Was it Comrade Lu Zhe who rescued him in Chapter 14?

"Bang!"

A crisp gunshot pierced the noise.

"Don't move! Police!"

Inside and outside the bank, the police, who had been waiting for a long time, acted swiftly!

A man mingling in the crowd pounced like a cheetah, heading straight for Ma Gan, who was standing at the door looking bewildered and at a loss.

The doors of the jeep parked at the alley entrance suddenly burst open, and several police officers rushed out with guns, heading straight for the bank lobby, shouting sternly: "Drop your weapons! Put your hands on your heads and squat down!"

Before the monkey could even raise its shotgun again, armed police officers rushed in from both sides, twisted its hands behind its back, and pinned it to the ground.

Inside the bank counter, two police officers disguised as bank staff drew their pistols and pointed them at Lao Dao and Chu Yanxi, who rushed in: "Police! Surrender!"

Old Knife and Monkey were completely dumbfounded!

They felt as if they had crashed into an invisible earthen wall, staring in horror at the police surging in from all directions, their minds blank.

"We've fallen for their trap!!" Old Dao reacted instantly, his eyes bloodshot, rage and despair driving him completely mad. He abruptly turned his head, looking at Chu Yanxi beside him who wasn't wearing a mask, his eyes filled with extreme venom: "It's you? You bitch, I'll kill you!"

He roared, raised the kitchen knife high in his hand, and slashed fiercely at Chu Yanxi!

All of this happened so fast, almost in the blink of an eye.

Just as Old Dao's cleaver was about to strike, Chu Yanxi moved.

Instead of dodging, she took a sudden step forward, her body positioned at an extremely clever angle close to the old knife-wielding arm. Her left hand deflected the force with lightning speed, while the heel of her right hand struck the inside of his wrist hard.

"Ah—" Old Dao screamed in agony as his wrist throbbed and the cleaver slipped from his hand.

At the same time, Chu Yanxi raised her voice and shouted at the police rushing towards her: "I am a kidnapped hostage! They are human traffickers and robbers! There are accomplices and hostages in their hideout!"

Chu Yanxi's voice was clear, calm, and extremely penetrating, instantly drowning out the noise at the scene.

Old Dao was completely stunned by Chu Yanxi's sudden counterattack and shouts. The next second, he was tackled to the ground by the police who pounced on him.

The monkey and the sticky creature outside the door that was trying to resist were also quickly subdued almost simultaneously.

As Chu Yanxi shouted, he raised his hands and quickly retreated to the side of the police, away from the subdued Lao Dao. His movements were clean and efficient, without any hesitation.

The whole process took less than three seconds, so fast it was dazzling.

Zhang Guoqiang, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Qingyuan County Public Security Bureau, who led the team in, stepped forward and his sharp eyes swept across Chu Yanxi's face. He then glanced at Lao Dao, who was being held down on the ground and was still cursing and struggling, and made a judgment in an instant.

"Cuff them! Take them all back!" He waved his hand, then looked at Chu Yanxi with a cautious gaze, "Who are you?"

Upon seeing the police, Chu Yanxi breathed a long sigh of relief, her tense nerves finally relaxing slightly: "My name is Qiao Zhaoran, a sophomore in the Chemistry Department of Jiangcheng University. I was abducted here a month ago."

She pointed to Lao Dao, whose hands were handcuffed behind his back and held up by the police: "Officer, the situation is complicated. There is still a hostage at the human traffickers' hideout. His name is Lu Zhe, an official from the Qingyuan County Cultural Bureau. Please send someone to rescue him immediately. I will lead the way. In addition, they have six accomplices, the leaders Hei Niu and Da Qiang, who are selling stolen goods locally. We need to set up a cordon and arrest them immediately!"

She appeared at the crime scene at the same time as the robber, and her identity still needs further verification to clear her of suspicion. However, once the police find Lu Zhe, everything will be resolved. In addition, Hei Niu and Da Qiang must also quickly deploy police forces to carry out the arrest operation to prevent them from getting wind of the operation and escaping.

Chu Yanxi spoke extremely quickly, with precise information and clear logic, which made Zhang Guoqiang feel that he was not facing a college student, but a professionally trained police officer.

