Fake Slackers

Chapter 3: ... What street are you from?

The Public Security Bureau of B City, Black Water Town.

"You're Xie Yu's guardian?"

"I'm his mother." Gu Xuelan stood in the police station, clearly out of her element. "Is he all right? Is he injured? How much are the medical bills? I'll pay anything, as long as you can release him right away."

The policewoman didn't even raise her head. With a well-practiced movement, she plucked a piece of paper from a folder to her right and slapped it on the table: "Forget about that for now and fill out this form first."

After a while the policewoman finished the work at hand, capped her pen, and looked up. "Your son's quite something. One against five, and all the injuries he inflicted were internal. No one would notice they're injured without a hospital examination. "

Gu Xuelan froze, unsure how she should react.

The policewoman gave her a once-over and asked casually, "You two aren't from around here, are you?"

Gu Xuelan said: "We... are from A City."

This fighting incident of Xie Yu's wasn't serious. Although the guys who called the cops had blathered on about how their big brother had been bullied, held down on the ground, and violently beaten, the cops taking their statements all had their doubts.

They had received countless police reports and this was the first time they had met 'victims' like this: with multicolored mohawks, pierced ears and noses, reeking of smoke, and arms covered with loud tattoos—a black dragon on the left, a white tiger on the right. And the ID numbers they provided—after checking, the officers found out that they were all delinquent youth with a record.

"Everything you said here is the truth?"

"The truth, definitely the complete truth. Our big brother still can't even stand up."

So they turned their gazes back to the man with the hateful face and the gold "dog chain" around his neck. The man was clutching his stomach, muttering nonstop, "Hurts to death, ah you hey... bullying a decent man, now? Why are kids these days like that... hurts, hurts, hurts. Even hurts to talk."

"......"

Gu Xuelan filled in the form and signed her name in the lower right corner.

The policewoman said, "Alright, wait here. Your son's still giving his statement."

Gu Xuelan clutched her purse. She didn't want to tarry too long. "Still giving his statement?" She had immediately rushed over from A City after getting the call; it was a full two hours' car ride away.

The policewoman looked at her: "The statements from both sides don't match up."

In the interrogation room.

Xie Yu repeated for the third time: "I didn't hit him."

In the past two hours—neither a long nor short time—Hu-ge had personally experienced the twists and turns of life, and what it was like to be utterly down on his luck. The brat in front of him, who was just in high school, had taught him a lesson—in shamelessness.

He sat opposite Xie Yu. The long table was quite wide and he slapped his hand on the table, yelling so loudly his shout almost tore through the roof: "—Fuck it all! Officer! He's lying!"

The policeman wasn't to be trifled with either. Working in the Black Water Street area, even the gentlest of personalities would be filed to a sharp edge. "Fuck what fuck? Sit down properly. What do you think you're doing?! If you can't, then get out. Did I say you could talk?"

Hu-ge reluctantly sat back down.

The policeman turned to look at the 'fragile youth' sitting opposite Hu-ge and his voice softened a fraction. "Xie Yu, was it? Don't be afraid. With us here, he wouldn't dare do anything to you."