Shavin's life at home was not good. His home did not bring him much warmth, which could be seen from the pile of scrap metal that his family prepared for him during the trial. Shavin was also very poor when he was at school. Zhang Tie had only heard that Shavin worked outside to earn money to help support his family, and had never heard that his family ever gave him a few copper coins as pocket money.
During the trial, the Brotherhood members were discussing settling scores with Shavin's bastard father when they returned, but Shavin stopped them.
Later, Zhang Tie learned that Shavin's family situation was a bit complicated. Shavin lost his father when he was young, and his mother remarried to his current scoundrel father. She also had two half-brothers with this man. His family's financial situation was not good to begin with, and with his stepfather being such a scoundrel, it's easy to imagine how difficult Shavin's life was.
Zhang Tie hadn't expected that such a big thing would happen to the Shavin family just a few days after he returned from the trial.
Just last night, Shavin's scoundrel stepfather beat Shavin's mother at home over a trivial matter. Shavin, who usually endured it all at home, finally couldn't take it anymore and argued with the man. During the argument, the man grabbed a stool and started hitting Shavin Shavin, making her run around the house. In a moment of desperation, Shavin grabbed a fruit knife from the table and slashed the man's thigh.
Seeing the man fall to the ground stabbed and bleeding from his head, Shavin rushed out of the house. He hadn't returned home all night, while that bastard was shouting that he would report Shavin to the Military Control Committee for patricide.
If this charge is proven, according to the Norman Empire law, patricide is a capital offense.
Doug's house wasn't far from Shavin's. It wasn't until last night, when Doug passed by Shavin's house on Doug way home intending to visit Shavin, that he learned what had happened from Shavin's mother. Now, Shavin's mother was in a state of panic at home. Shavin's bastard stepfather was determined to kill Shavin this time, and had been spreading the news throughout the neighborhood, saying that once his leg healed, he would report Shavin to the Military Control Committee...
After learning about this last night, Doug rushed to find Barry and then quickly notified the rest of the Brotherhood. Because Zhang Tie was still recovering from his injuries, they didn't disturb Zhang Tie. However, after a whole night of searching, they still couldn't find Shavin, Shavin's bastard stepfather was already threatening to file a complaint against Shavin at the Military Control Committee Commission that day. Having exhausted all other options, Barry and Doug finally went to find Zhang Tie.
Where are Light and the others now?
After entering the apartment, Zhang Tie hurriedly put on his clothes while asking Barry.
" Light and the others are still looking for Shavin. Doug and I came over first to let you know and see if you can do anything!"
"Where is Shavin's stepfather now?"
"That person got bandaged up at the hospital yesterday and went home!"
"I understand!" Zhang Tie said, quickly and carefully putting on his second lieutenant's uniform.
At first, Barry and Doug didn't notice anything amiss, but when they saw Zhang Tie's nimble movements and how he didn't look injured at all, they were astonished.
"Your injury is healed?" Barry's eyes widened.
"It was fine yesterday, keep it a secret!" Seeing that Barry and Doug's eyes seemed to be thinking something inappropriate, Zhang Tie quickly added, " Mother Theresa cured me with a secret medicine. Even if my body is abnormal, it's impossible for me to recover that quickly!"
Hearing Zhang Tie say that, Barry and Doug exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief. If being struck by lightning could really produce such an effect, healing such severe injuries in just two days, the two of them might be tempted to give it a try.
Zhang Tie has now become another source of pride for the Seventh National Boys' Middle School in Black Flame City, following in the footsteps of Li Shizhen. Especially among the students in the same grade as Zhang Tie from various schools in Black Flame City, almost everyone is talking about Zhang Tie's exploits. The story of Zhang Tie instantly killing a level six Black Spider despite being ambushed on the day of the duel has been passed down like a myth.
Zhang Tie quickly washed up and got dressed. Just as he was about to leave, he reached for his car keys, but then thought better of it. Zhang Tie car was parked under a tree outside his house. It was convenient to drive, but getting it started and letting the boiler preheat would take too long. The car wouldn't move for at least half an hour.
How did you get here?
"Of course we ran here. It's so early, the buses in Black Flame City haven't even started running yet! We've been on the road for over an hour!"
"Can you still run now?"
Doug and Barry patted their chests together!
"Alright, let's go to Shavin's house first and deal with that bastard stepfather of Shavin!"
"You're not thinking of going and killing that bastard, are you?" Doug was startled. Barry rolled his eyes. Even Barry felt a little ashamed to have such a dim-witted guy as a brother.
Zhang Tie was both amused and annoyed. "I'm a legitimate imperial official, not some Red Scarf Bandits or robber like the Red Turbans. I mean, let's help Shavin resolve the issue of his father suing him first. This outfit might not be enough to run rampant in Black Flame City, but it should be fine for intimidating someone!"
