Chapter 38 - 32: Reversal! The Decisive Ironclad Evidence

Xu De was bewildered, staring in shock at the prestigious 985 university graduate before him.

"Lawyer Xu, you go ahead. Don’t worry about me."

Wang Chao added hurriedly, then turned his head to look at the spot where he had climbed over the wall.

He took a few quick strides, vaulted back over the wall where he’d come in, and returned the way he came.

Then he re-entered through the main gate.

Once inside, he saw Xu De and Lin Yue staring at him, dumbfounded. He began to explain:

"You should use the main gate when entering someone’s home. Climbing the wall is rude."

Xu De: "..."

"Prin... principled."

Xu De’s lips twitched for a moment before he finally raised a hand and gave a thumbs-up.

"Alright, let’s go find the child first."

He took a deep breath, pulling the conversation back on track. Not that it took much effort, because...

"No need to look."

Lin Yue suddenly spoke up. She raised a hand, pointed at the window of one of the rooms, and said quietly:

"He’s there."

The two men looked up, peering from the doorway toward the window.

There, in the dark window... a sturdy little head was pressed against the glass, its bright eyes silently observing the outside world.

Xu De paused, scanned the surroundings to make sure no one else was there, and only then walked forward.

Once he was close, the big one and the little one stared at each other, sizing each other up.

Xu De hadn’t seen the child on his last visit, but the boy bore a strong resemblance to Wang Mei and Wang Qiang, enough to confirm he was their son.

The boy’s name was Li Yang.

He was six years old, dressed in rather worn-out clothes, but his eyes were exceptionally clear.

Li Yang didn’t cry or make a fuss. He didn’t even look scared—just curious.

After a few seconds, Xu De looked down at him and spoke:

"When did you see us?"

Li Yang tilted his head up and replied, "I saw that man when he climbed over the wall."

Then, before Xu De could ask another question, Li Yang eagerly climbed out of the window, spread his arms, and said:

"Let’s go, quickly."

Xu De said, "Do you know what we’re here for?"

"It’s so late, and you climbed the wall and picked the lock, and you were looking for a kid... It’s so obvious, of course I know. You’re here for me, right?"

"I’ve seen you before. Last month, my mom left with you..."

Li Yang spoke like a little adult, but then his voice suddenly dropped to a whisper as he asked.

"Is my mom still crying? Does she get to eat good food? Mister, can you give my mom a message... Tell her that once I grow up, no one will dare hit her or bully her anymore."

The first part of what the boy said sounded a little off to Xu De; the description made him sound like a human trafficker.

He didn’t dwell on it. Looking at the boy’s innocent face, he said bluntly:

"Stop asking questions. Come with me, I’ll take you to your mom."

Hearing this, Li Yang’s eyes lit up, but he quickly said:

"Wait a minute! I hid a lot of candy. I’m going to get it to give to my mom..."

But Xu De couldn’t be bothered to waste time.

"Forget it, we’ll buy you new candy once we’re out of the village!"

He grabbed Li Yang just as the boy was about to turn around, scooped him up into his arms, and broke into a run, leaving the main gate behind in a few steps.

Lin Yue followed close behind.

"Hey, hey, hey."

Wang Chao stayed by the gate, fumbling with the lock as he called out, "Lock the gate! It’s rude not to lock the gate!"

He frantically locked the gate, then paused for a thought and slid the wire back inside through the crack in the door.

Wang Chao wasn’t a member of the Communist Party, but he was a firm believer in ’not taking a single needle or thread from the people!’

Only after doing all this did he lower his head and race to catch up with Xu De and Lin Yue.

...

「It was now 10:48 PM.」

Most of the residents of Li Family Village were already asleep. Whether on the village roads or in the alleys, only solitary, unpowered utility poles stood on either side. In the darkness, they looked like two people standing by, watching the group depart.

The three of them walked quickly. The roadside was full of potholes, their steps landing unevenly, sometimes deep, sometimes shallow. They couldn’t see the path at all and had to rely on luck.

Xu De nearly stumbled several times but managed to keep his balance.

Lin Yue, on the other hand, fell several times and was bleeding, but she didn’t make a sound, simply lowering her head and keeping up.

"HUFF... HUFF... HUFF..."

In the silent night, on the deathly quiet road, the sound of their breathing gradually faded into the distance.

Xu De held Li Yang, his eyes fixed on the village entrance that was drawing ever closer. His breathing grew heavier, until...

In a daze, Xu De’s pace gradually slowed, and he came to a stop at the village entrance.

He saw...

Two figures carrying something on their shoulders suddenly appeared to the side of the village entrance. They were standing right in the middle of the only path out, and they were visibly startled to see the three of them.

Just then, the clouds obscuring the moon parted, and slivers of bright moonlight illuminated both groups.

It was...

The villagers from Li Family Village, the couple who had been tasked with looking after Li Yang—Li Sheng and Li Li!

The couple stood at the village entrance, hoisting hoes on their shoulders. They stared blankly at Xu De’s group, their gazes finally landing on Li Yang in Xu De’s arms.

"What do you think you’re doing!"

Suddenly, Li Sheng’s pupils contracted. He tightened his grip on his mud-caked hoe, watching the three of them warily.

’Crap!’

Behind him, Lin Yue’s and Wang Chao’s hearts sank.

’We’ve been discovered. Even though we’re at the village entrance and could run, if a conflict breaks out... who knows what this will be classified as!’

The two cursed internally.

’Dammit, we were just hoping we wouldn’t get caught... Speak of the devil!’

But fortunately...

Li Sheng and Li Li hadn’t yet grasped the situation, so they didn’t start shouting to attract other villagers. Instead, they just blocked the road like a pair of guardian statues, their eyes vigilant.

Xu De’s group didn’t move either.

And so, the two sides were locked in a stalemate in the dark night, with only the cold wind howling between them.

Just as everyone was trying to figure out what to do...

Suddenly, Xu De moved.

He took a deep breath, placed the child on the ground, and then, his expression grim, he walked toward them step by step.

Every hair on Li Sheng’s and Li Li’s bodies stood on end, as if they sensed danger.