Chapter 48

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Xiaoyan was a bit scared but still obediently squatted in the cabinet.

She didn't know that her mother was being held by three auxiliary police officers on Iron Slag Street, with a crowd of onlookers lining both sides of the road. The men, with cigarettes in their mouths and arms crossed, watched with interest as the exposed private parts of the women were revealed in broad daylight. The auxiliary police officers were triumphant, like victorious heroes.

Sister Mei closed her eyes. Since she started this line of work, she had no more dignity, but such a public parade still made her feel ashamed. Nana and Xiaoya were already scared and crying, wailing. The most unfortunate was Xiaoli, who came to help but ended up being caught. If she had known, she wouldn't have been greedy for that bit of money.

Among these women, Huanxi was the most dressed, wearing a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, with nothing much to see. A tall and muscular auxiliary police officer pulled her hair and dragged her forward. Huanxi, with her head down, stumbled along, her face pale with fear, her legs trembling.

The Huahuo Police Station was at the end of Iron Slag Street, just past a bridge. Outside was the household registration service hall, and in the courtyard, several police cars were parked. The captured women and their clients were ordered to squat in a line against the wall, not allowed to raise their heads or whisper to each other.

Huanxi shivered, her teeth chattering. She had never seen such a scene before.

"Xiaonie, don't be afraid," Sister Mei whispered in comfort.

An auxiliary police officer walked over and kicked Sister Mei. "No talking!"

The clients were taken away first. These guys were actually people found by Hua Deyi, so they wouldn't be really dealt with.

Sister Mei was taken into the interrogation room, where a stern police officer took her statement.

"Name, age, and place of origin."

"Mei Ruohua, thirty-four, from Pingchuan."

...

At the Shuidu Grand Hotel, the international debate competition hosted by Jiang University finally came to a close. The chief debater from Beiqing University, Ling Zijie, won the judges' favor with his excellent performance and eloquence, and was named the best debater of the competition.

In the banquet hall, participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and other regions gathered with Jiang University and Beiqing University students, toasting and chatting. They were all dressed in neat suits, their glasses reflecting a wise light, their witty remarks and laughter filling the air.

Song Shuang and Zhu Pengpeng were student council members and enthusiastic participants in various social activities, so they couldn't miss the closing ceremony. They hurried to the scene and were stopped at the door by the student council president, Yu Nan.

"Song Shuang, Pengpeng, why haven't you changed your clothes?" Yu Nan looked at their plaid shirts, jeans, and canvas shoes with a helpless expression.

"It's fine, we're not debaters," Song Shuang pulled Pengpeng inside.

The atmosphere in the venue was very lively, with the students continuing the discussion from the final debate, which was about whether social resources should be used to help sex workers, commonly known as "fallen women."

The debaters, holding cocktails, gathered around the best debater, Ling Zijie, listening to his eloquent speech.

"Although I was the debater for the opposition and won the debate, I want to say that sex workers need social attention. They are a high-risk group for sexually transmitted diseases, at the bottom of society. Their birth, aging, illness, and death, even their kidnappings, murders, and dismemberments, seem unrelated to our lives because they are a forgotten group, a group without dignity... There are legal gaps; our country does not recognize sex workers as legal, but we must face the various social issues caused by this group..."

Song Shuang listened for a while and said to Pengpeng, "What this person says makes a lot of sense. If we can protect small animals, why can't we care about sex workers?"

Pengpeng stuck out her tongue. "Shuangshuang, are you joking? Dealing with those people is so dirty."

Ling Zijie finished his speech and walked over with a smile. "Ladies, let me introduce myself. I am Ling Zijie from Beiqing University, the best debater of this competition."

Song Shuang extended her hand. "Song Shuang, from Jiang University. This is Zhu Pengpeng. We are from the student council, here to help."

"Actually, we're here to freeload," Pengpeng corrected.

"I've heard about you from Yu Nan. Can we chat?" Ling Zijie made an inviting gesture.

"Of course." Song Shuang and Pengpeng went to a corner and sat down facing Ling Zijie.

"Before the debate started a few days ago, I had this idea. We, as university students, could establish a support organization to provide free condoms and medical consultations to sex workers, as well as psychological counseling. This would be a massive, long-term project, and I hope Jiang University's student council can take it on."

Ling Zijie's voice was magnetic, and his words were full of social responsibility, which moved Song Shuang. She replied, "I think this is a great idea. Jiang University can definitely take it on, but why are you talking to us?"

