What do you mean you're fine? You're bleeding.

The brigade leader never expected that Lin Jingyue would come along as well.

They hadn't seen her when they set off, nor did they think of her; besides, only men had gone out to search while the women stayed behind.

Once the others left, the brigade leader buried his head in his hands, aggressively tugging at his hair, his face a mask of exhaustion and helplessness.

"Since the educated youth Lin has gone after them, and she even took Copper Hammer and Jiabao with her, we should trust them. Besides, there are public security officers too. Tiedan and Niuniu will definitely be able to come back," the accountant sighed, trying to comfort the brigade leader.

The brigade leader nodded. "Let's head back..."

Everyone was crestfallen. In this day and age, transportation was underdeveloped; as long as the culprits had a vehicle, they could leave all their pursuers far behind.

They could only hope that the public security officers and educated youth Lin would manage to track down and retrieve the people.

...

"There are two sets of tire tracks, and the other one should belong to the public security officers." Along the way, seeing the two sets of tire tracks, Lin Jingyue felt a slight wave of relief.

However, she was worried that the traffickers might be armed, which would put the children in grave danger.

Lu Yunji spoke up. "Since they used a vehicle, it proves that this gang didn't just abduct two children; there might be other victims as well."

If that was the case, the rescue operation would be somewhat troublesome. As long as the traffickers held even a single child hostage, the public security officers would find their hands tied.

The atmosphere inside the car turned somewhat solemn.

"Drive faster." Lin Jingyue's gaze grew cold.

She was determined to bring the two children back.

Lu Yunji said nothing more and concentrated on driving.

From early morning until afternoon, they continuously followed the tire tracks. When they reached a wider road, tracking became even more difficult.

Fortunately, these were all dirt roads and there were very few vehicles around, so they probably hadn't lost the trail.

"Bang!"

Lu Yunji slammed on the brakes, exchanging a glance with Lin Jingyue. Neither of them was unfamiliar with that sound.

"It's gunfire!" Tian Yang's expression turned stern. Were these traffickers really not ordinary criminals after all?

Li Copper Hammer and his companion both shrank their necks. "L-Educated Youth Lin, what should we do now?"

Were they still going to push forward?

"Get out of the car, we'll go take a look. You guys wait here." As she spoke, Lin Jingyue had already pulled open the door and stepped out.

"No way, we're going too." Sun Jiabao moved swiftly; he and Li Copper Hammer had already jumped out of the vehicle before Tian Yang could even react.

"Suit yourselves, just be careful." Lin Jingyue threw those words over her shoulder as she and Lu Yunji crept forward.

With no other choice, Tian Yang could only follow resignedly behind Li Copper Hammer and Sun Jiabao.

Their vehicle happened to be parked near a bend, making it easy to sneak up without being easily spotted.

The group quietly concealed themselves as they moved forward, and soon, the scene ahead came into view.

The public security officers had caught up with the traffickers, but... there was a third party involved. Lin Jingyue's brows furrowed.

From the looks of it, they appeared to be military personnel.

"Release the children, and I'll let you leave." A cold, stern voice rang out.

Lin Jingyue narrowed her eyes slightly. Song Shiyun.

What was he doing here?!

That meant those other individuals truly were from the military.

She felt a slight sense of relief. With Song Shiyun around, the children should be safe from harm.

"Hahaha, what a joke! If I let the hostages go, I'll become a ghost under your blades the very next second." The traffickers weren't stupid; they knew their only lifeline was their human shields.

He was truly unlucky. Who could have anticipated that not only would public security officers give chase, but they would also run right into a squad executing a mission?

The man glared viciously at the people opposite him. "Cut the crap! Clear the road, or I'll kill them!"

The firearm in his hand pointed directly at the heads of several children.

Among them was Niuniu, whose mouth had been gagged earlier. The little girl's face was plastered with terror and stained with tear tracks.

Yet because her mouth was blocked, she couldn't let out a single sound.

From Lin Jingyue's angle, she could clearly see the terror and fear on the children's faces, and her gaze grew even colder.

"Don't be impulsive," Lu Yunji muttered in a low voice.

On the opposite side, Uncle Zhou stood beside Song Shiyun. The two had cooperated before and possessed a certain tacit understanding.

He took a deep breath. "There are too many children..."

That single sentence made Song Shiyun understand instantly: they didn't have absolute certainty of success.

Furthermore, these traffickers were far too cunning. Only two had shown their faces while the rest hid inside the truck bed, where more children were kept. Unsurprisingly, the moment there was any unusual movement outside, the people inside would make their move.

"I'll go check the back." Observing the situation, Lin Jingyue suddenly rose quietly.

Lu Yunji glanced at her retreating figure and instantly grasped her intention.

About five minutes after she left, seeing that both sides were still locked in a stalemate, he led Li Copper Hammer and the others out into the open.

"Who goes there?!" The head of the traffickers instantly grew alert upon seeing more people approach.

Everyone turned their attention toward Lu Yunji and his group.

They quickly realized that Lu Yunji was no ordinary person; a man's bearing and aura were the hardest things to fake.

"Would you believe me if I said I was just passing by?" Lu Yunji raised an eyebrow, one hand tucked into his pocket.

"Cut the crap! If you're passing by, get lost!" the trafficker bellowed.

This fellow probably had an extraordinary background. He prayed the newcomer wasn't here for the children. He was already caught between a rock and a hard place; if a few more showed up, he'd genuinely be finished.

"The road is blocked, and my car can't get past from behind." Lu Yunji spread his hands. "How about you guys move your vehicles out of the way?"

The trafficker let out a cold, derisive laugh. "Make them move their cars first, and then I'll move mine."

Was this kid just out for a stroll to gawk at the excitement?

If so, he might actually end up being of unintentional help.

Lu Yunji was adept at reading human nature. Noticing the subtle shift in the trafficker's eyes, he smiled inwardly.

He began to stall, chatting idly with the man.

Song Shiyun and Uncle Zhou exchanged glances, casting a profound look at Lu Yunji, but they didn't say anything superfluous.

Just a few minutes later, the trafficker realized something was wrong. He had intended to use Lu Yunji, but hadn't the other party been stalling him with idle chatter all this time?

"You—"

"Bang!" Just as the trafficker leader aimed his firearm at Lu Yunji, Song Shiyun violently lunged forward and tackled him to the ground, sending the weapon flying.

Simultaneously, the public security officers and the men brought by Song Shiyun made their move. Inside the truck bed, Lin Jingyue executed a flying tackle, knocking down a trafficker holding a machete, clamped a chokehold around his neck, and delivered a single punch that knocked him unconscious.

In the nick of time, in the flash of a second, just as another female trafficker recovered her wits, Lin Jingyue had already appeared right in front of her, her right hand clamping down on the woman's throat.

The bound children inside the truck wanted to scream at the top of their lungs, but their mouths were all gagged.

Only Tiedan, his eyes red and swollen, shone with a brilliant light when he caught sight of Lin Jingyue.

Song Shiyun and the others subdued the traffickers and rushed toward the back at top speed.

That was when they witnessed the scene of Lin Jingyue holding a woman captive in her grip.

"Jingyue?!" Song Shiyun's eyes widened in shock. "Are you hurt?"

He spotted the axe lying nearby.

"I'm fine," Lin Jingyue shook her head.

"How can you be fine? You're bleeding!" Song Shiyun's brows knitted together tightly. He ordered his men to tie up the woman and pulled Lin Jingyue over to inspect her injuries.

Seeing how worried he was, the corner of Lin Jingyue's mouth twitched. "I really am fine, it's just a scratch from a blade earlier."