"No, I don't believe it."
Xiao Liu shook his head. He wasn't stupid. The story of waiting by the stump for a rabbit was just a story. If people really believed they could get lucky, why would anyone work hard?
"If you don't even believe this, you might as well stay in your archives.
This stakeout job tests patience the most. When I was fighting monkeys in the south, I'd lie in wait for a day and a night. The mosquitoes could suck me dry, and I couldn't move. Only then could I catch a rabbit.
Now, without my permission, don't you dare open your mouth. Shut up, understand?"
"Alright."
Xiao Liu scratched his head. Brother Huang always lectured him indirectly, and he had a terrible temper.
Suddenly, he saw a young man appear behind him, a sack slung over his shoulder and another tucked under his arm. The man was looking around furtively.
This person was Xie Sui.
Xiao Liu nudged Huang Tianliang hard. Annoyed, Huang Tianliang retorted, "What are you poking me for? Am I your stove? You're poking me to death!"
"Brother Huang, you told me to shut up. Someone's here. Is it the rabbit we're waiting for?"
If Xie Sui heard that, he'd be furious. *You're the rabbit? Your whole family are rabbits!*
Huang Tianliang saw him too, his eyes narrowing. "Quietly. The main target is here. Call people from your club, and I'll keep an eye on them."
"Brother Huang, can you handle it alone?"
"Or do you want to keep watch while I go back?"
"No, I'll go call for backup. Be careful, Brother Huang."
Huang Tianliang watched Xie Sui enter the courtyard. He leaped onto the roof, clinging to it like a gecko, and had a clear view of the situation inside.
Xie Sui followed the others around to the backyard, where there was a small gate. Passing through it led to another courtyard, which was Chen Qiang's lair.
"Young Master Xie, you're quite punctual. Let me take a look."
Chen Qiang was very satisfied. In the face of money, conscience was worthless. He could sell his own son, so what he was doing was already very kind.
"No, Brother Qiang, you promised me. Don't let the child see."
Xie Sui held his hand, his eyes showing hesitation, reluctance, and guilt. He played the role of a father with a lingering conscience, yet consumed by greed, extremely convincingly.
"Haha, alright. Send him in."
The child's mouth was gagged. Judging by their build, they were about the same age, so there shouldn't be a mistake. Chen Qiang handed over the rest of the money, and Xie Sui fled as if escaping a plague.
The rest was up to Huang Tianliang. However, Xie Sui wasn't at ease. He didn't leave immediately, wanting to witness Chen Qiang and his gang being caught. He found a corner and squatted down to watch.
Time slowly passed. Huang Tianliang on the roof, Xie Sui in the corner, and Xiao Liu going to get help – like mantises stalking cicadas with orioles behind them, each link in a chain pulling at the heartstrings of those inside the courtyard.
He had expected Chen Qiang to wait until dark to move the children. But less than half an hour later, a donkey cart stopped at the entrance. The cart had a simple canopy made of straw mats, not pretty, but enough to shield them from wind and rain.
At this time, bicycles weren't common, and motorcycles were rare. Forget vans and cars. If a van actually showed up, how many people would gather to watch?
These people were experienced criminals, and they handled the details well.
Two honest-looking old farmers got down. Chen Qiang opened the door and led them in.
Xie Sui became nervous. Where was Brother Huang? Was he capable?
If the children were truly taken away, he would have aided and abetted evil, and his conscience would be burdened forever.
When they brought out four or five children and placed them in the cart, there was still no movement. Just as Xie Sui was about to take action himself, Huang Tianliang finally moved.
"Stop! You've been surrounded. Raise your hands and surrender. Seek leniency. Anyone who dares to flee will face my gun. Dying is in vain."
Chen Qiang and the human traffickers panicked. How could there be public security officers?
"Comrade, you've misunderstood. We're all good people. This is a relative's house. We were helping to look after the children, and we're taking them home. We're not human traffickers."
Huang Tianliang sneered, "Did I say you were human traffickers?"
He was a reconnaissance scout by training, specializing in interrogating criminals. Dealing with these petty thieves was like using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken.
The two panicked and exchanged glances. They split up and ran. There wouldn't be many police officers in a small town, so their best bet was to escape one by one.
Chen Qiang grew even more frantic, closed the door, and ran to the backyard, intending to flee as far as possible while they drew the attention.
Xie Sui saw Huang Tianliang kick one of them down and handcuff another to a door handle. Huang Tianliang then turned to chase the other trafficker. Xie Sui didn't need to help him.
He thought for a moment, picked up a wooden plank, and went to intercept Chen Qiang. He wouldn't be able to swallow his anger without beating him.
Chen Qiang, not forgetting to grab his belongings, emerged into a patch of desolate woods. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, a strong gust of wind hit him. He instinctively dodged, but the blow still landed on his face.
"Damn it, who dares to sneak attack me?"
"Your grandpa!"
Xie Sui followed up with another blow, striking ruthlessly, aiming for vital points, leaving Chen Qiang unable to fight back.
Unfortunately, his current body was still weak. It wasn't the sturdy physique he had cultivated by hiring professional boxers in his later life, which would have made it easy to fight five or six men.
However, his combat skills were still there, and he was willing to be ruthless. He beat Chen Qiang until he was wailing, and finally, Chen Qiang realized it was Xie Sui, and he understood that he had been tricked by Xie Sui.
"Xie Sui, you dare to plot against me?"
"Damn you! You dared to plot against my son, shouldn't I plot against you? Falling into my hands today, you have no one to blame. You scumbag who will never have descendants! You dare to sell children, you don't deserve to be human, even beasts would find you dirty!"
He beat Chen Qiang so hard that he couldn't retaliate. With pursuers behind him, Chen Qiang had no choice but to beg, "Brother Xie, I was wrong. Spare me, and we'll go our separate ways. I, Chen Qiang, will never seek revenge on you in this lifetime!"
"What did you call me?"
With two heavy blows to his back, Chen Qiang endured the humiliation and said, "Grandpa Xie, Ancestor, I'll kowtow to you. Please spare me!"
"Kowtow. Kowtow until I'm satisfied!"
Xie Sui leaned on his stick, like a cat playing with a mouse, watching Chen Qiang kowtow repeatedly. Finally, he had vented his anger.
As Chen Qiang struggled, his bag fell open, and the money inside was exposed. Both their eyes fell on it, and the atmosphere instantly froze.
"Xie Sui, this is all my worldly possessions. I'll give you half..."
"Hmm, I'll give you a chance to rephrase."
"All of it."
"Heh, ill-gotten gains. Grandpa doesn't care for them."
"You... what do you want before you'll let me go?"
Xie Sui said, "Only if you die here will I let your soul go and let you reincarnate."
Chen Qiang: "..."
*Damn it, I've been tricked by him!*
"I'll fight you!"
*Bang, bang, bang!* Xie Sui, having been prepared, struck even harder, managing to knock Chen Qiang unconscious. He then used Chen Qiang's belt to tie his hands and feet and sat on the ground, panting heavily.
An hour passed, and Xie Sui was so sleepy he was dozing off when Huang Tianliang and his men finally found him. Looking at the scene before them, everyone was stunned!