Ling Zijie smiled. "Your father is the head of the Jiangdong Provincial Public Security Department. From any perspective, you are the most suitable person. Of course, Miss Zhu is also suitable; your father is also a high-ranking official in the Jiangdong police force."

Pengpeng said, "You've investigated us?"

Ling Zijie said, "These are all public secrets, no need for investigation."

Song Shuang said, "That's true. Our special status gives us an advantage in doing this, but we lack experience and need more guidance from Ling."

Ling Zijie said, "What inspired me to have this idea was a person. Two nights ago, I met a girl in this hotel, a girl who looked like a university student, but she was actually a sex worker. I went upstairs with her, the pimp, and the madam. Later, I noticed her client, a man in his fifties, dressed like an official, weighing at least 200 pounds. I thought about what kind of circumstances would make a young girl willing to sell her body for money. Was it a tragic experience or laziness? What story lies behind this?"

Song Shuang and Pengpeng exchanged a glance, a sense of sacredness rising in their hearts. Compared to helping small animals, this work was more challenging and more socially responsible.

...

At the Huahuo Police Station, Nana, Xiaoya, and Xiaoli had already confessed under the weight of overwhelming evidence, but Sister Mei refused to admit to prostitution. She kept saying she had a three-year-old daughter hiding in the bedroom cabinet and begged the police to let her go back to check.

The police officers sneered at her clumsy trick, trying to deceive them with a pitiful story to avoid punishment. Such tactics couldn't fool experienced officers.

"Please, my daughter is only three and a half. If you detain me, she will starve to death," Sister Mei cried out in a hoarse voice.

"Shut up, or we'll gag you!" a female police officer shouted.

"Can I at least make a phone call?" Sister Mei knelt down and begged.

"No!" the police officer sternly refused.

"Then please, go to my room and find Xiaoyan. She's only three and a half." Sister Mei bowed repeatedly, and two auxiliary police officers dragged her into the detention room.

Another person who refused to confess was the youngest sex worker, Lan Huanxi, from the hair salon. Despite appearing the weakest, she was the hardest to break, refusing to admit to prostitution. However, this didn't fool the police. No one in the hair salon was clean, so they were detained first.

The phones of these sex workers were confiscated, and they revealed their regular clients, which would result in a significant fine.

Several auxiliary police officers called the numbers one by one, using threats and intimidation, achieving considerable results.

It was late at night, and Liu Hane drove past the hair salon. Normally, this was the time when sex workers were active, but all the hair salons and massage parlors were closed.

Suddenly, his phone rang with an unknown number.

"Who is it?" Liu Hane answered.

"Liu Hane, right? This is Huahuo Police Station. You are suspected of prostitution. Come to the station immediately to pay the fine!" The voice was authoritative, with the weight of the state.

"Prostitute your mother!" Liu Hane cursed and hung up. He drove around and came back, stopping in front of Sister Mei's hair salon. He got out, knocked on the door, but no one answered. He pushed the door, but it was locked from the inside.

Liu Hane understood that Sister Mei and the others had been caught by the police. They weren't caught earlier or later, but at this critical moment, which meant someone was behind it.

The phone rang again, the same number from the police station, this time even more stern: "Liu Hane, you have violated the Public Security Administration Punishment Law. This is your last warning. Come to the station to receive punishment. If we have to bring you in, it will be a different story!"

Liu Hane threw his phone, got back in the car, and sped towards the police station.

Three minutes later, Liu Hane walked into the Huahuo Police Station. In the duty room, several men with disheveled appearances were being punished. They were actually decent people; prostitution, a minor offense, wasn't a big deal unless caught in the act. The auxiliary police officers used threats to scare as many as they could.

Liu Hane wasn't there to confess and pay the fine. He hadn't done anything, so he quickly got into an argument with the duty officer. Ma Guoqing, hearing the commotion, walked over with a cup of tea. Seeing that the troublemaker was Liu Hane, he was surprised. "Liu, why is it you?"

Liu Hane said, "Officer Ma, I'm confused. Why is the police station asking me to pay a fine? What did I do?"

Ma Guoqing had been in the police force for over twenty years and had seen it all. The police having Liu Hane's phone number meant he was definitely involved with these sex workers. The fact that his own daughter liked this thug made him feel like he had swallowed a fly.

"An upright person has nothing to fear. You know what you've done. Young man, find a proper job and stop wandering around," Ma Guoqing patted Liu Hane's shoulder, speaking earnestly, then turned to leave, but stopped.

"Liu, my daughter is still young and not ready for a relationship. I hope you won't bother her anymore."

At the same time, in the residential area of the Provincial Public Security Department, Song Shuang was discussing the establishment of a support