Peerless Martial Expert in the City
Chapter 170 - 173: Isn’t It the Same Meaning?

Chapter 170: Chapter 173: Isn’t It the Same Meaning?

Hearing the words "little child," Xiao Yi’s mind involuntarily flashed to the news report he’d seen yesterday morning about child trafficking gangs brazenly committing crimes. His feet paused involuntarily, and he turned to look in the direction from which the voice had come.

Turning his head, he saw a simply dressed middle-aged woman, about forty years old, holding a young boy with an innocent face and rolling eyes that were exceedingly lively and cute. She quickly turned into an alley ahead.

Xiao Yi noticed the large piece of candy in the little boy’s mouth, and the glimmer of confusion in his eyes. His mind stirred, and he changed direction, slowly following the middle-aged woman as if with absentminded interest.

"Mommy, I want my mommy!"

Having just turned into an alley, the little boy seemed to realize something was wrong. He was getting farther and farther away from his mother, could no longer see her, and started to struggle in the woman’s arms.

Indeed!

At the sound of the little boy’s cry, Xiao Yi took a deep breath. They were really those bastards. He had acted purely on instinct, without any certainty, driven by curiosity to follow and see. Now, he was certain that this woman was indeed one of the child traffickers.

A cold smirk appeared on Xiao Yi’s lips, and a flash of fierce determination went through his eyes.

After a cry, the little boy suddenly quieted down, making no more noises, as if he had fallen asleep. The woman, still with a loving motherly appearance, held him and continued hurrying forward. She zigzagged through streets and alleys, then stopped beside an old van parked on the side of the road.

Soon, a man jumped out of the van, opened the door for her, and after she got in, he glanced around to ensure nothing was amiss. Then he jumped back into the vehicle and swiftly started it, speeding away.

"Driver, follow that van up ahead."

Xiao Yi emerged from around a corner, watching as the van disappeared. Looking anxious, he glanced back and saw an empty cab driving by. He flagged it down, got in, and pointed toward the van that was about to fade away.

"We can’t..."

Upon hearing Xiao Yi’s request, the cab driver hesitated as if he wanted to refuse. But he was cut off mid-sentence, his gaze fixed firmly on Xiao Yi’s hand, swallowing audibly.

"Follow them, and this is all yours."

This was the cash he carried for emergencies, not much really, just shy of ten notes, but enough to tempt a cab driver.

"We won’t lose them, don’t worry."

The driver’s eyes gleamed with greed, he flashed Xiao Yi a smile, pressed down on the gas, and tore off toward the van. In no time, they had a view of the shabby van.

"Just keep a safe distance, don’t follow too closely, try not to let them realize we’re chasing them."

As soon as Xiao Yi caught sight of the van, he cautioned the driver, who was as animated as if he’d taken a stimulant. The reason he hadn’t intervened to rescue the boy himself was to locate their hideout and catch them all in one fell swoop, hoping to save those kids. He didn’t want the driver’s eagerness to spoil the operation and alert the crooks.

"Sure thing, rest assured. I’ve tailed cars before, lost none in ten, not even eight. Never lost a single one," the driver, Bei, assured confidently.

The taxi driver cracked a self-satisfied smile, but even as he spoke, he slowed down and didn’t accelerate forcefully anymore, maintaining an even pace while trailing behind the van from a distance.

Xiao Yi saw the driver slow down and understood his intent, immediately letting out a sigh of relief. He didn’t say much more, his gaze fixed tightly on the van in front.

"Kid, your girlfriend is cheating on you, isn’t she?"

Seeing Xiao Yi stare tensely ahead, the taxi driver spoke with an air of deep understanding, comforting him, "Sigh, young man, there’s plenty of fish in the sea. Women are like that these days, try to take it easy."

"Hmm."

Xiao Yi couldn’t be bothered to explain and vaguely hummed in response.

Noticing Xiao Yi didn’t want to talk, the taxi driver didn’t press further. While he carefully drove close behind the van, from time to time he gave Xiao Yi sympathetic and understanding glances, shaking his head and sighing. Poor kid, obviously a young man new to love, probably about to get seriously hurt this time. The truth is, in today’s world and society, men cheat, women turn bad; that’s just the way it is, why care too much? Whoever cares is the fool; it’s their heart that aches.

Along the way, Xiao Yi felt somewhat baffled by the taxi driver’s scrutinizing gaze, but once he put together his previous guesses and understood the meaning behind the driver’s looks, he couldn’t help feeling speechless. This driver’s imagination was indeed too vivid.

But gossipy as he was, the driver’s tracking skills were not to be underestimated. The things he’d said when he first got in the car probably weren’t just boasting. Throughout their journey, with frequent left turns and quick maneuvers, more astute than he’d expected, the van in front hadn’t noticed at all that they were being followed.

As they continued to follow the van further, and seeing the direction in which it was heading, Xiao Yi was taken aback. The direction the van was heading seemed to be the same place Fatty Tang had taken him last time to find his secret crush, Li Ling!

When the van slowly drove into the small street where Li Ling had her stall, Xiao Yi was completely certain that this was their destination.

"Damn, this woman is really cautious, cheating all the way out here."

The taxi driver couldn’t help but glance at the bag and muttered to himself.

"They’re not cheating," Xiao Yi said, his gaze still fixed on the van ahead. "They’re kidnapping someone."

Without waiting for the gossip-filled taxi driver to react, Xiao Yi quickly placed the money on the steering wheel, shouted, "I’m getting out here," and then opened the door and jumped out.

"Isn’t cheating the same as stealing someone?"

The taxi driver mumbled to himself.

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(Last night, Bei and 2012 waited up until late, but ultimately in vain, sigh. Poor Bei, with no house, no car, no woman, has to keep on typing away desperately...)(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it, buy a monthly pass, your support is my greatest motivation.)