48: Chapter 48 Halting the Operation

When dawn broke, the snow stopped.

Qili Village was shrouded in a vast, white silence, with cooking smoke rising from the low earthen rooftops and drifting slowly through the cold air.

If one did not know what was hidden here, this would just be an ordinary mountain village in the Northeast.

At nine in the morning, three police cars drove into the village entrance.

Leading the way was a green off-road vehicle with the words "Public Security" painted on the doors, followed by two vans.

The convoy stopped at the entrance of the Village Committee, the doors opened, and over twenty police officers filed out, all wearing uniform winter duty attire.

Xu Weidong stepped out from the passenger seat of the off-road vehicle, followed by Director Li Zhongmin.

The door on the other side opened, and a middle-aged man in his early fifties stepped out, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and sharp eyes.

He was Secretary Liu Qingfeng, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and a capable officer handpicked by Police Chief Zheng Xilin.

"Captain Liu, thank you for your hard work."

Xu Weidong reached out his hand, and Secretary Liu Qingfeng shook it. His gaze swept over the surrounding earthen houses, and he said in a low voice, "Xu Weidong, you are too kind."

"Police Chief Zheng Xilin has given instructions; this matter must be investigated clearly."

"My men are at your disposal."

Xu Weidong nodded and turned to Director Li Zhongmin, saying, "Director Li, let's begin."

Director Li Zhongmin waved his hand, and the twenty-plus police officers split into several groups, beginning to search house by house.

Village Secretary Wei Dabiao stood at the entrance of the Village Committee, his face wreathed in smiles as he came up to greet them, saying, "Xu Weidong, Director Li, on such a cold day, why didn't you give us a heads-up?"

"We could have prepared!"

Xu Weidong glanced at him without answering and walked straight into the village.

The smile on Village Secretary Wei Dabiao's face stiffened for a moment, but he quickly followed, muttering, "Xu Weidong, our village might be poor, but the common folk are law-abiding and haven't done anything illegal or undisciplined."

"With you bringing so many people here early in the morning, I'm afraid it will cause the villagers to misunderstand..."

Secretary Liu Qingfeng stopped, turned back to look at him, and said with a cold gaze, "Comrade, we have received a report stating that there is human trafficking in your village."

"We are here today to verify this; you just need to cooperate."

Village Secretary Wei Dabiao's expression changed, and he gave a dry laugh, saying, "Cooperate, cooperate, we will definitely cooperate."

The village began to stir, with police knocking on doors, asking questions, and taking statements.

Some of the villagers being questioned were numb, some were panicked, and others simply refused to speak.

The women huddled inside the houses, afraid to come out, while the men stood at the doorways, eyeing these uninvited guests with guarded looks.

Secretary Liu Qingfeng led several criminal police officers straight to the east end of the village. According to the intelligence from Xiao Liu last night, this was the direction where the three girls were last sent.

Xu Weidong stood on the dirt road in the middle of the village, watching the busy police officers, his brows gradually furrowing.

Something was wrong.

It was too quiet.

The women being questioned clearly had something in their eyes, but no one spoke.

Whatever was asked, they said they didn't know; whatever was asked, they shook their heads.

Some young women were clearly dressed in rags and had injuries on their faces, but when asked how they got hurt, they just said they fell.

Director Li Zhongmin walked over, his expression grim.

"Xu Weidong, something is wrong."

"These women have been beaten into fear; no one dares to speak."

Xu Weidong nodded, saying, "I know."

He had long expected this. These women had been trafficked here, bullied, beaten, scolded, and treated as reproductive tools; they had long ago learned to be silent.

Because speaking meant getting beaten, and it would invite even crueler torture.

In their experience, the police come and go, but those people are always there.

"Continue the search."

"House by house, don't miss a single one."

Director Li Zhongmin nodded and turned to go.

Xu Weidong's gaze fell on the doorway of a house. A young woman was squatting on the threshold washing clothes, her hands frozen red, her head buried very low.

He walked over, crouched down, and asked softly, "Miss, where are you from?"

The woman shivered, buried her head even lower, and said in a voice as faint as a mosquito, "I... I'm from this village."

