Sanxian County had done a decent job with environmental protection. Many mountainous areas, in order to develop agricultural and forestry economies, had cut down their original trees and replanted fast-growing eucalyptus. But most of Sanxian County’s mountains were still covered in pine trees. Walking through the hills, the air was thick with the scent of pine resin. Good original ecology, however, also meant treacherous terrain. Mountain paths were hard to climb, as beneath the pines lay thick layers of fallen needles. When pine needles piled up too much, stepping on them could easily make you slip.
Qin Liang accidentally stepped on a patch of needles. His foot slid, his body staggered, and he nearly fell. Luckily, he reacted quickly, grabbing a tree branch to steady himself. Once he stood firm, he was about to warn Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang, especially Xia Hang, who looked like he had no experience walking through mountain ravines, to avoid areas where the needles were thick. But when he lifted his head, he saw that Xia Hang was actually the most stable of the three. Even Qin Liang himself, who was used to running around rural areas, wasn’t walking as steadily as Xia Hang.
Xia Hang knew pine needles were slippery, especially in places where the ground showed nothing but needles, with no plants visible. Underneath was usually loose gravel. A layer of pine needles over gravel was like skiing on plastic bags, extremely slick. So he placed his feet mostly where plants were growing, kept close to tree roots, and occasionally grabbed at shrubs under the pines to borrow strength as he climbed.
Han Huaixiao knew Xia Hang was afraid of snakes. At first, he deliberately walked ahead of him. Gradually, he fell behind, but he stayed alert, watching the surroundings. After climbing a bit further, there was a sudden rustling beneath the pine needles. A green bamboo pit viper, startled, shot out. Han Huaixiao yanked Xia Hang back in one swift motion and struck down with the branch he’d picked up earlier to probe the path.
The bamboo viper was knocked unconscious, and Han Huaixiao lifted it with the branch and tossed it down the mountain. Seeing clearly what it was, Qin Liang felt a wave of lingering fear. “That thing’s highly venomous,” he said. “If it bit someone, it’d be serious. Good thing Captain Han reacted fast.”
After discarding the snake at top speed, Han Huaixiao turned to look at Xia Hang, but Xia Hang’s face showed neither shock nor fear. Han Huaixiao couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t you afraid of snakes?”
Xia Hang thought of a particular snake pit that had haunted him in nightmares for nearly a year. Lowering his voice, he said, “Not anymore.”
Han Huaixiao wanted to ask how he’d overcome it, but seeing Xia Hang continue climbing without any intention of elaborating, he swallowed the question.
When they reached the first mountain peak, there was a flat patch of grass at the top, and the three of them sat down almost simultaneously. Xia Hang took out the two oranges Qin Liang had given him earlier, peeled them, and shared them out. After climbing for so long, they were both thirsty and hungry, so the few sweet, juicy pieces finally made them feel a bit better.
The mountain road was difficult, and to stay light, they hadn’t brought much with them. After eating the oranges, Xia Hang noticed something red in a nearby thorny bush that looked like wild berries, so he asked Qin Liang, “Brother Liang, are those raspberries over there?”
Qin Liang followed his finger. “Yeah, but don’t eat them. You don’t know if some poisonous rodents or insects have crawled over them.” With that, the bright, tempting berries instantly lost all appeal.
Han Huaixiao took a sip of water, glanced at the pig farm still about halfway away, and said, “Let’s go. If we delay any longer, it’ll be dark before we get there.”
They deliberately picked up the pace for the latter half, but the terrain was truly brutal. Gritting their teeth, half walking, half climbing, they finally reached a patch of trees about a hundred meters from the pig farm.
By then, night had already fallen.
Looking through the trees, they could see several buildings made of prefabricated panels, their windows open. Through one window, they could vaguely make out a kitchen, with cookware and tables inside. Another room was larger, with mahjong tables and a pool table. At the moment, there were a few young men in their early twenties washing dishes in the kitchen, while eight or nine men between twenty-five and forty were playing mahjong and pool in the other room.
Xia Hang poked Han Huaixiao’s arm and whispered, “One of the guys washing dishes, could that be Liu Guangjie, the village chief’s son?”
