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Twentieth Period (1)
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Zhou Jinwei didn’t even have the time to digest this absurd reality before he was forced to carry out his duties and obligations as a father.
After hanging up the phone, he stood in place for at least another ten minutes. Afterwards, he rubbed his brows and went to get his coat that was on the sofa. At the same time, he made a phone call.
Inside Pingjiang Police Station, the man was wincing in pain, hollering at the police to take him to get an injury assessment, “If there’s not at least eight thousand to ten grand, don’t even f#$%ing think about settling this matter.”
Zhou Yanli coldly sneered. Poor bastards sure deserve to be poor for life. After a beating, don’t even know to ask for more. Just asking for ten grand? Even when brushing off a beggar, he’d give more than this.
“You were the one that hit me first, why should I give you money? Look!” He pointed at his cheek, “If you really want to play it that way, wanna bet I can make you give me everything you’ve got?”
There was a distinct red mark on his face, clearly from having been punched by someone.
Although, for Zhou Yanli, the other party’s punch was soft and weak, but no matter how weak, that was still a punch thrown with all his strength in a fit of rage, so it was impossible for it not leave a mark.
The police officer knocked on the table with the file in hand, “Alright, all of you be quiet.”
He then asked Zhou Yanli, “Your personal record can’t be found in the system, what’s up with that?”
It naturally can’t be found. He wasn’t even born at this time. It’d be strange if it could be found.
When the police officer learned that he was still underage, they let him contact his family. The first person he thought of was just Zhou Jinwei. He can’t let Jiang Huihui find out about this matter. Given how timid she was, she’ll probably be too scared to sleep for half a month.
Considering that he’d already contacted Zhou Jinwei, those personal records and whatnot, he’ll just wait for him to come handle.
Hearing his words, the police officer could only wait for the time being.
He then glanced at that man whose face was bruised and swollen from the beating, warning him with a solemn look, “This is the police station, so settle down!”
Judging from the tattoos on him and that arrogant attitude of his, one could tell that he was a frequent guest here. The public safety of Pingjiang during this period, relatively speaking, was still very bad, with the underworld and the authorities mixing together. Going around in the streets, you can find hundreds of people like him.
The police would also frequently remind the residents to not go out alone at night, especially young women.
For a high school student to be able to have a street thug beaten up like this, it was actually quite impressive.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
It was very cold at night. The air conditioner inside was also broken. Despite blowing for a while, one was unable to feel any warm air. When Zhou Yanli came out, he didn’t put on a coat either.
Now, the cold was becoming somewhat unbearable. Zhou Yanli got even angrier and glanced at the man next to him in annoyance.
The other party was angrily cursing, saying that this matter won’t be over with easily, and asking Zhou Yanli which school he attended. He spoke rather forcefully.
However, in the end, a single glare from Zhou Yanli left him too scared to even breathe. He hadn’t forgotten how he’d gotten pinned to the ground and beaten by him earlier, completely powerless to fight back. It was also seeing how they were at the police station now, knowing that he won’t act up here, he thus dared to provoke him.
Zhou Jinwei arrived an hour later. Together with him was a well-dressed middle-aged man in a suit.
The man was carrying a briefcase in hand, his eyes and brows refined and scholarly. Upon seeing the police officer, he immediately went over to shake his hand.
The police officer curiously asked, “Zhou Yanli’s father?”
The man pushed his glasses, briefly introducing himself, “I’m Zhou Yanli’s lawyer. I’ll be responsible for handling his entire case. If there’s anything to say, you can discuss it with me.”
Zhou Jinwei walked in, his gaze pausing on Zhou Yanli for several seconds.
Sarcastically commenting, “You sure never rest.”
Since he had something to ask of the other party, even if angry, Zhou Yanli could only endure.
He retorted, “He made the first move. I was just acting in self-defense.”
Although his dad was strict, he was also protective of his own. If Zhou Yanli was at fault, his dad would never be lenient, punishing him as how he should be punished.
But if it wasn’t his fault, and the other party had provoked him first, then his dad would make them pay back tenfold.
Unlike now, where without even asking the situation, he just mocked him first.
Zhou Yanli felt increasingly sullen inside, desperately looking for a way to vent this anger, hating that he can’t have that man to the side beaten up again.
