That day, Yang Zhao was struggling with a piece of pottery in his studio when the phone rang.

The caller was Yang Zha's younger brother, Yang Jintian. He delivered the news in a calm tone—he had been to the police station again.

Yes, again.

Yang Jintian went to the police station so often that Yang Zhao almost didn't even blink when he heard the news.

On the phone, I told my younger brother: "Which police station?" Yang Jintian said: "Lingkong Police Station."

Yang Zhao put down the teacup in his hand, squinting at the phone and saying, "Ling Kong? Why did you go to the south of the city?" Yang Jintian said with a bad tone, "To attend a friend's gathering."

Yang Zhao said, "Then what happened? Did something happen at the hotel?""No!" As soon as Yang Jintian was asked about the situation, he seemed agitated. He said in a bad tone, "A friend of mine drank too much and got into an argument with a taxi driver while getting a ride, and then...he hit someone."

Yang Zhao said, "Did you hit someone? How serious was it?"

"It's us who got beaten! Come quickly!" Yang Jintian roared. After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone directly.

Yang Zhao put down her phone and went to the sink to wash her hands.

Put on your coat, opened your bag to see how much money was left, and then left.

It was past eight o'clock in the evening, and it was dark outside.

When Yang Zhao walked out of the studio, a cold wind blew in his face, making him shiver.

In the north, September has already begun to feel chilly.

Yang Zhao went to the garage to get his car. When he got in, he lit a cigarette first.

The lighter's flame flickered as the wind from closing the car door swirled around it. Yang Zhao raised his hand to shield it.

Taking a drag, Yang Zhao slowly exhaled, the car filled with the smell of smoke.

Yang Zhao likes cigarettes, especially Yunnan cigarettes. He thinks Dayu Xi is the best.

Smoke is present in Yang Zhao's home, car, and studio.

I kept smoking until the cigarette was almost finished before I started the car.

Yang Zhao drove, moving quickly and smoothly along the Second Ring Road.

Crack open a window and let the smoke drift out through the gap.

Streetlights were brightly lit.

Yang Zhao quickly finished a cigarette, snuffing out the butt before he began to think about his younger brother Yang Jintian.

Actually, this is a poor child.

Three years ago, an accident took away both of his parents. Yang Zhao's parents took in Yang Jintian and raised him as their own.

Yang Zhao also returned to this city that year.

He had been gone for so long that the tragedy of his aunt's family could no longer even reach him as pain.

Sad, but not to the point of pain.

As for this younger brother, Yang Zhao was seven years older than him. Their relationship wasn't close.

The Yang family's demeanor was one of respectful distance. Yang Zhao didn't have a strong impression of young Yang Jintian. It was actually his aunt's family funeral that truly imprinted the boy into his memory.

At the funeral, that fifteen-year-old boy was crying as if the whole world had collapsed.

The Yang family's secrets, Yang Zhao knew nothing about them. He never imagined that a man could be so ruthless.

That was the day Yang Zhao decided to stay.

He did not live with his parents, but rented an apartment outside, even renting the two floors, using the downstairs for living and the upstairs for work.

Yang Zhao tried his best to take care of his younger brother, but now it seems to be having little effect.

Yang Jintian took a year off from school because of an accident. He is now in his senior year of high school, a crucial time, but he doesn't care about studying at all.

Yang Jintian attended the best high school in the city, which he got into on his own.

However, shortly after the middle school entrance exam, something happened, and he never seriously studied again.

Neither Yang Zhao's parents nor Yang Zhao himself ever earnestly persuaded Yang Jintian to study hard. This was a customary practice in the Yang family—if you don't want to, no one can force you.

This does not mean they are indifferent to him. In fact, Yang Jintian is almost the most caring person in Yang Zhao's life.

I give him a lot of living expenses every month and buy him many books hoping he can one day come out of his sadness, and I'm also always there for him when he needs me.

Just like now.

The Lingkong Police Station wasn't easy to find. Even with Yang Zhao's help from the navigation app, they ended up driving in circles for a long time. Finally, they stopped in front of a humble little house at an intersection.

This intersection is very dark, with only one streetlight.

Two police cars were parked in front of the police station, along with a taxi.

Yang Zhao got out of the car and walked toward the police station. As he passed a taxi, he glanced at its license plate.

It was a readily visible taxi, Yang Zhao just glanced at it and walked away.

I entered the police station, and there was no one guarding the entrance.

This police station's jurisdiction wasn't large to begin with, and the number of people coming and going on a daily basis was also small. Yang Zhao walked all the way to the innermost part before he finally reached the first person.

That was a somewhat overweight middle-aged man with severe hair loss.

He saw Yang Zhao and walked over with a frown.

"Who are you looking for?" Yang Zhao asked. "I'm here to find my brother. He just called and said he was here."

The man let out two cries of "ah ah" and said, "Those guys are fighting, come with me."

