Suddenly, Lin Shiyao noticed a woman ahead—she was delicate-looking and cradling a child, wrapped so tightly that only the mouth and nose were exposed.
At first, Lin Shiyao didn’t think much of it, but then the woman brushed against the child as she passed by. The child didn’t move at all, and the delicate-looking woman held the child even tighter.
The woman stopped and looked back, and Lin Shiyao quickly hid behind a pillar. The woman continued walking with the child into an alley.
Lin Shiyao thought, “Why is it always alleys? The elderly woman I saw this morning went into a black market through an alley, and now this too…” She sighed inwardly.
The woman lightly knocked on a door. A man with a scar on his face appeared, and the woman quickly brought the child inside. The scarred man looked around carefully, and once he saw no one was there, he closed the door.
Lin Shiyao crouched by the wall, trying to listen for any sounds inside. From what she had seen, she realized she was dealing with a child trafficker.
She had seen news reports about child traffickers on TV before, and she knew they were rampant in this era. Some people rode motorcycles all over the country looking for children they could never find. She couldn’t believe that just two days after arriving in this world, she had already encountered traffickers.
There was no movement inside. Strange. Where had the people gone? She considered climbing the wall to take a look.
After checking her own height against the wall, she decided against it. She needed to find a police officer who could rescue the children.
“Officer! Officer! I want to report a case—there’s a child trafficker!” Lin Shiyao panted, hands on her knees.
“A child trafficker? Miss, tell us where?” asked a round-faced officer wearing a police hat. He seemed barely older than her, but now was not the time to think about that—she needed to explain the situation clearly.
“At 28 Xingtao Alley,” Lin Shiyao said. She had made sure to remember the address, so the police could find it.
She described the trafficker’s appearance and everything she had seen in detail.
“Good, comrade. Thank you for your effort. Wait here—we’ll go arrest them,” said the round-faced officer. Recently, there had been several missing child cases, and the authorities took them seriously. They appreciated the tip.
Soon, six or seven officers, all with their radios, rushed out.
Lin Shiyao sat on a bench. A girl brought her a cup of water.
“Here, comrade, have some water.”
“Thank you,” Lin Shiyao replied, finishing the water and putting down the cup.
She looked up and noticed the girl staring at her. Touching her own face, she wondered if something was on it.
The girl quickly sat beside her. “Hello, my name is Yu Xiuxiu. I’m the registrar here. You’re so pretty, and so brave.”
“Thank you. I’m Lin Shiyao. Protecting the public is the duty of every citizen,” Lin Shiyao smiled and introduced herself.
“Your skin is so nice! How do you take care of it? Can you teach me?” Yu Xiuxiu had always worried about her dry, slightly dark skin. Seeing Lin Shiyao’s fair complexion, she couldn’t help but ask.
“I usually use Snowflake Cream and wash my face with rice water morning and night. Maybe my skin is naturally good—nothing else,” Lin Shiyao patiently explained.
Satisfied, Yu Xiuxiu returned to her desk, thinking she would have her mother save rice water for her to try.
No one disturbed Lin Shiyao as she sat there. Checking her watch, two hours had passed—she wondered if the traffickers had been caught.
An hour later, the round-faced officer returned with several others, all looking dirty and worn from a struggle.
“Officers, did you catch the traffickers?” Lin Shiyao asked quickly, standing up.
“Yes, we caught them. There were three children inside—two girls,” said the round-faced officer.
“Thank you, officers. But for your own safety, we can’t give you a certificate. Tell us if you need anything; if we can help, we will.”
“No need. I just felt it was my duty. I can’t let traffickers go free—it’s every citizen’s responsibility,” Lin Shiyao said heroically.
The officer thought: this young lady is not only beautiful but also has such strong awareness. She deserves a reward to keep her morale high.
After a short wait, the officer went upstairs and returned about twenty minutes later.
“Comrade, after reporting to the chief, here’s your reward: 50 yuan, an enamel basin, a hot water kettle, and tomorrow someone will deliver a letter of commendation to your home. Please accept it.”
Lin Shiyao didn’t refuse and took it.
Stepping out of the station, it was already getting dark. Her parents had returned from work and must have been worried since she wasn’t home.
Before reaching the residential compound, she ran into her father, who looked anxious.
“Dad! Why are you in such a hurry? Is something wrong?” she called.
Her father rushed over. “Child, it’s almost dark. Where have you been? We were so worried! And what are you holding?”
“Dad, it’s a long story. Can I explain it at home?” Lin Shiyao tried to calm him.
Earlier, her parents returned home and didn’t see her. Her younger brother didn’t know either. As night fell, they became worried and her father came out to search—luckily, he found her before going too far.
“Here, let me take it,” he said, taking what she was holding. She handed it over.
Some neighbors were already sitting or strolling in the courtyard.
“Oh, Director Lin, are you picking up your daughter?” a middle-aged woman asked.
“Yes, Xiangxiang was just visiting a friend,” her father replied.
The woman pursed her lips, thinking: it’s just a little girl, yet the family treasures her so much. What use is that? She’ll end up in someone else’s family anyway.
Lin Shiyao saw the woman’s pursed lips and thought to herself: whatever she imagines, as long as she doesn’t say it to me, I’ll ignore it.
Along the way, she greeted the friendly people and ignored those who weren’t, treating them like air.