"The police will handle the truth. You haven't even figured anything out, yet you're spouting nonsense. Are you all out of your minds? What kind of human trafficker acts like me? If I were really a human trafficker, I would have already stolen the child, so why wouldn't I have left? Would I have just lingered there waiting to be caught?"
Some onlookers were skeptical. They noticed that Wang Fang was clinging tightly to Wang Tianxiao's neck, looking very intimate, and they didn't seem like strangers at all.
I hope no one will bring a child out to steal a child; that would be too much trouble.
Just as everyone was about to give up, the thief nudged the old lady next to him and said, "Grandma, if we hadn't helped you surround him, he would have run away with your granddaughter long ago. Look at him, still so stubborn, making himself out to be an innocent victim."
"Yes, yes, yes."
The old lady was suddenly energized again. Holding her granddaughter's hand, she was still struggling to tear at Wang Tianxiao's arm. "Come on, aren't you sure you have a clear conscience? What are you doing standing here?"
"Walk."
Wang Tianxiao didn't say anything more and turned to walk forward.
The crowd made way for them, and some people gradually calmed down and noticed that Wang Tianxiao's clothes and demeanor did not seem like those of a human trafficker.
Some people gradually dispersed, leaving behind only a few indignant individuals and mostly onlookers.
Wang Tianxiao walked away calmly, ignoring his surroundings. He even gently patted his daughter's leg and whispered to her.
The old lady followed him closely.
Despite her advanced age, small feet, and the fact that she was carrying two children, she walked with great energy and showed no signs of weakness.
Wang Tianxiao occasionally turned to look at the little girl and found that she had stopped crying and was staring at him with a silly look on her face, being dragged along by her grandmother like a puppet.
That poor kid.
Wang Tianxiao guessed that she must have intellectual disabilities, otherwise her eyes wouldn't look like that, so dull and lifeless.
Suddenly, he felt a little worried about whether he would be able to clear his name.
At this moment, the leader of the thieves, who was following behind, took a few steps ahead and walked alongside Wang Tianxiao, saying as they walked, "Brother, are you really going to the police station?"
Wang Tianxiao ignored him.
Undeterred, he continued, "Brother, look, these are special times. If what you did is proven true, you'll be in deep trouble."
"So?" Wang Tianxiao asked casually.
The thief tried to tease Wang Fang's dangling feet with his hand, but Wang Tianxiao didn't give him the chance, dodging to the side and giving him a warning look.
The thief leader wasn't annoyed and continued, "So, this matter can't be taken to the police station. You should settle it privately."
"Adjustment?" Wang Tianxiao sneered, "What kind of adjustment?"
Seeing that Wang Tianxiao had relented, the thief leader quickly took a few steps closer to him and whispered, "It's just about reaching a private agreement with this old lady. You give her some compensation, and she won't pursue the matter. What do you think?"
Wang Tianxiao almost burst out laughing when he heard this.
Is there really such a stupid suggestion? Judging from the way this thief looks, he definitely wants to take a cut of the profits.
Judging from the old lady's appearance, she'd be completely fooled by the thief and wouldn't be able to find her way around.
Instead of immediately refuting, he joked, "I wonder how much it would cost to resolve this?"
The thief looked around to make sure no one was too close, then whispered, "I think giving the old lady two hundred yuan in compensation would be good enough."
Wang Tianxiao's lips twitched, revealing a mocking smile.
"Two hundred yuan isn't much, and I don't really need it. But I do have a question. Could you answer it for me first?"
"What's the problem? Is it how to get the old lady to agree?" The thief glanced to his left and back. A few steps away, the old lady was busy buttoning her grandson's shirt and hadn't caught up yet.
"This is indeed a problem."
Wang Tianxiao responded and looked at the road ahead. He estimated that the police station was less than 300 meters away.
"Don't worry, since I'm here to mediate, I'll definitely find a way. What does an old lady like her know?"
Wang Tianxiao smiled again.
"What are you laughing at?" the thief leader asked, puzzled.
Wang Tianxiao almost burst out laughing. "I just thought of something else, and I couldn't help but find it funny."
"What's going on?" The gang leader looked at the police station, which was already close by, and was slightly anxious. "If you want to agree to this, you have to make up your mind quickly, or it will be too late."
"I was wondering, I never expected that you professional thieves would actually be doing help-making work. Is being a thief too difficult, with too much competition?"
The thief leader suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He stood there coldly and asked Wang Tianxiao, "What do you mean?"
Wang Tianxiao pointed to the thief's bulging pocket, where the mark of a pair of pliers was clearly visible.
"We're less than 200 meters from the police station now. You can choose to come in with me and be a witness for the old lady, or you can leave here. Things change, so let's say goodbye."
"Are you threatening me?" the thief leader asked with a grim face.
“No.” Wang Tianxiao shook his head, ignoring the bewildered old woman staring at them, and continued to the leader of the thieves: “Logically speaking, petty theft is wrong, but it’s not a fatal crime and shouldn’t be severely punished. Since you gave me a choice before, I’ll give you one now…”
Wang Tianxiao pointed forward, then pointed behind him: "Whether you go forward or turn around, it's your choice. You didn't steal anything from me today, so I won't do anything to you. But if you want to get any extra benefits from me, that's absolutely impossible."
Wang Tianxiao smiled faintly and pointed to his face.
"You should be able to tell that I'm not the kind of person who can be easily manipulated. I don't want to make enemies with you today. How you treat me is your business. However, everything has its consequences. A good outcome is a benefit, and a bad outcome is a price to pay."
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