Chapter Thirty-Three: Mistaken for a Thief

"Alright, this should be enough."

Lin Tian smiled contentedly as he looked at the cart brimming with groceries. Even just half a month ago, this was something he wouldn't have dared to imagine.

At the checkout counter, the cashier scanned the items, her eyes darting toward Lin Tian with a mix of suspicion and scrutiny. It was clear that she was wary of him—a young, poorly dressed boy. In this day and age, teenagers often exploited protection laws to commit crimes, and her prejudice had only grown with time.

Lin Tian, however, remained oblivious to her thoughts. He paid for his items in an honest, orderly fashion and turned to leave. But the moment he stepped past the security gate, the alarm system shrieked, bathing the area in a flashing red light.

Instantly, everyone in the store turned to look. Lin Tian froze, bewildered, his instinct telling him he had done something wrong. Having never stepped foot in such a large chain supermarket before, he felt lost and confused about where he could have possibly erred.

Suddenly, the quick, rhythmic thud of footsteps approached. Three young security guards, all of average build, surrounded him.

"Hand over what you stole!" one of them barked, his face twisted in a scowl.

From Lin Tian’s perspective, all three men had their right hands hidden behind their backs, clearly clutching something.

"Listen to me... I didn't—"

Before he could finish, the aggressive man didn't give him a chance to explain; he lunged forward, trying to grab Lin Tian’s wrist.

Lin Tian tightened his grip and effortlessly broke free from the man’s hold. The guard, clearly not expecting such strength from the seemingly frail boy, stumbled back two meters from the momentum, looking quite pathetic.

The other two guards were stunned, and they whipped out the batons they had been hiding behind their backs. The sight caused a panic among the onlookers, who scrambled toward the exits, fearing a major incident.

"Everyone, stay calm! Don't panic!"

The store, which had been peaceful a moment ago, descended into chaos.

Facing three armed guards, Lin Tian wasn't actually worried for himself; he was only thinking about how to minimize the fallout. He had only just stepped into society, and he couldn't afford to cause trouble and bring shame upon his orphanage.

"I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I really just bought these things; I didn't steal anything..."

The only female guard in the group furrowed her brow and glared at him coldly. "Still trying to talk your way out of it? If you didn't steal anything, why did the alarm go off?"

"I don't know..." Lin Tian replied helplessly.

Naturally, this failed to convince the guards. The aggressive one, panting with rage, shouted, "In that case, we've already called the police! Don't you dare move an inch until they arrive!"

"Fine," Lin Tian agreed. With a clear conscience, he wasn't afraid of what they could do to him.

With the "thief" now stationary, the guards finally began the task of ushering away the scattered crowd. The cashier who had served Lin Tian was also told to stay put until the matter was resolved.

"Kid, you’d better think about how you're going to explain yourself to the police," the female guard muttered, gripping her baton.

Lin Tian gave her a dismissive glance and remained silent. He felt the sting of injustice, but years of hardship had taught him how to remain calm and composed under pressure.

When two police officers walked in, the store staff hurried to greet them.

"Who called the police?" one officer asked, while the other began taking notes.

The aggressive guard’s attitude did a complete 180-degree turn, shifting into a fawning, sycophantic tone as he spun a heavily embellished tale of Lin Tian’s "vicious" behavior. To anyone listening, it sounded as if Lin Tian were a law-defying delinquent.

Unfortunately for him, Lin Tian was right there. As the police turned their suspicious gazes toward him, he launched a calm, firm counter-argument.

"I placed all my items on the counter, and the cashier scanned them one by one. I paid for everything before I left. The store’s cameras should have captured all of this—if you don't believe me, you can check the footage."

He then added, "Since these three guards insisted on accusing me of theft, they have caused me great humiliation and left me with significant emotional distress. Once the truth is revealed, I expect an apology and compensation!"

The two officers exchanged a look. "If our investigation confirms that the store wrongly accused you, you are indeed entitled to compensation—provided, of course, that you were indeed innocent."

The officer taking notes waved a hand and asked the guards, "Did you check the surveillance footage after the incident?"

"Does that even need checking? It’s obvious—no, we didn't." The guards’ voices wavered.

The officers already had their answer, but they ordered the staff to pull the footage anyway. The recording clearly showed Lin Tian paying for his items, with no sign of concealment.

The truth was now undeniable. Lin Tian stood even taller. The store staff looked mortified, their eyes darting toward the instigators. The three guards, in particular, looked as if they had swallowed something foul; they could feel the hostile glares directed at them.

They knew their jobs were likely over, and a wave of regret washed over them—it had been a relatively easy job, after all.

Later, the police called in a professional technician to inspect the security gate, and it was discovered that the equipment was simply old and malfunctioning.

The three guards stared, wide-eyed, cursing the store manager under their breath. *Dammit, what rotten luck. At least we're outsourced; next time, we'd better keep our eyes peeled and stop acting like clowns.*