Chapter 62

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Don’t you watch where you’re going while walking?” Zhang Xiangqian almost got hit by a passerby but managed to dodge just in time.

Xu Zhao helped the person up and looked at him with a hint of familiarity. “Are you okay?”

Zhou Junkang, wearing glasses, with messy hair and clothes, anxiously grabbed Xu Zhao’s arm. “Comrade, have you seen a child? A boy, around five or six years old, with big eyes, double eyelids, wearing a blue jacket and black pants?”

Xu Zhao asked calmly, “Don’t panic. Tell us exactly what happened. The child is missing, right?”

Hearing Xu Zhao’s composed tone, Zhou Junkang managed to calm himself down. He kept telling himself not to panic. His grandson was still waiting to be rescued.

He wiped his sweat and spoke rapidly, “We were shopping at the department store. I was knocked over by a woman on the street while picking up things. When I got up, my grandson was gone. I saw a man in gray clothes carrying him away, so I chased after him, but I lost him.”

He was in a state of utter confusion, sweating profusely, unable to imagine how he would explain this to his son if he couldn’t find the boy. It was his fault for not keeping a closer eye on the child, allowing a bad person to take advantage.

Zhang Xiangqian frowned. “In broad daylight, people are so bold as to abduct children. How daring can they be?”

If they delay any longer, the person might escape. Xu Zhao handed the items to Zhang Xiangqian. “I’ll look for the child. You stay here with the items and this comrade.”

Zhang Xiangqian shouted loudly, “Hey, don’t leave me behind! I want to go too.”

The chance to show off was snatched away by Xu Zhao, and he cursed inwardly.

Zhou Junkang and Zhang Xiangqian looked at each other, unsure of what to do: “What should we do now?”

He couldn’t feel at ease standing here waiting without being able to see whether his grandson was safe.

Zhang Xiangqian’s hands were full of things, and he couldn’t free his hands at all. He was also a little worried about Xu Zhao’s situation: “Let’s go and take a look.”

Xu Zhao quickly recalled the image of a man holding a child and wearing gray clothes, who looked to be about 25 years old. He had a good memory. Just now, when he passed an intersection, he saw a similar person out of the corner of his eye. He did not pay much attention to it at the time, thinking that the child was sick and the child’s father took the child to the hospital. The county hospital was nearby.

Xu Zhao moved swiftly, returning to the intersection, but the man in gray was gone. He asked a few people nearby, who said they saw him heading east, so Xu Zhao immediately pursued in that direction.

The train station was to the east, and he suspected the kidnapper might be trying to flee there, possibly with accomplices.

Time was tight. He didn’t know the schedule of the nearest freight trucks and couldn’t afford to go to the police station, so he rushed straight to the train station.

The train station was crowded, and everyone was dressed in grayish clothing. Xu Zhao didn’t spot the kidnapper immediately. It was hard to identify him among the crowd.

There was no choice but to find the police at the station and explain the situation. He learned that the next train was scheduled to depart in thirty-five minutes.

They moved stealthily through the crowd, searching for suspicious individuals.

In a corner of the waiting hall, two men and one woman crouched in a circle.

“I have a bad feeling. The inspections have suddenly become stricter. Could this child be from some county official’s family?”

“Who cares? Even if the child is from an important family, he’ll end up in my hands anyway. This child looks good, plump and healthy, so he’ll fetch a good price.”

“Let’s not discuss this now. Should we go back or catch a train out of here?”

“Let’s first go to Grandma Zhong’s village. They have some goods too, and it’s relatively safe there. We can send everything off tomorrow morning.”

The three of them agreed and spread out, maintaining a close but not too close distance.

Considering he couldn’t fully use his abilities with so many things in hand, Zhang Xiangqian went to fetch the car and, analyzing with Zhou Junkang, decided that the kidnapper might be heading to the train station. So, he drove straight there.

Fearing the kidnapper might escape if they were even a second late, Zhang Xiangqian honked incessantly, driving at high speed.

Maybe, just maybe, there was indeed a nemesis in this world.

He nearly hit someone, causing Zhang Xiangqian to jump with a racing heart. He promised himself never to boast about his driving skills again.

Quickly opening the car door to apologize, Zhou Junkang, sharp-eyed and both anxious and thrilled, shouted loudly, “That’s him!”

Zhang Xiangqian acted on instinct, rushing forward without hesitation.

The man in gray, hearing the commotion, turned around and saw an unfamiliar person running toward him, followed by a middle-aged man who seemed somewhat familiar.

