Chapter 35: Captured

Jing Xi didn’t even have time to speak before the Liu couple, along with Liu Yan, all dropped to their knees.

Her first instinct was to help them up, but when she lifted one, another knelt down. If she helped that one, the next would go down again. In the end, it was Xie Aiguo who stepped in and finally got the three of them to stand properly.

“Old Liu, Mrs. Liu! Comrade Xiao Jing is a warm-hearted person. If you do this, you’ll only make her feel embarrassed! Let’s stand up and talk properly! Liu Chun will be back soon. Wipe your tears and wait for the child—don’t make her feel sad.”

“Yes, Uncle, Aunt, Sister Yan, please don’t do this. I really didn’t do anything.”

Jing Xi had never doubted Xie Aiguo’s ability to say the right things at the right time.

But the truth was, things weren’t as the Liu family thought. She really hadn’t done much—it was all thanks to that Long Fourth Master.

Just as she was about to explain, she noticed that everyone had suddenly turned their gaze behind her.

A police car was approaching from a distance!

Within seconds, the car came to a stop, and after more than ten days apart, Liu Chun jumped out and ran straight toward them.

The moment she saw her parents and sister, tears streamed down her face.

“Mom! Dad! Sis!” she sobbed uncontrollably.

The family hugged tightly. Zhang Rui held Liu Chun’s face, examining her up and down, front and back. Only after confirming that she was safe and unharmed did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Liu Chun had been through hell these past ten days.

She couldn’t eat or sleep properly, living every day in fear.

And she had noticed something strange—ever since Wu Xiaoni had been summoned once by that Mr. Liang, she had completely changed. She stopped crying, started eating properly, and no matter how much Liu Chun asked, Wu Xiaoni refused to say what had happened.

Then, last night, everything changed.

Liu Chun never expected that the police would raid Great World Karaoke Lounge overnight. And in the process, they rescued all of them.

Not only that, but every single employee of Great World was arrested!

Two of them had even tried to escape but failed miserably.

After living in terror for ten days, the moment Liu Chun saw A-Lan being held at gunpoint by the police, she finally felt the satisfaction of justice being served!

Once the ten victims had finished giving their statements, the police had personally contacted their families. Today, they were safely escorted home.

As the Liu family held each other and cried, those watching were deeply moved, their eyes turning red with emotion.

In rural areas, cases of missing children weren’t rare. But the number of children who were actually found and brought home? That was nearly unheard of.

The Liu family must have had generations of good karma to be this fortunate.

No matter what, the most important thing was that Liu Chun had made it back safely.

Xie Aiguo and a few others exchanged pleasantries with Li Tao and Officer Yu, who had previously been involved in the case.

Li Tao and Officer Yu then greeted Jing Xi warmly.

“Comrade Xiao Jing, we really have to thank you for this! The clues you provided were extremely valuable!”

Jing Xi was confused. Was Li Tao referring to that phone call?

That couldn’t be right.

“I—I really didn’t do anything. It was all because of the Long family…”

Li Tao, his face slightly flushed with admiration, beamed at her.

“That’s not what we heard. A certain Mr. Long told our chief that you were the one who discovered the crucial details. He only gave you a small helping hand! Comrade Jing Xi, our chief wants to personally commend you. You’re a hero of Beizhen!”

Jing Xi’s face turned red.

“No, I…”

“There’s no need to be so modest! On behalf of all the victims and their families in this case, let me say thank you! This operation not only rescued the missing girls, but it also helped crack down on illegal gambling and loan sharking! Three birds with one stone! And at least two-thirds of the credit goes to you!”

Why did it feel like no one was giving her a chance to explain?

Li Tao grabbed her hand, gave it a firm shake, and then let go. “Having a citizen like you is truly a blessing for our town!”

“…Thank you, but—”

“Oh, Xiao Jing, don’t be so humble! The whole village already knows!”

“That’s right! Xiao Jing, we always thought you were a quiet, honest girl, but who knew you’d accomplish something so incredible!”

