Chapter 15: Father and Son Team Up to Catch a Thief

Huo Donglin glanced coldly at the scene, not bothering to comfort anyone. If the work team had reported in advance, perhaps this situation wouldn’t be so difficult.

This group of human traffickers was good at disguising themselves, and the team had been tracking them for two months. They couldn’t let their efforts go to waste.

The more urgent the situation became, the calmer Huo Donglin became as he made his arrangements: “Second, go report the situation to the conductor immediately. Have the crew start checking the train tickets.

Third, you’ll join me in checking the compartments. You start from this side, and I’ll head to the sleeper car. We’ll meet in the middle.

The rest of you stay and keep an eye on the suspects. If any of them try to get off the train, arrest them immediately.

Also, the work team should restrict all movements.”

No one raised any objections, and they all set off to carry out their tasks.

Huo Donglin, with his long legs, strode toward the sleeper car, his sharp, icy gaze sweeping the surroundings.

Nothing.

Still nothing!

The aisles were crowded with passengers, and occasionally, attendants pushed snack carts through, making it hard to get through quickly.

Just as Huo Donglin reached the last two sleeper cars, the train slowed down as it approached the platform.

From a corner, a loud, childish voice rang out: “Uncle Changguang, that’s a human trafficker! He’s trying to take the strange aunt away!”

Huo Donglin shoved through the crowd, his long legs moving swiftly.

He just managed to see a man with glasses holding Guan Wenxue, preparing to get off the train, muttering loudly, “This is my wife. She has a fever, and I’m taking her to the clinic. Don’t listen to this kid’s nonsense.”

A child, nestled in an adult’s arms, only showed a profile, but his voice was unshakably firm: “You say she’s your wife, then tell me her last name, what her full name is, and show me your marriage certificate, ID, and a letter of introduction.”

The man with glasses hesitated, his eyes shifting nervously. His arm was caught by Zhu Changguang, and he couldn’t break free. Sweat poured from his face in desperation.

He desperately made eye contact with his accomplice: “Mom, think of something!”

The middle-aged woman next to him had a dark expression. “I don’t have time to play house with a little brat. Don’t delay my daughter-in-law’s treatment. Let go, we need to get off the train.”

She puffed out her chest and intentionally bumped into Zhu Changguang’s arm, shouting, “Grab that hooligan!”

Zhu Changguang, startled, quickly pulled his arm back and jumped back a meter.

The train had just reached the platform and stopped for several seconds.

The conductor opened the door.

The man with glasses took the chance to support Guan Wenxue and step off the train.

Just as he was about to exit, his collar was suddenly grabbed from behind.

“Let go!”

The deep, commanding voice rang out, sending a chilling shock through the air.

“Who are you?” The man with glasses turned around and saw a pair of dark, cold eyes, which made him stumble over his words, “Th-This is my wife, what do you want?”

Before Huo Donglin could speak, Manman had already recognized the man in the blue work clothes, calling out loudly, “He’s the one with the strange aunt, the one who got on the train with her at the last stop!”

The man with glasses saw things weren’t looking good. He pushed Guan Wenxue away and tried to flee the train, one foot already in the air.

In the next moment, he was yanked back mid-air, as if he weighed nothing, and slammed to the ground with his arms twisted behind his back by Huo Donglin.

The middle-aged woman shrieked and turned to run.

A shoe flew through the air and hit the back of her head, causing her to fall face-first to the ground with a loud thud.

By the time the train police arrived, Huo Donglin had already restrained the two human traffickers, and medical staff were on hand to take Guan Wenxue for treatment.

After dealing with everything, Huo Donglin turned around only to find that the sharp little child was no longer around.

The kid had been sharp and composed, never panicking in the face of danger—truly someone born to be a soldier!

Huo Donglin regretted not personally recruiting him into the army.

But…

“Xue Lao, what are you doing here?” Huo Donglin, surprised to see such a high-ranking figure, stood at attention and saluted.

The conductor explained the entire situation to him.

Huo Donglin was amazed to learn that it was another child who had spotted the traffickers. His eyes widened in admiration. “Don’t worry, Xue Lao. I’ll make sure to report his contribution to the higher-ups.”

