**
"What are you scared of?" Xu Mo frowned and scoffed. "We were just about to call the cops ourselves, and now they're here. Even the heavens are on our side!"
"What do you mean, Mr. Xu?" the bald man asked, puzzled.
"I'm leaving. You stay here and call the police," Xu Mo instructed. "Those cops might just be passing by. If you report the incident now, they'll handle it right away. Act like you stumbled upon the scene by chance and describe Ji Feng's appearance clearly." He turned to leave, adding, "Brother Chao, if you handle this well, I won't forget it!"
With that, Xu Mo slipped into a narrow alley and vanished.
Once he was gone, Xu Mo let out a relieved sigh. The sound of sirens had reminded him of his father Xu Fu's advice: never leave any evidence that could be used against you.
Xu Mo knew his father was in a tough spot. The county party secretary, Tong Kaide, was gathering evidence to take down corrupt officials, including Xu Fu. If Xu Mo got caught up in this mess, it could spiral out of control.
That's why he left Bald Chao to clean up the mess and made his escape.
"Damn you, spoiled brat!" Bald Chao cursed under his breath, glaring at the alley where Xu Mo had disappeared. "You caused this trouble, and now I'm stuck dealing with it!"
He spat on the ground in frustration but knew he had no choice. Xu Mo might be a reckless rich kid, but his father was a cunning old fox. Crossing Xu Fu could ruin Bald Chao's business.
Grumbling, he turned to the six men groaning on the ground. "One of you stays here. The rest, get in the car—now! When the cops show up, you know what to say, right?"
The men nodded weakly. "We know, Big Brother."
They were humiliated, having been beaten so badly by a single young kid.
"Good. Erzi, you stay," Bald Chao said, pointing at a skinny guy. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you."
Before Erzi could respond, Bald Chao grabbed a stick and smashed it down on Erzi's leg.
*Crack!*
Erzi screamed and collapsed, writhing in pain.
Satisfied, Bald Chao pulled out his phone, dialed the police, and gave a detailed description of the incident's location.
---
*Bang!*
Captain Yan slammed the phone down and glared at Ji Feng. "Your name's Ji Feng, right? Tell me what happened again."
Startled, Ji Feng repeated his story. With his photographic memory, he could recall every detail perfectly, but to avoid suspicion, he made a few minor mistakes. The core of his account stayed the same.
When he finished, Ji Feng glanced at Captain Yan, confused. *Why's he acting so cold after that call? Did Xu Mo's father pull some strings to get me in trouble?*
In truth, Captain Yan had only received a report from the duty officer. Someone had called about a violent fight at the same location Ji Feng described, claiming one person was seriously injured.
But the caller's story didn't match Ji Feng's. One called it a robbery; the other, a brawl. The nature of the incident was completely different.
That's why Captain Yan asked Ji Feng to repeat himself.
Seeing that Ji Feng's story hadn't changed, Captain Yan began to doubt the caller's account. *Maybe the passerby got it wrong?*
---
When Bald Chao saw Captain Yan leading the police—and Ji Feng standing nearby—his face paled.
"Bald Chao, you again?" Captain Yan's eyes narrowed. The officers behind him recognized Bald Chao too and subtly surrounded him.
*Damn it, why'd it have to be this guy?* Bald Chao cursed inwardly but forced a smile. "Captain Yan! What a coincidence!"
"Coincidence?" Captain Yan sneered. "You called the police, didn't you? Since when are you so civic-minded?"
Bald Chao's smile faltered, but he quickly recovered. "You're joking, Captain. I was just passing by. I'm a legitimate businessman, you know. You've got me all wrong!"
"Legitimate businessman?" Captain Yan scoffed, glancing at the man groaning on the ground. "That guy's one of your thugs, and you're telling me you don't know him?"
Bald Chao's face darkened, and Ji Feng's expression shifted too.
"Captain Yan, it's a misunderstanding," Bald Chao said, lowering his voice and stepping closer. He whispered something in Captain Yan's ear, then turned to Ji Feng. "Kid, you and my buddy just bumped into each other by accident. It's all a misunderstanding, right?"
"Misunderstanding?" Captain Yan's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Ji Feng, what do you say?"
Ji Feng caught the threatening glint in Bald Chao's eyes and hesitated, his mind racing.
After a moment, he said, "Yeah, it's a misunderstanding. But I don't want this kind of 'misunderstanding' happening again."
"Exactly!" Bald Chao chuckled nervously, turning to Captain Yan. "Sorry for wasting your time, Captain. I'll treat you and your team to dinner as an apology!"
"No need," Captain Yan said coldly. "Just make sure this doesn't happen again."
"Of course, of course!" Bald Chao nodded eagerly, helping his injured thug up and hurrying away.
---
As Ji Feng watched, everything clicked. The men who attacked him were Bald Chao's lackeys. Xu Mo and Bald Chao had clearly planned to frame him, but Captain Yan's bad history with Bald Chao had ruined their scheme.
Ji Feng felt a surge of relief. If Captain Yan hadn't been the one on duty—if it had been someone loyal to Xu Mo's father—things could've gone very differently.
Ji Feng and his mother had no connections in Mangshi County. If he'd been falsely accused, no one would've stood up for him. He'd have been helpless.
At that moment, a fierce determination burned in Ji Feng's heart. *I need to become stronger.*
Only by growing powerful could he protect himself and his mother from being trampled on by others!