“Exactly! She grew up alone, without parents, and yet she turned out to be such an upright person. Our village is lucky to have her!”

“Xiao Jing, come visit my house when you have time!”

Surrounded by a flood of praise, Jing Xi felt like even if she had ten mouths, she wouldn’t be able to clear things up.

But one thing was certain—the way the villagers viewed her had completely changed.

What she couldn’t figure out was…

Why on earth did Long Yuezhi give her all the credit?!

She truly didn’t understand!

Then, Li Tao turned to Xie Aiguo and asked, “Village Chief Xie, is Comrade Wu Jun here?”

Xie Aiguo quickly pointed to the back. Wu Jun was standing there.

Was this about Wu Dazhuang?

Was he here to inform the family?

He decided to watch the scene unfold.

Hearing someone calling for him, Wu Jun hurried over. “Comrades, you were looking for me?”

Li Tao’s expression was serious. “I remember you’re a relative of Wu Dazhuang, correct?”

Wu Jun’s heart sank at those words. This didn’t sound good. “Yes, I’m his cousin. May I ask what happened?”

“Let’s speak privately.”

They moved a little further away from the crowd.

Li Tao continued, “It’s like this—this missing persons case also involves Wu Dazhuang. He has already been arrested and taken to the police station, though he’s currently being held at the Nanzhen precinct.”

Wu Jun’s heart skipped a beat, and he almost lost his footing.

Xie Aiguo quickly reached out to support him.

Li Tao went on, “Moreover, during interrogation, we discovered that he was also involved in underground gambling operations, rigging games, and illegal high-interest lending.”

Wu Jun’s legs nearly gave out.

He had always thought Wu Dazhuang was just a small-time troublemaker, stealing and scamming here and there—but this?

“We understand your feelings,” Li Tao continued, “but as Wu Dazhuang’s relative, we are required to inform you. He has been arrested, and in addition to interrogations, we are still investigating whether any accomplices have been overlooked. If you notice any suspicious individuals coming or going, or if anyone tries to ask about Wu Dazhuang’s situation, please report it to us immediately.”

“Also, are his parents still alive?”

Wu Jun shook his head. “They’re alive, but after divorcing, they both remarried and stopped caring about him. They moved out of the village, and I’m not sure where they are now. However, he does have an uncle who still lives here.”

So that was the situation.

Standing to the side, Jing Xi knew this was her opportunity.

—

These past few days had been exhausting. All she wanted now was a hot bath and a good night’s sleep on her warm kang bed.

The Liu family of four was still celebrating their reunion. Jing Xi didn’t want to disturb them, so she quietly slipped away and went home.

She hadn’t been home for days, and the house felt cold and empty.

She lit the kang bed and started the stove. It took more than half an hour before the room finally started to warm up.

After locking the doors and windows, she entered her hidden space and used the spring water to take a bath—there wasn’t time to heat water the normal way.

The crops she had planted were nearly ready for harvest, and the house’s construction had made great progress. Everything in this space was thriving.

Thinking back on everything that had happened, it all felt like a dream.

Especially Long Yue Zhi.

Every time she closed her eyes, his strikingly handsome face would flash through her mind.

What a menace.

She also thought of Xiao Jie. If she remembered correctly, he was the one who had come to the village to acquire land.

He was also the one who had been watching her at the village office.

She hadn’t expected them all to be under Long Yue Zhi’s command. The “Long family” that the villagers spoke of referred to none other than this Fourth Master Long.

And yet, Fourth Master Long didn’t even take credit for what he had done. Instead, he let her take all the praise, making her the center of attention.

She shook her head, feeling a little helpless.

After tidying up and having a full meal, Jing Xi fell into a deep sleep.

She slept until 7 PM when a knock at the door woke her up.

“Who is it?”

“Xiao Jing, it’s me, Liu Yan! Have you had dinner yet? My parents asked me to invite you over for a meal!”