The Act
Time seemed to freeze for a few seconds, as if froze by the kitchen knife deeply embedded in the security door.
Liu Jian remained motionless, frozen in that extremely contorted, unsteady dodging posture. Cold sweat, first a single drop, then forming a thin thread, rolled down his pale forehead, across his slightly twitching cheek, gathered at his chin, and finally dripped with a "plop" onto the concrete ground at his feet. He could clearly hear the faint sound of the water hitting the ground, which sounded exceptionally clear amidst his pounding heartbeat and heavy breathing.
A warm sensation came from his crotch, which quickly turned cold and sticky—he had lost control of his bladder. Extreme fear had destroyed his ability to control it.
This wasn't the first time he'd faced conflict, or even the first time he'd been beaten (though rarely), but it was definitely the first time he'd felt the chilling kiss of death so closely and so clearly. That knife strike was too fast, too ruthless, too decisive; there was no warning, no bluffing, it was aimed straight for his life!
The other person's eyes and actions showed that they were neither an enraged merchant nor a bluffing thug; it was a pure indifference and ruthlessness that regarded human life as worthless!
All his previous anger, scheming, and desire for compensation evaporated instantly in the face of that knife, leaving only the limpness of someone who had survived a near-death experience and lingering fear. The stinging pain around his ears still reminded him that he had been just a hair's breadth away from having his skull split open or pierced through.
Unlike Liu Jian's purely physiological fear, the Glasses man leading the team—the external liaison for Old Fang's team, whom we'll call "Glasses" for now—after a brief moment of astonishment, suddenly revealed a complex light in his eyes, a mixture of excitement and regret.
The excitement stemmed from the fact that the other party's stab was practically a gift delivered to their door! A knife! A direct thrust at the face! A clear target! This wasn't just a simple "conflict" or "threat"; it was enough to constitute "attempted murder" or at least "attempted assault"! The video was captured (hopefully clearly), and there were witnesses (the four of them) and physical evidence (the knife stuck in the door)—all in place!
This is far more sensational than any material about "price gouging" or "rude attitude"! If handled properly, it will absolutely explode in public opinion! Not only will the label of "heartless merchant" be firmly attached to the other party, but it will also be accompanied by a series of even more alarming labels such as "ruthless," "violently resisting law enforcement," and "dangerous element to society"! At that point, forget about compensation; it's not impossible for the shop owner to spend several years in jail!
But this is precisely the reason for the regret. How could Liu Jian, that good-for-nothing, have dodged it? If that knife had landed squarely, even if it had only grazed his face or pierced his shoulder, the nature of the crime would have been much more serious—a clear case of "intentional injury," or even "attempted murder." The legal proceedings would have been much more arduous, and the "settlement fee" they could have received... would have been an absolutely staggering figure!
Yes, "compensation fee". This is another less aboveboard but faster and more lucrative "gray income" channel for them, besides "three times the compensation for fake products" and traffic revenue.
Their standard practice is to constantly provoke and anger businesses through highly provocative and treacherous language, especially when they come to "communicate" with them, maximizing the sense of pressure in terms of environment, number of people, and language.
Many small business owners are already burdened with operational pressures, have a weak sense of law, and are prone to losing control of their emotions. Once they are successfully provoked and resort to violence—even just a shove, knocking away a phone, or threatening with a knife like Lü Yi did just now—they play right into Lü Yi's hands.
The moment they take action is the beginning of their "victory." The video will record the entire "victim's" ordeal (of course, the parts where they provoked the victim will be carefully edited out), and then they will call the police, get medical examinations (even if it's just minor injuries or no injuries at all), and insist that the other party committed "violent assault," "disorderly conduct," and "intentional injury." Once the police intervene, the nature of the matter changes. For many businesses, having a criminal record, administrative detention, or even criminal liability is a far more terrifying consequence than paying compensation.
At this point, their "legal advisor" (often a lawyer familiar with the routines and adept at maneuvering) will step in and "communicate" privately. The core message is: We can issue a letter of understanding, provided... you have to show your appreciation.
The amount "represented" often far exceeds the "three times the compensation" amount for counterfeit goods, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands or even more, depending on the merchant's financial situation, the extent of the controversy, and the outcome they desire.
This is essentially a form of extortion disguised as "rights protection," and is no different from those who wait by the roadside to photograph illegally parked cars and then harass them for "hush money."
They all exploit the ambiguity of the rules and the fear of others, turning the act of "being beaten" or "gathering evidence" into a business. What they earn is money from this "risk" and "information gap".
These thoughts flashed through the Glasses man's mind as he quickly weighed the pros and cons. Although Liu Jian wasn't injured, thus losing the hard bargaining chip of a "trauma assessment," the act of "stabbing him in the face with a knife" was already egregious enough. The video had captured it, and the knife was still stuck in the door; there was no denying it. If handled well, it could still exert tremendous pressure.
He quickly concealed the overt glint in his eyes, coughed twice to clear his throat, and then, in a tone that was a mixture of feigned fear, anger, and righteous indignation, spoke loudly to his still-stunned companions behind him, especially the one holding the phone:
"What are you all standing there for?! Quick! Call the police! Dial 110! In broad daylight, a knife attack! Attempted murder! Quick! Save the video! This is all evidence!" His voice echoed in the empty hallway, deliberately emphasizing the keywords "knife attack" and "attempted murder".
Sitting on the ground, still shaken and with his crotch damp and cold, Liu Jian instinctively shuddered upon hearing the words "call the police" (a natural fear of public authority). But then, his long experience in this kind of situation immediately made him understand the Glasses man's intention. That's right! Call the police! Sue him! Now we're in the right! No, we've gained a huge advantage! The fear he felt earlier was quickly replaced by a twisted excitement, filled with vengeful pleasure and greed.
His eyes darted around, and he instantly transformed into a theatrical performer. What was initially just limpness escalated into a dramatic "Ouch!" as he let out a violent cry, his entire body arching backward and collapsing onto the cold cement floor. He clutched his chest tightly, his face growing even paler (partly from fear, partly feigned), his mouth agape, making a hoarse, gasping sound, his eyes rolling back, and his legs twitching slightly.
"Brother Jian! Brother Jian, what's wrong?!" A companion immediately understood and rushed over, shaking Liu Jian's shoulders exaggeratedly, his voice trembling with tears, "Were you scared? Did you have a heart attack? Quick! Call an ambulance!" Another person also hurriedly squatted down, frantically trying to perform CPR on Liu Jian, but not daring to really exert force. The scene was chaotic and comical for a moment.
The Glasses man took a step back, continuing to film Lü Yi and the knife stuck in the door with his phone, while indignantly denouncing the air (actually for potential viewers and later the police): "Lawless! Utterly lawless! Not only do they sell counterfeit goods and cheat people, but when exposed, they dare to use a knife to kill! Is there no law anymore! Everyone, look! This is the true face of unscrupulous merchants! They must be severely punished! They absolutely must be severely punished!"
The hallway was immediately filled with their shouts, calls for the police and ambulances, and their protests, making it as noisy as a market.
As for Lü Yi, the eye of this farce, he simply stood there coldly from beginning to end. He didn't even pull out the knife stuck in the door, leaving it standing there trembling, like a cold and ironic footnote.
He remained slightly leaning against the doorframe, his hands back in his pockets (if the knife didn't count), his face expressionless, his eyes indifferent as he watched the group of people jumping around and putting on a dramatic show, as if he were watching a bunch of insignificant ants putting on a boring charade.
A faint, almost mocking smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Let him perform, perform to his heart's content. He wanted to see how this monkey show would ultimately turn out.