Chapter 512 (The End) (Part 1)
Looking at her pale face, Zhou Mubin's heart softened a little, and he tried to keep his tone calm, "Nanzhi has found out. They are a group of human traffickers, habitual criminals. They are going to smuggle themselves out of the country at six o'clock tomorrow morning, and Xiao Nuomi should be among these children."
"Leave the country?" Cui Xiao's eyes widened suddenly, and the hand gripping his arm tightened instantly, her nails almost digging into his flesh. "No, we absolutely cannot let them take Xiao Nuomi away. Zhou Mubin, let's go now."
Her emotions surged again, tears streaming down her face, and she moved toward the door as if she were about to rush out at any moment.
Zhou Mubin quickly pressed down on her shoulders, "Don't panic, Nanzhi has already arranged for people to keep watch. Tietou has gone to keep watch first, and Mulin is coming to pick us up by plane. They'll be here soon."
Just as he finished speaking, Zhou Mubin's phone rang. It was Mu Lin. "Lawyer Zhou, I've arrived. The plane has come to a stop. Please come over quickly."
Zhou Mubin: "Okay."
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Mubin looked at Cui Xiao and said, "I will definitely bring my daughter back safely. You stay at home and wait for news."
Cui Xiao: "I'll go with you."
Zhou Mubin frowned. "No, it's too dangerous."
"Danger?"
Cui Xiao smiled, but her tears fell even harder. "Zhou Mubin, that's my daughter. I have to go."
Her gaze was so persistent that Zhou Mubin knew he couldn't persuade her otherwise.
He sighed and reached out to straighten her wrinkled collar. "Okay, let's go together. But once we get there, you must follow my and Mulin's arrangements."
Cui Xiao nodded vigorously.
Twenty minutes later, Zhou Mubin pulled Cui Xiao and ran towards the lawn.
In the distance, a white helicopter could be seen parked in the middle of the lawn, its propellers still slowly turning, emitting a low roar.
Mu Lin, wearing a black jacket, was smoking next to the plane. When he saw them coming, he immediately put out his cigarette and went to greet them.
“Lawyer Zhou, Miss Cui.”
Mu Lin greeted them, his gaze lingering on Cui Xiaohong's swollen eyes for a moment before he didn't ask any further questions. "Hurry up and get on the plane. Tie Tou just sent a message that the human traffickers' hideout is in an old warehouse near Nangang. They should be staying there tonight and going directly to the dock tomorrow morning."
Zhou Mubin nodded and pulled Cui Xiao towards the plane.
Zhou Mubin sat down next to her and reached out to hold her hand.
Cui Xiao's hands were cold and trembling slightly; he squeezed them tightly.
"don’t worry."
Zhou Mubin's voice sounded somewhat soft amidst the roar of the plane, "We will definitely find Xiao Nuomi."
Cui Xiao turned her head and looked at his well-defined profile, her eyes welling up with tears again.
All those years of stubbornness and inner turmoil have now become a blurred memory of the past.
She softly hummed in agreement, closed her eyes, and silently prayed in her heart.
The helicopter flew towards Taicang Port in the night, like a white lightning bolt piercing the silent night sky.
Meanwhile, in an old warehouse in Nangang, four-year-old Nuomi was huddled in a cold corner, clutching the pink hair tie Cui Xiao had used to braid her hair that morning, crying softly, "Mommy... Daddy... I want to go home..."
As the helicopter's propellers came to a stop in the empty dock area, a salty, damp sea breeze swept over Cui Xiao, making her hair stick to her cheeks.
As soon as she stood still, she saw a burly man in camouflage pants walking quickly towards her.
It's an iron head.
His face was covered in dust, but his eyes were bright, and he was clutching a crumpled sketch in his hand.
Tie Tou handed over the sketch, pointing his finger at the spot marked with an X. "It's that old warehouse up ahead. I've been watching it for two hours. There are at least three accomplices inside. Two are guarding the door, and one is watching the kids inside. There's a broken window on the side of the warehouse; it's not welded shut, so you can squeeze in."
Zhou Mubin took the sketch and quickly glanced at it using his phone's flashlight. "Are the children all in the warehouse? Have you heard them crying?"
“Yes, on and off.” Tie Tou lowered his voice. “There are about twenty children and a dozen women.”
Cui Xiao's heart clenched, and she instinctively looked towards the warehouse.
In the darkness, the warehouse looked like a dark, monstrous beast, with only a small window letting out a faint light, through which one could vaguely see the figures moving about inside.
