The truth behind surveillance footage
In the police station's duty room, officers repeatedly reviewed two surveillance videos on a computer screen, and the timeline gradually became clearer—
The first scene is from the afternoon before yesterday. Sunlight slanted across the sidewalk. Xu Yanchi, carrying a schoolbag, wore her school uniform neatly, her hair tied in a sleek ponytail, her profile clean and fair. She kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, walking briskly without even glancing at the trees by the roadside. Just as she reached the alley entrance, several blue-haired thugs suddenly jumped out. The tall one, a cigarette dangling from his lips, blocked her path, making threatening remarks. Judging from Xu Yanchi's retreating posture, they had clearly said something offensive. She turned to run, but the blond-haired thug grabbed her schoolbag strap, while the tall one ripped her school uniform sleeve with a "rip," pulling half of it down to reveal red scratches on her arm.
Just then, Xiao Fuzhou walked over from across the alley, quickly rushing to Xu Yanchi's side and shielding her behind him. He stood ramrod straight, hands in his pockets, coldly staring at the three thugs, his lips pressed into a thin line—a warning emanating from his mouth. The three thugs, intimidated by his gaze, took a half-step back, exchanged glances, but didn't actually attack. They merely hurled a few curses at the two, and seeing that Xiao Fuzhou remained unmoved, they grumbled and left.
"This was the first time Xiao Fuzhou had encountered them. They only gave him a warning and didn't take any action." The police officer nodded and then opened the second surveillance video—the same location yesterday afternoon when school let out.
In the scene, Xu Yanchi was walking alone by the roadside, avoiding the alleyway and even subtly avoiding it. Suddenly, three thugs rushed out of the alley. They grabbed Xu Yanchi by the collar, making it difficult for her to breathe. Soon after, the taller one shoved her, causing her to stumble and almost fall. The blond-haired thug and another thug immediately surrounded her, punching and kicking her back and arms. She cowered on the ground, covering her head with her hands, tears welling in her eyes. She tried to scream for help, but they covered her face with a towel. With tears in her eyes and utter despair, she watched them approach with lewd grins, their eyes filled with mockery and lewdness. She resigned herself to her impending death. Just then, Wang Zhitao rode up on his bicycle. Before the bike had even stopped, he grabbed a mop handle from the corner of the roadside and swung it at the thugs, shouting, "Stop hitting them!" This chased the three thugs away. Then he helped Xu Yanchi stand up and picked up the scattered books for her.
"This is what happened after school the next day, when Xu Yanchi was beaten. Wang Zhitao did indeed pass by and help her." The police officer frowned and then clicked on the third surveillance video—the woods in front of the vocational high school yesterday evening.
In the scene, three thugs squat under a tree, smoking the cheapest cigarettes, with cigarette butts scattered all over the ground. They huddle together, their shoulders shaking, with lewd smiles on their faces. Although they are silent, their gestures and lip movements reveal that they are talking badly about Xu Yanchi, occasionally mentioning "that kid who blocked the road" and "the nosy biker." Finally, the tall one slaps his thigh, as if saying, "I'll block her again next time," while the blond one gestures pulling motions, mouthing "success" and "good thing."
Not long after, Xiao Fuzhou passed through the woods and suddenly stopped, clearly having overheard their conversation. On the surveillance footage, his shoulders tensed abruptly. After standing still for two seconds, he suddenly rushed forward, grabbed the tall man by the collar, and threw a punch. The three thugs immediately retaliated, but Xiao Fuzhou forced them to retreat repeatedly—he pushed the blond-haired thug's arm against a tree, dodged the skinny thug's punch, struck him in the chest with a backhand, and finally kicked the tall man who was still trying to pounce. He only stopped when all three thugs were crouching on the ground, clutching their injuries, his eyes still cold.
"This is the whole process of Xiao Fuzhou taking action. He only did it after hearing their insults and threats of revenge." The police officer copied the surveillance video and took a USB drive into the interrogation room.
The three thugs were still sitting crookedly, the tall one even had his feet propped up on the table. When the police officer came in, he asked in a nonchalant tone, "Officer, are you done checking? Shouldn't you let us go now?"
The police officer plugged the USB drive into the computer, pulled up the surveillance footage, and said in a deep voice, "Look for yourself, is this what you call 'Xu Yanchi deliberately seducing'?"
The scene clearly showed Xu Yanchi's dodging figure, her torn school uniform, her huddled on the ground covering her head, and Wang Zhitao holding a mop handle to rescue her. The smile on the blond-haired guy's face instantly froze, and the tall guy quickly put his feet down from the table, but still stubbornly insisted, "This...this is all an act! What the hell is she pretending to be innocent for? Who is she trying to seduce? She's just pretending to be scared to gain sympathy!"
"Is it an act?" The police officer pointed to the footage of Xiao Fuzhou warning them. "When he first met you, didn't he just warn you without actually hitting you? It was you who ambushed and beat her after school the next day! And this," he then opened the surveillance footage from the woods, "what were you planning to do when you said 'I'll ambush her again next time' and 'successfully'?"
The skinny thug's eyes darted around, and he shrank back behind the tall man. The tall man, however, stubbornly insisted, "We were just making things up! That girl's always been promiscuous, otherwise why would we have gone to her twice? She must be the one who seduces people!"
"Shut up!" The police officer slammed his notebook on the table. "The surveillance footage is crystal clear. The first time, you deliberately intercepted us; the second time, you intentionally assaulted us. Xiao Fuzhou attacked you because you insulted and threatened him! Now the evidence is conclusive, and you still dare to deny it?"
