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墨書 Inktalez
After escaping from the cave, we dared not linger and ran frantically along the roadside. Fortunately, Zhou Jing had parked a car here in advance, and we quickly got in and drove away. The children were exhausted and soon fell asleep in the back seat.
"Where to?" I asked Zhou Jing.
"To the police station in town," she whispered, careful not to wake the children. "I have reliable contacts there."
At that moment, I realized a crucial question: "You’re a police officer?"
She nodded. "Undercover. Six months ago, we discovered a cross-province human trafficking network, with leads pointing directly to Changling Village. But we lacked evidence, so I infiltrated under the guise of searching for my missing brother."
After about an hour of driving, we finally arrived in town. It was still dark, and only a duty officer was present at the police station. As soon as Zhou Jing reported her name, a middle-aged officer hurried out.
"Xiao Zhou!" He looked excited, as if he had finally received some news!
"Captain Jiang," Zhou Jing briefly explained the situation before turning to me. "This is Captain Jiang Zhendong, who specializes in trafficking cases."
Jiang Zhendong immediately arranged for officers to protect the children and called over several officers to take our statements. By the time they finished, dawn was breaking.
Regarding Zhang Shouren, Jiang Zhendong retrieved a folder from the filing cabinet. "We found some interesting information."
The documents revealed that Zhang Shouren was not a local. He had suddenly appeared in Changling Village years ago, with no prior records. Strangely enough, he had come as a poor teacher but within a few years became the village chief and built the largest house in the village.
"Look at this," Jiang Zhendong said, pointing to a photograph. In it was a group dining at a restaurant, with Zhang Shouren prominently seated among several well-dressed individuals.
"This photo is from two years ago," he explained. "The man on the right is Qian Wanguan, an underground bank owner. The one on the left is Wu Deben; he appears to be in foreign trade but is actually involved in human trafficking." Zhou Jing added, "Last year we arrested one of his subordinates who confessed a lot. But before we could delve deeper into the investigation, that subordinate committed suicide in custody."
I studied the photo closely and suddenly noticed that Zhang Shouren was wearing a ring. The design was unique and bore a symbol that seemed familiar.
"Wait!" I pulled out the piece of parchment I had found in the basement from my pocket. "Look at this symbol; is it the same?"
Jiang Zhendong put on his reading glasses for a closer look: "It does resemble it. What is this symbol?"
"It's said to be a mark of some cult organization," I recounted what I had read in the library.
"A cult?" Jiang Zhendong pondered aloud. "Let me look into it."
He opened his computer and typed in several keywords. Soon, an old file appeared on the screen:
"In [year], a cult organization was dismantled in the southwestern region. This group operated under the guise of religion and specialized in child trafficking, claiming they were conducting sacred sacrifices. The leader escaped during transport and has been missing since."
The file included a wanted poster. Although it was dated long ago, the person in the photo was unmistakably a young Zhang Shouren!
"I see now," Jiang Zhendong slammed his hand on the table. "He exploited the village's isolation and superstition to establish his organization!"
"It's not just a construction," Zhou Jing said. "He has turned Changling Village into a perfect crime base. On the surface, it looks like a backward mountain village, but in reality..."
Before she could finish her sentence, a police officer rushed in. "Captain Jiang! It's happened! Granny Li has been found dead at the village entrance, covered in blood!"
The room fell silent instantly. After a long pause, Zhou Jing finally spoke, her voice trembling. "They are warning us."
"No," I clenched my fists. "They are afraid. Granny Li must have discovered something, which is why they..."
At that moment, my phone rang. It was a message from an unknown number. I opened it to find a video: in a dimly lit basement, A Hu stood with a knife in front of a bound person. Though the man was covered in blood, I recognized him immediately—it was my foster father, Old Liu!
"There’s one hour left," Zhang Shouren's hoarse voice came through the video. "If you dare to expose this, he will become the second Granny Li!"
My hands shook uncontrollably. Jiang Zhendong snatched the phone from me. "Don't be afraid; we will locate him immediately!"
Outside, the morning light was just beginning to break through. But I knew that the real darkness was only just beginning.
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