Electronic Nezha

Chapter 58 Affection
"Old Liu, I'm going in first." The delivery driver called out to me as he got on his tricycle.

"Go ahead, Old Wang is here."

The tricycle entered the market at 2:59 PM, which did not violate any regulations.

Zhang Biao lay on the ground for a while, gradually regaining his senses. He suddenly got up and was about to pounce on Hao Hao in a fit of rage when someone shouted, "The police are here!"

A third-level police superintendent appeared with an auxiliary police officer, who was holding a camera.

Zhang Biao immediately cried out, "Police officer, someone's been killed again!"

The two police officers looked grave, their expressions turning extremely grim as they recognized the individuals involved. Repeated offenses are a different matter altogether!

"What's wrong now?" the auxiliary police officer gritted his teeth.

"Hey, where's the guy who hit you? Did he run inside?" The third-level superintendent, not seeing Old Wang, pointed at me and asked, "Is it your turn this time?"

Before the crowd could clarify things for me, Zhang Biao pointed at Hao Hao and said, "It was him, he hit me! Officer, look what he did to me!" The same lines gave people a sense of time travel. He turned his head to show the police the back of his head, where blood was flowing down, like red hair.

The third-level superintendent scrutinized the assailant, and when his eyes met Hao Hao's clear gaze, he took off his hat, scratched his head, and said, "This is Hao Hao, isn't he?"

Aunt Xu said quietly, "Yes, he is my son, and he is mentally challenged."

Zhang Biao immediately grasped the weight of the word "idiot" and shouted, "You're his guardian, you have to pay me compensation! This matter won't be over until it's worth at least 100,000!"

"Wait a minute," said the third-level superintendent. "Why did he hit you?"

I stepped forward and said, "Hao Hao didn't hit him at all; he fell down on his own."

Everyone chimed in, "That's right, we've never seen Hao Hao hit anyone in all these years!"

"No!" Zhang Biao shouted, "He kicked me!"

The auxiliary police officer asked the onlookers, "Is there CCTV footage?"

"Yes, yes, yes, we have it this time!" The enthusiastic citizens busied themselves, some looking for surveillance footage, others raising their phones to show off the wonderful moments they had captured.

There are surveillance cameras at the entrance of the fruit market, and many nearby merchants also have their own. Two police officers went into the security room, where various surveillance videos were gathered, and the truth of the matter was gradually revealed.

From the moment Zhang Biao flagged down the pedicab, the quick-witted Sister Zhao provided the explanation:
"Market rules state that trucks are not allowed to enter after 3 PM, and it's 2:30 now. Oh, none of that matters. Officer, look, Aunt Xu and Hao Hao are here. Zhang Biao won't let them in, and then he starts hitting Hao Hao—"

The video clearly shows Zhang Biao kicking Hao Hao once. When he kicked Hao Hao a second time, Hao Hao dodged to the side, tripping Zhang Biao. Zhang Biao fell down, hitting his head on his bicycle and then hitting the ground.

This time, the two policemen simply turned their heads away and that was it. It's like someone who's seen it all before and can't be impressed by anything else; their sense of humor has become too refined...

Zhang Biao shouted, "Look, look, he's the one who hit me!"

The auxiliary police officer said, "That idiot didn't lay a hand on anyone; you were the one hitting him the whole time."

Zhang Biao said, "He used his feet!"

The third-level superintendent stared at him and said, "Is it fun to be so clever?" Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Are you bored?" He looked like he wanted to kick Zhang Biao.

Zhang Biao cried out in protest, "He has to give me an explanation!"

The auxiliary police officer said, "What explanation do you have for me? Even if he beats you to death, it's not a crime, you know?"

A third-level superintendent quickly corrected him: "Don't say that."

The auxiliary police officer said, "Mainly, he didn't intend to hit you. You tripped and fell when you hit him, so who's to blame? If he were a normal person, he could say that you had a conflict and you should divide the responsibility. This time, you can only accept your bad luck."

Zhang Biao said angrily, "Oh, it's not illegal for him to hit me, but it's illegal for me to hit him—" The two policemen said in unison, "It's illegal for you to hit him."

Zhang Biao jumped up and shouted, "Is there any justice in this world?"

