Chapter 15 Ecstasy: My Father Is Still Alive
The interrogation has yielded a major breakthrough.
Zhang Guoqiang walked out of the interrogation room, exhausted but also excited. Looking at Chu Yanxi beside him, his eyes were filled with heartfelt admiration: "Comrade Qiao Zhaoran, you are a natural criminal investigator. How about you consider becoming a policeman after graduating from university?"
Although he didn't study criminal investigation, chemistry majors can still be assigned to the public security system to engage in technical investigation work. Zhang Guoqiang pondered how to communicate with Jiangcheng University to retain Chu Yanxi, a talented individual.
Chu Yanxi pursed her lips.
If she were to live her entire life in this world as Qiao Zhaoran, she would definitely choose to become a police officer.
From childhood, her life's ambition was to become a qualified and outstanding police officer. This was both an inheritance of her father's career and her way of never forgetting him.
However, Chu Yanxi did not intend to stay in Qingyuan County. She wanted to return to Jiangcheng, the city she knew so well.
Therefore, Chu Yanxi did not respond to Zhang Guoqiang's offer of recruitment, but instead added a message: "Wei Yanli was sold to human traffickers by her stepmother. Her family lives in Group 3, Wuliu Village, Yang'an County, Hubei Province. Please make sure to investigate thoroughly and severely punish Wei Yanli's stepmother."
Zhang Guoqiang's expression instantly turned extremely serious: "Okay, I understand. Contact the local police immediately to assist in the investigation."
Bank robbery, major human trafficking case.
The two major cases drew the attention of higher-level police, leading to a multi-province joint operation, the establishment of a special task force, and the deployment of over a hundred police officers to Heishanyu.
In Heishanyu, a remote and mountainous area far from the reach of the central government, the terrain is complex, and the people are known for their fierce and isolated nature. The buying and selling of women is a deeply ingrained and harmful practice. In some villages, clan ties are so strong that they disregard the law, with the entire village protecting each other and uniting against outsiders. When the police attempt to rescue them, villagers will attack the officers with hoes, carrying poles, and even homemade guns.
Rescuing trafficked women is a difficult and dangerous operation.
However, nothing is impossible for a willing heart. Once the police were truly committed, all difficulties ceased to be difficulties.
Even the most unruly villagers fell silent in the face of hundreds of heavily armed and well-equipped police officers.
The first person to be rescued was Wei Yanli.
Upon receiving the news, Chu Yanxi and Lu Zhe went to the hospital to visit her immediately. They saw a nurse carefully cleaning the festering wounds on Wei Yanli's wrists and ankles, which had been chafed by the shackles, with iodine. Every touch made her tremble with pain, but she bit her lip tightly and didn't shed a single tear. Her once stubborn eyes were now filled only with the bewilderment of surviving a disaster and deep pain.
Lu Zhe stood outside the ward, holding a cup of hot water. He listened to Wei Li's intermittent, choked-up story. His face was deathly pale, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood, but he didn't even notice.
“They didn’t treat me like a human being at all!” Wei Yanli’s voice was hoarse and broken, each word seeming to be squeezed out of her throat. “They locked me in the woodshed, treating me like livestock, beating me at the drop of a hat, whipping me, kicking me. They were afraid I would run away, so they didn’t give me enough to eat every day, and they even forced me… forced me…”
She stopped abruptly, her body trembling violently. The immense humiliation and fear prevented her from speaking any further. The young policewoman sitting beside her, taking her statement, couldn't bear it any longer and hugged her, gently comforting her.
Lu Zhe's chest heaved violently as an uncontrollable surge of anger and grief welled up inside him.
He was a lawyer, and he understood the dark side of human nature, but he had never faced such pure and heinous evil so closely and so brutally!
"Beasts! A bunch of damned beasts!" Lu Zhe suddenly turned around and slammed his fist hard against the corridor wall.
At this moment, the provisions of the law and the justice of procedures seemed so pale and powerless. He just wanted to make those perpetrators pay the price in the most primitive way!
In stark contrast to his excitement was Chu Yanxi, who stood quietly by the window behind the policewoman.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the gaps in the branches and leaves outside the window, casting dappled light and shadow on her face, obscuring her expression. All that could be seen were her tightly pursed lips and slightly sharp profile.
She remained silent, but her mind was racing with deeper questions—why were human trafficking cases so rampant in the 1980s? Why couldn't even a crackdown deter these crimes?
“The proportion of women bought in remote areas is relatively high, and the situation is characterized by a high degree of seclusion and clan protection. Legislation should be strengthened to make buying and selling women equally criminal.”
“Poverty, gender imbalance, and weak legal awareness provide fertile ground for human trafficking crimes. We should focus on targeted poverty alleviation and increase publicity efforts.”
“With ineffective grassroots governance, information blockage, and difficulty in external intervention, it is recommended to establish a special management mechanism in areas where the buying and selling of women is serious.”
"Victims suffer systematic physical and mental damage, and long-term psychological intervention and resettlement after rescue are difficult problems. It is advisable to strengthen psychological counseling and pay attention to the survival issues of trafficked women."