"Your accent doesn't sound local."

The woman didn't speak, but the movement of her hands stopped.

Just as Xu Weidong was about to ask again, a man suddenly rushed out of the house, grabbed the woman, and cursed, "Dawdling while washing clothes! Get inside!"

The woman was dragged into the house, and the door slammed shut with a bang.

Xu Weidong stood up, looked at the tightly closed wooden door, and said nothing.

In a house at the east end of the village, Village Secretary Wei Dabiao hid in the back room, took out his phone, and dialed a number.

"Hello, Committee Member Chen Qing, it's me, Village Secretary Wei Dabiao."

"That Xu Weidong brought a group of police officers and is searching house by house in the village!"

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds, then Committee Member Chen Qing's voice came through: "What right does he have to investigate? He's just a Deputy Party Secretary in charge of organizational work. What authority does he have to mobilize the police?"

Village Secretary Wei Dabiao said with a bitter face, "I don't know either, but he brought people here, and the leader is some captain from the City Public Security Bureau."

"Committee Member Chen Qing, you have to think of a way. If they find something... how are we going to explain it to the leaders?"

"Alright, I know."

Village Secretary Wei Dabiao held the phone, standing in the room, his heart pounding hard.

What he didn't know was that at this moment in the Hukuang Township Government, Committee Member Chen Qing was sitting in his office with a phone in front of him.

He hesitated for a few seconds, picked up the receiver, and dialed a number.

"Hello, is this Secretary Xu Qing?"

"This is Committee Member Chen Qing; there is a matter I need to report to you..."

In Qili Village, the search continued.

Xu Weidong was standing at the village entrance when his phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID; it was Committee Member Chen Qing.

Xu Weidong answered, before he could speak.

Committee Member Chen Qing's voice came from the other side, his tone much firmer than usual.

"Xu Weidong, I heard you took people to Qili Village?"

Xu Weidong said in a calm tone, "Committee Member Chen Qing, you are well-informed."

"Xu Weidong."

"This operation was not reported to the Party Committee, nor was I, the committee member in charge of political and legal affairs, notified."

"As a Deputy Party Secretary, you mobilized police officers without authorization; this constitutes a serious abuse of power."

"In terms of organizational procedure, I'm afraid this is unjustifiable, isn't it?"

Listening to his confident tone, Xu Weidong understood seven or eight tenths of the situation.

Committee Member Chen Qing had someone backing him, and this person was not of a low rank.

Xu Weidong said indifferently, "Committee Member Chen Qing, this matter was approved by Secretary Wan Xiaohan of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor Lin Juncai of the Municipal Government."

"If you have any objections, you can report them upwards."

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds, and Committee Member Chen Qing's voice softened, but he still stubbornly said, "Xu Weidong, I don't have any personal objections to you, it's just the procedural issue... Never mind, just wait for a call."

Committee Member Chen Qing hung up, and Xu Weidong held the phone, looking at the screen.

Wait for a call? Whose call?

He had assumed it would be Secretary Hu Qiu of the County Political and Legal Affairs Commission, since Secretary Hu Qiu was in charge of public security and was one of Committee Member Chen Qing's backers.

But when the phone rang again, the number displayed on the screen made his pupils shrink slightly.

"Is this Comrade Weidong? This is Secretary Xu Qing."

Secretary Xu Qing of the Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission!

A member of the Standing Committee of the Lüjiang Municipal Committee, in charge of public security, procuratorate, courts, and justice, and a core member of Zheng Dongguo's circle.

Xu Weidong's heart sank, but his tone remained steady as he said, "Secretary Xu Qing, hello."

"Comrade Weidong, I have already heard about your operation today."

"I must remind you that this operation was very reckless and completely failed to consider the political impact and social stability."

"Qili Village is a poor village, and the common people's lives are already difficult. By making such a big fuss to investigate, you will cause panic among the masses and damage the relationship between the Party and the people."

Xu Weidong took a deep breath and said, "Secretary Xu Qing, we received a report stating that there is human trafficking in Qili Village. And I have concrete evidence..."

"What evidence?"

