Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: The Unpredictability of Human Nature, Unknown Good and Evil (Part 2)

”Perhaps only your son isn’t motivated by money?” Zhang Ye looked at the documents he had collected the day before, only one person indeed had enough allowance, but the others didn’t.

”Then why would my son fight? It doesn’t make sense—especially with a child so young.” The blonde-haired woman stood up abruptly, stepping past Luo Qianqian and her group to confront Zhang Ye across the desk: ”Although we usually don’t control our child strictly, it’s unreasonable for him to rob for a day’s allowance at his age, not to mention he wouldn’t knowingly commit a crime. Weren’t his previous incidents just simple group fights? How did it escalate to robbery, and for such a trivial amount of money?”

”Hehe.” Luo Qianqian sneered coldly. If such people weren’t motivated by money, there were only two possibilities: one was for brotherhood, where he felt compelled to join his friends, so he just went along, and that issue could be simply resolved by contributing his own allowance; the second required a visit to a psychologist, as it involved seeking thrills without wanting to harm oneself, hence attacking much smaller people, who could easily be threatened into silence and wouldn’t dare speak out.

”You can ask him yourself,” Zhang Ye said in a by-the-book manner, though his eyes displayed sheer indifference. ”Parents are always the first teachers of their children, and you can tell the upbringing through the child’s behavior. Having money at home doesn’t necessarily equate to having good manners or excellence; children from less wealthy families can still place great emphasis on politeness and manners. I might even say that with such a son, you must have not refrained from harshly treating your subordinates or domestic workers at home; otherwise, where could the child have learned it? Yesterday’s witnesses confirmed your sons started the altercation. Would you prefer to settle this privately or should it proceed to a public prosecution for investigation?”

”My son is the only child in our family, of course, we’d settle it privately! Just state how much money you need, as long as we can get past this incident, it doesn’t matter what it costs!” The blonde-haired woman declared, slapping her wallet down: ”I’ll do anything for the sake of my son!”

”Auntie, you probably don’t have the final say in this, right? There aren’t enough of you for the minority to dictate to the majority,” Luo Qianqian added provocatively, peeking out behind her brother to hint at the blonde-haired woman’s overlooked companions, the sullen ’silent wealthy women duo.’

”Qianqian, don’t talk recklessly,” Luo Shufan immediately pulled his sister, who looked eager to stir trouble, back behind him.

”Err...” The blonde-haired woman turned to see the two unmoved women, clenched her fists tightly, and with a resolute look turned back and said, ”I will cover all the compensation myself, as long as the child is safe.”

”Err, err, err.” Luo Shufan was speechless about such a woman; was this what they call a fool and her money are soon parted? The main parties hadn’t even spoken, and she was rushing to play the scapegoat? Was she just fodder, meant to take the blame?

”Blonde... Auntie, what color is your son’s hair?” As long as it wasn’t one of those who hurt Shufan and Xiao Yu, it was fine to let it go, thinking of the mother who in order to make her life better, was willing to work two jobs despite her frail health last life, made Luo Qianqian’s heart ache for Luo’s Mom. If not for her brother also taking on the burden finally, Luo’s Mom might not have lasted until she was admitted to college, although it wasn’t a top university, but the family was very happy.

”Hair? Last time he came home I saw it was pink, before that it was a bit yellow, a few days ago I saw it was blue,” the blonde-haired woman pondered, providing a vague and ambiguous answer.

”Was there also blue?” Luo Qianqian asked uncertainly, looking towards Luo Shufan, who shook his head indicating he wasn’t concerned, then towards He Wenyu, who was deep in thought, and finally towards Zhang Ye, who nodded.

”The person who initiated the attack didn’t have blue hair, I remember there was red, green, yellow, and white hair, definitely no blue,” Luo Shufan quickly covered his sister’s mouth, who was about to continue speaking. If there were to be any retaliation, let it be directed at him. As the brother, he should naturally protect his sister.

”Why arrest him without reason?!” The blonde-haired woman angrily confronted Zhang Ye, slamming the desk: ”My son didn’t hit anyone!” she said while pulling back her wallet. The expressionless ’statue’ duo’s faces finally showed some emotion, eyes glinting at Luo Shufan, seemingly blaming him for meddling too much.

Luo Qianqian and Luo Shufan didn’t know that every time the Rainbow Combination was arrested before, the compensation and bail were paid by a blonde woman who never doubted whether her son had committed any wrongdoing; she only cared about her child’s safety.

”The hair color was clearly indicative of their group, right? And when we brought them in, no one resisted.” Zhang Ye felt somewhat aggrieved, as if he had suddenly become a bad cop who couldn’t differentiate right from wrong.

”Uncle Police, we don’t remember that person fighting; he seemed to just stand by and watch. We don’t recall anyone else yelling at us either.” After thinking for a moment with his head lowered, Shufan spoke first, holding onto his restless sister.

Finally, Luo Qianqian couldn’t hold back any longer and said, ”Uncle Zhang, how many people did you bring in anyway?”

”The main issue is why didn’t those who didn’t fight say anything when brought in? I remember there were six, including a short one with black hair, who looked out of place, but he didn’t say anything either,” recalled Zhang Ye, thinking of the child who, though small and skinny with a pale complexion and wearing glasses, looked like the perpetual good student who gets bullied.

Black hair? Luo Qianqian looked at her brother questioningly. Luo Shufan too stared back at his sister, equally stunned.

They couldn’t recall anyone with normal-colored hair. A blue hair that wasn’t in their memory was already unexpected. How could nobody have noticed such an anomaly? It simply didn’t make sense.

”What are you thinking? Settle privately or go through legal proceedings?” Zhang Ye was still focused on the deputy chief’s instructions to try for a private settlement. Though the law would not permit any less compensation, the process would be much slower.

”Legal...” Luo’s Mom and He’s father both spoke at once.

”Private settlement!!!” Luo Qianqian shouted, cutting off her mother and step-father’s words, ”Those two aunts over there, although you’ve been quiet, you must feel the same, right? My brother has already been diagnosed with minor injuries. An adult would face up to three years of imprisonment. Even though your sons are not yet eighteen, they are at least sixteen, right?” Seeing Zhang Ye nod, she continued, ”They still have to bear legal responsibility. Don’t think being a child will make everything okay. Huaxia’s ’Minor Protection Law’ is not meant to protect societal scum who bully others by exploiting their status!”

”Qianqian!” Luo Shufan stepped in front of his sister, shielding her from those malicious glares, then added, ”I’m the victim here. Mom, listen to me. Let’s settle privately to avoid making things ugly, we still have to study in this city!”

Luo’s Mom looked at her son, with a solemn expression shielding his sister, and at her daughter, frustrated for being protected by her brother yet unable to break free. She was momentarily stunned, wondering when her children had matured so much. Had she been too neglectful?

”Private settlement.” A young voice from the motionless, stern-eyed ’sculpture’ duo concluded decisively.

The sight of the two filled Luo Qianqian’s thoughts with turmoil—medical expenses, nutrition fees, lost wages, emotional distress damages. Wow, not to demand a little extra felt like a disservice to her unconscious brother’s teeth and the blood Xiao Yu had shed. Although her heart was already dancing with joy, she remained pitifully huddled behind her brother on the surface.