Chapter 5 Old Knife: I Can Make Explosives
Seeing that Chu Yanxi remained silent, Lu Zhe also closed his eyes. His professional skills as a lawyer made him begin to review his actions: tracking, calling the police, being attacked... Every step seemed reasonable, but ultimately led to the worst outcome.
He had to admit that although Chu Yanxi's words were harsh, they were not entirely without reason.
If he hadn't been so impulsive and had planned his actions carefully, he should have followed his original business trip plan, gotten off at the next stop, Zhao Jiatun, reported to the cultural station leader, and then used the organization's resources to call the police. Perhaps the situation would have been better that way.
At least, he wouldn't be lying here in such a sorry state.
However, people are not machines; they will always have emotions.
Lu Zhe felt very wronged.
Having inexplicably transmigrated to this strange world, he finally met someone he knew and instinctively wanted to get close to them. However, Chu Yanxi was a cold-hearted person; seeing his head broken, she didn't even offer a soft word of comfort.
Thinking of this, Lu Zhe looked at Chu Yanxi.
Noticing Lu Zhe's gaze, Chu Yanxi turned slightly to the side, displaying her bound hands to Lu Zhe.
In the dim light, Lu Zhe saw Chu Yanxi's hands—fingernails bloodied, fingertips blistered, and purple from being bound by ropes. He sighed, endured his headache, resignedly got up, and tried to untie her. He had been unconscious since being beaten, so his hands and feet hadn't been tied.
Chu Yanxi stepped aside: "I just want to tell you that my hands are tied because they are afraid I will run away, so my life is temporarily safe. Your hands are free because they believe you can't escape and they will kill you first thing tomorrow morning."
Lu Zhe's heart sank, and fear instantly swept over his entire body.
Having been transported to another world, Lu Zhe accepted the reality, but a sense of novelty and curiosity arose within him.
He loved reading online novels and had secretly called out to himself countless times.
"System, are you there?"
"Child, Child, come out quickly!"
"Hey—where's my space? Where's the spiritual spring? Where's the golden hoe?"
...
Since something like transmigrating into a book can happen to him, it's not too much to ask for a bit of a cheat code, right?
But now, he has to face the cruel reality—he has no system, no space, and he is very likely... not to see tomorrow's sun.
Lu Zhe's teeth began to chatter.
Chu Yanxi stared at him intently: "From now on, do as I say, and I'll guarantee your safety, how about it?"
Meeting her eyes, which gleamed with sharpness and wisdom in the dim light, Lu Zhe breathed a sigh of relief.
If something happens, call the police.
Chu Yanxi is a police officer; you can't go wrong by listening to her.
Lu Zhe nodded: "...Okay."
Chu Yanxi sat opposite Lu Zhe, her demeanor calm, showing no sign of the argument between the two earlier: "Come on, let's exchange some information first. My name is Qiao Zhaoran, I'm from Luo County, Yuezhou City, Hunan Province, I'm 19 years old this year, I have parents and an older brother, I'm a sophomore majoring in chemistry at Jiangcheng University, and I was abducted at the train station."
Chu Yanxi spoke very softly, and the two of them were almost head to head to ensure that they could hear each other clearly.
This was the first time Lu Zhe had been so close to a woman, and his ears felt a little hot. But the situation was special; both of them were from another time, and they had to be careful that no one could hear them when they were exchanging information.
“I’ll still call myself Lu Zhe…” Lu Zhe nodded and explained his situation.
Chu Yanxi said, "I'm sure we've transmigrated into a book. I just finished reading it last night..."
Lu Zhe grew increasingly alarmed as he listened, his expression turning grave. If Chu Yanxi was right, then their current situation was extremely dangerous.
Chu Yanxi said, "This originally had nothing to do with you, but I dragged you into it. I'm sorry."
Lu Zhe was a soft-hearted person to begin with, and upon hearing Chu Yanxi's apology, all his grievances vanished instantly: "It's alright, it's alright. Actually, it's my fault for being too impulsive and missing a good opportunity to save you. Now I'm barely able to protect myself, sigh!"
Chu Yanxi shook her head: "You're not entirely useless. Your status as a state cadre is our bargaining chip."
Lu Zhe was easily appeased: "I, I'll listen to you."
"Okay, close your eyes and rest for now." Chu Yanxi was very satisfied with this result. After seeing Lu Zhe sit down against the wall, she slowly and very carefully moved to the door, pressed her ear tightly against the cold wooden door, and held her breath.