Armed bank robbery, hostage-taking, and human trafficking—Zhang Guoqiang never expected to encounter such a comprehensive and massive case. He immediately issued orders via walkie-talkie: "Team One, stay and clear the scene. Team Two, come with me! Take Qiao Zhaoran. Target: the stronghold. Rescue the people. Notify the county and city bureaus to immediately deploy and arrest Hei Niu, Da Qiang, and their accomplices. Be quick!"

Waaaaah...

The wailing of sirens shattered the tranquility of Yushutai Town.

Escorted by police officers, Chu Yanxi strode towards the police car. As she passed Lao Dao, who was handcuffed tightly and dragged around like a dead dog, Lao Dao raised his head, his bloodshot eyes staring at her with endless resentment, and let out a hoarse, unintelligible roar.

Chu Yanxi did not stop walking. Her gaze swept calmly across his face without any fluctuation, as if she were looking at a strange object that had nothing to do with her anymore.

On the other side, Lu Zhe waited anxiously in the storage room.

Will they get caught by the police if they rob a bank?

Is Chu Yanxi in danger?

Will she come to save him?

Lu Zhe leaned against the cold earthen wall, his ear pressed against the door, desperately trying to catch any sound outside. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, almost bursting free. Every second of waiting felt like an eternity.

He didn't know exactly what Chu Yanxi's plan was, but he had a vague feeling that she was playing a very big game.

He encouraged Lao Dao and his gang to steal fertilizer;

They used internal conflicts to sow discord among the eleven people.

Have Lu Zhe call his workplace, leaving a foreshadowing of him "visiting his mother";

They manufactured explosives and tear gas to fuel Old Knife's greed, and then devised a seemingly foolproof but actually flawed bank robbery plan.

...

However, Chu Yanxi refused to reveal anything and only told him to follow her arrangements.

Is she even capable?

The thought of her with those three fierce-looking men, Lao Dao, carrying explosives, tear gas, shotguns, and kitchen knives... filled him with a mix of fear, worry, and hope, which tightly bound him together.

Suddenly, the faint sound of police sirens could be heard in the distance.

The sound grew clearer and more urgent as it approached, eventually stopping near the courtyard.

Lu Zhe's heart leaped into his throat. Had Chu Yanxi succeeded?

A series of hurried footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard.

With a loud "bang!", the lock on the storage room door was smashed open from the outside, and blinding sunlight rushed in, making Lu Zhe unable to open his eyes.

Several police officers in white uniforms, with serious expressions and guns in hand, rushed in quickly, their sharp eyes scanning the small space.

With his hands and feet bound and his mouth stuffed with burlap, Lu Zhe could only make "Ugh! Ugh!" sounds.

The police officers who rushed in quickly stepped forward to check him and removed the burlap from his mouth: "Is this Comrade Lu Zhe?"

In that instant, the peaked cap and olive-colored Type 83 police uniform seemed to shine brightly, giving Lu Zhe an unparalleled sense of security. He was so excited that his voice changed: "Yes, yes, yes! Officer, I am Lu Zhe from the Qingyuan County Cultural Bureau. I am a hostage who has been kidnapped by them!"

After confirming Lu Zhe's identity, the police untied him from the ropes and asked in a gentle tone, "Comrade Lu Zhe, are you feeling alright? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine! What about Chu... Qiao Zhaoran? The woman who was kidnapped with me, how is she?" Lu Zhe asked anxiously, his heart still pounding.

The police were very cooperative: "The situation outside is under control, and all three suspects involved in the robbery have been apprehended. The woman you mentioned... she's very kind; she's the one who brought us here."

Lu Zhe was helped out of the dark storage room by the police officers, and the feeling of seeing the light of day again made him dizzy.

Not far away, Chu Yanxi was standing beside a jeep, calmly talking to Zhang Guoqiang, who was dressed in casual clothes. She was covered in dust and her face was a little pale, but her posture remained upright and her eyes were as calm as ever.

Seeing Lu Zhe brought out unharmed, Chu Yanxi glanced at him, nodded slightly as a greeting, and then continued talking to the police officer.

Lu Zhe was led aside to rest, and an officer handed him a cup of hot water. He held the warm cup in both hands, but his body was still trembling slightly; the immense shock of surviving the ordeal made it difficult for him to calm down.