Han Huaixiao replied quietly, “It’s him.”
Qin Liang asked, “Captain Han, what do we do next?”
Han Huaixiao said, “First, observe carefully. How many people are there in total? And see what weapons they have.”
Hearing that, Qin Liang added, “On the left side, there are ten people we can see. That building over there has multiple floors but no lights on; we don’t know if there’s anyone inside.”
Xia Hang also stared inside, noticing, “I don’t see Liu Peng… or his brother who looks just like him.”
Han Huaixiao’s phone vibrated. He took it out, turned his body to shield the screen’s light, and opened a message from Yuan Libo.
[Captain Han, we’ve found the place where Liu Peng’s grandmother abandoned the baby back then. It’s on the second hillside on the way into Lingshan Village. Three kilometers from there is a village called Zhushan Village.]
[There’s an elderly woman in Zhushan Village whose daughter married into the neighboring city, Maoyi City. Her son-in-law is infertile. Thirty years ago, when the couple came back to visit her family, they found a child on the hillside. The child was wrapped in an old blue garment, matching Liu Peng’s grandmother’s account.]
[The child was raised and survived. We showed the elderly woman’s son a screenshot from our surveillance footage, and he said it was him. His name is Jiang Tao. We found an old piece of clothing he used to wear at the woman’s house and retrieved several strands of hair. The test results aren’t out yet, but there’s a high probability he’s Liu Peng’s twin brother.]
Just after reading Yuan Libo’s message, another one came in, this time from He Zhengye.
[The biological sample comparison results from the urban village are out. The person who shot Chen Zhengde is the same one who killed officer Guo Zhengqi and Wei Zixuan.]
Han Huaixiao narrowed his eyes. This Jiang Tao had appeared on surveillance footage with Chen Zhengde before. They looked familiar with each other, and judging by their demeanor, Chen Zhengde was clearly the superior, with Jiang Tao as his subordinate. Then, why would Jiang Tao shoot Chen Zhengde?
His brows knit as he thought. Suddenly, someone gestured toward the front-left. Han Huaixiao followed the direction and saw Liu Guangjie, the village chief’s son, leave the kitchen with another man, carrying buckets. Holding flashlights, they followed a bald man and headed northwest.
“Qin Liang, you stay here,” Han Huaixiao said, then gestured for Xia Hang to follow him over to take a look.
Xia Hang went with him. After walking a short distance, they saw Liu Guangjie and the others stop in front of a rock wall. The bald man took out a key. With a click, a door about one meter wide opened in the rock wall, then closed again almost immediately.
Xia Hang whispered, “What’s inside?”
Han Huaixiao said, “Too far. They blocked most of the view. I didn’t see clearly, just vaguely saw what looked like cages.”
“Cages?” Xia Hang frowned. “Are they smuggling protected animals?”
“Probably not,” Han Huaixiao replied. “This area is mountainous, but it’s not deep forest. It’d be hard to hunt wild animals here.”
“They’ll come out again later,” Xia Hang said. “Should we get a bit closer?”
“Don’t rush,” Han Huaixiao said. “First, check if there are surveillance cameras nearby.”
If there was illegal activity inside the cave, they’d definitely have cameras around the entrance to guard against outsiders. The two of them checked carefully and quickly found two cameras, one on a tree opposite the rock wall and another above the stone door, both facing their direction. If they’d gone just a few meters closer earlier, the camera on the rock wall would’ve caught them. The cameras, like the door, were painted with stone-like patterns. Without close inspection or without seeing the door open, you’d never realize there was anything suspicious about that rock wall.
Now that they knew where the cameras were, it became easier. They avoided the cameras’ fields of view and slowly moved closer, hiding behind a large tree that allowed them to see the stone door head-on.
As the only tree big enough to conceal them, the two had no choice but to stand close together. After climbing for so long, neither of them smelled particularly good, sweat mixed with the scents of grass and trees. Xia Hang quietly took a deep breath. Amid the jumble of smells, he caught that faint, cold, distinctive scent that belonged only to Han Huaixiao.
