave Yi Zhonghai a sense of confidence.
Of course, this was before he had witnessed Su Jianshe’s astonishing martial prowess!
Truly courting death!
Seeing this, Su Jianshe not only showed no worry but wore a cold sneer.
Threatening the patrol officers was undoubtedly a death wish!
Beside him, He Yushui, seeing that her brother and the others still hadn’t noticed anything unusual, felt helpless.
She glanced at Qin Huairu, who was pushing Jia Dongxu’s wheelchair, a faint trace of disdain flickering across her face.
Though the sky had darkened, He Yushui could still tell that Qin Huairu was like a ravenous she-wolf, her gaze fixed on Shazhu.
Yet she remained indifferent, unwilling to warn anyone, for there is no greater despair than this.
She even harbored a certain expectation in her heart.
Upon hearing the head elder’s words, many in the courtyard began to cast unfriendly glances at the two young men.
Just as Shazhu was about to rally the crowd to teach them a lesson, one of the patrol officers said something that nearly frightened him out of his wits:
“We are undercover patrol officers!
We currently suspect that the deaf old woman and Shazhu in this courtyard are involved in the recent cases concerning ** women here.
According to regulations, we will now arrest the suspects!”
With that, the man previously scolded by Shazhu flashed a silver bracelet at his waist.
With a sharp click, Shazhu was instantly handcuffed and stood dumbfounded.
The deaf old woman, furious, was still stunned and unable to recover.
“How dare you? I am a welfare recipient and a martyr’s family member!
Shazhu is my grandson; release him immediately!”
The deaf old woman anxiously struck her cane, but in response, the officers showed only the glint of their handcuffs.
Seeing the patrol officers appear, Yi Zhonghai was terrified, shrinking back, unable to meet their gaze.
At this moment, Shazhu desperately called out to Yi Zhonghai:
“Head elder, save me! I don’t want to go to jail!
Old lady, help me!”
Shazhu, who usually bullied the weak and feared the strong, was now handcuffed and completely subdued.
Feeling the gazes of the courtyard residents on him, Yi Zhonghai was like a man on pins and needles. Recalling his previous words, he wiped the sweat from his brow.
He trembled as he spoke, pleading for Shazhu:
“Comrades, this is a misunderstanding. There’s no need to arrest anyone, right?”
The patrol officer who had been insulted by Shazhu sneered in reply:
“Yi Zhonghai, head elder? You really wield great power, placing yourself above the patrol officers?
Earlier, you abused your status to confuse right and wrong, and now you’re speaking up for him?
The street office appointed you as head elder, not as a tyrant. We will report this matter to the street office!”
What?
Yi Zhonghai’s mind went blank.
Everyone in the courtyard was now in turmoil.
“Officers, this has nothing to do with us!”
“That’s right, officer, we were just here for a meeting; we know nothing of the matter.”
Seeing even the head elder being harshly rebuked and potentially held accountable by the patrol officers, everyone hurriedly distanced themselves, afraid that the old woman’s poisoning and imprisonment of Chu Yan might implicate them.
Jia Zhangshi quickly defended:
“Officer, this has nothing to do with us. We were simply misled by this old woman.”
“Really, we are not involved!”
“Let’s go!”
However, the two patrol officers remained stern, ignoring the selfish crowd, and escorted Shazhu and the deaf old woman out of the courtyard.
For a moment, the courtyard fell silent.
Only the second elder on the stage secretly rejoiced, looking at the fallen head elder.
“Serves you right! Yi Zhonghai, you want to be the leader? Now your status as head elder is in jeopardy. The position in this courtyard should be mine!”
The second elder, long hopeless about promotion, felt elated and even found Su Jianshe more agreeable at this moment.
“You dare to do this? I am a martyr’s family member and a welfare recipient!”
Seeing the handcuffed old woman still acting defiant, the patrol officers showed obvious disgust.
“Behave yourself. No matter your status, if you break the law, you must accept punishment. If you want to argue, do it at the station.”
The old woman, who had long bullied others in the courtyard, was unaccustomed to such treatment.
