Except for compartment A-1, the lights in the next first-class compartments had been turned off. Thick curtains were drawn, enveloping everything in pitch darkness.
As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at a corner few people walked to.
In the darkness, they could clearly see the entire train from here, but it would be difficult for people to see them if they didn’t pay attention.
After listening to Bai Lixin’s description, Zhou Guang frowned, “The personality of this little girl seems different from what I heard in the orphanage.”
Bai Lixin didn’t find it strange, “When people talk about things, they often subconsciously embellish the facts to make themselves the victim.”
“For example, in a divorce, the husband may criticize the wife as lazy, while the wife accuses the husband of neglecting the family.”
“What I just said was only the couple’s side of the story, and I had some skepticism from the beginning. So, what version did you hear in the orphanage?”
Zhou Guang: “The little girl’s performance in the orphanage has always been excellent. Even though the child was in an orphanage, education was still necessary. The staff in the orphanage spoke highly of her, and they said her grades have always been good. After being adopted by that couple, the orphanage was still able to receive news about this little girl. She even sent postcards and report cards to the orphanage. Initially, her grades dropped when she transferred to a new school due to the adjustment, but with a good foundation, she quickly caught up.”
“The reason I had a big impression of this little girl was because she performed so well in the orphanage that the staff there never forgot her.”
Li Cangshan: “If she was so outstanding, why wasn’t she adopted? Children like her should be very likable, and it’s unlikely for her to stay in the orphanage until eleven.”
Zhou Guang: “Good question. Maybe I didn’t tell you; this little girl is perfect in every aspect, except for one flaw.”
Li Cangshan blinked, “Be more confident, remove ‘maybe,’ you really didn’t tell us. Does she have a physical disability?”
Zhou Guang chuckled dryly, “It’s not severe, she limps.”
Li Cangshan instantly understood, “So, no matter how well she performed, it was challenging to find an adopting family because most people still prefer physically healthy children. That makes sense.”
Zhou Guang: “This might also be the reason why she was abandoned by her biological parents.”
“Zhou Guang,” while the three were talking, Bai Lixin had been looking in the direction of the train, “when you were in the orphanage, did you hear anything about this girl’s blood type or similar topics?”
Zhou Guang thought carefully and shook his head, “No, but I know each person has a health record in the orphanage, detailing their physical condition, weight, age, name, gender, vision, blood type, and so on. Of course, adoptive parents also need to provide health certificates. Adoption is not allowed if one has infectious diseases.”
“You ask about blood type, are you suspecting organ trafficking or transplantation?” Li Cangshan’s voice suddenly became cold, and his expression instantly became serious.
Bai Lixin: “I’m just considering a few possible suspicions. If this little girl had a limp, many statements from her adoptive parents would not hold up. They said they adopted her initially to assist with Chai Li, but she might need more help herself. If they wanted someone to help take care of Chai Li, it would be better for them to choose a healthier child.”
“Also, they are now in their fifties, Chai Li is in his twenties. Considering their ages, they were still young by then. If Chai Li had no problems back then as they said, why would they think so long-term? Isn’t that too strange?”
Zhou Guang: “Are you suspecting Chai Li had health issues back then? And that they adopted this child because they were interested in a specific organ in her?”
Bai Lixin: “Just finding a few unreasonable points and making reasonable speculations.”
“In this country, organ trafficking is prohibited. If that’s the case, they can only resort to underground clinics.” Li Cangshan said solemnly, “I’ve gone on many missions, and several times it was to crack down on underground organ trafficking organizations. Those people are downright crazy, and they have a vast and secretive network, including sellers, buyers, and middlemen.”
“In this network, they only recognize money, not people. Some people are willing to sell their organs for the small amount of money in front of them, which is still considered a voluntary transaction. However, most organ providers are not willing.”
“It’s an illegal trade hidden in the shadows under the sunlight.”
“Many orders don’t come from within the country but span across continents. Once a deal is made, it’s even challenging to trace the route of organ transfer.”
