Due to owning a residence in the area, Liang En and his companions left after strolling around the streets for a while, eager to return home to handle some personal matters. Another important reason was that Paris at night wasn't very safe, so it was wise to head home early rather than playing GTA on the streets.
"I really don't understand how a nation's capital could end up like this," Jeanne remarked, speechless after browsing through a series of news reports about the state of the city.
Although she knew Paris was somewhat chaotic, she had never realized it could be this bad, to the extent that there were semi-official guides advising tourists on how to avoid potential safety issues.
According to online sources, the security in Paris is closely related to its districts. Generally, the Seine River serves as the dividing line, with the northern part being more chaotic, and the southern part relatively safer.
More specifically, the 18th, 19th, and 20th districts of Paris are considered high-risk areas. If you can avoid living or visiting these districts, it's best to do so.
If we broaden the scope a bit, the Greater Paris area (which technically is not Paris but adjacent to it) includes places like Seine-Saint-Denis. The further you are from areas with postal codes starting with 93, the better.
For students or immigrants, it's advised not to live in these areas unless you're absolutely strapped for cash, as even passing through, being stuck in traffic, or waiting at a red light could lead to a smash-and-grab robbery. Incidents like these happen daily.
For safety reasons, it's best to stay in the central Paris districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, and 16, or in the Greater Paris area's 92nd department.
Liang En's residence was located in the 4th district, considered a traditionally safe area, typical of Paris's bustling downtown, and also a hub for famous tourist attractions.
Major transportation hubs like Châtelet, the Paris City Hall (Hotel de Ville), the Île de la Cité with Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the now half-burnt Notre-Dame itself are all in the 4th district.
In addition to these tourist spots, the area also has a series of residential and commercial districts, such as Rue de Rivoli, making it very convenient for both travel and living.
However, despite being a traditionally safe area, it's still located on the right bank of the Seine, so minor criminal incidents like theft or muggings involving small knives can still occur.
In some ways, that's already quite good, considering that even places like the Champs-Élysées frequently see thefts, and the lack of muggings there is mainly due to the presence of armed gendarmes.
The further you go from the city center, the more serious the situation becomes. Although the 92nd department is generally considered to have a high standard of living and decent security, home invasions and large-scale robberies can still happen.
This might be related to the Bois de Boulogne in the 92nd department, a well-known meeting place for various people, including transgender individuals, so the chaotic security situation is somewhat understandable.
"The root cause of why Paris appears so chaotic is actually quite simple; it's the capital of France and the country's economic hub, naturally attracting countless people," Liang En explained to Jeanne after giving a brief overview of the situation in Paris. Of course, his opinion might differ slightly from the mainstream view.
"At the same time, today's Paris is very different from before, especially with new immigrants whose civilizations and religions are completely different. When they can't integrate into the local environment, it's easy for them to turn to crime."
"On the other hand, because of their group solidarity and so-called political correctness, any minor police enforcement could trigger large-scale riots. I'm sure you saw those news reports yesterday."
"I did. It's absurd that over a thousand cars were set on fire throughout the entire Paris region in a single year, and the host was actually pleased that it was on par with last year," Jeanne said, shaking her head in frustration. "How did this country end up like this?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I know the situation will continue to worsen," Liang En replied, shaking his head. "Even in areas previously considered safe—"
At this point, Liang En suddenly paused, as he vaguely heard a cry for help in English coming from not far away. At the same time, Jeanne also turned her head in that direction.
"You're right; the situation is indeed quite bad," Jeanne nodded and took a hooded cloak from Liang En, draping it over herself.
Although Liang En and his companions didn't intend to intervene in other people's affairs, they wouldn't turn a blind eye to certain things, especially since dealing with such matters was merely a small effort for them.
"Alright, let's move," Liang En said as he activated a skill card, melting the cobblestones beneath his feet and transforming them into four softball-sized stones. He handed two to Jeanne, and together they ran towards the source of the cry for help.
The location wasn't far from them, but the sound wasn't very clear due to the presence of a building blocking the way.
After rounding a corner, they quickly saw four newcomers surrounding a hooded person, kicking and punching while cursing in a rap-like manner.
From these sounds, Liang En determined that the four individuals were in the midst of a robbery, and the beating was simply because the victim had attempted to flee earlier.
The victim was indeed fortunate; in some of the more chaotic neighborhoods, these robbers would likely have used more violent, even lethal, means.
"Who are you—" Upon hearing footsteps, the four outlaws immersed in their violence instinctively turned their heads, but before they could issue any threats, they heard the swift whistling of something cutting through the air.
The stones thrown by Liang En and Jeanne with strength far beyond that of ordinary humans struck the knees and shoulders of the four individuals. In an instant, the sound of bones shattering and the accompanying screams of pain erupted from the four outlaws.
Given Liang En and Jeanne's superhuman strength, even a hand-thrown stone had an impact comparable to a makeshift catapult, causing those struck to suffer catastrophic fractures.
Although movies often depict characters continuing to fight after sustaining serious injuries, in reality, even a simple fracture is enough to incapacitate a normal person.
So, after Liang En and Jeanne's first attack, the four robbers all collapsed, clutching their injured limbs and wailing in agony, sounding far more miserable than the victim they had just beaten.
It's understandable—the victim had only suffered superficial injuries, but these four ended up with fractured bones, particularly in the joints, likely causing irreversible damage.
After confirming that the robbers were no longer capable of resistance, Liang En and Jeanne quickly rushed to the scene, pulled the victim to their feet, and prepared to flee.
After all, the force Liang En and Jeanne had used was quite severe. Even though their actions were entirely legal, given the newcomers' tendency to escalate matters, it was best to leave quickly to avoid unnecessary trouble.
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