Less than a hundred meters away were likely ruthless drug traffickers. Yet with his arm pressed against Han Huaixiao’s, a sense of security rose unbidden. It had always been like that. Years ago, and even now, so long as he was beside this man, his heart felt strangely steady.
Xia Hang was 182 centimeters tall, but Han Huaixiao was five centimeters taller. Xia Hang faced the stone door, leaning against the tree, while Han Huaixiao stood behind him. With a slight tilt of his head, Han Huaixiao could see Xia Hang’s well-shaped ear and a stretch of pale neck. An image from both the past and the present surfaced unbidden in his mind.
Back when they were together, if Han Huaixiao got off work early, he’d drive an hour back to their alma mater to have dinner with Xia Hang. After eating, they’d stroll around campus and chat. Once, they wandered beneath a century-old ginkgo tree. It was autumn; the leaves had all turned yellow, and a thin layer covered the ground. Xia Hang got a little tired and leaned against the tree to rest. When he lifted his head to look at the canopy of golden leaves, Han Huaixiao couldn’t help wrapping an arm around him and kissing his long, pale neck.
It had been night too.
The campus lights were dim, and there was no one around. He’d kissed and sucked at Xia Hang’s neck and earlobe again and again. Even now, he could still remember the unforgettable feel of it and the captivating expression on Xia Hang’s face.
Han Huaixiao let out a silent, self-mocking scoff. Captivating? he thought. That was your illusion. Xia Hang already said it; he and you are incompatible.
The tangle of emotions flashed by. Han Huaixiao reined himself in and focused on the surroundings.
More than ten minutes later, the stone door opened again. However, what lay beyond it made even Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang, both accustomed to seeing all kinds of crime scenes, inhale sharply.
The bald man came out, and the stone door closed again quickly. This time, they were closer, with a clearer view. Though it lasted only a few seconds, it was enough.
Inside was a cave. Steel bars had been welded into several iron cages over a meter tall. One cage held young girls, another young boys. There were at least seven or eight girls in the women’s cage, and four or five boys in the other. Liu Guangjie was naked from the waist down, pinning a violently struggling girl beneath him and assaulting her.
Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang clenched their fists. In an instant, they understood.
This pig farm wasn’t for drug manufacturing, nor was it for group drug use as they’d speculated.
They were trafficking people.
The place was likely a transit and hiding point. Those girls and boys would be sold to various entertainment venues or smuggled abroad and resold overseas.
Scum.
Absolute scum!
Xia Hang looked at Han Huaixiao, silently asking what to do. They were too close to the cameras, so Han Huaixiao gestured for them to retreat first and discuss a plan elsewhere.
Xia Hang followed him. Halfway back, a big yellow dog and a cat suddenly burst out from the corner of the prefab building. The dog had chased the cat out, and upon sensing strangers, it began barking wildly.
Han Huaixiao reacted instantly. He grabbed a stone from the ground and hurled it at the dog. The dog collapsed, knocked unconscious, but the people inside had already been alerted.
The next second, three floodlights snapped on, illuminating everything within fifty meters like daylight, as chaotic footsteps rushed toward them. Behind them was the mountain, so they could’ve fled uphill, but just as they were about to run, two more large dogs lunged out, blocking their retreat.
There was no time to dodge.
Xia Hang glanced at the men closing in. They seemed to be the same ones who’d been playing mahjong and pool earlier, and leading them was a man in a black shirt, a string of prayer beads around his wrist…
Absurdly ironic.
The leader was Liu Kun, the owner of the pig farm. Han Huaixiao swept his gaze around but didn’t see Jiang Tao.
Liu Kun held an iron rod. The others carried machetes and steel pipes, surrounding Xia Hang and Han Huaixiao. Liu Kun’s triangular eyes fixed on them, raging, “Who are you?!”
Han Huaixiao was about to speak, but Xia Hang beat him to it. “We… we… We’ll pay! We’ll compensate you… for the dog, one thousand yuan… okay?”
Han Huaixiao caught the change in Xia Hang’s expression out of the corner of his eye. Xia Hang pointed shakily at the unconscious dog on the ground, looking terrified and guilty. Han Huaixiao immediately understood and put on an equally frightened, evasive act.