“Many people want to live a couple of extra years. Despite having legitimate platforms for organ supply, they prefer younger organs. In a case I participated in, these organ merchants targeted groups such as orphanages and left-behind children. They would disguise themselves as medical staff, pre-examine these children in the name of physical examinations, match their types with buyers, and then find suitable adoptive parents to adopt them. For left-behind children, they would simply take them away when the opportunity arose.”
“Most adoptive parents would be foreigners, making it more challenging to trace the source once they go abroad.”
“That case was a cross-border crime. I found many people in the room who were about to be taken for their organs. Unlike other things, once detached from the human body, organs have a very short preservation period, so it depends on the situation of the buyer to arrange the time to extract the organs.”
“What about the victims who already had their organs taken? What would happen to them?” Zhou Guang asked with a frown.
Li Cangshan: “Some will be sutured after being anesthetized, and then they would be thrown into a strange place to fend for themselves. This is considered relatively good; they only want organs, not lives. But in fact, many people engaged in this kind of living make a living by selling their souls to the devil. To avoid exposure and trouble, they prefer to directly eliminate the victims.”
The little girl forced a “fuck” out of her mouth.
“I used a butterfly specimen as a pretext to bring up the topic of ‘butterflies,’ but their family had no reaction.” Bai Lixin casually glanced at the convenience store in the middle of the platform, “Wait for me, I’ll buy something.”
Zhou Guang and Li Cangshan watched Bai Lixin’s departing figure, exchanged a glance, and looked at each other in silence.
Bai Lixin came out two minutes later, holding something extra in his hand.
After seeing what Bai Lixin had in his hand, Zhou Guang instinctively took a step back and stared at Bai Lixin with dark eyes, “God Xin, why did you buy this? What are you going to do with it?”
The young man smiled while shaking the butterfly hairpin in his hand, “To solve a problem, the person who tied the bell must untie it. I can’t awaken their memories, perhaps you can. Isn’t it like releasing a butterfly into the forest? If you wear this butterfly hairpin, maybe it can stimulate Chai Li to recall something.”
He shook the hairpin in his hand, and the butterfly adorned with diamonds on the clip immediately fluttered and swayed, as if alive.
Zhou Guang’s face clearly expressed “reluctance,” but thinking about completing the task, he reached out and took the butterfly hairpin from Bai Lixin’s hand, attaching it to his hair amid the earnest gazes of the two.
Li Cangshan admired from the bottom of his heart, “So cute.”
Zhou Guang: “…”
‘I used to think the word “cute” had nothing to do with me in this lifetime!’
The platform had an hour of stopover time, and the three listened to Li Cangshan’s experiences and the tasks ahead. Unconsciously, it was almost midnight.
People who had gone out for some fresh air gradually returned to the train. Besides the staff, only a few guests remained on the platform.
As the wind picked up, a chill swept through.
Zhou Guang said, “Let’s go inside.”
Bai Lixin ≈ Li Cangshan: “Alright.”
When the three had their tickets checked and boarded, it was already 11:58 p.m.
After saying their farewells, Zhou Guang and Li Cangshan walked towards the middle carriage.
However, Bai Lixin didn’t hurry to leave. He leaned against the other side of the carriage lazily, staring at the open train door in front of him absentmindedly.
A gentle female voice came from the overhead speakers, “Dear passengers, train xx-4948 that is bound for Cang Mountains is about to depart. The train will close in two minutes, so passengers who haven’t boarded yet, please board quickly. For all passengers who have already boarded, please stand firm and hold onto something. There will be some slight bumps when the train starts.”
Bai Lixin stared at the door, and the beautiful eyebrows lightly gathered.
S419: [What are you thinking about, Lord Host?]
Bai Lixin: [Whether through the descriptions of the staff members or the ticket buying situation of the passengers, it can be seen that this train is very popular, so the seats should be fully occupied. However, when I went to find Zhou Guang in the last carriage today, I found that there were still one-third of the seats empty. Some people got off just now, but the number of people getting on and off was basically the same. This train only stops at three stations, and it’s already the second station, yet no new people have boarded. Could it be that they are all waiting to board at the third station?]
