Holding wooden sticks, Liang Chao and Chang Qing watched the group of people trying to rush over, and they had an indescribable feeling.
Many times, they faced off against the enemy, their lives hanging by a thread.
Back then, they weren't holding wooden sticks, but... Liang Chao glanced at his arm without his left hand. Everything was in the past, never to return. Oh well, life has countless possibilities. Let's deal with these few audacious ones first.
The first one to rush over was the one who was shouting the loudest. Judging from his voice, he was quite fierce. Just as he got close, Liang Chao and Chang Qing quickly changed positions. With a sudden kick, they sent him flying, crashing to the ground two meters away with a thud.
The remaining men, seeing their leader kicked away, didn't dare to step forward. Especially since the commotion outside was so loud, many houses turned on their lights, and some of the bolder ones even ran out to see what was happening.
"Dear neighbors, there has been a burglary. Please help report it to the police. This group is very ruthless, and no one can guarantee that they won't rob other people's homes in the future."
Liang Chao's words stirred up public outrage, and rightly so. There have been more thugs and petty thieves on the streets lately. Just a few days ago, one of their long-time neighbors had his wallet stolen, and another had their door lock pried open, losing several tens of yuan!
"You bunch of cowards, hurry up and attack! There are only two of them. Kill them, and I'll take responsibility."
The leader, who had been kicked to the ground, yelled and urged the remaining underlings to attack.
Upon hearing their leader's words, the men dared not approach. Even in their ignorance, they knew that killing someone meant certain death. They usually only engaged in petty theft, like robbing people on the road or pickpocketing; they had never done anything truly evil.
Later, I met this gang leader. He was a good fighter and resourceful. I followed him and robbed a few big ones, getting several hundred dollars in the process. They each got a fair share, ate and drank their fill, and had nothing left.
This time, it was the boss who suggested it, saying that the shop was doing great business and must be making a lot of money. They should pull off one big heist, then retire from this kind of crime. With the money in hand, they could do some small business and save up to get married. They were all persuaded; no one wanted to live such a precarious life!
The group hesitated, unwilling to step forward. Even if they could win, what chance would they have of escaping? The commotion was so great that the police would be called soon; would they still have a chance to run away?
"Boss, I'm scared, I can't kill anyone. I'm afraid. I want to go home." One of the guys threw down his weapon and ran away. He was a newbie who had just joined the group, and his mental fortitude was low; he was already terrified. He didn't want to do anything bad anymore; he wanted to go home.
The remaining two, seeing that some were escaping, had a change of heart. Rather than making a futile struggle, they decided to run. These two were clearly trained, far superior to amateurs like themselves.
“If you two dare to run away, I won’t let you go. I know where you live, so think it over.”
The leader, who had been kicked to the ground, struggled to his feet, his legs still trembling. He was holding a sharp dagger, which he seemed to have pulled from somewhere. He staggered towards Liang Chao and his companion, intending to stab them.
"Stop it, everyone! Stand still and don't move, or you'll face the consequences."
At the critical moment, the police arrived.
Liang Chao and Chang Qing also breathed a sigh of relief. In the dark, if they accidentally crippled one of them, it would be a real problem.
Four police officers arrived, riding old-fashioned bicycles. They parked their bikes and came over with handcuffs.
“You’re really something, Jiang Fei. What do you have to say now? How will you try to justify yourself?”
Unexpectedly, the ringleader was a repeat offender. He'd escaped before due to insufficient evidence, but this time…
Jiang Fei was also very angry. After returning to the city, he couldn't find a job. His older brother and sister-in-law disliked him, and his parents didn't care about him either. He was desperate and started stealing chickens and dogs. He was starving!
After escaping capture, they grew bolder and began robbing and extorting money. Over the course of a year, they committed numerous crimes and were suspected by the police, but without concrete evidence, they were powerless to take action against them.
They've all been busy buying New Year's goods lately, and seeing how well this dried goods store is doing, they figured they must be making a lot of money.
They gathered a few men, planning to pull off a big heist and make a fortune for the New Year. They scouted the location beforehand, knowing that two employees would be working at the shop that night. They specifically waited until the disabled manager was on night watch, but little did they expect to run into a tough opponent.
The cold handcuffs were unsettling; they didn't know what awaited them. These young people in their early twenties had finally returned to their familiar home from the countryside. However, they were finding it difficult to adjust to life back home.
They had no jobs, and there was no farming involved. Sometimes, if they ate too quickly or spat on the ground, they would be met with disdain from family members or strangers. They suddenly felt lost. In the rural area they had been sent to, the locals treated them as outsiders. Back home, they were still like outsiders, struggling to adjust to the new environment.
No one knew what they were thinking, and no one cared. Several police officers handcuffed the others lying on the ground and took them all back to the station.
"Is everything here?"
"One got away."
After Liang Chao and Chang Qing finished answering the police's questions, they realized they might also have to go to the police station to give their statements, but what about this place? "Officer, what about the door they pried open?"
An older policeman came over with a pen and notebook and took notes. "The door isn't broken, let's change the lock. One of you stay here to watch the shop, and the other go with us to give a statement. Change it again when it's light."
"Understood, thank you for your hard work."
Liang Chao told Chang Qing to stay and tidy up properly, since having only one hand would be inconvenient for him.
"Go and inform Yu Yin after daybreak."
"Understood, Brother Liang."
The police left with their group, and the onlookers went home. The once chaotic and bustling street suddenly became quiet. The weapons the men had brought had been taken away by the police. With the shop area quiet again, Chang Qing began to tidy up.
Fortunately, the fight didn't affect the store, otherwise it would have been another loss.
As dawn broke, Changqing felt that the night had passed far too slowly.
The door lock hadn't been fixed yet, so he couldn't leave. He could only hope that Huang Shan and the others would arrive soon.
"Brother Chang, what are you doing outside?"
Zhao Tong was the first to arrive, and he was quite surprised to see Chang Qing outside.
"Zhao Tong, go to Sister Yu Yin's house and tell her that the shop was burgled last night and Brother Liang went to give a statement."
"Oh, are any of you hurt?"
"It's alright, let's not go into the details yet. Just have Sister Yu Yin come over here for a moment. Don't make a fuss, there was no damage and no one was injured."
Zhao Tong understood and turned to run towards Yu Yin's house.
Changqing didn't open the door either, waiting for Sister Yin to arrive before discussing it further. Especially the gift box counter; the door had been pried open and needed some basic repairs.
Yu Yin never expected that her shop would be burgled last night, and the two shop assistants experienced a terrifying night.
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