Chapter 73: Chapter 72 Orders
He put the divorce application into the canvas pocket and turned back to look at Gu Qiaoqiao, “I know you’re eager to return, but you were frightened yesterday. The doctor prescribed so sedatives. Rember to take them in an hour, and the woman you saved yesterday hasn’t woken up yet. The human traffickers are still being interrogated. I think we should leave tomorrow afternoon…”
Gu Qiaoqiao nodded without hesitation, “Okay.”
Qin Yize’s gaze fell on the top of Gu Qiaoqiao’s head and lingered briefly before he walked out with the tray.
In the afternoon, the young girl woke up. Her mory, like Gu Qiaoqiao’s in her past life, was of being smothered with a cloth over her mouth and nose, after which she knew nothing.
Then, in her hazy mories, it seed like she was dreaming, with all sorts of voices in the dream. But what she rembered most clearly was the crisp and anxious voice of a young girl.
It seed to be urging her to wake up, warning her that bad people were out to harm her.
...
She also knew there were bad people, but she couldn’t wake up no matter how hard she tried.
So, when she was lucid and listened to the policewoman explain what had happened, she realized it wasn’t a dream.
Therefore, she got up to et Gu Qiaoqiao right away.
Gu Qiaoqiao was still packing when the door was pushed open.
A pale-faced girl who evidently had been brought up well, stood at the door.
With an oval face and eyes that were very bright, she looked gentle and lovely.
Then, with tears brimming in her eyes, she gave Gu Qiaoqiao a deep bow and choked up, “Miss Gu, I will never forget the great kindness you and Mr. Qin have shown …”
She couldn’t continue with what she wanted to say afterwards.
She just looked at Gu Qiaoqiao through her tears.
She knew that if it weren’t for the lovely girl before her, she would have been sold deep into the mountains. She was not an ignorant young girl unfamiliar with the ways of the world.
She was aware that once she set foot in those deep mountains, her life would be over.
One of her close friends’ classmates was abducted three years ago and is still unaccounted for.
Her family has been searching until now, with still no news; what once was a happy household, now lives in sorrow every day.
She wanted to continue expressing her gratitude to Gu Qiaoqiao, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Speechlessly choking up was the best description of her.
But she was naturally shy and didn’t know how to express her feelings.
Gu Qiaoqiao quickly pulled her over and they sat on the bed together, “I understand your feelings, and I’ve received your thanks—there’s no need to say anything else.”
“I’m not very good at expressing gratitude, but I will never forget your kindness for as long as I live. I will repay you.”
“Hmm, I understand how you feel, but don’t be so formal. Since I saw what was happening, I couldn’t just do nothing…”
At this point, Gu Qiaoqiao thought to herself, if she hadn’t recognized the voice of the human trafficker, if she hadn’t gone through a similar ordeal, if Qin Yize wasn’t by her side…
Considering how ruthless and cunning those two traffickers were, no one could predict what could have happened.
And even if soone realized sothing was wrong, how many would have the courage to speak out?
It’s not that people are indifferent; it’s that standing up doesn’t necessarily an you can catch and expose the culprits.
Thinking about this, she truly felt that this young girl was fortunate to have encountered her.
Gu Qiaoqiao changed the subject, “Have you notified your family?”
“Yes, they are on their way here now.”
Through their conversation, she learned that the girl, two years her senior and nad An Xiaotong, was a junior college student.
Her ho was in the Imperial Capital, and she had been drugged and passed out at the corner of Tiann Street.
Gu Qiaoqiao sprang to her feet.
She was shocked yet again.
Was it a coincidence, or sothing else?
Because in her previous life, she too was drugged and rendered unconscious at the corner of Tiann Street.
Later, when she visited that place, she found nothing unusual there except for the sparse crowd.
“Qiaoqiao, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” Gu Qiaoqiao sat down with a frown and asked, “That place is a bit secluded, so why did you pass by there?”
“It’s very close to Ho of Guests, and I like the noodles there, so I had arranged to go have noodles with my brother, but I didn’t expect to be…”
At this point, An Xiaotong choked up again.
Then she began to cry with her handkerchief in her hands.
Gu Qiaoqiao felt it wasn’t right to ask any more questions, and after consoling her, it was already noon, and Qin Yize had gone to the station and hadn’t co back.
The female police officer brought them food with warmth and enthusiasm.
An Xiaotong was staying on the floor below.
After eating, she followed the police officer to get a dical checkup, since she had been drugged and was pale and in poor physical condition.
At two o’clock in the afternoon, Qin Yize returned.
His expression was calm, but Gu Qiaoqiao imdiately guessed that the traffickers had confessed.
After all, they had lived together in a previous life, and she had always liked to watch his expressions keenly.
She always enjoyed discerning the hidden emotions beneath his composed facade.
Gu Qiaoqiao stayed silent, yet a tinge of sourness welled up inside her. The Gu Qiaoqiao of the past had indeed been such a foolish child.
Qin Yize’s features were gentle as he sat on the chair, looking at Gu Qiaoqiao. His fine eyebrows slightly raised as he suddenly said, “Gu Qiaoqiao, you’ve made a significant contribution this ti.”
Made a significant contribution?
Gu Qiaoqiao’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked toward Qin Yize with an inquiring gaze.
“The traffickers from yesterday have confessed. They are part of a criminal gang that traffics in won and children across the country.”
“From their deanor, there must be an organization behind them.”
“The organization’s level of structure is beyond your imagination. It operates like a company or institution, with each mber in their place, communicating and coordinating with each other, and the traffickers from yesterday were specifically responsible for taking orders…”
Qin Yize told Gu Qiaoqiao what he could.
“What do you an by taking orders?” Gu Qiaoqiao asked, sowhat amused.
“It ans that there are custors who contact them, asking them to abduct certain individuals under the guise of trafficking and sell them to rural areas where people are scarce.”
The smile on Gu Qiaoqiao’s face instantly froze, and a hint of confusion appeared in her clear, watery eyes. She asked Qin Yize in a low voice, “What you’re saying, I don’t understand…”
Seeing Gu Qiaoqiao’s hesitant and helpless look as if she were frightened, Qin Yize’s heart softened, and he gently said, “The An Xiaotong who was abducted yesterday, soone offered ten thousand yuan to have her sold far away. After she was sold to the mountains and had children there, they would add another five thousand.”
After a long pause, Gu Qiaoqiao asked with difficulty, “Weren’t they acting on a whim when they thought of abducting her?”
After all, not everyone in the vast crowd can be drugged and abducted.
“According to his confession, other small groups do that; targeting lone won, kidnapping children left unattended, but yesterday’s traffickers were different. They were only responsible for taking orders. Among the noble families, wealthy households, and business circles, there are always various secrets and shady dealings. Getting rid of the person they want to dispose of by selling them far away ans no blood on their hands and no worry of severe punishnt if the cri is discovered, because each link is separate. The traffickers from yesterday didn’t even know whether their client was male or female…”
Gu Qiaoqiao looked at Qin Yize, stunned.
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