Chapter 16: A Little Shock for the Vice Squad

Xiaojing instinctively raised both hands.

Lin Li suddenly remembered a nursery rhyme.

Two little rabbits... I forgot the middle, and I forgot the end.

"... Forget it, just move. Go put your clothes on first, then squat with your hands on your head!"

A deep voice urged coldly, after which a Demon-Suppressing Envoy not wearing a uniform stepped past Xiaojing and entered, immediately locking eyes with Lin Li, who was lying sideways on the massage table looking back at him.

The Demon-Suppressing Envoy widened his eyes.

In all his life, he had never seen someone react this way during a vice raid.

Not only was there no panic, but now that he himself had entered, the boy was still lying on his side, propping his cheek with his hand, looking at him helplessly.

There was even a trace of grievance and frustration visible in those eyes, as if annoyed that his good time had been interrupted.

Unbelievable. In all his years raiding vice operations in Yangliang, he had truly never encountered such an arrogant person.

Did the boy think that because his clothes were intact, he would be fine and could escape this calamity? The state of the technician at the door already explained everything; there was no room for any excuse.

Lin Li was indeed aggrieved.

How could he not be? He had nearly turned heaven and earth upside down, been forced against his will, and had his purity defiled.

It was all the fault of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau's delay.

"Get up now! Hands on your head and squat! Squat in the corner!" Yang Liang pointed his baton at Lin Li and shouted coldly.

"Uncle..."

"Don't try to claim a connection! Put your hands on your head and squat!"

Lin Li hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself; finally, after much thought, he said nothing and obediently squatted in the corner with his hands on his head.

This experience was quite novel; another useless but impressive-sounding anecdote added to his list.

The main reason Lin Li did not reveal his 'identity' now was because Xiaojing was still here.

Remember, running a brothel is not a capital crime; even the management of such establishments would only serve a few years before being released, while the men who came to consume and the workers themselves would at most be detained for a short period.

Once that time passed, they would be free men again, and most of them were locals.

If he stepped forward now and told the Demon-Suppressing Bureau that he was the one who reported them.

If Xiaojing heard it, or if someone from the Bureau slipped up and mentioned it here, his future days in Xilingzhen might involve unforeseen troubles.

The human heart is unpredictable.

After all, from a certain perspective, what he had done was indeed somewhat inhumane, harming others without benefiting himself.

The risk of retaliation was too great; better to let it go and behave for now.

He would explain once taken back to the police station, treating it as an experience of a novel life.

At this moment, Yang Liang frowned; Lin Li's voice and appearance clearly indicated he was very young, so he stepped forward to ask, "Are you an adult! Answer honestly; lying to me now will come at a cost!"

"Not yet." At this point, Lin Li couldn't be bothered to lie.

Xiaojing, who had finally finished dressing properly, turned pale upon hearing this answer.

It's over! Completely over! Another charge added! The release date will be pushed back even later; damn company, why didn't they vet the clients' qualifications and let such low-quality customers in?

"Damn it, not learning good things at such a young age! Are you fourteen yet?" Yang Liang, unaware of Lin Li's background, cursed directly.

"I passed that long ago."

Hearing this, Yang Liang muttered curses and walked away.

Before coming, Lin Li had briefly checked relevant regulations: leniency for ages 14 to 18, and no punishment for those under 14.

At seventeen, if others could eat fifteen days of institutional food, he would likely only get five, or possibly none at all; it depended on the local authorities' attitude.

Yang Liang soon returned, but this time holding a mask, which he tossed to Lin Li: "Put it on."

Lin Li took it and saw that unlike the hole-less masks used when escorting death row inmates in the past, this one had viewing holes for the eyes.

It seemed specially provided to protect the personal information of a minor like himself, since Xiaojing did not receive such a benefit.

"Thanks, Uncle." Lin Li enthusiastically put on the mask.

Sometimes, putting on a mask is actually taking one off.

Lin Li felt that right now he was Wu Yanzu, with a crowd of Jackies Chan waiting outside the door for him.

"You seem quite happy, don't you?" Seeing the grin on Lin Li's face, Yang Liang could no longer hold himself back.

He actually saw excitement and joy on Lin Li's face; did this boy have any idea what situation he was in!

Once Lin Li's family arrived, Yang Liang definitely needed to have a serious talk with them.

He was also very curious about what kind of family upbringing could produce such an outrageous kid.

"Change into your own clothes, then come out!" Seeing Lin Li was still wearing the brothel's massage robe, Yang Liang said.

By the time Lin Li had changed and retrieved his phone to come out, the corridor was already crowded with people, all squatting on the ground, looking miserable and pitiful.

Holy crap, they're playing quite wildly; one man had the Chinese character for 'Pig' written on his face, while his partner beside him was dressed in leather; the two of them seemed to have been playing a BDSM game just moments ago.

Hey, this one in the flight attendant uniform looks pretty good; she wasn't on the worker registry I saw earlier, so she must have already been chosen by someone.

She must be the queen bee of this brothel, a top-tier star.

This one, and this one, are really unacceptable; look how their figures have gone to waste.

Just as Lin Li was analyzing each person, he suddenly met Yang Liang's gaze.

Yang Liang simply stared silently at Lin Li.

Lin Li began to feel somewhat embarrassed under that stare; he scratched his head, realized he was scratching the mask, and lowered his hand: "What is it, Uncle?"

Yang Liang took a deep breath, then another, seemingly to calm himself down, before speaking word by word:

"Can you damn kid show some awareness of being a criminal? Hurry up and squat with your hands on your head! What do you think you're doing walking back and forth!"

Yang Liang nearly choked on his anger.

The scene just now was truly outrageous.

After coming out of the room, Lin Li, wearing a criminal mask, paced back and forth in front of the others squatting in the corridor; with his hands clasped behind his back, not only did he walk around, but he also kept inspecting the others squatting there, shaking his head, nodding, and even sighing.

He himself was stunned, while his colleagues were intimidated by Lin Li's aura; none of them realized this guy was also one of the arrested.

Even Yang Liang had a feeling—as if Lin Li wasn't a perpetrator, but rather a leader coming down for an inspection, evaluating their work! Expressing regret and disappointment toward these people who had gone astray!

Especially since the kid was quite tall; when they made eye contact just now, Yang Liang had to look up slightly.

Unless this kid's guardian gives the Sanqiao Police Station an explanation, they shouldn't even think about taking this child back.

A pure-bred menace to society.

If let loose into the market, sooner or later the whole market will be ruined.

If possible, Yang Liang wanted to advise Lin Li's family to reroll a new character, since this main account was already ruined beyond repair.

"Oh, oh, sorry, I momentarily forgot my status and didn't realize my identity." Only then did Lin Li react; he quickly apologized and immediately walked into the crowd to squat down as well.

"Uncle." However, after observing the situation of the others, Lin Li looked at Yang Liang again and said.

"What—else—do—you—want?" Dragging out each word with a long tone, Yang Liang asked, somewhat on the verge of collapse.

Right now, he truly hated the Law on the Protection of Minors; just look, look, look at what it has protected!

"They all have handcuffs, but I don't; give me a pair too, Uncle." Lin Li looked enviously at the handcuffed hands of the others and said seriously.

Having finally got the chance to experience being arrested, if he didn't even wear silver bracelets, how would that work? It would be such a waste of this precious opportunity.

Yang Liang: "?"

(End of Chapter)