A Gap in the Routine

There will only be one update today. Two tomorrow.

By the time the three men left Zhang Biao's home, night had already fallen.

Tsk—

Sun Shaozong planted his torch in the snow and ground it hard several times. Only after making sure no embers remained did he casually toss it back into the courtyard.

Chou Yunfei and Zhao Wuwei followed suit. Once they had dealt with their torches, the three of them hurried toward Zhang An's home like arrows.

"Don't worry about the motive yet."

As they walked, Sun Shaozong instructed, "First, investigate how many orphans and beggar children have gone missing in the city in recent years."

Since this was not kidnapping for ransom, the easiest targets—and those most likely to be overlooked—were naturally half-grown children with no one to depend on: orphans and beggar children.

"That won't be difficult."

Chou Yunfei immediately replied, "Ever since you implemented the Beggar Baojia System, whenever a beggar in the capital dies, leaves, or flees, the local neighborhood head has to report it to the authorities."

After a pause, he added, "I'll also have people inspect the brokerages in the city one by one. But ever since that investigation two years ago, the authorities have kept a close watch on them. There shouldn't be any loopholes."

Two years earlier, the Emperor had launched a census targeting slave registrations and 'talent intermediaries' in order to curb the trend of powerful families stockpiling slaves. At the time, Wei Ruolan and Chou Yunfei had fought side by side on the front lines.

Since then, every human trafficker in the capital had been required to operate under one of several brokerages with 'special licenses.' Otherwise, they would be treated as traffickers in human beings.

The two homes were not far apart. By the time they had