...
The rescue of Wei Yanli was the result of a multi-province coordinated effort, mobilizing hundreds of police officers and dozens of special police. But what about Yang Juan, Xiao Ju… and the women trafficked by other gangs? They too are waiting for rescue in despair.
Anger and sadness cannot solve the problem. Only calm thinking, scientific analysis, and efficient action can destroy the evil ecosystem that creates countless tragedies and harms one Qiao Zhaoran and Wei Yanli after another.
After venting his anger, Lu Zhe, panting heavily, looked up and saw Chu Yanxi calmly contemplating something. For some reason, he felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.
At this moment, no one could remain calm, so why was Chu Yanxi able to stay rational?
Perhaps it's just her nature; she always does the right thing and makes the best choices, but she can't truly understand others.
Chu Yanxi felt a burning gaze fixed on her and turned to look at Lu Zhe. Having spent more than half a month together and gone through life and death together, Chu Yanxi could clearly sense the complex emotions in Lu Zhe's heart.
She lowered her eyelids, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow.
She certainly felt anger and sorrow, even more profoundly than Lu Zhe could have imagined—because she had already glimpsed the more tragic and irreversible fates of Qiao Zhaoran and countless other Wei Yanli in the book "Breaking the Cocoon".
It was this shared pain that forced her to put her personal feelings aside. She wanted to write down her thoughts, compile a case analysis report, and give it to Zhang Guoqiang, who would then submit it to higher-level public security authorities to increase their attention, intensify the crackdown, and call for stronger grassroots governance and greater public awareness campaigns to reduce and prevent human trafficking crimes.
Chu Yanxi didn't feel the need to explain these things to Lu Zhe.
Lu Zhe is a kind and sensitive person. His pursuit of justice is outward and proactive, like a flame that longs to burn away all evil in an instant.
But Chu Yanxi is different.
Her pursuit of justice is restrained and calm, like a block of ice, aiming to completely freeze the source of evil.
Although we were transported into the book together, it's better for everyone if we go our separate ways afterwards.
Yang Juan was quickly rescued as well.
But... Xiaoju couldn't hold on, and closed her innocent and clear eyes forever in despair.
Upon seeing Chu Yanxi, Yang Juan burst into tears: "Xiaoju was sold to Old Zhao's family in the same village. That whole family are beasts! Xiaoju is only sixteen, still a child, but that cripple in their family couldn't wait to consummate the marriage. Xiaoju's broken leg hadn't even healed yet, and she endured the pain, kneeling on the ground begging them, saying she was hardworking and could do farm work, asking them to wait two years. But that cripple's family forced her onto the bed, and the three brothers took turns..."
At this point, Yang Juan's hands trembled, and her whole body shook uncontrollably, unable to utter a single word.
Only after the doctor gave her a sedative did Yang Juan gradually recover, her words stained with tears: "Xiaoju's lower body kept bleeding, bleeding! She cried and begged to go home, to beg them to stop torturing her, but no one listened! Even the cripple's old mother, that dead old woman, just treated it with some ashes and continued to indulge her son's evil deeds. Xiaoju developed a high fever, lay on the kang (heated brick bed) without eating or drinking, and died in less than seven days! Died—"
"Dead!"
"Dead—"
People say that nothing matters except life and death.
But Xiaoju died.
At only sixteen years old, before he could feel the warmth of humanity, experience the sweetness of love, or enjoy any of the world's wonders, he died in that cold, desolate Black Mountain Valley.
Old Zhao's family, the cripple is dead.
That was the family that Qiao Zhaoran poisoned.
Chu Yanxi clenched her fists, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
That was a human life.
The Zhao family must pay the price!
Zhang Guoqiang, along with all those involved in the police force, were equally angry.
Although current laws do not impose sanctions on those who buy wives, the local government has been severely criticized and ordered to rectify the serious problem of buying wives in places like Heishiyu.
The 1980s had its own characteristics. The local government ordered the township government to organize militia to escort these buyers in a parade, and to spread the idea that "buying a wife is illegal" with gongs and drums. The locals talked about it a lot, and from then on, the phenomenon of buying and selling wives was greatly reduced.
The Zhao family, who killed Xiaoju, were all taken to the police station.
The Zhao family members, who had once swaggered before the vulnerable Xiaoju, were now ashen-faced, their eyes darting around. The national emblem gleamed, the golden shield exuded solemnity; faced with the powerful national law enforcement agency, they finally understood what fear truly meant.
The old woman, her face streaked with tears and snot, tried to defend her actions: "We paid money, we paid money!"
As soon as Zhao the Cripple entered the interrogation room, he was so frightened that he lost control of his bladder and could only shout, "She was the wife I bought. She died of illness. It has nothing to do with me!"
Facing these ignorant and lawless individuals, Zhang Guoqiang sternly declared, "Abuse, rape, intentional injury... these are all illegal, don't you know that?"
Chu Yanxi raised her voice: "If you don't understand the law, do you even understand the principle of 'a life for a life, a debt for a debt'?!"
Lu Zhe explained the law to them in a hoarse voice.
