When they saw Da Kui's corpse, they discovered that Da Kui's head had been shot twice, one shot in the center of his forehead and the other in his temple.
The other person also had a gunshot wound to the head.
Clearly, one shot to Da Kui's head came from Gu Zheng, and the other two "underlings" had also excellently completed their mission.
"Not bad!"
Gu Zheng said to the two young soldiers, "From the moment you opened fire just now, you have become qualified Public Security soldiers!"
The two "underlings" couldn't help but get excited, and with a "swish," they snapped to attention and saluted Gu Zheng.
And in the next moment, they turned in unison to Song Ning and also saluted her earnestly.
No one knew what immense psychological barriers they had overcome in those few minutes!
The director said to let them follow Captain Gu out for some experience...
This was their first case... and this girl entrusted the hostage and her own life to them with absolute trust.
Moreover, in just a few minutes, she created conditions for them as much as possible—
leading the two out of the house, distracting the other party, using the flashlight to indicate the shooting point, and making Lan Ying lower her head to expose the other party's head.
The cooperation between both sides was seamless and perfect!
And Captain Gu silently provided backup for them from behind!
Da Kui and the other were killed, but "Brother Da" still had not appeared.
Afterward, Song Ning and Lan Ying, whose emotions had calmed down, provided Gu Zheng with as much information as they knew, hoping to offer him more clues.
After listening, Gu Zheng did not hesitate and immediately made new arrangements and plans for the arrest operation.
When the sky was bright, two men who looked like peddlers arrived with another team to meet Gu Zheng.
They came from deeper in the mountains and brought out two women, who were not old, and were reportedly rescued from a village inside.
Da Kui and the other had fled to this village to escape their pursuit. They dared not enter the village rashly and wanted to find a house outside the village to rest first. They didn't expect Lan Ying to get nervous and make a noise. They broke in, which led to the subsequent hijacking incident.
After identifying the captured personnel, this group of human traffickers, except for the leader "Brother Da," had all been arrested or killed.
After discussion, Gu Zheng and his team revealed their identities as Public Security Bureau officers from Anping City, Guizhou Province, and carried out search and arrest, publicity and warning, and rescue operations throughout the village.
At noon, the two "companions," Xiao Fang and Yu Zhen, who had been sold to this village before, were also rescued.
There were other abducted women in the village; only one voluntarily came forward and was willing to go home with the Public Security comrades. More chose to remain silent.
They had all given birth to children, and most had more than one.
Early the next morning, Gu Zheng's team split into two.
Gu Zheng would lead the arrested personnel and the rescued individuals out, while the remaining team would continue to complete the search for "Brother Da" and the work of publicizing and rescuing the abducted women.
A week later, when this group of rescued girls arrived at Shajiao Town outside the mountains, their numbers reached twelve.
In addition to the seven who were abducted this time and were all rescued, five others who had been abducted previously were also rescued along the way.
The Anping City Public Security Bureau sent vehicles to pick up all the rescued personnel to Anping.
They would conduct identity verification and detailed record-taking for each of these individuals.
This work was meticulous and tedious. Not every girl could maintain a clear mind and stable emotions. Often, they would break down and cry halfway through the questioning, requiring immediate comfort or psychological intervention.
For these girls, being rescued was just another beginning.
Braving the life after being "abducted" was the long-term challenge.
Upon arriving at the Public Security Bureau, Song Ning submitted an application to the comrade in charge of related matters, requesting that her and Lan Ying's statements be taken last.
This was because she needed to take Lan Ying to the hospital first.
After the long journey, Lan Ying's facial wounds were horrific, showing signs of inflammation and ulceration.
Her face was injured on the first night she was abducted when she tried to escape and was caught by the group.
Without timely treatment, the wound was repeatedly aggravated, and it was now very serious.
When returning to the temporary guesthouse from the hospital, the waiter called out to Song Ning, "Comrade Song, someone was looking for you just now. You weren't here, and this bag was left for you!"
Song Ning took a look. The bag left was a canvas bag, containing several sets of women's change of clothes.
She hurriedly asked, "Excuse me, how long ago did the person who delivered the items leave?"
"Just left! If you go out now, you might still catch up!"
Song Ning quickly chased in the direction the waiter pointed.
Far away, at the other end of the guesthouse, a jeep had just started.
"Wait—please wait a moment—"
Song Ning chased after it, waving her hand.
Fortunately, the car stopped quickly, and a young man with broad shoulders and long legs, wearing military uniform, got out of the passenger seat.
He had a buzz cut, handsome features, and a straight posture; he was a man of exceptional appearance and physique.
Song Ning was stunned for a moment before speaking, "You, you're Gu Zheng?!"
Gu Zheng stood in front of her, his deep eyes fixed on her, smiling without speaking.
Song Ning couldn't help but sigh, "To be honest, if you looked like that and pretended to be Pan Tuozi, I'm afraid the girls would have followed you without you even having to trick them!"
Gu Zheng clicked his tongue and laughed, "Even if I looked like that, girls would come to my door in the middle of the night! Fortunately, I'm clear-headed, upright, and kind, otherwise, that girl wouldn't have been able to handle it!"
After saying that, they both laughed.
Song Ning glanced at the two bars and two stars on Gu Zheng's shoulder and was surprised that he was already a deputy regimental commander at such a young age.
Gu Zheng spoke, "I was just about to say goodbye to you! I'm not from the Public Security Bureau; I'm a soldier! The previous mission had some overlap with the Public Security Bureau's case, so I helped them out. They will follow up on the case, and I need to return to my unit!"
Song Ning nodded, showing understanding.
After arriving in Anping, she had heard the Public Security comrades mention that "Pan Tuozi" was an underworld figure several levels above "Brother Da" and was involved in a case being investigated by the military. He had already been arrested.
Gu Zheng and his team learned of "Brother Da's" evil deeds while wrapping up that case, so they used Pan Tuozi's identity to infiltrate the mountains and rescue them as quickly as possible.
Since arriving in Shajiao Town, she hadn't seen Gu Zheng and had thought they had already left.
He had come specifically to say goodbye to her and even brought clothes, which surprised and pleased her.
Gu Zheng checked his watch and spoke again, "Although we haven't known each other for long, there are a few things I want to say to you. You are intelligent and sharp, and you are also very brave. If there's a chance in the future, you might consider developing a career in the military and not waste your talent!"
Song Ning was a little surprised. The question of where to develop... she hadn't really considered it. Right now, she was taking things one step at a time.
"Boss—"
Someone from the jeep behind began to call out to Gu Zheng...
Gu Zheng looked back and then extended his hand to Song Ning:
"Comrade Song Ning, I'm leaving now! I wish you all the best in the future! Goodbye!"
Song Ning also extended her hand to shake Gu Zheng's, thanking him again! Then she watched them leave.
She was truly grateful!
Not only because he rescued her from the mountains, but also for those sets of clothes.
The comrades from the Public Security Bureau had provided free food, accommodation, and toiletries for this group of "rescued" personnel.
The clothes she was wearing now were still old clothes donated by the families of the Public Security comrades.
As a government department, it was already very considerate and thoughtful.
However, the only change of clothes she had was the set from the original owner, and after all the hiding and running, those clothes were almost beyond washing.
She hadn't expected Gu Zheng to consider this.
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