She deserves to be called a hero.
Spring has only been here for a short time, yet some of them are wearing only a single layer of clothing, while others seem to have no clothes at all, or perhaps their clothes are so tattered that they are no longer wearable, so they are only wrapped in a bed sheet.
Few people had smooth, neat hair, and it was hard to find anyone crying. This group of people was no longer like the "new goods" that Wen Dai had rescued, who still knew how to shed tears.
Perhaps due to numbness, almost everyone is like a walking piece of wood, their faces are dead, and their hearts are probably dead too, yet the blood in their bodies is still flowing.
At the end of the line, Cai Qi and the male investigator beside her both had extremely somber and grim expressions.
Also under surveillance was Pi Juan, a woman in a red suit, walking ahead. The man in the leather jacket with a buzz cut was very shrewd, or rather, a very opportunistic person.
He bound the woman's hands behind her back, and the other "accomplices" seemed to have resigned themselves to their fate, obediently following along even without handcuffs or officers to restrain them.
Upon spotting Cai Qi, Wen Dai opened the car door and got out.
After putting the rescued trafficked persons onto the bus, Cai Qi had a brief conversation with the grassroots case officers from the township.
Pi Juan, who was being held captive, stood silently to the side. As if sensing a gaze from somewhere, she finally raised her eyes.
After making eye contact with the slightly overweight, pale-faced male investigator, she couldn't look away.
The slightly overweight, pale-faced male detective, who had originally intended to use a threatening look, was startled.
"Officer, will you arrest our protectors? The lackeys of those protectors, will you arrest them?" The woman's hoarse voice slowly emerged from her throat, her eyes fixed on the slightly chubby male officer with a pale complexion.
As Cai Qi tried to move to hide behind her colleague, the slightly overweight, pale-faced female investigator was noticed by the male investigator next to her, who shouted, "Don't move!"
When he was discovered, his adrenaline surged. The slightly overweight, pale-faced detective instinctively reached for his gun at his waist, but his colleagues were faster, one on each side restraining him.
"What are you doing? Let me go!" The slightly chubby male detective with a pale complexion struggled desperately, but his hands were handcuffed by his colleague.
His eyes were bloodshot and looked red. "You're all listening to this human trafficker? You think whatever she says goes? She's a human trafficker, and I'm an investigator, I'm your colleague! She's trying to sow discord among us, are you all stupid?!"
Seemingly having thought of something, the slightly overweight, pale-faced male investigator attempted to put his knowledge into practice.
He glared at Pi Juan with a vicious look in his eyes, gritting his teeth as he said, "Your behavior constitutes defamation and slander! I advise you to change your story now, otherwise, with multiple charges combined, you will only be sentenced more severely!"
He moved his mouth, making the shapes openly, and silently said, "Your child."
However, Pi Juan laughed unexpectedly, her shoulders shaking and her eyes reddening.
A glistening, moist tear—was it a physiological tear from laughing, or perhaps something else entirely? She laughed so hard she was almost delirious; her voice was so hoarse it made one wonder if she might become mute if she kept laughing.
"What are you afraid of? You should know the answer to whether I will be sentenced more severely, so why are you threatening me? Do you think I'm stupid?"
“My children, the officers have said they will protect my two children from harm and will find them adoptive parents as soon as possible. My children will have a better life and will never be tortured by you beasts. Give up on your dreams!”
She roared as if she wanted to tear her mouth apart: "I'm not even afraid of Tian Peng, why would I be afraid of a dog like you that's been ordered around?!"
The moment the name "Tian Peng" was mentioned, the expressions of the investigators present all underwent subtle changes.
Unlike Pi Juan, the slightly overweight male investigator with a pale complexion couldn't entrust his orphanage to anyone. He had a wife and an elderly mother living alone. Could he really expect someone else to take over?
It was as if her screams stirred up the dust, and then silence fell over everything.
Her swollen eyes, still red from crying, stared at people. Her body was lunging forward, restrained by a man in a leather jacket with a buzz cut, but the slightly chubby, pale-faced detective couldn't help but back away in fear.
This woman is insane!
...
The eardrum pain didn't last long. The argument between the slightly overweight, yellow-faced police officer and Pi Juan was forcibly stopped by the other officers, and the two were assigned to different police cars and taken into custody.
Xiaohui took Xuanxuan onto the bus, while Wen Daiyin, entrusted with finding Wen Weiwei, got into Chen Sizhe's Cullinan.
