This was a first-class merit medal. First-class merit medals weren’t easily obtained—they were earned with one’s life.
It seemed that child’s identity was not simple. In other words, the child’s parents or grandfather must be someone in the military.
This human trafficker was quite bold, daring to target the descendants of soldiers. They must have had enough of living.
As a descendant of soldiers herself, Ruan Sui’an couldn’t bear the thought of a soldier’s child being trafficked. Just thinking about it made her feel terrible.
Of course, she didn’t want any other children to be trafficked either. Children were the hope and legacy of a family.
If a child went missing, how anxious the parents and relatives would be.
Ruan Sui’an had no intention of alerting the enemy. Holding her lunchbox, she continued walking toward the dining car as if nothing had happened. Fortunately, the direction to the dining car was the same as the direction the woman had left in.
Otherwise, she would have had no reason to go that way. The dining car was separated from the sleeper car by one carriage.
The woman was likely targeting the carriage between the dining car and the sleeper car.
She subtly slowed her pace, though to outsiders, she still appeared to be walking at her usual speed.
This was all thanks to the Spirit Spring Water.
Just as Ruan Sui’an had suspected, the woman sat down in a seat in the middle carriage.
Ruan Sui’an continued walking toward the dining car as if nothing were amiss, merely passing by.
As she passed the middle-aged woman, she silently observed the woman and the man beside her.
On the surface, the two seemed honest and unassuming, the kind who would never attract much attention in a crowd.
No one would ever associate them with human traffickers.
The man beside the woman was definitely her accomplice, given the subtle exchange of glances between them.
The two people sitting opposite them, however, seemed not to know each other. The reason she was so certain was because the traffickers’ gazes held a hint of wariness when they looked across.
So, the traffickers were a man and a woman sitting together, and there were only two of them. Having figured this out, Ruan Sui’an continued toward the dining car.
As if she hadn’t noticed them at all.
In the dining car, she happened to run into the train attendant who had taken her to the sleeper car earlier. She didn’t raise her voice or show any particular urgency.
Instead, she calmly walked over to the attendant.
“Hello, comrade attendant, I’ve discovered there are human traffickers in the carriage,” Ruan Sui’an whispered into the attendant’s ear.
The attendant had been smiling, about to greet Ruan Sui’an, but before a single word could leave his mouth, he was met with such shocking news.
The attendant remained composed, showing no panic or haste.
He cautiously glanced around, confirming no one else was nearby, then whispered back to Ruan Sui’an, “Are you sure they’re human traffickers? This isn’t something to joke about.”
The attendant didn’t dismiss Ruan Sui’an because of her young age. Instead, he took the matter seriously.
As the saying goes, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and rats’ offspring know how to dig holes.
This girl was a descendant of soldiers, so perhaps her observational skills were particularly sharp, allowing her to spot the traffickers.
Ruan Sui’an nodded solemnly. “I’m absolutely certain, comrade. I wonder if you could take me to see the train police?”
There was a distinction between train attendants and train police on the train. Attendants were there to serve the public, while the train police were responsible for safety and security on board.
Ruan Sui'an didn't want the unarmed train attendant to participate in this operation—what if she got hurt?
The attendant naturally couldn't refuse. After all, these were human traffickers, despised by everyone.
"Of course, follow me." The attendant didn't ask further questions. As just an attendant, she couldn't possibly take part in apprehending human traffickers.
She also couldn't inquire too much, not wanting to get involved.
The attendant quickly led Ruan Sui'an to the train police's break room. There was a dedicated break room for the train police on the train.
The train police would patrol the carriages on schedule and stay in the break room when not on duty.
The attendant knocked on the break room door, and it opened from inside.
The one who opened the door was a young man in his twenties, wearing a train police uniform and standing straight.
Seeing the attendant, he flashed a big smile and asked, "What's up, Xiao Zhang?"
The attendant instinctively glanced around and whispered, "Xiao Sun, someone has discovered human traffickers. For the specifics, you'd better ask her."
As she spoke, she revealed Ruan Sui'an behind her. Upon hearing this, the train policeman named Xiao Sun immediately turned serious.
"Alright, I understand. You can leave now."
The attendant didn't linger and turned to leave the break room.
Xiao Sun looked at the young girl before him—she was the one who had discovered the human traffickers. Xiao Sun was somewhat skeptical.
But he didn't say anything.
Ruan Sui'an, of course, noticed the distrust in Xiao Sun's eyes but paid it no mind.
Xiao Sun moved aside to let Ruan Sui'an enter the break room.
Ruan Sui'an walked in and found the break room wasn't very large. Aside from a small table and six small chairs, there were no other furnishings.
There were six train police officers in the break room, all sitting upright in their chairs.
Seeing Xiao Sun bring in a young girl, an older officer spoke up.
"What's going on, Xiao Sun?"
Xiao Sun closed the break room door before answering, "Captain, this young lady says she's discovered human traffickers."
Those sitting in the chairs immediately stood up.
Human traffickers were no small matter and had to be taken seriously. Whether true or false, they had to treat it with gravity.
They didn't slack off just because the informant was a young girl.
The captain's surname was Peng, named Peng Changqing. He was tall and sturdy, with a square face that exuded an air of righteousness.
He had originally been a soldier, with a very upright character and temperament.
He had retired from the military due to an arm injury that prevented him from handling firearms. Despite the injury, his combat skills were still formidable.
That was why he had become a train police officer.
