Chapter 3

Liu Zhongqi glanced at him, and Officer Yu, who was speaking nonsense with his eyes wide open, felt a pang of conscience and could no longer continue fabricating the story

Yu Lanchuan has the surname Yu, while his younger brother has the surname Liu, as the two brothers share the same mother but have different fathers

Although his advice was somewhat vulgar, it was nonetheless heartfelt. However, the aggrieved, overly dramatic youth did not take it to heart and instead gnawed at his hamburger with gritted teeth

"Eat up." The police officer pushed the cola and hamburger in front of the young man

These words inexplicably touched the delicate heart of a teenage boy, and as he unwrapped half of the hamburger's packaging, his expression suddenly dimmed

This was nothing short of a calamity for Yu Lanchuan, as his stepfather was merely a sycophant of his mother. The couple had both flown away, leaving him as the temporary guardian of this little trouble

Before he could finish speaking, Yu Lanchuan suddenly darted out from beside him. In just two steps, he reached the opposite wall, leaping gracefully to the top of the wall. His body curled up in mid-air, and with a light touch of his toes against the wall, he propelled himself upward.

The young man received it with a sullen expression, raised the back of his hand to wipe his face, revealing a small abrasion on his cheekbone, soaked with sweat, causing both pain and itchiness

"He has to come even if he doesn't want to." Officer Yu said impulsively, then quickly realized he had misspoken and hurried to amend, "No, what I mean is, how could he not want to come? Don't be fooled by your brother's cold expression and harsh words; that's just the normal emotion of a corporate worker who has been overworked. He still cares about you..."

Yuan: "But your brother said that among this group of people, there is an old lady with a head full of white hair. She is about 1.5 meters tall, an elderly woman, who can climb a three-meter wall with her bare hands. Isn't that quite strange? Of course, you clever people will say that she might be wearing makeup..."

How old are you? Can you tell which accent it is?

Officer Yu frowned and exchanged a glance with his colleague—according to the anonymous caller, several thugs were seen surrounding a student, behaving inappropriately, and it was unclear what they were doing. They requested that someone be sent to investigate.

Liu Zhongqi responded hesitantly, stealing a glance at him, as if anticipating something

"Then why don't you go home to live? Your mother is not around, and no one is bothering you," Yu Yan said. "Renting a place is so expensive."

Half an hour later, the two of them arrived at the dead end.

Yu Lanchuan: "... ... Shut up"

Yuan nodded slightly

Seeing his little eyes, Yu Lanchuan couldn't help but sigh quietly. He took out his phone from his pocket and said, "Alright, then I'll send you a red envelope to calm your nerves."

When Yu Lanchuan was ten years old, his parents peacefully separated due to differing life philosophies. Yu Lanchuan stayed with his mother, who remarried a stepfather a year later.

Yuan casually borrowed a disinfecting wipe from a female colleague and tossed it to him, while blowing cold air from the air conditioner and scolding: "Helping others should be done within one's means. Didn't your teacher teach you that? Oh, she asked you to go with her, and you just went along. Liu Zhongqi, since you are so obedient, why not spend your precious summer vacation at home doing your homework? Your brother works overtime every day, so no one is looking after you, right?"

In comparison to Yan, between the two walls of the narrow alley, there is barely enough space for a person to spread their arms: "There is absolutely no room for a running start... Wow!"

"What is so surprising about climbing over a wall? It's nothing to make a fuss about." Yu Lanchuan expressed his disinterest with a "tch," shook the water droplets off his glasses, and casually wiped them with the corner of his clothing. "It's quite normal for an adult man to jump and reach a height of three meters with a bit of exercise. Haven't you seen the military training where they 'scale walls'? Even high school students in parkour clubs can demonstrate wall climbing in five seconds."

Liu Zhongqi shook his head: "... ... I didn't notice."

"So do you know who would report to the police for you?" Yu Yan asked, "Think carefully, when you left with that old lady, was there anyone who noticed?"