Yang Zhao followed him upstairs. As they walked, the man said, "Young people these days are so quick to anger. They even fight with taxi drivers. As a parent, you should keep them in check."

Yang Zhao didn't say a word. The corridor was unusually quiet.

The man turned his head and glanced at Yang Zhao. Yang Zhao remained expressionless. The man felt a little embarrassed that no one was responding to him. He wanted to speak again, but just then Yang Zhao looked up at him, making the man feel as if he were being stared at. The man immediately turned his head and continued leading the way without another word.

He didn't look too good, and this person made him feel very uncomfortable.

He led Yang Zhao to the second floor. Several rooms had their lights on. The man brought him to a room at the end of the corridor, pushed open the door and said inside: "Lao Wang, someone is here."

Yang Zhao entered the room and observed it.

This room seems to be a small office, with a desk piled high with miscellaneous items. Two police officers in uniform stand beside the desk. Two benches are nearby, with three men and one woman seated on them, including Yang Jintian.

These four young men seemed like only Yang Jintian had his wits about him, the rest were drunk and passed out. The house was open, but it still reeked of alcohol.

The policeman called Lao Wang walked over.

"Who are you the parent of?" Yang Zhao didn't answer, walked over, and pulled up Yang Jintian's chin. There were no scars on Yang Jintian's face.

Yang Jintian frowned and shook off Yang Zhao's hand. Yang Zhao asked him, "Didn't you say you were beaten and injured?"

Old Wang came over and made a round.

"What was hit? Just pulled a few times on the arm, nothing happened."

Yang Zhao listened, rolled up Yang Jintian's sleeve, and saw a red mark on his wrist, some swelling.

Yang Jintian withdrew his hand and impatiently said, "I'm fine!" Yang Zhao turned his head and looked at Lao Wang.

"Where do you hit people?"

Another police officer found Yang Zhao annoying, both inside and out. In fact, Yang Zhao didn't do anything wrong, but this very act of doing nothing made him seem like he wasn't taking anyone seriously.

The policeman placed a stack of papers on the table. Though he didn't speak loudly, everyone in the room turned to look at him.

He looks younger than the previous two policemen, he's not even thirty.

He looked at Yang Zhao with his eyes, pointing at Yang Jintian with his fingers.

"After drinking, you're making trouble! Arguing with an elderly woman over 80 years old! Who are you to them, and why are you interfering?!" "Ai ai, Xiao Song, please don't make a fuss."

Lao Wang slapped the hand pointing at the person.

"It's nothing major, just give them a good talking to when you get home."

Yang Zhao stood in the center of the house, looking at Officer Xiao Song.

"Where do you hit people?"

Old Wang's hands stopped, he turned to look at Yang Zhao, Xiao Song muttered under his breath, Old Wang pressed him down and said to Yang Zhao: "Here's the situation, these kids drank too much last night, they took a taxi home."

When the car stopped, an old lady also wanted to get on. The driver felt sorry for her and wanted to let her in. However, these kids might have had too much to drink and their brains were a little muddled, so they refused.

Old Wang said this, slapped his hand, "Isn't that so? That's when a little disagreement arose."

Yang Zhao listened and then looked at Lao Wang, saying, "Who started the car first?"

Old Wang said, "What?" Yang Zhao said, "Whoever calls first, whoever stops this car first."

"This," Old Wang said with a smile, "Isn't it right to give your seat to the elderly? No matter what, you can't argue over a car with someone in their eighties."

"Ah."

"That is to say, my younger brother started the car first," Yang Zhao nodded.

Officer, first come, first served. Since they hit the car first, they should sit first.

Old Wang wasn't too happy to hear that either.

"How can you speak like that? You're still making a fuss over such a small matter. Are you trying to fight an eighty-year-old woman for her seat? What are you, scum?" Yang Jintian was sitting with his head down when he heard this. He immediately stood up.

"You f*cking bastard! Who the hell are you calling a scum?! You dare call someone a scum?!" Xiao Song finally caught him. He stood up, slammed his hand on the table, and glared at Yang Jintian with fury.

“Sit down for me—! Sit down, do you hear me!? Do you want to be detained—!?” Yang Jintian's courage grew after he had a few drinks. He flicked his sleeve and was about to charge up.

Yang Zhao stopped him, "Sit down."

<>>

Yang Jintian lay on his side, his face rigid and devoid of expression. A red mark gradually appeared on his face.

Yang Zhao always spoke in a soft and gentle voice.

"You sit down, sister will take care of the rest for you."

Yang Jintian didn't know what he was thinking, his eyes turning red. He buried his head and sat down. Yang Zhao didn't know if he was crying.

Yang Zhao turned his head, not looking at the two policemen, but at another corner in the house.

There it was a bit dim, and if you didn't look carefully, you could hardly see that there was someone standing in the corner.

Yang Zhao looked at the man and said, "The driver who hit someone, was it you?"

(Editor in charge：solo leveling novel)