"Oho, the great heroes are back."
Inside the railway police office building at Ningyang Station, Old Hu saw Ma Kui enter with Wang Yan and Wang Xin and strode over to the office with a hearty laugh.
Ma Kui said knowingly, "You mean that human trafficker we caught before?"
Old Hu nodded. He took out a cigarette, lit one for himself, then tossed the rest of the pack to Wang Yan. Wang Yan and Wang Xin promptly joined him in puffing away.
Only then did Old Hu speak. "They called me from over there. That female trafficker you caught this time was part of a proper big ring—more than ten people. Some stole children on the trains, some waited at the stations to receive them, some watched the children at their hideouts, and some went out looking for buyers.
"They sold the children far and wide, not just here in Northeast China. Quite a few were trafficked beyond Shanhaiguan. Even within Northeast China, they moved back and forth between several provinces, always selling the children off to smaller places. Over the past couple of days, comrades in various locations got in touch and swept up the whole ring in one go. They recovered six children and got some addresses for children who had already been sold. They found the buyers too. Maybe some more of those children can make it home.
"The higher-ups have decided to hold a commendation ceremony, calling on everyone to learn from you. It'll also serve as publicity, making those criminals think twice before they dare act recklessly on the trains."
"We really earned merit?" Wang Xin broke into a grin. "See? What'd I tell you? It was only a matter of time. Old Ma and I should get third-class merit, right? Wang Yan ought to