Chapter 261: Assault Charges

Chapter 261: Assault Charges

The police arrived at the hospital to take statements and conduct a medical examination on William.

The wound was precisely on his back—just a couple of inches off and it would have struck his spine.

The difference between minor and severe injury was a mere two inches. Even the doctor had to marvel at William's luck.

Riverside already had a bad reputation in the area.

Bullying neighbors and teaming up to do bad things—stuff like that was common in Riverside.

The villagers only cared about personal connections, not the law. It was the most typical example of tribal mentality.

No matter what happened, as long as they heard someone from their village was involved, they'd take sides without distinguishing right from wrong.

Over time, all of them had developed this character that treated moral and legal standards as nothing.

Armed with the evidence Richard provided, the police went straight to make arrests.

Though they couldn't identify the specific perpetrator, everyone who'd gathered at the village entrance that day to block their way was hauled into the station.

Among the village's able-bodied young men, only Eddy and Stefan remained.

Those two had run fast. The moment they heard police were coming to arrest people, they bolted into the mountains without a second thought. Even the well-trained officers couldn't catch them.

That evening, the families of several arrested young men came looking for Stefan.

"My son's only eighteen—he's got his whole future ahead of him. He really didn't mean it this time."

"My son was planning to enlist in the military. He can't have a criminal record!"

"Stefan, you're the most worldly person in our village. Help us figure out what to do—how can we get our boys out?"

Several pairs of expectant eyes converged on Stefan alone, making him feel enormous pressure.

He usually just knew a few tricks and loved to show off in front of the villagers, giving people advice.

Who would've thought that this time, his counsel had landed people in the police station!

Even so, Stefan was unwilling to expose his actual ignorance.

He made a show of mystery, beckoning the group closer.

"Do you know why the police came to arrest people?" Stefan asked cryptically.

The group looked completely bewildered, having no idea what Stefan was getting at.

"In the past, when kids in our village had little scuffles, it was just arguments at most. When have the police ever gotten involved?" Stefan counted on his fingers. "It's all because of these rich city folks with power and influence—that's why the police are willing to handle their business!"

"And do you know why they just had to drag our village people away?"

The group exchanged glances, then tentatively suggested, "They wouldn't be trying to get money from us, would they?"

Stefan slapped his thigh. "Exactly! They want to squeeze oil from us ordinary folks. Once they've drained us dry, won't they be even richer?"

One mother hesitated. "But I saw that factory boss—he looks pretty wealthy. Everything he wears and carries are fancy brands I've never seen before. The way he talks doesn't sound like someone trying to scam us for money."

Stefan glared at her. "Would you complain about having too much money? That man is rich, sure, but why do you think he came to develop our village? To make money! Money can never be enough—people just get greedier and greedier, wanting more and more, throwing away all their principles!"

This twisted logic actually convinced several of the mothers, who stood up, ready to go home and retrieve their savings.

Whether or not to pay money didn't matter much—in their view, what truly counted was their children's safety.

Early the next morning, several villagers brought tens of thousands of dollars they'd scraped together with difficulty to the hospital to seek Richard's forgiveness.

Isabella was still feeding William when several middle-aged women burst in. She found it rather surprising.

"I didn't call for a caregiver."

The woman in the lead smiled ingratiatingly at Isabella. "We're not here for work. We just want to talk with Ms. Capulet."

The moment they opened their mouths, Isabella guessed where they were from.

"My son's only eighteen. I was planning to send him to find work in the city after New Year's, but then this whole mess happened. We're terribly sorry, Ms. Capulet."

Compared to Stefan and Eddy from yesterday, these middle-aged women's attitudes were practically angelic.

"We don't have any unreasonable demands—we just want you to send the boys back as soon as possible. After all, the children are innocent."

The small bit of sympathy that had just risen in Isabella's heart instantly evaporated.

Children?

Among the arrested young men, the youngest was eighteen, the oldest already twenty-five or twenty-six.

They were all legal adults, responsible under the law for their actions.

"They may still be children in your eyes, but under the law they're adults who should take responsibility for their actions!" Isabella argued with the mother who'd spoken.

"You can think your kid is innocent, but before you say that, look at his wound. Even the doctor said if it had been just one more inch off, he might never walk again."

If it had been a severe injury, it wouldn't be a matter of forgiveness or not—the police would have taken control of the situation immediately.

"Our families are all quite poor. Here's fifty thousand dollars we scraped together with great difficulty—consider it compensation from us."

The woman in the lead pulled out a card and placed it on the table, her gaze lingering on it with some reluctance.

For rural folks like them, saving up fifty thousand dollars was no easy feat.

"Nobody wants your money. Looking at your kids' ages, they're not that young anymore. Constant indulgence will only make them worse in the future. Better to let them learn their lesson this time."

William spoke from where he lay face-down on the hospital bed, his voice calm.

The middle-aged women immediately tensed up.

"How would this kind of case be sentenced?"

"Assault charges depend on the circumstances. What your village did constitutes premeditated extortion, and when that failed, you resorted to deliberate injury. I'd estimate at least a few years in prison." Isabella's tone remained even as she spoke with them.

These middle-aged women were at least somewhat reasonable, not making a scene like Stefan and Eddy demanding compensation.

"That won't do—my boy's my only son. If he goes to prison, there'll be no one to do the work at home, and it'll be hard for him to find work later!"

One middle-aged woman dropped to her knees before Isabella with a thud, repeatedly striking her head against the floor.

"Let me atone for my son's sins. I'm begging you to spare him—just let him out. He'll absolutely never dare do this again."

No matter what they said, Isabella remained unmoved.

"Take your money back. Life goes on." Isabella's reminder was gentle.