Chapter 69: Taking the Bait

Since this chapter has reached the character limit, I will add a few words here. Thank you to Ke Yu, Zhou Qi’s mother, Ye, and the "Little 7 Fan" for your support. The four pink tickets made me feel incredibly flattered! Starting tomorrow, we enter the third volume. I will work hard to make the story even more exciting and captivating! Love you all!

Early the next morning, An Changpu and Qin Ruonan first went to the Major Crimes Unit to hand over the tasks of screening surveillance footage and arranging for inter-provincial cooperation regarding the similar case from eight years ago, entrusting these to Tian Yang and his team. Before departing, they visited Zhong Han. In their phone call the previous night, Zhong Han mentioned he had received consent from Xiaotian’s parents, who confirmed over the phone that this was not a fabrication. Thus, before setting off, they went to discuss the "bait" strategy with him.

After hearing An Changpu’s plan, Zhong Han accepted it without objection and promised on his honor that Xiaotian would remain completely unharmed.

"I didn't expect you to be so efficient in pinpointing the right location for the 'bait'," Zhong Han remarked, surprised by their progress. "Once Xiaotian gets back from school, I’ll tell him. He’ll probably jump for joy! That kid always complains that life is too dull; he’ll likely be even more excited than I am about such a thrilling mission!"

"We got lucky. We thought we had hit a dead end, but it turned out there was a light at the end of the tunnel," An Changpu said, though he quickly added, "It’s too early to say for sure. We’ll know more after we get back from this trip."

"Speaking of which, you’re going on a business trip with your partner again? Let me tell you, be careful to avoid suspicion—a lone man and a lone woman..." Zhong Han winked at An Changpu with a mischievous grin.

Since the serious business was finished, Qin Ruonan, who had a poor impression of Zhong Han and little patience, had already gone downstairs to wait in the car. Otherwise, had she been present, Zhong Han likely wouldn't have been so brazen with his teasing.

An Changpu glared at him. "Stop talking nonsense! Ours is a purely professional bond of camaraderie!"

"The more you’re in the trenches together, the easier those feelings evolve. You must be careful to keep your guard up!"

"Whether I keep my guard up or not has nothing to do with you. You really are meddling in things that don't concern you!" An Changpu waved his hand and left.

When he reached the ground floor, he heard someone calling him. Looking up, he saw Zhong Han leaning halfway out of the window. Thinking he had forgotten something important, An Changpu stopped and looked up.

"If you can't hold back, just admit it! Taking the initiative at the right time is the wise move!" Zhong Han shouted from above.

An Changpu felt his blood boil; he waved a hand at Zhong Han, ignored him, and got into the car to leave.

"What was that guy yelling about? What 'holding back'?" Qin Ruonan asked from the car, unable to hear clearly.

An Changpu, of course, dared not repeat Zhong Han’s nonsense. He covered it up by saying, "Oh, don't mind him. He doesn't know when to be serious and just talks a load of rubbish."

Qin Ruonan, already disliking Zhong Han, didn't press the matter, and the topic was finally dropped.

They parked their car at a local police station near the train station and went to buy tickets. Their destination was a distant city in H Province. Since it wasn't a provincial capital, it lacked an airport, making flying an impractical choice. There was only one direct train per day, which wouldn't arrive until the afternoon. After consulting the ticket agent, An Changpu decided to take a train to a neighboring city first, where they could catch another connection to their destination.

The journey took over a day, and with the time lost on transfers, it was the evening of the second day when they finally arrived in the city where the similar case had occurred two years prior.

Over the next few days, An Changpu and Qin Ruonan conducted non-stop investigations, leaving no stone unturned. Fortunately, because the local case had caused quite a stir and remained unsolved—much like the case from eight years ago—the local police were under immense pressure and welcomed the arrival of their peers from afar, cooperating fully. This saved An Changpu and his partner a great deal of effort; otherwise, as strangers in a strange land, making rapid progress would have been nearly impossible.

