Chapter 45: The Rescue Mission

Ji Xingyu appeared to be a quiet and handsome young man, yet his motorcycle was always pressed right up against the speed limit. Thanks to the bike’s agility, he could maneuver through any path a car couldn’t, darting wherever there was even the semblance of a road. More than once, Mo Fei doubted whether the path ahead could actually be traversed, but each time, Ji Xingyu managed to find his way out of the most unlikely corners and alleys.

Within half an hour, the two arrived at the pig farm, though Mo Fei still felt somewhat dazed and disoriented.

“Where did you get your driver’s license, big brother?” he asked, nearly dizzy from the ride.

Ji Xingyu removed his helmet, his cheeks tinged with red. “Mountain City.”

The fabled 5D city—no wonder this guy could memorize maps so quickly and precisely; everything now made sense.

“Are we going in to rescue them now?” Ji Xingyu’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he gazed at the pig farm’s main gate.

Mo Fei glanced at his phone. “Almost. It’s too dangerous for just the two of us to go in.”

“You called for backup?” Ji Xingyu tucked his helmet under his arm and began fishing for his own phone. “Should I call in some people too?”

“No need,” Mo Fei replied, his eyes fixed on the black-and-white police car pulling up on the road ahead. “They’re here.”

Out of the police car stepped Mo Fei’s old acquaintances—Officer Xiao Xu and Officer Tang.

As soon as he got out, Officer Xu hurried over to ask about the situation. “Where did you get your information?”

“That’s not important right now. Why are there only two of you?” Mo Fei frowned, eyeing them both. “Weren’t you supposed to bring more people?”

Officer Xu looked helpless as he explained, “We’re short-staffed at the precinct, and there’s an enforcement exam today… We’re just the first to arrive. Back-up is on its way.”

“That’s enough talking—where are the people?” Officer Tang interrupted impatiently.

“We’ll have to go in and look,” Mo Fei replied, then turned to Ji Xingyu. “We’ll go inside first; you stay out here and keep watch.”

Ji Xingyu was about to protest, but the three had already strode purposefully through the gates.

The pig farm was of moderate size. As they approached the pigpens, a worker in overalls came forward, eyeing them warily. “What are you here for?”

Officers Xu and Tang exchanged a glance, both instantly sensing trouble. They had no concrete evidence, and directly stating their purpose risked alerting the suspects and endangering any trafficked individuals inside.

Mo Fei, however, was not nearly so cautious. He stepped forward, pointing at the officers. “They’re from the Inspection and Quarantine Department. We’ve had reports of diseased and dead pigs here. They’re here to investigate.”

The worker and both officers were momentarily stunned.

The worker glanced at them, noting the blue shirts visible beneath the officers’ jackets—he actually believed it. “But I haven’t been notified.”

“This is a surprise inspection,” Mo Fei replied sternly, with an air of officialdom. “Old Tang, Xiao Xu, inspect the pigpens first. We’ll regroup in the office later.”

The two officers quickly fell in with Mo Fei’s performance. At worst, Mo Fei’s fabrication would be considered disrupting business operations—a fine or a warning at most. It was a much smaller risk than if the officers themselves had lied. And could the police really be said to have lied? Officer Xu and Officer Tang hadn’t spoken a word—they’d simply played along. Both couldn’t help but admire Mo Fei’s quick thinking.

The worker, unaccustomed to such situations—after all, no one but the Quarantine Bureau would ever want to tour a pigpen without reason—took out his phone to message his supervisor, muttering, “Well then, come with me.”

Mo Fei didn’t stop him. After learning where the office area was, he moved to head there himself.

“Wait,” Officer Tang nudged Officer Xu with his elbow. “I’ll go to the office area with him. You check the pens thoroughly.”

Officer Xu nodded gravely. “Alright.”

The office area was only about a hundred meters from the pigpens—a small front office, with a feed warehouse behind it.

When the two arrived, a gaunt man was just pulling on his jacket, preparing to leave. Seeing them, he approached with a smile. “Are you from the Quarantine Bureau? May I ask your names?”

Mo Fei didn’t answer immediately. His eyes swept over the man, then pointed to the dust on the man’s trouser cuffs. “Sir, have you been doing some renovations here lately?”

The man looked down and noticed the gray powder clinging to his cuffs. His expression changed slightly as he brushed at it. “Oh, that? It’s easy to pick up dust while working.”

Just then, Officer Tang’s phone vibrated. He checked the message, then shot the man a piercing look. “You’re renovating, even though you’re transferring ownership of the farm?”

While Officer Xu and the worker were inspecting the pens, the worker had been grumbling about why there was a quarantine inspection when the farm was about to get a new owner—was someone trying to drive the price down? Officer Xu had immediately sensed something was off. Human trafficking had just occurred, and now the farm was about to change hands? Too much of a coincidence. He’d texted Officer Tang at once.

Officer Tang, a veteran policeman, trusted his instincts. “What renovations? Can you show us what you’ve been working on?”

The gaunt man swallowed hard. Now even a fool could see he had something to hide.

Officer Tang reached for his waistband as he advanced. “Sir, please cooperate—”

But before Officer Tang could lay a hand on him, the man suddenly bolted, sprinting towards the exit.

Such guilty behavior confirmed they were in the right place.

Officer Tang reacted instantly, chasing after him.

Mo Fei didn’t follow; instead, he entered the office area, searching for any place someone could be hidden.

The gaunt man was surprisingly quick on his feet. Officer Tang, who had taken a desk job after an injury during his time in criminal investigations, found it difficult to keep pace.

At the gate, the gaunt man spotted Ji Xingyu and his motorcycle and was instantly elated. A lone woman posed no threat in his eyes, and the motorcycle was the perfect getaway vehicle. Heaven hadn’t abandoned him after all!

Ji Xingyu saw them coming. It was obvious—Officer Tang was chasing; the man ahead was no good.

Ji straightened, gripping his helmet tightly, ready.

As the gaunt man lunged to shove Ji Xingyu aside and grab the bike, Ji swung the helmet hard into the man’s stomach.

It was like being headbutted right in the gut. The man crumpled, clutching his abdomen and dropping to his knees.

Officer Tang caught up, slapped on the handcuffs, and roared, “Speak! Where are the people?”

The man rolled his eyes, refusing to utter a word.

“Why are you alone?” Ji Xingyu glanced around; no one else was fleeing the pig farm. “Where are the others?”

Officer Tang remembered Mo Fei was still in the office area. There was no way these traffickers had left only one person on guard—it was too dangerous to let a civilian get involved in such a situation!

Cursing under his breath, Officer Tang secured the man to the police car and hurried back into the pig farm.