Chapter Five: Arrested by the Police

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After Zhuo Nan finished beating Wang Yu, he pulled Fu Xinxin away without sparing a glance at Wang Yu lying on the ground. Zhuo Nan knew full well that Wang Yu couldn't possibly be beaten to death. He was always aware of his own strength, and the stick he used was of poor quality—how could it be so easy to take a life? At most, Wang Yu would be lightly injured.

However, things didn't go exactly as he'd expected. After the brawl, Wang Yu was carried by his own men to the factory clinic, and his father, the deputy director—Wang Zhenguo—was notified immediately.

When Wang Zhenguo arrived at the hospital and saw Wang Yu's examination report, he snatched up the teacup by his side and hurled it to the floor with a loud crash, cursing, "Which son of a bitch let their dog of a brat do this to my boy?" The report detailed Wang Yu’s injuries: a mild concussion, three broken ribs on his left side, and four other wounds across his body.

The doctor standing nearby frowned, bowed slightly, and spoke with caution, "Director Wang, please calm down. The classmates who brought your son here are still outside. They should know who did this."

"Bring them in—now!" Wang Zhenguo roared, still seething with anger.

The doctor rushed out and soon returned with Wang Yu’s classmates. Wang Zhenguo glared at them, demanding, "Speak! Who did this to my son?"

The kids were clearly intimidated by Wang Zhenguo’s oppressive presence. Timidly, one replied, "Uncle, it was that Zhuo Nan kid who brought people to beat him up."

Just then, Wang Yu's mother, Hua Hongya, burst in, her face streaked with tears and sniffling. Without a glance at the situation, she threw herself onto Wang Zhenguo, sobbing, "Zhenguo, you can't let the culprit get away with this! Look at what they did to our son—Zhenguo, you have to avenge him!"

"Shut up! All you do is cry. Can't you see we have company?" Wang Zhenguo barked, silencing Hua Hongya with his outburst.

The children watched the scene, barely suppressing their laughter. Now that he knew the assailant's identity, Wang Zhenguo found the rest straightforward. "You kids go on home," he told them.

With that, the children excused themselves and left. The room was now free of outsiders, and the doctor found an excuse to check on Wang Yu, giving the couple some privacy.

"Zhenguo, who did this to Xiao Yu?" Hua Hongya, chastened by her husband's earlier scolding, now spoke more meekly.

Wang Zhenguo’s face twisted with rage. "It was that bastard from the Zhuo family—Zhuo Wengang’s brat. Damn it, is Zhuo Wengang looking for trouble? This time, I’ll ruin him."

Hua Hongya, seeing her husband’s anger, quickly chimed in, "Zhenguo, you can’t let that little bastard off for doing this to Xiao Yu. You have to destroy him to vent our anger!"

"Rest assured, you don't need to remind me. Xiao Yu is the sole heir of our Wang family for nine generations. I only have one son—if anyone harms him, I’ll make them wish they were dead," Wang Zhenguo declared viciously. Yet even as he spoke, the alluring figure of Wang Liru flashed in his mind, and he thought, Damn it, this time I’ll get that woman into my bed as well.

As usual, Zhuo Wengang and Wang Liru changed out of their work clothes at the end of the shift and headed home together. As they passed the deli, Wang Liru bought half a roast duck, thinking there were only leftovers at home, and nothing substantial to eat. Zhuo Nan was in his final semester of junior high and needed good nutrition.

It had to be said—Wang Liru was a beauty. Her long, jet-black hair fell elegantly over her shoulders, her face was as delicate as Zhuo Lanlan's, and her large, expressive eyes seemed to speak. She stood over one meter sixty, with a slender, mature figure that had blossomed in her thirties. Even in simple clothing, her beauty could not be concealed. It was hard to believe she was just an ordinary machinist in the workshop. Among her colleagues, she was nicknamed "Xi Shi Machinist."

In contrast, Zhuo Wengang looked every bit the honest, unremarkable worker—plain in appearance, lacking in ambition or skill, still working as a foundryman in the workshop at forty.

People often said a fresh flower had been planted in a heap of manure. Many had asked Wang Liru why she married Zhuo Wengang. After all, when she first joined the factory, she was the undisputed belle, pursued by countless suitors with better jobs and office positions. But Wang Liru always said that Zhuo Wengang was honest, treated her well, and that she only wanted to spend her life with a genuine man.

As she’d always said, their marriage of over a decade had never seen a quarrel, much less violence. Their love remained as sweet as before they wed.

When they reached their building, both were stunned—there was a police car parked out front. Zhuo Wengang felt a sense of foreboding. Exchanging a glance with Wang Liru, they hurried upstairs.

