Wondrous twist

In the eyes of the onlookers, the situation was actually very simple. It was just an accidental trip caused by a passerby brushing against the arm of a young man. There was no real harm done, but the passerby took the opportunity to extort money and even made slanderous accusations. With so many eyewitnesses present, there shouldn't have been any surprises. Therefore, when the police officer arrived, many people dispersed because they knew the outcome was already determined, and they didn't want to become witnesses. Naturally, the crowd scattered.

However, a small group of people who stayed behind were dumbfounded when the police officer examined the passerby's arm and astonishingly said, "Her arm is indeed fractured." How is that possible? The onlookers were shocked. The police officer said to the young man, who was on the verge of tears, "If she accuses you, you will have to come with us." What a plot twist! The onlookers couldn't help but feel sorry for the young man because it was evident that the passerby had planned to extort money. No one even knew if she was already injured before, considering the passerby had just falsely accused the young man of intentionally breaking her arm and even molesting her. Everyone saw through the lies. So if the young man couldn't prove that his actions had no direct relation to the passerby's fractured arm, there would be no way to resolve the extortion situation.

At this moment, everyone's attention shifted to the passerby, and sure enough, her eyes gleamed with a smug smile, making people itch with anger. "Forget about the accusation. If you're willing to pay five hundred dollars," the passerby said.

Five hundred dollars was a significant amount of money, especially for a young man who appeared to be a student. His worn-out guitar and faded jeans indicated that he wasn't in a good financial situation. So what could he do?

Despite the sympathy, five hundred dollars wasn't something one could easily produce, especially for a stranger who just appeared out of nowhere. On the contrary, the crowd, which had just diminished, unconsciously grew larger again. There were at least twenty people standing around.

"Five hundred dollars? I don't have..." the young man's response was not surprising.

"Don't have it? Then we'll see each other in court!" The passerby had made up her mind without any hesitation.

Faced with the relentless pressure from the passerby, the young man looked around, bewildered. His eyes were filled with helplessness, especially when he saw the triumphant look in the passerby's eyes. It only fueled his anger. But what good was anger? No one could help him. In fact, many softhearted individuals avoided making eye contact with the young man, fearing that they would feel guilty because of the diminishing light in his eyes.

"So... what should I do... I still have to catch my ride home... Thanksgiving... Mom..." The young man's voice was fragmented, like murmurs. Only fragments of his words could be caught, but they were enough to piece together a complete picture.

Perhaps this young man was a broke student, trying to go home for Thanksgiving. He was on his way to the bus station when he encountered this unexpected disaster. If the passerby continued to harass him, he might end up spending the next few days in detention. Not to mention going home for the holidays, his parents might even have to rush to Los Angeles to handle this terrible situation.

This image made the passerby even more despicable. When the crowd looked at her, they realized she had started playing dead again. She weakly leaned against a lamppost, devoid of the domineering aura she had moments ago. But the problem was that the passerby still slightly opened her eyes to gauge the crowd's reactions. This confirmed people's suspicion that she wanted to extort money but didn't want to provoke a backlash, hence her deliberate show of weakness. It was despicable.

The crowd started whispering, discussing the young man's plight, the villainous nature of the passerby, the incompetence of the police officer, and the madness of the city.

Amidst the clamor, the young man suddenly remembered something and picked up his guitar. "I... I'll give you this guitar, or rather, temporarily leave it with you. Once I earn enough money through work to pay for your medical expenses, you'll give me back the guitar, alright?"

"I don't need a broken guitar." The passerby seemed weak, but her voice was full of vigor. It no longer had the sharpness of a high pitch. This coarse voice made it difficult to discern her gender, and more importantly, the disdain in her eyes inflamed people's anger.

The young man held onto the fingertips of his guitar, tightening them with a tinge of greenish-white color. It was apparent that he was conflicted and reluctant. The guitar meant a lot to him, and he had finally made up his mind, only to be heartlessly rejected by the passerby. Now, it seemed that the young man was trapped in an unsolvable predicament. He could either go with the police officer to assist in the investigation, hoping for his innocence to be proven, or pay to settle the matter. But...

"Oh, young man," an old lady emerged from the crowd and patted the young man's shoulder. She took out ten dollars from her pocket. "I know it's not much, but I hope it can offer you some help."