After a while, Zhang Guoqiang, who had just been talking to Chu Yanxi, came over and sat opposite Lu Zhe. His attitude was amiable, but his eyes were sharp: "Comrade Lu Zhe, I'm sorry to have startled you. I am Zhang Guoqiang from the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the County Bureau. I need to ask you some questions and let you understand what happened."

Lu Zhe nodded quickly: "Captain Zhang, please ask, I will definitely cooperate."

“First of all, I want to thank you.” Zhang Guoqiang got straight to the point, his tone full of approval. “Your call back to the Bureau of Culture earlier, mentioning your mother, played a crucial role.”

Lu Zhe was somewhat excited: "Director Zhao understood my implication, right?"

Zhang Guoqiang nodded and smiled: "That's right. Deputy Director Zhao of the County Cultural Bureau knows your family situation very well. He knows that your parents passed away one after another last year, and you have no immediate family members left. So when you suddenly mentioned your mother on the phone and asked the organization to visit her, he immediately became alert and contacted Director Wang of the Zhaojiatun Cultural Station separately to verify the situation."

"According to Station Chief Wang, you did not report to Zhaojiatun at all. You only said on the phone that you were suffering from acclimatization problems and were going to several nearby towns for field research. This puzzled Deputy Director Zhao even more. Why didn't you rest if you were suffering from acclimatization problems? If you were feeling better, you should have reported to the station first before going on field research. Why did you go to nearby towns for field research without authorization? With several suspicious points piling up, Deputy Director Zhao realized that you might have had an accident and your personal safety was threatened, so he immediately reported it to our police station."

Lu Zhe was deeply moved. It turned out that the message he had risked to convey had actually been received and valued!

"We took the report very seriously after receiving it," Zhang Guoqiang said solemnly. "I led the team and we immediately went to Zhaojiatun to investigate. By retrieving your phone records, we determined that your call came from Yushutai Town, so we shifted our focus to Yushutai Town. Next, we conducted a thorough investigation of the town's post office, credit union, supply and marketing cooperative, and other places you might have been.

He paused, his gaze towards Lu Zhe filled with admiration: "Soon, Director Liu from the bank reported an important situation to us: indeed, someone had come to inquire about the out-of-town withdrawal service with Lu Zhe's work ID and letter of introduction. The person who came to inquire was a woman who claimed to be your lover. We know you're single, so where did this lover come from? Considering your disappearance and the unusual content of your phone calls, we judged that you were likely being controlled by a criminal gang, and that the gang was planning a crime against the bank. You did a great job, managing to pass on such useful intelligence even in such a predicament."

Lu Zhe was a little embarrassed: "It was Qiao Zhaoran who planned all of this. I just did what she said."

Upon hearing the name Qiao Zhaoran, Zhang Guoqiang glanced at Chu Yanxi, who was walking slowly towards him: "Yes, we didn't expect that Qiao Zhaoran would be so clever as to lead us to Yushutai Town and let these three criminals walk right into our trap."

He turned to Lu Zhe, lowering his voice: "Based on Qiao's initial statement and our observations at the scene, she is not an accomplice, but a victim of human trafficking like you. However, she successfully gained the trust of the criminals with her exceptional psychological qualities and special professional skills, and spearheaded the planning of this robbery. Her true purpose was to lure the criminal gang into our encirclement and capture them all. During today's operation, it was she who revealed her identity at the most crucial moment and helped us subdue the ringleader who attempted to resist."

Lu Zhe listened quietly. Although he had already guessed, he was still deeply shocked to hear the whole process being recounted with his own ears.

Chu Yanxi... she not only saved herself, but also set up a brilliant and daring plan in a desperate situation.

She exploited the criminals' greed and Lu Zhe's status as a state cadre, turning everyone into pawns on her chessboard, ultimately completing this thrilling reversal.

This requires such composure, wisdom, courage, and a precise understanding of human nature!

A wave of admiration washed over Lu Zhe, and he unconsciously looked up at Chu Yanxi standing beside the jeep. Sunlight streamed down, bathing her in its glow, and Lu Zhe felt that she was shining brightly at that moment.