Huang Mao panicked, but still stubbornly insisted, "She seduced us! We're not lying! The surveillance footage can be edited! Maybe you deliberately cut out the part where she seduced people!" The three thugs argued back and forth, insisting that it was Xu Yanchi's fault. The tall one even slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "That girl is just pretending to be innocent! She can't even behave herself in a school uniform, she deserves to be beaten!"
Seeing their unrepentant and arrogant demeanor, the police officer suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "The evidence has been secured. Your statements and the surveillance footage are completely inconsistent. Now, we will not only investigate your acts of provoking trouble and assaulting others, but also hold you accountable for making false accusations and slander!"
The tall man chuckled and leaned back in his chair: "Let them investigate, what are we afraid of? We didn't say anything wrong!"
Outside the interrogation room, Xu Yanchi stared at the footage of her being beaten on the computer screen. Her eyes reddened, but she didn't cry; she simply gripped her backpack strap tightly. She had clearly heard the three thugs hurling insults at her from outside the door. Their words were like knives, tearing her apart. Even with overwhelming evidence, the three thugs insisted that Xu Yanchi had seduced them. She gasped for breath, trying to hide her panic. A pair of warm hands patted her shoulder, shielding her from the repeated blows. Xiao Fuzhou patted her shoulder, his voice gentler than usual: "Don't be sad. The truth is clear. Nobody believes them."
Wang Zhitao nodded in agreement, his tone filled with anger: "Exactly! Let's wait until the police deal with them and see if they dare to be so arrogant again!"
At this moment, the police officer came out and said to the three men, "The surveillance footage has confirmed your statement. These three thugs are suspected of provoking trouble and making false accusations. They will be dealt with according to the law. Go back and wait for news. We will contact you again if needed."
Xu Yanchi nodded and followed her mother out. As they passed the interrogation room, the thugs' curses could still be heard from inside, still unbearable to hear. But she felt much more at ease than before—with surveillance footage as evidence and them by her side, the grievances she hadn't spoken aloud finally had proof.
Stepping out of the police station, a cool evening breeze blew by, gently patting the damp droplets in the air, which then streamed down Xu Yanchi's face. She could no longer hold back; tears fell like a broken string of pearls. Xu Yanchi pursed her lips, gripping her backpack strap, her shoulders trembling slightly. Her once fair face was streaked with tears, her eyes swollen like red peaches, yet they couldn't conceal the delicate beauty of her features; instead, they added a touch of heartbreaking vulnerability.
Song Shi quickly hugged his daughter and gently patted her back, his voice choked with emotion: "Yanchi, don't cry. The truth is clear now. Those bad people will be dealt with, and no one will dare to bully you anymore."
Wang Zhitao stood to the side, looking at Xu Yanchi's red, swollen eyes, feeling a sharp pain in his heart. He instinctively reached for a tissue, but stopped halfway, his Adam's apple bobbing before he finally lowered his hand. Xiao Fuzhou glanced at Wang Zhitao, said nothing, but simply pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and quickly walked to Xu Yanchi. He bent slightly, his movements as gentle as if afraid of breaking something, and softly wiped away the tears from her cheeks. His fingertips accidentally touched the corner of her burning eye. He paused, then whispered, "Don't cry. The police said they're suspected of disturbing the peace and making false accusations. They'll be dealt with according to the law. They might go to jail, and then they can't bother you anymore."
Xu Yanchi looked up at him, her eyes blurry with tears. The bruise on his lip hadn't faded, but his eyes were much gentler than usual, like the warm sunshine of early winter. She sniffed, but the tears fell even harder: "I didn't do anything... Why are they saying these things about me..."
“Because they are bad,” Xiao Fuzhou’s voice was deep but firm. “It has nothing to do with you, don’t take it to heart.” After wiping away her tears, he turned to Song Shi and spoke more respectfully. “Auntie, don’t worry. The police have secured the evidence and will definitely give Yan Chi justice. If you need any help later, feel free to contact me. My dad knows people at the police station and can ask about the progress.”
Song Shi nodded, his eyes full of gratitude: "Thank you so much, Xiao, and you too, Wang. We owe you all so much today. Yan Chi is so lucky to have friends like you."
Wang Zhitao quickly waved his hand, looking a little embarrassed: "Auntie, no need to thank me. We're classmates, so it's only natural to help each other." He looked at Xu Yanchi and added, "From now on, we'll walk together after school. I'll give you a ride on my bike; it'll definitely be safe."
Xiao Fuzhou nodded in agreement: "Yes, let's go together. With us here, no one will dare to block her again."
Listening to their conversation, Xu Yanchi's grievances gradually subsided. She clutched the handkerchief Xiao Fuzhou had offered; it had a faint, clean scent of cedarwood that Xiao Fuzhou had used. She sniffed and whispered, "Thank you..."
Song Shi patted her daughter's hand: "Okay, don't cry. Let's go home. Mom will make you your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs."
Xiao Fuzhou and Wang Zhitao escorted them to the alley entrance, watching the mother and daughter's figures disappear into the stairwell before turning to leave. After a few steps, Wang Zhitao couldn't help but ask, "Do you think... they'll really go to jail?"
Xiao Fuzhou paused, his eyes turning colder: "They definitely will be punished. They must be punished. We won't let them bully people for nothing."
The two walked side by side, their shadows stretched long by the streetlights. The alley was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps and the rustling of leaves in the evening breeze. The grievances and anxieties from before seemed to have been blown away by the evening breeze, leaving only a sense of security: no matter what happens in the future, they will stand together and become each other's strongest support.
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