Chapter 499: Chapter 509: The Shrew Brings Reinforcements

After playing on the beach for half a day, the tide started to retreat, and John Brown led a group of people to catch sea creatures, which made little Emily Brown incredibly excited. Previously, Emily Berns had John Smith and his partner take care of Emily because they were afraid she might get hurt. They wouldn’t let her do anything slightly dangerous, fearing that even a small scrape would upset Emily Berns, let alone take her to the seaside to catch sea creatures.

Little Violet was having the time of her life, getting completely covered in mud in no time. John Brown didn’t stop her, and although Gina Lopez wanted to remind the little girl about hygiene, John Brown said that kids playing in the mud is a way to connect with nature and not necessarily a bad thing. Gina Lopez thought he had a point and decided to let Emily Brown be.

Everyone was a bit tired, and John Brown and the others didn’t plan to head back that night. By now, there were fewer and fewer people on the beach. John Brown had brought a big tent capable of sleeping six to seven people, and with only five of them there, it would be very comfortable.

While setting up the tent, a group of people suddenly rushed over. John Brown saw that one of them was the foul-mouthed woman from the morning, clearly here to snatch the video.

Gina Lopez and the others also noticed these people. Gina looked flustered, but Sandra Lopez and Charlotte were both thrilled, holding John Brown’s arms from either side. Sandra excitedly exclaimed, “Brother-in-law, someone’s here to pick a fight with us!”

Charlotte chimed in, unwilling to be left out, “Uncle, let me see some action this time!”

Gina Lopez felt a bit exasperated. Charlotte was young, so she could understand, but Sandra was the same age as her yet still so immature.

“James, should I call the police or contact someone higher up?” Gina Lopez wasn’t as she used to be; she met regularly with the Mayor and the City Maintenance Squad Head. Because of Lucy Campbell, these city officials were very friendly to her. If she made a call, they wouldn’t ignore it.

John Brown shook his head and said, “Calling them now would be too easy on them. Let them create a scene; the more trouble they make, the harsher the punishment.”

“You mean…” Gina Lopez looked at John Brown in surprise.

John Brown nodded and said firmly, “Such scum won’t get a second chance from me, nor will I allow them to bully others again. If they dare to harm my daughter or my family, I won’t let them off.”

Gina Lopez suddenly felt a warm feeling. Finding a man who can make her feel safe was crucial, and John Brown now gave her an intense sense of security, as if nothing could harm her as long as he was around.

Charlotte looked at John Brown, her eyes filled with admiration. Such a man was definitely her favorite type. She had been attracted to John Brown by his strength, and now the more she looked, the more she liked him, almost wanting to jump into his arms on the spot.

Sandra’s eyes shone with a vibrant color. Though her admiration for John Brown wasn’t as overt as Charlotte’s, it wasn’t hidden either.

“Alright, all of you head into the tent. I’ll handle them.” John Brown smiled gently at the three of them.

Gina Lopez nodded, taking Emily Brown into the tent. The little girl paid no mind to the approaching people, too absorbed by her fascination with the tent, which she had long wanted to explore.

Sandra and Charlotte, however, refused to go in. Such rare occasions of being with John Brown amidst a crowd were not to be missed; they didn’t want to miss any exciting part of it.

John Brown didn’t object to them staying. Though these people appeared aggressive, they were nothing more than a bunch of harmless chickens in his eyes. If he couldn’t protect Charlotte and Sandra, he wouldn’t deserve the title of the strongest in Hawk Squad.

The group consisted of over twenty people. Besides Jessica Wilson, the others were mostly in their twenties or thirties, with only two slightly older men who didn’t exceed forty. They quickly surrounded John Brown.

“Mr. Lee, it’s him.” Jessica Wilson pointed at John Brown and told a middle-aged man beside her.

The middle-aged man nodded and approached John Brown, saying, “Young man, hand over the video.”

John Brown narrowed his eyes. This middle-aged man spoke rudely, outright demanding the video with an air of authority, not allowing any refusal, but not as fiercely as a gangster might. He guessed these were members of the City Maintenance Squad.

“What video?” John Brown casually replied.

The middle-aged man glared and said, “Don’t play dumb, young man. Hand over the video and this matter will be over. Otherwise, you’ll leave us no choice.”

