0091: The Crime of Deliberately Wounding the Soul

“A month ago, was it near my hometown?”
“More or less. Xu Lin, you don’t like the smell of cigarettes, right?”
“Yeah.”
Xu Lin nodded, and Ma Zhiyu stubbed out his cigarette, then continued.
“It was after eight in the evening when Li Bin and I finished gaming. My parents happened to be back in our hometown that day, so I planned to spend the night at the internet café.”
“But just as I got into a private room, five or six people barged in, demanding the room and telling me to leave.”
“The leader was Qian Wan, and one of the two girls with him was Lu Man.”
“I was scared then—obviously, a group of them, two with tattoos, looking rough. I decided to leave.”
“But Qian Wan noticed I was playing League of Legends and stopped me, saying they needed a fifth for their team, so he made me play with them.”
“We played two rounds. I made an excuse that if I got home late, my parents would scold me, so I planned to sneak off. Qian Wan insisted I walk Lu Man home.”
“So I walked her back. Along the way… she told me a lot. She’s not actually Qian Wan’s girlfriend, just works with him.”
At this, Ma Zhiyu glanced outside and saw Lu Man still standing by the railing, absorbed in her phone, giving them plenty of privacy.
“They’re a telecom fraud ring. Lu Man’s from the neighboring county, came to Linshui to work. She saw a job posting that said you could earn money using a computer, no degree required, so she applied.”
“She never expected it to be a scam operation. The team needed a female voice, and they took her ID and got information about her parents.”
“She had no choice but to stay, working with them for several months. Her monthly earnings were five or six thousand yuan—much more than most jobs.”
“At first, she was happy. But half a month later, their main headquarters was busted by the police. Their branch survived, but she got scared and wanted out.”
“But with her parents at risk, she had no freedom. Most of the time, she was monitored, and whenever she went out, it was always with a group.”
“Today, she finally found a chance and asked me to help her.”
“You just believed her?” Li Bin slapped his thigh. This sounded just like a movie plot—definitely fake!
“No, not exactly. I was scared, too—maybe they wanted to pull me in. But nothing happened.”
“Afterwards, I occasionally chatted with Lu Man on QQ, and gradually we grew close.”
“Well… anyway, we developed feelings for each other. Then I got the idea to rescue her.”
At this point, Ma Zhiyu’s cheeks reddened, showing the shy, innocent boy he used to be.
“But I didn’t dare call the police directly. So, to save her, I came up with a plan: I’d get familiar with them and join their group.”

“You’re insane! Ma Zhiyu, that’s a crime, do you realize?”
Li Bin stood up. He’d thought it was just a normal situation, not expecting it to turn into a criminal issue.
“But I’ve gotten close to them playing games. Qian Wan agreed—I could join, they’d pay me six thousand a month, and return Lu Man’s ID.”
“How do you know he’s not lying? Or that they’re not tricking you?”
Li Bin lowered his voice, but Ma Zhiyu looked up, utterly calm.
“All my life, I’ll never get into college anyway. My parents don’t care about me. As long as I earn money—and I have love…”
“Ma Zhiyu… Your parents actually…”
“Hey!”
Xu Lin cut Li Bin off. He knew nothing they said could change Ma Zhiyu’s mind now, and he doubted they could accomplish anything.
Xu Lin thought the situation wasn’t so easily resolved. Reporting to the police would work, but if the group retaliated against Ma Zhiyu or Lu Man’s families…
Especially now that Ma Zhiyu was involved—even as a minor, he’d still count as a participant. This…
They’d have to ask the Chu sisters for help. Seems I’m still too weak—there are many things I really can’t handle.
But the strength of my two wives is my strength, too. It’s all the same, Xu Lin thought shamelessly for a moment.
“So you haven’t come recently because you were negotiating with them?”
“Yeah, it’s almost settled.”
“But this is a road of no return.” Xu Lin looked at him, and saw confusion and exhaustion in his eyes.
“I know, but for Lu…”
“Don’t—don’t say it’s for me. I don’t agree with you joining them!”
At that moment, a voice came from the doorway; Lu Man walked over and sat beside Ma Zhiyu.
“Lu Man? If I don’t say I’ll join, can you go out without anyone watching you? As soon as I officially join, you’ll be free…”
“But you’ll be stuck in it. How can I help you then? This isn’t a long-term solution!”
“What do you suggest?”
Ma Zhiyu looked at Lu Man, holding her hand. Li Bin felt a pang of jealousy—even though Ma Zhiyu was in a bad spot, he couldn’t help but feel it.
“Report to the police directly. No matter what happens, I’ll face it with you.” Lu Man raised her head, gazing at Ma Zhiyu with unwavering determination.

“But you’ll end up in jail.”
“I was tricked, too. Besides, I’m not the organizer. For this kind of fraud, the most I’ll get is two or three years. Can’t you wait for me? By then you’ll have graduated and be an adult.”
“No… I can’t!”
“Calm down, both of you. Here’s what—give me the address.”
“Xu Lin, don’t even think about calling the police. You’ll ruin Lu Man!” Ma Zhiyu shouted at him. Xu Lin shrugged.
“If I wanted to screw you over, I’d just call the police and get you both hauled in! You’d confess tonight, and tomorrow the whole gang would be caught!”
“…Xu Lin, you’re smart. Do you know any tricks?”
Ma Zhiyu noticed how calm Xu Lin was today and wondered if he had some plan.
“I have an idea—just tell me about their group, I’ll analyze it.”
“Is that okay, Lu Man?”
“Yeah, this guy probably knows what he’s doing.”
Then Ma Zhiyu and Lu Man explained the situation to him, and Li Bin was so creeped out that goosebumps appeared.
“You said they even have crossbows?”
“Yes, that’s a real concern.” Xu Lin, though skilled in martial arts, couldn’t dodge a crossbow bolt.
“You’re not planning to mess with them directly, are you?”
“No, of course not. I’m not a superhero. I’ll figure something out.”
“But in a few days, I’ll have to officially join. If you can’t help, please take care of Lu Man for me.”
“I’ve got a few kids to care for—you’re still just a kid.” Lu Man gave him a look.
“Heh, then why’d you fall for a kid like me?” Ma Zhiyu wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Hmph~!”
Xu Lin and Li Bin exchanged glances. Damn, should we just hurry up and call the cops? This guy is using puppy love to wound our fragile hearts!
But after a few seconds, Xu Lin thought of his own girls, and his mood lifted. In the end, only Li Bin was left in his world of heartbreak!