Chapter 142: Unlikely Fortune

Chapter 142: A Beggar with More Wealth than Most

At that moment, Xiao Yu was mulling over a philosophical question.

Why was it that wherever he went, a major case always seemed to find him?

Was he blessed with extraordinary luck, or cursed with endless misfortune?

Perhaps that wasn’t the best way to put it.

But as a police academy cadet, he just couldn’t find the right words.

No matter how hard he thought, nothing clicked.

In the end, his only guess was that it wasn’t about time travel—it had something to do with the system…

Just as Qian Long had warned, this case was enormous.

The Y City Bureau couldn’t handle it, so they reported it to the Provincial Department.

Once the lower-level officers sent in their report, even the head of the Provincial Department was furious.

What on earth is this?

Not only was it a colossal human trafficking case, but it also involved gangs, mass maiming, and the control of roaming beggar squads.

The worst part? A police officer had lost his life in the line of duty during this case.

It even spanned multiple provinces and cities…

Who wouldn’t be overwhelmed by such a case?

Just as the Provincial Department was discussing how to handle the case,

a phone rang on the desk of its head.

An urgent call from above!

Call 02 followed immediately.

The Special Investigation Task Force was established.

Xiao Yu and his team swiftly arrived at the Provincial Department.

He assumed command as the head of the Special Investigation Task Force.

Meanwhile,

all provincial police forces received directives from higher up.

They were ordered to fully support the N Province Special Task Force.

And to launch a full-scale investigation into the mega murder and trafficking case!

…

An airplane landed at Q City Airport in H Province.

Wearing his police uniform, Xiao Yu stepped off the plane.

Behind him marched Guo Qiang and ten officers from the Criminal Police.

Accompanying them was the suspect, Kong Xiangui.

“Hello!”

Xiao Yu shook hands with the Q City police representatives. After a few pleasantries, they got into the car.

“According to our task force intel, our city’s police have cordoned off a hideout where they discovered six controlled, disabled beggars…”

A police supervisor was briefing the situation.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yu commanded, “Arrest them!”

A fleet of patrol cars sped off toward the hideout.

Every clue had been extracted from the interrogations of suspect Kong Xiangui.

Kong Xiangui had once shadowed criminal Dong Qi.

He was well acquainted with trafficking dens across various provinces and cities.

It was surprising that after all these years, these places still operated.

Did the criminals not worry about being caught?

No—because even if caught, they were just low-level thugs.

Actually, arresting them would only tip them off, doing more harm than good.

So why did Xiao Yu want to make an arrest?

He actually intended to startle the criminals.

If you don’t rouse the snake, how can you catch it?

…

On the outskirts, at an abandoned factory.

This was the hideout used by a group of beggars.

Every morning, a vehicle would transport them to the bustling city streets to beg.

At night, those same vehicles would bring them back…

There were far too many beggars across the country.

Some were forced, while others chose it willingly.

But out of every hundred, only one was a genuine beggar.

Is begging really that lucrative?

Ha!

Xiao Yu once cracked a case involving a beggar gang murder.

During the interrogation, he learned just how profitable begging could be.

Millions were spent on flashily decorating themselves.

Are beggars even allowed in the city?

There’s no department specifically for arresting them.

After all, begging isn’t illegal—it might only lead to being taken to a shelter for re-education or sent back home.

But they’d always escape, and even if sent home, they’d inevitably return.

What could you really do about them?

You can’t beat them up.

You can’t reprimand them.

You can’t even arrest them without breaking the law.

Some wealthy old men, despite their comfortable lives, choose to beg.

Who would dare forcibly arrest them? What if things went wrong?

Some issues are just too complicated—even the country struggles with them.

Legislating?

That’s not feasible.

International human rights organizations protect the personal rights of beggars.

Is that organization out of its mind?

Not exactly—the sheer number of beggars in poorer countries is staggering.

Yet at home, people enjoy increasingly better living standards.

Still, beggars… are an unsolvable mess!

Targeted legislation against beggars is simply impossible.

No solution in sight!

…

At three in the morning,

Figures began to slip silently into the factory.

Bang!

The factory doors were crashed open.

“Freeze!”

SWAT officers raised their guns.

Spotlights swept across the interior of the factory.

Six disabled individuals trembled like frightened quail beneath the glare of the police firearms.

As the lights flicked on inside, Xiao Yu strode in, his eyes coldly scanning the beggars—a sight that sent a chill down his spine.

They were all disabled.

Most had deformed limbs, heads, or bodies.

Their appearance would break even the kindest heart.

It was impossible not to feel pity for them.

Yet these six beggars were not there by choice—they were being controlled.

In a room beside the factory, SWAT officers brought two subdued men forward to Xiao Yu.

Shifting his gaze from the six beggars, Xiao Yu fixed a cold stare on the two captured men.

“I don’t have time to waste. Who are your bosses? Where are they hiding?”

“…”

Though the two men looked terrified, they remained completely silent.

Hmm?

Xiao Yu paused, stepped toward one of the men, and grabbed him by the chin, forcing his mouth open.

To his shock, the man had no tongue!

Xiao Yu’s heart sank into an icy abyss.

He didn’t even need to guess—the two men before him were undoubtedly also trafficking victims.

Number 617 probably never went to school, couldn’t write, and was likely deaf too.

How could that be?

How does one interrogate a mute, deaf, illiterate person?

It turned out they were specially raised by criminal organizations as disabled operatives.

Extracting clues from them was nearly impossible.

Nearly impossible doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

Two mobile phones were placed before Xiao Yu.

They were unlocked with technical tools, and WeChat was accessed.

Not having formal education didn’t mean they couldn’t type simple words.

If words were a challenge, at least numbers came naturally.

Soon, the WeChat chat logs were retrieved.

Analyzing the messages, the police zeroed in on a target…

…

Bang!

A residential door was violently breached.

Inside was a family of three:

a 35-year-old man, his 31-year-old wife, and their six-year-old son.

When Xiao Yu entered, the man was already pinned to the ground by SWAT officers.

Casting a cold glance at the suspect,

Xiao Yu crouched down and glared at the panicked man. “I’m puzzled. How is it that someone like you can still have a happy family without your line dying out?”

Interrogation Room.

Zheng Yong—a native of Q City and the leader of a beggar gang notorious for controlling the city’s begging operations, with a history of organized crime and a criminal record…

Xiao Yu glared coldly at the suspect.

“Do you know Dong Qi?”