Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 438 Netizens
When Zhao Zhigang led Feng Yi out, he also greeted Zhu Jun and Yan Ziming, who were coming to work.

Both men were quite surprised by the shoe print on Zhao Zhigang's face. They wondered what kind of police call he had received that night, while secretly laughing and whispering to each other that Zhao Zhigang was experiencing his usual period of bad luck every month.

This incident has even become a laughing stock at the Zhanghe Police Station, and everyone is very willing to work shifts with Zhao Zhigang. Because basically, as long as he is present, the others are unlikely to get hurt.

Throughout last year, besides Zhao Zhigang, only Qian Wei was hospitalized a few times. But it must be admitted that Zhao Zhigang wasn't with Qian Wei on those occasions. Otherwise, if Zhao Zhigang had been present, no one else would have been injured.

Of course, minor injuries or beatings were common, and even Zhao Zhigang couldn't protect people in such situations. Women and the elderly, in particular, were often too afraid to even fight back.

"Keep talking nonsense! I took a bullet for you, and you didn't even say thank you, but you still have to talk like that!"

Zhao Zhigang felt incredibly wronged, but he didn't have time to cause trouble for Zhu Jun. The incident occurred before his shift ended, so he had to handle it himself, even if that bastard Zhu Jun was too idle to help him.

This time, the police responded quickly. About half an hour later, before Lin Ge had finished beating up the Snowclaw Tiger, Zhao Zhigang brought a young girl who looked like she was still a minor back to the police station and then brought Zheng Mingxing back.

"Coming to Zhangzhou to meet an online friend?"

Zheng Mingxing was stunned for a moment after hearing Zhao Zhigang's words.

It's been years since I've heard of someone calling the police for meeting someone they met online. Around the time the internet first emerged, this kind of thing was more common, along with those naive kids.

"Yes! I came from Huangyan City, Zhejiang Province, all by myself."

Zhao Zhigang nodded and said helplessly, "When she finally dared to come to Zhangzhou City alone, the bastard who tricked her into meeting him disappeared. He blocked her on QQ and turned off his phone, leaving the girl alone in an unfamiliar place. It's lucky that the girl knew to call the police, otherwise, who knows what might have happened."

"Block them and turn off your phone..."

Zheng Mingxing sighed and couldn't help but shake his head, saying, "Thankfully, it's not the worst-case scenario. It would be a big problem if we encountered someone with bad intentions. Let's comfort the girl now and then send her home."

"She refuses to leave."

Zhao Zhigang's words startled Zheng Mingxing. He looked up and saw Zhao Zhigang continue, "The girl is very stubborn. I tried to reason with her for a long time, but she wouldn't listen. Based on our brief conversation, it seems she's not doing well at home. She's been bullied by her stepmother. Then, while venting online, she met someone who was very kind to her, and she started relying on that person. From what she said, it even seems like she asked to meet in person this time."

"Relying on a stranger because of family problems? That won't do! Who knows if the person on the other end of the internet is a good person or a bad one, or if they have any malicious intentions!"

Zheng Mingxing frowned.

"So, Instructor Zheng, it's up to you to talk to her and comfort her. The girl is young and doesn't understand, but we can't just stand by and do nothing, right? If something happens, it'll be too late to regret it!"

Zhao Zhigang looked at Zheng Mingxing expectantly, really wanting to get rid of this troublesome person.

This guy is a lazy person who doesn't like to cause trouble, and this unreasonable little girl is too much of a problem for him. It took him almost an hour to coax her to the police station, and who knows how long it will take next.

Even more importantly, he wanted to get off work!

Not only am I exhausted from working a 24-hour shift, but I also just got hit in the face by that dead cat. If I don't rest now and die from overwork, who will take responsibility?

"Alright, leave this to me."

Although Zheng Mingxing knew that Zhao Zhigang was trying to shift the blame, he still nodded and accepted the task.

As Zheng Mingxing came out of the office, he immediately saw Mimi beating the child in the yard.

