Chapter 296 - 214: Intervening Against Injustice
The sudden scream quieted the open-air food stall, and everyone turned their heads towards the direction of the sound.
In a corner, there was a little girl eating, probably just over ten years old.
She curled up on her seat, covering her shoulder strap with her hand, looking fearfully at the young man passing by.
The young man, wearing a floral shirt, with his sun-darkened skin, seemed to be a local of Saint Rivelan, displaying an innocent look.
"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Not far away, a man hurriedly rushed back after hearing the scream.
He gathered the frightened little girl into his arms, asking with concern, "Pomelo, what’s wrong?"
The little girl called "Pomelo" looked fearfully at the young man beside her, saying, "Dad, he pulled my shoulder strap..."
The man was angry after hearing this and pointed at the young man, questioning, "Why did you touch my daughter?"
Judging by the young man’s slouch and hands in pockets, he appeared to be a loafer. He glared and said, "I warn you, loser, don’t frame me, or I’ll sue you for libel."
With that, he was about to leave.
"Don’t you leave!" The man pulled the young man, "Why did you pull my daughter’s shoulder strap? Are you a pervert? She’s only ten years old! You’re not going anywhere!"
From his wandering eyes, it was clear the young man was somewhat guilty, yet he continued his thug-like attitude: "Who touched her? Did anyone see it?"
The man looked around at the customers, hoping someone would step forward to help him.
But since the food stall was dimly lit, everyone was focused on eating and enjoying the sea breeze; no one saw what happened, and they all shook their heads.
Facing the young man’s provocative gaze, the man said harshly, "Don’t you move, I’m calling the police!"
The man called the Saint Rivelan Public Security Bureau, and since there was a security point at the beach, a sheriff arrived within minutes.
The sheriff walked into the food stall and asked, "Who called the report?"
The man protected Pomelo, saying to the sheriff, "I did, this guy next to me pulled my daughter’s shoulder strap, he’s a pervert!"
The sheriff clicked his tongue, his tone unfriendly: "You, calling the police over a shoulder strap pull? Think we’re that idle?"
As he said this, at the security point a hundred meters away, a few sheriffs with nothing to do were cracking sunflower seeds and swiping short videos in the pavilion.
The man didn’t expect such a response and said unwillingly, "This is molestation! Why can’t I report it?"
The sheriff didn’t bother to argue, impatiently pulling out a notebook: "Name? Where are you from? What do you do? What are you doing here?"
The man answered truthfully, "I’m Chen Hao, from New Moon City, a taxi driver, and part-time food delivery. My daughter is on winter break, so I brought her to Saint Rivelan for vacation."
Upon hearing he was from New Moon City, the sheriff showed obvious signs of disdain.
Although New Moon City is a megacity vastly larger than Saint Rivelan, it’s infamously notorious throughout the entire World Government Territory.
An oppressive living environment, backward happiness index, an absurdly high crime rate, mercenaries, hooligans, and other illegals are everywhere... In many people’s eyes, New Moon City is a cesspit under a shiny façade.
Upon learning Chen Hao is a taxi driver and part-time deliveryman, the bottom of the cesspit, the sheriff immediately put on an unfriendly face.
The sheriff looked at the young man, "What’s your situation?"
The young man, full of swagger, said, "Officer, I’m local, came here to swim and eat. I just wanted to order food, and this girl suddenly screamed, saying I pulled her shoulder strap. I’m innocent! Don’t believe me? Ask if anyone saw it."
Pomelo, feeling wronged, burst into tears, "It’s him, I’m not lying..."
Chen Hao was also indignant, "My daughter wouldn’t make this up!"
"Whether it’s made up or not isn’t decided by you, it’s what the evidence says. Without evidence, anything you say is nonsense." The sheriff’s attitude visibly improved towards the local, telling the young man, "It’s fine, you can go."
The young man was extremely proud, glanced provocatively at Chen Hao, and turned to leave.
"You... you can’t leave!" Chen Hao blocked the young man, angrily questioning the sheriff, "Even if you don’t believe us, this place must have surveillance, you can check it, why let him go without checking?"
Angry, the young man pushed Chen Hao away, a nearby table was toppled, with various bottles and plates smashing to the floor.
He pointed at Chen Hao’s nose, angrily scolding, "Stinky New Moon City guy, came to Saint Rivelan to beg, what are you being arrogant for?!"
"Dad!" Seeing Chen Hao being hit, Pomelo ran over crying.
The young man intentionally tripped Pomelo, causing her to fall into the broken glass with a thud, her palms getting several cuts, full of blood as she curled up crying loudly.
"Pomelo!!!" Seeing his daughter’s blood, Chen Hao’s eyes reddened, losing his mind, he lunged at the young man, "I’ll fight you to the end!"
The sheriff immediately drew his rubber baton at the sight, beating Chen Hao harshly.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!" Several blows landed on Chen Hao’s head, his body, long lacking exercise, couldn’t withstand it and he was knocked to the ground.
"Damn you, causing trouble in front of a sheriff? You deserve to be detained." The sheriff pressed Chen Hao’s neck with his knee, taking out his communicator, saying, "Haiquan Dapaidang, we’ve got a troublemaker here, everyone come over."
The few sheriffs playing with their phones at the security point quickly arrived on the scene to cuff Chen Hao.
Chen Hao struggled to breathe under the knee, instinctively struggling, the leading sheriff immediately shouted, "Still resisting arrest? Take him down!"
The sheriffs all pulled out their batons, treating Chen Hao as if dealing with a vicious criminal, taking turns beating him.
The scene was chaotic, Chen Hao was on the ground wailing, the young man sneered beside him, the young Pomelo cried loudly, and none of the surrounding customers were willing to stand up for the "stinky New Moon City guy."