A young boy, both foolish and stubborn, cannot withstand intimidation, yet he maintains a good demeanor. When bullied outside, he generally feels embarrassed to return home and speak of it. They are all prime targets, and even after being dealt with, they still wish to be dealt with again.

"Alright, if you don't want to hear it, I won't say anything." After Yu Yan waited for him to finish eating, he began to ask, "Now let's talk about business. Describe to me those people who asked you for money. How many people are there in total?"

Yuan: "What I saw with my own eyes was a three-meter-high wall; with a single push and pull, a person vanished without a trace"

When his younger brother was born, Yu Lanchuan was already in middle school, so he used the excuse of "the child interfering with his studies" to go live at school for some peace and quiet. His late grandfather had an elder brother, whom Yu Lanchuan should call "Great Uncle"; he was a lonely old man. At that time, the old man lived not far from the middle school Yu Lanchuan attended, and during holidays, he often used the reason of "visiting Great Uncle" to avoid going home

Yulan Chuan sighed, "During the morning rush hour, there are ten major congested routes, and I have to pass through three of them"

I don't know, anyway, they are not locals. A few men are in their thirties. The old lady... I am not sure, at first I saw her as thin and small, with all white hair, and hunched over, I thought she might be seventy or eighty years old. Liu Zhongqi recalled for a moment, a hint of confusion on his face, "But when you all arrived, she was climbing over the wall. An old lady in her seventies or eighties... it can't be possible for her to climb over the wall, right?"

Yu Yan inspected the wall in the dead end, which was nearly three meters high. The wall was very smooth, with almost no places to climb or gain leverage. There was only a faint footprint visible on the wall. If Yu Yan had not personally seen the last figure flash and disappear from the top of the wall, he might have suspected that someone had made a false report.

Yu Yan: "Ah? Are you really going to come with me? I haven't finished analyzing this yet, and if I have to do my makeup..."

However, the problem is that the road in the muddy alley is very difficult to navigate, especially in summer, when it is narrow and crowded. From the time they are dispatched to the time they arrive at the scene, it definitely takes more than two or three minutes

An hour later, the Big-tailed Wolf, Yu Lanchuan, finally arrived late, entering with a hurried expression, pretending to be quite convincing, just like that person who acts all high and mighty on the phone is a dog.

Yan Qiaoqiao quietly wrote the words "Ask Master Lan" in her notebook, and then asked, "After they stopped you, what did they say to you?"

"I do not yearn for wealth and nobility, what do I yearn for? Do I yearn for you? Get lost." Yu Lanchuan kicked away Yu Yan's foot, dragged out the robot vacuum that had died under the sofa, and charged it. "If I could squeeze out some time, I would have gone out to take a Didi long ago. I wonder if Dad has a mortgage now? Not to mention being filial, he still reaches out for money."

"This group of scammers today, I suspect they are from your side," Yu Yan said, "Have they been coming after you recently?"

A shell button rolled across the ground.

He remembers that when he had just graduated, the morning rush hour started at 7:00 AM, but it has now been moved up to 6:30 AM. In another two years, these people might not even plan to sleep.

Yu Yan : `` ... ... ''

In Yan's probing question: "Were there others nearby when they asked you for money?"

"My brother is not cold-faced, nor is he bad-tempered." The young man fell silent for a moment, lowered his head, and said, "He has never scolded me, nor has he ever had a falling out with me; my brother only sends me red envelopes."

Liu Zhongqi continued, "I said, 'Why don't you go rob?' The bald man replied, 'What else do you think we are doing, discussing a business deal with you?' I said again that I didn't have that much cash, so they took my bag, found that I really didn't have much cash in my wallet, and took my student ID, telling me to go back and prepare the money, and that they would come to the school to collect it in a couple of days... I wanted to call the police, but they noticed and tried to take my phone, but at that moment, you all arrived and they didn't manage to take it." I said again that I didn't have that much cash, so they took my bag, found that I really didn't have much cash in my wallet, and took my student ID, telling me to go back and prepare the money, and that they would come to the school to collect it in a couple of days... I wanted to call the police, but they noticed and tried to take my phone, but at that moment, you all arrived and they didn't manage to take it.