However, they were required to go to Chihcheng Prison together, since a statement needed to be taken and the evidence needed to be reorganized.
As she left the village, a tricycle parked diagonally at the village entrance to make way for her caught Wen Dai's attention, or perhaps it wasn't that it attracted her, but rather that she glanced at it subconsciously.
The old woman sitting in front looked exactly like she did when we first met. One leg was hanging out from under the footrest, and she was holding the handlebars with both hands, looking to the side with her body turned to the side. The old man sitting in the back of the tricycle was smoking with his head down. His expression was unclear, but his demeanor was dejected.
Wen Dai wasn't sure if they had seen her, or even seen her clearly, but she looked away.
Compared to cities, it's rare to see so many vehicles in remote rural areas, especially buses, special vehicles for law enforcement officers, and Chen Sizhe's rather conspicuous Cullinan. As they crossed the mountains, many villagers came out and stood at the edge of the concrete ground, curiously observing them.
Exhausted, Wen Dai lost consciousness halfway through the journey. She leaned against the back of the chair, her head drooping limply, and her breathing in her sleep was so faint that it was impossible to hear clearly.
When Wen Weiwei, sitting in the back seat, looked up, she inevitably saw the rearview mirror. After repeatedly noticing Chen Sizhe's gaze shifting, she glanced at Wen Dai, who was fast asleep and oblivious to everything, and then whispered, "Uncle, do you like Sister Wen Dai?"
Chen Sizhe, who had subconsciously wanted to glance at the person in the passenger seat, cut off his gaze. He stared straight ahead, tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and denied it without hesitation: "No. How could you have such a thought?"
Judging from her tone, which seemed a bit strange, Wen Weiwei thought she had really been presumptuous. She exclaimed and said, "Because I saw that you always looked at Sister Wen Dai, as if you cared about her a lot. It was like that before... I just felt that you cared a lot about Sister Wen Dai."
"I care about any living being."
His attitude was almost indifferent, but his words seemed to be a holy light descending upon Chen Sizhe, and his subsequent remarks made that holy light even brighter.
“As her partner, it’s normal for me to care about her safety. Even if I weren’t her partner, I would still care about the safety of someone who is willing to take risks to help trafficked people.”
"She had no obligation or responsibility. Even if it was to complete the order, she could have provided accurate location information instead of venturing into danger alone. She was brave; she deserves to be called a hero on this trip."
His deep, resonant voice had a unique charm, and his words were so full of positive energy that even though he maintained a cool and aloof demeanor, they still warmed the ears—because they were sincere compliments.
But Wen Weiwei was good at grasping the essentials, and she asked in surprise, "A form? Providing accurate location information?"
"She didn't tell you?"
"She didn't say anything specific. Sister Wen Dai only said that she was entrusted by my mother to come. But from what you said, Uncle, it seems that Sister Wen Dai has other abilities... Could you tell me about them?"
"Can't."
The fourteen-year-old girl still had a curiosity about the unknown, but unfortunately she encountered the ruthless Chen Sizhe.
Wen Weiwei, her lips pursed, leaned back in her seat and quieted down, glancing out the car window.
The scenery along the road was delightful; I didn't have time to appreciate its beauty when I arrived, but as I left, I could still admire it, yet I felt a little reluctant to set foot there again. Even the simplicity had become divided into the real and the fake.
It was already evening when we returned to Lizhou city. The sky had turned a bluish-green color, spreading out in a gradient.
Upon arrival, Wen Dai opened her eyes and, still dazed, unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.
The car was parked outside the Chizheng Office. We arrived at the Chizheng Office in the center of Lizhou City. There was a park nearby, and a commercial street not far away, with quite a few pedestrians coming and going.
Feeling the scorching gazes directed at her, Wen Dai looked up blankly. The whispers of passersby reached her ears, but her brain was still in a daze.
A moment later, she noticed the floral print blouse she was wearing.
"Holy shit!"
I'm awake now.
Wen Dai's originally sleepy eyes were stretched into almond-shaped eyes by her, and her incredulous gaze was filled with a desperate embarrassment.
Chen Sizhe got out of the car at a leisurely pace and walked around to her side. At the same time, Wen Weiwei stopped on her other side.
Chen Sizhe, with one hand in his pocket, tilted his head slightly and looked down at Wen Dai, saying, "Can you be a little more civilized? Don't forget, there's a minor with you."