Seeing her handcuffs and cane thrown aside, she glared fiercely and cursed the officer beside her:
“Let me go! How dare you, a patrol officer, treat me like this!”
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“I’ll tell you, I’m a martyr’s family member and a welfare recipient. Be careful, or you’ll regret it!”
“The one who made the mistake is that brat Su Jianshe. Why arrest me instead?”
The patrol officers ignored her shouting and scolded sternly:
“Don’t flaunt your status. What you’re doing now is meaningless. If you have anything to say, take it to the station!”
Shazhu had never seen such a scene.
His hands were cuffed behind his back, the silver bracelets digging into his wrists painfully with every slight movement.
But unlike the old woman, he dared not curse the two officers before him.
He was terrified.
He never dreamed Su Jianshe would so brazenly call the police.
“Su Jianshe, you bastard! Remember this!
When I get out, I won’t let you off!”
“I even cooked for your family once and helped your mother’s funeral, and this is how you repay me?”
At this moment, Shazhu showed none of his previous sleazy demeanor.
Pinned against the wall by the patrol officers, he crouched low, unable to stand.
Apparently, he was receiving “special treatment” from the patrol officers as well.
Seeing this, Su Jianshe’s lips curled into a mocking smile. He approached Shazhu as if viewing a clown.
“Fine, I’ll wait.
Kill me? Officers, you all heard it. Even now, this criminal is threatening me!”
Su Jianshe’s expression was icy cold. He had never feared Shazhu before, but now, with mastery of Bajiquan and the system’s assistance, he was fearless.
As for Shazhu’s claim about cooking, Su Jianshe recalled it with growing anger.
“You almost made me forget—those meats and vegetables we intended to share with helpers in the courtyard, you took them all, secretly giving them to Qin Huairu. And the processing fee? You didn’t spare a single cent!”
His mother’s funeral had been modest.
Still, some came to help in the courtyard.
They were only hoping for a free meal.
The meat and dishes that should have been shared were all taken by Shazhu.
At this, the crowd turned their gaze to Qin Huairu, who was pushing Jia Dongxu’s wheelchair.
Jia Dongxu felt as if a green hat had been placed on his head.
Qin Huairu had not taken the dishes home but obviously pocketed them herself.
Thinking of this, Jia Dongxu’s face flushed with fury. He grabbed a nearby stool and smashed it onto Qin Huairu’s leg.
“Just wait. You’ll pay for this when we get home!”
Jia Zhangshi’s plump face trembled with anger.
“I knew this woman was trouble outside! Dongxu, teach her a lesson when you get home!”
As she spoke, Jia Zhangshi kicked Qin Huairu’s leg.
Qin Huairu’s eyes filled with tears, but no one sympathized; instead, she drew disdain and jealousy.
Only Shazhu in the corner was an exception.
“Su Jianshe, if you’ve got guts, come at me! Bullying Sister Qin is one thing!”
“Jia Dongxu, Sister Qin and I are innocent. You have to believe me!”
Looking at this sycophant, Su Jianshe felt only contempt.
“Jia Dongxu, listen to me. That day, Sister Qin came to me, saying Bang Geng wanted to eat meat, so I gave her the meat and vegetables.
Sister Qin and I really have nothing going on.”
Hearing this, Jia Dongxu felt the green hat shine even brighter atop his head.
What meat? Bang Geng wants meat? Where is it?
His voice hoarse, eyes bloodshot, Jia Dongxu glared fiercely at Qin Huairu as if ready to devour her alive.
“Qin Huairu, do you think I’m disabled so you can start looking for wild men?
Listen to me, no way! Born a Jia, die a Jia!”
At this moment, Jia Dongxu felt the crowd’s attention had shifted away from the deaf old woman and Shazhu.
Everyone was looking up and around; his fury roared, wishing to immediately kill the two adulterers before him.
The head elder, who had been watching, did not intervene.
Instead, the usually onlooker third elder showed impatience.
“Shazhu, say less. Cooperate with the officers first and clear up this misunderstanding,” the third elder advised.
“Jia Dongxu, I believe Shazhu and Qin Huairu are innocent. Don’t be so sensitive. It’s just some scraps of food.I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.