In those few days, they traveled between several cities in H Province. While they didn't exactly starve, they certainly didn't eat a single decent meal. By the time they returned to their city with results, both were exhausted and had lost a significant amount of weight.

Back home, everything was proceeding on schedule, especially the "bait" plan with Xiaotian under Zhong Han’s supervision. Zhong Han had updated An Changpu via phone several times; everything was on track, just waiting for the cunning fish to bite.

Although Cheng Feng offered them time to rest after their grueling trip, they declined, as there was still much to be done.

After returning, the information gathered in H Province left Qin Ruonan feeling somewhat down. This was understandable; regardless of how tough her exterior was, she was a woman, and women are often more prone to sentimentality, especially when the truth deviates significantly from their perceptions.

An Changpu felt a complex mix of emotions, compounded by anxiety. The cunning suspect had already escaped twice from two different locations. Whether they could catch him this time was not just a matter of professional pride for the detectives in three cities, but a question of how many more young boys might fall into the clutches of evil.

Because every second counted in the final phase of the operation, An Changpu had no time to see Tao Yinyin. He only spoke to her on the phone a few times. Fortunately, she was understanding and didn't blame him for neglecting her for his work, which was a relief for An Changpu.

Finally, a few days later, Zhong Han notified them that the time was ripe to "reel in the line."

Even the usually confident Zhong Han’s voice trembled with anticipation when he announced this. An Changpu and Qin Ruonan felt their hearts tighten.

That night, they lay in ambush around the location Zhong Han had specified, waiting for the crucial moment.

*At this critical juncture, nothing must go wrong!* Qin Ruonan thought, clenching her fists. Even though the weather was turning cold, her palms were sweating. An Changpu, sensing her unease, gave her a reassuring look and squeezed her shoulder, trying to convey confidence through physical reassurance.

Zhong Han, as the mastermind behind the plan and Xiaotian’s cousin, waited in the car with them, his eyes fixed on Xiaotian, who was wandering around nearby, looking completely relaxed.

After a while, they were more than ten minutes past the agreed time. Not only were the people in the car anxious, but even Xiaotian, standing by the roadside, seemed to be losing patience.

Just as everyone began to think the plan had failed, a turning point arrived: a person walked toward Xiaotian.

Because it was a busy street, An Changpu and his team couldn't immediately conclude if this was their target or just a coincidental passerby.

The person, wearing a long black down jacket, a hood, and a scarf, approached Xiaotian. They exchanged a few words, and Xiaotian seemed happy to walk ahead with them. Just as a bus pulled into the stop, the stranger grabbed Xiaotian and boarded.

"Follow that bus!" Qin Ruonan urged An Changpu.

An Changpu immediately drove after them. The bus stopped at the next station, which was near a business district. It was rush hour, and as passengers swarmed on and off, An Changpu and the others scanned the crowd with wide eyes, failing to spot Xiaotian.

The bus pulled away. After hesitating, An Changpu followed. At the next stop, many people got off, but still no Xiaotian. Sensing something was wrong, An Changpu pulled alongside the bus. Qin Ruonan and Zhong Han peered into the near-empty cabin; Xiaotian was nowhere to be found.

"Damn it! We lost him!" Sweat beaded on An Changpu’s forehead. He called the other cars, but no one knew Xiaotian’s whereabouts.

Qin Ruonan felt dizzy and panicked, but Zhong Han, despite his close relationship with Xiaotian, remained the calmest. "Don't worry, you two. Xiaotian is clever; he’ll be fine." His tone was surprisingly confident.

Just then, Zhong Han’s phone rang. His eyes lit up: "It’s Xiaotian!"

He answered and switched to speakerphone. The line was noisy, but soon, they heard the bus announcement.

"It’s not far from here; we can make it!" An Changpu said, speeding toward the station.

"Wait, that announcement was for the *approaching* station. Even if we rush, the bus will have left. Let’s hear the next stop!" Qin Ruonan advised. Soon, the next stop was announced.