The guard's footsteps sounded again outside, accompanied by a few coughs and spitting sounds. Then came the faint crackling of a match being struck, and a faint smell of cheap tobacco wafted in through the crack in the door. Judging from the guard's behavior—dragging his feet, frequent coughing and smoking—it was clear he lacked enthusiasm for the task, perhaps even found it tiresome, and his psychological defenses might be weakening.
Chu Yanxi closed her eyes and began to select a negotiation partner.
A well-established human trafficking gang operates like a company, with a clear division of labor and interconnected steps.
The upstream, also known as "matchmakers" or "kidnappers," are responsible for sourcing goods. They wander around, looking for targets, usually vulnerable groups lacking self-protection abilities, such as left-behind children in rural areas, single women working or studying away from home, and people with intellectual disabilities. The woman with the child that Chu Yanxi met at the train station who tricked her into drinking the drug was a matchmaker.
The middle link, also known as the "runway operators" or "transporters," is responsible for receiving goods from traffickers and transferring them over short, medium, or long distances. This is the riskiest part because they have to deal with checks along the way. The fat woman, the black bull, and the short, thin man who had been holding her hostage on the train were from the runway.
Downstream, also known as "nest owners" or "shopkeepers," are responsible for harboring and distributing goods. Lao Dao, the sinister man who knocked Lu Zhe unconscious, is one of them.
The "matchmaker" at the terminal finds buyers and completes the final transaction. Boss Liu, who came over that night, was the matchmaker who sold Qiao Zhaoran and the others to Heishiyu.
In addition to these, there are also protectors and assistants, namely "connectors" or "middlemen," who facilitate or protect criminal activities. This may include bribed law enforcement officers, those who provide false credentials, unlicensed taxi drivers who provide transportation and hiding places, hotel owners, etc. The reason why Lu Zhe's report to the Yushutai Police Station was unsuccessful and he was attacked as soon as he stepped out is most likely because the police officer who answered the call was one of the protectors.
Analyzing the hierarchical structure of the human traffickers, Chu Yanxi is now in the hands of the ringleader. The matchmaker has already inspected her, and she'll be sold tomorrow. To escape, they must try to communicate with the ringleader, Lao Dao, tonight.
The sinister man known as "Old Knife" had a kitchen knife at his waist, a cold and hard voice, and dealt with Lu Zhe decisively and efficiently. Even Boss Liu spoke to him with a hint of imperceptible politeness. It can be inferred that the leader of the gang, Old Knife, is decisive, ruthless, and values efficiency and risk control.
Great, negotiating with Lao Dao is the most efficient way.
After identifying the key negotiation partner, Chu Yanxi began to ponder Lao Dao's core demands and psychological weaknesses.
What is Lao Dao's core demand?
Successfully completing tomorrow's delivery, safely delivering the "goods," and eliminating all destabilizing factors are crucial. Therefore, her "intactness" is one of the bargaining chips in the negotiations.
What are Lao Dao's weaknesses?
Time was of the essence; he needed the "goods" to be in stable condition and feared no unforeseen complications. Any risk that could affect the smooth progress of the delivery was a major concern for him. Lu Zhe's status as a state cadre could be used as a bargaining chip.
Chu Yanxi's brain began to work at high speed, thinking about possible negotiation strategies.
Pleading and showing weakness? Useless.
Old Dao had no compassion for the weak; he was only interested in making money.
Deception, lies, empathy, and idle chatter? Useless.
With only one step left to get the money, Lao Dao wouldn't give himself a chance to speak.
It seems like a dead end.
But Chu Yanxi knew that to persuade others, one had to appeal to their emotions, reason with them, demonstrate authority, and entice them with benefits.
If the other party is emotionless, unreasonable, and unafraid of threats, then the only option is an exchange of benefits. The reason you can't move them is simply because the benefits aren't enough.
Therefore, as long as you give her a chance to speak, everything is negotiable.
Chu Yanxi waited patiently until the guard outside lit another cigarette and let out a satisfied sigh. Then, in a gentle and calm tone, unlike the other girls' sobbing, she said, "Brother outside, could you give me some water? I can't breathe, I feel terrible."
There was a few seconds of silence outside the door, then the guard muttered impatiently, "So much trouble! Just wait!"
The footsteps faded away, then returned quickly. The guard opened the door, placed a rough earthenware bowl filled with murky, cold water heavily on the ground, and then closed the door.
