"That unfilial son! He even knows how to steal from his own family's property. If others find out, they'll think I'm not giving him money!" Uncle Xiao was practically spitting blood in the police station's interrogation room. He'd already missed three phone calls last night, and this morning he'd received a letter from his classmate. An important meeting was supposed to be held to select the best campus promotional video, but this whole thing had to be postponed because of his unfilial son.
Sitting next to him was a woman in a mink coat, with permed hair and bright red lips, patting his back. "Don't be angry. You have high blood pressure. He usually gets a lot of pocket money. You suddenly reduced it by so much. He definitely can't adjust. If he doesn't want to do his homework, just hire a tutor. Why force him to smash up the shop?"
The speaker was Xiao Se's stepmother. Her father was an academic, while her stepmother was a businesswoman. She was the third richest woman in Mangshi, and although her father was second, their assets were actually quite similar.
"He's got a problem with you. Let people know Xiao Aotian's son went to rob someone? He'd be a laughingstock!"
He'd completely lost face. He'd founded so many prestigious schools, and their graduates were all outstanding. He himself refused to attend a private school, insisting on going to Mangxing University, promising to stay out of trouble and live a carefree life, yet today he'd stirred up such a mess. He couldn't help but test the sturdiness of his cane.
"Whether it's your property or your home, someone reported witnessing the robbery and even sent their information. Unless that person admits to making a false report, this incident caused quite a stir, and they'll likely face at least a day of detention and a fine."
The police officer taking the statement spoke with unwavering integrity, saying that the wealthy often have trouble in their pasts and he wouldn't comment. However, that very morning, teachers from the school came to plead for them, and students kept calling until the line was busy. These two delinquent teenagers had unexpectedly attracted a lot of attention.
Who exactly reported the incident?
Just then, Lin Weiwei, with long hair, wearing a cashmere coat and a striped cotton skirt, appeared in the interrogation room. She glanced at the two elegantly dressed couple, and there was a luxury car parked at the door. She knew that they were Xiao Se's parents.
"I was the one who called the police; none of the victims called the police. I was just being nosy! Arrest me!"
Lin Weiwei glanced at the woman with fiery red lips. She looked much older than the man next to her, probably about twenty years apart. Were her parents like that too?
Seeing the calm and composed girl, Xiao Aotian's mood improved considerably. He raised his chin, deep in thought. This girl must be some kind of classmate of Xiao Se, otherwise, why would she come alone so late at night? Girls with such a strong sense of justice are rare, and she doesn't even protect her classmates. He rubbed her hand with his cane, "Little friend, what's your name?"
Lin Weiwei remained expressionless, accepting the police's instructions.
The stepmother nudged Xiao Aotian's arm and winked sweetly, as if to say, "This girl is nice; we should help her pay the bill."
"Young lady, have you thought your answer carefully? This is tantamount to admitting you made a false police report. Yesterday, even the police dogs were deployed! You'll be in jail." The police officer glanced at the smiling rich man and reminded the girl not to be naive; what is said is said.
"I did see them smashing up the shop, but I didn't know it was from the Xiao family."
That's the truth, and if it's considered a false police report, she'll accept it.
The police officer reviewed the case records and found that the answers were consistent throughout. As the officer was pondering, resting his chin on his hand, the stepmother stood up, took 20,000 yuan from her leather bag, and placed it on the table. She seemed to think that any problem that could be solved with money wasn't a problem, and that everyone understood the law.
“Officer, I am Xiao Se’s mother. As a mother, I think my son’s behavior is very bad. But both children are minors, and this criminal record will affect their future. They are very sincere in admitting their mistakes. The person who reported the case is also their classmate. It is normal for two classmates to have conflicts.”
He placed Xiao Se's student ID on the table, glanced at Lin Weiwei's school badge under her wool sweater, and became even more certain of Lin Weiwei's identity.
After checking the ID card and confirming that the woman was the legal representative of the jewelry store, the police officer said, "Since the shop owner has already spoken, the two young men have learned a lesson from being locked up overnight. Mangxing University... Alright, considering they are first-time offenders, we can release them, but the fine doesn't need to be that much!" He took out a few bills from the 20,000 yuan and returned them to the woman.
"Wait, please let the police detain my son for a few more days!" Xiao Aotian still couldn't calm down. Usually, this child was waited on hand and foot. Let him suffer a little inside so that he would understand the hardships his parents had endured and appreciate the difficulties his stepmother and he faced.
However, the stepmother grunted and stomped her foot in anger. That old rascal, father and son are alike, stubbornly clinging to their pride. If Xiao Se had just humbled himself and asked for money to do his homework properly, he wouldn't have done such a foolish thing. The old man is the same; he knows his son's personality perfectly well, yet he doesn't give in. If he doesn't want to do his homework, forcing him will only result in scribbling. He needs proper guidance.
For the first time, Lin Weiwei saw a mother in this stepmother, the feeling of protecting her son. She realized how good it was to have parents; they could always worry about her when she was away. However, she was already used to it; she could live on whether she had parents or not. Mercury was her home.
The three of them sat in the lobby, watching as Kuai Zui and Xiao Se were led out by the police. The moment their handcuffs were removed, Xiao Aotian grabbed his cane, ready to strike him on the head, but Lin Weiwei grabbed him, saying, "You're the one who should be locked up. You're arbitrarily hitting people in the detention center."
Xiao Aotian never expected to be lectured by a young girl in the detention center today, and his lips twitched with anger. He was even disciplining his own son, and now this girl was telling him off? "How rude..."
Fine, I put away my cane and watched the girl leave without even saying goodbye. My gaze towards her became a little more arrogant; although she was rude, she was certainly bold. Not bad! I was about to get angry again, but then I thought this girl was quite interesting.
Kuai Zui never expected Lin Weiwei to come; he probably came to see him make a fool of himself. But when he saw Lin Weiwei confront Uncle Xiao, he realized she was there to help...
"The sun has risen in the west," Xiao Se yawned. He thought going to the detention center would be something terrible, with torture and such, but it was just about standing in a room. He even took a nap in there.
I handed the heavy schoolbag to my stepmother, who still reeked of that overpowering perfume; it was nauseating. That damned Lin Weiwei! She actually betrayed me, making me lose face in front of old man Xiao Aotian. She's such a busybody! I'm so sleepy.
"By the way, you'd better go back and increase your vigilance. Recently, a bank lost 100 million yuan out of thin air. They checked the security cameras but couldn't find anything. They only vaguely saw a red-haired woman coming in and out with an armored truck."
The police officer pointed out that this case was particularly difficult, as it was unprecedented and unheard of. Moreover, they couldn't see the woman's face even after repeated checks. The bank staff said they didn't know why, as the withdrawal was entirely voluntary when they gave her the money, and afterwards they felt it was strange and inexplicable.
The stepmother nodded, offered a word of thanks, and then left with them.
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