S419: [Maybe it is hunger marketing. To create an illusion of scarcity, they only release two-thirds of the tickets?]
Bai Lixin did not reply, just stared blankly at the open train door in front of him.
As the time to close the door slowly approached, and just when there was only one minute left, a pale hand suddenly grabbed the door frame of the train.
Bai Lixin’s eyes slightly widened, then an overly pale woman walked into the carriage.
She held a ticket in her pale hand, stuffed it into the staff member’s hand and walked towards the middle car without looking back.
Her body was stiff, dripping wet all over, and when she walked, a puddle of water trailed behind her.
The woman swayed in front of Bai Lixin, blocking his line of sight. When she left, he stared at the door again and his pupils shrank.
There was now a long queue outside the train door, which was empty just now.
These people were almost all expressionless, with pale complexions.
These were… ghost passengers?
They kept their heads down throughout, didn’t speak, and had no luggage. They used their tickets to board in an orderly manner, and after boarding, they didn’t huddle together, heading directly to other carriages.
Bai Lixin followed their figures.
The other passengers didn’t seem to notice anything unusual about them, and they were eating, drinking, and sleeping when they pleased.
After finding their seats, these people sat down stiffly, like stone statues.
Wangchuan Station…
So, they were the real passengers boarding at this station.
Bai Lixin silently watched these “passengers.” When midnight arrived, the last passenger got on the train smoothly, and the train started slowly.
Bai Lixin quietly followed behind the last passenger. After walking for a while, he found that the almost empty seats in the back, which were still empty this morning, were almost all filled.
S419 sighed: [It turns out they bought up all the tickets. Riding a train with ghosts, what a thrilling experience. Can you still sleep at night?]
“God Xin!” An urgent voice sounded behind him. Bai Lixin turned around and saw Li Cangshan and Zhou Guang standing there breathlessly, with panic on their faces. The butterfly on Zhou Guang’s head fluttered rapidly with his movements. “Something happened!”
Bai Lixin: [Borrowing your words, it seems like I won’t need to sleep tonight.]
He walked to the two: “What’s wrong?”
Except for compartment A-1, the lights in the next first-class compartments had been turned off. Thick curtains were drawn, enveloping everything in pitch darkness.
As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at a corner few people walked to.
In the darkness, they could clearly see the entire train from here, but it would be difficult for people to see them if they didn’t pay attention.
After listening to Bai Lixin’s description, Zhou Guang frowned, “The personality of this little girl seems different from what I heard in the orphanage.”
Bai Lixin didn’t find it strange, “When people talk about things, they often subconsciously embellish the facts to make themselves the victim.”
“For example, in a divorce, the husband may criticize the wife as lazy, while the wife accuses the husband of neglecting the family.”
“What I just said was only the couple’s side of the story, and I had some skepticism from the beginning. So, what version did you hear in the orphanage?”
Zhou Guang: “The little girl’s performance in the orphanage has always been excellent. Even though the child was in an orphanage, education was still necessary. The staff in the orphanage spoke highly of her, and they said her grades have always been good. After being adopted by that couple, the orphanage was still able to receive news about this little girl. She even sent postcards and report cards to the orphanage. Initially, her grades dropped when she transferred to a new school due to the adjustment, but with a good foundation, she quickly caught up.”
“The reason I had a big impression of this little girl was because she performed so well in the orphanage that the staff there never forgot her.”
Li Cangshan: “If she was so outstanding, why wasn’t she adopted? Children like her should be very likable, and it’s unlikely for her to stay in the orphanage until eleven.”
Zhou Guang: “Good question. Maybe I didn’t tell you; this little girl is perfect in every aspect, except for one flaw.”
Li Cangshan blinked, “Be more confident, remove ‘maybe,’ you really didn’t tell us. Does she have a physical disability?”
Zhou Guang chuckled dryly, “It’s not severe, she limps.”
Li Cangshan instantly understood, “So, no matter how well she performed, it was challenging to find an adopting family because most people still prefer physically healthy children. That makes sense.”
Zhou Guang: “This might also be the reason why she was abandoned by her biological parents.”
