Chapter 219: Seeking Help, Human Traffickers
Chapter 219: Chapter 219: Seeking Help, Human Traffickers
Hearing his sister’s words, Zhao Nuanyang now had a clear plan in mind. He nodded and said, "I understand, Sis. I’ll definitely get this done and rescue our Little Red Carp."
After finishing his conversation with his sister, Zhao Nuanyang contacted the Little Red Carp. Thinking about its situation, he wanted to ask for its help.
"Little sister, I need to go to the county town first and get in touch with some people so we can catch them in the act," Zhao Nuanyang explained in a low voice. "There’s only one road ahead. Can you make them a little dazed for a bit so I can get past them and find help in town?"
"I can, big brother," the Little Red Carp replied in his mind. "Just a moment!"
The Little Red Carp used a small Spell, making Li Siming and Liu Lanhua feel dazed. They stopped to rest on the roadside, their eyes vacant.
"Okay, big brother, it’s done! Run past them now, they won’t see you," the Little Red Carp said. "Be careful, big brother!"
"Little Red Carp, you take care too. I’ll definitely come back for you," Zhao Nuanyang said. He then sprinted past Li Siming and Liu Lanhua. He didn’t stop until he was nearly two thousand meters away, then began walking briskly toward the county town.
He alternated between walking and running, moving much faster than Liu Lanhua and Li Siming. Even at that pace, it still took Zhao Nuanyang five hours to reach the county town.
The soles of his feet were rubbed raw with bloody blisters, but he couldn’t afford to care. His little sister was still in the hands of Li Siming and Liu Lanhua, and his older sister was back in Nianqiao Village, locked in a battle of wits with Li Shan.
No matter how exhausted he was, Zhao Nuanyang had to keep going.
By the time he reached the county town, it was already three in the afternoon. Without a moment’s rest, Zhao Nuanyang headed straight for the scrap yard.
Old Man Sun was busy at work when he saw a young man, drenched in sweat, enter the scrap yard. "Young man, what scrap are you here to sell?" he asked hurriedly.
Seeing no one else around, Zhao Nuanyang said, "Hello, I’m Zhao Nuanyang from Nianqiao Village. I’m Zhao Nuanyue’s younger brother and a friend of Hua Yusen. Liu Lanhua and Li Siming have kidnapped our sister and a child from the village. They’re planning to sell them to Zheng Delin. Right now, they’re on their way here with a handcart, and the children are on it. I could have rescued them myself, but these people have done so much evil and have never been brought to justice. That’s why I came ahead to find you. I hope you can help me catch them this time!"
Zhao Nuanyang spoke clearly, his thoughts perfectly organized. Old Man Sun understood immediately. Besides, Zhao Nuanyue had brought Zhao Nuanyang to the scrap yard before, so Old Man Sun recognized him and had no reason to doubt him. He nodded. "Alright. Wait for me at the entrance to town. I’ll go find some people and send them to you. I’ll also have someone keep an eye on Zheng Delin."
"Thank you, Uncle Sun. Please be extremely careful. We can’t let word get out, and we can’t tip them off," Zhao Nuanyang instructed. Everything depended on this. He couldn’t let his sisters’ suffering be in vain.
Old Man Sun quickly closed and locked the gate to the scrap yard, and he and Zhao Nuanyang went their separate ways.
Zhao Nuanyang went to the town entrance, but he didn’t dare stand right out in the open, so he found a hidden spot to wait.
A short while later, Old Man Sun returned with someone. Surprisingly, it was Xu Jinda from the Public Security Office. For the past six months, over a dozen children had disappeared in the county, but they had found no leads on the traffickers. His superiors were pressuring him, and County Magistrate Zhou had even singled him out for criticism just today. He was so anxious he could barely eat or sleep.
Just when he was at his wit’s end, Uncle Sun had brought him this crucial piece of intelligence, so he had come over with his men immediately.
Old Man Sun introduced Zhao Nuanyang, who then recounted the entire story once more.
"Good, good!" Xu Jinda was silently relieved that Zhao Nuanyang hadn’t tried to rescue the children on the road. If he had, the children might have been saved, but the traffickers would have escaped, leading to endless trouble and more children being harmed in the future. "Mr. Zhao, you did the right thing. Trust us, I’ll lead my men to catch them this time. By the way, are you certain they mentioned Zheng Delin?"
Zhao Nuanyang nodded. "I overheard them when they were resting on the road. I was nearby. If you don’t believe me, just wait until they get to town. They’ll go find Zheng Delin. We can follow them and see for ourselves."
Xu Jinda still found it hard to believe. Zheng Delin had been a colleague of his. Although his current situation as a street sweeper was his own fault, Xu Jinda never imagined he would be a human trafficker.
Xu Jinda made the necessary arrangements and told Zhao Nuanyang to stay in the back.
If Liu Lanhua and Li Siming saw Zhao Nuanyang, they might realize their plot had been exposed and try to flee.
Even if they were caught then, they could deny everything, and without evidence, it would be impossible to convict them.
Seeing that there were plenty of people on the case, Old Man Sun decided not to get involved further and headed back to his scrap yard.
Xu Jinda and his men waited and waited. Finally, an hour later, they saw a man and a woman pulling a handcart into town.
Xu Jinda gave his men a meaningful look, signaling them to follow.
His men blended in, walking along the road like ordinary pedestrians.
Meanwhile, the team assigned to watch Zheng Delin was also observing from a distance. While sweeping the street, Zheng Delin saw Liu Lanhua and Li Siming arrive. He pointed toward a nearby alley, motioning for them to wait there.
Liu Lanhua and Li Siming did as he indicated. A few minutes later, Zheng Delin entered the alley with his broom on his back and asked eagerly, "Got the goods?"
"We do!" Li Siming said with a grin. "Two of them, this time. A boy and a girl, both good-looking."
"Excellent!" ’The patrols in town have been tight lately, and I haven’t made a score in half a month,’ Zheng Delin thought, overjoyed. ’I’m almost out of money. If I don’t get some new merchandise soon, I won’t have any cash for meat and liquor.’
"We need to hurry. If someone finds us, we’re done for," Liu Lanhua said nervously. After all, they were human traffickers; getting caught meant going to prison.
Zheng Delin pointed to a door up ahead. "We’re almost there. I’ll pay you as soon as we’re inside!"
Zheng Delin walked up and knocked on the door.
The small door set into the alley wall opened, and a plump-faced old woman with upturned eyes emerged. Seeing it was Zheng Delin, she asked, "What is it?"
Li Siming and Liu Lanhua were taken aback. ’Is this old woman a trafficker too?’
"Got new merchandise," Zheng Delin said with a smile. "Well? Aren’t you going to bring it in?"
"Right. Get it in here, quick." The old woman trusted Zheng Delin to be a cautious man who wouldn’t bring anyone unreliable, so she held the door open.
Li Siming was carrying Zhao Xiaohai. The boy groggily woke up to find himself inside a sack with his mouth gagged. He remembered being tied up by Liu Lanhua and Li Siming and began to struggle frantically.
"My, he’s a lively one," the old woman chuckled. It proved the child was healthy and would fetch a good price.