"Now that the main culprit has been apprehended, you are all safe." Captain Zhang patted Lu Zhe on the shoulder. "You should rest and recover first. We will need to take detailed statements from you later."

"Captain Zhang, there are still women who have been trafficked." Lu Zhe suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with urgency. "When I was kidnapped, there were three young girls being held captive with me. They were also trafficked. One is named Yang Juan, another Xiao Ju, and the third Wei Yanli. Xiao Ju broke her leg and didn't receive proper treatment. The person responsible for selling them was a middle-aged man surnamed Liu. We don't know where he sold these three girls. We must rescue them as soon as possible!"

After being rescued, the three abducted girls became his biggest concern.

Captain Zhang Guoqiang nodded: "Yes, Qiao Zhaoran has already reported the situation to us, and we are preparing to request the local police station to assist in the investigation."

Lu Zhe immediately became anxious upon hearing this: "We can't go to that police station, there are Lao Dao's men there! The one I encountered when I reported the case was one of the human traffickers."

As a seasoned lawyer, Lu Zhe was quite eloquent. He quickly recounted in detail the entire process of how he discovered the clues on the train, followed the suspect to get off the train early, reported the incident to the police station, and was knocked unconscious and dragged to the hideout by Lao Dao. He even described the suspicious policeman he encountered when reporting the incident, including his age, clothing, and physical characteristics.

Zhang Guoqiang's expression grew increasingly grave. Even the police station had been corrupted; it seemed that human trafficking in Yushutai Town had formed an entire industry chain.

This is a major case!

Zhang Guoqiang said, "Comrade Lu Zhe, thank you for the information. I will immediately report to my superiors and make sure this criminal gang is eradicated!"

Lu Zhe finally breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, that's good!"

Zhang Guoqiang turned and summoned his officers, urgently deploying resources to apprehend Daqiang and Heiniu, as well as rescue the abducted women. Sirens blared again; some officers took Chu Yanxi and Lu Zhe back to the county bureau to continue gathering information, while others rushed off in all directions to begin new pursuit operations.

Lu Zhe got into the police car and let out a long sigh of relief, but he wasn't completely at ease. The destruction of Lao Dao's gang was just the beginning; three innocent girls were still imprisoned, waiting for rescue.

Chu Yanxi sat silently next to Lu Zhe.

Lu Zhe turned to look at her: "What...what are you planning to do next? Go back to school to continue your studies?"

Chu Yanxi shook her head: "There are still many things to do."

Chu Yanxi does indeed have a lot to do.

Unlike Lu Zhe's transmigration, in this world his parents had passed away, he was all alone, and his work at the Cultural Bureau was relatively easy. Even though he behaved differently from the original owner, no one noticed, or rather, no one cared.

But Qiao Zhaoran was different. She had parents, an older brother and sister-in-law, and her family loved her dearly. During the more than two weeks she was missing, her school reported her missing to the police, and her family was extremely anxious, constantly searching for her. They sent out thousands of missing person notices.

After being taken back to Qingyuan County Public Security Bureau by Zhang Guoqiang, Chu Yanxi immediately called the original owner's parents. Hearing them sobbing on the phone, calling out the name "Zhaozhao" with a mixture of joy and heartache, Chu Yanxi felt an overwhelming pang of sadness.

In her original world, family ties had been severed.

Chu Tongyu, Chu Yanxi's father, sacrificed his life on the job. His mother, Shen Jingshu, remarried two years after his death and had a daughter. The family was happy. After his mother remarried, Chu Yanxi never called her "Mom" again. He attended boarding school and preferred to stay at the home of Qin Feng, his father's friend and mentor, during winter and summer vacations rather than see his mother's smiling face and the happy look of her holding her younger sister.

Her beloved father passed away, and her mother, who had once deeply loved him, chose to forget him and start a new life. Only Chu Yanxi stubbornly etched her father's name in her mind, remembering him forever.

In her view, forgetting is tantamount to betrayal.

And now, she has blood relatives in this world again.

Oh, right, she still has to go to university. Jiangcheng University, sophomore, majoring in chemistry.

Thinking of this, Chu Yanxi declined the police officer's offer to take her to the hospital for a check-up and directly stated her request: "I request to join the operation to rescue trafficked women."

Lu Zhe glanced at her and raised his hand, saying, "I'll join too!"

