Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 633 Marriage for Sale (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

About an hour later, Huang Guimei was dragged out of the operating room.

Because it was facial surgery, she is still under anesthesia; in other words, she is still asleep.

With her face wrapped in thick bandages, only her mouth and chin were visible, while the upper part of her face was barely visible below her eyelids, making it almost impossible to recognize her.

Of course, even disregarding the possibility that she might be a human trafficker, no one would care whether an elderly woman could recover her original appearance after surgery.

"This patient has had cosmetic surgery a long time ago. She not only had double eyelid surgery, but also had surgery on her nose. The reason why the laceration is so severe this time is that there was a previous case where the alar of her nose was cut and healed, and she also had implants inserted. Of course, since many years have passed, the implants have lost their effectiveness and have caused her facial expressions to appear very stiff, and she also looks... rather mean."

After the surgeon finished cleaning up, he came to Zhang Yong and explained the surgical results and Huang Guimei's original condition in detail using gestures.

"Plastic surgery?"

Zhang Yong raised an eyebrow.

If Huang Guimei had undergone plastic surgery, how did Ai Yun recognize her? Could it be that their guesses were all wrong, and Ai Yun's illness was not because she knew Huang Guimei, but simply because she was provoked by the woman's despicable words?

However, after hearing the doctor's detailed explanation that the face would revert to its previous appearance after the implant failed, Zhang Yong's suspicions about Huang Guimei deepened.

Perhaps there really is such a human trafficker who has undergone plastic surgery, which is why he hasn't been caught all these years.

But as time went by, the implants lost their support and the cosmetic effect disappeared, and she returned to a state similar to her original appearance, which is why she was recognized by the victim once again.

Ai Yun's tragic experiences over the years were all caused by human traffickers. Therefore, she would inevitably remember what the traffickers looked like. Huang Guimei's face would then cause her great emotional distress, leading to her illness.

Of course, these are just guesses and inferences, and everything still needs to be supported by details and evidence.

However, one thing is clear: Huang Guimei is not a good person!
Therefore, it is essential to remain suspicious of her and to be vigilant.

Zhang Yong called Nie Guoqiang to inform him of Huang Guimei's situation at the hospital. As expected, Nie Guoqiang also suspected she might be a human trafficker and immediately dispatched Hu Lijun and Yuan Meijuan to keep a 24-hour watch on her.

Zhang Yong then brought Lin Ge to the construction site dormitory again to meet with Hu Zhengping and conduct a thorough investigation into Huang Guimei's situation.

The owner of the construction site was a bald man in his forties or fifties named Liu Gen. Only a tuft of hair remained on his head, struggling against the encroachment of baldness. Even these few strands were neatly combed onto the top of his head, desperately trying to conceal the gleam. When Zhang Yong arrived, Liu Gen was fawningly offering Hu Zhengping a cigarette. When refused, he wasn't angry, only repeatedly explaining that he had no relationship with Huang Guimei, and that he had only given her a bowl of rice out of pity.

Liu Gen made no mention of Huang Guimei's shrewish abilities or the oppressive influence her presence had on the neighboring community.

Zhang Yong asked Liu Gen if he knew where Huang Guimei was from and what she did before, but Liu Gen knew nothing. He only said that he happened to see Huang Guimei being 'bullied' by a few people, and that's when he took pity on her and took her into his dormitory.

"Was she bullied by a few people, or did she fight against many and not be at a disadvantage, and then you discovered her shamelessness and taking advantage of her age, so you invited her over to be a scoundrel?"

Hu Zhengping gave Liu Gen a disdainful look.

"Ha ha……"

Liu Gen chuckled twice, leading Zhang Yong and Hu Zhengping towards the dormitory as he asked curiously, "Officer, what did Huang Guimei do this time? She was detained for five days before, shouldn't she be out by now? Or did she do something bad again? That has nothing to do with our construction site! Everyone here is a hardworking, honest man, doing hard work to earn a living. Huang Guimei has nothing to do with us, and we've already fired her since she was detained. Oh, of course, she won't be shortchanged on her wages, even if she was just a gatekeeper and she still caused such a big mess."

