CHAPTER 804: CHAPTER 663: UNLUCKY INNOCENTS, PLAYING THE ROLE TO THE END

Beigong Wu is 32 years old this year. He once served in the military and is now a deliveryman for a supermarket in Sapporo. He grew up in an orphanage, and six years ago, he married his wife, Nanako, and started a family. Five years ago, their daughter Guangzi was born.

Although the family’s income is modest, they can just barely make ends meet. They squeeze into a small, old house. Life is tough but also filled with warmth. For Beigong Wu, who is an orphan, this is the greatest happiness.

In the morning, after breakfast, Nanako stood at the door with her daughter in her arms, seeing Beigong Wu off to work.

"Goodbye, Daddy." The little girl in her mother’s arms waved her little hand and said in a childish voice.

The couple’s attire was clean but far from luxurious, yet Guangzi was dressed in brand new clothes from head to toe, showing how much they loved their daughter.

Just a few steps out, Beigong Wu heard his daughter’s voice, stopped, and turned around with a beaming smile. "Nanako, take care of Guangzi."

"Okay! Come home early tonight, and remember to bring back some rice." Nanako softly reminded him.

"I got it." Beigong Wu replied, mounted his old Suzuki motorcycle, revved it up with a buzz, and disappeared down the street.

Nanako watched until her husband’s figure faded from view, then kissed her daughter’s cheek. "All right, let’s go back inside."

As she was about to turn around, a black van pulled up and stopped at the door, making Nanako hesitate, looking at the vehicle with some curiosity and doubt.

Soon, the door opened, and a well-dressed man wearing glasses jumped out, walking toward Nanako with an approachable smile on his face.

He had a gentle demeanor and handsome appearance, which made it easy for people to let their guard down. At least Nanako didn’t think he seemed like a bad person, so she was only a little nervous as he approached, without showing any unease and without turning to close the door.

"Good morning, madam." Imamura Masafumi walked up to Nanako and politely greeted her.

"Hi!" Nanako gave a slight bow in return, somewhat timidly asking, "Is there something you need?"

"I’d like to borrow a phone, it’s very urgent, please!" Imamura Masafumi bowed deeply.

Nanako hesitated instantly. Their somewhat impoverished family didn’t have a mobile phone, only a landline at home. Agreeing to lend it meant letting this stranger into her house.

Even though Imamura Masafumi didn’t look like a bad guy, there was still some pressure for a housewife with a child to let a strange man into her home.

"Ma’am, your child is adorable." Just then, Imamura Masafumi smiled, teasing the curious Guangzi looking at him with big eyes. He pulled a lollipop from his pocket and handed it over. "I bought this for my daughter, but I’ll give one to this little one too."

Guangzi looked at the lollipop in front of her and instinctively reached out to take it. She suddenly remembered something, withdrew her hand and looked expectantly at her mother.

"What a well-behaved little girl, here’s another one as a reward." Imamura Masafumi smiled and took out another lollipop from his pocket. "Here, take it."

"This... how could I?" Nanako was a bit embarrassed, but Imamura Masafumi stuffed it into Guangzi’s hand. "It’s just two lollipops, no big deal, ma’am. I also have a daughter."

"Thank you, uncle." Guangzi giggled, tightly clutching the lollipop, and thanked him in her childish voice.

Nanako sighed helplessly, "Thank you so much, please come in, the phone is in the living room."

"Okay! Sorry for the trouble, you’re such a kind person, ma’am, you’ll be rewarded." Imamura Masafumi breathed a sigh of relief, then took off his shoes to enter in his socks.

After entering, he closed the door behind him, but left a small gap.

Seeing this, Nanako felt even more at ease with Imamura Masafumi, leading him toward the living room.

"First... ah!" Just as Nanako was about to invite him to use the phone, she turned her head to find the dark barrel of a gun pointed at her, causing her to scream in shock. After a brief stupor, she tightly shielded her child in her arms, her face pale as she said, "What do you want? My family has no money, please don’t hurt us."

"Wahhh..." Guangzi started crying loudly in her arms, and the lollipop dropped to the floor.

"Guangzi, don’t be scared, don’t be scared." Nanako covered her daughter’s mouth, her face full of pleading as she begged bitterly, "Sir, please don’t harm the child."

"There’s no need to be afraid, ma’am. As long as you cooperate with us, I promise you and your child will be safe." Imamura Masafumi said calmly.

At this moment, a sound of footsteps rang out, and two men pushed open the door that was ajar and came in.

Nanako watched and realized why Imamura Masafumi hadn’t closed the door earlier, tears welling up as she choked, "What do you want from us?"

She couldn’t understand why these ill-intentioned people were targeting her family. They were just ordinary people with little savings. Why were they choosing them?

"Please hand the child over to us for safekeeping." Imamura Masafumi said gently, speaking slowly.

