?385: Chapter 352 Kidnapping Crackdown   385: Chapter 352 Kidnapping Crackdown                                   Xinming Vige.


    Its hallmark lies at the border of two provinces, where its development themes are intertwined with the life at the interface of the two provinces, for better or for worse.


    Li Huaqiang’s grandmother’s house was located in Xinming Vige, so after hisst release from prison, he rented a courtyard there, bought a few beds, and started a youth hostel catered specifically to backpackers arriving via the highway.


    Having traveled himself, he knew some young people intentionally avoided big cities to explore the countryside.


    All it took was a trendy name and lowering the price to twenty or thirty per bed, and there would always be people willing toe.


    In the beginning, Li Huaqiang thought of emting an inn of ill repute from “Ouws of the Marsh,” hoping to sell off solitary lodgers for a good price someday.


    After actually selling a few and making some money, Li Huaqiang started to treasure this hideout.


    Directly kidnapping and selling people was risky business.


    If he simply acted as a middleman for those in the trade, the risk became less, and the ie more stable.


    This transition proved to be a massive sess.


    Human trafficking gangs had evolved intobor-intensive industries.


    Staying at regr hotels was not only costly but required troublesome documents like identity cards.


    Moreover, bringing along abducted individuals wasn’t convenient either.


    That’s why they all looked for special ces to lodge.


    Li Huaqiang’s Xinming Vige youth hostel had thus be a link in the long chain of trafficking women and children.


    He was making money, his “colleagues” enjoyed convenience, and the vige’smerce flourished immensely.


    Flush with cash, Li Huaqiang even opened a small bar on the side.


    He typically sat at the bar entrance, savoring a bottle of beer, asionally bypassing the firewall on his phone to check messages on Telegram, and assessing the cost and method of abducting na?ve customers who mighte his way.


    If a small group arrived to stay, Li Huaqiang would spring into action.


    Using the alcohol from his bar, he’d entertain the group, earning some room and board fees while also picking out the best individuals to boldly purchase one or two, either to resell or to traffic elsewhere.


    Today was proving to be a busy day.


    The newly arrived group was resting in the courtyard, not quite reaching celebration yet, but some couldn’t help starting to drink, only restrained from making more noise by a strictly enforced code of conduct by their leader.


    In Li Huaqiang’s experience, it was quite impressive for a small group of this size to be so well-managed, no wonder they could afford to rent a car to flee.


    If it was those newly released from prison, solo drifters who fled by train, the unlucky end up captured by train police.


    There was a time when train patrols focused on catching fugitives, with some officers even earning top honors for their captures, which was absolutely absurd.


    “Boss, your phone is ringing,” the barkeeper and temporary overseer of business shouted from inside.


    Li Huaqiang responded with a “Hmm,” finished thest quarter of his beer in one gulp, and staggered to answer the call.


    “Hello,” Li Huaqiang called out.


    From the other end of the phone, there was only heavy breathing.


    Li Huaqiang frowned: “Hello?”


    “Boss, there are police cars,” the voice on the other side whispered softly.


    Li Huaqiang was taken aback, only then did he look at the caller ID on his phone, recognizing his vige entrance lookout.


    This habit, learned in prison, was something he mimicked when he returned by enlisting a vige ruffian, cating him with women a few times, and having him report on theings and goings of vehicles while at home.


    Li Huaqiang hadn’t expected that this arrangement would actuallye into y.


    But now he was more anxious about what to do next.


    Flee?


    Abandon his foundations in Xinming Vige for good?


    Maybe just rob some of the rich families in the vige on his way out?


    But he had just been drinking, and driving now would mean drunk driving…


    “How many cars?” Li Huaqiang asked in a low voice, hoping they weren’t after him.


    The reply came in an equally hushed tone: “At least ten.”


    Li Huaqiang tensed up, sweat breaking out on his forehead.


    This was no joke.


    He grunted acknowledgment, put down the phone, and started walking towards his house.


    He had a suitcase ready to go at a moment’s notice, but he wasn’t sure if there was still time.


    Wu~~ Wu~~


    The sound of police sirens suddenly red.


    A police car came to a halt right in front of Li Huaqiang.


    “Stop there, police operation, don’t move.” The officer who got out trotted up to Li Huaqiang, pushed him to the side, and made him stand against the wall.


    Memories of prison shed through Li Huaqiang’s mind, and in his nervousness, he obediently stood against the wall.


