He Yining's large hand slowly traced over Shen Qi's back, his slender fingers carrying an unspoken tenderness as they gently soothed her lingering fear. He replied in a low voice, "It's a major local gang that controls a lot of people involved in various gray industries. We're newcomers here, so she called us over to give us a warning. The sedative in the food was both a warning and a test. If we fell for it, we'd become their merchandise. If we stayed alert and didn't make a move, they wouldn't bother us either."
Shen Qi's hair stood on end even more. "How dare they do something like this?" she whispered. "Isn't anyone stopping them?"
"Stop them? This place is in the middle of nowhere. There's no way to manage it all." He Yining chuckled softly. "And local snakes have always been around. Silly girl, you're still too green."
"Then those people crying..." Shen Qi asked uncertainly.
"Just unlucky souls." He Yining patted her back. "Even if we stepped in, we might not be able to save them, and we'd end up trapped here ourselves."
Shen Qi understood instantly. She stopped dwelling on it, forcibly blocking out the wailing sounds, and gradually drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, in the village chief's house, the scout returned with news. "Chief, that group hasn't made a move."
"They're alert people." The chief smiled and said, "Good, they know their limits and didn't meddle."
The middle-aged woman still looked regretful. "What a fine catch."
The chief stepped forward and said, "No matter how good the catch, you have to be able to handle it! That man—there are probably few in this world who could keep him."
With that, the chief turned to the others. "Fix the road quickly tomorrow, or no guests will get in! Since we're in this business, we have to do the job right!"
"Yes," several voices replied in unison.
"Pang Pang, you'd better not set your sights on that man, or you'll bring trouble on yourself." The chief warned the middle-aged woman. "I'm not even sure I can handle him."
"Got it."
The middle-aged woman, Pang Pang, glanced reluctantly toward the RV, her eyes flickering. She still wanted to try. What if she succeeded? Maybe she'd get a chance to enjoy a man of such top-tier looks... She'd seen countless men and could tell at a glance that this stunningly handsome man must have impressive assets. Even just one night would be worth it.
The chief left with the others to patrol. Once they were gone, Pang Pang couldn't resist any longer and slowly crept toward the RV.
The moment Pang Pang entered the警戒范围, she was spotted. He Yining's earpiece communicator buzzed with the bodyguard's voice: "Someone's crossed the警戒线 and is sneaking toward us. Body shape analysis shows 80% match with the middle-aged woman who greeted us tonight."
He Yining glanced at Shen Qi, who had finally fallen asleep. He kissed her forehead and gently withdrew his arm. There were things he didn't want his Xiao Qi to know—like the taint of blood. He'd handle those himself. His Xiao Qi could stay pure and kind forever.
He Yining quietly left the room, where Xiao Chun was already waiting outside. As soon as he emerged, Xiao Chun handed him his coat. He Yining put it on and asked, "Just one person?"
"Yes," Xiao Chun replied. "Looks like she's acting alone."
A sinister, cold smile curled at the corner of He Yining's mouth. "If she dares to come, she's not going back."
He Yining pulled up the surveillance feed. On screen, the middle-aged woman was sneaking toward them furtively. She'd never seen an RV before and didn't know how to open it. She fumbled around the door for a while, unable to find the latch.
He Yining said to Xiao Chun, "She's yours."
"Yes." Xiao Chun turned and left, opening the door directly.
Pang Pang hadn't expected them to open the door for her and stood there awkwardly. "Can I help you?" Xiao Chun asked with his usual professional smile, though a glint of murder flashed in his eyes.
Pang Pang glanced inside the RV, and when she saw the luxurious interior, greed flickered unmistakably in her eyes. "Oh, I just came to ask if you need any help," she said. "Where's Mr. He? Has he gone to sleep?"
"Yes, he's already asleep. Please, come in." Xiao Chun smiled warmly. "It's still raining outside. Thank you for coming."
Hearing the invitation to board, Pang Pang's eyes lit up with surprise, and she stepped inside without a second thought. The moment her foot touched the pure white carpet, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck, and everything went black.
Xiao Chun grabbed Pang Pang and tossed her to a bodyguard. "Get whatever useful information you can out of her."
Shen Wu yawned as he came out of his room. "Why aren't you asleep?" He Yining pushed a glass of red wine toward him. Shen Wu took it and downed it in one gulp. "It's too noisy out there."
