Two police cars drove into Steingard Alley, and curious residents craned their necks to get a look.
"What’s going on?"
"Why are there so many police officers!"
"What happened?"
"I don’t know..."
The news had already reached the hardware factory two kilometers away.
James Yelric held a wrench in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. His forehead was covered in beads of sweat that rolled down his cheeks, soaking his stubble.
"Holy crap, I heard two police cars showed up by the dorms."
"What are they there for?"
"I don’t know. The people in the group chat didn’t say."
When James Yelric heard this, he froze mid-drag on his cigarette, his brow furrowing deeply.
He clenched the cigarette between his teeth, tossed the wrench on the ground, and pulled out his phone to check WeChat.
He saw that many people in the dorm group chat had posted photos and videos. Two police cars were parked in front of the convenience store on the main road.
Uniformed police officers were walking into the alley.
James Yelric scrolled to the latest video. The group of officers seemed to have walked near the building he lived in.
His brows knitted even tighter. His heart suddenly lurched, and a strong sense of unease washed over him.
James Yelric took another harsh drag from his cigarette, hesitated for a moment, then said in a regional dialect, "Something’s come up. I need to take off."
He clocked out right after, intending to head to the charging station across the street to get his electric scooter and leave, but he suddenly heard someone shout.
"Hey, more cops are here! Looks like they’re headed this way."
James Yelric turned his head and saw a police car pull over to the side of the road. Several tall, imposing officers with an air of integrity stepped out of the vehicle.
He frowned, quickening his pace toward the other side of the street.
However, after just a few steps, someone blocked his path.
Zachary Conway stood before him, his expression stern. "Are you James Yelric?"
James Yelric’s heart plummeted, but he feigned composure and shook his head. "I’m not."
"You’re not?" Zachary Conway said coldly. "Let me see your ID."
James Yelric swallowed hard. "I... I don’t have it with me."
Levi Hollis frowned, sizing him up. "Recite your ID number."
"I don’t know my ID number by heart." Cold sweat beaded on James Yelric’s back. "Officers, I’m just an honest working man. You’ve definitely got the wrong person. I have something important to do, so I’ll be going now."
He had originally planned to go back to the dorms to see what was going on, but now it was clear he couldn’t go.
"You are James Yelric. Stop the act." Zachary Conway directly pulled out his handcuffs and snapped one onto his wrist. "You’re a suspect in a murder case. You’re coming with us to the station for questioning!"
Seeing this, the surrounding crowd began to whisper among themselves.
"Oh my god, James Yelric killed someone?"
"How terrifying! To think he’s a murderer!"
"Who did he kill?"
"..."
James Yelric’s expression instantly darkened. He turned and roared at the gossiping crowd, "You’re talking nonsense! I didn’t kill anyone!"
Zachary Conway and Levi Hollis escorted him into the police car.
**
Renee Jennings brought Willow and Glenn back to Eastgate Villa.
The furry children in the courtyard sniffed the unfamiliar scents and stared curiously at Willow and Glenn.
Renee Jennings offered a faint smile. "This is Willow and Glenn. You all need to be nice to them."
Willow’s and Glenn’s eyes were filled with delight, and they kept looking back at the cats and dogs as they walked.
"Big Sister, you have so many cats and dogs!" Envy was written all over Glenn’s face. "I always wanted to have a kitten."
Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow. "And did you get one?"
"No." Glenn shook his head. "Mom and Dad wouldn’t allow it. They said raising my sister and me was already hard enough, and we didn’t have money for a kitten."
"I see." Renee Jennings chuckled softly and explained, "Actually, when I first started keeping cats, my parents didn’t approve either. They thought it was a waste of money and time."
"Then why did they agree later? And now you have so many!" Glenn was extremely curious.
Renee Jennings replied, "Because I studied hard, and after I got a job, I started earning my own money. Once I could afford it, my parents agreed."
"Glenn, did you hear that? You have to study hard so you can be capable enough to have kittens and puppies." Willow was always worrying about her little brother.
Glenn couldn’t help but sigh. "That’s so hard! You have to study just to get a kitten!"