Lin County, Chu Mansion’s front hall
The entire room was shrouded in a profoundly gloomy atmosphere; it had already been the fifth day since Xiaoxiao went missing, and they had still come up empty-handed.
"We’ve checked everyone who went to the Marriage Fate Temple that day, and there’s no problem," Han Yongsheng was the first to speak.
Xiaoxiao disappeared from the talent contest held by the Han Family, which bore an inescapable responsibility. They had primarily investigated the people who visited the Marriage Fate Temple on the day, but to no avail, and no one noticed Xiaoxiao’s whereabouts.
"We searched every place where humans could be trafficked, and there’s still no news," Chu Lian said despairingly. He had mainly looked into human traffickers, brothels, and other such places, but Lin County wasn’t his territory, and the madam of Yixiang Courtyard was a tough character. Therefore, he did not find Xiaoxiao in the Yixiang Courtyard, and the traffickers they had checked before suddenly disappeared.
At this moment, Yang Ming was already a shadow of his former self, having gone several days and nights without sleep. His beard was unkempt, and he had become considerably haggard; time passed like years for him now. He couldn’t believe he had lost his wife, especially right under his nose, and he had reproached himself countless times.
"Yang Ming, how’s your investigation coming along?"
Yang Ming shook his head in anguish, "I found nothing. It’s as if those traffickers vanished into thin air."
It had been five days with not a single piece of news. Yang Ming had a bad feeling. Since they couldn’t find anyone on all three fronts, he suspected that those people might have taken his wife to another county. He couldn’t delay any longer in his own county, "Brother Chu, I need to go to other counties. Xiaoxiao might have been taken there."
As Yang Ming spoke, he rose to leave. Chu Lian looked as though he wanted to say something, but was stopped by Wang Xiangxiang, "Let him go."
With Xiaoxiao missing, Yang Ming couldn’t sit still; it was better to let him go search. So they let him go, as there was no other option but to continue searching. Afterward, Han Yongsheng also left.
Yang Ming returned to Xuntian Escort Agency, planning to lead a team to investigate in other counties once everyone was assembled.
However, he received exhilarating news instead, "Store Manager, we’ve found the whereabouts of those traffickers."
"Where?" Yang Ming stood up excitedly and headed out, "Quick, take me there."
Soon, Yang Ming and his group arrived at the location of the traffickers, "Store Manager, they’re in this courtyard. Our men saw one of them enter."
"Some of you stay here, and the rest follow me inside," Yang Ming ordered, and they all silently entered the courtyard.
Inside the courtyard at that moment
"Boss, when can we get out of here?" someone asked impatiently.
The human trafficker boss slapped his brother’s shoulder, "Look at the nerve you’ve got. Just bear with it a few more days. The streets are crawling with folks looking for us, do you want to get caught going out?"
One of the brothers, intimidated by the boss’s words, started to nervously pace, trying to leave, but was noticed by the human trafficker boss, "Where are you off to?"
"Boss, I’m just going to the latrine."
"I’m asking where you were just now?"
"You better be telling the truth. If I find out you went out, you’ll be sorry."
"Boss, I wouldn’t dare."
Before he could finish speaking, people were suddenly apprehended by those Yang Ming had brought into the courtyard, "Nobody move."
Yang Ming’s team acted swiftly, quickly surrounding the people, and the human trafficker boss knew it was one of his own men who had led them there. He cursed under his breath and shouted, "Goddamn, everyone, get them!"