Jessica Wilson immediately chimed in, “Mr. Lee, what’s the point of talking to him? Teach him a lesson and grab it. If anything happens, my dad’s got our back. You can treat them like street vendors.”

Feigning surprise, John Brown said, “You treat us like street vendors? You must all be from the City Maintenance Squad. Ah, I see, this woman’s father is the Deputy Squad Captain, and you’re all with the City Maintenance Squad.”

The middle-aged man frowned slightly, his name was Easton Johnson. He truly was a city maintenance worker, and moreover, a section-level cadre. With the vice squad leader having encountered some issues, he was assigned to handle this, a sign of trust in him which he couldn’t ignore. However, he was somewhat apprehensive about matters like this, so they had come in plain clothes to avoid revealing their association with the City Maintenance Squad. Yet Rachel Wilson, this woman, outright exposed their identity, making it impossible to keep it a secret now.

“What an idiot,” Easton Johnson cursed in his heart. He felt quite annoyed with this woman. However, since she had a powerful father who happened to be his immediate superior, he couldn’t help but treat her politely.

Looking at John Brown, Easton Johnson said with a stern face, “Since you know we are from the City Maintenance Squad, just hand it over quickly.”

Sarah Grandy puffed out her chest and said, “Just because you ask, we have to hand it over? Is the City Maintenance Squad that great? We’re doing business here without any illegal constructions. Why do we need the City Maintenance Squad?”

Emily Lopez chimed in, “If you want something from us, have the police come. As long as the police arrive, we’ll hand it over.”

If this video ended up in the hands of the police, while it might not immediately take down Rachel Wilson’s father, it would undoubtedly have a negative impact. If the higher-ups found out, it would likely hinder Rachel Wilson’s father from vying for the squad leader position. Emily Lopez’s words were indeed quite infuriating.

“Mr. Lee, what’s wrong with you? Do I have to call my dad for you to make a move and snatch it? You’re really useless, dragging such a trivial matter,” Rachel Wilson said.

Easton Johnson’s expression twitched. He really wanted to slap Rachel Wilson, but he could only think about it and certainly not act on it. He glared at John Brown, saying, “Let me ask you again, are you giving it or not?”

“No!” John Brown answered resolutely.

“Get him,” Easton Johnson said decisively. Since there was no peaceful resolution, they had to resort to force.

These members of the City Maintenance Squad were quite adept at seizing goods from vendors. With a wave of Easton Johnson’s hand, a few eager individuals charged at John Brown, not to seize anything, but to start a fight directly. To them, it was easier to subdue someone with a beating, and then it would be easy to take whatever they desired.

“The city workers are attacking!” John Brown called out at the top of his lungs as he dodged with Sarah Grandy and Emily Lopez.

However, these people weren’t afraid of John Brown’s shouting. They were used to fighting in public while even wearing uniforms, so they continued to chase and beat John Brown.

John Brown then shouted, “Stop fighting, if you continue, I will fight back.”

“Alright, alright, keep hitting if you want, I’ll really fight back,” he shouted.

John Brown’s calls attracted those who were still on the beach, warning the opponents. If he fought back, it would be in self-defense. If John Brown dealt with the City Maintenance Squad, it wouldn’t be a problem, but doing so in a legitimate manner and even implicating Rachel Wilson’s father would be ideal.

“Uncle, Uncle, I want to hit, I want to hit!” Sarah Grandy shouted ahead of everyone else.

John Brown couldn’t help but smile at Sarah Grandy’s childish nature. Today, she had been quite considerate, and he had become fond of her. Chuckling, he said, “Alright, then you hit, just aim forward and hit.”

There was no one directly ahead of Sarah Grandy, which confused her. She decided to aim at a man to her right and took a swing.

But just then, the man standing in front of John Brown tripped and fell toward her. Hastily retracting her fist, she blindly aimed at the man in front of her, hitting, but only on his shoulder.

“Didn’t I tell you to hit forward?” John Brown pulled Sarah Grandy aside.

Sarah Grandy quickly understood. If John Brown indicated where to hit, she should aim there to hit accurately. She eagerly said, “I’ll do it again.”

John Brown laughed, “This time I’ll say ‘hit the face’, so you punch straight. When I say ‘slap’, swing your palm flatly. Got it?”

Sarah Grandy eagerly responded, “Got it, got it.”

Emily Lopez anxiously said, “Brother-in-law, what about me?”

“You too, when I call out who, you make your move,” he replied.