Xue Lao nodded with satisfaction, deliberately withholding the truth about the child’s identity, letting Huo Donglin discover the real connection on his own.

Huo Donglin waved his hand, rejecting the request for protection and hastily heading towards the berth.

He needed to quickly pass on this important information to that couple. At this point, he probably counted as an insider to them, right?

As soon as he entered the carriage, he saw that everyone had gathered around, listening intently to Manman vividly describing how he outsmarted the human traffickers with Uncle Zhang Guang.

The story was full of ups and downs, incredibly vivid.

The children were so engrossed that they could hardly tear themselves away.

In the end, Manman concluded, “…all of this is thanks to Mama’s hard work.”

Everyone in the carriage gave a thumbs up in admiration.

“Comrade Jiang, your child is so brave.”

“How do you usually educate your children? Share your experience with us!”

Hearing these compliments, the two little dumplings’ admiration for their mother reached unprecedented heights.

The concept of “knowledge is power” had completely materialized in their hearts.

“It’s hard to believe that there were human traffickers on the train. It’s so terrifying!”

The atmosphere in the carriage grew tense.

Xue Lao took the opportunity to step forward and calm everyone’s nerves. “These human traffickers have actually already been targeted by special forces. They’ve already begun their capture operation, and no one will be left behind. Manman, they promised to award you for your bravery.”

Manman’s eyes lit up. “Will there be a big cash reward?”

Xue Lao was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.

Poor children grow up faster, and compared to medals, money was, indeed, more practical.

However, what Manman said next stunned him:

“To help us escape from the evil grandmother, Mama had to sell two of her jobs. My little sister said Mama’s eyes were red when she got up on the seventh day.”

As he spoke, tears began to well up in Manman’s eyes. “From now on, my sister and I will pick up lots and lots of trash, earn lots of money, and never let Mama sell anything again.”

“…”

Jiang Ningning covered her face, feeling both touched and amused.

My dear child, can you not think about picking up trash all the time?

“Summer also picks up trash to take care of Mama,” Summer also said eagerly, expressing her determination.

Jiang Ningning pulled one of her precious children into her arms, not reprimanding them, but instead saying, “Picking up trash also requires skill and a solid foundation of knowledge.”

“For example, when you used to pick up scrap metal, if the international market’s steel price index continued to rise and was green, it meant the steel market was still saturated, and the iron price would be high. On the other hand, if the price dropped, it wouldn’t sell well.”

“From now on, you both need to study hard and broaden your horizons. At that time, when others pick up trash, you’ll be picking up treasures.”

The two little ones listened with burning enthusiasm.

The onlookers had mixed reactions: some thought Jiang Ningning was talking nonsense, while others pondered thoughtfully.

Xue Lao became even more determined to bring Jiang Ningning into the propaganda department.

Before he could speak, a strong and enticing aroma suddenly wafted into the air, and a thunderous rumble sounded from Jiang Ningning’s stomach.

“Smells so good! What is that scent?”

“I smell soy sauce, meat fat, and the fresh fragrance of mushrooms.”

Everyone instinctively looked at Jiang Ningning and her two children.

The little dumplings were holding steamed buns, their cheeks puffed up as they ate, looking like two adorable little hamsters.

Zhang Guang finished half of his bun in one go without even raising his head.

As for Jiang Ningning, her delicate appearance was matched by the elegant way she ate, the scene pleasing to the eye.

Her slender fingers held a spoon, scooping sauce from a jar, and evenly spreading it in the middle of the bun, layering it with chunks of meat and mushrooms.

Then, she placed a large cabbage leaf on top, followed by a boiled egg, making the bun so stuffed that it almost couldn’t hold everything.

What kind of divine eating method was this?

The adults could manage to control themselves, but the children couldn’t resist. One by one, they rushed over, inhaling the delicious aroma.

Some younger kids even threw themselves on the ground, rolling and whining, “I want meat! I want egg!”

This food was precious, and even though the kids didn’t understand the value of it, the adults’ faces became even thicker as they watched.