Wang Yu and Zhong Xiaoyu rejoined the group in the evening. After dinner, everyone parked their cars in a relatively secluded parking lot and then pretended to be tourists, splitting into small groups to survey the surroundings of the county town.
Upon receiving a message in the group chat, they hurried back to the parking spot. After scanning the area to ensure no one was around, they gathered to hear what Wang Yu and Zhong Xiaoyu had to report.
Wang Yu spoke first, "We followed the suspect and saw her return home. After conducting some investigations nearby, we can now confirm she is a peripheral member of the criminal group that includes Liu Xiang and Geng Jing."
Everyone understood, but Xu Nian still asked for confirmation, "Are you certain there’s a child hidden in the suspect’s home?"
This time, Zhong Xiaoyu nodded and said, "Confirmed. We conducted a brief reconnaissance of the suspect’s residential area. Based on the household waste, accounts from neighbors, and information from a nearby shop owner, we determined that three people live in the suspect’s home—two adults and one child. The adults are a married couple, and the child’s appearance and age closely match the missing Yan Xingyu. However, there’s one issue: we learned from neighborhood chatter that the child isn’t in good condition, though the specifics are unclear."
One of the older male officers transferred from Captain Zhou’s team said, "In that case, we can’t delay. We’ll have to act tonight."
All eyes turned to Xu Nian. After a few seconds of consideration, he decisively nodded. "Then we’ll move tonight. The operation is tentatively set for midnight, when most residents are asleep and the suspects’ guard is relatively low. But before that—"
Before Xu Nian could finish, the same male officer anticipated his words and interjected, "Leave that to us. We’ll coordinate with the local precinct to gather detailed information about the suspects and their residence to ensure a smooth arrest."
Xu Nian thanked them and then called out a few names. "Qi Bai, Wang Yu—you two are responsible for keeping the suspects’ residence under tight surveillance. If either of them leaves, report immediately. The rest of you will stay hidden nearby, ready to act if the situation changes or to provide backup for an on-the-spot arrest."
Xu Nian glanced at Guan Xia but didn’t speak. Instead, his gaze shifted to Ji An.
As if receiving a silent signal, Ji An also remained quiet but gave a firm nod.
Guan Xia immediately understood. Though she had the self-awareness to stay out of the way and avoid causing trouble, she didn’t think Xu Nian was overreacting. He was worried that in the chaos of the operation, she might be overlooked, so he had preemptively arranged with Ji An to ensure her safety.
For the rest of the evening, the team dispersed around the suspects’ residence—some stayed in their cars, others pretended to eat barbecue near the neighborhood entrance—all lying in wait, prepared to act at any moment.
Perhaps because the child’s condition was truly dire, the two suspects—including the middle-aged woman Guan Xia had seen earlier—remained indoors the entire afternoon and evening. The operation proceeded as planned at midnight on August 13th.
Before the operation, the officers from Captain Zhou’s team had coordinated with the local precinct to gather as much information as possible about the suspects’ home. They shared this with the group, ensuring that all exits would be secured the moment the operation began. No matter which direction the suspects tried to flee, they would be intercepted by waiting officers.
Finally, the operation commenced. Guan Xia, of course, didn’t participate. Ji An kept her in the car, parked right beneath the suspects’ building, as they watched the arrest team head upstairs.
Listening to the commotion breaking the silence of the night, Guan Xia guessed things were going smoothly and stepped out of the car.
Ji An followed, standing protectively beside her. Initially, Pang Le had volunteered to stay with Guan Xia, but Ji An noticed his eagerness to join the operation and decided to remain with her himself.
A few minutes later, as more and more lights flickered on in the residential building, the arrest team finally emerged from the stairwell, escorting the two suspects.
Guan Xia barely spared a glance at the trembling, ashen-faced suspects. Instead, she rushed forward to check on the child in Wang Yu’s arms.
The child’s face was flushed, eyes tightly shut, whimpering in discomfort—clearly suffering from a high fever.
Before Guan Xia could ask, Wang Yu said, "We’ve done a quick check—no external injuries, but his forehead is burning up. We’re taking him to the hospital now."
To avoid complications, they hadn’t arranged for medical support beforehand.
