Shen Xin didn’t stop until he reached the main road, at a spot where they couldn’t be seen.

He led Tiger Stripes off the bike.

"Tiger Stripes, how many people are in there?"

Shen Xin crouched down and asked with a serious expression.

The moment Shen Xin put on that serious face, Tiger Stripes immediately tucked his tail between his legs and started barking. WOOF WOOF WOOF.

"Does that mean there’s a lot?"

Ding Yuwei asked urgently, pressing him on what "a lot of people" meant.

’A lot.’

Shen Xin heard Tiger Stripes’s thought.

He nodded, his expression turning serious again as he asked, "Are there a lot of kids in there?"

Tiger Stripes barked once.

’Yes.’

Ding Yuwei’s expression changed dramatically. She asked frantically, "Shen Xin, what do you mean, kids?"

Shen Xin stood up, his face grim. In a low voice, he said, "When that guy came out, he kicked something into the scrap pile. I took a peek. It was one of those small flatbed carts that disabled beggars often use."

Ding Yuwei’s eyes widened. She finally understood why Shen Xin had grabbed her hand, stopped her from speaking, and let the old woman off so easily.

"Shen Xin, do you suspect it’s... one of *those*?" she asked, frowning, unable to finish.

Kidnapping and maiming children to be used as beggars.

Shen Xin took out his phone. "Whether it is or not, we’ll know once we investigate. Right now, I just hope we didn’t alert them."

With that, Shen Xin called Chen Chao and explained the situation.

On the other end of the line, Chen Chao cursed, calling them animals, and told Shen Xin to wait there; he was on his way.

Shen Xin asked him to bring his car, and also the collar from his drawer.

Ding Yuwei immediately realized what he was planning. Shen Xin was going to use Da Mei for reconnaissance.

"I can take the electric scooter, then. It’s not far," Ding Yuwei said.

Shen Xin quickly stopped her. "She’s not at my rented apartment. I took Da Mei to my parents’ house. How would you get there on the scooter? Forget it, I’ll have my sister bring her."

Ding Yuwei quickly interjected, "No, I should be the one to go. It’s New Year’s Eve, don’t make your sister run around."

Ten minutes later, Chen Chao and Old Qian arrived by car.

Ding Yuwei took Shen Xin’s car to go pick up Da Mei from his family’s home.

Only then did Chen Chao ask for the full details of the situation.

"Tiger Stripes confirmed it. He saw a lot of kids in there," Shen Xin said, pointing at the dog.

Tiger Stripes quickly let out a bark.

Chen Chao glanced at him. He knew Tiger Stripes was exceptionally smart—smart enough to go shopping on his own—so he believed the dog had indeed seen many children.

"Damn it. I thought with public safety improving over the years, we wouldn’t have scum like this anymore."

Chen Chao swore.

In his mind, people like that were no different from animals.

「...」

Inside the scrap-recycling station.

The man stood outside the iron gate, watching until Shen Xin and his companion disappeared at the end of the road. Seeing they were headed out of the village, he finally let out a long sigh of relief and quickly shut the gate.

"Are you trying to get us killed, causing this kind of trouble for me?!"

His previously meek and flustered expression vanished. He rushed viciously toward the old woman and berated her harshly.

The old woman trembled with fright.

The mistress of the house also shot the old woman a harsh glare before trying to placate the man. "All right, it’s fine. I don’t think they suspect anything. Those two cops are pretty dumb. They probably didn’t notice a thing. They only came because of that dog."

"Damn it, what stupid dog? A police dog? What kind of police dog just runs around loose?"

The man shoved the woman away and cursed, "Who cares why the damn police dog was running around? The point is, those were cops! I’m telling you, if the police find out what we’re doing, every last one of us is going to prison."

He then pointed at the old woman and said to the woman, "She’s your aunt. You better keep her in line. If she pulls another stunt, watch what I do to her."

He returned to his room, muttering curses under his breath.

The woman kept glaring at the old woman. "You’re insane," she snapped. "It’s just a dog, why’d you have to mess with it? Feeding it a needle? Only you could come up with something so stupid."

After saying her piece, she also went back to her room, grumbling.

As soon as the two of them left, the old woman’s submissive expression vanished. Her face turned sinister. She stared at the door to their room, muttered a few words soundlessly, and returned to her own room.

