Chapter 344 Kindness Needs to Have an Edge
Xia Lili said solemnly, "The actual operation is highly confidential. We will never reveal the details of the case to strangers. It's even more impossible that we don't have a plan to the point where we need to ask a random student for help."
"If we need to identify ourselves, we will definitely let you see and confirm our IDs, as we are doing now, instead of just showing them off in a panic."
Xia Lili's voice was calm and convincing. "So, if you ever meet anyone again who, for any reason, even if they claim to be a police officer, asks you to go with them to an unfamiliar, deserted place, don't believe them. Refuse immediately and seek help from an adult you trust, or call 110 directly to verify. Do you understand?"
Bai Niannian nodded vigorously. Although tears kept rolling down her cheeks, her eyes showed a bit more understanding and belated clarity.
The noise from Xia Lili and Bai Niannian had already attracted the attention of many passersby and parents. The crowd gradually gathered around, asking with concern:
"Girl, what happened just now?"
"What happened to this man? Is the child okay?"
Seeing that the crisis had been resolved, Xia Lili remained vigilant, protecting Bai Niannian behind her. She then explained to everyone in clear and concise language, "Don't worry, everyone. The situation is under control. This person pretended to be a plainclothes police officer, forged documents, and attempted to abduct this little girl."
Xia Lili briefly described how the criminals used rhetoric such as "helping with directions" and "carrying out a secret mission" to gain the girl's trust and tried to take her away.
When everyone heard this, they were suddenly shocked, with expressions of fear and anger on their faces.
"Oh my god! These days, scammers are so ruthless! They even dare to impersonate police officers!"
"They're targeting kind-hearted students. How can we prevent this? It's so abominable!"
"Thank goodness you're here, girl! Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous..."
Soon, exclamations of praise began to ring out, and people looked at Xia Lili with eyes full of admiration:
"Those few moves you made just now were so powerful! You knocked him down in no time!"
"Women are truly as good as men! It's amazing that a girl can be so skilled!"
"That's great! This child is so lucky to have you here!"
Amidst the praise, Xia Lili didn't say much, but just nodded slightly, remaining calm, doing her job diligently and guarding the scene.
After a moment of silence, Bai Niannian raised her head, her young face filled with confusion and a hint of hurt. She asked with a choked voice:
"Officer sister... I... I just wanted to help that grandma and that 'officer uncle'... Why did I want to help others so much, but in the end I almost got captured by the bad guys?"
Bai Niannian's face was full of confusion: "Should I... never help others again in the future?"
Xia Lili's heart seemed to be gently pulled.
She gently wiped away the tears from the girl's face with her fingertips, her eyes gentle and firm.
"Nian Nian, listen to me. Your kindness and warm heart are among the most precious things in the world. There is nothing wrong with it."
"The ones who are wrong are the bad people who take advantage of your kindness, not your kindness itself."
"What we need to do is not to put away our kindness, but to put on armor for it. This is what we call 'kindness must have an edge.'"
"This 'sharpness' doesn't make you cold, but gives you the wisdom to protect this kindness."
Bai Niannian stared at Xia Lili in a daze, as if she was digesting what Xia Lili said.
Xia Lili patted her head and said simply, "Before helping others, you must first ensure your own absolute safety."
"For example, it's okay to help grandma pick up her glasses, but if a stranger has more complex requests, no matter how nice they sound, you must refuse immediately. You can tell them: 'I can call the police for you, they can help you better.'"
“Your intuition is your first line of defense.”
"If something feels wrong, uncomfortable, or scary, don't ignore it. Trust your feelings and walk away to an adult you trust."
"Niannian, look." Xia Lili secretly pinched the subdued trafficker's arm. "You did a great job at the end of the day! And together with me, we caught this bad guy."
"And you had doubts and were brave enough to ask. That's the beginning of your 'edge'! It allows you to protect yourself while remaining kind."
"So, please don't let today's shadow obscure the light within you. From today on, we must be warriors who are both kind and intelligent, enthusiastic and vigilant. Use your 'edge' well and protect your most precious kindness, okay?"
As Bai Niannian listened, her confused eyes gradually became determined.
She nodded vigorously and seriously, as if she had engraved these words deeply into her heart.
After listening to Xia Lili's narration, the parents who came to pick up their children and the students who were leaving school all had solemn and thoughtful expressions on their faces.
Seeing this, Xia Lili raised her voice and said to everyone, "I hope everyone can tell those around them about what happened today, especially the elderly and children at home. A little more vigilance can reduce danger."
The onlookers responded with support, fearing that such a situation would happen to their own children and people around them.
The cunning bad guys are really omnipresent.
At this moment, the sound of sirens came from far away, and a vehicle with flashing blue and red police lights quickly arrived at the scene.
The police officers swiftly put the subdued criminal into the police car.
Leng Xiaohe, who was traveling with her, quickly walked over to Xia Lili. After listening to her brief description of the incident, she couldn't help but gasp:
"These human traffickers are so rampant, using all sorts of tricks to deceive people, even pretending to be police officers!"
Xia Lili nodded, pulled Leng Xiaohe aside, and said in a low voice, "But this time we may have caught more than just one suspect."
"First of all, his fake police ID is well made."
Xia Lili showed Leng Xiaohe the fake ID she had just pulled out of the trafficker's arms:
"The source deserves further investigation. Who would dare to take on this kind of work now?"
"Following the fake certificate trail, we might be able to find a counterfeiting den."
She paused, her voice becoming deeper. "More importantly, I caught some clues while...assessing the situation."
"The place where this person and the buyer were doing business was an abandoned quarry."
"And judging from the fragments of their conversation, there may be more than one victim. We must act quickly and try to rescue the previous victims."
Leng Xiaohe's expression instantly became extremely serious, and she nodded immediately: "The situation is more complicated than I imagined."
"Leave this to them. We'll immediately return to the bureau to report in detail and formulate a plan!"
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