“Brother, how much money can you make selling these women?” Xu Ying’s voice held an innocent curiosity that piqued the elder brother’s suspicion. He shot her a doubtful glance. “Why do you ask?”
Xu Ying rolled her eyes, feigning exasperation. “To make money, of course! Look at how well you all eat; you must be making a fortune. Why should you be the only ones to benefit? Can’t I earn some too?”
The elder brother was taken aback by her audacity. His eyebrows shot up, and a fierce glint entered his eyes. “We dare to kill people. Do you dare?”
Xu Ying recoiled, feigning terror, almost stumbling backward. The elder brother, witnessing her exaggerated fright, guffawed, his guard dropping completely. Just a silly little girl, he thought, but with a surprisingly sharp tongue.
“You want to marry an official, right?” he chuckled, his face softening. “Once these people are dealt with in the next few days, I’ll take you there myself.”
Xu Ying’s eyes widened with a hint of timidness. “Are you going to sell these people to my aunty’s village?”
The elder brother shook his head, a dismissive wave of his hand. “How could that be? There are over a dozen women in that room. Liushangou can’t consume them all. There are many other mountain villages nearby. Whichever family lacks a wife, or offers the most money, that’s where they’ll go.”
Xu Ying discreetly filed this information away. It seemed that not only Liushangou but all the surrounding villages were deeply entangled in this sinister trade. No wonder these unfortunate women found no escape. These people are truly deranged, she thought, a cold shiver running down her spine.
“Aren’t you afraid the police will arrest you?” Xu Ying ventured, her voice laced with feigned apprehension.
At her words, the man’s expression soured. Xu Ying braced herself for his wrath, but to her surprise, he burst into arrogant laughter. “Everything must be based on evidence, and those police officers have no evidence to arrest us! Which of the nearby villages hasn’t been involved in the human trafficking business? If we’re exposed, they’ll all be ruined too. Besides, whenever a few police officers show up, we can just kill them directly.”
Xu Ying’s brows furrowed. These traffickers are utterly brazen. Was there no one to investigate the deaths of police officers? Or, worse, were the police themselves complicit? If that were the case, then Huo Chen, who had gone to report them, could be in grave danger. A knot of unease tightened in Xu Ying’s stomach thinking about this .
Meanwhile, in the county seat, Huo Chen had gone directly to the police station to report the case. The officer who received him frowned slightly upon hearing that it concerned the Liushangou human traffickers. “Comrade, please wait a moment,” the man said, already turning to leave. “I’ll notify our leader and see how to proceed.”
Huo Chen’s brow furrowed. Normally, such a serious case would warrant an immediate dispatch of officers, not a leisurely consultation with a superior. Something isn’t right. Not long after, the man returned with several other police officers. Huo Chen scrutinized them, a growing sense of alarm bubbling within him. “Is it enough with just these few people?” he asked, his voice betraying his doubt.
The police officer’s face immediately darkened. “Why not? Are you questioning our abilities?”
Huo Chen remained silent. He and the officers left the public security bureau, but his vigilance intensified with every step. Police officers dispatched for such serious cases were usually rigorously trained; these officers, particularly the one leading the way, clearly lacked such discipline. There’s definitely something amiss here.
As they reached Liushangou, Huo Chen’s suspicions were confirmed. The officers made no attempt to search the premises. They asked a few cursory questions and then departed. How could Huo Chen not understand the blatant complicity now? He had not expected these officers to be so brazen in their corruption.
Back at Liu Dashan’s house, Xu Ying anxiously awaited news from Huo Chen. All afternoon, no police officers appeared in Liushangou. She knew then that the police were unreliable. She had never anticipated such blatant corruption before but now experiencing it first hand she was baffeled to the core. Their initial plan had been for her to stay and contain the traffickers while the police stormed in and arrested them, ensuring the safety of the captives. But with the police clearly allied with the traffickers, that plan was now obsolete.
After Huo Chen’s departure, the trafficker, sensing a shift in the wind, grew agitated. He was consumed by a desire to find out who had tipped off the authorities, and his suspicions quickly landed on Liu Dashan.
“Did you spill the secret?” The man lashed out, kicking Liu Dashan to the ground.
Liu Dashan, enduring the pain, pleaded for mercy. “Brother, it wasn’t me! If it were, why would I come back with my wife and children?”
The man’s anger festered. Could it be that the two men he had sent out had betrayed him? He had ordered them to keep a close watch on Liu Dashan, yet Liu Dashan was back, and the two men were still nowhere to be found. Enraged, the man immediately ordered his subordinates to change locations. This place was no longer safe. Even with their knowledge of the corrupt police, it was better to evacuate for safety’s sake.
Thus, a large group of people, including Xu Ying, began to evacuate from Liushangou Village to a neighboring one. As she walked, Xu Ying’s eyes landed on a familiar figure among the abducted women, and she froze. Gu Fuzhu was here too.
In this case, things will be much easier to handle, Xu Ying thought, a plan rapidly forming in her mind. She approached Gu Fuzhu, blinking her eyes reassuringly. “Don’t be afraid,” she whispered. If her memory served correctly, her father had once mentioned that the official who presented him with an award had the surname Gu. And Gu Fuying had previously stated that Gu Fuzhu’s father was the new leader. At that time, there had been only one new high-ranking county official.
With the answer now clear, Xu Ying’s heart settled. She waited until nightfall and then slipped out secretly. Huo Chen was waiting at the entrance of Liushangou Village, as they had agreed. His eyes lit up when he saw her. “I can take my friend and catch the trafficker directly.”
Xu Ying shook her head. That would be too risky. With the traffickers and the police collaborating, Huo Chen would be in grave danger. “Go find Gu Fuying,” she instructed, her voice urgent, “and ask her to find Gu Fuzhu’s father. His daughter is here. Remember to tell him about the police station’s involvement and let her father handle it. I can’t be out for too long; I have to go back. Be careful.” Having delivered her instructions, Xu Ying turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Huo Chen’s eyes, momentarily dimmed by concern, quickly sharpened as he too vanished into the night.
Early the next morning, a formidable force of police officers descended upon the village, surrounding not only Liushangou but several of the neighboring villages as well. The trafficker’s face turned green when he heard the commotion. He lunged, intending to flee, but a sudden dizziness overwhelmed him, and he collapsed, muttering a choked “You…” Soon, more of his men followed suit, collapsing around him.
Xu Ying watched the scene unfold with immense satisfaction. She pulled out the small fireworks Huo Chen had bought for her, lit them, and with a loud bang, it soared into the sky, exploding in a burst of light. At that signal, a large contingent of police officers stormed into the village.
The village captain, witnessing the overwhelming police presence, immediately panicked. He frantically ordered someone to warn the traffickers, but when his messenger arrived at their hideout, they found a room full of men lying unconscious. The messenger instantly understood. All the traffickers were apprehended, and the abducted people were rescued.
Father Gu approached Xu Ying, his face etched with profound gratitude. “Yingying, thank you for saving my daughter.” Before he had come, his friends had warned him of the chaos in Yu County, of unruly elements emerging from the impoverished mountains. He had never expected that it would be an official who came to his aid. He vowed to investigate this matter thoroughly.
Gu Fuzhu gazed at Xu Ying, her face radiant with relief and gratitude. She had believed her life was over, that her parents would never find her, and that she would be sold into a forced marriage. She had never imagined that Xu Ying would be her savior.
Xu Ying waved her hand dismissively. “Uncle Gu,” she said, her voice serious, “there are still many trafficked women in the village. How do you plan to deal with them?”