It dawned on him that he was in trouble!

His face changed dramatically, and he immediately turned and ran towards the crowd.

“Hey! Sorry, I was rushing to catch a train and didn’t see the road. I hope I didn’t hurt you!” A man in his thirties, with a patched-up coat and muddy shoes, grabbed Zhang Xiangqian and apologized profusely, his face flushed with a mix of anxiety and embarrassment.

Zhang Xiangqian, pressed for time and eager to chase, said, “I’m fine.”

But things took an unexpected turn.

The man, in a panic, started crying and shouting, “My money’s gone! That was for my mother’s medical treatment, over thirty dollars. We’ve been saving up for two years, and now someone’s stolen it. My mother’s bedridden, and now we’re left with nothing!”

The man clung to Zhang Xiangqian, adamant that his money had disappeared after Zhang Xiangqian bumped into him, refusing to let him go without an explanation.

Seeing the man in gray about to escape, Zhang Xiangqian was tangled up by this thief. Just as he was at a loss, a savior appeared.

“Xu Zhao, hurry, over there!”

Xu Zhao, who had scoured almost the entire train station with the help of the station staff, hadn’t seen the man in gray. He guessed that the kidnapper might have noticed something was off and fled. Hearing Zhang Xiangqian’s shout as he exited the train station, Xu Zhao followed the direction and saw the man in gray. He chased him at top speed. The man, panicked and not paying attention to the stone on the ground, tripped and fell. By the time he got up, Xu Zhao was already there, apprehending him.

Zhou Junkang, following behind, gasped for breath, “Where’s my grandson? Where is my Xiao Hao? What have you done with him?”

The man in gray, once caught, stared intensely at Xu Zhao and refused to answer Zhou Junkang’s questions.

“Oh, where are you going? Didn’t you say your money was missing?” Zhang Xiangqian swiftly moved to block the seemingly honest rural man.

“I suddenly remembered that the money was with my wife. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I’ll leave now,” the man said with a sheepish smile, attempting to walk away.

“Not so fast. The matter isn’t settled yet. Let’s talk a bit more,” Zhang Xiangqian placed a hand on the man’s shoulder.

The man, with his back to Zhang Xiangqian, suddenly changed his expression. He quickly reached into his chest, and a flash of silver appeared in the air as he turned and lunged at Zhang Xiangqian with a vicious stab.

Zhang Xiangqian moved quickly, evading the stab. While fighting the man, he kept up a steady stream of taunts: “I knew you were a tough character, carrying a knife while pretending to be a simple farmer. If people didn’t know better, you’d have fooled them. But bad luck for you—bumping into me, your grandpa. Today, you’ll learn what it means to go up against your grandpa. Don’t think you can beat me!”

Provoked by these insults, the man’s anger intensified, and he attacked more ferociously, determined to make Zhang Xiangqian pay.

Despite his strength and experience, he was no match for a trained soldier like Zhang Xiangqian. With a powerful kick, Zhang Xiangqian knocked him down, stepping on his hand and kicking the knife away.

With the man captured, Zhang Xiangqian and his team still couldn’t find Zhou Junkang’s grandson, so they had to report to the police station.

After an afternoon of questioning, the man with the knife remained tight-lipped. However, the man in gray, under questioning by a seasoned officer, confessed everything within two hours.

The man was local, from a village near the county seat. His sister had been kidnapped when she was ten and had only recently been found after many years. She was sold as a child bride in the mountains, and after her husband died, her in-laws mistreated her. Unable to bear it, she escaped and returned to her family through begging.

Everyone in the village knew about her tragic past. They felt sorry for her and allowed her to stay. However, she had become a trafficker herself, joining a smuggling ring and recruiting people to find and abduct young girls and children. Many children had gone missing in the county over the years, and the police had found no leads.

The trafficking ring had a well-organized system: some people found suitable targets, others captured them, and others escorted them. The man in gray and his sister were responsible for the first part.

The man in gray had kidnapped the child because he was in debt from gambling and saw an opportunity when he spotted a pretty, plump boy. His bad luck was running high, as Zhang Xiangqian and Xu Zhao were on vacation and happened to come to the county at the same time.

Furious, Zhang Xiangqian slammed his fist against the wall: “These bastards deserve a thousand cuts. They must have had their consciences eaten by dogs.”

Xu Zhao leaned against the wall, his eyes dark and his expression grim, remaining silent.