Liu Kun frowned. “You here to steal my dogs?!”
Xia Hang said quickly, “Boss, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again!”
Liu Kun narrowed his eyes. “Then how did you know we had dogs here?”
“Some time ago, we came up the mountain to catch snakes,” Xia Hang said. “I heard dogs barking around here.”
Liu Kun glanced at their dirt-covered clothes. “Stealing dogs and you dare steal from my, Liu Kun’s, territory? Get lost, now! If I ever see you again, I’ll chop off your hands!”
Xia Hang and Han Huaixiao lowered their heads and apologized, turning to leave. Just then, the door in the rock wall opened, and Liu Guangjie came out, tugging at his belt. Han Huaixiao caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye and knew things were about to go wrong. Sure enough, after staring at them for a few seconds, Liu Guangjie’s expression changed drastically as he ran toward Liu Kun.
“Brother Kun, they’re government people!”
Seeing that, Han Huaixiao slapped Xia Hang lightly at the small of his back, and Xia Hang immediately understood. Before Liu Kun could react, the two of them struck at the same time, snatching the weapons from the two men closest to them. With weapons in hand, each of them kicked one man flying. Only then did the others react, swinging machetes and iron rods as they surged forward.
Xia Hang and Han Huaixiao moved back to back with perfect coordination. Both were capable of fighting ten men alone, so though their opponents had numbers, they were nothing more than street brawlers, and no match at all. In no time, five or six men were knocked down by strikes with the backs of the blades. Qin Liang, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, was about to help when he saw Han Huaixiao signal him to retreat.
Xia Hang moved like lightning. He grabbed a man’s wrist, and between two blinks, the machete was already in Xia Hang’s hand. With a side kick, he sent the man and another accomplice behind him flying to the ground. On Han Huaixiao’s side, his blade moved effortlessly, knocking down another man with the back of the knife. But just as the fight seemed about to end, Xia Hang suddenly felt his scalp prickle. His body reacted faster than his mind, and he yanked Han Huaixiao hard.
A split second later, a bullet tore through the air and struck the spot where Han Huaixiao had been standing.
A sniper!
Xia Hang and Han Huaixiao darted back behind the same large tree as before, drew their service pistols, and took defensive positions, both of them stunned.
There was actually a sniper here!
Liu Kun, who had been standing in front of Han Huaixiao moments earlier, had clearly seen the bullet aimed at Han Huaixiao. He glanced up the mountain and realized the shooter hadn’t abandoned them, so his fear drained away, replaced by confidence. Cradling the arm Han Huaixiao had dislocated, he demanded, “You’re not government people, you’re cops, aren’t you?!”
The words had barely left his mouth when a bullet punched through his forehead.
He collapsed on the spot.
Han Huaixiao suddenly understood. The sniper hadn’t been trying to kill him earlier, but he’d been aiming for Liu Kun from the start. The pig farm had been exposed. As the boss, Liu Kun knew too many secrets, and the sniper had to silence him.
Not good!
He was about to flee.
Xia Hang had clearly realized it, too. “You go rescue the people being held,” he said. “I’ll pursue.”
Han Huaixiao reacted instantly, grabbing him and shouting sharply, “No! You’re not going.”
Xia Hang tried to break free. “If we don’t go now, it’ll be too late. I know forest tracking. Stay, and command here.”
Han Huaixiao pressed a hand to his shoulder, teeth clenched. “Xia Hang, I said you’re not going. Do you hear me?”
“But…”
“Chasing a criminal through an unfamiliar forest in the dark, when the other side has a sniper rifle, are you tired of living?”
Xia Hang stopped struggling. “Understood.”
Han Huaixiao released him and ordered Qin Liang, “Tie these people up.”
The men already injured and lying on the ground had watched Liu Kun get shot dead with their own eyes. They were utterly cowed, faces pale with terror, afraid the next bullet would be meant for them.
Qin Liang, a small local police officer, had never witnessed a shooting like that before either. His heart was racing, but seeing how calm Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang were gave him something to hold on to. He steadied himself and went into the prefab building, returning with a large bundle of rope.