That silly snowclaw tabby was also stupid; it didn't even run away after Mimi hit it. Aside from curling its tail and lying motionless on the ground, it just let Mimi kick its rear end without daring to fight back.

I wonder what kind of trouble this kid could cause to make Mimi so angry.

Zheng Mingxing was puzzled when he saw a magpie hopping around on the ground next to him.

It hopped and pounced a couple of steps, pecking at something on the ground. Later, when it reached the two cats, it showed no fear. It even flapped its wings and flew onto the back of the snowclaw tiger-striped cat, pecking at the little creature's back with its sharp beak.

The next second, the magpie was slapped away by Mimi.

The unlucky little guy rolled several times on the ground, landing hard and motionless. Just when Zheng Mingxing thought the bird had been killed by Mimi, it suddenly flapped its wings, stood up, and started cawing at Mimi as if it were cursing.

Mimi's eyes widened as if to pounce, but the deceitful magpie turned and ran. However, it seemed to have forgotten that it could fly, and before it could take two steps, it was pounced on by a little tiger-striped magpie that had circled around from the other side.

The little guy didn't move his claws, but just stuck out his tongue and licked the bird's head desperately, making the silly magpie look up and scream in pain.

"Pfft!"

Zheng Mingxing couldn't help but laugh.

The worry caused by Zhao Zhigang was largely dispelled by the interactions with the animals below. Thinking about it, he's just an immature child; some gentle persuasion will surely have some effect.

"I'm not going back!"

Fan Zirui glared at Zheng Mingxing, stubbornly sticking out his neck, and said, "That's no longer my home. Why would I go back? To be constantly subjected to that woman's veiled insults? Why should I? I'm not asking for trouble!"

“But she’s still your mother no matter what! Even if she’s not your biological mother, your father is still your biological father, right? Talk to him if you have any problems. You’re so young, there’s no reason for you to run away from home.”

Zheng Mingxing patiently persuaded him.

"Dad? I don't have a dad!"

Fan Zirui gave a cold laugh, paused, and then explained seriously, "That guy only wants a son; only a son is his offspring! I'm just a money-losing commodity, used to scam dowries! I'm worth at least 300,000 yuan, which is the standard price in Huangyan City. Those two are already looking for a husband for me. Do you think I could go back to a family like that?"

"Aren't you an adult yet?"

Zheng Mingxing was stunned for a moment.

"I'll be eighteen in four months! Even though it's still a few years before we get our marriage certificate, does that stop that woman from letting me go on dates with people every day?"

A shadow of gloom and mockery flashed in Fan Zirui's eyes.

Seeing Zheng Mingxing looking at him with concern, Fan Zirui's nose tingled, his eyes welled up with tears, and he turned his head away in a low voice, feeling wronged. "She also works as a matchmaker! Whenever someone comes to her to discuss marriage, she has to give them a red envelope first. And if they successfully go on a date, she has to give them a thank-you gift. As for whether I'll be in danger if I run off with a man, she never cares! She even said... maybe it's fate, maybe he's my future man..."

"Shameless!"

Zheng Mingxing couldn't help but shout angrily.

"Right? So you're saying, why would I go to a place like that?"

Fan Zirui chuckled dismissively, rubbed his eyes, and said, "Anyway, I've already shown my ID card. Even if I can't find that friend, I can support myself independently. Hmm... it's just that most shops don't hire minors. How about, officer, I stay at the police station and work for you for four months? Once I'm a real adult, I'll move out immediately and won't bother you for even a minute longer."

"Even the police station doesn't hire child laborers!"

Zheng Mingxing glared at Fan Zirui.

"Then let me go! Try to endure four months, and I'll be free. Or I can go to Guangdong Province; I heard that once you're over sixteen, you can work as a screwdriver. Hmm... making clothes is fine too! To be honest, I don't think it's difficult."

As Fan Zirui spoke casually, she tilted her head and looked around the mediation room. When she saw the bottles of mineral water on the table, her lips twitched, but she quickly suppressed them.

"Have you not eaten for days?"

