Chapter 54: I Want to Be a Police Officer, Auntie

Zhao Tieying charged toward Wang Mazi's table with a knife in hand, her mouth running a mile a minute, startling all the customers in the restaurant.

Was this still the same Auntie Zhao, who was always so polite and kind?

Wang Mazi and his companions turned around, their expressions shifting instantly.

Zhao Tieying rushed at them with the knife held high above her head, her eyes fixed on them with a ferocity that made people's hearts tremble.

She was actually going to hack them down!

*Swish!*

The kitchen knife swung down, grazing Wang Mazi's face. The polished blade flashed with a cold light that momentarily blinded his eyes.

"Mother of God!" Wang Mazi recoiled in terror, tripped over a long bench, and fell flat on his back.

*Thud!*

The knife struck the square dining table, the tip sinking three centimeters into the wood and carving a terrifying notch.

The three men in floral shirts instinctively ducked back.

"Crazy! This woman has gone mad!"

Wang Mazi was shaken. Where had that rural woman gone?

Even during street brawls a couple of years ago, people would exchange insults before coming to blows.

They had only placed a "oil-thief" (a small piece of stolen food/fat) in the dish; was it really necessary to hack at people?

In their line of work these past two years, they had followed certain unwritten rules of conduct.

Thinking of this, he actually felt wronged.

The local aunties had no sense of martial honor.

"Ooh!"

"Auntie Zhao is so fierce!"

The customers' eyes were wide with shock. Auntie Zhao was incredibly brave—if these hooligans caused trouble, she really would start hacking!

But man, it was satisfying!

These thugs had become absolutely lawless!

"Brother Mazi!" Several lackeys rushed forward to help him up, snarling, "You dare attack people! I think you're tired of running this shop!"

"I'll..." Wang Mazi scrambled up, reaching for a bench.

The other lackeys also reached for whatever tools were within reach.

Having been terrified by a rural woman, they had lost all face. If they didn't reclaim their dignity, how could they hold their ground on this street in the future?

Besides, she was the one who struck first; they were in the right!

Just then, a shadow suddenly fell behind them, blotting out the light.

*Slap!*

Two large hands clamped onto the necks of Wang Mazi and another man in a floral shirt, tightening suddenly and lifting them straight into the air by their collars.

The two looked back in terror, only to face a man as massive as a brown bear.

Wang Mazi's waist wasn't even as thick as the man's arm.

"Damn it! You dare cause trouble in our shop!"

Zhou Jie and Zhou Yan, who had been monitoring the situation, rushed out from the kitchen, kicking the remaining two floral-shirted men to the ground.

"Don't move!" Zhou Jie pinned the two down, delivering several sharp slaps that left them too terrified to lift their heads.

Zhou Yan first looked at Zhao Tieying, asking with concern, "Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Zhao Tieying shook her head, looking pained as she stared at the notched tabletop. "That bastard dodged too fast; my table took the brunt of it."

Hearing this, Zhou Yan didn't know how to respond.

She had told him and Zhou Jie not to be reckless and to reason with them, yet she was the one who charged in with a knife.

Auntie Zhao's combat prowess was extraordinary; in front of her, Wang Mazi and his crew looked like mere recruits.

He looked at Zhou Hai, who was holding Wang Mazi and the other man, and asked with a smile, "Brother Hai, what brings you here?"

"I dropped Second Aunt off and swung by to check in since I had nothing to do this afternoon. As soon as I walked in, I saw them trying to attack Fourth Aunt, so I grabbed them first," Zhou Hai replied with a smile, shaking the two men in his hands. "What should we do with these two?"

Zhou Hai's physique was overwhelming; holding Wang Mazi and the other man was like holding two small chicks.

He and Zhou Jie had spent years slaughtering cattle, and they carried a certain murderous aura that put them on a completely different level than these street thugs.

"Hold them for now." Zhou Yan turned to look at Zhou Momo, who was standing to the side clutching a feather duster, looking eager to join in. "Momo, go to the Security Department next door and call for help. Tell them there are hooligans causing trouble and attacking people in our shop."

"Okay!" Zhou Momo chirped, setting down the feather duster and scurrying out the door, her little ponytail bouncing happily.

"Help!"

"We're customers! You're the ones hacking and hitting people! This is a crooked shop!"

"Is there no law?! Everyone, please speak up for us!"

Unable to break free, Wang Mazi began playing the victim, attempting to garner public sympathy.

"Speak up for you? I think we should just feed you some 'lead peanuts' (bullets)!"

Auntie Zhao raised her hand and delivered a slap, sneering, "You little scoundrel, I've been watching you since you walked in. You certainly knew how to enjoy the food—you even finished your rice with the soup, and only then did you remember to fish that 'oil-thief' out of your pocket."

"You kept an 'oil-thief' inside a clean plate just to save it for midnight snacks?"

"You lot usually pick on the weak, but today you ran straight into my line of fire."

"You dared to target my restaurant; today you'll be caught, and tomorrow you'll be facing a firing squad!"

The customers burst into laughter at her words; Auntie Zhao's insults were incredibly sharp.

"That's right! Arrest them!"

"These thugs have no shame! They came here specifically to cause trouble!"

The customers saw through it clearly. If there had truly been an "oil-thief" in the food, would they have left it until the very end?

Zhou Yan couldn't help but laugh. Auntie Zhao was born in the wrong era; otherwise, she could have been a rap star.

Wang Mazi's face turned beet red with rage as he muttered, "Is there no justice left? I came here to eat a decent meal and I get beaten..."

