Chapter 142: Beggars Richer than Ordinary People

At this moment, Xiao Yu was pondering a philosophical question. Why did he always encounter major cases wherever he went? Was he incredibly lucky, or the opposite?

Perhaps the wording wasn’t precise, but as a police academy student, he couldn’t think of a better term. After thinking it over, he concluded it might be related to his transmigration or the system.

As Qian Long mentioned, the case was quite big. Y City’s police department couldn’t handle it and reported it to the provincial department. When the city police reported it, the provincial department was overwhelmed.

What the heck? This wasn’t just a major human trafficking case. It involved gangs, widespread maiming, and control over beggars committing crimes. The most critical point was that a police officer had died in connection with the case. It also spanned multiple provinces and cities. Who wouldn’t be overwhelmed by such a case?

While the provincial department was deliberating on how to handle this case, a call came to the office of the provincial department head. It was a call from higher-ups.

Shortly afterward, a special task force was established. Xiao Yu, with his team, arrived at the provincial department and took on the role of head of the special task force. At the same time, police departments across various provinces received instructions from their superiors to fully assist N Province’s special task force in thoroughly investigating this major murder and trafficking case.

***

A plane landed at H Province’s Q City Airport. Xiao Yu, dressed in his police uniform, disembarked from the plane. Following him were Guo Qiang, ten other police officers, and a suspect, Kong Xiangui.

“Hello!” 

Xiao Yu shook hands with the Q City police representative. After a few polite exchanges, they got into the car.

“Based on the information from the special task force, our city’s police have surrounded a hideout where six disabled beggars are being controlled,” a police commissioner reported the situation.

“Arrest them,” Xiao Yu cut straight to the point.

A convoy of police cars sped off towards the hideout.

All the leads were extracted from the suspect, Kong Xiangui. Back in the day, he used to be with the suspect Dong Qi and was familiar with the trafficking hideouts in various provinces and cities. Surprisingly, these places were still operational after so many years.

Were the criminals not worried about police raids? No, it was because even if people were caught, they were just underlings. Such actions might alert the main culprits, making it counterproductive.

So why was Xiao Yu going to arrest them? He planned to startle the culprits. 

If you don’t shake the bushes, how do you catch the snake?

***

On the outskirts, there was a factory building. This was one of the hideouts for beggars. In the morning, a vehicle would take them to busy streets in the city to beg. In the evening, they would be brought back by the same vehicle.

There were too many beggars across the country. Some were forced, while others volunteered. However, out of a hundred beggars, finding even one genuine beggar was rare.

Was begging lucrative? Ha!

In his previous life, Xiao Yu had cracked a murder case involving a beggar gang. During the interrogation, he learned just how profitable begging was. One beggar had managed to fully pay for a 600,000 yuan house and spent another 120,000 yuan on renovations within five years.

Did the city allow beggars to appear?

No, there were specific departments that handled them. But begging wasn’t illegal. At most, they would get sent to shelters for education or sent back to their hometowns. However, they would escape, and even if you sent them back home, they would return. 

What could you do about them?

You couldn’t beat them.  You couldn’t scold them. 

Arresting them wasn’t illegal. 

Some even elderly people were well-off but still chose to beg. 

Would you dare to forcibly move them? Do you know what might happen if they get hurt? 

Dealing with this issue was tough, even for the state. 

Legislation? 

Not going to happen. There were international human rights organizations that protected the personal rights of beggars. 

Did this mean these organizations were unreasonable? 

Not really. It was just that in other countries, there were many poor people and beggars. 

It was impossible to make laws specifically against beggars. 

There were no solutions.

***

At 3 AM, figures stealthily entered the factory. 

Bang! 

The factory door was smashed open. 

“Don’t move!”

A group of SWAT officers raised their guns. 

Spotlights illuminated the inside of the factory. 

Six disabled people, frightened like quails, trembled under the police guns. 

The lights in the factory were turned on, and Xiao Yu stepped inside. He glanced at the beggars and felt a pang in his heart.  They were all disabled. Their hands, feet, heads, and even bodies were mostly deformed. 

Seeing them would make any kind-hearted person feel a feeling of deep sorrow and pity. 

One would be compelled to feel sorry for them. 

They were using people’s kindness to gain sympathy and money. 

However, these six beggars were not doing it voluntarily, they were being forced.

In a room beside the factory, SWAT officers brought two subdued men to stand before Xiao Yu. Moving his gaze away from the six beggars, Xiao Yu coldly stared at the two men held by the SWAT officers.

“I don’t have time to waste. Who’s your boss? Where is he?”

“…” 

Though the two men looked terrified, their faces showed confusion, and neither spoke a word.

Hmm?

Xiao Yu paused for a moment, then stepped up to one of the men, grabbing his chin to make him open his mouth. 

Sure enough, the man had no tongue.

Xiao Yu felt as if his heart had plunged into an icy pit. He didn’t even need to guess. These two men were likely also victims of trafficking. They probably never went to school, couldn’t read or write, and were likely deaf too.

Why was this happening?

How do you interrogate a mute, deaf person who can’t write?

How could there still be people like this nowadays?

There were. Criminal organizations specifically raised disabled individuals like them.

Finding clues from them would be nearly impossible. Nearly impossible, but not entirely.

Two mobile phones were placed in front of Xiao Yu. Using technical methods, they were unlocked, and their WeChat apps were opened. Not having gone to school didn’t mean they couldn’t type simple words. And even if they couldn’t, they could still type numbers.

WeChat messages were then retrieved and analyzed.

Through the chat analysis, a target was identified by the police.

***

Boom!

A front door was violently smashed open.

This was a family of three. The man was 35 years old, his wife was 31, and their son was six.

When Xiao Yu walked in, the man was already pinned to the ground by the SWAT officers.

Giving the suspect a cold glance, Xiao Yu squatted down and looked at the panicked man, “I’m very curious, how people like you can have a happy family and not be cursed with misfortune?”

***

In the interrogation room sat Zheng Yong, a local of Q City and the head of the beggar gang. He was responsible for organizing the city’s beggars and had a criminal record from previous involvement in organized crime.

Xiao Yu coldly stared at the suspect.

“Do you know Dong Qi?”