"She was fired? Her room was cleaned out too?"

Zhang Yong paused, frowning as he looked at this cunning fellow who was always good at disclaiming responsibility.

"No! The plan is to wait until she comes back, settles her wages, finds a place to stay outside, and then ask her to vacate the room."

Liu Gen laughed awkwardly again, not daring to say that he really intended to throw away all of Huang Guimei's belongings and completely sever ties with this troublesome woman.

Has anyone been inside?

As Zhang Yong spoke, he gestured for Lin Ge to start working.

When Lin Ge arrived at the scene of the incident, he found that the outdoor environment was not much different from when Huang Guimei was arrested. The door hadn't been locked that day, and it was still half-open. Various kinds of waste outside the door, which hadn't been disposed of then, were now piled up high. However, if he sniffed carefully, Lin Ge could still smell traces of several people frequently walking around in the area, and he could also smell the odor of a large group of people gathered at the doorway.

Watching a spectacle is human nature, and even construction workers who toil hard during the day are no exception.

Hearing that the fierce old lady was taken away by the police, there will definitely be people coming here to chat, watch the excitement, and then act as Monday morning quarterbacks, saying they knew Huang Guimei would have this happen.

Now I just hope the room isn't damaged too badly, and that no one takes advantage of the situation and takes things they shouldn't.

When Lin Ge entered the room, he found that the situation was much better than he had expected.

It's true that some people have come in, and some have even searched the room; however, they ultimately lacked the courage to do so, only briefly checking under the pillows, in the wardrobe, and in other storage areas, without completely turning the room into a mess. Given the room's disarray and the complexity created by the piles of trash and junk scattered everywhere, Lin Ge didn't believe they could uncover Huang Guimei's hidden secret with such a simple search.

Of course, given the mess in the room, it would be very difficult for Lingo to find anything.

"Does Huang Guimei also work as a matchmaker on your construction site?"

Zhang Yong stood at the door and questioned Liu Gen.

Incidentally, Zhang Yong noticed that the workers upstairs and next door were looking this way with curious expressions, so he simply called them all over to ask if anyone could find anything different.

"Matchmaker Huang did tell us that she could help introduce wives to men. But she's not a local, and given her personality, I doubt anyone would want to associate with her. Apart from Wang Tao and Chen Feng, I don't think anyone would believe her and give her money to help with introductions, right?"

A man in a tank top curled his lip, indicating that he was the only one who was sober while everyone else was drunk, and he would not believe Huang Guimei's nonsense.

Judging from the disdainful looks he received from the people around him, it seemed that this man was not as clear-headed as he claimed, and he might also be one of Huang Guimei's clients.

"Huang Guimei claims to be a professional matchmaker. She can find and introduce any kind of wife, whether local or from out of town, urban or rural, young or divorced. The amount she asks for varies depending on the woman's status. Last month, a young man named Xiao Zhao, who had just left, gave Huang Guimei 5,000 yuan to help introduce a young woman from the city."

A thin old man wearing a wrinkled shirt raised his hand, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and said, "As for the specific details, we didn't see them. Anyway, Xiao Zhao was quite unhappy when he left, it seems that Huang Guimei didn't return a single penny of the five thousand yuan."

"She can find women of any caliber, so what makes Huang Guimei make such a boast?"

Zhang Yong frowned.

Was she just boasting to lure people in, or does she genuinely have that ability? Given her social skills and personality, it's impossible for her to know so many women with different backgrounds. Could she be following a script and directly seducing them according to their requirements?
Zhang Yong pondered to himself, but his face remained impassive. He couldn't let these people know that Huang Guimei was suspected of being a human trafficker. If they knew she was a criminal, it would be much harder to get information out of her.

