Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Child Trafficker

A group of people followed behind Liang Shi, winding through several narrow alleys before Liang Shi suddenly stopped, pointing to a path barely wide enough for a single person to pass. “It’s just back there,” he said.

This alleyway was wedged between two houses, one in front of the other. The house on the left even had a kitchen window jutting out, and without someone leading the way, it would have been almost impossible to find. That was one of the reasons Zhao Zejun initially wanted to go to the subdistrict office and find Director Li: Gaogang Village’s chaotic housing layout was the result of decades of haphazard construction by its residents, making the entire village a sprawling maze. For anyone unfamiliar with the area, getting lost was normal. On a rainy day like this, if the work crew didn’t have someone local guiding them, their job would become exponentially more difficult.

Squeezing sideways through the passage, the female reporter seized the opportunity to cast a negative light on Gaogang Village for the camera: “As you can see, this alley is so narrow that even one person must walk sideways. In the event of a major disaster, there’s absolutely no way for rescue vehicles or large equipment to get in. Along the way, we’ve passed countless alleys and lanes just like this one. Members of the rescue team told us that Gaogang Village’s complex and harsh environment has caused many unnecessary complications for rescue efforts…”

Zhao Zejun, leading the way, glanced back at her. The implications were clear—she was setting the stage for the upcoming demolition project.

Good, very good! Excellent!

Once they emerged from the alley, Junzi’s group was already waiting in front of a dilapidated house. The roof was visibly caved in, and a crooked old tree had toppled over, pressing dangerously against the wall—collapse seemed imminent.

Liang Shi pointed at the tightly shut front door. “Here! There are two children inside!”

Zhao Zejun reached out to push the door, but it wouldn’t budge, heavy and unyielding. It was impossible to tell if it was locked from the inside or if something was blocking it. The windowpane was plastered with layers of torn plastic advertisements, but through a gap, Zhao Zejun could just make out something moving under the large table inside.

Peering more closely, he saw two young children, their faces so dirty it was impossible to tell if they were boys or girls. They huddled in terror at the corner under the table, eyes wide and shining, resembling frightened, wounded puppies.

“Where are your parents?” Zhao Zejun shouted through the window. Realizing that was useless, he grabbed his small shovel and smashed a hole in the glass. “Where are your parents? Are they home? Hurry and open the door! The house is about to collapse!”

The little boy burst into tears, while the girl, slightly braver, stammered, “Auntie said we’re not allowed to go out…”

“Where is your aunt?” Zhao Zejun was furious. What kind of adult would lock two little children inside and leave?!

It wasn’t that Zhao Zejun looked down on poor people, but Gaogang Village was a haven for all sorts—the lowest rungs of society. Some people here were both pitiful and infuriating.

“Break down the door,” Zhao Zejun ordered impatiently.

Just as they were about to do so, there was a sudden commotion inside.

“Don’t! Don’t! There’s an adult here…”

A woman in her forties emerged from a back room, cradling an infant in her arms and carrying an enormous snakeskin bag on her back. She waved frantically through the window. “Don’t break it! I was just feeding the baby. There are too many children at home, I can’t keep track of them all.”

“Hurry and open the door! Your house is about to collapse!” Zhao Zejun shouted.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You all go on with what you’re doing. I’ll take the children to my mother’s house right away,” the woman replied.

Something felt off to everyone present. Zhao Zejun glanced at Junzi.

Junzi bit his lip and made a strange expression.

Suddenly, Zhao Zejun understood—Junzi knew exactly what was going on! He wasn’t afraid to smash the door; he’d just been waiting for Zhao Zejun to arrive, waiting for the television cameras.

Staring at the house that might collapse at any moment, Zhao Zejun gained fresh insight into Junzi: the boy was ruthless. He didn’t care about right or wrong; once he picked a side, he’d do anything for them. It was like a pack of cats capturing a mouse and waiting for the lead cat to arrive for the kill—except only Junzi knew the real story.

His expression darkened. He called to the people inside, “Open the door and let the children out.”

“What do you want? This is my house! Are you here to rob me? These are my children—I’ll raise them as I see fit! It’s none of your business!” The woman, seeing the camera, began to wail, “The TV reporters are here! You must be my witnesses—this man is bullying a widow with children! He wants to rob me…”

This was troublesome. It was her house—if she insisted on staying inside even at risk of her life, no one could force her out. Good intentions aside, the law was the law.

Confident, Zhao Zejun took the sledgehammer from Junzi and prepared to break the door.

“Wait, don’t break it! I’ll open it. Why are you people so unreasonable?”

The woman wilted at last, cursing under her breath as she opened the door and stepped out with the child in her arms.

No one expected what happened next. As the door swung open, she suddenly lunged outside and hurled the baby into the air.

“Damn—”

“Shit!”

“Careful! Catch the baby!”

Everyone’s eyes shot upward, following the flying infant. In that split second, the woman ducked and slipped through the crowd, vanishing down the alley.

In the blink of an eye, the baby was plummeting. Zhao Zejun reacted instantly, diving forward to catch the child. He lost his balance mid-air and crashed to the ground, clutching the infant.

“Damn it…” He winced in pain, but at least the child was safe in his arms.

Now even a fool could see that the woman was no relation to the children.

Gaogang Village wasn’t just home to honest people; it harbored plenty of criminals—deadbeats, gamblers, madams, thieves, even fugitives.

“After her! She’s a child trafficker!” Zhao Zejun shouted.

Junzi was ready. Like a cannonball, he charged forward, shoving aside the two people blocking the alley entrance and leading the chase.

The alley was so narrow that the crowd behind couldn’t squeeze through. The female reporter, thinking quickly, grabbed her loudspeaker and shouted into the microphone: “Attention, everyone! There’s a child trafficker on the run—a woman, about forty, wearing a floral Dacron shirt…”

“Attention…”

“Child trafficker…”

“Female, around forty…”

Her voice, amplified many times over, echoed above Gaogang Village.

“There are two more children inside! Get them out!” Zhao Zejun called hoarsely from the ground.

He was utterly exhausted. Sick and worn out, he’d been playing his part all day, and now, after this final act, both his body and mind were stretched to the limit. Lying there with the child in his arms, he felt limp, unable to move another inch.

Liang Shi rushed back into the house, and after several minutes emerged carrying a child under each arm as if hauling in a pair of big fish.

“She really was a trafficker—these two were tied to the table legs with rope! Their ankles are bloody!” Liang Shi fumed.

The two children, terrified, burrowed into Liang Shi’s arms, bits of nylon rope still dangling from their ankles.

“Damn it, why are children so scared of me? Do I really look like a villain?” Zhao Zejun muttered in frustration.

Suddenly, the world spun before his eyes; a loud buzzing filled his ears, and his body felt as though it had sunk into cotton—completely powerless.

Damn it… Not again… Am I about to… transmigrate… once more…?

The baby’s cries echoed in his ear. Seeing the camera trained on him and the look of horror on the female reporter’s face, Zhao Zejun steeled himself. If he was going to put on a show, he might as well see it through. For the sake of the audience, he forced himself to let go, tilted his head—and truly, half-conscious, he fainted away.