Chapter 23: Like a Dead Dog

Zhang Xiaorui didn’t hesitate. She pulled some fried chicken out of her canvas bag, swept the trash off the table to the side, and grabbed a disposable cup. After filling it with hot water from the dispenser, she sat down and began alternating bites of chicken with sips of water. There wasn’t a shred of a metaphysical master’s dignity about her; she looked more like a female hoodlum.

On the floor, Meng Shan was still wailing. He looked absolutely miserable, his head swollen to the size of a pig’s. "Hey, buddy, shut your mouth. Keep wailing and I’ll beat you again—believe it or not." Even though Zhang Xiaorui was smiling, the words carried a different weight to Meng Shan’s ears. He had been about to let out another cry, but the moment he heard her, his voice cut off instantly.

Fifteen minutes later, the police arrived in their cruiser.

Zhang Xiaorui had finished her meal. She let out a few satisfied burps, stood up, and stretched. She felt that this had been the best meal she’d had in a long time. She had bought so much fried chicken that she had polished it all off. "Oh, damn it, I forgot to buy bones for Xiaohua."

Just as she voiced this concern, she glanced at the pile of chicken bones on the table. "Oh, Xiaohua is so lucky; there are enough bones here for her to eat." Adopting a policy of zero waste, she scooped up all the chicken bones into a plastic bag, stuffed them into her canvas bag, and stood up.

"Knock, knock, knock." A crisp rapping sounded at the door. Zhang Xiaorui ran over and opened it, and a few officers stepped inside.

Meng Shan, who had been playing dead on the floor, felt his heart go cold. He hated this girl with a passion. She might have looked harmless, but she was a monster. He had evaded the police for so long, never imagining he would fall into the hands of this young girl today.

"Hello, did you report the crime?" asked a young officer, about twenty-five or twenty-six, looking at Zhang Xiaorui.

"Yes, that was me. The suspect is lying right there," Zhang Xiaorui said, pointing at Meng Shan.

At this, Meng Shan was so furious—and perhaps still smarting from the beating the little demon had given him—that he lost all restraint, ignoring the fact that his injuries made it hard to speak, and began cursing at her.

"You damn bitch! You stinking slut, you just wait! I’m going to kill you if it’s the last thing I do. If I’m going down, you’re coming with me!"

Fueled by bitterness and hatred, he tapped into a hidden reserve of energy. Despite being in too much pain to stand, he suddenly hoisted his upper body up, intending to throw himself at Zhang Xiaorui in a final, suicidal lunge.

"Tsk, overestimating yourself."

Zhang Xiaorui performed a agile roll and delivered two crisp slaps to his face. His already pig-like head swelled further, and several teeth, riddled with cavities, were knocked right out of his mouth.

The hatred in Meng Shan’s heart was absolute. He wanted to tear the girl apart. If it weren't for her—if it weren't for her! At the thought, he burst into loud, heartbroken sobs. Who would have guessed that a grown man could cry so wretchedly? It was clear just how much grievance he felt.

"Pfft, delusional. You, still trying to act tough? If these officers weren't standing here, do you believe I’d send you to the afterlife right now?"

Meng Shan had reached his breaking point. He was done with this humiliation. "Heh, is that so? Send me to the afterlife? Good! Don't say I didn't give you a chance. If you've got the guts, kill me right now!"

Hearing this request, Zhang Xiaorui became instantly interested. She pulled back her leg for a kick, stopping only when her foot was a mere millimeter from Meng Shan’s stomach.

The officer who had spoken earlier stepped in. "Alright, that’s enough. If you beat him to a pulp, it’ll be a headache to process him. Besides, we still need to interrogate him back at the station."

Her foot froze in mid-air. Sweat poured down Meng Shan’s forehead; he was grateful the officer had stopped this lunatic. If she had waited a second longer, he would have lost more than just a few teeth.

Zhang Xiaorui’s eyes darted around. She hadn't had her fill of fighting, but since the police had spoken, it wouldn't be right to continue. "Officer, it’s not that I wanted to hit him, it’s just that this piece of trash was being such a bully."

The officers exchanged glances. They looked at Zhang Xiaorui, then at Meng Shan, who was draped on the floor like a dead dog. They really wanted to ask: who was bullying whom? Of course, for scum like Meng Shan, the officers were happy to turn a blind eye. He wasn't a good person anyway, and a few bruises wouldn't kill him. More importantly, he was a wanted criminal, and this young girl had been the one to catch him—what was the harm in letting her get a few licks in?

The officers noticed the canvas bag at Zhang Xiaorui’s waist, which bore the words "Serve the People." They didn't know what to make of it. Were young girls bringing back retro trends? That style of bag had been popular in the early eighties, but it was 2024. How many girls carried those these days? This girl was certainly a character.

Meng Shan remained on the floor, moaning and howling, "I can't go on like this! Officer, that girl hit me! Are you going to do something about it?"

An officer walked over and crouched down to help him up, but the stench coming off Meng Shan made him wrinkle his nose. He wanted to ask how long it had been since the man had bathed. "Stop wailing and get up. We’re going to the station."

As Meng Shan stood up, seeing the police seemed to restore his courage. He glared at Zhang Xiaorui and started cursing again.

"You brat, just you wait! Sooner or later you’ll end up in my hands, and when that happens, I won't kill you—I’ll make sure you wish you were dead."

He sneered, his expression so vile that it turned the stomach of everyone watching. With the police standing right there, his audacity was baffling. He seemed to have forgotten exactly how he’d been handled by Zhang Xiaorui just moments ago. Some people never learn; he felt emboldened by the presence of the law, and so he began to provoke her again. He had perhaps forgotten that if the lead officer hadn't intervened, he would be in an even worse state than he was now.

Zhang Xiaorui chuckled, her gaze turning icy. "Meng Shan, you piece of filth, still daring to jump around in front of me? Do you believe I’ll kick you to death right now?"

"Pfft, you little brat, stop trying to scare me. If I’ve committed a crime, the police can arrest me. But who are you? Don't think you’re so important. Besides, I haven't done anything illegal. Even the police have no right to hit me, so who do you think you are?"

It had to be said, Meng Shan truly was a special kind of dog.