At this moment, I have no regrets about the chip being accidentally swallowed by a fool!

The third-level police superintendent said to Zhang Biao, "This time you have only yourself to blame. You are responsible for your injuries. Do you have any objections? If so, you can report it to our superiors. Do you need me to give you a phone number?"

Zhang Biao, his old wounds still fresh, was struck by a new one. Clutching the back of his head, he walked away angrily, drawing laughter and boos from the surrounding merchants and crowd.

The third-level superintendent said to the security guard in a serious tone, "Make a copy of the video so we can take it back as evidence."

……

When I returned to my stall, the delivery driver had already left, and the apples were unloaded onto the metal cart but hadn't been put into storage yet. Old Wang and Li Ping stood in front of their respective stalls, craning their necks to look ahead; you could see their long necks stretched out from a distance…

"You're finally back! I heard the police came. What happened next?" Old Wang asked me eagerly.

The crowd was still gathered at the entrance, discussing the matter with great interest. Old Wang and Li Ping had probably only heard snippets of conversation from the delivery driver. Sister Zhao, who was also at the entrance, was out of the loop, leaving Old Wang and Li Ping feeling restless and eager to get their attention. When they saw me, they were like fledglings returning to their nest, eagerly awaiting my arrival.

When I told him what happened next, Old Wang was filled with regret: "It's all your fault for not letting me go. I missed such a wonderful show."

Li Ping said, "If you go, the show won't be interesting. It will just be that you and Zhang Biao will be giving statements at the police station again."

I secretly praised his insightful observation. For a play to be engaging, the main characters must each be in their proper roles. Zhao Yun's seven charges into and out of Changban Slope and Zhang Fei's defense of Dangyang Bridge are what make a play. If the two of them switched positions, it would immediately become unwatchable. Zhang Fei's seven charges into and out of Changban Slope is barely acceptable, but Zhao Yun, a young general with a jade-faced face and white robes, shouting "Waaah!" is simply out of place.

Aunt Xu and Hao Hao slowly walked over to our row of stalls. Aunt Xu's bicycle back seat was already quite full of goods. It seems that as her popularity has increased, many merchants have joined the ranks of sponsoring Aunt Xu.

Aunt Xu walked along calmly, smiling whenever someone greeted her. The pressures of life were constant, and neither the daily turmoil nor the excitement could easily cause her emotions to fluctuate.

Hao Hao remained as clueless as ever, but there was a very subtle change in his eyes when he saw me.

Old Wang picked up a tangerine and tossed it to Hao Hao, saying, "Good for you, kid, you know how to protect your mom now."

Hao Hao didn't move an inch. The tangerine hit his chest and fell to the ground. Old Wang was too excited and forgot that Hao Hao was "stupid." This action showed Old Wang's affection for Hao Hao...

Aunt Xu bent down to pick up the tangerines, peeling them as she said, "What does he know? It was just a coincidence." She handed the peeled tangerines to Hao Hao, and Old Wang said, "Aunt Xu, you eat these, I'll get him some more."

Aunt Xu said, "My teeth can't handle sweets anymore."

Old Wang said, "You're only in your fifties—"

Aunt Xu smiled and shook her head, watching Hao Hao stuff the orange into his mouth.

At this moment, I really need to be alone with Hao Hao for a while. I need to get rid of all the "irrelevant people"!

Li Ping went to collect the cardboard boxes in the room again. Actually, she didn't have much left, but she still tried her best to find some. This action showed Li Ping's respect and affection for Aunt Xu...

I said to Aunt Xu, "Aunt Xu, we have quite a few cardboard boxes in our house, but you'll have to go in and take them yourself. Old Wang and I, the two old men, don't usually tidy up." Aunt Xu nodded and went inside.

I then said to Lao Wang, "Brother Wang, break the newly arrived apples into smaller packages and sell them individually. We'll count the rest and carry them together later."

"I've counted them," Old Wang said, and went to unpack the boxes.

I immediately moved closer to Hao Hao and said in a very low voice, "I'm telling you, listen! When you want to talk, just pretend you're chewing something."

While chewing on a tangerine, Hao Hao whispered, "Number 0, I want to follow you from now on!"

(End of this chapter)