"No..." The young man's initial reaction was to refuse. His face displayed a startled expression, appearing surprised. But the old lady simply placed the money on top of the guitar case. "Thanksgiving, your family is waiting for you. It's not worth it to be delayed because of some disgusting incident." After saying that, the old lady shot a fierce glare at the passerby, clearly showing her disdain for the passerby's behavior.

The young man called out to the old lady, who was about to leave. "Ma'am, th-thank you," he said shyly and timidly. This brought a smile of contentment to the old lady's face. The young man continued, "But I can't just accept your money. It's my own mess, and I need to resolve it on my own." Though his voice trembled, it was filled with determination. "I think... I think..." The young man seemed hesitant for a moment, but he quickly made up his mind. "I think I can perform here as a way to show my gratitude. Perhaps, after watching my performance, you can decide if you still want to help."

This was Hollywood Boulevard, where countless street performances took place. After watching the performances, pedestrians could give some tips based on their own discretion. It was a way to earn rewards through one's own hands. The young man didn't want to get something for nothing; at least, through a simple performance, he could show some respect.

The young man's action quickly won the favor of the crowd. Despite his predicament, he stuck to his principles. His clear eyes, though gentle, were filled with determination. Even with limited power, he was unwilling to give up. Compared to the terrible and despicable passerby, the young man effortlessly gained the support of the onlookers.

The young man acted on his words and quickly took out his guitar. It was a worn-out guitar, but it was well-maintained, indicating that the owner cherished it. The young man sat cross-legged on the concrete ground, looking at the police officer. "May I finish singing a song, please?"

"No! Absolutely not!" The passerby immediately screamed, her previous weakness completely gone. She screeched sarcastically, "What about my hand? What will happen to my hand? I need to go to the hospital, the hospital!"

"Shut up!" The nauseating behavior of the passerby finally enraged some people in the crowd. Someone shouted angrily, silencing the passerby.

The two police officers exchanged glances and communicated with each other before addressing Hugo. "We've already called an ambulance. You have until it arrives."

"Thank you." The young man lifted his head, looking at the two police officers with gratitude. Though his clear eyes were now filled with mist, tears never fell. This resilience was admirable. And the smile that formed at the corner of his mouth shimmered in the sunset, capturing people's attention.

From the unexpected incident just now to the street performance happening now, what kind of twist is this? Everything seems to have happened too quickly and is incredibly surreal.

The young man lowered his head and adjusted the guitar strings. The collision earlier had clearly caused some deviation in the string's pitch. The young boy listened carefully, confirming the intonation of each note. The light cast upon the side of his face created a hazy shadow, rendering his features more profound and three-dimensional. The lines on his face became softer, and his dark golden hair transformed into a translucent golden hue under the sunlight, emitting a faint halo. Beneath the projection of his eyelashes, his eyes were focused and serious, pouring all of his attention into the task.

In this moment, the young man exuded a charm that made people forget about the passerby's terrible behavior and the disgusting and disdainful events that had just occurred. Unconsciously, everyone's gaze shifted to the young man's slender fingers, currently tuning the guitar, as if it were the most delicate, intricate, and beautiful task in the world.

Finally, someone in the crowd realized that something was off. Previously, everyone's attention was focused on the incident, and they hadn't closely observed the appearances of the passerby and the young man. Even if they caught a glimpse, it was only a rough impression, as the development of the situation was more captivating. However, now that everyone's attention shifted to the young man, his appearance became clear. Could it be... Hugo Lancaster? Some people began to suspect, but they still couldn't be certain because the young man had his head lowered, revealing only a profile, making it impossible to confirm completely. However, the aura and facial structure were just too similar to Hugo, who had recently become a topic of discussion again due to "Scent of a Woman". But... if it's not him, then it would be a case of mistaken identity, as Hollywood's streets are never lacking handsome men and beautiful women. But if it really is Hugo, what is the meaning behind all of this? Did Hugo encounter an accident, or... was all of this intentionally arranged?

However, the young man didn't have any more time for further contemplation. He quickly finished tuning the guitar, lightly plucked the strings with his fingers, and the guitar produced a refreshing and melodic sound that stirred up a dust cloud in the sunset, gradually calming down the surrounding noise.

The young man no longer hesitated. His fingers started strumming the guitar strings, and a melodious tune flowed like clear spring water in the red sunset.