Police Response
The siren grew louder as it approached, quickly stopping downstairs. Flashing red and blue lights shone through the stairwell windows, casting flickering shadows on the ceiling and walls. They arrived quickly, even faster than expected.
Footsteps came up the stairs, slightly hurried. Only one person appeared at the corner of the stairs.
The man was wearing a dark blue police uniform, around forty years old, with a square face, a habitually furrowed brow, and a sharp, scrutinizing gaze as he scanned the scene. His shoulder insignia indicated he was a second-level police inspector. He wasn't carrying a body camera or wearing a reflective vest; he was dressed in the most ordinary duty attire.
"Who called the police? What happened?" His voice was loud and clear, his gaze quickly sweeping across the scene—the security door with the knife stuck in it, Liu Jian slumped on the ground by the door, clutching his chest and "unable to breathe," surrounded by several "anxious" accomplices, and Lü Yi leaning against the door frame, hands in his pockets, looking indifferent. His gaze lingered for a moment between Lü Yi's face and the knife on the door, his brows furrowing even more.
"Officer! We called the police!" The Glasses man immediately stepped forward, his face a mixture of fear, anger, and relief at seeing a savior. He spoke quickly, "This man! The owner of this shop! He attacked us with a knife! He almost killed our people! Look, the knife is still stuck in the door! If my friend hadn't dodged quickly, we'd probably be..."
The middle-aged police officer raised his hand, signaling the Glasses man to stop. He took two steps forward, his gaze fixed on Lü Yi, his tone serious but restrained. "Put the knife down first. Tell me your problem slowly."
Lü Yi glanced at him, his expression unchanged, and he didn't argue. He slowly reached out, grasped the knife handle still stuck in the door, and pulled it out with a slight effort. The metal scraping against the wood made a teeth-grinding sound. Instead of placing the knife on the ground or handing it to the police as they might have expected, he casually tossed it. The knife drew an arc in the air and landed with a "clatter" on the entryway floor, sliding a short distance.
The gesture was casually provocative. The middle-aged policeman's eyes darkened, but he didn't immediately react. He turned to the man with Glasses: "You, recount what happened objectively. Don't exaggerate, and don't omit anything."
The Glasses man was prepared and immediately began his "objective" statement.
He first identified himself as a "consumer rights investigator" and a "counterfeit-busting blogger," then recounted how he discovered "Old Lin Liquor Shop" selling wine at exorbitant prices, how his fan Liu Jian was "deceived" into buying fifty bottles, how they went to the shop today to "communicate rationally" and "demand an explanation," and how the other party (Lü Yi) was "arrogant" and "foul-mouthed," finally "without warning" and "insanely" stabbing Liu Jian in the face with a knife, intending to "kill" him.
The story deliberately emphasizes the "suddenness" and "fatality" of Lü Yi's actions, while downplaying Liu Jian's attempt to rush in and his previous verbal provocations, portraying Lü Yi as a vicious assailant who becomes enraged and violently assaults others after his deception is exposed.
"... Officer, look at this! In broad daylight, in a society governed by the rule of law, there are still people so arrogant and disregard the law! If we hadn't dodged quickly, someone would have died today! This is no longer a simple consumer dispute; it's a serious criminal offense!" The Glasses man concluded, his tone somber, as if genuinely worried about public safety.
After listening, the middle-aged police officer remained noncommittal, then looked at Liu Jian on the ground. "How are you? Do you need an ambulance?"
Liu Jian waved his hand weakly at the opportune moment, his voice barely a whisper, "I'm... I'm alright, just really scared, my heart isn't feeling well... I'll be fine after a while... Officer, you have to stand up for us..."
The middle-aged police officer nodded, then turned to Lü Yi: "Do you have anything to add or refute what he said?"
Lü Yi shrugged, his tone unchanged. "They were banging on the door, cursing, and trying to break in. I just brandished the knife to scare them. Who really wanted to kill him? Why would I? It would dirty my hands." His words were simple and direct, and while he didn't deny stabbing someone, he casually defined it as "scaring."
"Scare them?" The Glasses man immediately seized on the topic, pointing excitedly to the knife marks on the door (although the knife had been removed, the marks were still there), "Stabbing someone's head with a knife is considered scare tactics? The knife was even stuck in the door! This is scare tactics? This is attempted murder!"
The middle-aged police officer raised his hand to stop the Glasses man's agitation. He looked at Lü Yi, then at the Glasses man's side, a thoughtful expression on his face. The situation was actually quite clear: one party was wielding a knife and making a seriously dangerous move, while the other party had provocative behavior but had not caused any actual harm (except for Liu Jian, who was so scared he wet himself). It was a typical case of mutual responsibility, but the behavior of the party wielding the knife was clearly more serious.
