CHAPTER 743: CHAPTER 718: TRAFFICKING

She had grand aspirations, but as the car rumbled over the uneven road, as she was tossed around in the back, she felt pitifully small and weak.

She heard Xiao Huang shifting gears, the car creaking loudly, and heard other girls being jolted to the back of the vehicle, letting out soft cries of surprise.

There were three other girls, just as young as she was, all wanting to leave the village for a better life.

They hadn’t exchanged greetings yet, didn’t know each other’s names, and hadn’t spoken a single word.

Everyone was still absorbed in their own adventurous thoughts, feeling a bit sad, yet somewhat excited.

The sadness came from leaving behind their past lives, while the excitement was due to the anticipation of a brighter future ahead.

Anyway, anything was better than having nothing, and Ruomei truly had nothing.

She thought of her mother, who had died seven months ago.

A life of hard labor and constant childbirth had left her exhausted.

Mother would tirelessly remind her, "Never let a man touch the area between your legs unless you become his wife. If he touches you but doesn’t marry you, it will only leave you pregnant, while he goes off to find another beautiful girl.

And you will die without a burial place."

Yes, she didn’t let him do that, yet he still found another girl.

The only consolation was that she could still seek other opportunities.

But she understood her mother’s wishes—her mother wanted Ruomei to have so much more, hoping she wouldn’t grow old at her age with a baby constantly needing care, pregnant with another, and dying before the age of forty.

What a relief!

Her mother would no longer waste her life on a...father who favored sons over daughters.

She kept encouraging herself that once she reached the city, everything would improve.

Everyone said there were more job opportunities in the city than there were people.

Everyone had a bicycle and a television.

She might even act in movies and become famous.

Everyone said she was pretty, so fame was definitely possible.

Yet the problem was, she was only seventeen, feeling lonely and scared.

A girl seemed to be speaking, although her voice was drowned by the rumbling engine, everyone sensed the tension.

At that moment, Ruomei realized that the other girls were just as nervous and scared as she was.

She wasn’t alone; everyone felt the same.

This tiny moment made her suddenly feel brave.

The car was shaking violently, and Ruomei stumbled, attempting to stand up, rushing to the other end of the planks, where she could hear the girl’s voice clearly.

Night had fallen, and the light from the streetlamps filtering through the gaps in the vehicle compartment allowed her to faintly make out the girls’ faces.

"What are you saying?"

She asked.

The girl, with her hands wrapped around her shabby skirt, spoke in a fine, shy voice.

"I need to use the restroom."

"We all do."

Ruomei said sympathetically.

Her own bladder was also aching painfully.

But for a long time, she had tried hard not to think about it, just hold it in.

But she knew this was something they couldn’t ignore.

Tears rolled down the girl’s face.

"I can’t hold it any longer!"

Ruomei looked around, the other two appeared as helpless as the crying girl.

"Then let’s all go together,"

Ruomei seemed to be the only one capable of making a decision.

"Let’s designate a corner... just over there." She pointed to the rear right corner.

"There’s a little gap there for drainage. We’ll all deal with it."

The girl wiped her face.

"What if someone sees us?"

"Hopefully, they won’t."

The night grew colder, now it was winter, and the weather was getting increasingly chilly.

If Xiao Huang continued to keep them inside, they would freeze to death sooner or later.

He had said they wouldn’t stop until the final destination, so they must be nearing the city.

Xiao Huang had given her fifty yuan as advance payment; if she died, he would never get a return.

Generally, Xiao Huang wouldn’t make a loss on a deal.

Using the bathroom inside the jolting truck required teamwork, with Ruomei dictating the actions.

The girls took turns, Ruomei being the last.

Everyone squatted in the corner, with others tightly surrounding them to keep steady.

After solving the issue, they lay down to rest, exhausted but feeling much better.

Of course, the truck jolted one last time, then began to drive smoothly.

Ruomei realized they had hit the highway.

The highway!

It meant they were not far from the city.

The vehicle suddenly slammed to a halt.

The abrupt stop sent the unsuspecting girls in the back rolling around, Ruomei’s head struck the side of the truck.

Dizzy and dazed.

She didn’t know what kind of emergency they had encountered.

"Stop, don’t run!"

Upon hearing this stern voice, Ruomei and the others were suddenly startled.

All they could think was, who ran?

Finding a place with a monthly salary of 800 yuan, no one was planning to run.

It included meals and lodging.

Would anyone want to escape such luck?

Or was there something happening they were unaware of?

When they arrived, all they knew was that the person who introduced them to work had said: they were young girls, nimble and pretty, even somewhat cultured, and the factory they were going to made banknotes.

Hence, their identities had to be strictly controlled, and they were not allowed to reveal where they worked to anyone else.

Of course, their job was even more confidential, absolutely not permitting anyone to know what they really did.

So they were tucked away in the canvas-covered truck compartment.

The canopy was lifted, and the brisk fresh air mixed with cold wind hit each of them directly in the face, making Ruomei jump in surprise.

"Get off the truck immediately!"

A voice harsh and icy.

Ruomei and the others glanced at each other; this wasn’t Xiao Huang.

The tailgate was removed, instantly they saw glaring flashlights preventing clear vision, but in the dim view, they could slightly make out.

These people in front were clearly wearing police uniforms.

Everyone muddled down from the truck, staring at a few policemen nearby and the police car with flashing lights.

Then they saw Xiao Huang handcuffed, alongside two other men squatting in front of the police car; they were terrified, unaware of what crime they had committed.

In the eyes of all rural girls, they had never interacted with police in their lives, yet now they had been caught here by them.

"Line up one by one over here to register your names and addresses."

Leading officers directed them to the policewoman near the police car for registration.

Ruomei looked at the unexpressive policewoman and gathered the courage to speak.

"Officer, we had no choice; we haven’t done anything wrong. We’re just going to work."

The policewoman gave them a glance filled with sympathy.

Indeed!

Ruomei could feel the sympathy.

"Young lady, don’t be foolish; these people aren’t interested in your work, they want your bodies, your organs. These are members of a crime syndicate. They specialize in connecting wealthy individuals in need of transplants with sources like you."

Then with disbelief, they saw two rigid bodies being lifted from the two tightly wrapped large wooden crates on the truck, stark naked with pale knife wounds still visible.

Ruomei felt as if struck by thunder, her face turning pale in terror.