Chapter 36: How Did I Suddenly Gain Ten Xianyu Points?
“Bad rules? What bad rules, Master Duo, what do you mean by that, I don’t understand at all.” Wang Mazi looked surprised, seeming very confused.
“What do you mean,” Cao Weida’s face darkened, “Wang Mazi, don’t be so ungrateful!”
“Either leave the stolen money, or I’ll take you back to the police station.”
This dog thing, really fucking causing trouble for himself!
Life is already hard for everyone, and these lazy parasites have to make it even harder for the people!
You say you, if you’re going to steal, why not steal from those little devils!
There are so many little devils in Beiping, not enough for you to steal from, but you have to harm your fellow people?!
If you had stolen from the little devils, I wouldn’t just not stop you, I’d give you a thumbs up!
These scums!
“I” Wang Mazi still wanted to quibble, but when he met Cao Weida’s disgusted and cold gaze, he couldn’t get the words out, and a trace of fear flashed in his small eyes like soybeans.
“Fine, I’ll give it, I’ll give it, okay?” Helplessly, Wang Mazi cursed a few times under his breath about his bad luck, while taking out all the stolen wallets.
But he didn’t hand them to Cao Weida, instead handing them obsequiously to Duomen: “Master Duo, today’s my fault, I admit defeat, I’ll return the money in full, look, can I go now?”
“No rush.” Duomen took the money with a straight face, his voice cold as he said:
“Wang Mazi, everyone on the streets says you like not following the rules, I didn’t quite believe it before, but today I’ve seen it for myself.”
“You can do whatever you want elsewhere, but you shouldn’t break the rules on my turf.”
“I hope this is the first time, and also the last time.”
“If I catch you doing it again, don’t blame me, Duomen, for turning hostile.”
“Yes, yes, yes, Master Duo, please forgive me, today’s really my fault, let me apologize to you.” He cupped his hands in a pretentious manner, grinning cheekily as he said:
“Mainly today I forgot, you can rest assured, from now on I definitely won’t cause trouble on your turf, look, I this”
“Go on.” Duomen waved his hand signaling him to scram, Wang Mazi smiled apologetically and cupped his hands again, then quickly bolted.
Cao Weida said: “Master Duo, once there’s one, there’ll be two, I don’t think he’s the obedient type.”
Duomen nodded: “I know.”
Cao Weida was surprised, “You know and still.”
“The streets have a code of leaving someone an out, letting him go today has already given face, if he offends again and I catch him, whatever I do to him, no one on the streets will say anything.”
Cao Weida suddenly understood, so that’s how it is.
Where there are people, there’s jianghu, the networks of connections among various social strata are intricate and complex.
Duomen can get by in Beiping recording faces for anyone, naturally he has his own way of handling people and affairs.
Today he could have dealt with Wang Mazi, but after all, it’s his first time（ even if it’s not the first time, if you caught him, it’s the first time）, if you don’t show any mercy and just deal with him, some people on the streets might gossip.
But letting him go today and giving a warning, if he offends again, it’ll be Wang Mazi shamelessly trampling the rules himself.
Don’t think those from various social strata are all despised people, actually, these are the ones who follow the rules the most.
Whoever breaks the rules and refuses to learn, in this era, even scum would despise you.
Once Wang Mazi is caught breaking the rules again, even if he’s done in, people on the streets won’t have anything to say, instead they’ll applaud and praise Master Duo for his righteousness.
Having figured this out, Cao Weida felt he’d truly learned something, in terms of human relationships and social etiquette, Duomen is absolutely master level.
“Master Duo, that red wallet is mine.” A crisp voice rang out like an oriole.
“So it’s Ba Wan, how’s Master Xian been lately?” Seeing the girl, Duomen greeted her with a beaming smile, while handing over the wallet.
“Thanks, Master Duo, my dad has been pretty good lately,” the little girl took the wallet, looking curiously at Cao Weida: “Master Duo, is this your disciple?”
“Sort of my disciple,” Duomen nodded with a chuckle, introducing: “This is Cao Weida, a neighbor from my courtyard, now in my team.”
“Cao’er, this is Ba Wan, full name Xian Yi, the apple of Master Xian Xian Dengkui’s eye.”
Cao Weida smiled and nodded, extending his hand: “Miss Xian, hello.”
Xian Dengkui’s daughter Xian Yi, he knew her all too well.
Xian Yi is the apple of Xian Dengkui’s eye, a proper rich heiress.
Sweet-looking, innocent personality, in the TV series she always liked Zheng Chaoyang and provided him help multiple times.
At first, when Zheng Chaoyang escaped from Beiping, it was she who covered for him.
Later, when she found out her father was connected to special agents, she passed intelligence to Zheng Chaoyang by writing anonymous letters.
