Xiaoxiao Zhang wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her delicate fingertips and buried her head in Yang Qing's chest. After a while, she lifted her head again.
With her teeth clenched, Xiaoxiao spoke firmly, "I'm not afraid, Yang Qing. Deal with them right here and now. I can face this; I want to see these people die before my eyes."
Yang Qing, who seemed to be a minor official among the urban patrol officers, nodded and promised resolutely, "Xiaoxiao, don't worry. You don't even need to say it; I will make sure these scum pay the price they deserve and face severe punishment according to the law."
Rachel couldn't help but interject, "I was just passing by and acted out of a sense of justice. I'm not an accomplice."
Yang Qing frowned and asked coldly, "Do you have any evidence?"
Rachel pointed to the alley, "You could wake up that thug and find out through an interrogation."
By this time, several urban patrol officers had already bound the man inside tightly and dragged him out of the dark corner like a dead dog.
Yang Qing checked the man and looked up, "He's been hit hard on the head. Did you do this?"
Rachel admitted it, "Yes, I did."
Yang Qing's expression was unreadable as he said gravely, "This man, Wang Bing, is a wanted fugitive with a history of violently coercing women. Given his physique and character, even an urban patrol officer would find it difficult to incapacitate him with one blow."
Xiaoxiao Zhang completely ignored Rachel's words, pulling her boyfriend's hand, "Why are you even talking to her? These two are clearly in cahoots and putting on an act!"
"How could a young human woman possibly overpower a man, especially one not of her race, and even a despicable outcast at that."
She pleaded almost hysterically, "I don't want to wait for a trial. They're just two vagrants; going to court is just a waste of time. Yang Qing, just let them die, or I'll always be haunted by this, and I probably won't be able to sleep tonight."
Yang Qing patted his girlfriend's hand, his tone somewhat helpless, "Xiaoxiao, I won't let anyone who hurt you get away, but executing them is not so simple..."
Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and whispered, "I understand what you mean. Torture would harm your reputation. It's okay, a simple beheading will do. It's not very satisfying, but as long as they're dead, I'll be at peace."
Rachel: "..."
How did it end up with her still needing to die?
The criminal, who was nearly two meters tall, was unconscious and showed no expression, and Rachel, for her part, could only think of one thing.
D*mn it all!
Can you see now?!
She looked at the electric batons in the hands of the urban patrol officers, thinking how times had changed. How long had it been since ordinary people dared to wield weapons against her?
Thinking back, it must have been on her eighteenth birthday when she single-handedly fought through a dark cave harboring an A-class phantom, making a name for herself and never receiving love letters again.
...Why did she feel a bit melancholic about that?
Rachel squinted her eyes, pondering how to deal with the current frustrating situation.
Run away? Unnecessary.
Get beaten? Impossible.
Since someone wanted her dead, whether or not it could be carried out, whether it was a misunderstanding or not, the request had been made without listening to her explanation.
It's understandable that the victim's emotions are unstable and their actions irrational, but understanding does not mean tolerating. If they dared to act, Rachel would not show mercy just because they were victims.
However, the anticipated fight did not occur.
Yang Qing shook his head and said, "I'm not talking about the process of execution. This matter still needs thorough investigation."
Rachel looked at Yang Qing, thinking he was still reasonable and not blinded by anger.
Xiaoxiao Zhang couldn't understand, "Are you even speaking human language? They kidnapped and violated your fiancée!"
Yang Qing was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I know, I wish they had violated me instead."
It was the first time Rachel had heard such a love declaration, and she sternly clarified, "To be clear, it was him, not them. I am innocent."
Xiaoxiao Zhang seemed unable to bear the contradiction, her eyes suddenly reddening as she held a folding knife that she had hidden at some point.
Rachel thought she was about to be attacked, but saw Xiaoxiao turn the knife towards her own neck, and said to the surrounding urban patrol officers, "Kill them, or I'll kill myself! Are you city guards just going to watch the victim be driven to death?"
Xiaoxiao was extremely agitated, the knife tip already slightly embedded in her neck, and blood trickled out, a shocking sight.
Yang Qing anxiously tried to take the knife away, but he dared not act rashly, only signaling his subordinates to surround the area, ready to seize the knife at any moment.
"Xiaoxiao, calm down!" Yang Qing's eyes were full of struggle and helplessness, "This vagrant is currently a suspect, and we need to verify whether they are really accomplices."
Tears suddenly fell from Xiaoxiao's eyes, "After all this, you still don't believe me. You'd rather trust a strange woman from the wilderness, even though she's trash!"
Rachel frowned slightly; she realized that discrimination between people seemed to have intensified. Previously, nations united to fight against invading phantoms, respecting the strong and despising deserters from before the war, but not despising ordinary people.
Although she didn't know what the world had become, the overt hatred from the upper classes towards the lower classes, so blatantly displayed on the streets and accepted by bystanders as if it were natural, was disturbing.
Yang Qing sighed, "Xiaoxiao, listen to me, please. I don't even know her, how could I speak for her? I'm just being factual. Since we can't let any criminal go, we should investigate thoroughly. Maybe they have accomplices?"
Xiaoxiao's tears flowed freely as she screamed hysterically, "You're lying to me, you're in cahoots with them, you don't want to marry me, so you staged this whole drama just to ruin my reputation and tarnish my innocence!"
Yang Qing stood there, stunned, unable to believe what he was hearing, "Xiaoxiao, how could you think that..."
Rachel was shocked to witness firsthand what victim-blaming looked like. It turned out she wasn't the only one misunderstood; there really were people who could speak nonsense convincingly.
It had to be said, although what the victim Xiaoxiao said was somewhat absurd, it wasn't entirely impossible.
What if it was a case of a thief crying "stop thief"?
What if it was covering for an accomplice?
What if it was a scumbag trap?
Rachel was amazed. If it had nothing to do with her, she would have preferred to quietly watch the drama unfold. Unfortunately, she was also one of the suspects, directly accused by the victim.
However, the situation was deteriorating in an unexpectedly bad way.
Rachel's expression grew somber as she narrowed her eyes, sensing something amiss. After a moment, she sighed and took the initiative to remind, "Mr. Yang, since you are a city guard, you must be aware of pollution. Most sources of pollution have the attribute of spreading, which can destabilize human minds, trigger emotional outbreaks, and cause people to lose basic judgment, often with a strong tendency for self-harm or harming others... This method of spreading pollution is not uncommon."
Yang Qing looked at the vagrant in surprise, not expecting someone who probably couldn't even read to discuss the methods of pollution so eloquently.
Shocked, he also immediately realized that Xiaoxiao's behavior was indeed a bit off. He had thought it was just a reaction to severe stress, caring too much and thus overlooking the possibility of pollution.
Yang Qing cautiously glanced at Rachel, signaling several guards to keep an eye on her, while he quietly opened his communicator, preparing to signal his superiors for support.
Yang Qing, just a minor official responsible for patrolling, did not have the capability to handle pollutants, and any pollution-related incident in the city had to be handled with extreme caution.
The city was densely populated with ordinary people, and uncontrolled pollution could have unimaginable consequences.
However, before Yang Qing could send the signal, Xiaoxiao, as if greatly provoked, suddenly stabbed herself in the throat with the knife.