Chapter 292 168: Product from Hell! Elixir of Immortality

The website had been running for nearly a decade, with countless victims. The person behind it was only arrested ten years later.

This was the Baisui Student Aid Network.

The true face of a man everyone called 'conscientious' and a 'saint'.

However...

"Something's not right,"

Xu Huo said abruptly, as if snapping out of a daze.

"What's not right?"

Li Jianye's brow furrowed.

"The funds aren't right."

Xu Huo stared at the ledgers before him, at every transaction Zhao Shan had recorded while he was alive.

"Some of the entries are vague. You can't see the details of the transaction, only the monetary amount."

"There are expenditures of tens of thousands at a time, similar to targeted one-on-one subsidies, but..."

As he spoke, Xu Huo paused, looked up, and narrowed his eyes at Sun Yuhui.

"Every time one of these payments appears..."

"...the reimbursement amount for textbooks also decreases a little."

"But from what I've observed, the number of books in each student's hands hasn't decreased."

"So, here's the question."

"Is it the textbook fund that's being reduced, or... the number of people?"

'Fewer... people?'

Everyone froze, and then countless eyes turned to stare at Sun Yuhui.

Li Jianye understood instantly.

His four months out in the field with Xu Huo seemed to have transformed him.

It was inevitable. After observing so many deep and dark undercurrents, his way of thinking was no longer so superficial.

He remembered something—an incident very similar to the current situation.

In Linlan City, during the 'He Came from Hell' case, Li Jianye had been assigned to the cleanup of a related case.

Specifically, the issue with the orphanage director.

What was wrong with him?

He was selling off orphanage supplies and, even worse, as the director, he was secretly selling children!

It was simply outrageous. Not just Li Jianye, but all of Linlan City had been shocked. A thorough investigation into the orphanage was launched.

That investigation had revealed that besides him, many other personnel were involved...

So, hearing Xu Huo's words now, he understood very quickly.

"Those were, I think they were adopted."

Sun Yuhui paused before speaking.

"In the mountains, many elderly people die, and there are children whose parents have disappeared without a trace. They only survive because the villagers help them."

"Zhao Shan seemed to have found some people willing to adopt..."

Before she could finish, Xu Huo cut her off in a cold voice.

"People willing to adopt would come all the way to this mountain ditch to adopt some swarthy kid?"

"Or do you think people have to pay to adopt?"

Sun Yuhui immediately fell silent.

Official law stipulated that no money should be exchanged for adopting a child.

Otherwise, orphanages would become massive hubs for human traffickers.

And regular human traffickers would, in turn, become mobile 'orphanages' wandering among the populace.

The money Zhao Shan received had even exceeded a hundred thousand. How could this be a simple adoption arrangement?

What's more, it was all accomplished in just a few short years!

"Alright, drop it."

Xu Huo rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling how tricky this was getting. He looked at Li Jianye.

"Take her away for now. Also, send people into the mountains to investigate and take a collective statement from the villagers."

Li Jianye sighed and nodded.

Besides these two things, Zhao Shan had committed other crimes.

For example, he had clearly written in the ledgers how many young people he had sold.

Where were they sold to?

To illegal brick kilns and certain gangs involved in vice.

Li Jianye then carefully collected Zhao Shan's financial records before having someone take them away.

Sun Yuhui was also taken away.

The extent of her guilt... that would depend on how the judge and the higher-ups viewed the matter.

As for the case...

'The volunteer teacher, Su Shan, is most likely involved in this as well.'

'And the businessman, Chen Jin... the source of his startup capital is unclear. If I'm not mistaken, its origins aren't clean either.'

Xu Huo took a deep breath, clearing the chaotic thoughts from his mind and leaving only those related to the case.

The female teacher was in the same boat as Zhao Shan.

As for Chen Jin, his initial wealth was most likely obtained through this scheme.

These days, the first pot of gold for many who get rich isn't clean. It's from swindling, fraud, or even murder; none of it was surprising.

"So you're saying..."

"This case involves an organized human trafficking ring?"

Li Jianye's heart sank.

With the discovery of Zhao Shan's activities, the priority of this case would inevitably rise.

Li Jianye could already imagine how terrifyingly grim Chu Linhai and the others would look when they received this news.

Especially since the government was also ostensibly providing subsidies, which meant...

The Jiangsan City government had spent a ton of money supporting an extremely vicious human trafficking ring.

Just thinking about it made Li Jianye burn with anger.

Until a hand clapped him on the shoulder.

"Let's head back. We need to get this intel to the higher-ups as soon as possible."

Xu Huo stood up, looking at the documents in the room.

"Solving our primary case is what's important!"

Li Jianye paused, then nodded.

Zhao Shan's affairs were all documented; no one involved could escape. But their current case...

If they didn't crack it now, the chances of solving it later would be slim.

"Right!"

...

...

"Son of a bitch!"

"These bastards are worse than animals!"

「Jiangsan City, Municipal Bureau Office.」

"BANG!"

Chu Linhai slammed his hand on the desk, making the whole table shudder.

His face was contorted with rage, making him look like a wrathful guardian statue.

"Ten thousand for a child, twenty thousand for a child... what do these people think children are!?"

"Animals! They're all animals!"

Chu Linhai looked at the three search reports that had been brought back, his chest heaving violently with anger.

"Calm down. The traffickers can be dealt with later, but our main case needs to be solved now."

Xu Huo stood to the side, gently placating him until Chu Linhai's mood gradually improved.