Chapter Two: Indulgence Is Not an Option

After the police arrived and understood the situation, they first went into the hospital room to take Granny Yang’s statement.

Yin Nian wanted to follow them in, but Granny Yang’s children blocked her from entering.

Ten minutes later, the police emerged and took Yin Nian’s statement as well.

“Granny Yang said your car is white, and the license plate ends with 08. Is that correct?” the officer asked after finishing the statement.

“It is white, and the license plate does end with 08,” Yin Nian answered without much thought. “My car has a dashcam that recorded the entire incident. It can prove I didn’t hit anyone.”

“All right, let’s go check it now.”

“One thing at a time. What about the fact that they beat and insulted me? How will that be handled?” Yin Nian pressed.

“We’ll check the dashcam first. If there’s no problem, we will deal with them seriously. We won’t let helping others become a burden, but—” the officer’s tone shifted, “we also won’t cover up for any wrongdoer. We proceed based on evidence.”

Yin Nian didn’t argue further. She was confident that what she had done was right and that justice would stand with her. Otherwise, society would soon descend into chaos, kindness would be abandoned, indifference would reign, and being helpful would become a weakness. She didn’t want her son growing up in such a cold world.

At the garage, they turned on the dashcam. To her shock, all the recordings were there—except for the hour surrounding her assistance to Granny Yang.

That crucial hour had been deleted.

“How could this be…” Yin Nian was both startled and suspicious.

“Is it missing anywhere else? What about in the source files?” the officer asked.

“The source files are gone too…” Yin Nian checked again and again but found nothing.

“Do you know who deleted them?” the officer asked, emerging from the car.

“I think… it might have been Granny Yang’s children.” Yin Nian recalled how, just a while ago, when Granny Yang’s daughter was entangling with her, she’d lost sight of her car keys. She later found them under the bench.

The officer continued, “Is there any other evidence?”

Yin Nian looked at her son behind her. “My son was in the car at the time. He saw everything.”

“How old is he?”

“Six.”

“He’s too young to be an official witness, but we can hear what he has to say as reference.”

The officer patiently questioned Yangyang, but the boy remained silent, tense, shrinking back, and finally began to cry.

“He’s too little,” the officer shrugged. “Any other evidence or witnesses?”

“Are there surveillance cameras on that mountain road?” Yin Nian asked.

“I’ve already checked; there aren’t any.”

Now Yin Nian felt a headache coming on. She rubbed her temples, lost in thought.

The officer circled to the front of the car, taking photographs and inspecting its condition. He photographed the driver’s seat and back row, then crawled underneath to check the chassis.

“What are you doing?” Yin Nian asked.

“Looking for evidence.”

“What kind of evidence? Do you think I hit her?”

“Ma’am, I’m just following procedure.” The officer glanced at the distance, where Yang Yonggui and Yang Yongfang craned their necks to watch. He turned back and pointed at a scratch under the headlight. “What happened here?”

“I grazed another car on my way to work yesterday.”

“Did the traffic police get involved? Did you file for insurance?” the officer pressed.

“No, I was in a hurry. But I have footage that proves it.”

Yin Nian showed him the recording of yesterday’s scrape. The officer nodded silently, jotting it down, then said, “Although Granny Yang is injured in several places, her life isn’t in danger. But since you have no evidence on your side, and following the principle of leaning toward the victim, you’re currently at a disadvantage. I suggest you try to discuss with the victim’s family, find a compromise, and resolve it.”

“A compromise?” Yin Nian’s brows drew together, her tone edged with anger. “I saved her life, now she’s blackmailing me, and you want me to compromise? Am I supposed to pay up and bow to them?”

“That’s not what I mean… I’m just stating the facts.”

“All right, let’s talk facts. Is there any evidence proving I hit her?”

“At the moment, only Granny Yang’s statement…”

“If I’m not mistaken, an unverified statement cannot be used as evidence, right?”

“That’s correct…”

“Then wait until you have proof before saying things like that to me. Also, in that situation, if I hadn’t helped her, I’d have no trouble at all. If I really had hit her, why would I ask for trouble? This is obviously a scam—can’t you see that? It’s because you’re afraid of trouble and keep indulging people like this that society has become what it is. If this continues, who will dare to help others in the future?”

Faced with Yin Nian’s barrage of questions, the officer was left speechless.

Yin Nian glanced at her watch and raised her voice. “I’ll recover the medical costs I paid through legal means, but I won’t waste any more time here. Others might indulge this kind of thing, but I won’t. I know how to deal with them. From now on, please contact me through legal channels if anything arises.”

Not far away, Yang Yonggui and Yang Yongfang sensed something was off and came over.

“Yangyang, get in the car.” Yin Nian climbed in, started the engine, and headed for the exit.

“That bitch is trying to get away!” Yang Yongfang ran over, grabbing the headlight, and called out to Yang Yonggui, “Quick, go block her from the front!”

Yang Yonggui rushed ahead and stood in the middle of the road.

Yin Nian didn’t slow down and drove straight at him.

Just as the car was about to hit, Yang Yonggui yelped and jumped aside.

In the rearview mirror, Yin Nian saw Yang Yonggui and Yang Yongfang waving their arms and shouting as they chased after her. She said in a low voice, “Some people can’t be indulged. The more you give in, the more brazen they become.”

Yang Yonggui and Yang Yongfang chased her all the way to the exit, gasping for breath as the white Mercedes left the hospital. Bent over with hands on their knees, Yang Yongfang gritted her teeth. “Call Yongli, tell him we’ve been bullied!”

Yang Yongli was Granny Yang’s youngest son, thirty-six years old. Over a decade ago, he was a notorious figure in the county, making a living as a debt collector—ruthless and laconic. After spending time in prison for a crime, he changed with the times, left the underworld, and started a building materials business with his old boss. He’d done well in recent years—bought a house in town, married, and had children.

When Yang Yongli got the call from Yang Yonggui, he was playing cards with a few bosses in a private room. He’d been losing all night, a cigarette clamped between his lips, his brows furrowed, the scar on his right cheek looking particularly fierce. He slammed his cards down and spat out a single word: “Deal with it.”

At that moment, Yang Yonggui called again. Yang Yongli answered, barking, “What?”

Yang Yonggui, panting, said, “Mom was hit by a car, and the driver ran off. Second Sister says you have to come back right away!”

Yang Yongli flicked his cigarette butt to the floor and let out a curse.