Old Deng is reborn in the 1980s, and he starts by severing his father-son relationship!

"You're not allowed to tell anyone about what happened today, do you hear me?" Chen Deshun warned Chen Jianshe with a stern look in his eyes.

The third son has always been a loose tongue, and Chen Deshun was worried that he would go around saying things he shouldn't, so he gave him a heads-up.

"I'm not stupid, Dad, don't worry, I'll keep this to myself." Chen Jianshe patted his chest and assured Chen Deshun.

If this gets out, it will be glorious, but he is also afraid of being retaliated against.

Now that I've shared the hardships with my father, having this leverage should make things much easier for me at home in the future.

Chen Jianshe silently made his own plans.

Chen Deshun had no idea what Chen Jianshe was thinking. Just as he was about to give him another lecture, he caught a glimpse of Zheng Yi coming out of the police station. Somewhat surprised, he waved to Lao San and said, "You can go back by yourself first. Remember to take the car to your Uncle Zhao when you get back."

After saying that, he walked straight toward Zheng Yi.

"Has Li Wei been interrogated?"

Zheng Yi shook his head and got straight to the point: "Uncle, I have something else to discuss with you. We'd like to ask you about the case of your son-in-law Huang Xumin's family. Is now a convenient time for you?"

"sure."

Chen Deshun followed Zheng Yi into the police station.

Zheng Yi walked ahead, pushed open the door of an empty room, and let Chen Deshun go in first and wait a moment.

Soon, Zheng Yi returned, followed by an older police officer.

As soon as the old policeman sat down, he began his routine questioning with a stern face.

Why did you go to Huang Xumin's house today? What were your plans before you went?

"Who spoke first after we arrived? How did the argument start?"

"Who started it? Who on the other side struck you first?"

"Describe how you were knocked unconscious? Who knocked you out? How did they knock you out?"

"Where were Chen Jianye and Chen Sanqi injured? What's their condition now?"

"..."

Chen Deshun answered truthfully and took out the IOU written by his eldest daughter, Chen Limei, from his pocket and handed it to the policeman.

Zheng Yi quickly took notes, then showed the notebook to the old policeman.

The old policeman reviewed the case and found that Chen Deshun's account basically matched the other people's testimonies. The case was clear, and a conclusion could be reached.

But there's still one problem: the injury assessment results haven't come out yet.

According to Chen Deshun, his two sons may have been seriously injured, which could create some obstacles in handling the matter.

After much deliberation, the police officer decided to first ask Chen Deshun, the party involved, for his opinion: "You are the victims. What are your demands? Do you want the other party severely punished, or do you want mediation?"

"I demand that the murderer be severely punished!" Chen Deshun said without hesitation.

The old policeman was taken aback, somewhat surprised, after all, the two families were related by marriage: "Aren't you going to think about it again?"

"No need!" Chen Deshun said firmly.

The veteran policeman spoke again, his words carrying a hidden meaning: "Comrade, calm down. In the end, it's all a 'family matter' caused by unclear accounts. Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes, and it's difficult for us to handle them either."

"We're family; even if we're broken, our bones are still connected. It's true they were wrong to hit someone, but the root cause is an economic dispute, which is an internal conflict among the people. Our primary goal is to resolve the problem, not create new ones. What do you think?"

Chen Deshun frowned slightly, seeing right through the old policeman's thoughts.

This is a seasoned office worker who wants to downgrade a "public security case" to a "domestic dispute." There are people like this everywhere.

As for the motives, they are nothing more than considerations of case closure rate and pressure to maintain stability, or perhaps the Huang family asked for help, but none of that matters. What does it have to do with him? Why should he make concessions?

Although Chen Deshun was very angry inside, he didn't show it on his face at all. He said amicably, "Comrade, I know it wasn't easy for you to handle this matter. You're doing it all for the good of both our families, hoping to calm things down as soon as possible. I'm very grateful."

He first acknowledged the other party's work and "goodwill" to avoid being labeled as "unreasonable," then abruptly changed the subject and began to state the facts of the case:

"But look, my second and fourth children are still in the hospital. The doctor said it's very likely a concussion and they need to be hospitalized for observation. This is no longer an ordinary family conflict. If they suffer long-term effects, it will be a lifelong problem."

"The whole family, from adults to school kids, ganged up on my father and me, attacking the four of us. It was absolutely outrageous. If my third son hadn't risked his life to run out and call the police to lure them away, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"And think about it, if a son-in-law leads a group to beat up his father-in-law, or a brother-in-law beats up his brother-in-law, what will people think of that in the eyes of the neighbors? Who will dare to reason with them anymore? Everyone will just resort to fists!"

The old policeman opposite him twitched his lips slightly; he realized that he had met his match.

The persuasive tactics that used to work every time not only failed to work with Chen Deshun today, but also backfired.

The other party's words were sharp and cleverly worded, using three "hard indicators" that they could not avoid: objective injuries, egregious circumstances, and social impact, to block the mediation.

He also subtly reminded himself that this matter had gone beyond the scope of a "minor issue," and if he insisted on handling it as a family dispute, he would not be able to bear the responsibility if problems arose in the future.

Chen Deshun looked honest, but he was more difficult to deal with than anyone he had ever encountered before. However, he did not want to admit defeat in such a humiliating way. After all, he had made a promise to Director Qian of the neighborhood committee that he would definitely be able to facilitate a mediation. If he gave up in such a shameful manner, where would he put his face?

He feigned sternness and said, "Comrade Chen, if you insist on taking this seriously, then we can only handle it officially. But have you thought about it? Once a formal case is filed, your son-in-law and those relatives who were involved in the physical altercation could all be detained and have criminal records. What will happen to your daughter then? Who will take care of her for the rest of her life? As an elder, can you really bear to ruin your children's future?"

The old policeman paused here, his tone softening slightly, and continued, "On the other hand, if you accept mediation now, I can get the Huang family to pay you the two hundred yuan they owe you, as well as the medical and nutritional expenses for Chen Jianye and Chen Sanqi, all today. You can get the cash immediately to pay the hospital bills."

"I can also force their entire family to apologize to you in writing, with a written guarantee promising they'll never do it again. The neighbors can be witnesses, and we'll regain both face and dignity, won't we?"

"The matter is settled. Although the relationship is damaged, at least it hasn't become a blood feud. With your daughter involved in the future, there's still room for reconciliation. Life has to go on, doesn't it?"

Chen Deshun almost burst out laughing.

Get back the two hundred yuan debt and medical expenses? That's what he deserved anyway. Would it be a loss for the Huang family?

Apologies and guarantees? Are those things even worth as much as waste paper?

As for what happens to Chen Limei in the future, she chose her own path. What does it have to do with him? He worried himself sick over her in his past life, and what did he get in return?