Guilty for a Different Reason

Two boys launched themselves into a field of reeds just as the police car drove by.

They covered their faces behind the tall plants and waited with baited breath.

To their horror, they spotted the shiny shoes of an officer not too far from them.

Thoroughly spooked, they smothered themselves in the dirt, hoping to become a little more invisible.

Time passed with them laying like that.

"What do we do now?"

Xiaodong spoke to Zhifan who lay beside him.

"Is the officer gone?"

Zhifan cupped his ears and listened hard.

"I still hear that guy's footsteps."

"Seriously?"

"Wait, don't you think it's getting closer?"

"Sh*t. I hear it too. What do we do?"

"Stay still. He won't see us."

The footsteps came closer and closer until it stopped right before the tip of their noses.

'I think he saw us?'

From above, a sigh was released.

'Maybe...'

The boys slowly raised their heads to see Mike standing above them.

The three of them remained in that position before Mike let his thoughts slip past his tongue.

"I'm glad."

"That we're safe?"

Mike shook his head slowly.

"That I'm not as dumb as you."

Zhifan scowled and jumped up as if he was burned by something.

"I used to eat outdated food, but never did I think to crawl like a worm in the dirt like you two."

Mike fiddled with his phone and dialed Lukas' number.

Xiaodong dusted himself off.

"Whatever. Where do we go now?"

"Just wait, ok? I'm calling to find out."

He didn't have to wait for long. He put the call on speaker.

"Don't go to any of the thugs' bases. Just lay low until the girls get released from the station."

"Ok. How's Wu Shen?"

"Not good, not bad, but definitely not ok."

"Aha…"

Couldn't he just say it clearly?

"Once the girls contact us, I'll take you guys to another hideout of mine. But right now, it'd be easier for us to split up."

"Another hideout?"

Zhifan prayed silently on the side.

'Please be a clean building. Please be a clean building. Please be a-'

Xiaodong shuddered, but said nothing.

Lukas could feel their hesitation from the other side of the call. He threw a few words of reassurance.

"You'll like it."

With that, the call ended.

The three boys blinked at each other.

They didn't believe him. Not even a single bit.

Mike finally put his phone away and sat down.

"Well. I guess we just sit and wait."

Zhifan: …

Xiaodong: …

In the dirt?

. . .

-Hospital Ward-

The thugs had been hospitalized safely, and were now being questioned.

"We're innocent!"

The officer scowled, and the men admitted that statement was too shameless, even for them.

"Well, maybe not completely innocent, but overall we're innocent!"

The officer sighed, sat on a chair right in front of the door and flipped through the girls' records.

"Xiaozhi, previously victim of three cases of assault already…"

He continued flipping through until he stopped at Tingting's name and address.

"Hmm? This name! You guys actually had her this entire time!"

The men hushed in confusion.

"This girl has been missing for months. I can't believe you've been holding her hostage all this time. As I thought. I'll never understand the minds of criminals."

"...?"

Who was this officer talking about? If he was referring to the blonde girl then he couldn't be more mistaken. She was clearly working with the young leader. Hells, she even came up with the entire plan!

"To force yourselves upon young girls... Haa. Scum like you deserve to be locked up." The officer continued to shake his head at the men.

No, wait. Wasn't this strange? There was no denying that they had committed many crimes, but this wasn't one of them! Never in their life had they touched a woman without their consent.

The aggrieved gangsters denied even more fervently after realising this. To have their reputation stained after their hard work was intolerable.

The officer's face turned ugly at the sight.

On the one hand were two messed up girls, and on the other were a group of beat up grown men bleeding out with gunshot wounds.

It was a strange situation.

"So, what you're saying is that those two were with another gang who raided your den, killed your boss and shot you all up? Even if that were true, you're basically confessing that you're involved in illegal activities."

"It's fine! Who cares anymore! Just believe us!"

They would confess everything, as long as the people who killed their boss were dragged with them.

The men howled as the officer showed no sign of believing them.

"Ahem."

A second officer coughed and added,

"The two boys who ran off. Were they part of the other gang?"

"Yes, yes! Finally!"

"True, it is strange that they would run like that."

The men silently cheered as the officers were slowly beginning to believe them.

"You said they had guns? How would they even get so much of them?"

"How would we know?"

"The boys looked about 16. Are you telling us that they are proficient at using firearms?"

"Obviously not, they shot some of us in the eye, the leg, most of them were just blindly shooting."

"Yet you weren't able to injure a single one of them?"

"...No."

"Aha."

"It's true! Everything we've said is the truth!"

"Then who was the leader?"

"Why do you keep asking us?! You should be asking them!"

The officer decided that this was going to get them nowhere.

The man left the ward and talked to the girls who sat outside. He nodded at the girl with blonde hair.

"You are Tingting, correct?"

"Yes."

He sat opposite her with a sigh.

"For now, I've called your mother."

"Y-you did?"

"She sounded very relieved over the phone."

"I'm sure she was..."

"Everything will be okay now."

"When will she be arriving?"

"Well, for now, you're suspected of being involved with a teenage gang. Is that true?"

"No... to be honest, those two boys who ran away are my friends."

