Imperial Capital University, Dorm 207.
Han Yuan, who was browsing on his phone while lying in bed, suddenly jumped up with a face that looked like he discovered the New Continent, and shouted, "Old Wu, Old Liang, come and look at this!"
He handed his phone to Wu You and Liang Dong, who approached curiously.
A video was playing on the phone.
And the content of the video...
In the mirage, a figure suddenly raised its arm, and then a tree fell nearby.
"Is this a mirage?"
Liang Dong was a little surprised.
Han Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, it’s a mirage. A mirage appeared in the sky above the summit of Wuling Mountain, and it’s already spreading on the internet."
While speaking, he pointed to the figure in the mirage and asked, "Don’t you think this figure looks a bit like Beichen?"
"Beichen?"
Liang Dong and Wu You were stunned for a moment. They looked at the figure carefully, and to be honest, it really did look quite similar!
Then, Wu You shook his head and smiled, "It does look somewhat like him, but you don’t seriously think it’s Beichen, do you? Beichen doesn’t have the power to make a tree fall with a wave of his hand."
"Moreover..."
Liang Dong picked up the conversation, shaking his head with a helpless smile, "Although the mirage appeared in the sky above Wuling Mountain’s summit, it doesn’t mean it’s depicting Wuling Mountain. Usually, the location where a mirage appears is thousands of miles away from the actual place. Even if Beichen went to Wuling Mountain, it’s even less likely that he’s the figure in the mirage."
"Well..."
After hearing their arguments, Han Yuan immediately felt less confident. Could it be that he was overthinking?
But despite this.
He still had a mysterious feeling...
That this figure was his roommate.
"Let’s ask Beichen when he comes back."
Han Yuan was stubborn.
However, his words reminded everyone of one thing — Lin Beichen still hadn’t been contacted!
Liang Dong picked up his phone and dialed Lin Beichen.
"Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unreachable. Please try again later..."
Listening to the familiar prompt.
He hung up the phone.
With furrowed brows, he looked at his two roommates, his face full of worry, "Still can’t reach Beichen. The counselor’s tone when asking if we could reach Beichen... It sounded off. I hope Beichen hasn’t gotten into any trouble."
Han Yuan and Wu You didn’t say anything, but their worried expressions said it all, hoping everything was fine!
...
...
Wuling Mountain Police Station, interrogation room.
Xiao Peng and Wang Kai sat at the table, a small lamp illuminating the dim room.
A few meters away from them.
Sun Chao sat in a single chair, fixed to his seat by a small table and handcuffs.
Although the mirage above Wuling Mountain’s summit hadn’t disappeared yet.
But...
Xiao Peng and the other officers knew they weren’t here for sightseeing but for a mission.
So, they didn’t stay long at Wuling Mountain.
They controlled Sun Chao and the other three and began their descent.
Zou Huaide, due to his severe injuries, was taken directly to the hospital for treatment on the way back, while Sun Chao and the others were brought back.
No time was given for rest or buffering.
Xiao Peng and Wang Kai decided to begin formal interrogation immediately.
"Name!"
"Sun Chao."
"Gender!"
"Male."
"Sun Chao, according to our investigation, you’re different from Zou Huaide and the others. They’re involved in murder cases and won’t escape punishment whether they cooperate or not. But you don’t have a criminal record. If you actively cooperate and answer our questions, you might get a lighter sentence. Understand?"
"I understand."
Sun Chao nodded. He had already figured out on the way back to the station that honesty would lead to leniency!
Wang Kai didn’t beat around the bush and directly asked, "How many people are in your gang altogether?"
After all, this case belonged to the Xianmen Police Station, and Xiao Peng and the Wuling Mountain Police Station were only assisting. He had to lead the interrogation.
"Including me, there are seventeen people in total."
"So, besides Li Youquan, who died earlier, the people on Wuling Mountain are all from your gang? No other accomplices still at large?"
"Yes, none at large."
"When did your gang start trafficking children? How many cases have you committed during this time? In other words, how many children have you trafficked in total?"
"About a year ago."
Sun Chao estimated a time, then added with certainty, "We trafficked six children in total."
"Bang——!"
Wang Kai slammed the table forcefully and shouted angrily, "Sun Chao, don’t play games with me. Lying about your case count won’t do you any good!"
A gang of nearly twenty people...
Only six children trafficked in a year?
That’s hardly believable.
He didn’t believe this human trafficking gang committed just six cases, thinking Sun Chao was trying to lessen his sentence by minimizing the count.
"Officer, I’m not lying."
Sun Chao wanted to gesture but the heavy clank reminded him of his handcuffs.
Sun Chao hurriedly explained, "We didn’t just randomly scout and abduct children. The boss gave us a list. The children on the list were from all over Huaxia. We had to find them ourselves. This process was lengthy, not to mention scouting and planning the operation. It took about two months to abduct one child."
