Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 210 The Three Who Got to Police Station

"Waaaaah—waaaaah—"

The piercing, penetrating siren shattered the silence of the neighborhood as it drew nearer. A moment later, five police cars with flashing roof lights lined up and quickly and precisely stopped beside Lin Yan, Mike, and the thugs lying dead on the ground.

The car doors opened quickly, and seven or eight police officers in thick police jackets with serious expressions stepped out. The leader, a middle-aged man who looked experienced and whose shoulder insignia indicated he was a sergeant, sharply scanned the scene—especially the dozen or so thugs lying on the ground, groaning incessantly, and Lin Yan, who stood calmly in the center, and Mike, who was both shocked and excited beside him.

"Good evening, young men. I'm Sheriff Pete." He walked up to Lin Yan and Mike, introducing himself calmly, then looked at the "spoils of war" on the ground, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like this place... went through a storm?"

Just then, the back door of another police car opened, and Tom jumped out, his face still flushed with excitement. He rushed to Sheriff Pete's side and began to gesticulate wildly as he began to tell his story:

"Sheriff Pete! You didn't see that! It was so cool! Lin, that's him!" He pointed at Lin Yan, "These bastards tried to steal our money and threatened us! And then Lin, he did this... and that... My God! He was like a martial arts master! No, even more amazing! He just used a few moves, I think it was called... Tai Chi! Yes! Tai Chi! And all these guys were down! I swear, the whole thing probably didn't even take a minute!"

The five police officers who were checking on the fallen thugs listened to Tom's exaggerated but specific description, and looked at the dozen or so clearly adult thugs who had been single-handedly taken down by an Asian teenager. Their faces showed disbelief. Their examination revealed that although the thugs were not in mortal danger, they were definitely incapacitated for a short period of time, and the location and force of the blows were terrifyingly precise.

"That's unbelievable!" a young police officer couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, his gaze towards Lin Yan filled with astonishment and scrutiny.

Facing the gazes of numerous police officers, Lin Yan timely revealed a slightly shy and humble expression, explaining in fluent and clear English, "Sir, I just did what I should do. They threatened my friends. My family... previously hired a Chinese martial arts coach for me to teach me some self-defense techniques, mainly for fitness. I never expected to use them today." He then gave a brief introduction to "Chinese martial arts."

Sheriff Pete gave Lin Yan a deep look, but didn't press for details. He simply nodded and said, "Regardless, you protected yourself and your friends. Now, we need the three of you to come back to the police station with us to assist with taking a detailed statement."

"Of course, we'll cooperate," Lin Yan replied calmly.

So, the three of them got into the police car and went to the nearby police station. During the statement-taking process, Lin Yan was clear-headed and objective, focusing on the robbery and threats, as well as his forced self-defense. When he mentioned pulling out a wad of hundred-dollar bills and scattering them, Sergeant Pete frowned and asked, "Mr. Lin, why do you have so much money, especially in cash?" Lin Yan, a little embarrassed, gave a small boast, "Well... I guess my family is rich! That's just my allowance. I was going to use it to treat Mike and Tom to a bar, but Tom insisted on paying the bill." Mike and Tom, standing nearby, felt like they'd missed out on a fortune that night.

Sergeant Pete frowned, his fingers tapping lightly on the notepad that read "ten thousand dollars in cash." His gaze sharpened as he looked at Lin Yan, his tone filled with undisguised suspicion.

"Mr. Lin, I must confirm again. You said this is just your 'pocket money'? A whole ten thousand dollars in cash? Carried by a high school student?" He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lin Yan's ordinary yet high-quality clothes, then looking at Mike and Tom beside him, dressed in genuinely affordable brands, before continuing:

"Excuse my bluntness, but based on your previous statements, you are students at Bryant High School. I know that school very well; it's a decent community public school, but definitely not some elite private school. Truly wealthy families, especially..." He hesitated, "...families with your background typically wouldn't choose to send their children there. Moreover, allowing a minor to carry such a large amount of cash is completely illogical and extremely unsafe."

He leaned forward slightly, exuding a businesslike pressure: "If you cannot provide strong evidence of the legitimate source of this cash, then I'm sorry, but as important evidence in this case, we may need to temporarily detain this money and conduct a more in-depth investigation into its origin."

"Hey! Sheriff!" Tom was the first to exclaim, feeling indignant for Lin Yan. "Lin is telling the truth! His family is really rich! He drives a Lincoln Continental! He also has a Cadillac convertible!" Mike quickly chimed in, "Yes, Sheriff! We can testify! Lin... he's just more low-key!"

Lin Yan raised his hand and gently pressed down on the two agitated individuals, signaling them to calm down. His face didn't show anger at being offended; instead, it held a hint of understanding.

He looked at Sheriff Pete, his eyes calm, his tone still composed, but his words instantly silenced the entire interrogation room:

"Sir, I understand your concerns," he said slowly. "If I said that 'Golden Harvest Group' is my family's asset, would that explanation... be convincing enough?"

