"Let me tell you, I lost my money in your department store. You either find my money or compensate me!" As soon as I stepped out of the department store, I heard Huang Ju's angry and unreasonable voice.

"Comrade Huang Ju, we are very sorry that you lost your money at the department store. We understand how you feel. Why don't you come to my office and we can sit down and talk in detail?" Hu Yi, the director of the department store, earnestly persuaded Huang Ju to come to his office. If it weren't for the fact that her brother-in-law was the director of the Jiangcheng Revolutionary Committee, he really wouldn't want to talk to her.

"What? You want to take me to the office and settle things quietly?" Huang Ju looked at Hu Yi with a mocking expression. The more anxious he became, the happier she was: "Let me tell you, no way. We'll settle it right here, in front of everyone!"

"Comrade Huang Ju, I've already had a colleague call the police. We'll wait for them to arrive and get a detailed understanding. There's no point in you saying anything more now." With so many people around, and in front of everyone, Hu Yi couldn't use forceful methods. He even had to be careful with his tone. Although he worked for a state-owned enterprise and didn't currently prioritize service, public opinion could be devastating, and a mishandling of the situation could indeed affect his future promotions.

"Trying to use the police to intimidate me? Let me tell you, I'm not afraid. Even if the police come, this matter will be resolved here. I just want the public to know that there are pickpockets in your department store, and instead of doing anything about catching them, you're making things difficult for me, the victim." Huang Ju's voice was truly penetrating. A crowd had gathered around, discussing what had happened, creating a noisy atmosphere. Even so, her voice still reached Zhan Chunlan's ears clearly, which was quite impressive.

"Comrade Huang Ju, we're not trying to pressure you with the police, but we hope to work together with them to catch the pickpocket who stole your things, and hopefully recover your stolen money and bills." Faced with this powerful yet unreasonable relative, Hu Yi was helpless. He'd talked himself hoarse, but she still wouldn't let go of the department store. Why didn't she think about it? With so many people around, why did she choose to steal from her? Had she made any real effort all these years? Even embroidering a few fake patches on her clothes would have reduced the chances of being robbed.

Zhan Chunlan didn't want to listen to the live broadcast anymore; she thought it was more important to grab the fabric and hurry home to make two sets of clean underwear.

Halfway there, she vaguely heard voices coming from a nearby alley, but when she listened carefully, they stopped. Zhan Chunlan shook her head; her ears were still hurting from Huang Ju's noise, and she was still having auditory hallucinations.

"Little girl, were you the one playing the hero just now?"

No, this isn't a hallucination.

Who are you?

It was a girl, and her voice was very calm. Could I have misheard? Or was she being targeted?

"You were so capable just now, cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. Don't you know that? A child this young should stay home and cook, why are you running around meddling in other people's business?"

...

Okay, Zhan Chunlan knows what happened. The pickpocket just now came after Fan Hongying.

However, Fan Hongying is really brave. Her voice didn't tremble at all. Could it be that she knows martial arts? Yes, she has an older brother who is in the army. He probably taught her. So she shouldn't go over there and hold her back.

"Bang!" The pickpocket got hit?

"Ah~" It was Fan Hongying's voice. Her voice had finally changed, with a hint of crying.

Zhan Chunlan peeked out and saw Fan Hongying kneeling on the ground, the pickpocket's fist pressed against the wall. She couldn't tell if the fist had landed on the wall or on her. But it looked like if no one helped her, the fist would probably land on her.

But Zhan Chunlan didn't dare go directly over. She was even smaller and thinner than Fan Hongying, and going over would just be delivering vegetables. What should she do? Should she call the police? Would it be too late?

Huh? The department store? The director said he had already called the police, and they should be here by now. They haven't found Huang Ju's lost money, and the pickpocket is here, so the police won't find anything. But Huang Ju is relying on her brother-in-law being the director of the Revolutionary Committee, so she definitely won't let it go. She's probably still causing trouble at the department store right now.

She rushed to the department store, and sure enough, Huang Ju was still making a scene there: "I knew you were in cahoots with the department store. You're all officials, protecting each other. I just lost my money, and you still can't find it in such a short time. You definitely didn't help."

As Huang Ju spoke, she pointed out the department store and the police officers present. Her voice was shrill and rapid, giving no one a chance to speak: "I'm telling you, you think you can just get rid of me like this? No way! I'm going back to tell my brother-in-law, and I'll have his people help me find it. It'll be quite a sight then."

That's what she said, but Huang Ju still showed no sign of leaving. She felt that the pickpocket was nearby, trying to make a fool of her? He didn't deserve it! If she caught him, she would definitely have her brother-in-law send him to the most difficult farm for reformation!

Not wanting to get involved with Huang Ju, Zhan Chunyun quietly walked up to a policeman standing on the outermost side and whispered, "Officer, I just heard someone robbing someone in that alley. They said something about a department store and pickpockets. Why don't you go and take a look? I'm too scared to go home."

Upon hearing her words, the police officer immediately turned to leave, but she grabbed him and said, "Officer, I'm easily frightened. Please just say you discovered it yourself, okay? I'm afraid of being retaliated against."

The police officer was also a young man, probably only on the job for less than two years. He still had the naivety and high spirits of a teenager. He looked at the little girl in front of him, who was not even up to his chest. She was thin and pale, and her clothes were worn out. She looked like she came from a poor family.

“Okay, I won’t tell anyone.” He nodded firmly, then walked over to the leading policeman and explained the situation.

The team leader immediately led a few people towards Fan Hongying's direction, including the one who had just been talking to Zhan Chunlan.

Once the police left, the more timid onlookers dispersed, while several bolder ones followed at a distance.

Worried they'd gone to the wrong place, Zhan Chunlan kept trying to keep up. After a long, strenuous run, she was breathless, gasping for air. The cold air stung her throat, leaving a metallic taste in her mouth: "Speechless! I thought I'd never run 800 meters again after graduating from university, but today I'm facing 1500! I hate long-distance running!!!"

"Hey, wait for me!" Huang Ju hurriedly followed behind the group, afraid that these people would try to steal her money, so she stayed close by.