However, not long ago, Yu Lanchuan's mother received an invitation from a laboratory abroad. This spirited elderly lady, who believes in fighting until the end of life, resolutely decided to take her family to battle in the United States. However, settling down abroad is uncertain, and it is not clear how many years they will stay. The youngest son has just entered high school and is a typical student with a strong inclination towards science, but his English is poor. Therefore, the family decided to leave him in the country to continue his studies and observe his academic performance before making further decisions.

Yan then spoke in a serious tone: "I need to talk to you about what your brother did today."

Liu Zhongqi looked at him in confusion and said, "It wasn't long, just a few words... maybe two or three minutes, what's the matter?"

Yu Lanchuan pointed to the door and said, "Get lost if there's nothing wrong."

This is it. Yu Yan pointed it out to him, "When I arrived, that person was standing at this position on the wall, and there was still half a footprint. The dead end has three walls; if he had climbed over from the inside wall, I could understand, but he climbed over from the side wall."

Mr. Lan is inherently somewhat cold-hearted and indifferent, and coupled with the fact that he hardly spends a few days at home throughout the year, he truly has little affection for this younger brother.

Then just get to the point. Yu Lanchuan casually took off his glasses, rinsed them under the faucet, and said nonchalantly, Eating a few losses will make one wiser in the future; experiencing setbacks is also a way to broaden one's horizons

During a serious handover with his colleague, Yan Zheng happened to live not far from Yu Lanchuan's rental place, so he hitched a ride and stopped by to visit his childhood friend for a while. Upon seeing him, he immediately approached with a grin and said: "He doesn't want me, but I want to be with you, brother. Do you still need a younger brother? If not, I can be your son instead."

Liu Zhongqi crumpled the hamburger wrapper into a ball and pretended to be indifferent, saying: "No need, I will take the subway back myself, anyway my brother doesn't want to pick me up at all"

As Yan Shunshi reclined on his sofa, he remarked: "The Master once said, 'The orchid and the bamboo grow in the secluded valley; one cultivates the Way and establishes virtue.' Master Lan, did we not agree to shun wealth and nobility?"

Meanwhile, Yu Yan heard a "sizzle" sound as a small object bounced onto his face

After Officer Yu finished listening, he smacked his lips, feeling not only unsympathetic but also a bit envious.

How much compensation?

"I am not saying that you did anything wrong." Seeing the young man looking pitiful, Yu Yan's tone softened, "Well... no matter what, the intention to help others is good and deserves praise, right? I just called your brother, and he will come to pick you up soon. Let's eat something first—do you want ice cream?"

Liu Zhongqi was taken aback, unconsciously pinching the curled business card in his pocket: "Indeed... there was someone who helped me at that time, but I am not sure..."

"Child, what I am telling you now, you may not understand yet," Yu Yan said with careful consideration of his words. "When you grow up, you will understand that love is very ethereal and elusive; only red envelopes truly represent what is good for you."

Yuan quickly turned on the flashlight and saw General Yu squatting on the wall with an expression that was hard to describe, clutching his own collar—his movements were too vigorous, causing his shirt to tear.

Liu Zhongqi: "My brother is an automatic red envelope machine"

Yan thought for a moment and shook his head: "We, the impoverished who take the subway, cannot comprehend the suffering of the wealthy. "

However, this is not a story about a small cabbage. According to Yan's understanding, after Yu Lanchuan's parents divorced, their relationship remained quite good, and they both felt guilty towards their child. Including the stepfather, they all provided him with double the care. One person providing double care means that three people provide six times the care, and this overwhelming concern nearly suffocated Yu Lanchuan, making him want to run away from home every day due to the adults' incessant nagging

Yu Lanchuan impatiently interrupted him: "I gave an example that parkour practitioners can climb walls, but I didn't say that everyone who climbs walls practices parkour. Old Xian, will you ever learn how to write the two characters for 'logic' in your lifetime?"

