Chapter 129: A Cornered Dog Will Leap Over a Wall

In an instant, the lights in the market district began to spread like a prairie fire. In the past, no one would have paid any mind to the cohesion of the common working people; some might even have scoffed at it. But at this moment, the united strength of the market residents erupted like a volcano, surging forward like a tidal wave.

Public indignation reached a fever pitch. Ordinarily, these people might bicker until their faces turned red over a single dollar, or harbor envy and jealousy if someone else’s income happened to be higher than their own. Yet, this did not mean they weren’t of the same kin. On the contrary, it was precisely the bonds forged through these trivial, day-to-day squabbles that made them a family.

Word spread rapidly among the shopkeepers and merchants, passed from one person to two, then to ten, then to a hundred. Men and women, the elderly and the young, all joined the blockade. At this hour, under normal circumstances, only the bar district would remain brightly lit, while the rest of the area would see only the scattered, flickering lights from within people’s homes. But within just a short span of time, the lights of the market district had become as dense as a starry sky. Nearly a quarter of the outer city was as bright as day, a truly rare sight.

Accompanying this were the clamor of the crowd, shouts, angry curses, and the grating sound of heavy objects being dragged across the ground. A shopkeeper from a dark alley, looking particularly ferocious, was bellowing at the top of his lungs, directing others to place heavy debris at the main intersections. Clutching a dagger, he stood at the front of the line in the middle of the road. Turning back to smile at Ludan’s father, he said, "Old Gou Dan, you just stay behind. If those bastards dare to take this road, I’ll be sure to stop them and tear their limbs off."

Another shopkeeper cursed, "Damn it, these scum finally showed their faces. Daring to kidnap the little ones from our market—god-forsaken bastards, damn them!"

Little Ludan stood beside Ye Shanshan and asked in a whisper, "Sister Shanshan, where is Brother Ye Chen?"

Ye Shanshan pointed ahead, saying with pride, "He has charged to the very front. All we have to do is build the final line of defense for him."

...

In the Tenth Residential District, at Niu Niu’s home, the little girl was in her room on the second floor. After her parents had fallen asleep, she had snuck out the snacks she kept hidden under her bed, nibbling on them in small, happy bites. It was a blissful midnight snack!

But it wasn't long before the chaotic sound of footsteps on the street and the calls of adults piqued her curiosity. She pulled over a small stool, stood on her tiptoes, and pushed open the window. Down on the street, Niu Niu saw the father of the big brother who often played with her. She saw the parents of other neighborhood children, too. The next second, she saw her own father throwing on his coat and rushing out the door.

Before long, Niu Niu’s bedroom door was opened by her mother. Turning her head, she asked, "Mom, where did Dad go at this time of night?"

"Dad has gone with the other adults to catch the bad guys, and to bring your little friends back home!"

Jin Yinghui and his two companions were running toward the high-end residential area, using the contact lists they had obtained to reach out to as many people as possible. When the parents of the missing children first received calls from Chen Bingfeng and Xu Fan, they were initially skeptical. They had never believed that the Patrol Office officers would work with such diligence. It was only when that middle-aged man in the Ninth Residential District received a call from a certain someone—a voice he recognized—that he realized the gravity and potential truth of the situation.

Chen Bingfeng and his partner were still full of wonder as to why their previous efforts had been futile, yet suddenly, the residential area had erupted into such a frenzy. From an aerial view, half of the outer city was a sea of swaying lights and moving figures.

...

The refrigerated truck pulling out of the derelict yard was taken aback by the sudden transformation of the night. Whether toward the market district on the left or the residential area on the right, the air was filled with a tension unlike any other night. The driver had an illusion that a wave of light was closing in on him. Before long, he would be exposed to the eyes of the masses.

It was the classic paranoia of a thief!

Ma Tupeng gritted his teeth and jerked the steering wheel hard to the right. The market district was full of unmanageable commoners who didn't play by the rules; the residential area had wide roads suitable for driving. There was one other vital reason: passing through the residential area would lead to the workshop district, where he had pre-arranged a second hideout. Going through the market district would mean passing through the administrative zone, which was crawling with Patrol Office officers.

Clutching the wheel, Ma Tupeng’s mind raced through several possibilities. He first wondered if his tracks had been exposed. Wait, no, that couldn't be right... Even if he had run into two officers in the sewers today, given their usual incompetence, there was no way they could have tracked him down so quickly. Furthermore, he was certain he hadn't been followed to his hideout. His decision to move was purely out of caution.

But what about all these lights suddenly flickering to life in the market and residential areas? Could it really be related to him? Or was something else happening?

Ma Tupeng forced himself to stay calm and replayed the events in his head. His conclusion: better safe than sorry.

"The officers have figured out the sewer route; I can't guarantee they won't follow the trail to the derelict house. So, I definitely can't stay there anymore. As long as I deal with this batch of kids on the truck tonight, I can go somewhere else and do another run. By then, my mission will be complete. Little brother, don't worry, big brother will definitely cure you! It won't be long now... not long at all..."

Ma Tupeng muttered to himself, almost as if possessed.

However, he hadn't been driving for long before he realized that the residential area tonight was truly, excessively lively. Beyond the unusual lights, countless people were out of bed, flooding the streets. Ma Tupeng realized the danger in an instant—what if he ran into the crowd? He hesitated; perhaps leaving at night hadn't been a wise choice. Maybe he should have stayed in the derelict house until dawn. But he didn't dare gamble on that; he was terrified that in the middle of the night, someone would flip open the manhole cover and storm the house.

Torn by inner conflict, he drove as best he could toward the areas with fewer lights. What he never expected was that his hideout had already been betrayed. Had he stayed in hiding, he would have played right into the hands of Ye Chen, who was rushing toward the location to catch him like a turtle in a jar.

...

As the truck approached an intersection, Ma Tupeng saw a group of people holding flashlights, walking in his direction. A suspicious vehicle appearing at this hour immediately caught their attention. With clear intent, they aimed their flashlight beams at the truck. The blinding white light pierced through the glass, forcing Ma Tupeng to cover his eyes with his hand.

"Stop... stop the car!" the shouts of passersby came from ahead.

"Damn it, only a fool would stop."

Cursing, Ma Tupeng slammed his foot on the accelerator, pushing straight through the crowd. Two men who couldn't dodge in time were sent flying, and the refrigerated truck’s tires rolled ruthlessly over the leg of one of them. The rest of the crowd was shaken, but they immediately realized this truck was in serious trouble.

Ma Tupeng drove toward another street that appeared empty, with shouts trailing behind him.

"You, you, hurry and take them to the clinic! Everyone else, keep chasing!"

"You beast, don't run..."

The roars and calls echoed repeatedly behind the truck.