He hesitated for a moment, then said to the Glasses man, "Threatening others with a knife, or even making aggressive gestures, is indeed very dangerous and constitutes a violation of the Public Security Administration Punishment Law. In serious cases, it may even constitute a criminal offense. Although you came to 'communicate,' your methods were problematic and could easily escalate the conflict."
He paused, then changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat conciliatory. "However, it seems this man (referring to Liu Jian) doesn't have any actual injuries, just some shock. If we really go through legal procedures, with forensic examinations, investigations, and lawsuits... it'll drag on for a long time, and it'll be a hassle for both sides. You're here to resolve the issue, not to hold a grudge, right?"
Upon hearing this, the Glasses man immediately understood. He was all too familiar with this kind of "mediation" rhetoric; it was often a routine tactic used by police officers to quickly resolve disputes and prevent escalation, which also gave them room to maneuver.
He immediately adopted a "wise and righteous" and "considerate" expression, adjusted his Glasses, and sighed, "The police officer is right. We're not the kind of people who hold grudges. The reason we came here today was initially to seek justice and an explanation for the more than 60,000 yuan that my fan was scammed out of. I never expected... sigh."
He glanced at Lü Yi, then looked at the police officer and said in a consultative tone, "How about this, officer? We don't want to make a big deal out of it; after all, nobody has it easy. If we really pursue criminal charges against him, he'll have to go to jail, and that will be a record that will affect him for life. As for us, our main losses will be financial."
He cleared his throat and recited the figure he had already prepared. "How about this? Let's compromise and see what happens. First, he needs to give us an explanation for this knife attack that almost caused a major disaster, as compensation for emotional distress and shock. Second, he needs to pay for the fifty bottles of fake... no, exorbitantly priced wine my fans bought, according to the law, which stipulates three times the price for fake products. He should pay what he's owed."
He counted on his fingers, calculating very quickly:
"Regarding the first item of compensation, considering the threats to our lives and the psychological harm we suffered, asking for 200,000 yuan isn't unreasonable, is it? For the second item, the cost of the liquor is 64,000 yuan, and the 'three-times compensation for counterfeit goods' is 192,000 yuan. Adding these two items together, rounding down, we'll be compensated a total of 500,000 yuan."
"As long as the money is in place, we'll immediately sign a letter of understanding, guaranteeing that we won't pursue any further responsibility against him, and this matter will be treated as if it never happened. Do you think this approach is best for everyone? It teaches him a lesson, compensates for our losses, avoids more serious legal consequences, and saves you trouble."
He spoke as if it were perfectly reasonable, as if he were entirely thinking of the other party's best interests. Five hundred thousand—a number that seemed "reasonable" and could "solve all the troubles once and for all."
The middle-aged police officer listened without showing any expression, but turned to look at Lü Yi, his tone more serious than before. "Did you hear that? Attacking someone's vitals with a knife is no small matter. If we really investigate this seriously, open a case, transfer it to the procuratorate, and you could be convicted of attempted intentional injury or disorderly conduct, and it's not impossible for you to spend a few years in jail. Think about how much a criminal record will affect your future life."
He paused, as if giving Lü Yi time to think, then continued in an almost persuasive tone, "You need to have the right attitude. Right now, the other party is willing to give you a chance to resolve the conflict through financial compensation and avoid criminal liability. Is 500,000 yuan a lot? Think about it, if you were really sentenced, say three to five years, could you earn money in there? Not only would you not earn money, but you would also lose your freedom and suffer. If you pay this 500,000 yuan, you can earn 100,000 to 200,000 yuan a year outside, and you'll be back in two or three years. Moreover, you won't have to go to jail, and your record will be clean. You should weigh the pros and cons yourself."
These words sound like an experienced police officer analyzing the pros and cons for a naive young man who might not understand the law, pointing out the "best" way out. The sense of pressure is mixed with the tone of "thinking of you".
Lü Yi listened, his face remaining expressionless, even the mocking smile on his lips didn't change. He was about to speak, probably uttering another one of those ridiculous lines like, "If you want a refund, then refund; no way you're going to pay compensation."
Just then, a calm, even slightly lazy, young male voice came from the open doorway, deep within the living room. The voice wasn't loud, but it traveled clearly through the entryway to the ears of everyone at the door:
"Officer, you've made a good point."
The voice paused, and it seemed the speaker took a few steps forward.
"However, I'm a little curious, and a little puzzled."
"I just want to know one thing--"
The owner of that voice must have already reached the vicinity of the entrance, their tone carrying just the right amount of pure doubt:
"Since when did it become possible for police officers at our local police station to come alone to handle knife-related incidents?"