Zheng Mingxing tossed a bottle of mineral water at Fan Zirui. "Ah! Two days! I only ate a bowl of instant noodles on the train. I was thinking I could last a few more days, but my period came early, so I had to deal with it first. That woman is no good; she didn't give me a single penny of pocket money! Ha~"

Fan Zirui tilted his head back and drank the entire bottle of mineral water in one gulp, quenching his thirst and forcibly filling his stomach.

Wiping her mouth, her gaze softened slightly as she looked at Zheng Mingxing. She cautiously asked, "Officer, can I go now? Or could you help me find my friend? Don't you have his phone number? That should be able to find out his identity, right?"

"Of course we can find out your identity, but why would we give it to you?"

Zheng Mingxing shook his head and said helplessly, "Haven't you considered what if he's not a good person? If you really run into someone with bad intentions, wouldn't it be more dangerous than being at home? To put it bluntly, if something really happens, what will happen to you, a young girl? Can't you imagine?"

"He absolutely cannot be a bad person!"

Fan Zirui suddenly slammed his hand on the table, instantly turning his face to glare angrily at Zheng Mingxing, seemingly furious at his netizens' slander against him.

"Why do you say that?"

Zheng Mingxing wasn't angry at all.

"because……"

Fan Zirui grinned.

"Clouds long for clothes! Clouds long for clothes! Hey! Are you there?"

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside, and a girl's loud voice was shouting. Zheng Mingxing heard someone trying to stop her from disturbing others, but it seemed to have no effect; instead, it emboldened the girl, making her even more unrestrained.

"Ah! My friend is here to see me!"

Fan Zirui's eyes lit up, and he quickly stood up and was about to run outside.

"Stop her!"

Zheng Mingxing was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up.

Yuan Meijuan, who was helping to persuade Fan Zirui, immediately closed the door and then pulled Fan Zirui into her arms.

Fan Zirui struggled for a moment, but for some reason her steps faltered and her brows furrowed. Soon, under Yuan Meijuan's soft persuasion, she obediently sat down. She clutched her stomach and lowered her head, looking somewhat angry and uncomfortable.

"Is 'Yun Xiang Yi Chang' your online name?"

Zheng Mingxing looked at Fan Zirui and asked in confusion, "Didn't you say your online friend's name is 'Grandpa Carrying a Gun'? Why is it a girl calling you from outside?"

"Grandpa carrying a gun is a girl! How could I be so stupid as to travel all this way alone to meet a male online friend?"

Fan Zirui rolled his eyes at Zheng Mingxing and continued to clutch his stomach with a conflicted expression.

Seeing her like this, Yuan Meijuan seemed to understand something. She went to Zheng Mingxing's ear and whispered a few words, which made Zheng Mingxing's lips twitch twice, and then he shook his head helplessly.

“It was my mistake; I shouldn’t have given you cold water. Let this lady take you to get this sorted out, and then we’ll call that grandpa carrying the gun in too, and we can discuss what to do next. How does that sound?”

With a flushed face, Fan Zirui nodded slightly, then obediently stood up with Yuan Meijuan's help and went to the bathroom not far away next door.

"Tsk! So drinking cold water during menstruation really does cause menstrual cramps?"

Zheng Mingxing shook his head as if he had learned something, then couldn't help but slap his forehead: "If I had known that Kangganqiang was a girl, there wouldn't have been so much trouble. I've never seen anything like this before. What are kids these days thinking? Why would a perfectly good girl choose such a username? Isn't this just deliberately causing misunderstandings? Sigh!"

"Because my grandfather did carry a gun! Although he never fought in a war, he was still a soldier. I even have a photo of him standing guard with a gun in my room!"

The girl who was called in answered as a matter of course.

Zheng Mingxing paused in writing, then looked up helplessly and said, "Alright, let's not talk about this nonsense anymore. First, tell me your name, and then tell me what's going on with you meeting Fan Zirui, who's so far away, but you didn't show up!"

"My name is Shen Tining, and this is my second time here!"