Qi Bai hurried after Wang Yu, practically leaping into the driver’s seat. Moments later, the car sped off, disappearing from Guan Xia’s sight.
Only then did Guan Xia turn her attention to the two suspects. To her surprise, they didn’t seem entirely unaware of their crimes. Though they trembled so violently they could barely stand—only held upright by the officers flanking them—they didn’t scream or protest their innocence. Instead, they stared blankly at the ground, looking utterly broken, as if no interrogation tactics would be needed to make them talk.
Indeed, obtaining their confessions proved effortless. The moment they were pushed into the interrogation room, before they could even be seated, the middle-aged woman collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything!" she wailed. "I didn’t know the child was kidnapped! If I’d known he wasn’t hers, I’d never have agreed to help!"
The officers interrogating her—a lean male officer and a muscular female officer from Captain Zhou’s team—exchanged glances.
The female officer, her expression stern, barked, "Explain clearly. Who is this ‘she’ you’re referring to? How did the child end up with you? What was the nature of your arrangement?"
At the word "arrangement," the woman flinched as if struck. Frantically waving her hands, she corrected, "No, no, it wasn’t like that! I was tricked! I was just helping out! She told me a relative of hers was sick, the grandparents weren’t around, and she was too busy with work to care for the child. She just asked me to look after him for a couple of days until someone came to pick him up. I swear, I had no idea he was kidnapped! If I’d known, I’d never dare break the law like this!"
The female officer pressed, "I’ll ask again—who is this ‘she’? How do you know her?"
The middle-aged woman nervously twisted her fingers, her expression still visibly distraught as she spoke in a disjointed manner about the situation.
Guan Xia listened for a while before finally piecing together how this woman had come to know Liu Xiang.
According to the woman, she and Liu Xiang had met two years ago. At the time, she had been feeling unwell but avoided seeing a doctor due to the cost and her busy work schedule. She kept putting it off until her menstrual bleeding became alarmingly heavy, forcing her to seek medical attention.
However, she didn’t have enough money for treatment, and her condition was severe enough to require surgery. As she sat crying helplessly on a hospital hallway bench, Liu Xiang stepped in—not only comforting her but also lending her the money, assuring her there was no rush to repay.
While the sum might not have been significant to Liu Xiang, it was a substantial amount for the woman. She had been repaying it in monthly installments for two years and still hadn’t fully settled the debt. Because of this, the two had stayed in touch. Liu Xiang was kind-hearted, often visiting her, treating her to meals, and bringing clothes and daily necessities.
So when Liu Xiang asked for her help at the beginning of the month—to care for a child from a relative’s family—she agreed without hesitation. Her husband didn’t suspect anything either and even went out of his way to buy supplies for the child. She didn’t deliberately hide the arrangement; her neighbors and acquaintances in the community all knew she was helping a friend look after a child.
The interrogating female officer pressed, "Did Liu Xiang tell you to keep it a secret?"
The woman shook her head. "She never mentioned it. From start to finish, she only asked me to take care of the child for a few days. That’s why I never suspected the child was abducted."
The officer continued, "Then how did you eventually realize the child was kidnapped?"
Tears welled up again as the woman replied, "Because the child was constantly unconscious, sick to the point of being unresponsive. No family would leave a child in such a state with strangers. And when I went to Liu Xiang, she comforted me warmly but avoided any mention of taking the child back. That’s when I knew something was wrong."
She hesitated before adding, "Also... the medicine she gave me was suspicious."
At the mention of medicine, the officer’s gaze sharpened. "What medicine?"
"I don’t know what it was," the woman sobbed. "It came in a white bottle with a label I couldn’t fully understand—something about supplementing the child’s health. She told me the child lacked a certain nutrient and needed one small pill daily. She said the child would sleep a lot as part of recovery and not to disturb him. She claimed he’d be picked up in a day or two, but three days passed, and the child still hadn’t woken up, even with a high fever. What kind of medicine keeps a child unconscious for three days without eating or drinking? Even I could tell something was off."
