Immediately after, in front of Qing Lan and the others, he shared his experiences from two years ago when he was in prison. He spirited everyone up, encouraging them and mentioning that being in jail was nothing to be afraid of. Moreover, at their age, the treatment in prison wouldn’t be the same as for an average person. Anyway, apart from the lack of freedom, it wouldn’t be much worse than being at home.

"Qing Lan..." Hu Wenning, witnessing this somewhat absurd scene, couldn’t help but tug at Qing Lan’s sleeve. These elderly people... were really too troublesome.

After listening to Zhao Dezhu, the panic on the elders’ faces had diminished significantly. For them, at their age, there wasn’t much left to fear and even less to revere. They were old; they had enjoyed what there was to enjoy and had what there was to have. Their perspective had become broader. Going to jail seemed to them merely a change of residence.

"No worries, we still have a backup plan," Qing Lan patted her best friend’s hand, revealing a mysterious smile.

Detention and imprisonment indeed didn’t hold much deterrent power for these elderly people. In fact, the annual crime rate among the elderly was significantly high, and police records included numerous judicial cases of seniors being sentenced for their offenses. However, in prison, many elderly individuals had lost their ability to work. Coupled with various diseases, the prison guards and the prison administration simply dared not neglect them, terrified that something might go wrong with these elderly individuals. So, when allocating prison sections, most prisons grouped convicts over 65 years old, those who were critically ill, or those with disabilities into a separate section for the elderly and disabled.

The section for the elderly and disabled, nominally a prison, was, in reality, not much different from a nursing home. There, labor reformation for the elderly consisted of simple daily tasks like watering plants, sweeping floors, and boiling water. They would not be assigned heavy work. The evaluation criteria also differed from other prison sections, with only one indicator: their performance in confessing and repenting. If they showed a positive attitude towards confession and repentance, they could enjoy a reduced sentence. Correctional staff looked after them the whole time. Apart from the lack of freedom and being under surveillance, for those shameless elderly individuals, it was undoubtedly a paradise.

"The prisons designated for elderly criminals are called prisons, but they are really just like small nursing homes," Qing Lan explained the situation regarding the special prison section for the elderly and disabled to Hu Wenning. This was one of the more frustrating aspects of reality. After all, given the physical fitness, strength, and health conditions of the elderly, this was the only way to handle things.

"No wonder they are so defiant," Hu Wenning retorted after hearing this. She glanced at the dense crowd of elderly people nearby. That Zhao Dezhu clearly knew the ins and outs, which was why he was so arrogant.

"Don’t worry, the real show is yet to come," Qing Lan said with a smile, waving her phone. Regarding this situation, Qin Mu had guessed this would happen and had already told her how to handle the aftermath. If it weren’t for Qin Mu, she would never have known so many things that went beyond common knowledge.

「Jin City. Mountain and Water Garden District.」 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Looking at the word ’Victory’ on his computer screen, Qin Mu stretched lazily. After work and dinner, he casually played a few ranked matches. Without Qing Lan’s disturbance, the wins came relatively easily.

"I wonder how Qing Lan is progressing," Qin Mu murmured after quitting the game.

It had been a few days since Qing Lan sought his help. However, Qing Lan had only informed him that she had already submitted the signed whistle-blower letter. He remained unaware of any subsequent developments. This incident not only angered him but also actively triggered a system task. He had chosen the most difficult option: Task Three. He had to teach these lawless old folks, who exploited their age, a lesson.

Actually, this case was very tricky, not at all easy. First, the lax approach of local grassroots law enforcement had allowed the elders’ arrogance to grow. Secondly, sentencing for elderly criminals was generally lenient. Unless their crimes were heinous, they were typically either granted probation or assigned to the special section for the elderly and disabled. Elderly individuals would not face any truly substantial punishment. For this reason, he had pondered for an entire night before devising a method to deal with these elders.

Suddenly, the WeChat notification on his phone chimed; Qing Lan had sent a message. Her message began, "You’re incredible! Those old folks actually went and caused a ruckus at the police station!" She also recounted the events that unfolded after she submitted the real-name report.

After submitting the report, she and her best friend, Hu Wenning, had then reported the melon-selling villagers for the crime of trafficking stolen goods. The police station’s attitude towards enforcement had become markedly more serious, and they promptly arrested these villagers. This, in turn, provoked the elderly residents of Zhaojia Village to blockade the police station, demanding the release of the arrested individuals. After a period of intense dispute, Qing Lan proposed a ’solution,’ which Zhou Yuantu decided to adopt.

These elderly people... truly are lawless, Qin Mu thought, sighing lightly after reading the message. Some elderly individuals are lovely and worthy of respect. But some elderly people had never been good, even in their youth. Having grown old, they further exploited their senior status to act presumptuously, behave without restraint, and take advantage of others. Take the elderly thieves from Zhaojia Village, for example. After being caught stealing melons, not only did they not desist, but they escalated their actions, rallying the entire village. They even engaged in retaliatory acts like smashing pumpkins. At the entrance of the police station, they showed a shocking indifference to the potential detention they faced.

Qing Lan’s message concluded, "All these elderly individuals have had their identification information registered and are currently being held at the police station. They say decisions on who to detain and who to release will be made after medical evaluations."