As soon as they reached the second floor, they saw three police officers—two men and a young woman—escorting Zhuo Nan downstairs. Their daughter, Zhuo Lanlan, followed behind, weeping. The roast duck fell from Wang Liru’s hand with a thud. Zhuo Wengang rushed over anxiously, asking, "Officers, why are you arresting him? He’s just a child!"

The two male officers remained impassive, but the young policewoman responded politely, "And you are?"

"I’m his second uncle," Zhuo Wengang replied honestly.

"He’s suspected of intentional assault. The victim is being treated at the hospital. We need to take him for questioning," the policewoman said sternly.

Zhuo Wengang panicked. He grabbed the policewoman’s hand, pleading, "Comrade, please investigate thoroughly—my nephew would never hurt someone."

The policewoman, inexperienced and startled by Zhuo Wengang’s grip, snapped, "What are you doing? Let go, or I’ll arrest you too!"

One of the male officers intervened, "Let go—be careful, or you’ll be coming with us. Behave yourself."

Zhuo Wengang quickly released her hand, standing there helplessly. Zhuo Nan spoke up, "Uncle, Auntie, go back home. I’ll be fine. There’s soup on the stove—keep an eye on it. I’ll be back when this is over."

Despite being escorted away, Zhuo Nan seemed calm. The officer at his side even chuckled, "You’re taking this pretty well. Looks like this isn’t your first time. Let’s go." With that, they led him downstairs.

But Zhuo Wengang couldn’t let Zhuo Nan be taken just like that. He blocked their path, insisting, "I’ll go with him. Take me too!"

The officer sighed, "We’re just following orders. There’s no need to make a scene. It would be better for you to contact the victim’s family and see if you can settle this privately."

Wang Liru, finally gathering herself, quickly asked, "Nannan, who did you hit?"

Nannan was Zhuo Nan's childhood nickname, and only Wang Liru called him that. Their daughter was Lanlan—she had always regarded Zhuo Nan as her own son, so one was called Nannan, the other Lanlan.

Today, Zhuo Nan had been reborn, and under such circumstances, he saw his "late" second uncle again. He ought to have felt happy, but instead, guilt weighed heavily upon him—he’d brought such trouble to the family so soon after returning, and now he was being taken away. If it were any other time, he might have protested the nickname, but now he felt the care and love behind those two simple syllables.

"Uncle, Auntie, I hit Wang Yu," Zhuo Nan said, lowering his head.

Zhuo Wengang pointed at him, "You… sigh…" and let out a helpless sigh.

"Nannan, don’t be afraid. Your uncle and I will figure something out." As she spoke, Wang Liru pulled a few bills—about two hundred yuan—from her pocket and slipped them to one of the male officers, saying, "Officers, please have a meal on us. He’s just a child."

The two male officers exchanged a glance, and the one who took the money tucked it away. The policewoman looked displeased, but said nothing. Money could avert disaster, even if it was a modest sum. "Don’t worry, it’s not a serious case. We’re just taking him in for a few questions," the officer said with a smile.

"Thank you, officers, thank you," Wang Liru said gratefully.

"Alright, we’re leaving. You’d better start working on the victim’s family—try to settle this and keep it from escalating," the officer advised before leaving.

Zhuo Lanlan had been terrified. She’d been doing homework when the police knocked, thinking her parents had come home. When she opened the door to find three officers, Zhuo Nan knew immediately that things had taken a bad turn. The rest, Zhuo Wengang and Wang Liru had witnessed…

What should have been a happy evening for the family of four had turned into a nightmare. In the living room, Zhuo Wengang, who hadn’t smoked in years, now pulled out his treasured cigarettes and lit one.

Lanlan had been frightened, but Wang Liru managed to soothe her and send her to her room. She then sat beside Zhuo Wengang, took his hand, and said, "Wengang, don’t worry. Nannan will be alright."

Moved to his core, Zhuo Wengang looked at his understanding wife. After his elder brother and sister-in-law had passed away, Wang Liru had offered to raise Zhuo Nan even before they married. For more than a decade, she’d treated him as her own, never showing less love to Zhuo Nan even after Lanlan was born.

"Liru, you’ve had it hard all these years. Our Zhuo family owes you so much," Zhuo Wengang said, full of guilt.

"What are you saying? Life with you isn’t hard. As long as our family is together and the children are well, that’s all I could wish for," Wang Liru replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Liru, you stay home with the children. I’ll go find Wang Zhenguo and see if we can settle this," Zhuo Wengang said.

"Yes, go. No matter what conditions they set, just make sure he goes to the station and drops the case. Bring Nannan home first," Wang Liru urged.

"Alright, I’m going," he replied, rising and heading out the door.

When her husband had left, Wang Liru stood alone for a moment, and suddenly the image of Wang Zhenguo’s lecherous eyes flashed through her mind. An uneasy feeling crept over her…

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