“Zhou Guang,” while the three were talking, Bai Lixin had been looking in the direction of the train, “when you were in the orphanage, did you hear anything about this girl’s blood type or similar topics?”
Zhou Guang thought carefully and shook his head, “No, but I know each person has a health record in the orphanage, detailing their physical condition, weight, age, name, gender, vision, blood type, and so on. Of course, adoptive parents also need to provide health certificates. Adoption is not allowed if one has infectious diseases.”
“You ask about blood type, are you suspecting organ trafficking or transplantation?” Li Cangshan’s voice suddenly became cold, and his expression instantly became serious.
Bai Lixin: “I’m just considering a few possible suspicions. If this little girl had a limp, many statements from her adoptive parents would not hold up. They said they adopted her initially to assist with Chai Li, but she might need more help herself. If they wanted someone to help take care of Chai Li, it would be better for them to choose a healthier child.”
“Also, they are now in their fifties, Chai Li is in his twenties. Considering their ages, they were still young by then. If Chai Li had no problems back then as they said, why would they think so long-term? Isn’t that too strange?”
Zhou Guang: “Are you suspecting Chai Li had health issues back then? And that they adopted this child because they were interested in a specific organ in her?”
Bai Lixin: “Just finding a few unreasonable points and making reasonable speculations.”
“In this country, organ trafficking is prohibited. If that’s the case, they can only resort to underground clinics.” Li Cangshan said solemnly, “I’ve gone on many missions, and several times it was to crack down on underground organ trafficking organizations. Those people are downright crazy, and they have a vast and secretive network, including sellers, buyers, and middlemen.”
“In this network, they only recognize money, not people. Some people are willing to sell their organs for the small amount of money in front of them, which is still considered a voluntary transaction. However, most organ providers are not willing.”
“It’s an illegal trade hidden in the shadows under the sunlight.”
“Many orders don’t come from within the country but span across continents. Once a deal is made, it’s even challenging to trace the route of organ transfer.”
“Many people want to live a couple of extra years. Despite having legitimate platforms for organ supply, they prefer younger organs. In a case I participated in, these organ merchants targeted groups such as orphanages and left-behind children. They would disguise themselves as medical staff, pre-examine these children in the name of physical examinations, match their types with buyers, and then find suitable adoptive parents to adopt them. For left-behind children, they would simply take them away when the opportunity arose.”
“Most adoptive parents would be foreigners, making it more challenging to trace the source once they go abroad.”
“That case was a cross-border crime. I found many people in the room who were about to be taken for their organs. Unlike other things, once detached from the human body, organs have a very short preservation period, so it depends on the situation of the buyer to arrange the time to extract the organs.”
“What about the victims who already had their organs taken? What would happen to them?” Zhou Guang asked with a frown.
Li Cangshan: “Some will be sutured after being anesthetized, and then they would be thrown into a strange place to fend for themselves. This is considered relatively good; they only want organs, not lives. But in fact, many people engaged in this kind of living make a living by selling their souls to the devil. To avoid exposure and trouble, they prefer to directly eliminate the victims.”
The little girl forced a “fuck” out of her mouth.
“I used a butterfly specimen as a pretext to bring up the topic of ‘butterflies,’ but their family had no reaction.” Bai Lixin casually glanced at the convenience store in the middle of the platform, “Wait for me, I’ll buy something.”
Zhou Guang and Li Cangshan watched Bai Lixin’s departing figure, exchanged a glance, and looked at each other in silence.
Bai Lixin came out two minutes later, holding something extra in his hand.
After seeing what Bai Lixin had in his hand, Zhou Guang instinctively took a step back and stared at Bai Lixin with dark eyes, “God Xin, why did you buy this? What are you going to do with it?”
The young man smiled while shaking the butterfly hairpin in his hand, “To solve a problem, the person who tied the bell must untie it. I can’t awaken their memories, perhaps you can. Isn’t it like releasing a butterfly into the forest? If you wear this butterfly hairpin, maybe it can stimulate Chai Li to recall something.”
He shook the hairpin in his hand, and the butterfly adorned with diamonds on the clip immediately fluttered and swayed, as if alive.