Han Huaixiao glanced at Xia Hang. Xia Hang nodded, knowing what he meant, and walked over to the bald man. He fished a key out of the man’s pocket. Nearby, Liu Guangjie trembled violently, not daring to look up.
Han Huaixiao took out his phone and called Tang Gaoxiong, asking, “Where are you now?”
Tang Gaoxiong replied, “Team One has reached Lingshan Village. Two more teams are on their way to the pig farm to meet with you.”
“Notify ambulances to come up,” Han Huaixiao said. “They’ve imprisoned more than a dozen young men and women; some are injured and need treatment. If possible, send a couple of female officers.”
“They imprisoned more than a dozen…” Tang Gaoxiong broke off mid-sentence, realizing it wasn’t the time to ask questions. Instead, he immediately turned to a subordinate beside him, ordering, “Notify ambulances to head to the pig farm!”
Once Captain Tang finished giving orders, Han Huaixiao continued, “Tell the people heading this way they don’t need to hide anymore. Come at full speed and link up with me. There’s a sniper here; he’s fled into the mountains. Deploy people to stake out the foothills, but tell them to be extremely careful. The target is armed.”
“Captain Han, it’s mountains everywhere here!” Tang Gaoxiong said. “To set up an ambush at the base, we’d need at least several hundred people! We don’t have enough manpower!”
“Deploy as many as you can,” Han Huaixiao answered. “I’ll coordinate the rest. The foothill perimeter is the first line. Also, coordinate with the traffic police to set up roadblocks at all exits.”
“Understood. I’m coming up to meet you now.”
After finishing his arrangements, Han Huaixiao headed toward the stone cave. Xia Hang used the key to open the stone door. Inside, the people heard the sound and huddled together like startled birds, and two girls even screamed shrilly. Ever since they’d been brought here, there had been a guillotine hanging over their heads. Every time the door opened, the blade would fall. Sometimes it fell on one person, sometimes on all of them at once.
Others were evaluated by those beasts according to various criteria and graded, sent to wealthy patrons or high-end clubs. The men here wouldn’t touch those people. But the ones whose looks didn’t meet even the lowest “standards” were treated as playthings, abused at will.
By now, they had developed acute stress responses toward men. Earlier, when they saw Xia Hang enter, despair choked them.
Xia Hang felt as if a giant hand had clenched his heart. Forcing himself to stay steady, he pulled out his credentials and said clearly, “Don’t be afraid. I’m a police officer. I’m here to save you.”
These young people, tortured and pushed to the brink, froze for a split second upon hearing the word police. Then they all burst into tears.
Xia Hang unlocked the iron cages, comforting, “You’re safe now. People will contact your families right away to comeget you. Come out, slowly.”
Han Huaixiao entered at that moment, and the appearance of another unfamiliar man sent panic rippling through them again. Xia Hang quickly made a calming gesture, slowly saying, “Don’t be afraid… don’t be afraid. He’s my superior. He’s Captain Han Huaixiao, head of the Major Crimes Unit of Lang City Public Security Bureau.”
Han Huaixiao also showed his credentials, confirming Xia Hang’s words, and softened his voice. “The ambulances will be here soon,” he said. “Those of you who can, support each other and leave this place first.”
He could tell the girls were reacting strongly to men. He’d intended to help them, but after a moment’s thought, he stepped back instead, letting them support one another out. The boys were in slightly better condition and were able to walk out on their own.
Tang Gaoxiong soon arrived at the pig farm with officers and ambulances, and two female officers came as well. Led by the female officers, the victims were escorted for medical treatment and follow-up arrangements, including contacting their families.
Han Huaixiao quietly instructed them, “Don’t rush the statements. Contact their families first and stabilize them psychologically.”
“Understood,” the female officers nodded.
After arranging for the rescued victims, whose means of abduction remained unclear, to be sent down the mountain, Han Huaixiao returned to the men Qin Liang had tied up. His sharp gaze swept over them and locked onto a gray-haired man who was shaking the hardest.
“Who was the sniper who fired from the mountain just now?”