"Sister, what's wrong?" As if she hadn't yet realized the extent and cause of Wen Dai's mental breakdown, Wen Weiwei looked at her innocently and asked.
But before Wen Dai could explain herself, the passersby showed them the reason through their actions.
A family of three passing by the roadside seemed to be taking a walk. When the little boy, who was being led by his parents, saw Wen Dai, he immediately pulled his hand away from his father's and pointed at Wen Dai, shouting, "Mom and Dad, look! That village girl is so ugly! Her face is so strange, why are the colors all messed up?"
Clearly not expecting her child to do something like this so suddenly, the little boy's mother quickly bent down and covered his mouth, patting it several times gently.
She gritted her teeth and muttered a few curses at the child, then looked apologetically at Wen Dai and said, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, it's my fault for not raising my child properly. I'm so sorry, please forgive me."
The little boy, who had been slapped several times in the mouth and was about to cry, was confronted by his father's large, broad hand again.
"If you dare cry, I'll beat you to death right here! Go apologize to this auntie right now!"
Having experienced being addressed as "sister" in a single day, Wen Dai felt hurt all over again. With a complicated expression, she couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Why don't you apologize to me too?"
She watched as the little boy, under his father's coercion, ran over and obediently bowed at a ninety-degree angle to apologize: "Auntie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made fun of your appearance. You must be very upset too. I hope you can be more confident in the future."
Before Wen Dai could say anything, the little boy ran back again.
Wen Dai, who really wanted to say that she wasn't insecure about her appearance, was speechless.
She remained frozen in place, as if in a state of stagnation.
"ha."
The cheerful laughter coming from above made Wen Dai, who was not so happy, even more depressed. She raised her hand to touch her face, and suddenly a hand gently rested on her arm.
Wen Weiwei stroked her arm, comforting her, "Sister Wen Dai, I believe you are very beautiful. Your features are very pretty. The main problem is the foundation on your skin. There's nothing you can do about it once it's worn off. And then there's the fact that your clothes might not look as... um..."
Seeing Wen Weiwei trying to find the right words to avoid hurting herself again, Wen Dai couldn't help but laugh a few times. She said nonchalantly, "It's okay, I don't really care about that. It's just a pretty face."
Her lighthearted tone and the gesture of raising her chin and straightening her posture enhanced the credibility of her words, but her next sentence was—
"But I need to wash my face and remove my makeup now, it's really a bit embarrassing."
The person being patted on the shoulder by Wen Weiwei wished they could transform into Usain Bolt, rushing into the gate of Chizheng Institute in a few steps and disappearing without a trace.
*
As the water splashed on her face, Wen Dai remembered something very important—
She didn't take her bag.
She maintained the posture of holding the water and bowing. The female clerk who came over to go to the toilet was the same clerk who had given Wen Dai directions earlier and was also aware of Wen Dai's "selfless" identity.
Seeing that she was stuck there motionless, the female clerk stopped in her tracks as she walked towards the restroom. She turned her head and glanced at Wen Dai, asking, "What's wrong? Do you need any help?"
"Ah... I just suddenly remembered that I left my bag in that village."
"Oh no! What should we do? Do you want to go back there tomorrow to pick up your bag?"
"It's fine, it's just a backpack. That bag is my schoolbag from high school... and there's only a change of underwear left in it, so it's no problem."
The person who had been hunched over woke up from her puppet-like state. Wen Dai straightened up and grinned at the female clerk with a flourish. Unfortunately, her dimples were still covered with a layer of yellowish foundation that hadn't completely come off, and her protruding white teeth made her look somewhat terrifying at that moment.
The female case manager felt a chill run down her spine and her breath caught in her throat. Images from the Indonesian folk horror movie she had watched at home the night before flashed through her mind. Her heart skipped a beat, and she managed to force a smile through her stiff lips.
She shuffled back a few steps toward the toilet, "...Uh, uh, I understand, then you can continue."
Completely unaware that she had frightened the female investigator, Wen Dai resumed her makeup removal process.
The floral blouse she was wearing made it too difficult for her to take out what she had hidden inside her clothes, so this is what Chen Sizhe saw when he came to wash his hands—
Her hair, held up with small hair clips, resembled a standing floral rugby ball. With difficulty, she took off her floral smock, revealing her oversized overcoat underneath—the world's toilet.
No one would have guessed that what caused the floral print blouse to bulge out was a long trench coat tucked inside.