"Isn't there anyone who got Huang Guimei to help them get together? If not, you or Xiao Zhao wouldn't have trusted her enough to give her five thousand yuan to try and find a solution, would you?" Zhang Yong asked.

"There definitely are."

The skinny old man nodded, not finding it strange at all, and said, "This old hag may have a sharp tongue, but she's really good at talking. Before the New Year, there was a woman doing business near our construction site. Wasn't she fooled by Huang Guimei? One of our workers gave her 10,000 yuan, and she lied to the woman, saying how rich this man was, how many houses he owned were waiting to be demolished, and how many plots of land he had rented out and was just waiting to collect money every month. Then, I don't know exactly what she said, but the woman believed Huang Guimei's words and married this man in January. Heh... After the marriage, she found out that it was all Huang Guimei's nonsense. That guy had absolutely nothing, a penniless wretch! But she got the marriage certificate and was heavily pregnant, so what could she do? Huang Guimei advised her to settle down and live a good life with him, so she obediently went to the countryside to have her baby."

The old man spoke with a hint of envy, and the others around him also showed expressions of envy.

It seems that in the eyes of these bachelors, deceiving people into marriage is not a big problem. They just need to get a wife into the family first, and it is acceptable to cheat other women.

Unfortunately, there are too few fools like this, so much so that Huang Guimei has only successfully introduced two or three to others in all the time she's been here.

Zhang Yong and Hu Zhengping exchanged a glance.

"Are the two or three people Huang Guimei introduced from around here?"

"No way? It seems like only one of them was from nearby, and the other two were women she found from who-knows-where. One of them looked a bit simple-minded and was snatched up by the guy surnamed Yan, while the other looked like a country girl who wasn't even an adult yet, and Old Ding took her back..."

With the help of the people around them piecing together the details, the specifics of Huang Guimei's matchmaking efforts became clear.

The women she arranged marriages for were partly people she knew from the surrounding area, mostly divorced or greedy. Another group were out-of-towners she brought in from who-knows-where; these men were essentially not in control of their own lives, but these bachelors, knowing there were problems, didn't expose them. They simply bid against Huang Guimei like an auction, with the highest bidder winning the woman. And what they all had in common was that those who won the woman would immediately quit their jobs and return to their rural hometowns.

"These women's backgrounds are definitely suspicious! Huang Guimei is indeed engaged in illicit matchmaking activities, and the suspicion that she is a human trafficker is even greater!"

Zhang Yong gestured to Hu Zhengping with his eyes, and the two went to a quiet place to talk in hushed tones.

“These people are all scoundrels! They knew the women Huang Guimei introduced were problematic, but they ignored these issues just to get married. They are knowingly breaking the law!”

Hu Zhengping nodded in response.

But then he frowned and said, "But... if the other party is willing, it doesn't really constitute the crime of trafficking or buying trafficked women, right? At most, it's just... um... raising the price of matchmaking? After all, it's voluntary, right?"

"You can't say that! It's obvious this isn't a normal marital relationship, nor is it a normal marriage procedure! As for whether it constitutes human trafficking, that's not up to you or me to decide; the law decides!"

Zhang Yong shook his head, not believing that this was something that could be ignored.

Seeing that although the people at the construction site spoke of Huang Guimei with disdain, their words were also filled with longing and resentment towards the old woman, Zhang Yong knew that this matter could not be allowed to continue like this.

We must find out exactly how Huang Guimei arranged the marriage.

The people mentioned in the previous conversation, and their wives, also need to be investigated in detail again. We need to see what their situations are and what kind of lives they are living now.

If the issue truly involves human trafficking, we must also consider whether rescue is necessary and how to do so.

"Ow!"

Lin Ge crawled out of the house and called out to Zhang Yong, who was standing in the distance.

"Anything discovered?"

