The apartment I currently live in is next to a gym that offers a discount on annual memberships. My brother got himself a gym membership card.

One weekend, my brother dragged me along to the gym for a run.

Meanwhile, he was happily lifting weights in the exercise area.

I was watching a variety show while jogging.

Suddenly, I heard a child's cry from behind in the exercise area.

I quickly stopped the treadmill and turned around to look.

My brother was gripping a kid's ear, and the kid was screaming in agony.

I ran over to take a look, and guess who it was? The troublemaker from downstairs, the brat!

This time, he messed with my brother, and he was in trouble.

Soon, the child's parents hurried over.

This time, it was his father who came.

"Hey, why are you bullying my son?" His loud, arrogant voice instantly weakened when he saw my brother's muscular body.

"Adults shouldn't bully children either."

He looked somewhat apprehensive in his eyes.

But my brother didn't let go of the kid's ear.

The kid winced in pain and said, "Dad, this person is bullying me."

"I just wanted to play with him, and he suddenly hit me."

The child's father, a middle-aged man wearing glasses who appeared somewhat cultured, looked at my brother and slowed down his tone. "Brother, release the child's ear first, then let's talk slowly."

My brother had a bit of a temper. Years of practicing Thai boxing and Sanda made him look a bit fierce.

"Talk slowly?"

"Your son just tried to kill me. How can we talk?"

As soon as the middle-aged man heard this, he glared at the mischievous child, crossing his hands in front of his chest. "Brother, you need evidence to say that."

The gym manager, who was nearby, stepped forward. "Evidence? Well, our gym has surveillance footage."

"Let's all watch it together, and we'll know the truth."

The protagonist and a group of onlookers walked to the computer.

At first, my brother was lying on a small bench doing bench presses.

The mischievous child came over and first tugged at my brother's shoelaces, then touched his hair.

My brother ignored him.

Suddenly, the child's father confidently said, "You see, my son didn't do anything excessive."

Before he finished his next sentence, the mischievous child, with an unfriendly expression, walked to the right side of my brother. He placed his chubby hands, like pig's trotters, on my brother's barbell.

He suddenly exerted force and lifted one side of the barbell.

A fourth or fifth-grade child actually had such great strength that the barbell quickly became unbalanced and tilted to the other side.

The dumbbell plates on the other side rolled off onto the ground, and the barbell almost fell on my brother's neck.

In the video, he got up and put down the barbell, then slapped the mischievous child's face and grabbed his ear.

"This is called playing? Your son almost killed me!"

I couldn't bear to watch anymore. The child's behavior had nothing to do with innocence.

It was practically attempted murder.

The child's father glanced at me. "Who are you? What's your relationship with him?"

"He's my brother. Can't I intervene?"

"This child is always causing trouble. Children don't have such malicious intentions. I think it's you parents who are instigating them."

"Brother, last time he bullied my nephew too," I pointed at the mischievous child.

The mischievous child seemed to recognize me and started cursing at me.

"You wretched woman, ugly woman."

"You'll get hit by a car when you go out."

Before he finished his insults, my brother swept his leg, knocking him down, and then slapped him twice.

The mischievous child wailed, and my brother's strength was definitely greater than that of an ordinary person. This child's face would probably be swollen for half a month.

"Hey, he's just a child," the child'sfather exclaimed, rushing to pick up his son from the ground. The onlookers were in shock, unsure of how to react to the escalating situation.

"He may be a child, but he's been causing trouble and endangering others," my brother retorted, his voice filled with anger.

The gym manager stepped in to diffuse the tension. "Everyone, please calm down. Let's not resort to violence. We can resolve this matter peacefully."

The child's father, holding his now sobbing son, looked at my brother with a mix of anger and helplessness. "I will make sure my son understands the consequences of his actions and apologizes to you. Please, let's not take this any further."

My brother took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself down. "I don't want any trouble, but if your son continues to harass and endanger others, we will have to take appropriate action to protect ourselves."

The child's father nodded, realizing the severity of the situation. He apologized to my brother and assured him that he would address his son's behavior. The onlookers dispersed, returning to their workouts, though the incident had left a tense atmosphere in the gym.

As my brother and I walked back to our apartment, we discussed what had happened. We both agreed that the child's actions were not those of an innocent child, and his behavior needed to be addressed.

Over the next few weeks, we didn't encounter any further issues with the mischievous child. It seemed that his father had taken our words seriously and made efforts to discipline his son. We hoped that the incident at the gym had served as a wake-up call for both the child and his parents.

Although the encounter was unpleasant, it reminded us of the importance of standing up against bullying and ensuring everyone's safety. We also became more vigilant and cautious in public spaces, always aware of our surroundings.

With time, the incident became a distant memory, and we continued to focus on our own lives, hoping for a more peaceful and harmonious neighborhood.