Chapter 378: Standoff at the Police Station

Meng’s Mother slapped her thighs and wailed at the top of her lungs, “Is there no law anymore?! Our Qiao Fei is the daughter-in-law of the Xu Family, yet he, a mere live-in son-in-law, actually called the police to arrest our family!”

Wu Sinic huddled in the corner of the sofa, clutching Meng Xiaobao. Her face wore an expression of both panic and guilt.

Meng Zehai stood in the center of the living room, his face flushed red. He pointed right at Yang Xun’s nose, cursing, “Are you fucking sick in the head? You called the cops over a broken pot of flowers? Do you think the police have too much free time?”

The team was led by a middle-aged police officer in his early forties. His gaze swept over the chaotic scene in the living room before he asked in a steady tone, “Who called the police?”

“I did.”

Yang Xun stepped forward, his tone calm. “A precious medicinal plant I was cultivating was intentionally vandalized, causing severe damage to the plant. The preliminary estimate of the loss is over ten million.”

The middle-aged officer’s brow twitched slightly. He clearly hadn’t expected a potted plant to involve such a massive sum of money.

“Explain the situation first.”

Yang Xun pointed to the flowerpot at the corner of the desk, briefly explaining the origins of the Nine Nether Cold Jade Grass and the extent of the damage.

“I obtained this medicinal plant from an old collector. It is extremely rare on the market, and a fully grown plant is worth over a hundred million. The destroyed plant is still just a seedling, so a conservative estimate is ten million.

“Once a seedling is damaged, its survival rate drops drastically. Even if it doesn’t die, it will likely take years to regrow.”

After listening, the middle-aged officer glanced at the seedling with half its leaves plucked off, then turned to Meng Xiaobao.

“Little boy, did you pluck this flower?”

Meng Xiaobao, terrified by the police officer’s stern tone, burrowed into Wu Sinic’s embrace and burst into tears with a loud WAAAH. “I didn’t do it on purpose! I just touched it!”

Wu Sinic quickly shielded her son, raising her voice. “Officer, he’s just a child who doesn’t know any better. He just touched the flowerpot and accidentally knocked off a leaf. How can that be considered intentional damage?”

The middle-aged officer didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned to Yang Xun. “Do you have surveillance cameras in your home?”

“Yes. That camera is positioned perfectly to capture the living room,” Yang Xun said, pointing to the security camera in the corner.

The middle-aged officer nodded and called a colleague over to retrieve the surveillance footage.

In the video, Meng Xiaobao first squatted in front of the flowerpot, staring at it for a long time, before reaching out and forcefully yanking the tender leaf. Because he pulled too hard, the leaf was torn off. He casually tossed it onto the floor, stood up, and ran away.

The entire sequence of events was crystal clear.

Wu Sinic’s face instantly turned pale.

After watching the footage, the middle-aged officer turned to Wu Sinic. “It was indeed damaged by the child. As parents, you have guardianship responsibilities. Damaging another person’s property requires compensation.”

“How much compensation?” Wu Sinic’s voice was a little weak.

“That requires an appraisal by a professional agency,” the middle-aged officer said, closing his notepad. “I suggest you negotiate amongst yourselves first. If an agreement cannot be reached, you can resolve this through legal channels.”

Meng’s Mother sat on the sofa with a livid face. She glared at Yang Xun, then turned to look at Meng Qiaofei. “Qiao Fei! Say something! This is your own nephew! Are you just going to watch your maiden family get bullied?”

Standing at the edge of the living room, Meng Qiaofei stiffened slightly when she heard this. She raised her head, her gaze sweeping back and forth between her mother and Yang Xun, before she spoke up. “Mom, Xiaobao is indeed in the wrong here. Besides, that medicinal plant is very important to Yang Xun. You should apologize to him and sincerely discuss compensation.”

Meng’s Mother looked as if she had been slapped in the face, her lips trembling with anger. “Y-you heartless wretch! How old is your nephew? And you’re actually siding with an outsider!”

“He’s not an outsider.” Meng Qiaofei’s voice was not loud, but it carried an unprecedented certainty. “Yang Xun is a member of the Xu Family. You are the outsiders.”

The living room fell silent for two seconds. No one expected the usually gentle Meng Qiaofei to be so tough.

Meng’s Mother wanted to say something else, but she was interrupted by her son.

Meng Zehai took out his phone, snapped a few pictures of the potted plant, and looked down to search for something. Then, his face turned incredibly ugly. He had just searched for the Nine Nether Cold Jade Grass. Although there was no exact price online, there was indeed a lot of information stating that this medicinal plant was extremely precious and practically priceless.

“Mom… stop arguing. This plant might actually be really expensive.” Meng Zehai’s voice was dry and hoarse.

Meng’s Mother glared at him. “What nonsense are you spouting?”

“I just looked it up. The internet says this medicinal plant is indeed very rare. If it’s really worth that much money, we can’t afford to pay for it.”

The faces of the Meng Family members darkened. They had originally come to Zhonghai to freeload some benefits. Who knew they would stir up such massive trouble before they even started?

Meng’s Mother’s face turned varying shades of green and pale for a long time. Finally, she forced a fawning smile. “Yang, look… Xiaobao is just a child after all, and he didn’t do it on purpose. How about we just let this go? We’re all family, why make things so unpleasant?”

“Just a moment ago, you were calling me a live-in son-in-law and accusing me of trying to extort money from you!” Yang Xun looked at her, his tone mocking.

The smile on Meng’s Mother’s face froze.

Yang Xun didn’t spare her another glance, turning instead to the middle-aged officer. “I demand an appraisal and compensation based on the market price. If the other party refuses to pay, I will file a civil lawsuit.”

The middle-aged officer nodded. “Alright. Everyone, please come with us.”

At the police station, the cold, glaring white lights made Meng Zehai’s family look even paler.

Yang Xun sat on one side of the long table in the mediation room. Opposite him sat three members of the Meng Family. Elder Meng, Meng Zehai, and Wu Sinic squeezed together, each wearing a different expression. The rolls of fat on Elder Meng’s face were taut, and her lips were pressed into a thin line. Meng Zehai’s face was pale, a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead, while Wu Sinic huddled in a corner hugging Meng Xiaobao, her head bowed, not daring to look at anyone.

Upon hearing the news, Xu Yue had also hurried over and was now sitting next to Yang Xun. She knew how important that potted plant was to Yang Xun, so her expression was extremely solemn.

A moment later, a middle-aged man in his forties walked in. His last name was Liu, and with his thin-rimmed glasses, he looked highly experienced.

He opened the notepad in front of him, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and broke the silence. “I understand the situation. Mr. Yang reported that a precious medicinal plant in his home was intentionally damaged and is demanding compensation.

“Does the Meng Family have any objections to these facts?”

“We do!” Elder Meng was the first to speak up, her voice as shrill as a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Our Xiaobao is only five years old. He’s just an ignorant child who merely touched the flowerpot. He’s a grown man asking for ten million right off the bat! If that isn’t extortion, what is?

“A broken pot of flowers is worth ten million? Who would believe that if you told them? I think he just sees our Meng Family as an easy target and is intentionally extorting us!”

Wu Sinic chimed in, her voice thick with tears. “Exactly! Our Xiaobao is so little, what does he know? If he doesn’t want Zehai to join the company, he should just say it. Why make things difficult for a child?”