Chapter 232: Thrilling Thief-Catching Scene

Chapter 232: Heart-Stopping Thief Capture

In the darkness, several shadowy figures carrying tools and dressed in black sprinted toward the Fu family's durian orchard.

"Move it, grab as much as we can tonight," someone whispered.

"More? Isn't that risky? What if the Fu family notices?"

"Tch, like they'd even notice? It's just fruit on the trees."

"I think the ones in the neighboring plot are almost ripe too. We can pick even more then."

"God, this thing reeks. I don’t get why rich people like eating this stuff."

"Shut it and keep picking."

There were about six of them in total.

They split into two groups to harvest the durians, working like lightning.

Fu Tinghua and Fu Dajun were hiding in a concealed spot, originally planning to catch the thieves as soon as they emerged. But Fu Tinghua suggested letting them pick first—free labor? Hell yeah.

Besides, wearing them out would make them easier to catch later.

After the thieves had been picking for nearly an hour, Fu Tinghua finally hissed to the other Fu brothers: "Move out."

The Fu family members were all armed with clubs. If the thieves dared to resist, they’d swing first, ask later.

Did these punks really think the Fu family would roll over?

They charged—two thieves were immediately tackled to the dirt and tied up with ropes.

Two others, realizing they’d been caught, froze for a split second before deciding to flee.

Fu Tinghua dashed forward and kicked one of them to the ground.

Seeing this, the remaining thief snarled and pulled out a sickle, taking a wild slash at Fu Tinghua.

"Ting Hua!" Fu Guoqing shouted and rushed toward his brother.

But before the thief could get close, Fu Tinghua kicked him away.

Fu Guoqing blinked.

Since when did his brother go full ninja? Did he learn this from Su He?

While Fu Guoqing was momentarily distracted, a durian suddenly came crashing down from above.

"Holy—move!"

Fu Guoqing yanked Fu Ziyao aside just in time.

Fu Ziyao, who had been tying up a thief, got jerked sideways.

He avoided the durian, but the thief he had been restraining wasn’t so lucky—it smashed into his leg.

Well, perhaps he was a lucky bastard after all, considering it didn’t hit his head.

Otherwise, he’d be a goner.

After all, the durian had fallen from such a height and was covered in thorns.

"Ah—" A bloodcurdling scream rang out, sending chills down the Fu brothers' spines.

Their worst nightmare had just come true.

They’d always feared durians might fall and injure someone, but they never imagined it would happen under these circumstances.

"Shit!" The guy up the tree never expected to accidentally hurt his own companion and cursed in frustration.

Just as he was about to throw another durian, a stone suddenly struck his head.

Staggering from the blow, he almost toppled out of the tree.

He whipped around to see which bastard had thrown the stone when he spotted Fu Tinghua glaring coldly at him from below.

"If you don’t climb down right now, don’t blame me for knocking you down with stones," Fu Tinghua said icily.

"Okay, okay! I’m coming down!"

The guy up there was seriously rattled. If he wasn’t careful, a stone could send him tumbling down, and who knew if he’d survive?

Getting arrested was bad enough—at worst, he’d spend a few months in jail. But dying? That would be the end of everything.

Seeing his companions subdued, the other man slowly climbed down and surrendered.

The guy with the durian-smashed leg kept whimpering, unsure if his leg was broken or not.

Once they’d tied everyone up, Fu Tinghua went to examine his leg.

"The hell are you doing?" the injured man asked fearfully.

Without a word, Fu Tinghua pressed his hand against the man’s leg.

"AARRGH—!" A pig-slaughtering screech tore through the air.

"Just a fracture—leg’s not snapped. Lucky bastard," Fu Tinghua taunted.

"Really? It’s not broken?" the man asked urgently.

Everyone knew the Fu kid was an army medic.

"Wu Qing! I knew your damn family was behind this!" Fu Guoqing walked up to Wu Qing, who had been hit by the durian, and said angrily.

Hell, he and his dad, Fu Dajun, had just been saying that Uncle Wu, the truck driver, didn’t seem like the type to steal durians. Now they were proven wrong.

"My family’s got nothing to do with this! It was just me," Wu Qing quickly said.

"Bullshit. Just you? Didn’t your old man tip you off that my dad and I were staying in the city today, so you dared to come steal durians tonight?" Fu Guoqing sneered.

"So this was a goddamn trap," Wu Qing said, filled with regret.

He’d meant to wait longer before striking again, but when he heard that two of the Fu men were in the city, why the hell not?

Even if they were caught, the Fus wouldn’t have the manpower to catch ’em all.

They’d just bolt.

"These kids who came to steal durian, what's there to be scared of?"

"It was my own idea to steal the durians; it has nothing to do with my dad. I just dragged him into it. Take a look—other than me, do you know anyone here?" Wu Qing retorted Fu Guoqing's words despite the pain in his leg.

Hearing this, Fu Guoqing glanced at the others and indeed, none of them were from their village.

"You little shit, bringing outsiders to steal our Fu family's durians? Do you really think the Fu family has no one left?" This asshole—why didn't his leg snap? It pissed him off.

"My leg's killing me, can you take me to the hospital first?" Wu Qing's leg was swelling up right before their eyes.

"Let's move. Haul them to the town police station," Fu Tinghua said calmly.

At the mention of being taken to the police station, everyone's faces dropped.

"We'll pay you back, really. We won’t dare do it again next time, just let us go."

"Yeah, we’ll pay, don’t send us to the police station."

"I’m the only man in my family, please don’t send me to the police station."

The six guys the Fu family caught knew how to grovel, immediately begging for mercy.

In situations like this, fork over some cash and beg, and you’re usually off the hook.

No way they’d actually get jailed for this? They didn’t believe it.

Seeing them like this, the Fu family hesitated, so they all turned their eyes to Fu Tinghua.

"Ting Hua, you decide," Fu Dajun spoke up.

Mainly because he wasn’t sure either—whether it was better to settle with compensation or send them to the police station for theft.

His youngest was sharp—better leave it to him.

"To the station—no tolerance for this crap. This isn’t just a warning for them, but also a lesson for others in the village. If we just let them off with a fine, more people will come to steal durians in the future. Make an example out of ’em!"