Secretary Xu Qing interrupted him, "Did you see the scene of the transaction? Or did you catch them in the act?"

"Comrade Weidong, you are a young cadre that the organization is focusing on cultivating. You should understand that things must be done according to procedure and rules."

"Mobilizing police force without organizational approval is a serious disciplinary violation."

Xu Weidong tightened his grip on the phone and said, "Secretary Xu Qing, this operation was approved by Secretary Wan Xiaohan and Mayor Lin Juncai..."

"I know what you are going to say."

Secretary Xu Qing interrupted him again, "Secretary Wan Xiaohan and Mayor Lin Juncai never mentioned this matter at the Standing Committee meeting of the Municipal Committee or the Mayor's office meeting."

"In other words, this operation did not receive formal approval through organizational procedures; it was a decision you made on your own."

Xu Weidong fell silent. Secretary Wan Xiaohan and Mayor Lin Juncai did indeed support him, but their support was verbal; there were no meeting minutes, no official documents.

And Secretary Xu Qing was the Standing Committee member in charge of political and legal affairs...

"Comrade Liu Qingfeng was invited by you, right?"

"Tell him to withdraw the team immediately and bring the people back."

"This matter ends here. You write a situation report, hand it to Committee Member Chen Qing, and let the Township Party Committee study and handle it. That is all."

Xu Weidong held the phone, silent for a few seconds, then said, "Secretary Xu Qing, I have noted today's matter."

On the other end of the line, Secretary Xu Qing's face turned slightly pale.

This young man was not so easy to manipulate.

Just as he wanted to say something, the other side had already hung up.

In the office of the Secretary of the Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Secretary Xu Qing put down the receiver, his expression uncertain.

Opposite him, a young man in his early thirties was sitting with his legs crossed, leisurely drinking tea.

This man was fair-skinned and wearing a dark gray cashmere overcoat; the Patek Philippe on his wrist glittered under the lights.

His name was Zhang Di, the only son of Deputy Secretary Zhang Honglian of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

"Secretary Xu Qing, is it settled?"

Secretary Xu Qing nodded without saying much.

Beside Zhang Di sat another middle-aged man, about fifty, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looking refined and elegant.

He was General Manager Bai Xinghe of Shenghong Pharmaceutical, Zhang Di's business partner.

General Manager Bai Xinghe smiled and said, "Secretary Xu Qing, this matter has put you in a difficult position."

"But that place, Qili Village, really has some things that cannot see the light of day."

"Too many people are involved; if it gets dug up, it won't be good for anyone."

Secretary Xu Qing said with a dark face, "I know, but do you know what background that Xu Weidong has?"

Zhang Di laughed, "I know, he's Xu Tianhua's son, right?"

"Secretary of the Xishan Provincial Party Committee, the successor of the Liu Faction, currently riding high."

"But so what?"

"This is Lüjiang, this is Fengtian!"

"It's not Xishan."

"No matter how long his reach is, can he stretch it into our territory?"

Secretary Xu Qing looked at him and sighed inwardly.

This young master had it too easy; he didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.

"Besides, that little matter in Qili Village, isn't it just a few bachelors buying wives? Where in the rural areas across the country doesn't this happen?"

"Can he, Xu Weidong, handle all of it?"

"Let's give him a way out, let him know who is in charge here, and everyone will be at peace in the future. Isn't that better?"

Secretary Xu Qing didn't respond; he knew the matter of Qili Village was far from as simple as a few bachelors buying wives.

But he couldn't say it, and he didn't dare to say it.

Because those things were too terrifying.

In Qili Village, the search had stopped.

After Secretary Liu Qingfeng received the call from Secretary Xu Qing, his face was livid, but he still ordered the team to withdraw.

The police officers returned to their cars one after another, the body cameras were turned off, the notebooks were closed, and nothing was taken away.

Xu Weidong stood at the village entrance, watching all this, saying nothing.

Village Secretary Wei Dabiao came over, his face wreathed in smiles, saying, "Xu Weidong, leaving already? Not staying for a bite to eat?"

