Chapter 37: Truths

At this moment, the people in the village committee were still arguing, and everyone's attention was focused there. Thus, the movements of Zhou Sheng and his group went unnoticed. One by one, they skillfully jumped down from the wall, patted the dirt off their clothes, and after casting shifty glances around, they headed toward a small grove behind the village.

It was a dense wood, and because it was autumn, the ground was covered with a thick layer of dead leaves. The sunlight was almost entirely blocked out, and the sound of footsteps crunching on the leaves echoed through the trees. Occasional bird calls made the atmosphere feel rather eerie.

Su Yu pulled Gu Yao along, and when they reached the edge of the grove, they paused for a moment. They exchanged a knowing nod and hid behind a thatched shack at the edge of the woods. Through the window, one could see thick piles of forage stacked inside; it was likely a temporary storage spot for a household to keep feed for their livestock.

Su Yu was tall, and standing upright would surely lead to discovery, so he crouched down halfway and patted his knee, signaling to her.

Gu Yao hesitated, worried that sitting on him would be too much, but the man pulled her firmly onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, and the two leaned forward slightly to peer out.

The woods remained silent; the group had been inside for over ten minutes.

They could have followed them in to see what was happening, but that would have been extremely dangerous and unwise. The ground was covered in leaves, making every step loud; it wouldn't be long before the people ahead noticed them.

After waiting for another ten minutes or so, during which Su Yu switched legs twice but never let Gu Yao down—knowing she had already exerted herself climbing the mountain and would need her strength later—he insisted she rest. Gu Yao understood his reasoning, but she was also concerned for him. Whenever she tried to sit on the ground, he wouldn't allow it, whispering into her ear, "Be good, the ground is cold. Just stay like this."

His large hands held her tightly, and his warmth gradually radiated to her.

Just then, the sound of chaotic footsteps finally broke the silence of the woods, drawing nearer. The voices of several men drifted over, and soon, Zhou Sheng emerged from the trees, his body and hair covered in dead leaves.

After standing still, he spat on the ground, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag. He turned back to look at his companions following behind and complained, "Why were you so slow?"

The man behind him also lit a cigarette, squinted, and swore before replying, "You think I wanted to be slow? My leg got bitten by that woman! Who told you to be so clumsy with the rope? You couldn't even control a woman!"

The two bickered back and forth until the rest of the group arrived. An older man shouted, "Enough! Is now the time to argue? The police have already arrived; it’s no longer safe here. We need to figure out how to move the woman!"

Zhou Sheng fell silent, took another puff of his cigarette, and said, "I'll go get my tractor. We’ll knock her out, carry her out, hide her under the fodder, and take her to Xiao Village. There’s a family there desperate for a bride; we can sell her for a good price."

"Fine, let's do that," the others agreed. One added, "Hurry up, and don't let anyone see you."

Zhou Sheng rushed off, while the others stood guard at the edge of the woods, smoking and whispering among themselves.

Gu Yao noted their numbers and realized that, excluding Zhou Sheng, one person was missing. He must have stayed behind to guard the captive. This was likely the moment they were most short-handed and spread out; it was a perfect opportunity.

Su Yu pulled Gu Yao up, and they bent down to walk toward a small path before reappearing in the open, acting as if they had just walked over from that direction.

Hand in hand, they chatted and laughed like a pair of young lovers from the city who had never seen the countryside, discussing the crops in the nearby fields. Only when they reached the men did they stop with friendly smiles.

Su Yu took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to each of them. "Little brothers, are you all from this village?"

"Who are you?" Although they took the cigarettes, the men remained highly suspicious.

"Oh, we’re here with the epidemic prevention team. It’s too boring over there, so we came out for a stroll," Su Yu said with a smile. He leaned in closer and whispered, "Also, I wanted to ask, where is the public restroom in your village? My girlfriend is in a bit of a hurry."

"Public restroom? Those are filthy—just pit latrines. You city folks wouldn't be used to them," one of the older men said with a smirk. "Why don't you just find a vegetable patch or a spot in the woods? There’s no one around here to watch you."