"No! No way!" Nanako, hearing this, thought these people were human traffickers. She was full of tension, tightly holding onto her child, continuously shaking her head, "You can’t take my child, no! Please, have mercy on us, I’ll give you all the money I have."

"Since the lady refuses to cooperate, I’m afraid we’ll have to take action." Imamura Masafumi sighed, waving his hand.

"Take it away!"

The two men who came in rushed forward, kicking Nanako down forcefully and seizing the child.

"Ah!" Nanako cried out in pain, her face twisted with agony, struggling to get up. "Give back my child! Give her back!"

"Mom! I want my mom! Waaa!" Guangzi struggled and cried in the arms of one of the men.

Imamura Masafumi pressed the gun directly against Guangzi’s head, "Shut up, or I’ll shoot her dead."

Nanako, pale and pitiful, looked at Imamura Masafumi with tears streaming down her face, nodding repeatedly.

Two men pulled out tape and sealed Guangzi’s mouth right in front of Nanako. She felt as if her heart were being cut with a knife, yet she couldn’t do anything.

"Only one person can save your daughter, Aoyama Xiu Xin. Go to the police headquarters immediately, block Aoyama Xiu Xin’s car and plead with him to save your daughter, and give him this letter. He starts work at nine; you can still make it if you go now," said Imamura Masafumi as he pulled out an envelope from his coat and threw it in front of Nanako.

With those words, he turned and walked away.

The two men carrying the child followed closely behind.

Stumbling, Nanako chased them to the door, tearfully clinging to the doorframe as she watched them drive away. Then she ran back to the living room, grabbed the envelope, and hurriedly rushed out, not even bothering to put on shoes.

All she could do now was hope that if she did as the kidnappers said, they wouldn’t harm her daughter.

..................

Imamura Masafumi and his men had deliberately chosen the right time to act. When Nanako arrived at the police headquarters, it was not yet nine o’clock, but within minutes, Aoyama Xiu Xin’s car slowly approached. His car’s license plate wasn’t needed to recognize it—police flags on both sides made it stand out.

"Chief Aoyama! Please save my daughter!"

Nanako stumbled forward and knelt down.

Jin Yucheng reacted quickly, slamming on the brakes to stop just before hitting Nanako.

"Baka, what’s going on?" Aoyama Xiu Xin cursed from the back seat, having been thrown against the front seat from the sudden stop.

Jin Yucheng stopped the engine, "Someone is blocking the car ahead."

Before Aoyama Xiu Xin even gave an order, the police on duty at the entrance had already stepped up to try to drag Nanako away.

"Let me go! Let me go! My daughter has been kidnapped, Chief Aoyama, please save her! I’m begging you; only you can save her, waaa."

Nanako struggled, her dirty and scratched bare feet kicking the ground, her disheveled hair wildly thrashing, screaming with tears streaming down her face as if she were crazy.

She had already attracted quite a crowd of onlookers.

Though Aoyama Xiu Xin hated such dramatic public obstruction, considering his reputation as a righteous advocate, he could only get out of the car and shout, "Let her go!"

The two policemen immediately released Nanako.

"Chief Aoyama, please save my daughter, save my daughter!" Out of her restraints, Nanako staggered forward, kneeling and kowtowing before Aoyama Xiu Xin.

Don’t think that those who kneel and kowtow to plead are without dignity; it’s because dignity is the most precious thing they can offer in seeking help.

Of course, there are those without shame as well.

"Ma’am, please stand up," Aoyama Xiu Xin hurriedly helped her up, pausing as he noticed her feet, then took off his own leather shoes to help her wear them. "Just make do with these for now; I’ll have someone find you proper shoes later."

"This... this isn’t right..." Nanako hesitated for a moment, immediately wanting to refuse, but Aoyama Xiu Xin was already slipping the shoes onto her ankles, "Ma’am, if you want to report to me, then follow my instructions."

The onlookers all praised Aoyama Xiu Xin.

"Chief Aoyama truly has a kind heart."

"Indeed, if he didn’t have such a benevolent heart, how could he become a policeman when someone so outstanding as him could succeed at anything?"

"I’ve only seen similar stories in ancient legends; it’s truly admirable!"

Aoyama Xiu Xin was just acting, but today’s events would spread, and no naive citizen wouldn’t admire him?

"Ma’am, what exactly happened? Please tell me," having decided to act, Aoyama Xiu Xin naturally took it all the way, standing there in just his socks amidst the crowd, showing his concern for the case.

Jin Yucheng went over to a clueless policeman and whispered a reminder, "Hurry up and get a camera to take pictures."

The policeman snapped to realization and finally went to handle it.

Jin Yucheng sighed and shook his head; someone without such initiative could only end up doing gate duty his whole life.

He then unexpectedly paused.

Since when did he become so tactful?

Sigh, as a proletarian warrior in the Land of Light, he had been polluted by capitalist society!