Chu Yanxi glanced at him sideways: "You should go to the hospital and stay there for a couple of days. I think you're a bit dehydrated."

Lu Zhe licked his dry, pale lips, picked up a glass of water from the table, and gulped it down: "I'm fine."

Having transmigrated to this new world, Lu Zhe was filled with trepidation, somewhat reluctant to face his new workplace, colleagues, and job. He only recognized Chu Yanxi at the moment and wanted to spend more time with her. He had a strange feeling that once he left the Qingyuan County Public Security Bureau, Chu Yanxi would never contact him again.

Then he would truly be all alone.

Lu Zhe's parents are divorced. His mother passed away when he was in high school, leaving him with an alcoholic and abusive father who never contacts him unless he needs money.

Having grown up in a violent and tearful family, he was unwilling to get married.

But he was afraid of being alone.

He was always the first to arrive and the last to leave the law firm, not because he loved his work so much, but because he only felt at ease in a lively and busy atmosphere.

He writes on public WeChat accounts and promotes legal awareness on Douyin (TikTok), not because he is particularly virtuous, but because he can feel his own existence through the enthusiastic feedback from his fans.

That's why Lu Zhe is now thinking about spending more time with Chu Yanxi; at least... with her around, he feels at ease.

Although Chu Yanxi was aloof and indifferent to him, it was undeniable that she was independent, capable, and strong-willed. She single-handedly managed to get Lao Dao and the others into the police station. Lu Zhe felt very safe with her.

Seeing the dependence in Lu Zhe's eyes, Chu Yanxi was a little puzzled.

Is this person a masochist?

They've suffered so much with me, yet they still insist on going into difficult situations.

She's a policewoman, physically fit, skilled, and used to working outdoors. But Lu Zhe is a divorce lawyer at a well-known law firm, with a high income and social status. He must be very particular about his quality of life. Him coming with her to rescue abducted women? That's a joke! What if he dies in the mountains before they even get to the rescue?

Thinking of this, Chu Yanxi shook her head: "Don't make things worse."

Before Lu Zhe could even defend himself, Zhang Guoqiang pushed open the door and entered: "Hei Niu and Da Qiang have already received news and sent people to make arrests, but the three abducted women you mentioned are still missing."

Lu Zhe immediately raised his hand: "I can draw, so I can draw Yang Juan and the other two. That way, it will be easier for you to find them."

Zhang Guoqiang was pleasantly surprised: "Okay! Then come with me."

Chu Yanxi followed closely behind: "I've spoken with them before, so maybe I can be of help."

Zhang Guoqiang glanced at Chu Yanxi, making no attempt to hide his admiration: "Good! You're brave and resourceful, a good candidate to be a policeman. We happen to be short-handed right now, so you can come with us for now."

And so, Lu Zhe and Chu Yanxi followed Zhang Guoqiang to the meeting room that the county public security bureau had temporarily requisitioned.

The conference room was filled with smoke, and a huge map of the county on the wall was marked with several red circles, indicating the criminal gang's activity areas and possible escape routes.

In the 1980s, criminal investigation methods were limited, and there was a severe shortage of forensic sketch artists. Upon hearing that Lu Zhe could draw the likenesses of three abducted girls, everyone stood up, ushered Lu Zhe to the long table against the wall, and handed him a stack of blank papers and a pencil.

Lu Zhe closed his eyes, trying to block out the surrounding noise and immersing himself in his memories. In the darkness, Wei Yanli's tearful eyes, filled with despair and the last bit of stubbornness, Yang Juan's cracked lips that couldn't hide her resentment, and the profile of the girl named Xiaoju, trembling with fear and numbness, groaning in pain as her legs hurt... all appeared in his mind one by one.

He took a deep breath and the pen fell to the ground.

The lines initially trembled slightly, but as his memory focused, they gradually became stable and fluid. He wasn't a professional artist, but as a cultural bureau cadre, he often needed to sketch folk scenes during his field trips to the countryside, which honed his observation and line drawing skills.

The pencil scratched across the rough paper, making a soft, rustling sound. Details were gradually revealed, and the girl in the portrait seemed to leap from the paper, silently crying out for help.