Xu Weidong ignored him. Secretary Liu Qingfeng walked over and said in a low voice, "Xu Weidong, this matter... I'm sorry, I have to obey orders from above."

Xu Weidong shook his head, "Secretary Liu Qingfeng, I don't blame you. Thank you for your hard work today."

Secretary Liu Qingfeng sighed and turned to get into his car.

Just as Xu Weidong was about to leave, Village Head Wei Laosan appeared from somewhere, edged up to him, and said in a low voice with a lewd smile, "Xu Weidong, don't take today's matter to heart."

"Although our Qili Village is poor, we have plenty of one thing, and that is pretty girls."

"If you want to solve your personal problems, come anytime; I'll arrange it for you, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Xu Weidong stopped and turned his head to look at him.

Village Head Wei Laosan felt his hair stand on end under his gaze, and the smile on his face froze.

Xu Weidong didn't speak, just looked at him for a few seconds, then turned and got into the car.

The car doors closed, and the convoy slowly drove away from Qili Village.

Village Head Wei Laosan stood where he was, spat, and said, "What a piece of work, acting all high and mighty."

Village Secretary Wei Dabiao walked over and said with a dark face, "Keep your mouth shut. There's no benefit in offending people too deeply."

Village Head Wei Laosan laughed disdainfully, "Big brother, look at him. He was chased away by one phone call from above. What kind of waves can he make?"

"Don't worry, this place will always be ours to command."

Village Secretary Wei Dabiao didn't speak, just watched the departing convoy, his brows tightly furrowed.

For some reason, he always felt a bit uneasy.

In the evening, at the east end of the village.

Wang Dagou's home was an adobe house, low and dim, with plastic sheeting on the windows that rattled in the wind.

The stove was burning in the room, making it warm.

They had been changed into tattered cotton-padded jackets, their hair was disheveled, and their faces still bore the bruises from being beaten during the day.

The girl with the ponytail had a vacant look in her eyes, staring straight at the ground, not knowing what she was thinking.

The round-faced girl huddled beside her, crying silently.

Wang Dagou was in his early fifties, short and fat, with a face full of flabby flesh, and his small eyes gleamed with an evil light.

He squatted by the stove smoking a dry pipe, glancing from time to time at the two girls in the corner, with a satisfied smile on his lips.

"Brother Dagou."

Another man approached, as thin as a hemp stalk; it was Li Erdan.

"Doing it tonight?"

Wang Dagou exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Do it."

Li Erdan rubbed his hands, chuckled twice, and said, "Alright, I'll go back first and do mine too."

"See you tomorrow."

He pushed the door open and went out, disappearing into the night.

Wang Dagou stood up and walked to the corner.

"Heard everything?"

"Tonight, you are mine."

"Don't think about running; you can't get out of these mountains."

"And don't think about anyone coming to save you. You saw what happened today, right?"

"The officials came for a visit, but didn't they leave with their tails between their legs?"

The ponytail girl raised her head, looking at him with hollow eyes.

The round-faced girl shrank back desperately, her voice trembling, "Please... let us go... our families will give you money..."

Wang Dagou laughed, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, "Money? I'm not short of money."

"What I'm short of is women."

"The mine has stopped, so I might as well stay home and have kids."

He grabbed the ponytail girl's arm and dragged her up from the ground.

The girl screamed and struggled, her nails scratching a bloody mark on his face.

Wang Dagou got angry and slapped her; the girl was knocked to the ground, blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.

"Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"

Wang Dagou cursed and started unbuckling his belt.

The girl's crying and screaming came from the room, along with Wang Dagou's heavy breathing.

The crying and screaming gradually turned into wailing, the wailing gradually turned into sobbing, and finally, only intermittent whimpering remained.

Outside the window, the moonlight shone on the snow, a pale white.

In another house at the east end of the village, the same thing was happening.

Li Erdan's woman, who had fought back desperately last night, was now curled up in the corner of the kang, motionless.

Her eyes were open, staring at some point in the darkness, her gaze as hollow as a walking corpse.

Some people heard it and pretended not to.

Some people didn't hear it, but even if they did, they wouldn't care.

The sickness of this village had long since penetrated into the bone marrow...