Zhu Yanyi found a quiet spot to take care of her business. Just as she was about to head back, she heard voices nearby. Her eyes shifted slightly, and she skillfully climbed a nearby tree. From her vantage point, she saw three men and one woman preparing food. Not far from them, seven or eight children were tied up.
"The situation inside the country is tight lately. This time, we only managed to get this much 'cargo'." The woman sighed, looking at the bound children with unmistakable impatience. "Life is really hard right now."
A man with a long, horse-like face said, "Third Sister, this is temporary. Once this period passes, things will get better."
"Yes, Third Sister. Old Eight is right," another bald man said seriously.
"Old Five, what did the buyer say? When are they coming?" Third Sister nodded. Given the current situation, it was already difficult for them to get these children.
"We agreed to hand over the goods tonight. After we finish eating, we can rest a bit before leaving. The destination is the usual place, only two hours' walk from here," Old Five replied.
"Old Seven, Old Eight, there are fewer people in this batch. Keep a close watch. No mistakes allowed," Third Sister instructed the other two.
Old Eight, the horse-faced man, nodded directly. "Don't worry, Third Sister. With us here, absolutely nothing will happen to these seven boys."
"Although the quantity is small, the quality is still good," Third Sister glanced at the seven children, satisfied with at least this point.
"Third Sister, we carefully selected these. They are naturally not bad," Old Seven added.
Third Sister looked slightly pleased. "Alright. I’ll go rest ahead. Old Five, go scout and arrange the handover. Old Seven, Old Eight, guard the people. We leave in two hours."
"Yes, Third Sister." Old Five, Old Seven, and Old Eight said in unison. They then went off to do their respective tasks.
Old Five and Third Sister left. Old Seven and Old Eight continued eating, occasionally glancing at the children. The children’s eyes showed a trace of panic; they didn’t know what to do.
Human traffickers. Zhu Yanyi realized the situation. After thinking for a moment, she tapped her watch to send a message to Yan Aohan. At that moment, she realized that Yan Aohan forcing her to learn Morse code had been useful after all.
Upon receiving the message, Yan Aohan’s expression changed slightly. "Luo Gang, Li Yang, Ma Zhongyuan, Ani found human traffickers ahead. It’s likely the syndicate’s doing. There are seven children there. We’ll discuss the details when we arrive."
"Yes." Luo Gang and the others straightened their faces. Their group hated human traffickers the most, especially international ones. Since this was near the national border, the presence of traffickers meant they intended to sell the children abroad. Whether for black-market child labor or as organ donors, both outcomes were detestable.
Following Zhu Yanyi’s signal, Yan Aohan quickly located her. Seeing her in the tree, she felt relieved. At least she hadn’t acted recklessly by confronting them alone.
Seeing Yan Aohan arrive, Zhu Yanyi hurriedly climbed down. She made a gesture, led them forward, and pointed ahead: