Stay Away from the Electric Fence

Outside the gate stood a group of onlookers, led by Florence and her mother-in-law.

"What's going on?" Alice asked casually.

Seeing her indifferent attitude, Florence exploded instantly, "My brother was injured by your electric fence and has been taken to the hospital. If anything happens to him, I won't let you off the hook."

The old woman had long held a grudge against their family and naturally sided with her daughter-in-law, "We need to go to the Base Commander and report them, get them arrested."

The bystanders assumed Alice was unaware of the severity of the situation and explained to them, "Let me tell you, the laws at the K Base are strict. Anyone who commits a serious offense will be sentenced."

Other bases might be chaotic with no law enforcement, but K Base was different. It was a case of when in Rome, do as the Romans do; here, there were consequences for wrongdoing.

Alice pointed to the large letters on the wall, "The electric fence is charged, stay away. Can't you see these words?"Furthermore, so many people were there the day their fence was installed; anyone with a bit of common sense wouldn't approach unless they had a death wish.

"The power was out tonight, and my brother came over to help me repair the fence. He might have felt it wasn't dangerous, but who knew he would get electrocuted as soon as he arrived. You must take responsibility," Florence ranted angrily.

"While we are neighbors, there's over a meter between our walls. There's no way we would come into contact unless your brother had ulterior motives. Are you trying to shift blame?" Florence glared fiercely at them. "Let me tell you, I, Florence, am not someone to be trifled with. You will pay for this."

"They just arrived and already installed an electric fence; who knows what shady business they're up to. We must report them to the Base Commander and have them investigated thoroughly."

"If those people are spies who've infiltrated, then we can't ensure everyone's safety."Those people naturally referred to pirates. Perhaps newcomers didn't know, but those who had lived here for a while understood.

Upon hearing this, the onlookers cast a wary glance at the Allen family, adding a hint of suspicion to their eyes.Sure enough, the behavior of the Allen family was the most bizarre. Who installs an electric fence? There must be something fishy going on.

"Quick, report to the Base Commander, say that spies have infiltrated the base," someone shouted loudly.

"We'll keep an eye on them; they won't get away," another added.

Alexander, looking bewildered, heard them accuse his family of being spies. "Are they mistaking us for enemies of a certain faction?" he whispered.

After some thought, Alexander decided to explain, "There's a misunderstanding. We're not spies."

"Thieves never admit to being thieves either. Whether you're spies or not, the base investigation will reveal it."

"Exactly! Your words mean nothing. I've always felt your family was suspicious, and now we see why."

Florence, witnessing the attack on the Allen family, felt a twinge of satisfaction. Whether they were spies or not, she was determined to pin the blame on them.

With several cars and a pricey property upon arrival, Florence found it hard to believe they lacked resources. Once the Allen family was taken away, wouldn't all those possessions belong to them?

Alice couldn't be bothered to argue with them. It was pointless to say anything at this point, a waste of breath.

Before long, the Base Commander hurried over with a dozen or so people.

Ignatius asked sternly, "Where are the spies?"

Pirates had attempted to overrun the base more than once, so it wasn't unusual for spies to infiltrate. Ignatius had made it clear that if anyone behaved suspiciously, they should report it. If the person turned out to be a spy, there would be a hefty reward.

Seeing the Base Commander arrive, the crowd parted to make way.

"It's them, the whole family."

"They're newcomers, never leave the house, and installed an electric fence around it. They're definitely hiding something."

"They must be arrested and interrogated rigorously. We can't let them get away with it."Ignatius met Alice's innocent gaze, his mouth twitched, and he cleared his throat. "There's been a misunderstanding. These are people I know; they're not spies."

The scene fell silent.What on earth? They had offended someone known to the Base Commander.The crowd exchanged looks, especially those who had been so adamant earlier; their faces were stinging.

"Alice, what's going on?" Ignatius inquired.

"We discovered someone spying on us the very first day we moved in. I faintly heard someone attempting to climb the wall. For the safety of my family, I had to install the electric fence. Furthermore, warning signs were already placed on the wall. Yet, there are still those with sticky fingers who can't be blamed on us."

Florence hadn't expected the Allen family to be acquainted with the Base Commander. She was momentarily stunned, unable to collect her thoughts.

The bystanders recounted Florence's brother's incident, concluding, "This seems like an accident; they weren't spying."

"Base Commander, my brother is innocent. He came to help me fix a wall, never expected to get hurt. Their family refuses to compensate, making all sorts of excuses," Florence cried out loudly.

Ignatius looked at Alice with difficulty. "How do you explain?"

Alice turned to Alexander and said, "Brother, they're trying to frame us. Go get my phone."

Alexander, puzzled, glanced at her but eventually went into Alice's house and brought out the phone.

"Forget to mention, I installed cameras around," Alice smirked, opening the surveillance footage on her phone. "Here's the evidence."

The Base Commander took the phone and watched as Florence's brother sneakily approached the electric fence, relieved to find it wasn't charged. Then, with determination, he attempted to climb the wall. However, as soon as his foot touched it, he was shocked.

"What do you have to say now?" The Base Commander showed the surveillance footage to the crowd and then gave Florence a cold stare.

With high-definition surveillance footage, Florence's attempts to deny the incident involving her brother were futile."I...," Florence faltered, her gaze avoiding direct contact. "I didn't see what my brother did; it was just my assumption."

"Enough. This matter ends here. Don't spy on others. It's none of your business how others are doing," Ignatius warned, casting a cautious glance at Florence. These tricks couldn't fool him.

Florence was startled by the Base Commander's gaze, not daring to say another word.

As the crowd dispersed, Alice smiled and said, "Base Commander, would you like to come in for a visit?"

"No need, I trust you," Ignatius waved his hand.If they were truly spies sent by the pirates, they wouldn't be clueless about fishing techniques.

Indeed, Hurley didn't know how to fish either and had to ask his uncle for advice.

After Ignatius and the others left, the Allen family returned to their yard, closing the gate and activating the electric current.

"Those people are shameless, deliberately trying to pin the spy label on us. Luckily, the Base Commander is Hurley's uncle; they probably sided with us out of respect for their nephew," Alexander said indignantly.

If it were a paranoid Base Commander, they might have been arrested and interrogated without a second thought. Ignatius was relatively lenient.

Atticus appeared puzzled. "Are there still enemies in this base? Otherwise, why such vigilance?"

Arnold responded, "I'm not sure; I'll ask around tomorrow."

Alice, who knew the details, remained silent.

The next morning, Alice arrived at the seaside dock.

She had agreed to meet Hurley at eight o'clock, arriving half an hour early. She was now eating steamed buns while waiting.

Just as she finished a carton of milk, she saw a fresh-looking Hurley walking towards her, his short hair slightly tousled by the wind. Yet, it didn't detract from his handsomeness; his features were flawless, his jawline sharp, and his eyes deep and captivating.

"Sorry, I'm late," Hurley said, his voice clear and pleasant, with a slight curl of his lips.