"Why did they run?"

"They didn't want to risk being arrested I guess."

"Hmm…"

He turned to Xiaozhi.

"Your records are very interesting. It seems you've been targeted before. Could you tell us why?"

Xiaozhi glanced at Tingting and frowned. The frown only lasted a second before her eyes grew wet and she sniffed,

"My family is in debt. You know how it is in the Downtowns. They just wouldn't let me go."

"…Really?"

She wiped away tears that never existed.

"You don't believe me?"

"Well, for now, we'll be letting you go."

"As for you," His attention returned to Tingting. "We'll be speaking to your mother."

Tingting resisted the urge to scream. She had been away from home for several months, and hadn't even contacted her in so long. Knowing her mother's temper, this would not end with a warm embrace and a kiss on the forehead.

…Could she just run away?

She sat in a daze even as Xiaozhi was escorted out. All she could think about was how much trouble she was going to be in.

High heels clattered on the floor with haste, shaking Tingting out of her stupor.

She gulped as the sound grew louder and stopped in front of her.

A mature voice rang out.

"Long time no see, Tingting."

Tingting could only wave feebly.

"Hi~ haha…"

Her mother's face was a picture of demonic rage.

"I'll deal with you later."

With words that gnawed at Tingting's nerves, the mother left to talk to the officer.

Tingting sighed and slumped back into her chair.

…Was it too late to run away?

…

As soon as they stepped out of the station, Tingting's mother stopped walking.

"Mother, to be honest-!"

A crisp slap rang out.

"How dare you?!"

Tingting held her cheek in shock, tears already brimming in her eyes.

"Your hair, your face! What have you been doing all this time?"

"You're coming with me."

She grabbed Tingting by the arm and tried dragging her into the car.

"Mother, please! I don't want to go back! Can't you let me stay with my friends?"

Tingting struggled and pulled away as hard as she could.

"Friends? Where were they when you were kidnapped? Ha! I'm afraid that these friends are the ones who put you into this situation! I'll make sure that you never cross paths again!"

Tingting stared at her mother in horror. Then, abandoning all her pride, she decided to use her trump card.

"Waaahhhhhh!!!"

Tingting's mother paused at the wails from her daughter.

After battling against something, she finally gave in.

"Baby, don't cry. Did it hurt? Mummy's sorry."

She pulled Tingting into her embrace and stroked her hair.

In between sobs, Tingting cried, "I finally made friends I care about, who also care about me. And you want me to go home?! I'll be alone again! Mother please, I hated that school, I hated that city, and I want to stay right here!"

She cupped her daughter's face in her hands.

"This is what you want?"

Tingting nodded.

Her mother sighed and let her go.

"Call them here. Let mummy see."

"…Huh?"

"Have you turned silly? Of course I need to check who your friends are. Call them here."

The gears in Tingting's brain turned frantically. Everyone was sweaty from the fight earlier today. One glance could tell you that the boys were up to no good.

"…In front of the station?"

"Hmm. I guess you're right. It's not appropriate."

'Dodged a bullet.'

"Then let me drop you off."

Tingting: Guns have more than one bullet. I forgot.

Tingting's mother took out her phone and tapped on the map function.

"Where's your apartment? Or is it a hotel? I'll drive you there, it's getting late."

'Mother, why?'

The gears in Tingting's head spun yet again, but this time, it concluded:

'Give up. You're so screwed.'

Just then, her phone rang.

Tingting picked it up with the speed of someone finding gold in a pile of xxxx.

"Tingting? Xiaozhi told me your mother is coming. Is everything ok?"

Lukas' worried voice was heard.

Tingting licked her dry lips and glanced up at her mother.

"Umm, mother wants to meet you. Would that be fine?"

"…"

She could faintly hear Wu Shen swearing in the background.

Tingting's mother snatched the phone from her daughter's clammy hands.

"Is there a problem?"

"…Not at all. Give me a few days to clean up. Our house is dirty… Haha…"

"Fine."

She handed the phone back to her daughter.

"Well then. Your address?"

Tingting was tempted to just run away. She was about to ask Lukas when she heard the line disconnect.

Hahaha…

Did he just run away?

An idea suddenly clicked.

"I've already bought my train ticket. It'd be a waste to not use it."

"…Well. At least you've learned to use money wisely."

"Yeah…"

'You have no idea…'

Tingting's mother glanced at her watch and frowned.

"I've got to go then. Travel safely, and call me when you get home. Ok?"

"Yup!"

Her mother ruffled her hair.

"School. Work. It doesn't matter. You just need to keep yourself safe, ok?"

"…Yup."

Her mother sighed with reluctance and climbed into her car. With a final exchange of waves, she was gone.

Tingling immediately called Lukas and cried,

"What should we do? I'm totally done for!"

Lukas seemed to be outside, she heard loud sirens and the blaring of horns.

"Calm down. Are you still at the station?"

"Yeah."

"Go to the park just a few minutes away from there. I'm sending someone to pick you up."

"Ok."

The call ended immediately.

Tingting's steps were leaden with anxiety.

Would she really be able to stay with her friends like she wanted?

She truly hoped so.