"The three Zhao brothers committed rape and illegal detention, which are particularly serious offenses and should be sentenced to more than ten years in prison. Considering the extremely heinous circumstances such as gang rape, long-term abuse, and death, the ringleader was sentenced to death, and the other two were sentenced to life imprisonment or death with a two-year reprieve."
"As an accomplice to rape and illegal detention, Zhao's mother was sentenced to more than ten years in prison due to the extremely serious consequences of the case, her role as an accomplice, and the case's egregious social impact."
"Zhao's father, the decision-maker in the human trafficking scheme, is an accomplice to rape and illegal detention, and shall be sentenced to more than ten years or life imprisonment."
A family of five, all together, none of them can escape.
At this moment, the Zhao family finally felt the presence of the law. They were so frightened that they slumped into their chairs, their legs trembling, muttering something unintelligible.
In the 1980s, lawyers were rare talents. Lu Zhe was temporarily seconded to the Public Security Bureau, where he lived and ate at the police station. He used his legal expertise to patiently soothe the emotions of the female victims, help them clarify the facts of the case, prepare subsequent legal materials, and strive for the greatest protection of their rights.
His gentleness and empathy were especially valuable at this time, building a warm bridge between the victims and the legal process.
Wei Yanli grabbed Lu Zhe's arm and pointed at her lying stepmother: "I'm going to sue her! I'm going to sue her!"
Yang Juan looked at Lu Zhe as if she had found someone to rely on: "Comrade Lu, will the Zhao family be executed? Will the family that bought me be sent to jail?"
...
Lu Zhe finally felt that his professional knowledge had found a use, and he was no longer a useless person.
Looking at the case files with their impressive results, Zhang Guoqiang felt all his fatigue from the past few days vanish.
He invited Chu Yanxi and Lu Zhe to his office, presented them with the bonuses issued by the provincial department, and showered them with praise.
"Comrade Lu Zhe, I never expected that someone like you, a cadre from the Cultural Bureau, would be so knowledgeable about the law. Your ability to process case files so quickly and soothe the victims' emotions is truly commendable!"
Lu Zhe said politely, "This is what I should do."
Zhang Guoqiang then turned his gaze to Chu Yanxi: "Qiao Zhaoran, without you, the case wouldn't have been solved so beautifully and thoroughly. I've read your case analysis report; it's exceptionally well-written, professional, insightful, and concise. Everyone on the task force was deeply moved. We never expected a college student to have such a high level of understanding and such innovative thinking! Especially your proposed countermeasures, such as the multi-departmental coordination mechanism—I think they're very effective! The report has already been submitted to the relevant departments of the Municipal Bureau and the Provincial Department, and I believe it will be taken seriously. You've made a great contribution this time."
After a brief pause, Zhang Guoqiang tried to recruit Chu Yanxi again: "What are your plans for the future? Are you interested in joining our bureau? With your brains and mental fortitude, you're born to be a criminal investigator."
Chu Yanxi's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
The future? Plans?
These two words suddenly crashed into the door deep within her heart, a door she had deliberately sealed off and dared not touch.
Since her transmigration, she has been constantly on edge, dealing with human traffickers for survival, and has had almost no time to think about what "comes next" or to consider the connection between this world and her original world.
She subconsciously viewed the world as a "story setting" from the book "Breaking the Cocoon," a predetermined tragic script that needed to be revised.
But Zhang Guoqiang's casual question about the "future" suddenly made Chu Yanxi realize a problem—what if this world wasn't a fictional story setting?
"Breaking the Cocoon" is a work of non-fiction, recording a bloody case that occurred in the real world. Could it be that she didn't travel into the book, but instead returned to the past? Back to 1985, before or during this case?
The thought struck her like a bolt from the blue, exploding in her mind.
She suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with ecstasy, her heart pounding excitedly, thump! thump! The sound grew louder and louder, almost bursting out of her chest.
1985.
It is now 1985.
At this time, her father was still alive.
He's still alive!!!
Chu Yanxi's father, Chu Tongyu, was only twenty years old this year. He had just graduated from police academy and should have just been assigned to a local police station in Jiangcheng. At that time, he was a passionate and spirited young policeman. He had not yet fallen in love, had not started a family, and had not participated in the arrest operation that took his life.
Upon realizing this possibility, Chu Yanxi could no longer remain calm, and her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
Zhang Guoqiang was startled by her reaction: "Qiao, what's wrong? Are you too tired?"
Lu Zhe also noticed her unusual behavior and cast a questioning and worried look at her.
Chu Yanxi snapped back to her senses. She took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the exclamation that was about to escape her lips and the countless chaotic thoughts that were running through her mind.
"It's nothing." She tried to keep her voice steady, but there was still a slight, almost imperceptible tremor. "I'm probably just a little tired."
She straightened her back, her gaze passing through the police station window, looking towards the distant Jiangcheng, her eyes filled with urgency and longing.
She has to go to Jiangcheng!
Immediately! Right now!
She needs to find her father before the tragedy happens!
Before she even has a chance to change her predetermined fate!
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