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"Understood," Old Shao shouted.
Old Shao stood up and glanced at Huang Zhengqing, who appeared indifferent, shaking his head in disbelief. He slowly walked to the corner, picked up a gold ring, blew off the dust, and gently placed it on the table in front of Huang Zhengqing.
Huang Zhengqing stared blankly at the now-clean gold ring, finding it hard to read the old man before him.
Old Shao didn't look at Huang Zhengqing but said, "I've lived for sixty years, and most of the time I can't figure out what the meaning of life is. Many people are searching for their purpose as well. Although you might not understand it either, just think of your wife and child. You want to live on; even if you're a robber, you still want to survive. For you, that is your reason for existence."
Huang Zhengqing's body trembled slightly, as if Old Shao's words had struck a chord deep within him.
As Old Shao walked out of the interrogation room, he continued, "This ring will be your greatest keepsake in life. At least it gives you something to look forward to while you're in prison. So it's best not to casually discard such a precious item. Even if you don't want it, we can find out about it. Keep it safe."
Though these words seemed directed at Huang Zhengqing, they were primarily meant for his wife. Huang Zhengqing's demeanor suggested he no longer loved her, but in reality, he cared deeply; that's why he remained tight-lipped. The person behind this knew Huang Zhengqing had a wife and child. If that person targeted them, what could Huang Zhengqing do from behind bars?
Often, "respect" and "fear" go hand in hand.
Huang Zhengqing's wife held their child tightly as she slowly walked away. Her tears flowed like a gentle stream. Huang Zhengqing's son clutched his mother's hand tightly; after so many years apart, he had never spoken a word to his father and clearly held no fondness for him.
Old Shao turned back to look at Huang Zhengqing, and in that moment, he seemed to hear something shatter.
Suddenly, Huang Zhengqing spoke up: "Wait, wait a minute."
Everyone turned back to him.
Huang Zhengqing remained disdainful as he said, "Get lost with your son; I don't need you here."
Huang Zhengqing's wife shot him a fierce glare before walking away.
"What’s wrong?" Old Shao looked at Huang Zhengqing.
At that moment, Huang Zhengqing furrowed his brows tightly, biting his lip hard. His eyes were red, and tears the size of beans swirled in his eyes. His body trembled slightly, and his shoulders shook violently. Huang Zhengqing was suppressing himself; he was holding back his emotions.
A few minutes later, when he confirmed that his wife and child had walked far away, he finally couldn't hold it in any longer and broke down in tears. This man ultimately could not contain the feelings inside him; he finally let it all out.
Jiang He observed Huang Zhengqing as snot and tears streamed down his face. He cried heart-wrenchingly, producing a sound like a tattered flag flapping wildly in the wind.
It was the first time Jiang He had seen a man cry like this. In Jiang He's experience, most men cried silently, which was very different from Huang Zhengqing.
Old Shao began to understand why the game planners had allowed Feng Gaofei and Huang Zhengqing to join. Both knew that the solution might lead to a lifetime in prison, yet they still chose this path. Those scammers, those who committed fraud and trafficked children, never considered the victims while doing these things.
If evil deeds go unpunished, they would rather fall into hell than watch these people continue to harm others.
Huang Zhengqing finally sobbed, "In the end, whatever men do, we have to bear the consequences ourselves. That five hundred thousand is my wife’s last inheritance. It may not be enough for a lifetime, but it can help my wife start a business and support my son through college. Renting a place to live won’t be a problem."
"I need your cooperation if we're going to work together," Old Shao said without sitting down.
Huang Zhengqing hesitated but eventually said, "If I don’t cooperate, you’ll take back that little money I have left. But if I do cooperate, my wife and son might face even worse consequences. You have your procedures and rules, but he can do anything."
"But let’s turn this around: Han Liqun destroyed my family. While my family of three huddled together on one bed during the cold winter months, what was Han Liqun doing? He was probably enjoying a lavish meal with his beautiful wife and concubines while watching TV. But who can we blame? I signed the contract; I didn’t read the fine print carefully enough, but he clearly intended to deceive from the start."
"You don't think people like that are detestable?" Huang Zhengqing said, gritting his teeth in anger when mentioning Han Liqun. "Sometimes the law can't solve all problems. Every law faces resistance when it's put into practice. Even if you win a lawsuit, what if the other party refuses to pay? You still have to find someone who knows how to navigate the underworld."