When watching the TV series back then, Cao Weida particularly liked Xian Yi, and quite a few viewers regretted that they didn’t end up together in the end.
“Mm, hello,” Xian Yi blushed slightly as she shook hands, her eyelashes fluttering a few times, seeming a bit shy.
“???”
Cao Weida was a bit stunned, was Xian Yi in the TV series this shy?
Handshakes shouldn’t be rare in this era, right?
“Uh, hello, Miss Xian, times are chaotic nowadays, better to keep personal items safe.”
“Mm, thanks Big Brother Cao, I’ll be careful.” Ba Wan smiled so sweetly, her eyes sparkling, her peripheral gaze always sizing up Cao Weida, seeming very interested in him.
Calling him Big Brother Cao already?
Cao Weida smiled wryly, looking at her seriously a few times, and sure enough, she was even cuter and prettier than in the TV series.
Duomen thoughtfully glanced back and forth between the two, revealing a meaningful smile.
But he didn’t think the young miss of the Xian Family had suddenly fallen for Cao Weida, it was just that she was attracted by Cao Weida’s heroic demeanor just now.
Even Duomen had to admit, Cao Weida was already good-looking, and the way he berated Wang Mazi earlier was indeed quite handsome.
“Master Duo, the money you’re holding is mine.” Another victim couldn’t wait and pointed at the money in Duomen’s hand.
“Take it, take it, conceal one’s wealth, be more careful next time.”
He handed the remaining money to the stall owner, “Here, the rest is yours, check if anything’s missing.”
The stall owner hadn’t reacted yet, his expression a bit dazed, until Duomen pointed at the neat cut on his pocket, then he realized and exclaimed: “Oh my god, such a big cut!”
Duomen shook his head, “Hurry and put it away, be more careful next time.”
“Thanks Master Duo, thanks Master Duo!” The stall owner thanked him profusely, “Here, you and Master Cao’s breakfast today is on me!”
Before they could refuse, the stall owner said first: “Master Duo, Master Cao, you’ve helped me so much, you can’t argue over one breakfast, right? If you refuse, won’t that make me lose face!”
Well, with the words put that way, what could the two say, they could only agree.
But today seemed to be against them, Xian Yi still wanted to say something when cries came from afar: “Oh no, where’s my money!”
“Bastard, which bastard dared steal your grandpa’s money! Ouch, this was new clothes I just bought! Don’t let me catch you, or you’re in for it!”
“Oh no, mine was stolen too!”
Cao Weida and Duomen both frowned, exchanging a glance, both seeing the unease in each other’s eyes.
“Let’s go check.” Breakfast was out of the question, Duomen called out, Cao Weida said to Xian Yi “Miss Xian, excuse me” and quickly followed.
Xian Yi’s eyes turned, she simply didn’t eat either, holding her wallet with a grin as she jogged after them.
She, the young miss of the Xian Family, loved watching the excitement the most.
“Make way, make way.” The two pushed through the crowd and went in, seeing them, the victim grabbed Duomen’s arm like finding a savior and cried:
“Master Duo, you came just in time, quick, catch the thief! That thief definitely hasn’t gone far! I just felt my pocket, the money was still there, and in a blink it was gone!”
Duomen furrowed his brow: “Did you see a pockmarked-faced person pass by you?”
“Pockmarks? No, I just remember someone in a long robe bumping into me, then my money was gone.”
The other victims chimed in:
“I was bumped by someone in gray clothes.”
“The one who bumped me was wearing a felt hat.”
“Mine was someone in gray clothes brushing against me.”
The victims chattered, Duomen’s brow furrowing tighter.
His gaze turned to Cao Weida, and Cao Weida simultaneously looked at him.
Then, both scanned the crowd in unison, but unfortunately, didn’t spot the people the victims described.
There were a few matches, but the victims all said no.
Cao Weida went to a victim, looked at the neat cut on his pocket, took a deep breath, and said gravely:
“Master Duo, looks like our area has been targeted.”
The blade edge was even, not too big or small, clearly done by a pro with professional tools, the craftsmanship different from Wang Mazi’s, obviously the culprit was someone else.
From what the victims said just now, there were at least three, meaning the pickpockets weren’t working alone, but as a gang.
Is this specifically to mess with him?!
Cao Weida was furious right now, he still had a conscience, cases happening right in front of him with poor people as victims, he couldn’t stand by.
But if he got involved, that meant actually working, and his Xianyu points would be gone!
Money he didn’t care about, but delaying his Xianyu points earning was crossing his bottom line!
Just thinking of the possible loss of Xianyu points made him ache.
He couldn’t help pulling up the panel, but his eyes suddenly couldn’t move away, full of shock.
Thinking he’d misseen, he rubbed his eyes disbelievingly, looked again, still the same as before, leaving him stunned.
What happened, why did his Xianyu points suddenly increase by ten?