"I know where that is!" Qin Ruonan said firmly. "Go to Jinping Street! We can intercept them there!"

"How do you know?" Zhong Han asked.

"I heard three buses pass that first stop, but only the 189 line goes to the stop just announced. I’ve taken that route before," she explained.

An Changpu drove toward Jinping Street. "Ruonan has an incredible memory—she never forgets anything. Trust her."

They reached the 189 stop and waited. Two minutes later, the bus arrived. Zhong Han, listening to the phone, confirmed Xiaotian was still on board. He looked at Qin Ruonan with newfound admiration.

An Changpu followed the bus from a distance while Qin Ruonan coordinated with the other teams.

A few stops later, the person in the black jacket and Xiaotian got off and hailed a taxi, heading in the opposite direction. An Changpu waited a moment before following to avoid suspicion.

They followed the taxi for over half an hour until it drove into a remote residential area and stopped in front of a dark, dilapidated building.

The suspect and Xiaotian stepped out, paid the fare, and the taxi left. An Changpu’s team waited in the darkness like cats watching a mouse hole.

When the taxi pulled away, another figure, also wrapped in a thick down jacket, emerged from the shadows of the building. The three met up.

"Now! Move in!" An Changpu commanded.

Two officers quickly approached, grabbed Xiaotian, and moved him to safety. The rest of the team swarmed the two suspects, catching them off guard.

An Changpu pulled back the hood of the person who had brought Xiaotian. In the moonlight, the face was revealed: it was Chai Xiu.

Qin Ruonan sighed. She wasn't surprised; she had slowly come to terms with this realization. Looking at Chai Xiu’s pale face, she felt only the sadness of how appearances can be deceiving.

"What is going on here?" The other person spoke up. As expected, it was Mi Tengwu. He looked at An Changpu and Qin Ruonan with a blank expression, wrapping his arm around Chai Xiu. "What are you all doing?"

"We should be the ones asking that," An Changpu said with a warm, albeit angry, smile.

"We..." Chai Xiu started, her voice raspy.

"Take it easy, honey," Mi Tengwu said gently, tightening his grip on her. She fell silent. Mi Tengwu turned back to An Changpu. "I teach vocal music at the Children's Palace. The pay is low, so I try to earn a little extra on the side. I didn't want the other teachers to know, so I asked Chai Xiu to help me bring students home for lessons. Ask the boy—isn't that right?"

Xiaotian stood by, smiling without saying a word.

"Is that so? What is your student's name?" Qin Ruonan asked.

"It's his first time here, and my brain is a bit slow today; I can't quite recall it," Mi Tengwu said smoothly.

"That's easily solved," An Changpu said, pulling Mi Tengwu away from Chai Xiu. "This dark alley isn't the place to talk. Let's go somewhere warm."

Tian Yang stepped up to Mi Tengwu’s other side, leaving no room for resistance. "I'll comply, then," Mi Tengwu sighed.

"Let's go," Qin Ruonan said to Chai Xiu.

Chai Xiu remained rooted to the spot, tears welling in her eyes. "Our place is warm, too. Let's go upstairs, I'll make you tea..." she pleaded, trembling.

Mi Tengwu looked back. "Don't cause trouble, honey. We’ll follow their instructions. The innocent have nothing to fear. I’ll take you for a late-night snack when this is over!"

Hearing this, Chai Xiu stopped struggling and followed Qin Ruonan to the car.

Back at the station, they were separated. After the interrogation, it was revealed that they were a couple who had turned to crime to compensate for their own past traumas. Mi Tengwu, a victim of abuse himself, had been using his role to target children, while Chai Xiu, blinded by a warped sense of love and a desire for security, had become his willing accomplice.

The case was solved, but it left everyone feeling heavy. It was a tragedy of a life self-directed and ruined, dragging innocent people into the abyss.

Just as An Changpu and Qin Ruonan were settling into a few quiet days, Lu Xiangdong appeared, shattering the peace.

"There's a born criminal who specifically wants to see you," he said, pointing at Qin Ruonan.