Chapter 46: The Rescue Operation, Conclusion

The layout of the small office was clear at a glance; Mo Fei saw nowhere a person could hide. As he made his way toward the warehouse, a man was just opening the door to leave, grumbling, “Fifth, what’s taking you so long in the bathroom? Did you fall in?”

When he looked up and saw Mo Fei, Mo Fei also noticed the traces of cement on the man's shoes. Without a moment’s hesitation, Mo Fei seized the initiative, landing a punch squarely on the man’s face and, before he could react, followed up with several more blows, knocking him to the ground.

“Damn it!” Another burly man emerged from the warehouse, swinging a shovel at Mo Fei. Mo Fei parried the blow with his U-lock, slid to the man’s side, and struck the back of his knee with the lock. The burly man’s stance faltered and he dropped to one knee. Seizing the opportunity, Mo Fei delivered an upward headbutt to the man's chin, sending him crashing to the floor with a cry of pain.

By now, the first man—who had taken several punches from Mo Fei—had recovered and hooked an arm around Mo Fei’s neck from behind, tightening his grip in a less-than-perfect chokehold.

Mo Fei immediately struggled to breathe. He swung the U-lock behind him, but his blows failed to land properly. Bracing his feet, he thrust himself backward, trying to break free.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, freezing the chaos in an instant. Officer Tang stood at the door, weapon drawn, the muzzle aimed squarely at the man choking Mo Fei. “Let go and put your hands up!”

Faced with the dark barrel of the gun, the man slowly released his grip. Mo Fei, clutching his throat, coughed and staggered to his feet.

Now it was two against two, but with a gun on their side, the balance had shifted decisively. Officer Tang glanced around the warehouse; seeing no rope, he was about to ask Mo Fei to find something to tie up the men when he saw Mo Fei raise the U-lock and knock both men out with precise blows to the back of their necks.

His technique was expert—one swift strike to render a man unconscious—though hardly by the book, and Officer Tang was clearly displeased.

“You!”

“Me?” Mo Fei waved a hand dismissively. “No need to thank me. I know you’re out of handcuffs.”

Given the urgency, Officer Tang let it slide, holstered his weapon, and began searching the warehouse. Within minutes, Officer Xiao Xu arrived.

He had heard the warning shot and, realizing something was wrong, rushed over immediately. A staff member followed behind, his face blank with confusion and fear.

Mo Fei, rubbing his neck, approached the staff member. “Is there any secret room or cellar in this warehouse?”

The staff pointed inside. “There’s an entrance to a basement at the far end, but the boss said it was sealed off years ago.”

Officer Xiao Xu, hearing this, glanced at the two men on the floor and handed his handcuffs to Mo Fei. “Cuff them and watch them. I’m going in to help my mentor.”

Mo Fei made an “OK” gesture, cuffed the men right hand to right hand—if they woke up, let them try running while holding hands.

After all this, Mo Fei leaned against the wall catching his breath, feeling that his recent exercise had been excessive.

The staff member stood at the door, too afraid to enter, and whispered, “What happened?”

“Pig feed robbery,” Mo Fei snapped. “Do you believe that?”

The staff member shook his head violently. Who would rob pig feed at gunpoint!

The two stood by the entrance, and soon the sounds of things being smashed came from inside the warehouse. Mo Fei gave the two men on the ground a few surreptitious kicks, muttering, “Heartless bastards!”

From here on, there was little for Mo Fei to do. Police reinforcements arrived swiftly—almost as soon as the search inside began, more officers showed up outside. Once the situation was confirmed, even more backup and ambulances were dispatched.

Through everyone’s efforts, over thirty adults hidden in the basement were rescued.

Later, whenever Officer Xiao Xu recalled the incident, his eyes reddened. He and his colleagues had broken down the cement-sealed basement door by force, and the instant it opened, a stifling stench hit them.

The basement was tiny, crammed with more than thirty adults who could not even lie down. Eating and relieving themselves all happened in that same space; the smell was unimaginable.

Most of the thirty-plus were adult men, with only a handful of women and no children. When they were rescued, most had already slipped into respiratory distress and shock, their lips turned blue from lack of oxygen.

Fortunately, help had arrived in time, and after emergency treatment, everyone was out of danger.

The case drew the attention of senior officials, who personally intervened, sparking a nationwide crackdown on human traffickers.

Yet within the police force, one question remained unanswered—how had Mo Fei known the location where the traffickers hid their captives?

They questioned both Mo Fei and Ji Xingyu, but their stories matched: they claimed a cat had brought them a map.

A cat helping catch human traffickers?

The officers felt as if their intelligence and understanding of the world had been trampled underfoot.

“I heard these kinds of criminals have a special dark web for exchanging information,” Officer Tang said, sighing as he drafted his report late into the night. “Could Mo Fei be on the dark web too?”

Officer Xiao Xu, also writing his report as a direct participant, could only shrug at his mentor’s speculation. “Sir, after all the help he’s given us, why are you still so suspicious?”

Officer Tang shot him a look. “Do you really believe a cat led him to the site?”

“Uh—no,” Officer Xiao Xu admitted, shaking his head.

Officer Tang snorted. “Doing good and doing evil aren’t mutually exclusive. Some people set fires and kill outside, then return home to build bridges and repair roads. Some steal, but will still save a child from falling. People aren’t one-dimensional. Believe only appearances, and you’ll suffer for it.”

Officer Xiao Xu nodded repeatedly. “Point taken. I’ve learned my lesson.”

Officer Tang scratched his head, staring at the report on his computer, feeling overwhelmed. “Bright boy, come help me figure out how to phrase this. Why do I always end up writing so many more reports than you?”

Officer Xiao Xu walked over helplessly. “Well, you did fire an extra blank round, after all.”

After giving his statement, Mo Fei went home and collapsed into bed, his desire to avoid work reaching its peak.

Ji Xingyu, having also finished his statement, was thoroughly examined from head to toe by his elder brother Ji Xingjian upon returning home.

“Brother, you can’t fight or carry heavy things, so why on earth did you get involved?”

“It was nothing, just lending a hand,” Ji Xingyu replied, eyes bright. “Helping others brings happiness to oneself. Brother, I’m a little hungry.”

Ji Xingjian was at a loss for what to do with his brother, so he donned an apron and went to cook noodles.

Ji Xingyu gleefully rolled around on the sofa. What a rush—a day full of excitement and novelty for him.

Yet he felt as though he had forgotten something…

Well, if it was forgotten, he’d remember it tomorrow!