Zhang Yong's eyes lit up. He gestured for Hu Zhengping to guard the door from the outside and not let anyone in, while he followed Mimi into the house.

Led by Lin Ge to the innermost part of the room, between the bed and the wardrobe, Zhang Yong saw the sharp corner of a book that Lin Ge had pulled out from the pile of magazines on the floor.

He put on gloves and took the book out, discovering it was a copy of Ba Jin's "Autumn." However, upon opening it, he found that a thick piece had been torn out of the middle and replaced by another large red-covered book.

This is a rather old notebook, one of those red, soft plastic-covered notebooks from over twenty years ago. Taking it out and opening it, I found that the writing on many of the first few pages had faded and become slightly illegible. However, continuing to look inside, I discovered that many pages contained old 100-yuan bills. A quick flip through revealed at least a dozen, some new and some old, with the pages containing the money containing what appeared to be bills or invoices.

A closer look reveals records of various expenses. These range from how much was spent on transportation, clothing, and meals, to large expenditures, followed by numerous detailed entries for meals, transportation, and transfers.

Below that was a large income item written in red pen; the page Zhang Yong was looking at showed an income of 13,000 yuan. After deducting the previous expenses, there was 8,056 yuan left, which was estimated to be the actual profit from this 'deal'.

Turning to the other page where the money was tucked inside, the content was similar, with all expenses listed in great detail. The income was written in blue pen as 38,888 yuan, but the actual income was 27,000 yuan.

The next page also lists similar expenses.

However, this page did not record any income, meaning that money and effort were spent but no money was earned, resulting in a net loss of more than two thousand yuan.

……

The various bill records ranged from a few hundred yuan in income that was initially blurry but still legible, to several thousand yuan, tens of thousands of yuan, and a considerable number of unprofitable transactions...

Zhang Yong roughly estimated that the notebook recorded more than thirty or forty business transactions, with time intervals possibly spanning twenty or thirty years. The 100-yuan banknotes mixed in were distinguishable as the 1980 and 1990 editions of the fourth series, and the 1999 and 2005 editions of the fifth series. If these banknotes were indeed taken out as souvenirs after each transaction, then at least this red notebook and the transactions recorded within it have continued for more than thirty years!
"Heh... One trip requires countless transfers, and the direct income is tens of thousands of yuan! Besides human trafficking, what other possibility is there?"

Zhang Yong didn't know whether he should be angry or sad, but for now, he could only express it with a cold laugh.

Regardless of why Huang Guimei had a habit of meticulously recording her crimes, her more than thirty years of human trafficking activities are enough to arouse indignation and even hatred. Of course, perhaps in recent years Huang Guimei has chosen to retire from her criminal activities and change her tune, now introducing clients instead of actively selling. But in any case, the probability that she is a human trafficker is increasing, although crucial evidence to prove this still lacks.

"Mimi, is this all you have?"

Zhang Yong adjusted the body camera to capture the contents of the notebook and the banknotes as clearly as possible before turning back to question Lin Ge.

Lingo nodded, indicating that this was the only suspicious item in the room.

Since it was a criminal offense, most people wouldn't leave behind evidence of their crime. This red booklet was probably just something Huang Guimei kept as a memento, which is why she always carried it with her and hid it in a place where most people wouldn't find it.

Besides, these crimes committed decades ago are not easy to find clues about. The only hope is to get the location of the victims who were trafficked from Huang Guimei.

Alternatively, by examining the ledger and the bank cards Huang Guimei is still using, we could deduce her mode of transportation and mileage, hoping to systematically pinpoint her origin and analyze her movements over the decades. With just this ledger, we might have the opportunity to find all the victims she abducted, giving those innocent and pitiful people a chance to reunite with their families.

"If a mathematical model can be constructed, then perhaps this possibility does exist."

When Zhang Yong inquired, Li Yiduo gave an affirmative answer over the phone. Of course, this matter should be handled by professionals.

(End of this chapter)