“Their names are Wei Yanli, Yang Juan, and Xiao Ju. They’re all quite young.” Lu Zhe’s voice was hoarse and dry as he gently pushed the three completed sketches across the table to Zhang Guoqiang, who was sitting opposite him.

Zhang Guoqiang picked up the portraits and examined them carefully, one by one.

The experienced veteran detective's brows furrowed deeply. The terror, despair, and subtle struggle in the girl's eyes in the portrait pierced his heart like needles, weighing heavily on his soul.

He sighed and handed the sketch to the officer next to him: "Immediately make a copy, expedite the printing, and distribute it to all checkpoints and neighboring units. Raise the level of the assistance request to the highest level!"

Chu Yanxi added, "I overheard their conversation; these girls were most likely sold to Heishanyu."

Zhang Guoqiang nodded, but his voice was filled with helplessness. "The mountainous area is too vast, and the mountain people have strong clan ties and are very resistant to the police. As soon as we police go up the mountain, the mountain people are very rude and refuse to cooperate at all. This is the most difficult part of rescuing trafficked women, sigh..."

The meeting room fell silent.

Just then, Chu Yanxi spoke up: "Captain Zhang, let's interrogate Lao Dao again. He's the ringleader, so he definitely knows a lot. He's just been arrested, and he's still in shock. His survival instinct and wishful thinking are in fierce conflict, which is when his psychological defenses are most vulnerable."

Zhang Guoqiang looked at Chu Yanxi for a long time before finally saying, "You, a chemistry major, have quite a bit of knowledge about criminal psychology."

Chu Yanxi didn't mind showing off her abilities: "Yes, I have a wide range of interests. I've read quite a few books on psychology in school. How about I participate in the interrogation and meet with Lao Dao?"

As soon as she said this, almost all eyes in the conference room immediately focused on her.

A seemingly gentle and quiet female college student who had just escaped from a dangerous place not only did not suffer any psychological trauma, but also took the initiative to participate in the interrogation of the ruthless and cunning bandit.

That mental fortitude is truly amazing.

Zhang Guoqiang's first reaction was to refuse: "Comrade Qiao Zhaoran, we understand your feelings very well, and we empathize with your hatred for criminals. However, interrogation is an extremely professional psychological confrontation task that requires rigorous training and rich experience. You have just experienced such a terrible ordeal, and your body and mind need rest and recovery. This kind of stimulation..."

Chu Yanxi interrupted Zhang Guoqiang: "Don't worry, I'm physically and mentally healthy. I've been outmaneuvering Lao Dao at the hideout for over ten days, and I understand his greed and suspicion. He hates me to the core now because he once considered me an accomplice and placed his trust and expectations in me. My appearance is a huge shock to him and will cause him to lose control of his emotions. Anger often makes him lose his rationality, thus prying open his mouth."

She paused slightly, picked up the three line drawings, and lowered her voice: "Every minute we delay, Wei Yanli, Yang Juanzi, Xiaoju, and the other abducted girls will suffer more and encounter more terrible and irreversible things. Captain Zhang, let me go. Please trust my abilities."

Her eyes were clear, calm, and sharp. This composure and confidence, beyond her age and experience, created a powerful and undeniable aura.

Zhang Guoqiang stared at her, the entire bank raid flashing before his eyes once again.

—She parried and countered with precision and decisiveness, clearly and calmly identified herself, and simultaneously raised her hands, immediately siding with the police. This female college student named Qiao Zhaoran is truly intelligent and brave, far surpassing ordinary people.

Zhang Guoqiang glanced at the bright red banner on the wall that read "Severely Crack Down on Crimes of Trafficking in Women and Children," then looked at the three portraits of young girls on the table, and gritted his teeth: "Fine, I'll take you to the interrogation room!"

In the 1980s, the management of the public security system was not so strict or cautious. Chu Yanxi entered the interrogation room as a temporary clerk under Zhang Guoqiang's arrangement.

The lights in the interrogation room were deliberately dimmed.

Old Dao's hands were cuffed to a specially made interrogation chair. He was limp, as if his spine had been removed, his eyes staring blankly at the table. His face was a mixture of resentment at the failed plan, immense fear of impending death, and a burning, agonizing hatred for Chu Yanxi.