As he spoke, he eyed Gu Yao with a lecherous look. The other men chuckled, their vigilance slipping as their gazes shifted toward her.

Before they could laugh for more than a few seconds, Su Yu seized the moment. He lunged forward and struck one man in the jaw with a punch so swift the man didn't even have time to cry out before he collapsed, unconscious.

"What are you doing?" The others finally reacted, reaching for the sickles tucked into their waistbands. But before they could even draw them, Su Yu neutralized each of them with a single punch.

"Let's go." Su Yu dusted off his hands leisurely and pulled Gu Yao into the woods.

Because the men had left footprints when they entered, the muddy ground made it easy for the pair to follow the trail. They reached the center of the grove and saw that some trees had been felled to construct a small wooden shack. It had doors and windows, enough to block the wind in winter.

The wooden door was half-open. From a distance, they could see a young man sitting in front of the shack, looking at his phone while smoking. He was clearly the guard left behind.

Hearing their footsteps, he looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand.

Su Yu told Gu Yao to stay put. He didn't hesitate, quickening his pace until he reached the man and easily knocked him out as well.

"Will he wake up soon?" Gu Yao asked, walking over to look at the man on the ground.

"At least an hour," Su Yu said, nudging the man aside with his foot. He led the way into the shack but stopped at the door, turning back to say, "You go in first."

Gu Yao stepped past him and gasped. It was a miserable sight.

The shack had no furniture—only a floor made of wooden slats with wide gaps, elevated a few centimeters off the dirt. In the center of the floor, a woman with no clothes on was bound tightly with ropes. She was lying face down, her hands tied behind her back, struggling in vain to reach the ropes. A rag was stuffed in her mouth, allowing only muffled whimpers to escape.

Gu Yao knelt down, took off her own jacket to cover the woman, and then carefully turned her over. Pushing aside the tangled hair, she recognized the girl who had been abducted on the street the other day. The girl’s eyes were bloodshot, her face covered in slap marks, and she looked gaunt, clearly having gone without food for days.

As soon as Gu Yao pulled the rag from her mouth, the girl broke into weak, sobbing pleas: "Save me, please, save me!"

"We’re here to save you, don't worry," Gu Yao comforted her. She looked back, and Su Yu tossed her a small folding knife.

She quickly cut the ropes, helped the girl up, and tossed in some men's clothing taken from the guard outside. Though the clothes were large, Gu Yao helped the girl put them on, cinching the waist with a rope and rolling up the sleeves and pant legs so she could at least be presentable.

"Can you walk on your own?" Gu Yao asked as she stood up, feeling a sense of relief.

"I can," the girl nodded. Her crying had stopped, and she stood up by leaning against the wall, looking surprisingly resilient.

Gu Yao nodded. That made things easier, as they wouldn't have to carry her.

Outside, Su Yu had stripped the guard down to his undergarments and dragged him back into the shack, so he would be able to get out on his own once he woke up.

"Call the police. These people are human traffickers," Su Yu said to Gu Yao.

She checked her phone, but there was no signal. She frowned, "Let's get back quickly. I hope the police and the ambulance haven't left yet."

They had acted on their own initiative; the main group might not be willing to wait for them.

"It doesn't matter. We’ll take this girl to the county town first and report it there. I recorded evidence on my phone; these people won't get away," Su Yu comforted her, seemingly unconcerned.

The road from the village to the county was difficult to navigate. Even if the men woke up, there was nowhere for them to hide except the neighboring village or the woods. It would be easy to track them down as long as they had the evidence.

As they walked, the rescued girl followed them meekly, stumbling along with determination.

Gu Yao turned to ask, "Where are you from? How did you get abducted here?"

The girl lowered her head and whispered, "From A City... I was meeting someone I met online..."

Just then, a branch snapped in the woods nearby—a sharp, suspicious sound in the silence.

The group stopped. Su Yu immediately and vigilantly shielded the two women behind him, scanning the area. His gaze locked onto a blurred footprint, and he turned to Gu Yao, saying, "We must pick up the pace. Zhou Sheng must have discovered us."

He then looked at the rescued girl and asked, "Are you strong enough?"