List?
Boss?
Wang Kai immediately caught these keywords and frowned, asking, "List? How were the children on the list determined? Why choose them? Boss? Your gang has a superior?"
"I don’t know how the children on the list were determined. Maybe only the boss knows."
Sun Chao shook his head helplessly and continued, "The boss isn’t really our superior but our buyer, our only buyer. We sold the abducted children to the boss. Each child fetched a high price, so even with all the boss’s requirements, we didn’t mind."
Only buyer?
Wang Kai suddenly thought of something and asked, "So, this boss is a foreigner?"
"Yes, a foreigner who speaks Huaxia."
"What’s he look like?"
"I don’t know."
Sun Chao shook his head again, saying, "I’ve never seen the boss. He always communicated with us via specialized satellite phone. When we traded the abducted children, it was always the boss’s subordinates who did it."
After listening to his confession.
Wang Kai and Xiao Peng unconsciously looked at each other, eyes filled with solemnity and confusion.
What a tightly organized setup!
They realized that this so-called "boss" and his foreign organization were not simple.
Such a tightly knit organization...
Why list these children and control a trafficking gang to abduct them?
What drew this foreign organization to these children?
What did this organization want?
At this moment, Wang Kai and Xiao Peng felt a vast web closing in on them, suffocating and alarming!
Xiao Peng solemnly said, "It seems that this foreign organization needs to be the focus of investigation!"
"Indeed."
Wang Kai’s eyes sparkled as he analyzed, "Regarding the ’boss,’ we can approach from two angles: First, after Zou Huaide’s wounds are treated, interrogate him for more information about the ’boss,’ maybe even a description. Second, follow up on the foreign individuals who contacted Zou Huaide and Li Wangxin, using them as a starting point to track down and dismantle this foreign organization, rescuing the abducted children!"
Xiao Peng nodded repeatedly, indicating strong agreement with Wang Kai’s views. He then said, "I’ll check on Zou Huaide’s treatment status to expedite his interrogation."
"I’ll re-examine the foreign individuals who contacted Zou Huaide and Li Wangxin to verify their identities."
After speaking, Wang Kai turned towards Sun Chao, who was not far away, saying, "It looks like he’s confessed almost everything. The only thing left is the list of children’s names."
Pausing briefly, he deliberated before continuing, "Officer Xiao, let’s have someone come and watch him, making him write down the children’s names from the list. Then we can discreetly protect them. If the ’boss’ knows his gang was taken down, given his emphasis on these children, he’d surely send someone after them again. We can also observe these children to see what draws this foreign organization."
"Alright."
Xiao Peng nodded, then stood up with Wang Kai.
They had been speaking in low voices.
Sun Chao didn’t hear their exact words but understood they were about to leave from their actions.
Why are they leaving now?!
That’s not right.
He had a bellyful of words about Lin Beichen, waiting to be asked so he could spill everything out.
"Hey, officers, are you done with the questions?"
"Do you have anything else to confess voluntarily?"
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Seeing the two sit back down, Sun Chao hurriedly said, "Lin Beichen!"
"Lin Beichen?"
"Yes, him. Don’t you want to ask about him?"
Without waiting for Wang Kai and Xiao Peng to ask, Sun Chao began spilling everything, "Officers, Zou wasn’t making things up on the mountain, and neither was I. Look how cooperative I am; I wouldn’t lie now. Lin Beichen isn’t an ordinary student; he’s a master, a true master!"
Recalling the past.
Horrific memories surged back.
He couldn’t help but tremble but insisted, "Remember when you asked me about the pit? I saw Lin Beichen sitting there when I went up the mountain. He was meditating, identical to the figure in the mirage! And I saw lightning strike him, leaving him unscathed! Later, when we sought revenge, he was gone, but suddenly lightning killed Zhong Bai. As we pursued him, more lightning followed, killing sixteen out of seventeen, leaving just four and Li Youquan. He’s maliciously involved..."
Listening to Sun Chao’s tearful recount.
Wang Kai and Xiao Peng felt uneasy. Sun Chao’s cooperation suggested he was sincere, not fabricating to frame Lin Beichen. It wouldn’t make sense given his willingness to cooperate.
"Li Youquan was simply unlucky, struck by lightning while escaping?"
"And the human traffickers on the mountain..."
"Also as unlucky as Li Youquan?"
"Lin Beichen attracts lightning?"
"How could they all be precisely hit by lightning?"
"How could they be so unlucky?"
These incidents... The more they pondered, the more puzzling it seemed!
And Lin Beichen... The more they thought, the more mysterious he seemed!
At that moment, a thought crossed their minds—
Could there be more to this?