Looking at the bowl of water, Chu Yanxi's lips curled into a smile.
This is a psychological test. Ask the other person to do something very simple; if they do it, it means you can gradually increase the difficulty.
The side effects of taking the drug included nausea and vomiting, and seeing the bowl of water made Chu Yanxi's stomach churn even more. She suppressed her discomfort and looked at Lu Zhe: "Drink it."
Chu Yanxi's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable power.
Lu Zhe's bag and coat had been taken, and he was now both thirsty and hungry. He picked up the bowl, but instead of drinking directly from it, he held it to Chu Yanxi's lips: "You're thirsty too, aren't you? You drink first."
Lu Zhe's gentlemanly demeanor did not move Chu Yanxi. She frowned and said, "I just said that you will listen to me."
After a moment of silence, Lu Zhe picked up the bowl and gulped it down in one go.
After Lu Zhe finished drinking, Chu Yanxi gestured for him to place the bowl under the door, then gave his next instruction: "Lie down and play dead!"
This time, Lu Zhe didn't ask why. He obediently lay down, closed his eyes, held his breath, and remained motionless.
Chu Yanxi approached the door again and said gently, "Thank you, brother. Also, I'd like to discuss a deal with your manager."
Her tone held no fear, no pleading, but rather a strange calmness and certainty, which startled the guard. He opened the door, took the bowl back, and muttered under his breath, "A deal? What right do you, a mere commodity, have to talk about a deal?"
"If I'm not feeling well tomorrow, or if something unexpected happens on the way, you won't be able to explain it to me, will you?" Chu Yanxi didn't answer directly, but pointed out the potential risks, which is a common way of applying pressure in negotiations.
After a while, footsteps sounded outside the door, as if the guard had left. Another agonizing ten minutes passed, and heavy footsteps sounded again, but this time there was more than one person.
The guard's voice was hoarse: "Brother Dao, this is the situation. That college student said... he wanted to talk to you about a deal."
Another cold, hard voice, one that Chu Yanxi would never mistake, rang out. It was the sinister man called Lao Dao. He snorted coldly, his tone mocking: "They're pressing hard in Heishan Valley. They want virgins with decent looks, and they're offering five thousand yuan for one. This woman is worth a lot. I'd like to see what she can trade for!"
This sentence contains a great deal of information.
Someone like Chu Yanxi could sell for five thousand yuan, which was a huge sum of money in the 1980s, so she was very valuable.
Very good, the bargaining chips have become more substantial.
Chu Yanxi raised her voice, a hint of panic in it: "Brother Dao, the man inside seems to be dying; he keeps talking nonsense."
Old Dao kicked the door open, walked to Lu Zhe's side, and said impatiently, "It's good that he's dead." Then he turned to Chu Yanxi and asked, "What nonsense did he spout?"
Chu Yanxi tilted his head back, looking incredibly obedient: "He said he's some kind of cadre who often goes on business trips to investigate rural areas. This time he's going to Zhao Jiatun for field research. Before he left, the leaders of the Cultural Bureau had already contacted the person in charge of Zhao Jiatun. He'll arrive tonight and report to the cultural station tomorrow morning."
Upon hearing this, Lao Dao's heart tightened.
Zhao Jiatun? Isn't that the stop one station north of Yushutai Station? Heishanyu is also under the jurisdiction of Zhao Jiatun. If this kid doesn't arrive on time, and the Zhao Jiatun Cultural Station contacts his workplace, discovers he's missing, and then reports it to the police, it might alert the Zhao Jiatun Police Station. And if they follow the trail...
The thought that the hard-won transfer route might be ruined by this kid in the orange jacket made Old Dao furious. He kicked Lu Zhe hard and yelled, "You bastard! You're despicable!"
Lu Zhe was kicked in the waist, the pain excruciating, but he dared not move. He could only endure the pain and curse this damned transmigration in his heart. Everyone else who transmigrated was adorned with gold and silver, became a nobleman's heir, or acquired an exchange system, and thus reached the pinnacle of life. But he was unlucky, becoming a nobody in the book whose name didn't even appear, and he didn't even know if he would live to see tomorrow.
Just as Lao Dao was filled with resentment, Chu Yanxi changed the subject: "Brother Dao, you know I'm a college student. I study chemistry. Do you know what my specialty is?"
Old Dao became interested, bent down slightly, and stared intently at her: "What is it?"
Chu Yanxi smiled slightly: "I can make explosives and anesthetics."
A note from the author:
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