Immediately afterwards, the slimmed-down, upright floral rugby ball pulled out a charging cable, a power bank, several charms wrapped in plastic film, makeup remover, makeup remover oil, sunscreen, and so on from his pocket.
The once empty washbasin was gradually filled with scattered items, creating a scene so grand it was as if Doraemon had stepped out of the television set, mimicking Sadako.
However, this upright floral fabric rugby ball Doraemon is even more special, as she appears in the toilet, specifically the toilet in the Chisho-no-sho area.
Not paying attention to the person standing behind her, Wen Dai put everything except the makeup remover, facial cleanser, and face towel back into her pocket.
Perhaps because she had been on edge for too long, she absentmindedly pulled out all her belongings.
Wen Dai kept her head down the whole time without even glancing in the mirror. She pressed out the makeup remover and smeared it on her face, rubbing it for a while. When she needed to look in the mirror to see how much her makeup had dissolved, she was so frightened by the man who "suddenly" appeared in the mirror that she almost lost her mind.
"Chen Sizhe, are you sick in the head?!" Wen Dai, who had just suffered a heart attack, was furious. "Why didn't you say anything when you came over? You scared me to death."
Having witnessed her transformation, Chen Sizhe leisurely approached. The tall, slender man stood beside her, casually reaching out to collect water for washing, and said nonchalantly:
"Why would I make a sound for no reason? Besides, shouldn't you be the one scaring people? A strange woman taking off her clothes and getting something in the bathroom, then looking up with that face on her face... If someone with a weak heart were in that situation, you'd probably have to pay for medical expenses and emotional distress."
Just as Wen Dai was about to refute him, a scream stopped her.
The female clerk, who had just come out of the restroom, subconsciously turned her gaze to the mirror. Unfortunately, she saw Wen Dai's smeared, murky face covered in makeup remover.
Especially with Wen Dai's floral blouse gone, and her face suddenly shrunk by half and blurred, the female detective who didn't see clearly at first glance thought it was a person with a painted face—the consequence of watching too many horror movies and comics.
Poor Wen Dai almost died from that scream, just like Chen Sizhe.
Staring at her with lingering, terrified gazes, the female investigator patted her chest and gradually came to her senses. She apologized profusely, "I'm so sorry, I really apologize. I just didn't see your face clearly when I came out. I thought it was one of those ghosts whose face was slowly melting away."
Within just one hour, Wen Dai, whose heart had been repeatedly wounded, fell silent.
She shouldn't have opened her eyes in the car; she should have stayed asleep.
"It's alright, she is indeed more terrifying than you." Chen Sizhe, who was the first to express his understanding to the female investigator, did not forget to put a jab at Wen Dai.
"Chen Sizhe, if you can't speak properly, you might consider sewing your mouth shut." Wen Dai snapped at him through gritted teeth, as if trying to outdo him, before speeding up her makeup removal.
She washed away the makeup remover that had "melted" her face, and then carefully rinsed it with facial cleanser.
Both the collar of her trench coat and the collar of her inner layer were soaked with water. There was nothing she could do about it, since she had applied that sallow yellow foundation all over her face, ears, and neck—even her hands.
With great effort, Wen Dai lifted her head after washing herself clean. She rinsed her hands one last time, dried them with paper, and then loosely pulled off the floral headscarf wrapped around her head, along with the hair clips.
Her smooth, black hair was still fluffy, cascading down her shoulders and back. Her small, doll-like face, now untouched by makeup, was flushed with a rosy glow, the redness a result of the force she had used.
Looking at her refreshed self in the mirror, Wen Dai let out a long sigh of relief: "Much better."
Chen Sizhe, who stood with his arms crossed on the side, watched the whole thing with great interest. He suddenly commented, "She looks more down-to-earth before she takes off her makeup."
"..." This is because Yin Yang thinks she looks like a country girl before she takes off her makeup.
With her tongue pressed against her cheek, Wen Dai glanced at him with her eyes, then quietly put the face wash and other items back into her pocket. After completing her task, her hand made a surprise attack.
She punched Chen Sizhe's arm several times, glaring at him with her slightly upturned peach blossom eyes, almost baring her teeth to show her ferocity.
When he opened his mouth, his canine teeth were showing. Unfortunately, the person in question did not realize that his imposing aura was greatly diminished by his canine teeth and dimples. He was still angrily saying, "Would you die if you didn't say something to me, Chen Sizhe? I've never seen a business partner like you. Anyone who didn't know better would think you hated me."
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