Peng Changqing strode over to Ruan Sui'an, his expression serious as he asked, "Comrade, are you certain? This is no joking matter when it comes to human traffickers."
Ruan Sui'an's face was equally serious, her eyes filled with determination. "How could I possibly joke about something like this? Comrade, first take a look at this."
Ruan Sui'an handed the First-Class Merit medal to Peng Changqing. He reached out to take it, and upon seeing the medal, his eyes narrowed.
This was a First-Class Merit medal. Anyone who could receive such an award was undoubtedly exceptional.
"Where did you get this?" Peng Changqing's tone grew solemn.
Ruan Sui'an recounted the events. Peng Changqing and the other train police officers immediately realized the severity of the situation.
This isn't just about human traffickers—it's about the possibility that the child they've abducted might be the son or grandson of some high-ranking official.
They had to take it even more seriously.
Peng Changqing asked Ruan Sui'an, "Are you certain there are only two traffickers?"
Apprehending human traffickers absolutely cannot be taken lightly. They must understand the actual situation before acting, otherwise failure would be all too easy.
Ruan Sui'an nodded, her expression very serious. "Comrade, believe me, there are only two. They're in carriage XX, seat XX."
Looking at Ruan Sui'an's resolute demeanor, Peng Changqing found himself inexplicably trusting her words.
He felt somewhat puzzled inwardly—this girl didn't seem afraid at all. Although human traffickers weren't spies, they were still criminals.
An ordinary young girl definitely wouldn't meddle in such affairs, fearing she might bring trouble upon herself.
Peng Changqing instinctively asked, "Little girl, aren't you afraid?"
Hearing his question, Ruan Sui'an was momentarily taken aback, then shook her head and said, "Why should I be afraid? I'm a descendant of soldiers. Wouldn't it be shameful if I were scared?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the break room looked at Ruan Sui'an with changed expressions.
Now they finally understood why Ruan Sui'an had discovered the traffickers and even managed to ascertain how many there were.
Peng Changqing's face was full of admiration. "So that's how it is."
The apprehension of the traffickers needed to happen as soon as possible, after all, the next station was approaching quickly. The two traffickers might get off there.
They absolutely could not let them escape.
But how could they act without alerting the traffickers? Most importantly, they had to ensure the safety of the child and the passengers in the carriage.
Catching the traffickers themselves would be simple—after all, they were trained and capturing someone was well within their capabilities.
But the child was still in the traffickers' hands—that was the most difficult part.
Yet Ruan Sui'an offered a suggestion: "Comrades, we can split into two teams. I'll first rescue the child from the traffickers' hands, and the rest I'll leave to you."
In truth, Ruan Sui'an felt rescuing the child would be straightforward; the main trouble was the train police making the arrests.
After all, the carriage was crowded, making apprehension difficult.
Peng Changqing hadn't expected this young girl to be so confident—thinking she could rescue the child just like that.
However, he didn't immediately reject Ruan Sui'an's proposal. Instead, he patiently inquired, "Comrade, tell me your plan?"
Ruan Sui'an confidently explained her plan. As he listened, Peng Changqing's gaze toward her shifted—from initially neutral to one of appreciation.
Truly, the descendants of their soldiers were clever—she had actually come up with such a method.
The other train police also felt that this young girl, despite her age, could devise such an excellent plan.
They all viewed Ruan Sui'an with newfound respect.
Once the plan was finalized, two train police officers stood up and were the first to leave the break room.
Following the plan, the two officers patrolled inconspicuously. As they passed the two traffickers, they subtly glanced at them and the child in their arms.
They confirmed the facts matched Ruan Sui'an's account—the disparity between the two sides was too great; they couldn't possibly be a family.
When the traffickers saw the two officers approaching, they tightened their arms around the child, their bodies trembling slightly.
They feared the officers might notice something.
But their strong mental fortitude quickly calmed them down, and the officers soon passed by.
After the two officers had moved away, the traffickers quietly let out a sigh of relief.
They thought their disguise was perfect, that no one would notice.
After a while, Ruan Sui'an walked back carrying a lunchbox in a net bag. As she passed by the human traffickers, she suddenly exclaimed.
"Ah, whose 10 yuan is this?" she said slowly, bending down as if to pick up the 10 yuan.
The middle-aged woman holding the child immediately grew greedy and cried out, "Don't touch it, that money is mine!"
Oh ho, she took the bait.
The 10 yuan on the ground was secretly taken out by Ruan Sui'an from her Space and placed there without anyone noticing.
She had already anticipated that the woman would fall for it—after all, 10 yuan was a considerable sum of money at the time.
Ruan Sui'an pretended to be displeased, furrowing her brows and saying sarcastically, "How can it be yours? Just because it's near your feet doesn't mean it's your money. Maybe someone who just passed by dropped it."
The middle-aged woman grew anxious. It was 10 yuan—she absolutely couldn't let the little girl take it.
She quickly placed the child on the small table in front of her and bent down to pick up the 10 yuan.
The man beside her narrowed his eyes and reached out to grab the child, but Ruan Sui'an was quicker, snatching the child away.
The man's face turned extremely ugly, his eyes glaring viciously at Ruan Sui'an. He stood up, trying to grab the child across the small table.
His burly figure was intimidating.
Ruan Sui'an wasn't afraid at all. She took a step back with the child in her arms, putting more distance between herself and the two traffickers.
Furious at failing to grab the child, the man slapped the woman and shouted angrily, "You stupid woman, the child's been snatched!"