Chapter 117: Organized Trafficking

Zhang Xuan felt that the kidnapper’s account was plausible enough and saw no need to press further regarding the pursuit. "You mentioned the three groups and the camp—what is the situation there? If you don't want to get beaten, I suggest you tell the truth, or at least come up with a story that sounds believable."

"Young master, could you please let me get up? Being sat on like this... I... please, I definitely won't run. If you let me stand, I will tell you everything you want to know honestly." The kidnapper had been lying face down the entire time, pinned by someone much younger than him. It would be humiliating enough if a stranger passed by, but if any of his own associates saw him in this state, his reputation in the trafficking circle would be ruined forever.

Zhang Xuan looked down at the kidnapper, easily guessing his concerns. "Fine. You can try to run if you want, but I wouldn't recommend it, unless you want to see what I’ll do to you." Zhang Xuan stood up, his eyes fixed firmly on the man.

The kidnapper, who had been clutching a handful of dirt in his hand, felt Zhang Xuan’s vigilance and eventually let it go. It was better to avoid another beating and just be compliant. He had used this exact method to discipline those he captured, and he never imagined he would be on the receiving end. Perhaps this was fate. He stood up, stretched his limbs, and winced when he realized one of his arms had gone numb. Seeing that Zhang Xuan remained indifferent, he sighed and sat cross-legged on the ground.

"Young master, the truth is that we are an organized group. We have three divisions: one for abducting and kidnapping people, one—my group—for guarding the camp, and two for handling sales. Of course, the abduction team also assists with sales. Generally, the groups don't interact unless necessary, so we rarely see the abduction or sales teams. When they bring people to the camp or come to collect them, they present a token. As for what that token is, I cannot tell you, young master. Even if you beat me to death, I wouldn't say it."

Although Zhang Xuan loathed the kidnapper—a piece of filth who tore families apart—he couldn't help but admire the person who had devised such an efficient operation. It was a pity they hadn't applied that intellect to something righteous. *I could actually copy this idea,* he thought, *or rather, borrow it.* "Fine, keep your secret. I’m not planning to go to your camp to drop off or pick up anyone, so what use would I have for a token? So, based on what you’re saying, your job is just to watch the prisoners and you don’t have to do the kidnapping?" He left out the fact that if he ever decided to raid their camp, he would simply storm in. If everyone was as incompetent as this man, it would be a simple task indeed.

The kidnapper nodded vigorously. "Young master, I’m telling you the truth. My only job is to watch the camp, take daily headcounts, and if anyone escapes, I report it and go out to find them immediately. I won't lie to you—this is the first time I’ve ever been sent out to search, and the first time anyone has escaped from the camp since I arrived. I never thought my first experience would end like this. Why am I so unlucky?"

Zhang Xuan couldn't determine if the man was lying, but he didn't dwell on it. "Following your logic, you must have more than one camp, right? Otherwise, having the abduction team travel such long distances to bring people here would be a huge waste of time and resources."

"Young master, I don't know the specifics, but there must be more than one. I’ve been guarding the camp for a while, and it seems I’ve never seen the first group appear. In these chaotic times, it’s impossible that they haven't kidnapped anyone; they are all veterans. If they sent me out, I could catch a few, so there must be other camps."

Zhang Xuan stared blankly at the kidnapper, his eyes burning with fury. The kidnapper grew nervous. "Young master, I swear what I said is true. I haven't lied to you once."

"Then continue. I want to know who is behind you. Who came up with this organized trafficking system? With such a clear division of labor, multiple hideouts, a token system for transfers, and no direct contact between groups to prevent them from being wiped out at once—I’d really like to meet the person behind this."

"Young master, I’ve never met the person in charge. We just do our jobs; we don't need to care about, or inquire into, anything else." As the kidnapper spoke, he seemed to recall a specific event, his tone turning heavy.

Zhang Xuan noticed the shift in his voice. It seemed there was a story here. "It sounds like you or someone you knew asked too many questions and suffered the consequences. Or, as they say, karma?"

"It’s our rule. I heard that a guy before us was too curious about what others were doing, their routes, and how much they made. He even begged them to take him along. At first, he was warned to stop, but he wouldn't listen. It was impossible to keep him away from the camp, so a few days later, they..." The kidnapper made a slitting motion across his throat. "I only heard it as a rumor, I don't know if it's true. But our camp established a rule because of it: do your own work and don't ask about other groups. Otherwise, that’s the fate you face. So, as long as I do my job, I won't end up like that."

Listening to this, Zhang Xuan was left speechless. People actually believed this—the locals here were truly, naively simple.