Shen Tining was like a restless monkey, constantly looking around and unable to settle down. However, when she saw Zheng Mingxing raise his head and look serious, she chickened out and sat down obediently, honestly answering, "Actually, I didn't plan to meet Fan Zirui, who is also Yun Xiangyishang, in real life. Officer, you might not know, but I haven't known her for very long, only a little over a month! At first, I didn't think anything of it, but I noticed that she was always posting negative things in the group chat, so I angrily retorted a few times. Then we started arguing back and forth, and she couldn't win the argument, so that's how we met. Um... to be honest, we're not really that close."

"You're not even familiar with her, yet you still dared to let her come to Zhangzhou to meet you?"

Zheng Mingxing glanced at Shen Ting again, and at the same time remembered the girl's identity and the reason she came to the police station last time. Going to a bar on the first day of the Lunar New Year and being dragged back by the police station, she was quite a rare troublesome underage person.

"There was no other way! When I realized she was showing signs of wanting to die, I couldn't just leave her alone, could I? I was just trying to give her a hard time so she wouldn't have time to think about living or dying, but I never expected her to call the police directly?"

Shen Tining spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, but in the end she lowered her head in frustration.

To be honest, she genuinely felt that she and Fan Zirui weren't particularly close! Or even if Fan Zirui felt they were very close, Shen Tining had many friends both in real life and online, and didn't need Fan Zirui. The reason she went through all this trouble was simply because she was worried that the girl might actually commit suicide, and also because she habitually wanted to play pranks on people. So, when the girl once again posted a lot of negative emotions, she provoked her to see if she dared to come to Zhang City to play, that's all.

To my utter surprise, this netizen actually came! And they were so desperate, even abandoning their parents!
Shen Tining was terrified. How could she possibly dare to meet such an extreme person? She quickly closed QQ, put her phone in airplane mode, pretended to know nothing, and went to sleep obediently, so she could go to school the next day.

However, being an ordinary person, how could he really pretend nothing had happened? It wasn't until he secretly took out his phone during break that he saw Fan Zirui's message. Just as he was hesitating, he received a call from the police station and rushed over.

Shen Tining was a little flustered when Fan Zirui wasn't in the mediation room. Horrible scenes from the movie kept flashing through her mind, and she finally couldn't help but cautiously ask him.

"Is Fan Zirui alright?"

"It's fine for now, but who knows what will happen later."

Zheng Mingxing sighed, also troubled by Fan Zirui's family situation and how to resolve this matter. Simply sending her back was definitely not an option. Besides contacting the local police station, he needed to have a serious talk with the local community to ask for their help in resolving Fan Zirui's family issues. If what Fan Zirui said was true, this matter definitely required intervention from various parties. However, Zhanghe Police Station was only a local police station within Zhangzhou City; the aforementioned issues couldn't be resolved simply by a statement from the police station. If he truly wanted to change Fan Zirui's future, there would inevitably be many more troubles to come.

"Is it really true, just like she told me in our chat, that her parents can't wait to sell her off?"

Shen Tining was speechless, unable to understand how such a situation could still exist in this era.

Take her family, for example. Her parents doted on her so much, how could they possibly let her get married? Her father even said he wished she would never marry, and when her mother retorted, he argued that a daughter is her father's little cotton-padded jacket, warm and comforting, why should she give it to an outsider? So, given Shen Tining's family background, she simply couldn't understand what kind of predicament Fan Zirui had encountered that would make her abandon everything.

"This is none of your business! Anyway, let's leave it at that for now. Check if the statement here is correct. If it is, sign it and then hurry back to class!"

Zheng Mingxing pushed the written statement to Shen Tining.

"Oh!"

Shen Tining stood up obediently.

Just as they were about to sign, the door to the mediation room suddenly opened. Fan Zirui, looking somewhat better, walked in with a pout, and suddenly froze when he saw Shen Ting's back.

She carefully examined it for a long time, standing motionless at the door until Shen Tining turned her head curiously.

Then... Fan Zirui suddenly pounced on Shen Tining.

I was doing a thorough house cleaning and lost track of time, sorry.

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(End of this chapter)