It was lunchtime, and the neighborhood was shrouded in silence, broken only by the intermittent chirping of cicadas. The corridors were deserted, and they walked, slowly observing their surroundings, trying to find a house with its doors open.
As they turned an alley, they saw a man and a little boy, who seemed to be talking quietly. Just as the three of them were about to approach them, the man pulled out a cotton handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped the area around the boy's nose. The next moment, the boy collapsed into the man's arms.
Huang Wenbin murmured doubtfully: "Why did this child suddenly fall asleep? Is there something wrong?"
Suddenly, Xu Mengyao's heart was alarmed. She suspected that the handkerchief might be stained with drugs. She quickly grabbed Huang Wenrong and warned him:
"Sister, don't move here. It might be human traffickers kidnapping children. Scream for help at this critical moment and call out everyone around you."
Then, she turned to Huang Wenbin and said, "Brother, find a place to hide first. I'll go over and investigate the situation. Let's proceed carefully."
Upon hearing the news, Huang Wenbin immediately went on alert and hid behind a telephone pole.
Xu Mengyao mustered up her courage and ran towards the man, calling out loudly:
“Dabao, what’s wrong with you?” At the same time, she looked at the man questioningly: “Who are you and why are you holding Dabao? I’ve never seen you before!”
Although he appeared calm on the outside, he was nervous inside, worried that he had misunderstood a good person.
The man's face suddenly became panicked when he saw Xu Mengyao suddenly appear. He put down the child in his arms and tried to cover Xu Mengyao's mouth with cotton cloth.
But Xu Mengyao was prepared and swiftly dodged to the side, shouting, "Brother, it's a bad guy!"
Hearing his sister's warning, Huang Wenbin attacked like a cheetah, rushing straight towards the man. Seeing Huang Wenbin approaching, the man panicked and tried to take the child hostage and escape.
Huang Wenbin was quick-witted and quick-handed, kicking the man to the ground with one kick, and then the two men engaged in a fierce fight.
Huang Wenrong had been observing the situation at the entrance of the alley. Seeing this, she also shouted loudly: "Human traffickers! Catch the human traffickers! Someone is stealing children!"
Her voice pierced the afternoon tranquility, awakening the sleeping residents around her like an alarm bell.
Xu Mengyao swiftly picked up the child and quickly retreated to a safe area. She held the child tightly to ensure his safety, and her eyes were fixed on the two people who were fighting.
At the same time, Huang Wenrong's shouts spread like an alarm, and neighbors rushed out of their homes, holding brooms, shovels and other tools, and joined this just struggle without hesitation.
Seeing the situation was getting worse, the trafficker frantically pulled out a sharp knife from his pocket and tried to threaten everyone with it. Xu Mengyao was quick to react and shouted, "Brother, be careful! He has a knife!"
Although Huang Wenbin reacted quickly, the blade still cut a gash on his left arm, and blood gushed out instantly.
Seeing this, the neighbors, wielding their tools, approached the trafficker together to prevent him from hurting anyone again. After a fierce struggle, the trafficker was finally subdued and unable to move.
At this moment, a sleepy-eyed woman came out of the yard and asked in confusion, "What happened?"
A middle-aged woman excitedly shouted at her, "Old Qi! Hey, you're still sleeping. Your eldest grandson was almost abducted by human traffickers. Luckily these three children found out, otherwise how would you explain to your old Qi? Tsk, tsk, tsk, this is your only child."
Upon hearing this, the aunt's face turned pale in an instant, and her eyes searched the crowd anxiously, and finally her gaze locked on the child in Xu Mengyao's arms. She almost ran towards Xu Mengyao, her eyes filled with a complex emotion of gratitude and fear.
"Thank you, thank you for saving my grandson. I... I really don't know how to thank you!" The aunt's voice trembled, and she hugged the unconscious child tightly, as if she was afraid of losing him again.
At that moment, the whirring of a police car pierced the quiet street. Officers quickly arrived and took the traffickers away. Meanwhile, the woman's child remained unconscious, and Huang Wenbin's arm was bleeding profusely from his heroic struggle. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital for examination.
"Doctor, how is the child?" the woman asked anxiously.
"The child is fine. He just inhaled the drug and will wake up soon," the doctor comforted.
Huang Wenbin, on the other side, was pale, and the wound on his arm was still bleeding. After examining him, the doctor said, "Young man, your wound needs stitches."
When Huang Wenbin entered the suture room, the police who sent them to the hospital were taking detailed statements from Huang Wenrong and Xu Mengyao outside the outpatient clinic.
After completing the statement recording, the police officer highly praised them and gently reminded them: "Although your courage is admirable, you are still young. If you encounter dangerous situations in the future, you must ensure your own safety."
Xu Mengyao nodded, then suddenly thought of something. She stepped forward and said to the police officer, "Uncle police officer, my brother was injured this time because he was brave enough to do something righteous. Can you give him a commendation? That way, my mother won't be too worried and sad when he gets home."
Upon hearing this, the police officer said with a hint of surprise, "A commendation is possible, but producing a formal award like a silk banner takes some time."
"That's okay," Xu Mengyao added hastily, "You can also write a letter of praise. Just state my father's name and unit in the letter, praise my brother Huang Wenbin for his courageous act, and note the fact that he was injured and needed stitches. Please write the name of the police station and stamp it with the official seal, okay?" Her eyes were full of pleading and expectation.
Faced with this unexpected request, the newly appointed police officer Zheng was a little caught off guard for a moment, but he quickly calmed down, thought for a moment and replied: "In principle, there should be no problem. You can come to the Garden Police Station to find me tomorrow, and I will help you handle this matter. My last name is Zheng." After that, he left first.
After the police left, Huang Wenrong asked Xu Mengyao in confusion, "Wenjuan, why did you ask the police to give us a commendation letter? And why did you write our father's unit on it?"
Xu Mengyao smiled slyly: "Hehe, I just want to be prepared. What if this helps our dad get a promotion in the future? Besides, big brother's behavior this time is indeed worthy of praise."