Doug chuckled and scratched his head. "What a pity. Actually, if we could have just taken care of that bastard, I think it would have been much easier!"
Barry couldn't hold back any longer and slapped Doug on the head...
... The three of them left Zhang Tie's apartment and, as if doing morning exercise, started running together on the streets of Black Flame City.
Seeing a young Norman Empire officer jogging with two other people on the streets of Black Flame City before dawn, many people turned their heads. Along the way, Zhang Tie, Barry, and Doug were stopped by the patrolling soldiers of the 39th Division no less than three times. Each time they were stopped, the patrolling soldiers looked at Zhang Tie and asked Zhang Tie if he needed any help.
Although Zhang Tie tried his best to keep his running speed at a very low level, Barry and Doug were still sweating profusely.
After jogging for 20 minutes, Zhang Tie and his group finally boarded a tram and arrived at Shavin's house an hour later.
Compared to their own family's situation, the Shavin family's economic conditions were even worse. The Shavin family lived in one of those residential buildings in Black Flame City called a " Brick Building." The entire residential area looked like it was pieced together from four bricks. Except for some light in the middle of the building, the rest of the place was dark, narrow, and crowded. The stairwells and passageways were piled with all sorts of clutter and garbage, and the walls of the stairwells and passageways were covered with all sorts of messy graffiti and writing. Everywhere were plastered with small advertisements and signs pointing to clients from old, faded women who ran prostitution businesses.
This is the true slum of Black Flame City, the home of those who do the cheapest labor.
When Zhang Tie, Barry, and Doug arrived, most of the people in this slum were just getting up, and many were lazily queuing for the public toilets in the middle of the building. Zhang Tie's arrival even caused a slight commotion. Many people who were about to go out immediately rushed back home upon seeing Zhang Tie, quickly closing their doors. Those with children outside grabbed their kids and pulled them back inside, while peering through the cracks in the doors and windows to see Zhang Tie this imperial official was up to.
In the past month, some homeless people, unemployed individuals, and low-level gangs living in the slums tried to make a fortune during the change of regime in Black Flame City. As a result, their corpses were all hung on the gallows and displayed as specimens by the Norman Empire soldiers for a long time. Norman Empire soldiers in their dark red uniforms came here frequently to arrest and kill people, so the people here had an instinctive fear of those dark red uniforms.
When Zhang Tie arrived at room 816 on the eighth floor of the " Brick Building " with Barry and Doug, Zhang Tie glanced at Barry and Doug, and they both nodded.
Even now, the sounds of an angry man shouting and a woman sobbing could still be heard coming from inside the room.
Zhang Tie raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.
A chubby boy of about eleven or twelve years old opened the door. When he saw Zhang Tie standing outside, he trembled with fear. Zhang Tie pushed the door open and saw a boy of about ten years old beside him. The two boys bore a slight resemblance to Shavin, but lacked Shavin's refined features. Thinking of Shavin's thin frame and looking at the two chubby boys with their rough demeanor, Zhang Tie immediately understood their identities— Shavin's two half-brothers.
Zhang Tie neither disliked nor liked the two children. Seeing them open the door, Zhang Tie walked in and went straight to the room from which came the man's roar and the woman's weeping.
"Please don't report Shavin. He didn't do it on purpose yesterday. He'll die if you do this. Do you really want to see him die? He's called you 'Dad' for almost ten years..." The woman in the room cried and pleaded.
"You're still pleading for him? Do you know what he was trying to do yesterday? What was that beast trying to do? He tried to kill me with a knife! He's not my son, he's just your bastard child with your dead husband..." a man roared in the room.
"No, that's not it. He was cornered by you and in his panic, he stabbed you with his knife. You only have a minor injury..."
"Slap!" A loud slap interrupted the woman's words.
"A minor injury? Do you know how much my leg hurts right now? You still want to plead for him? Fine, I know your deadbeat husband left you and that little bastard a sum of money before he died. You hid the deposit slip. Give me that deposit slip, and I won't report him today..."
"It's all gone, really all gone. All the money in the house has been spent by you on other women over the years. Where am I supposed to find any savings..." the woman cried.
"You won't hand it over, huh? Then you can just wait for your son to be caught and hanged!" the man threatened viciously.
"Please, I beg you, I really have no money left..."
"You think you can save that little bastard without money? Heh... heh... you're more likely to be collecting his corpse. That bastard has such delicate skin, he'll look quite a sight hanging from the grave..."
Hearing this, Zhang Tie couldn't take it anymore. Enraged, Zhang Tie kicked open a door, rushed into the room, grabbed the stunned man inside, and slapped him across the neck more than ten times...