The man in gray had mentioned that two months ago, they had seen a particularly beautiful girl in a department store. She wasn’t local, with a southern accent, possibly a new educated youth. They had planned to wait and capture her later, but she had vanished, and their boss regretted missing such a good target.

Xu Zhao thought of Jiang Suihan. Two months ago, southern accent, beautiful—these descriptions fit her perfectly.

The thought of such a dangerous group targeting her fueled his anger. He clenched his fists, veins bulging, wishing he could destroy the entire criminal network.

“How come you’re back so late? Have you eaten?” Jiang Suihan, disturbed from her restless sleep, got up and went downstairs.

Xu Zhao shook his head: “I got delayed. I haven’t eaten yet.”

Jiang Suihan covered her mouth and yawned: “I’ll make you some vegetable noodles.”

It was already past ten at night, and even a steel stomach would struggle.

Xu Zhao gently pushed her into a chair: “You stay here. I’ll handle it.”

Jiang Suihan didn’t mind, dragging her chair to the kitchen door. Watching him busy inside, she asked casually: “What did you go to the county for?”

Xu Zhao put the noodles into the boiling water, covered the pot, and replied calmly: “Just doing some good deeds.”

Jiang Suihan, intrigued but puzzled, joked: “Did you help an old lady cross the street, return lost money, or act heroically?”

Xu Zhao chuckled: “More like heroically.”

Jiang Suihan, curious, rested her chin on her hand: “Tell me more.”

Xu Zhao briefly recounted the events, and by the time he finished, the noodles were ready.

Jiang Suihan’s eyes widened: “So, you just took a day off, went out, saved a child, destroyed a trafficking ring, and rescued countless families?”

Xu Zhao looked at her, finding her phrasing odd.

He brought out the bowl of noodles: “The rescued child is somewhat related to you.”

Jiang Suihan couldn’t think of anyone she knew there: “Who is it?”

Xu Zhao took a bite of noodles before saying, “Do you remember that time when we took a train from Mingjiang City? There was a middle-aged couple on the train. The man was called Zhou Junkang, and the one who was kidnapped was his grandson.”

He just felt that the face looked familiar and couldn’t help but take a few more glances. Later, Zhou Junkang also recognized him. The nearly fifty-year-old man held his hand and wiped his tears, regretting that he should not have brought the child out. He was afraid that he would not be able to find the child and would let his son and daughter-in-law down.

Jiang Suihan expressed her surprise: “You actually know them? Is the child alright?”

Xu Zhao continued eating as he replied, “The child is fine, just inhaled some sleeping gas. They’ve already been taken to the hospital.”

Perhaps due to her pregnancy, Jiang Suihan was particularly affected and displayed a sense of righteous anger: “Human traffickers are truly heartless. Aren’t they afraid of retribution coming upon their own children?”

Xu Zhao answered calmly, “Those who can commit such acts without a shred of conscience are unlikely to fear any retribution. Besides, they don’t just traffic children. They also traffic women.”

Desire is infinite. Some people can control their desires, while others are controlled by them, becoming greedy and losing their conscience.

Jiang Suihan thought of some books and movies she had seen, realizing that even in modern times, human trafficking still persists.

“As long as there’s profit, there will be trade.”

Xu Zhao nodded slightly: “That’s the truth. People are driven by self-interest. As long as there’s profit, some will take risks.”

The county police had dismantled a base and captured some criminals. Following the trail might lead to even greater rewards.

Jiang Suihan sighed softly: “Discussing such heavy topics late at night puts me in a bad mood.”

Xu Zhao picked up some noodles and held them up to her mouth: “Do you want to eat?”

Jiang Suihan hesitated, wanting to eat but not wanting to brush her teeth afterward.

After a brief moment of indecision, she opened her mouth and ate, silently justifying to herself that it wasn’t her desire but the baby’s.

Jiang Suihan ate a little less than half a bowl of noodles, patting her stomach and beginning to shift the blame: “It’s all your fault. Eating at night is going to make me fat. I’m going to gain weight.”

Xu Zhao apologetically admitted: “Yes, it’s my fault. Go brush your teeth.”

Jiang Suihan felt deflated, like a punch hitting cotton. As she lay in bed, drowsy, she unexpectedly thought of the accident mentioned by Wang Lijuan that had led to “her” demise. Could it be related to the human traffickers Xu Zhao had talked about tonight?

She wanted to ask, but she was too tired to keep her eyes open. She reminded herself to remember to ask tomorrow.