—If that woman hadn't demonstrated her ability to make explosives, anesthetics, and tear gas, he would never have dared to rob a bank!

—If that woman hadn't been so pretentious and kept making empty promises to him, he would never have trusted a woman he had lured into his life!

If it weren't for that woman's sweet talk, he would have killed Lu Zhe long ago, sold her to the mountains, and taken the money to live a carefree life!

Chu Yanxi couldn't hear Lao Dao's thoughts at this moment, but she felt a surge of joy. Returning to the interrogation room, a familiar battlefield, and engaging in psychological warfare face-to-face with the suspect, she was full of fighting spirit.

Zhang Guoqiang sat down steadily and began to inquire about Lao Dao's basic information according to the usual procedure.

"Name?"

"age?"

"Profession?"

...

Old Dao refused to answer any questions, keeping his head down and staring at the ground until he got annoyed by the questions. Only then did he raise his head, glancing sideways at the person sitting across from him at the interrogation table with an arrogant and fierce look.

When he met Chu Yanxi's gaze, he suddenly became excited, his legs and body suddenly straining upwards, trying to stand up, but the policeman standing behind him reached out and pressed him down: "Behave yourself!"

Upon seeing his enemy, Lao Dao waved his hands, trying to pounce on Chu Yanxi, grab her by the neck, and watch her die right before his eyes!

Unfortunately, with his hands cuffed, Lao Dao could only sit in the chair, struggling up and down with his hands, the handcuff chains rattling, his roars sounding extremely jarring in the closed interrogation room.

"You, surnamed Qiao, it was you! You did it all! You instigated us to rob the bank, you made Monkey fire the shot, and you orchestrated the whole plan! Officers, arrest her! Grab that bitch and shoot her—"

Chu Yanxi calmly opened the notebook, unscrewed the pen cap, and asked while taking notes, "Old Dao, how does it feel to be arrested? How does it feel to be deceived? You tricked me into coming to this Yushutai, drugged me, locked me up, and slapped me. You'll have to face my revenge!"

Old Dao stared intently at Chu Yanxi, watching her skillfully take notes, then suddenly erupted in fury: "Retaliation? You tricked me into robbing the bank, you were the one who made the explosives, the sleeping pills, the tear gas, you're in cahoots with us!"

"You're in cahoots with me?" Chu Yanxi looked up and met Lao Dao's gaze, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "I was kidnapped by you. I'm the victim. The victim! Do you understand?"

"You sell the girls you've tricked or abducted to remote mountain villages, leaving them to be abused and humiliated. Have you ever thought about the meaning of cause and effect?"

Cause and effect, karma?

Thinking of the women he had sold, and the stubborn girl whose legs he had broken and who had coughed up blood, Lao Dao turned his face away and snorted coldly, "They deserved it!"

Chu Yanxi suddenly slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly. She braced herself on the edge of the table with both hands, her voice rising and each word carrying an overwhelming pressure.

"If you believe me when I say I'll make you rich, that's greed!"

"If you believed me when I said I could make explosives, you'd be stupid!"

"I asked for Lu Zhe's work ID and letter of introduction. You gave them to me, that's because you're brainless!"

"Someone as overconfident and lacking in basic common sense as you deserves to be fooled by me and arrested by the police!"

The interrogation room was dimly lit, making the oily sweat on Lao Dao's face look greasy. He stiffened his neck, trying to maintain the last bit of pitiful ferocity, but the shifty look in his eyes betrayed his inner vulnerability.

Chu Yanxi didn't sit down, but leaned forward slightly, looking down at him: "Let me guess. Right now, what's on your mind isn't regret, but anger and resentment, right? You're angry because you misjudged and trusted the wrong person; you hate yourself for being played like a fool by a woman like me, like an old dog chained up, howling at a bone you can't reach?"

"You're talking nonsense!" Old Dao, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly turned his head and glared at Chu Yanxi with bloodshot eyes. "I'm a man of honor in this world!"

Chu Yanxi scoffed, his laughter filled with undisguised contempt: "Brother Dao, after all these years, you still can't tell whether what I say is true or false, or whether your men are human or ghosts? Your eyes are good enough to be gouged out and fed to the dogs! You should think about all the dirty and rotten things you've done; they're enough to get you shot a few times over. Your road has come to an end."

