Chapter 23 Helping the Old Lady Catch a Thief
She crouched down and quickly said to Xu Zhian, "An'an, stand here and wait for your sister, don't move."
Then, he quickly said to the elderly woman who had caught up with him, "Grandma, could you please watch over my little brother for me?"
Before she finished speaking, she had already dashed off like an arrow released from a bow!
"Hey! Little girl! Don't go! It's dangerous!"
The old woman looked at Xu Zhili's thin figure and shouted anxiously, but she had to stop to take care of the little boy Xu Zhian.
The thief was clearly familiar with the terrain, weaving through the spiderweb-like alleyways.
But Xu Zhili's psychic abilities are like an invisible radar, precisely locking onto the target.
The thief was about to rush out of the alley and merge into the crowd on the street.
Xu Zhili's gaze swept over an old man playing chess at the alley entrance. Without stopping, she called out, "Grandpa! Can I borrow something?"
Before she finished speaking, she had already precisely hooked a small stool next to the old man's feet with her toes, and with a flick of her wrist, she swung it around!
The carrying pole seemed to have eyes, and with a whoosh, it flew towards the thief's ankle!
"Bang!" A solid, muffled sound!
"Awooo—!"
The thief let out a scream of agony, his calf throbbing with excruciating pain. He stumbled and fell to the ground, the package flying far away from his grasp.
He struggled to get up and continue his escape, but his leg felt like it was made of lead and wouldn't obey him; the excruciating pain made him grimace.
Xu Zhili had already pounced on them like a cheetah!
Without pausing, when she was two steps away from the thief, she suddenly pushed off the ground, leaping into the air and slamming heavily onto the thief's back with her full weight and icy resolve!
"puff!"
The thief was struck by the thunderous pounce, seeing stars and nearly having his internal organs displaced, before being completely pinned to the cold ground.
"You bitch! You're asking for it!"
The thief's eyes widened in fury, and feeling the heavy pressure on his back, he became extremely vicious.
He suddenly bent his elbow and slammed backward with all his might, aiming at Xu Zhili's soft waist and abdomen!
Xu Zhili let out a cold snort, as if she had expected this move.
At the last second, she twisted her body at an incredibly flexible angle, narrowly avoiding the vicious elbow strike.
At the same time, her hands shot out like iron clamps, gripping the thief's arm tightly, her thumbs precisely digging into the tendons behind his elbow joint!
"Ugh—!"
The thief's arm instantly felt numb and weak, as if a cramp had been pulled out.
He was horrified to discover that this seemingly slender girl possessed astonishing strength in her hands, like welded steel hoops, which remained unmoved no matter how much he twisted and struggled.
What's even more terrifying is that the other person's fingers, which were pinching the nerve, kept increasing the pressure, causing half of his body to go numb.
"Let me go! Or I'll kill you!"
The thief roared menacingly, trying to scare her off with harsh words. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, half from pain and half from anxiety.
Xu Zhili pressed her knee firmly against his lower back, pinning him firmly to the ground.
She leaned down, close to the thief's flushed and contorted face from his struggle, her voice as cold as a blade chilled by ice, clearly reaching his ears.
"Kill me? With a piece of trash like you who'd crumble at the slightest blow from a carrying pole?"
She even scoffed, her contempt undisguised, "Stealing an old person's life-saving money and belongings in broad daylight, and you still think you're right? Huh?"
At this moment, the startled passersby swarmed around. Some sharp-eyed individuals immediately pointed out the culprit.
"It's Liu San'er! That bastard is a habitual thief! He specializes in picking pockets near the station!"
"Yes! It's him! He stole my aunt's medicine money last time!"
"Good job, young lady! We can't let him go!"
The outrageous condemnation came like a tidal wave.
Hearing the angry curses around him, feeling the heavy, unyielding pressure on his back, and the constant tingling and numb pain in his arms, the thief Liu San'er felt utterly disheartened.
damn it!
Today must have been a cursed day!
This brat looks skinny, but how come she's stronger than an ox?
This strike is ruthless and precise, targeting vital spots for pinching.
He tried his best but couldn't budge her an inch; instead, her knee nearly broke his back.
That's it, I'm completely screwed today, I've run into a living devil!
He gave up his futile struggle and collapsed to the ground like a dead dog, left only with heavy breathing and a heart full of fear and regret.
Xu Zhili felt the complete submission of her prey beneath her, her eyes remaining unmoved.
She used her body and hands to form a cage, imprisoning the thief so tightly that he couldn't even move a finger.
Not long after, the old woman, holding Xiao An'an's hand, rushed over, panting and pale-faced.
Seeing Xu Zhili pinning the thief to the ground unharmed, the old woman first breathed a sigh of relief, then was both shocked and frightened, and couldn't help but slap her thigh and complain.
"Oh my goodness! My dear girl! How could you be so reckless! You scared this old woman to death! It's one thing to lose something, but if you bump into it or get hurt, how could this old woman possibly live with herself like that!"
His voice trembled with lingering fear.
Xu Zhili then released her grip on the thief, but her knee remained planted as she stood up nimbly, casually brushing the dust off her trousers and clothes as if she had just brushed away a fallen leaf.
She walked a few steps to the abandoned package, bent down to pick it up, examined it carefully, and then handed it to the old woman, saying calmly, "Grandma, the package has been recovered. Please check if anything is missing or anything important."
The elderly woman received the recovered package with trembling hands, hugged it tightly to her chest, and tears welled up instantly. Her lips trembled as she repeatedly expressed her gratitude.
“Nothing’s missing! Nothing’s missing! Everything’s here! Girl…good girl…Grandma…Grandma thanks you! Thank you so much! If it weren’t for you…Grandma…I really don’t know what I would have done…”
The old woman's gratitude was palpable.
Passersby burst into enthusiastic applause and heartfelt praise: "Well done, girl!"
"So brave!"
"Women are just as capable as men!"
The surrounding people showered him with praise.
Faced with everyone's praise, Xu Zhili showed a slightly shy smile and lowered her head slightly.
"Grandma, please don't be so polite. It's what I should do. Anyone who saw this would have done the same."
Her gentle humility at this moment contrasts sharply with the ruthless decisiveness she displayed when subduing the thief, making her all the more admirable.
Not long after, the police who received the report quickly arrived at the scene and swiftly handcuffed the dejected Liu San'er.
One of the leaders, a tall police officer named Lu Aiguo, pushed through the crowd and immediately spotted Xu Zhili, who was being held tightly by an elderly woman, and the little boy beside her.
Lu Aiguo rushed over to support the old woman, his tone urgent and distressed.
"Mom! What are you doing here?! Why didn't you tell me you were coming so I could have come to pick you up? It's getting dark soon, it's too dangerous."
When the old woman saw her son, she was both happy and frightened.
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