The gray-haired man shook even more. “I… I don’t know.”
“Do you have any hideouts up in the mountains?”
“I don’t know… Brother Tao doesn’t let us go up there. Even when food needs to be delivered, it’s always Brother Kun and Brother Tao who take it up.”
Han Huaixiao asked next, “The Brother Tao you mentioned, what’s his full name?”
“I don’t know. Everyone just calls him Brother Tao.”
Another man with a knife scar on his face shot the gray-haired man an angry look. They’d been drilled on what to say if they were caught, and the consensus was to never sell out the people above them. The gray-haired man was clearly scared out of his mind and about to spill everything!
And yet… the scar-faced man glanced at Liu Kun’s body, then thought of the people rescued from the cave. He knew that even if they said nothing, the police already had enough evidence to convict them. In that case, why not cooperate for leniency? Therefore, he spoke up.
“I’ve heard Brother Kun call him by his full name. It’s Jiang Tao.”
“Where is he now?” Han Huaixiao asked.
“No idea. Haven’t seen him for almost a week.”
The gray-haired man added, “He has a brother in the village below, named Liu Peng. Maybe he knows.” But the scar-faced man shook his head, adding, “Liu Peng won’t know. Brother Tao usually ignores him. Only occasionally calls him up to hang around.”
Han Huaixiao looked at Xia Hang. Xia Hang understood and pulled up a photo of Chen Zhengde on his phone, asking, “Have you seen this man?”
The scar-faced man pointed up the mountain. “Yes. We called him Brother De. He doesn’t stay down here… whenever he comes, he stays up there.”
Han Huaixiao gestured for Xia Hang to continue questioning while he took people up the mountain. Xia Hang wanted to say something, but one look from Han Huaixiao pinned him in place. He had no choice but to keep going.
“What about the one who fired the shot just now? What’s his name? What does he look like?”
“Our boss is Brother Kun. Brother Kun and Brother Tao’s boss is Brother De… and the man who fired the shot. But we don’t know his name. I’ve never even seen his face. He rarely comes here. When he does, he stays up in the mountains with Brother De.”
“Did he come alone this time, or with others?”
“He came alone in the evening.”
“Are you sure it was just him?”
“I’m sure.”
“Do you know what he came up here for?”
“To move goods. Normally, Brother De and Brother Tao handle it. Since neither of them was around, he came instead.”
“You’ve never seen his face, but you’ve seen his back. Anything distinctive?”
“He looked pretty young, around thirty. His accent was a bit strange.”
“Strange how?”
“Kind of awkward, like a foreigner.”
Realizing there was no more crucial information to be had about the sniper, Xia Hang stopped. The rest could be taken down later, so he handed the men over to Qin Liang. Worried about Han Huaixiao, who had taken people up the mountain, Xia Hang said a quick word to Qin Liang and followed after them.
Han Huaixiao’s group tracked upward along the direction the sniper’s bullet had come from. After less than ten minutes, Han Huaixiao suddenly stopped and sniffed the air, asking, “What’s that smell? Is it gasoline?”
Lu Mingda, the county SWAT team leader who had been called in, replied, “Yes, gasoline. Smells like something burning, too.”
Han Huaixiao quickened his pace. “Captain Lu, check below for any water pipes that can reach up here, and call the firefighters immediately!”
Nighttime darkness limited visibility. When they got closer, they saw a wooden cabin above. It had been doused in gasoline and was now burning fiercely, and the flames were already spreading to the surrounding area.
The intense heat forced Han Huaixiao to stop. Looking toward the cabin, he could vaguely make out two beds, a table, and a single sofa inside. To erase his traces and block pursuit, the sniper was actually planning to set fire to the entire mountain.
If the fire wasn’t controlled immediately, tens of thousands of mu of pristine mountain forest would be reduced to ashes. Han Huaixiao had no choice but to slow the pursuit and deploy personnel to fight the fire and cut firebreaks.
Meanwhile, in Lingshan Village, the police Tang Gaoxiong had left behind split into two teams, one heading to Liu Peng’s home, the other to Village Chief Liu Zhibin’s house.
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