The city I reside in is a small county town under Jiangsu Province. In 2008, the per capita GDP here was less than 2,000.
Therefore, in such small county towns, especially around stations and on some secluded township streets, people from all walks of life are commonly seen.
Among them, naturally, are members of the Rong Sect, whom ordinary people often refer to as: pickpockets.
...
As I continuously observed the pedestrians on the street, a boy who appeared reasonably well-dressed, around sixteen or seventeen years old, gradually caught my attention.
I spent 11 yuan at a roadside convenience store for a pack of Red Nanjing cigarettes. While smoking, I discreetly observed the boy for a while.
I noticed that although the boy, like me, was constantly scanning the crowd, there was a difference: I avoided the crowd, while he kept moving and lingering within it.
During this time, the boy would intentionally approach some people and have brief physical contact with them.
Upon seeing this, I smiled.
I had to admit that professions like pickpocketing truly spanned every era, from ancient times to the present.
Indeed, where there are people, there is the martial world; and where there is the martial world, there are inevitably pickpockets!
Since the boy before me was a member of the Rong Sect, according to the rules of the martial world, there should be no other pickpockets in this area.
To avoid being targeted, I decided to leave quickly.
However, reality proved that what one fears most is precisely what will happen.
Just as I withdrew my gaze and began to stride away, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before me.
I saw the boy staggering and stumbling, appearing unsteady on his feet, as he approached me.
*Slap!*
Just as I was about to dodge, the boy immediately tripped and fell into my arms, saying, "Brother, my apologies!"
As he spoke, the boy, thinking his hand had slipped into my pocket unnoticed, did just that.
But with my defenses already in place, how could I not know?
The moment his hand entered, the boy immediately felt his wrist being clamped.
At this moment, as he looked up, he saw a knowing smile on my face: "Brother, what are you touching?"
The boy's hand was firmly held by mine inside my pocket, catching him red-handed.
After teasing him, I then saw that this boy... was actually quite handsome and refined!
Although his attire was extremely ordinary, his features were exceptionally striking, even to the point of being exceptionally delicate!
At that moment, I had a feeling: could this guy... be a girl?
Facing my teasing, the boy immediately panicked: "You... let go!"
The moment the boy's voice cracked, my eyes widened.
Having learned the art of deception from Uncle Tuo for six years, it was no exaggeration to say that without any playing cards, my ears were even more formidable than my hands.
Hearing that voice, I immediately confirmed that the boy pickpocket before me was indeed a girl!
Good heavens! I almost made a mistake.
I never expected to encounter a girl in such a small town who was so skilled in disguise that she could even fool me.
However, even so, I had no intention of letting her off so easily.
With a cold smile, I said to the girl before me, "Caught red-handed stealing, and you want me to let you go? Who gave you the courage? Was it Liang Jingru?"
Even though she was a girl, I showed no mercy, keeping a firm grip on her hand.
"Nonsense!!!"
"I just happened to stumble, and you're accusing me of stealing."
"I... I didn't steal anything from you!"
The girl, caught in the act, clearly was unwilling to admit it.
One must remember that in 2008, there weren't as many surveillance cameras on the streets of county-level towns.
If a pickpocket was caught in public, they would inevitably be beaten before being taken to the police station.
More seriously, incidents of people being beaten to death were not unheard of.
Therefore, even though she was caught red-handed, the girl dared not admit it.
Seeing that she seemed determined to play dumb, I also became serious: "You didn't steal? If you didn't steal... how did your hand get into my pocket!?"
"Could it be that I actively grabbed your hand and forced it in?"
"Yes, yes, that's it!"
"It was you! You shoved my hand in! You... you're framing an innocent person..."
Following my sarcastic remark, the girl immediately turned the tables.
"Hey! Well, you little brat... boy!"
"You're trying to play dumb with me?"
"Do you believe me if I shout now that someone's missing something, and people will gather around?"
Upon hearing my words, the girl immediately panicked and said with a flushed face, "No! Please don't! You... you don't just shout."
As she spoke, she continued to struggle, but my hand was like an iron clamp, preventing her from breaking free.
At this time, quite a few people around us had noticed the commotion. Some of them even stopped to watch.
Seeing the crowd of onlookers growing visibly, the girl finally became completely flustered and scared.
"Brother, brother! I admit it, I admit it, okay! Let's talk properly. Whatever conditions you have... just name them!"
"If you don't want me to shout, then compensate me for emotional distress."
Unsure if the girl had accomplices nearby, I didn't dare to trouble her too much, thinking it would be enough if she just gave a little.
It wouldn't do to just let her go without any consequence, would it?
"You, you scoundrel! You're extorting me!"
It was clear that the girl was greatly angered by me, even thinking I was taking advantage of the situation.
I remained silent, merely smiling noncommittally.
No matter what she said, I had already made up my mind not to let her leave so easily.
Seeing more and more people gathering, the girl, who had been looking resentful, finally stopped hesitating. She directly took out a wad of bills from her pocket and stuffed it into my hand.
The moment I took the money, I glanced at it.
Red, green... and a few coins mixed in. It was quite thick, probably at least a thousand yuan.
Although I knew the girl likely had more money hidden in her pockets, I didn't ask for more and immediately let her go.
"When you can be merciful, be merciful!" We are all fellow travelers in this world. Since I suffered no loss, backing down gracefully was the best course of action to avoid escalating the situation.
Rubbing her wrist, which was still sore from my grip, the girl glared at me angrily, about to say some polite words when...
Suddenly, a few thugs rushed over from not far away.
Upon seeing the girl, one of them, a skinny fellow with dragon and tiger tattoos, immediately pointed at her and yelled loudly, "Damn it! It's her!"
"She just picked my pocket clean, leaving me with no money to buy toilet paper even when I had diarrhea, so I had to use my underwear to wipe my butt!"