He Yining looked toward the faint, flickering lights in the distance. "It is a bit noisy. But we can't act rashly."
"What do you think these people are?" Shen Wu asked.
"Hard to say." He Yining's slender fingers gently traced the rim of the glass, his phoenix eyes lowered. "I've heard of a very secretive organization that controls a lot of human resources."
Shen Wu nodded. "So you've heard about it too."
"What?" He Yining raised an eyebrow at Shen Wu. "Are you interested in this?"
"Not interested," Shen Wu replied helplessly, slumping onto the table. "It's an assignment. Why else do you think my boss approved my leave so quickly and gave me such a long vacation?"
"The Ministry of Commerce doesn't handle this, does it?" He Yining raised another eyebrow.
"I'm seconded to the Ministry of Commerce," Shen Wu said weakly. "Even though I'm under their jurisdiction for now, I still have to do my main job."
"So that's why you were so eager to come with us," He Yining said with a sly grin. "I thought it was just to pay respects to your uncle."
"Shh, shh, don't say that!" Shen Wu replied seriously. "Paying respects to my uncle is one of my goals. I'm just doing my work on the side! Two birds with one stone, perfect!"
"I won't lend you too many of my people," He Yining said bluntly. "I don't have enough hands."
Shen Wu nodded. "I understand. I'm only here to gather intel this time."
"We've already caught one who came to us willingly. We'll get information out of her soon." As He Yining spoke, Xiao Chun knocked and entered.
"Boss, we've got the intel." Xiao Chun placed the report on the table. "What should we do with her?"
He Yining tossed the report to Shen Wu and said slowly, "Wait. They'll probably come to claim her soon. That's when we show our strength."
"Understood." Xiao Chun immediately went to make arrangements.
If the other side came to demand her back, it would come down to force. To truly intimidate them, they'd have to reveal their firepower. All the bodyguards and assistants armed themselves and stood by, fully loaded.
After reading the report, Shen Wu's brow furrowed deeply. The situation was far worse than he'd imagined.
"What's up?" He Yining asked casually. "Problems?"
"Big problems," Shen Wu said gravely. "These people have gone this insane. I have to relay this to the Ministry of Public Security immediately. This cancer has to be removed."
Curious, He Yining glanced at the report and was momentarily speechless. These people were indeed too brazen. They ran not only various flesh trades but also human trafficking, smuggling, and organ sales. No wonder the higher-ups had sent someone undercover.
Shen Wu pulled out his phone, photographed the report, and sent it off. Once the transmission was complete, he said, "We need to get out of here fast. It won't stay peaceful for long."
"That depends on whether they let us through," He Yining said with a light laugh.
Just then, Xiao Chun came to report again. "The village chief has brought people and wants to see you."
He Yining nodded and stood up. "Let's go. Time to negotiate a deal."
Shen Wu called out behind him, "Hey, you're going to do business with people like that? Careful you don't get dragged into it!"
"A businessman is always a schemer," He Yining said with a wicked grin over his shoulder. "You haven't arrested them yet, have you? Before that, I can have a nice, big talk with her about a deal!"
Shen Wu shook his head helplessly.
He Yining strode out of the RV. Everyone was standing outside in the rain. By now, the rain had lightened to a fine drizzle, refreshing against their skin.
The village chief stood with over twenty men on one side, her expression dark and uncertain as she watched He Yining. She lowered her voice and said, "Mr. He, we've lost someone. Would you mind if we searched for her?"
"Oh? Is that so?" He Yining spread his hands coolly. "You lose someone and want to search my vehicle. What's in it for me? I never do anything without a benefit."
The village chief sneered. "Mr. He, are you just stalling? Without my say-so, do you think you can leave here?"
"What do you think?" He Yining tossed out those three words casually, then stepped into the enemy's formation. With a sudden side kick, he sent a man with a hostile glare flying!
That kick was pure perfection! If a cameraman had been there to capture it, it could have won an international award!
He Yining moved so fast the others didn't react. After knocking one man down, he grabbed another by the jaw, dislocated it with a light twist, and punched him.
Crack. The sound of bone breaking was clear in the night air.
The next second, both sides raised their weapons, aiming at each other.
He Yining stood calmly, looking at the village chief. "So, Chief, can we have a proper talk now? I'm a businessman, and I love making deals. If we come to a satisfactory agreement, everything will be fine."