    The past two years had changed him, or so he thought, but in this instant, the memories he believed were gone seemed to have returned.


    One car, two cars, three cars.


    Several police cars pulled up to the curb one after the other.


    Departing officers gave Li Huaqiang a nce at most before heading straight for his courtyard.


    Li Huaqiang knew he was busted.


    With his head bowed, he slowly made his way out of the vige.


    There was no point considering his suitcase anymore.


    Even leaving empty-handed was better than returning to prison.


    “Comrade, hold on a moment.” An older policeman stopped Li Huaqiang, speaking slowly, he asked, “Are you a local resident?”


    “Sort of,” Li Huaqiang replied softly.


    “Sort of?


    What do you mean by that?”


    “My grandma is from around here.”


    “Oh, did you bring your ID card?


    Let me see it.”


    “I didn’t bring it.” Li Huaqiang’s heartbeat quickened.


    He was already preparing to run.


    He could even guess what the police officer would say next, surely he would want to check his face.


    With the software installed on police smartphones now, taking a picture of the face can reveal the ID card and basic information.


    And Li Huaqiang, being an ex-convict, was sure to trigger an alert.


    Li Huaqiang nned to shift his position on purpose when his photo was being taken and then turn and run.


    He nced left and right, secretly nning his escape route.


    Hiss.


    Another police car pulled up nearby.


    The police cars in front had already filled the space, so the officers arriving inter cars could only look ahead with frustration and then hurriedly pass by.


    “Wait a moment.” The older criminal investigator grabbed a passing officer.


    Thetter looked over, puzzled.


    “You young people are used to the Police Affairs app, help me check this man’s face,” the older detective said, putting away his phone, moving a couple of steps to the side, and cing his hands on his waist.


    Only then did Li Huaqiang notice that the old detective actually had a gun.


    Thetter was obviously afraid that he would try to grab the gun, which is why he moved back.


    Li Huaqiang thought to himself, I would have to be suicidal to try grabbing a gun.


    Turning his head, Li Huaqiang resignedly faced the newly arrived officer.


    The officer took out his phone, opened the Police Affairs app, operated it for a moment, and took a photo of Li Huaqiang, before his eyes widened in realization.


    “What’s your name?” the officer asked sternly.


    “Li Huaqiang.”


    “When did you get out of prison?”


    “Three years ago,” Li Huaqiang said, noting that things were happening just as he had anticipated.


    But then he nced at the armed old officer and the other members of his team nearby and felt helpless.


    “What did you get convicted for?”


    “Human trafficking of women and children,” Li Huaqiang didn’t even try to hide it.


    The color drained from the face of the officer opposite him, and by then, everyone could guess that this man was definitely a suspect.


    “Raise your hands and don’t move,” the officer on the scene immediately began to search him.


    “This person isn’t even on the list.” Another officer brought over a stack of photos from the car and started matching them with Li Huaqiang.


    Li Huaqiang couldn’t help noticing that the photos were all of the guests he had taken in over thest couple of days.


    Indeed, there’s no walking by the river without getting your shoes wet.


    However, these people were really ipetent, leaving their faces behind one after another.


    Li Huaqiang shook his head in secret, knowing he couldn’t escape, and thought of the thugs he had arranged at the vige entrance and the bartender at the bar.


    “I have a report for the government,” Li Huaqiang suddenly shouted.


    “Speak,” the officer asked in a deep voice.


    “I want to report; I want to earn a merit,” Li Huaqiang didn’t hesitate to sell out his two subordinates.


    At this point, that was all the value they had left.


    …


    Youth hostel.


    Groups of fully equipped police officers stormed in.


    Any slight resistance was as futile as free-range chickens against a sharp knife, at most only managing to stter some blood on the ground.


    Instead, it was two real guests who woke up from their sleep clutching their backpacks and shouting at the charging officers, “How can you juste in like this?”


    They werergely ignored, especially by the officers of the special case unit, whose entire focus was on finding the children.


    Four children, the earliest having been missing for over a week.


    If they had been sold, it would be very difficult to find them again.


    Several people searched each house and quietly called out for the children.


    Soon, the small children from several houses were all gathered together.


    One, two, three…


    Four, five, six…


    “There are a total of nine children.”


    After the members of the special case unit met, they confirmed the final count.


    There were five extra kidnapped children.