Huang Zhengqing shook his head. "This is how it is all over the world. What can you do about it?"
"What's there to do?" Old Shao sighed. "I can overlook the five hundred thousand your wife owes, but your child and wife still need money."
"Thank you, I appreciate it," Huang Zhengqing replied. "As for the person behind this, I really don't know much. From the very beginning, this person has never shown his face."
"He never showed his face?" Old Shao asked. "Then why do you trust him so much?"
Huang Zhengqing frowned. "Because this person seems to know everything about my past. I don't know how he found out, but he just does. From our conversations, I could tell he shouldn't be very old."
"Did he use a voice changer?" Old Shao inquired.
Huang Zhengqing shook his head. "I really don't know. His voice sounded very young. Later, I found a black business card at home, and after seeing it, I realized that he could carry out all those plans he mentioned. He promised me five hundred thousand—five hundred thousand! When would someone like me, who has been to prison, ever earn that much? So I agreed."
"And then?" Old Shao continued to ask.
Huang Zhengqing glanced around cautiously, as if wary.
"Is it really that frightening?" Old Shao settled into his seat.
Huang Zhengqing finally said, "In any case, he gives off a very mysterious vibe. He has planned three schemes in total, each step designed to lead people into a trap. After he laid out the steps for us to execute the game, he never showed up again."
"Have you had any contact since then?" Old Shao asked.
Huang Zhengqing nodded. "There are two of us, one is me, and the other is Feng Gaofei."
"We have also captured Feng Gaofei and are currently interrogating him. He revealed that you were in charge of the Han Liqun case, while he was responsible for the human trafficking case."
Huang Zhengqing nodded again, then shook his head. "That's partially correct. Feng Gaofei was a child sold by traffickers, but he was actually in charge of the first game. Since neither of us could leave, it was the person behind this who decided where Zhang Wenhua was sold."
No wonder the planner didn't write down the name of the village; it turned out to be for this reason.
Old Shao continued to ask, "Do you know the name of the village where Feng Gaofei is from?"
Huang Zhengqing nodded. "I only remember that his village is called Desolate Village. It is said that during the Anti-Japanese War, all the villagers were killed by the Japanese soldiers, which led to it being named Desolate Village. Later, during the three years of disasters, many people fled there, and eventually they settled down and gradually formed a village."
"Feng Gaofei and I... that village is deep in the mountains, very remote. Feng Gaofei has been away for over ten years and has never returned. There’s nothing left for him to miss in that village anymore. Over a decade has passed; I wonder how that village is now. According to Feng Gaofei himself, those people mostly came as refugees and many had various diseases. He always tells me these as ghost stories, but I really don’t know how it actually is; he surely doesn’t know either."
"Do you know where this Desolate Village is located?" Old Shao asked, hitting upon the most crucial question.
Huang Zhengqing shook his head. "I haven't heard about that. But it seems to be in our province. Back then, transportation wasn't developed, so traffickers usually operated within the province. It should be in our South Province, but I don’t know any more specifics. By the way, you should just ask Feng Gaofei directly."
Old Shao shook his head and sighed. "Feng Gaofei has been out for over ten years; he was just a teenager back then and has long forgotten exactly where it was."
Huang Zhengqing shook his head again. "Then I wouldn't know. However, judging by that person's tone, it seems like Zhang Wenhua was indeed sold to that village."
If Feng Gaofei had not died, he might have already discovered the true location of the Desolate Village.
"Is there anything else?" asked Elder Shao.
Huang Zhengqing thought for a moment and replied, "I really don't know anything else. By the way, Feng Gaofei told me that after he ran out of that village, he walked for about three hours along the mountain road before finally reaching the outskirts of the village."
Old Shao nodded.
Although China has developed significantly and per capita income has increased considerably in less than seventy years, there are still many places on the vast land of the Motherland where sunlight barely reaches. In these areas, many people earn only a few dozen yuan a month and live in extreme poverty.
In these regions, most people have to rely on human traffickers to marry and raise children.
Historically, these places have always been remote and inaccessible, often beyond the reach of the emperor's governance. Generally, villages develop independently.
Considering this situation, rescuing children from such places is not an easy task. Most brides in these areas are bought, and a portion of the children are also purchased. If a bride from a family tries to escape, everyone in the village will keep watch; otherwise, if their own bride runs away next time, no one will help them.
Poverty is the reason for their unusual solidarity.
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