"Officer, it's them!" Zhou Momo arrived, leading Luo Weidong, the head of the Security Department, along with six fully armed security officers. She pointed at Wang Mazi and his group from the doorway.

The little girl had been skipping when she left, but she returned with red eyes and a pouting mouth, looking utterly aggrieved.

Zhao Tieying quickly pulled the kitchen knife out of the table and hid it behind her back.

"You scoundrel, Wang Mazi! You dare cause trouble at the Textile Factory!"

Luo Weidong charged in with his men, but he paused in surprise when he saw Wang Mazi and the floral-shirted man being held up by Zhou Hai, and the other two thugs pinned to the ground by Zhou Jie.

When Zhou Momo had run to the Security Department, she had said four bad men were causing trouble and trying to hit her mother.

The little girl had looked so panicked and tearful that it had broken his heart.

He had a young daughter himself, only two years older than Zhou Momo.

Zhou Yan often brought Qiaojiao Beef to the Security Department and would offer him cigarettes when they met. The young man was hardworking and socially savvy.

Luo Weidong had brought his men immediately, expecting that Zhou Yan and her mother were being bullied. Instead, he found two of the troublemakers being held like chicks and the other two pinned to the floor.

"Help! This crooked shop is attacking people! They're using knives!" Wang Mazi shouted as soon as he saw Luo Weidong.

"Shut up!" Luo Weidong glared at him and turned to Zhou Yan.

"Chief Luo, you're finally here," Zhou Yan said with a distressed expression. "This Wang Mazi brought three hooligans to my shop to cause trouble. They ordered a whole table of food, ate it all, and then refused to pay. Instead, they pulled an 'oil-thief' out of their pocket and put it in a plate, trying to frame us for serving dirty food."

"Look at this plate—it's cleaner than his face. How could an 'oil-thief' just appear out of thin air?"

"The customers all saw it. When his frame-up failed, he tried to pick up a bench to wreck the shop. Luckily, my two cousins happened to be here to subdue them."

Zhou Yan explained the situation briefly, appropriately downplaying Auntie Zhao's more dramatic actions.

"That's right! They came here specifically to cause trouble!"

"They were so aggressive! They even picked up a bench to hit people!"

The customers chimed in one after another, supporting Zhou Yan.

"It's a frame-up! Chief Luo! She's lying! That 'oil-thief' really was in the food! And they were the ones who attacked first!" Wang Mazi kicked his legs frantically in desperation.

Luo Weidong glanced at the "oil-thief" in the clean plate and knew the truth. He said coldly, "If this 'oil-thief' really came out of the food, why isn't there a single drop of oil on it? Do you take us for fools?!"

Wang Mazi froze. The soup had been mixed with rice until not a drop of oil remained; he had miscalculated.

"Wang Mazi, I was just at the County Public Security Bureau yesterday for a meeting. They said your gang is suspected of using 'oil-thief' extortion on various restaurants in Jiazhou, and they asked our Security Department to assist the Suji Police Station with the investigation. And today, you try the same old trick at Zhou Erwa's restaurant!" Luo Weidong waved his hand. "Take them back and interrogate them thoroughly!"

Several officers stepped forward and handcuffed Wang Mazi and his companions.

"Innocent... I'm innocent..." Wang Mazi's limbs went weak, and he slumped to the ground.

"Confess and receive leniency; resist and face severity. If there's someone behind you, confess it properly, and you might get a reduced sentence," Zhou Yan said, looking at Wang Mazi. "Otherwise, for a gang crime like this where you were caught red-handed, you'll likely rot in prison for a long time."

"Take them away!" With a wave from Luo Weidong, the officers hauled the men out.

"You all acted bravely and handled this very well." Luo Weidong shook hands with Zhou Hai and Zhou Jie, then looked at Zhou Yan. "Calculate the losses in your shop and bring the total to the Security Department after the lunch rush. I'll try to get you compensated."

"Thank you, Chief Luo," Zhou Yan expressed her gratitude, then added, "By the way, I find Wang Mazi's behavior a bit suspicious. I wonder if someone is pulling the strings from behind the scenes."

"We will investigate that thoroughly. If there is someone behind this, we will bring them to justice," Luo Weidong said. He turned to walk toward the door, but as he passed Zhou Momo, he stopped to give her a salute, smiling. "Don't be afraid. The officers from the Security Department will protect you."

"The Security Department officers are so cool! They caught all the bad guys!" Zhou Momo said in her milky voice, imitating the salute with a look of pure admiration.

As Luo Weidong stepped out, a bright smile was on his face. Even the security officers at the door straightened their chests, their mouths curling upward.

That's right, they were protecting the little flowers of the motherland!

But as their gaze shifted back to Wang Mazi and the others, it instantly turned sharp and cold. "Take them back! Interrogate them well!"

Inside the restaurant, Zhou Yan and the others had already rearranged the benches.

Auntie Zhao put on a smiling face and said somewhat sheepishly, "Sorry about that, everyone. I didn't mean to scare you. Please, continue your meal. They won't dare come back to cause trouble again."

Seeing her kind, friendly smile, the customers couldn't help but laugh.

Auntie Zhao was truly a woman of character.

"Brother, the police officers are so handsome! I want to be a police officer too when I grow up!" Zhou Momo ran up to Zhou Yan, looking up at him with bright, sparkling eyes.

"I don't think you can be a police officer," Zhou Yan teased. "You can only be a police lady."

"Okay! I want to be a police lady!" Zhou Momo raised her tiny fists, her eyes determined. "I'll catch all the big bad guys!"

"Alright then, Police Lady."

Zhou Yan and the customers all laughed.

The atmosphere in the restaurant returned to being relaxed and pleasant.