Yet, that person still continued to make a scene, especially after seeing Zhou Yanli call over a lawyer, “What the f$%# use is there calling in a lawyer? Wanna bet I can make you be unable to stay in Pingjiang anymore? Tell me, which f#$&ing school.”
Zhou Yanli just happened to have nowhere to vent his anger, “Pingjiang First High, I sure want to see how you’re gonna make me be unable to stay in Pingjiang!”
Zhou Jinwei slightly frowned and had his hand pressed down, “Enough.”
He glanced at the swollen red mark on his face. Just now, he heard him say that the other party had hit him first, “Did it get caught on camera?”
At times like this, only Zhou Jinwei and Jiang Huihui were able to stop him.
Zhou Yanli sat down again, “It did.”
“Alright.”
Zhou Jinwei didn’t say more. His gaze landed on that man. Judging by his age, he should be in his twenties or thirties, his face full of fat.
That person naturally also sensed Zhou Jinwei’s line of sight. At first, he was still thinking of glaring back, but unknown as to why, he strangely felt scared under his stare, with chills running down his back.
His gut feeling told him that this person right now was a hundred times more dangerous than the guy that beat him.
The lawyer came out after finishing the negotiations. For now, the matter has temporarily concluded. What to do next will be decided after reviewing the surveillance footage.
Both sides left their phone numbers, waiting to be summoned at any time.
The police officer glanced at the lawyer, then glanced at Zhou Jinwei, afterwards asking Zhou Yanli, “Didn’t I let you call your parents?”
Hearing that they can leave, Zhou Yanli couldn’t wait to get out of this lousy place. Even the air conditioner was broken, don’t know why the working condition of this place was this harsh.
They were serving the people after all, so can’t they spare some money to have it repaired?
He lazily got up and lifted his chin in Zhou Jinwei’s direction, “Didn’t he come? My dad.”
Zhou Jinwei: “…..”
The police officer shook his head. Youngsters nowadays just love to make jokes.
Exiting the police station, Zhou Yanli finally came to realize that having an air conditioner was always better than nothing. Although the warm air coming out of that air conditioner inside was practically nonexistent, it was still a bit of something.
The cold air outside really could freeze a person to death.
He stood there shivering, but halfway through, recalling that Zhou Jinwei was still present, he straightened his back, pretending to be composed, unwilling to let himself lose in front of him.
The latter was expressionless, taking off his coat and throwing it to him, “Stubbornly bent on saving face.”
Zhou Yanli didn’t hold back this time, swiftly putting on his coat. The two of them were similar in build, so his clothes fit him perfectly.
Thinking back to twenty years in the future, whether it’s in height or presence, Zhou Yanli, this high schooler, was unable to even lift his head in front of his dad.
That kind of oppressive feeling, though invisible, it was nevertheless everywhere.
But right now, it was different. Right now, they were the same age. Thinking to here, Zhou Yanli’s mood strangely improved.
The car was parked outside. The nearby road was under construction, so the car couldn’t drive in.
Many of the roads in Pingjiang were all very damaged. The great majority of the times, they were getting patched up over and over again.
The two of them walked toward the intersection.
At this hour, there was no one in the streets. Even the shops on both sides of the road have all long closed. Just, occasionally when passing by a barbershop, they could see the neon lights still on. This was also one of the few sources of light.
The silence lasted for a while before Zhou Yanli said, “This matter, don’t tell Jiang Huihui. She will worry.”
“En.” The other party’s response was unusually indifferent, without the slightest emotion.
Zhou Yanli furrowed his brows in irritation, “This is just your reaction?”
Zhou Jinwei stopped in his tracks, asking back, “What reaction should I have?”
How was he suppose to know how he should react? His own son encountering this kind of matter and ending up in the police station in the middle of the night, shouldn’t he at least ask, or show some concern?
Yet this guy was just like as if nothing had happened.
Zhou Yanli let out a ‘heh’, “What-the-f#$%-ever.”
Zhou Jinwei finally reacted. He frowned, “Don’t speak so crudely.”
Feeling defiant, he deliberately went against him, “I’m just crude to begin with, who let my dad not care about me!”
Zhou Jinwei: “…..”
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