Guan Xia immediately understood. It was a common tactic among human traffickers—drugging children with sedatives to keep them quiet during transport. Clearly, Liu Xiang’s original plan had been to leave the child for just a day or two, as prolonged unconsciousness would raise suspicions.
But something must have gone wrong. The child wasn’t retrieved as scheduled, tipping off the woman and allowing Guan Xia’s team to follow the trail.
The interrogator pressed further, "Who was supposed to pick up the child? Any physical descriptions?"
The woman shook her head. "Liu Xiang didn’t say. Only that it would be someone wealthy—a relative from the child’s maternal side. She told me to hand the child over as soon as they identified themselves."
The officer continued with more questions, but it was clear the woman knew very little—about Liu Xiang or the child. The interrogation was paused only when the woman broke down again, weeping uncontrollably.
Guan Xia and her team immediately began discussing the case.
"This doesn’t add up," Pang Le blurted out, clearly having held back the question for a while. "If Liu Xiang is involved in something like this, why wouldn’t she instruct the woman to hide the child’s presence? From what we’ve uncovered, she seems meticulous. How could she overlook something so basic?"
"That means she didn’t forget to mention it," Zhong Xiaoyu countered. "Maybe she was confident the police wouldn’t trace it back to her. Or she assumed the woman knew too little to raise suspicions in just a couple of days. She probably didn’t think things would go sideways."
Jiang Yingyao added thoughtfully, "That’s possible. From what Xu Nian said, Liu Xiang always carries herself with effortless confidence—smiling, composed in every situation. And with the Ning Xin mother-daughter disappearance case going unsolved for five years without a trace, she might’ve genuinely believed she was untouchable, overlooking minor details."
"Justice has a way of catching up," Pang Le remarked. "If that’s the case, our urgent arrest not only secured crucial evidence but might also lead us to the buyer. After all, the person supposed to pick up the child never showed. If we move fast and keep this under wraps, we could nab them too."
Guan Xia’s eyes lit up at the prospect. Ji An smiled. "Don’t worry. Captain Zhou’s team has already sent reinforcements, along with local police and detectives. We’ll keep this airtight—maybe even catch a bigger fish."
As they strategized, the door opened, and Xu Nian and Lu Tingfeng walked in.
Guan Xia quickly asked, "How did your interrogation go? Any breakthroughs?"
Xu Nian nodded. "Smoothly. The male suspect knew even less than the woman. According to him, he only knew his wife had befriended a wealthy, generous woman who’d helped her before. When she asked them to care for a relative’s child, he didn’t question it. He had no idea the child was kidnapped."
Guan Xia said, "Their statements align. It checks out."
Then she remembered something else. "By the way, has Wang Yu called? How’s the child?"
Xu Nian replied, "Yes. Wang Yu said the child is weak but not in critical condition. Further tests are needed to assess the full extent."
The team collectively exhaled in relief. The child’s safety was their top priority—their worst fear had been arriving too late to prevent irreversible harm.
The child was rescued, both suspects were apprehended, and the interrogation results were obtained. Naturally, Guan Xia and her team shifted their full attention to the core figure of the criminal gang they had uncovered.
By the time the confessions from the two suspects were secured, it was nearly 2 a.m., but the team still decided to return to Shangshuang City that same night.
Of course, most of the officers from Captain Zhou’s branch who had provided support remained behind to handle the subsequent arrests of the buyers.
On the way back, Guan Xia received news that Fan Ya, Ge Qing, and Gao Cuicui had been captured and had already confessed.
Guan Xia wasn’t surprised, but she was burning with impatience. She was desperate to know—what had Liu Xiang told those three girls? What kind of lies had she spun to make them so fiercely loyal, willing to do anything for her?
The moment the car pulled into Nanping Branch’s parking lot, Guan Xia dashed upstairs in a hurry.
Xu Nian and the others followed closely behind, and soon, they obtained the confessions of Fan Ya and the other two.
Guan Xia read Fan Ya’s statement first. From the transcript, it was clear that Fan Ya had been deeply shaken at first, struggling to accept the police’s account. It took her a long time to process before she finally started talking.
I wanted to finish writing the scene, but I hit a block and ran out of time. I’ll have to continue tomorrow—I’ll do my best to write more. Love you all!