Before Officer Yu finished speaking, Yu Lanchuan had already picked up the car keys and was at the door changing shoes: "Let's go"

Four people: an elderly lady and three men. Among the three men, one is bald, one has a scarred face, and the other has a slight limp, walking with a wobble.

In the alley behind the muddy pond, there are many narrow paths that even tricycles cannot enter, so at that time, the police car could only park at the entrance, approximately two hundred meters away from the location where the scam gang was operating

Yu Lanchuan paused and said, "Hmm?"

Liu Zhongqi's sneakers and backpack are not cheap, which indicates that this child comes from a well-off family. He likely has a considerable amount of pocket money and New Year's money. However, as an underage boy, adults in the family generally do not allow him to manage large sums of cash, with a thousand being appropriate. This gang has quite a bit of experience in scamming, and they can easily estimate the amount of money this child can freely dispose of.

You are saying that there is a small group of parkour enthusiasts engaging in scams in our city

As Yan listened, he stifled a laugh, but as he continued to hold it in, he sensed something was amiss: "Wait a moment, how much time elapsed from when these few people surrounded you to when they snatched your phone"

Yu Lanchuan was somewhat shocked: "Are today's mischievous children suffering from a phase of adolescent rebellion, to the extent that they don't even want money?"

Yu Lanchuan returned home for two days, feeling as if he had not come home to sleep, but merely to check in, which was hardly worth the fuel spent

Yu Lanchuan : `` ... ... ''

"To make you look like an old lady, and to do so without any flaws in close proximity, that requires some serious skills in body shrinking." Yu Lanchuan recalled the earlier discussion that had a rather laid-back tone, and forcefully swallowed the words 'fool'. "Hurry up, I still have to review the report tonight"

This young man is quite serious, always trying to act like an adult, but he does so poorly, with foolishness seeping through his words. Yan feels that he is unlike his brother, who is both despicable and shrewd, as if they were not born of the same mother

Liu Zhongqi's face instantly darkened, and without saying a word, he turned and left, slamming the door to his room behind him

Yu Lanchuan pulled a bottle of soda water from the refrigerator and tossed it to him: "I haven't charged you for the ride yet."

They said I ran over the old lady and need to pay compensation

Yan waved his hand good-naturedly and said: "Ah, you, when you encounter fools, you become irritable. Being irritable only harms your own liver. Moreover, there are many fools in the world, and you are fighting alone against us. Don't you feel outnumbered? Be a bit more Buddha-like, a bit more peaceful, handsome, and don't forget that you are a health enthusiast"

"Old lady, do you dare to help? Are we a family with immense wealth?" Yu Lanchuan drove his younger brother home, and along the way, there was neither criticism nor comfort. Upon arriving home, he casually made a light-hearted remark and then sent him off to rest, saying, "You were scared today, wash up and go to bed early. I will have a few words with your brother Yu."

All their regulations state that on-duty police officers are not allowed to order takeout unless necessary, as it may create a negative impression. This small item was bought by him after running a considerable distance, leaving him drenched in sweat

It is somewhat difficult to refute.

In just these two hundred meters, by the time the police arrived, the group of scammers had already scaled the wall and fled

one thousand

"How scandalous," said the officer, covering his face, "Young hero, continue with the scandal!"

I ranked in the top ten of my grade in the final exam, and he sent me a red envelope; to please him, I cleaned the house, and he sent me another red envelope; after getting into a fight with a classmate from the basketball team and writing a self-criticism, which required my parents' signature, he signed it without even looking and still sent me a red envelope. Liu Zhongqi took a fierce bite of his hamburger and said, 'Maybe one day if I commit murder or arson, he will also send me a red envelope and let me take a taxi to turn myself in'

In other words, the person who reported the incident had prior knowledge of the location where the scam group was operating before Liu Zhongqi was surrounded

How did you know