The scrap station consisted of a row of four single-story rooms.

The man and woman shared one. After returning, the man sat at a small square table, drinking, eating, and watching the New Year’s Gala. The woman sat beside him, continuing to count a large pile of small change.

The old woman had a room to herself.

Another room was used for storing miscellaneous junk.

The last room was locked from the outside. Its small window was covered with a plastic film held down by bricks to keep out the wind. The sliding window inside was screwed shut, impossible to open.

Through a gap in the plastic film, a pair of small eyes peered outside.

They belonged to a skinny boy.

The room wasn’t large. A wide sleeping platform had been built from bricks and wooden planks. He was pressed against the window, watching the fireworks burst in the distant sky through that tiny gap.

He turned his head and nudged the child next to him.

There were three children lying on the platform in total: two boys and a girl.

The child who was nudged was a bit older, also thin, with long, sloppily cut hair that looked like it had been chewed on by a dog.

He wasn’t sound asleep either and looked up at his companion.

The skinny boy made a sign with his hands.

[They were fighting.]

The long-haired boy signed back.

[Don’t worry about them.]

[The police came. I also heard them talking about the doggy. The old lady seemed to have fed the dog a needle. She’s so mean. Will the doggy be okay?]

[She’s always been mean.]

A fierce look flashed across the long-haired boy’s face as he continued to sign, [The doggy’s fine. That dog is very smart.]

Obviously, he hadn’t been asleep either; he had been listening.

The skinny boy nodded, thought for a moment, and signed again.

[The police don’t know about us.]

In the flashing light of the fireworks, his eyes dimmed with sadness.

[It’s no use. We can’t escape.]

The long-haired boy signed, then reached out and ruffled his companion’s hair.

The skinny boy hesitated before signing again, [Will that dog come back? It’s so smart. Maybe it can tell the police and they’ll come save us.]

After a moment’s hesitation, he signed again.

[I miss my mom.]

The long-haired boy’s gaze flickered, and he forced a smile.

[You don’t even remember what your mom looks like.]

The skinny boy made a face and signed back defiantly.

[I still miss her.]

[Go to sleep.]

The long-haired boy was silent for a moment, then signed before pulling the blanket over his head.

The skinny boy snuggled into his blanket, facing the window. Outside, the fireworks continued to flash intermittently, exceptionally beautiful.

「...」

Meanwhile, Ding Yuwei drove quickly and soon arrived at Shen Xin’s family home.

The lights were still on.

She knocked on the door urgently.

"You brat, didn’t you take your keys?"

Zeng Wenxi grumbled as she went to open the door.

When she opened the door and saw Ding Yuwei, she froze for a second.

"You... You’re Xiaoding, Shen Xin’s colleague, right?" Zeng Wenxi’s eyes lit up, and she peeked past her, looking for Shen Xin.

Ding Yuwei quickly apologized. "Ma’am, something came up with Shen Xin, so he can’t come back right now. I’m here to pick up Da Mei."

Zeng Wenxi said, "Oh," then it registered, and she quickly pulled Ding Yuwei inside.

Soon, Shen Haolin, Shen Shuang, and Shen Xin’s grandparents had all gathered around.

Ding Yuwei was incredibly embarrassed.

"Um, Ma’am, Sir, I’m really in a hurry. Oh, and Happy New Year to you all. And to you, Grandpa and Grandma, I wish you good health and all the best."

Ding Yuwei was so nervous she was stumbling over her words. She then asked where Da Mei was.

"I’ll go get her."

Shen Shuang hurried off and brought Da Mei over.

"Sir, Ma’am, I have to go, but I’ll come by to visit properly another time. I’ll be leaving now."

Ding Yuwei didn’t dare to stay any longer and quickly said her goodbyes, holding Da Mei.

The whole family saw her to the door.

Shen Yongming patted his son on the shoulder and asked, "Is that Shen Xin’s girlfriend? She’s very pretty. When did they start dating?"

Shen Haolin was oblivious. "I have no idea. I think they’re just colleagues."

Zeng Wenxi shot a glare at Shen Haolin. "What’s wrong with being colleagues? They spend a lot of time together, it’s only natural for things to develop. Anyway, I really like this girl."

Shen Shuang retorted, "Mom, you like any girl."