Upon hearing the word "execution," Lao Dao's face turned deathly pale.

Even the most resolute person will inevitably feel fear when faced with a life-or-death test.

With the preliminary groundwork laid, Chu Yanxi sat back in her chair, glanced at Zhang Guoqiang, and gestured for him to take over.

Chu Yanxi's actions left Zhang Guoqiang bewildered. Suppressing his shock, he stared sharply at Lao Dao: "Tell me, how are the goods from Heishanyu usually divided? What percentage of the profits go to Boss Liu, and what percentage goes to them? Who helped Heiniu and Sister Dahua connect last time? How much of the middleman's cut do they take?"

Old Dao looked as if stung by a scorpion, jerking his head up. His cloudy eyes flashed with surprise and uncertainty as he instinctively resisted the question: "What Black Mountain Valley? What Boss Liu? What Black Ox and Yellow Ox? I don't know! I don't know anything!"

Zhang Guoqiang didn't mince words any longer and slapped her hard across the face.

"Smack!"

A muffled thud resounded powerfully in the closed interrogation room, even instilling a sense of fear in someone as fierce as Lao Dao.

"Let me tell you, the city has been keeping an eye on your Yushutai for a long time!"

Old Dao's pupils suddenly contracted, and he blurted out, "You, what do you all know?"

Zhang Guoqiang slowed his speech: "Qiu Jie, the train conductor of KXXX, and Wu Weibing from the police station..."

Upon hearing those two names, Lao Dao felt a cold sweat instantly soak through his clothes.

The police are investigating the human trafficking ring!

The bank robbery went unpunished and without any injuries; the charges were serious, but he still had a glimmer of hope. But if the charge of long-term human trafficking were added, could he possibly survive?

Zhang Guoqiang, experienced in interrogation, immediately stared into Lao Dao's eyes, pointed to the eight large Song-style bold characters on the wall of the interrogation room, and shouted: "Confess and you will be treated leniently; resist and you will be punished severely! Do you recognize these words? Now that you're in here, you'd better behave yourself!"

Before Lao Dao could react, Zhang Guoqiang changed his tone and slowed down his speech: "We are willing to give you a chance to redeem yourself. Confess properly and strive for leniency."

Old Dao's breathing was rapid and his heart was pounding.

How much do the police actually know?

Have they successfully interrogated Qiu Jie and Wu Weibing and gotten them to talk? If they try to shift the blame onto themselves, will he still have a chance to redeem himself?

The eight large characters on the wall of the interrogation room, "Confess and be treated leniently; resist and be punished severely," were solemn and imposing, making it hard for Lao Dao to breathe.

If he doesn't talk, will he be punished for multiple crimes and sent to the execution ground to be shot directly?

If you're dead, what's the point of talking about brotherhood?

Taking advantage of Lao Dao's fluctuating emotions, Zhang Guoqiang pressed on relentlessly, his tone stern: "The three girls we sent out last time through Boss Liu's connection, which county were they sent to? Which village specifically? What was the contact's nickname? What were their distinguishing features?"

Old Dao didn't speak, but his breathing was so heavy that everyone could hear the "huffing" sounds.

"explain!"

When Zhang Guoqiang raised his voice again and repeatedly asked about the whereabouts of the goods, Lao Dao finally couldn't withstand the pressure. His eyes glazed over, and he intermittently revealed his one-way contact information with Boss Liu, Liu Shengli, the agreed-upon code, and the final destination of the three women he had trafficked last time—Heishiyu, an extremely remote and impoverished mountainous area that was almost isolated from the world.

The people of Heishiyu are known for their fierce and unruly nature. There are several villages there that are famous for their bachelors, and they have a great demand for wives from outside the area. They are also very generous with their money. However, the specific village and the buyer can only be found out by catching Liu Shengli himself.

Upon hearing Lao Dao's explanation, Chu Yanxi's eyes became deep and cold.

Black Stone Valley is the place in the novel "Breaking the Cocoon" where Qiao Zhaoran was eventually sold, suffered humiliation and torment, and ultimately met with destruction and revenge.

The Zhao family, who bought Qiao Zhaoran and committed atrocities against him, must be eradicated.

The punishment of the law must be brought upon that ignorant and sinful land.

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