Chapter 15: Combating Human Trafficking

Li Yaqin, carrying her train ticket, waited at the train station for a while before the train arrived.

Sitting on the train, it clattered and rattled along.

Like a weary old ox, it panted heavily, inching forward step by step.

The carriage was bustling with noise, a mixture of smells fermenting in the cramped space.

The smell of instant noodles, sweat, feet, and children crying.

It was like a cacophony of odors, assaulting the nostrils and making one dizzy and nauseous.

Li Yaqin sat by the window, her face even more somber than the night outside.

She wondered how that despicable couple, Li Dayong and Li Yuehua, were doing now.

After being tricked by her, their family was probably in complete chaos. Serves them right!

Fate had been corrected; she was no longer the scapegoat.

As for what happened next, she'd deal with it depending on the situation. She was already at her brother's place.

"Oh my, young lady, what's in your bag? It looks so expensive!"

A burly middle-aged woman beside her asked in a booming voice.

As she spoke, she poked Li Yaqin's package with her thick fingers.

Li Yaqin jumped in surprise and instinctively clutched the package closer to her chest.

She looked at the woman warily and said irritably,

"Nothing much, just a few clothes." This woman was too friendly; she was definitely not a good person.

Being in an unfamiliar place, one should be wary of everyone.

"A few clothes? You look like you've lost your soul!"

"Young lady, where are you going? You have to be careful traveling alone."

The middle-aged woman persisted, continuing to scrutinize Li Yaqin with her shrewd little eyes.

"Could she have done something wrong and is running away?"

"How can you talk like that!" Li Yaqin's temper flared up instantly.

She hated people making unfounded assumptions, especially since she was in such a state of turmoil and had no time for idle chatter.

But looking at the woman, she became more wary.

She vaguely remembered this woman.

The book had mentioned human trafficking gangs on trains, where burly middle-aged women would approach women.

Then, after offering them water, they would claim a family member was carsick and help the young girl off the train at the station.

Unbeknownst to them, they had harmed many families. Could this woman be a human trafficker?

"Hey, you little brat, you've got some nerve!" The middle-aged woman, angered by the retort, also snapped.

"I was trying to be nice to you, and you're giving me the cold shoulder! You're like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, ungrateful for a kind heart!"

"You're the dog!" Li Yaqin retorted, her voice rising eight octaves.

"You...you brat!" The middle-aged woman's face turned pale with anger.

But she managed to hold back her rage, only glaring fiercely at Li Yaqin.

The surrounding passengers were drawn to the sudden argument, casting curious glances.

Some whispered, some pointed, and others watched with schadenfreude.

Li Yaqin took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. This wasn't the time to argue.

She glanced out the window; the train was passing through a dark field.

Only a few scattered lights flickered in the distance like will-o'-the-wisps.

"Excuse me, excuse me, they're selling things!" A train attendant pushing a cart squeezed through, interrupting the farce.

Seats were assigned, so Li Yaqin had no choice.

The thought of having to spend another day or so with the middle-aged woman opposite her made Li Yaqin feel suffocated.

Don't think life in period novels is idyllic.

Look at her, she used to think it was great when she read novels, but now that she's in this era,

she realizes how lucky she is to be born in such a prosperous time.

Moreover, because of the scarcity of resources,

the competition is even more brutal.

Resources are limited; if you don't fight and scramble, you'll starve.

Li Yaqin looked at the gloomy-faced middle-aged woman opposite her.

Beside her was a slightly younger couple, each holding a child.

The children were both fast asleep, but those traveling with children always carry large bags and bundles.

Why did they only have their own luggage?

Logically, taking children out should involve a lot of belongings.

Besides, those two children didn't seem like their biological children; their eyes were somewhat vacant, and they weren't crying or making a fuss.

Even the smell of diapers and milk was minimal, leaving only one possibility.

The three of them were definitely human traffickers.

And she was their target—how audacious!

But exposing herself? That wouldn't be good either!

How could she catch the traffickers and get their money without revealing herself?

Should she report them directly?

Although she'd get a reward, it would expose her identity.

If those biased parents found out, they might make her take the blame for Li Yuehua again; she couldn't take that risk.

How could she avoid revealing her identity and still get the money and reward? She needed to think.

Right, she had a spatial ability.

Since they were human traffickers, the things they possessed weren't obtained through clean channels either.

An unexpected bonus, and a small windfall.

In the narrow aisle, Li Yaqin pressed herself against the carriage wall.

Her heart pounded. She excused herself to use the restroom.

Her eyes quickly scanned the carriage, and finally, as she passed a hard-seat carriage,

she spotted her target—several soldiers in uniform.

They stood tall, their eyes sharp; they were clearly not ordinary people.

Li Yaqin quickly pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket.

This was something she had hastily scribbled down in the restroom.

It contained a few hastily written words: "Carriage X, middle-aged woman with a young couple, human traffickers, has a child, no baby formula, etc."

As she brushed past one of the soldiers, she seemingly casually slipped the paper into his pocket.

Having done all this, Li Yaqin returned to her seat as if nothing had happened.

She closed her eyes, pretending to rest.

But her heart was churning with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

Not long after, a commotion arose in the carriage.

Li Yaqin slightly opened her eyes. She saw several soldiers talking to the train attendant, their expressions serious.

Then, several strangers in plainclothes entered.

Their eyes were sharp as they scanned the carriage, as if searching for something.

Li Yaqin's heart leaped into her throat, but she remained calm, continuing to close her eyes and rest. These must be plainclothes police officers.

They were there to verify the information on the note. As for catching the human traffickers, once verified, they wouldn't escape.

The process went very smoothly. Li Yaqin's palms were sweating, but thankfully, no one noticed anything amiss.

She subtly moved her fingers, and a familiar power surged within her.

This was her cheat code—her spatial ability.

She could use this space to collect items unnoticed.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Li Yaqin's lips.

She had long been eyeing the three human traffickers' luggage; it was sure to contain a considerable amount of ill-gotten gains.

Now was the perfect opportunity for her to "rob the rich for her own benefit."

Li Yaqin concentrated, probing her senses into her spatial ability, locking onto the three human traffickers' luggage.

Then, she carefully transferred the items from the luggage one by one into her spatial ability.

The process went very smoothly; no one noticed anything unusual.

The plainclothes police were still searching the train carriage, while the three human traffickers looked completely bewildered.

Completely unaware that her luggage had been stolen.

Soon, plainclothes police officers identified their targets.

They approached the young couple and the middle-aged woman, showing their badges.

"We are police officers. We suspect you of child trafficking. Please come with us."

The young couple panicked, and their child began to cry.

The middle-aged woman tried to protest, "Officers, are you mistaken? We're good people!"

"Whether you're good or not, we'll find out when we get back." Without further ado, the plainclothes officers took the three away.

Li Yaqin watched their retreating figures and let out a long sigh of relief.

This time, it was truly thanks to her quick thinking and decisiveness that a tragedy was averted.

The train carriage erupted in discussion, with passengers buzzing with rumors.

Some said these traffickers deserved it, others said they might be spies; there were all sorts of opinions.

Li Yaqin, however, remained unperturbed, continuing to rest with her eyes closed.

The train continued its journey, the scenery outside the window rushing past.

Li Yaqin, however, remained remarkably calm.

She had successfully used the human traffickers to her advantage.

She opened her storage space to inspect her "spoils of war."

It was filled with various items: cash, gold and silver jewelry, and some unidentified medicinal herbs.

These items, taken together, were quite valuable.

A satisfied smile spread across Li Yaqin's face.

This wealth would be her capital for survival in that era.