Zhou Guang’s face clearly expressed “reluctance,” but thinking about completing the task, he reached out and took the butterfly hairpin from Bai Lixin’s hand, attaching it to his hair amid the earnest gazes of the two.
Li Cangshan admired from the bottom of his heart, “So cute.”
Zhou Guang: “…”
‘I used to think the word “cute” had nothing to do with me in this lifetime!’
The platform had an hour of stopover time, and the three listened to Li Cangshan’s experiences and the tasks ahead. Unconsciously, it was almost midnight.
People who had gone out for some fresh air gradually returned to the train. Besides the staff, only a few guests remained on the platform.
As the wind picked up, a chill swept through.
Zhou Guang said, “Let’s go inside.”
Bai Lixin ≈ Li Cangshan: “Alright.”
When the three had their tickets checked and boarded, it was already 11:58 p.m.
After saying their farewells, Zhou Guang and Li Cangshan walked towards the middle carriage.
However, Bai Lixin didn’t hurry to leave. He leaned against the other side of the carriage lazily, staring at the open train door in front of him absentmindedly.
A gentle female voice came from the overhead speakers, “Dear passengers, train xx-4948 that is bound for Cang Mountains is about to depart. The train will close in two minutes, so passengers who haven’t boarded yet, please board quickly. For all passengers who have already boarded, please stand firm and hold onto something. There will be some slight bumps when the train starts.”
Bai Lixin stared at the door, and the beautiful eyebrows lightly gathered.
S419: [What are you thinking about, Lord Host?]
Bai Lixin: [Whether through the descriptions of the staff members or the ticket buying situation of the passengers, it can be seen that this train is very popular, so the seats should be fully occupied. However, when I went to find Zhou Guang in the last carriage today, I found that there were still one-third of the seats empty. Some people got off just now, but the number of people getting on and off was basically the same. This train only stops at three stations, and it’s already the second station, yet no new people have boarded. Could it be that they are all waiting to board at the third station?]
S419: [Maybe it is hunger marketing. To create an illusion of scarcity, they only release two-thirds of the tickets?]
Bai Lixin did not reply, just stared blankly at the open train door in front of him.
As the time to close the door slowly approached, and just when there was only one minute left, a pale hand suddenly grabbed the door frame of the train.
Bai Lixin’s eyes slightly widened, then an overly pale woman walked into the carriage.
She held a ticket in her pale hand, stuffed it into the staff member’s hand and walked towards the middle car without looking back.
Her body was stiff, dripping wet all over, and when she walked, a puddle of water trailed behind her.
The woman swayed in front of Bai Lixin, blocking his line of sight. When she left, he stared at the door again and his pupils shrank.
There was now a long queue outside the train door, which was empty just now.
These people were almost all expressionless, with pale complexions.
These were… ghost passengers?
They kept their heads down throughout, didn’t speak, and had no luggage. They used their tickets to board in an orderly manner, and after boarding, they didn’t huddle together, heading directly to other carriages.
Bai Lixin followed their figures.
The other passengers didn’t seem to notice anything unusual about them, and they were eating, drinking, and sleeping when they pleased.
After finding their seats, these people sat down stiffly, like stone statues.
Wangchuan Station…
So, they were the real passengers boarding at this station.
Bai Lixin silently watched these “passengers.” When midnight arrived, the last passenger got on the train smoothly, and the train started slowly.
Bai Lixin quietly followed behind the last passenger. After walking for a while, he found that the almost empty seats in the back, which were still empty this morning, were almost all filled.
S419 sighed: [It turns out they bought up all the tickets. Riding a train with ghosts, what a thrilling experience. Can you still sleep at night?]
“God Xin!” An urgent voice sounded behind him. Bai Lixin turned around and saw Li Cangshan and Zhou Guang standing there breathlessly, with panic on their faces. The butterfly on Zhou Guang’s head fluttered rapidly with his movements. “Something happened!”
Bai Lixin: [Borrowing your words, it seems like I won’t need to sleep tonight.]
He walked to the two: “What’s wrong?”