"Mulin, come with me through the side window and take care of the guards inside first." Zhou Mubin quickly assigned tasks, his eyes as cold as ice. "Tietou, you keep watch at the main gate. If the guards at the gate look inside, try to distract them and prevent them from noticing anything."
"Okay." Mu Lin and Tie Tou agreed at the same time. Mu Lin took out two folding daggers from his backpack, handed one to Zhou Mubin, and tucked the other behind his waist.
As Cui Xiao watched them prepare to act, she suddenly reached out and grabbed Zhou Mubin's arm. "I... is there anything I can do to help?"
Zhou Mubin looked at her red eyes and his heart softened.
He knew that keeping her away from their daughter would only make her more anxious.
He nodded, took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Turn the brightness down to the lowest setting. Once inside, stay close behind me. Don't panic no matter what you hear, okay?"
Cui Xiao nodded vigorously, clutching her phone tightly in her hand.
The four split into two groups.
Tie Tou reached towards the main gate and deliberately kicked an empty can on the ground with a loud "clang," attracting the attention of the two guards at the main gate who peered over in his direction.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zhou Mubin and Mu Lin bent over and ran to the side window of the warehouse. Mu Lin first used his dagger to pry open the loose wooden board on the window, and with a gentle push, he revealed a gap just big enough for a person to pass through.
A musty and dusty smell wafted from the warehouse. Zhou Mubin crawled in first, his footsteps as light as a cat's when he landed. In the dim light, he quickly saw a group of children and women huddled in a corner, all with their heads down. Only the little figure in the innermost part, wearing a pink dress, was clutching something and sobbing softly.
It is indeed small glutinous rice.
In the middle of the warehouse, a man in a black jacket sat on a wooden crate, smoking and holding an iron rod. He glanced at the children every now and then, muttering curses, "If you cry again, I'll throw you into the sea."
Zhou Mubin gave Mu Lin a look, and the two of them flanked him from the left and right.
Just as the man was about to get up to kick the child next to him, Mu Lin suddenly pounced on him from behind, covered his mouth, and pressed a dagger against his waist with his other hand.
The man froze in fright, and the iron rod in his hand clattered to the ground.
Zhou Mubin immediately rushed over, quickly tied his hands and feet with a rope, stuffed a wad of cloth into his mouth, and threw him into a corner.
The whole process took less than half a minute, but it kept Cui Xiao on edge outside the window. Only when Zhou Mubin waved to her did she hurriedly slip inside and stumble towards the group of children.
Cui Xiao squatted down, her voice choked with emotion, "Little Nuomi."
Little Nuomi, who was huddled in the corner, suddenly raised her head when she heard Cui Xiao's voice, her face still wet with tears.
She paused for two seconds, then burst into tears and threw herself into Cui Xiao's arms, crying, "Mommy, Mommy, I missed you so much."
"Mommy is here, little Nuomi, don't cry."
Cui Xiao held her daughter, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls. She gently patted her back, saying, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Uncle Zhou and Mommy have come to pick you up."
Zhou Mubin walked over, squatted down beside them, and reached out to pat Xiao Nuomi's head.
Little Nuomi lifted her tear-streaked face, saw Zhou Mubin, and moved closer to him, clutching his clothes with her little hands, "Uncle Zhou..."
“I’m here.” Zhou Mubin’s voice was also hoarse. He looked at the other children, the youngest of whom looked only two years old and was looking at them timidly with his big eyes. “We have to take all the children away quickly. We must leave here before dawn.”
Mu Lin had already opened the back door of the warehouse and peeked outside. "Tie Tou said that he led the guards at the main gate to the west. We'll go through the back door."
Cui Xiao wiped away her tears, picked up Xiao Nuomi, and said gently to the others, "Don't be afraid, everyone, we'll take you to find your way out."
They nodded timidly.
Zhou Mubin led the way, Mu Lin brought up the rear, and Cui Xiao carried Xiao Nuomi as the group quickly walked out.
Not far away, Tie Tou was already waiting in the driver's seat. Seeing them coming, he immediately opened the car door. "Get in quickly. I just saw two of my accomplices heading towards the warehouse. They're probably coming back to relieve us."
Everyone quickly got into the car, and Cui Xiao held Xiao Nuomi on her lap, with Xiao Nuomi pressed tightly against her chest.
The fear she had just experienced and the relief she felt now made her fall asleep quickly from exhaustion.
Just then, a rapid engine roar suddenly came from behind.
Two black sedans were rushing towards them from the direction of the warehouse.
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