"A golden...golden harvest?!"

The name seemed to possess a magical power. Sheriff Pete's suspicion froze instantly, replaced by utter shock. Mike and Tom, standing behind Lin Yan, were even more stunned, frozen in place, their minds blank. That "Golden Harvest"—the brand that represented quality and exorbitant prices in New York's high-end supermarkets, the kind their mother only carefully purchased gift sets of for major holidays—was…it from Lin Yan's family?!

Ignoring the near-shattered worldviews of his two friends, Lin Yan continued to speak to Sheriff Pete, who was still reeling from the shock, "To save everyone's time and to clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible, may I call home now? They will provide all the necessary documentation and explain the legitimacy of this cash to you."

Sergeant Pete took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner turmoil. He gave Lin Yan a long look; this young man from the East had maintained a composure and calmness beyond his years throughout. He nodded and gestured to one of the officers beside him, "Take Mr. Lin to use the phone."

Lin Yan nodded to Sheriff Pete, then gave Mike and Tom, who were still in a daze, a reassuring look, and followed the officers to an old-fashioned rotary telephone.

Instead of dialing the phone number for his Manhattan villa, he dialed a private line managed by Alexander Winster, relying solely on his memory. The call was answered almost immediately.

"It's me." Lin Yan's voice was calm, spoken in Chinese. "I'm at the Seventh Precinct, facing a minor problem. Sheriff Pete needs to verify the source of my funds. Contact our lawyer in New York and provide the sheriff with the necessary evidence demonstrating my connection to the Golden Harvest Group and explaining the legitimacy of having $10,000 in cash on me."

He succinctly explained the situation. On the other end of the phone, Alexander replied without hesitation, "Understood, young master. The lawyer will contact the branch office within five minutes. The group's relevant supporting documents will also be faxed over immediately. Do you require my personal presence?"

"No need, just follow the procedure." Lin Yan hung up the phone and returned to the recording room.

Less than five minutes later, the phone on Sheriff Pete's desk rang. He answered it, and as he listened, his expression gradually shifted from serious and puzzled to surprised, and finally even showed a hint of barely perceptible respect.

"Yes, I understand... Okay, Mr. White, I'll check the documents... Of course, this is just a routine procedure... Thank you for your cooperation."

After hanging up the phone, Sheriff Pete took a deep breath and looked at Lin Yan again, his eyes completely changed. In his hand was a copy of the asset certificate bearing the official letterhead of the Golden Harvest Group, which he had just received from the fax machine, as well as a letter of explanation personally guaranteed by Mr. White, the group's chief lawyer.

"Mr. Lin," Sheriff Pete's tone became much more polite, "the situation has been verified. Your... pocket money has no problem of origin. After registering this cash as evidence, you can take it with you. Please understand our earlier questions; it's simply our duty."

Lin Yan smiled faintly: "Of course, Sheriff, you're just doing your duty."

When Lin Yan casually stuffed the recovered stack of ten thousand dollars in cash back into his coat pocket, Mike and Tom next to him felt their worldviews being drastically shattered once again. They stared at Lin Yan, their eyes filled with an unprecedented mix of extreme shock, bewilderment, and a sense of unreality that "my classmate is actually a super-rich man."

After giving his statement, Lin Yan raised his most pressing question to Sergeant Pete, who was in charge: "Sergeant Pete, there's something I need to confirm. These people explicitly threatened Tom during the robbery, saying they would find out his home address and retaliate. I'd like to know if the police can provide any protection for Tom, as well as Mike and his family who might be implicated? Or at least increase patrols in their neighborhood, especially around Maple Street? We're just students, and we don't want our families to live in fear because of this incident."

Sergeant Pete, observing Lin Yan's calm and earnest demeanor, nodded cautiously. He solemnly promised, "Mr. Lin, and Tom and Mike, rest assured. Armed robbery and threats of violence are serious crimes. We will take this matter very seriously. Regarding your safety and that of your families, I will make immediate arrangements. Starting tonight, we will significantly increase the number and frequency of patrols on Maple Street and the surrounding area. At the same time, we will conduct thorough interrogations of these suspects to determine if they have any other criminal records or accomplices. I assure you that we will do everything in our power to ensure your safety and that of your families, and that no law-abiding citizen will suffer secondary harm for bravely resisting crime."

Hearing Sheriff Pete's resounding promise, Tom and Mike visibly relaxed, their faces breaking into relieved smiles. Lin Yan also nodded slightly, expressing satisfaction with the outcome. Although the unexpected conflict had startled Mike and Tom, it was ultimately resolved relatively amicably within the rules.

Lin Yan declined Sheriff Pete's offer to drive them home, saying she wanted to walk around and clear her head. Seeing their firm stance and the fact that they weren't far from home, Sheriff Pete didn't insist.