Shen Wei said, "I'd like to see the list of children available for adoption."
The director immediately handed the list to Shen Wei.
Each child's details were thoroughly documented, complete with photos. There were hundreds of files in total.
Shen Wei began searching for the three individuals the system had suggested.
However, after scanning through, she only found No. 5 Yu Fei and No. 6 Shi Xiaohu.
She singled out these two.
After flipping through the entire book, she couldn't find any trace of No. 4 Lin Zhi.
The director, noticing Shen Wei's selection, furrowed his brow.
He had something he wanted to tell Shen Wei.
But after pondering for a while, fearing it might influence her decision, he swallowed his words.
Just as the director was caught in this dilemma, a phone call came through.
The director's face turned grim as he listened. After hanging up, Shen Wei instinctively asked, "Who was that?"
The director replied, "It was about Lin Zhi. The call came from the police station."
Wasn't that No. 4?
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Shen Wei, using curiosity as an excuse, suggested accompanying the director to the station.
Shen Wei, along with Lin Rui, the director, and a volunteer, rushed to the police station.
Upon entering, they saw Lin Zhi, dressed in tattered clothes. The 14-year-old boy was as thin as a rail.
He was good-looking but had a fragile air about him.
In an environment like the orphanage, it was survival of the fittest.
Although the director genuinely cared for the children, with hundreds to look after and daily fundraising to manage, some inevitably fell through the cracks.
Most children had to grow up tough. The weak ones were easily bullied.
Upon inquiry, they learned he had been caught up with a gang of hooligans who targeted elementary school students. They extorted protection money along the routes children took to school.
Notorious for their actions, they sometimes even resorted to outright robbery.
Some children became too frightened to go to school.
Accustomed to their tyranny, they had started collecting protection fees.
The students' parents banded together and organized a group to corner and intercept the gang.
The young troublemakers fell into the ambush. Upon realizing adults were involved, they scattered immediately. Only Lin Zhi, who had been shoved hard, was caught in the chaos.
Robbery has always been a serious crime.
And these kids had been at it more than once or twice.
Naturally, there was a desire to teach them a harsh lesson.
The director said, "Lin Zhi is a child I raised myself. He's not a bad kid; there must be some misunderstanding."
The police officer replied, "We know that. Our staff have found the surveillance videos. The boy indeed didn't participate in the robbery, but he was seen talking to those people, clearly acquainted with them. Now he's not cooperating in identifying the others!"
The director said, "Let me try!"
Upon seeing the director, Lin Zhi lowered his head in shame, not uttering a word, wishing he could disappear into thin air.
The director asked, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"
Shen Wei suggested, "Are you afraid of being threatened?"
Children have their own social circles.
Hooligans have their own code, and betraying it could lead to retaliation.
Given his weak nature, he was particularly afraid.
Adults often don't understand the fear of being threatened by social delinquents.
Hearing this perspective, the police immediately assured him, "Don't worry, if you tell us and any retaliation occurs, we'll definitely protect you!"
With this assurance, Lin Zhi hesitantly revealed the identities of the dozen or so individuals.
These kids hung around nearby internet cafes and nightclubs. Many even carried knives. It was truly frightening.
This was exactly the information the police needed. Now armed with reliable intel, they immediately moved to arrest the suspects.
Upon investigation, they found that all were 13 to 14-year-olds. Many were already repeat offenders.
They showed no signs of nervousness when brought to the police station.
Lin Zhi was released into the director's custody after some paperwork.
As soon as they exited, two children who had been waiting rushed towards him.
The two kids were dirty and disheveled.
It was Yu Fei and Shi Xiaohu – numbers 4, 5, and 6 were now united.
They all returned to the orphanage together.
The director heaved a deep sigh, "I'm so sorry you had to see that."
He had hoped today would lead to some cooperation, either adoption or sponsorship.
He hadn't expected Shen Wei to witness the children's darker side.
Shen Wei asked, "Have these three children been adopted?"
The director paused briefly. Lin Zhi was too old, not the age adopters preferred, and had been removed from the list.
Yu Fei and Shi Xiaohu were attractive, and there were already people interested in them.
But these children were close and didn't want to be separated.
However, no family could adopt three children at once.
Lin Zhi had stopped schooling after elementary school.
He planned to work in a factory after coming of age.
At least he'd have some way to earn money.
But the other two children were very attached to Lin Zhi, following him wherever he went.
The director didn't know what to do.
Shen Wei said, "I'm going for a walk."
As soon as she stepped out, she saw Lin Zhi lingering outside. Seeing Shen Wei's elegant attire, he felt self-conscious.
His voice trembled as he spoke, mustering great courage: "Are you an adopter? Could you adopt both of them together? I'm afraid they might get bullied."
Shi Xiaohu's fierce personality made him less vulnerable. But Yu Fei was a girl, beautiful and as soft-natured as himself.
She didn't know how to stand up for herself.
What if she faced mistreatment?
"What about you?" Shen Wei asked with interest.
"I'll manage," he replied, his eyes filled with resignation.
He had been returned to the orphanage two or three times.
He was frequently mocked at the orphanage for this.
The first time, his adoptive parents had their own biological child and returned him.
The second time, his adoptive father was an alcoholic who became violent when drunk, so he ran back to the orphanage.
When the director learned of this situation, he actively sought to reverse the adoption.
The third time was a similar scenario. After so many experiences, he had completely given up on adoption.
He didn't want his younger siblings to endure this pain. If only he had the ability to care for them himself.