Chapter 49: Rescue

"It's locked. Open it," Wei Zhenguo's expression became much more serious.

The locksmith worked without a word, and in a few quick movements, he unlocked the sliding door.

Wen Ming, who had been staking out for several days, also realized something. He took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Wei Zhenguo, and then pulled the sliding door open with force.

A vertical shaft appeared before everyone.

"Notify Mu Zhiyang and the others to keep a close eye on Tan Yong. I'll have someone send them reinforcements; we'll make the arrest once they arrive," Wei Zhenguo said, grabbing Wen Ming. He added, "Don't be impatient. I've checked the surroundings; the nearest building is 30 meters away, and there are no other entrances or exits. We'll wait for reinforcements."

"I can go down first; you guys keep watch up here," Wen Ming said, pulling his police baton from behind his waist, his emotions stirred.

"The situation below is unknown. If you're alone, how will you handle it if something happens..." Wei Zhenguo was still worried about Jiang Yuan. Whether he let Jiang Yuan go down or stay up, he wasn't at ease. Wen Ming was an officer who had experienced many arrests, but Jiang Yuan had only received basic training...

Jiang Yuan looked at the two of them and said softly, "This sliding door uses a padlock."

Wei Zhenguo and Wen Ming were both stunned.

"That makes sense," Wen Ming said, pulling out his baton again. A padlock could only be opened from the outside, so normally, Tan Yong's accomplices wouldn't be in the basement.

Of course, nothing in the world was absolute, but the risk was relatively low.

"Go down and take a look. Be careful, don't be a hero," Wei Zhenguo didn't insist on waiting for reinforcements anymore. If reinforcements came, the jurisdiction of the case might shift. This was the provincial capital; any police station chief or instructor who showed up would have a higher rank than him. Wei Zhenguo and his brothers had been staking out for so long—their original intention wasn't to claim credit, but if the credit that was already in their mouths ran away, he wouldn't feel good about it.

Wen Ming was even more eager. He responded and slid down the vertical shaft with ease.

"There's another door," Wen Ming reported the situation below, his voice muffled. "It's a corridor that only one person can walk through, with an iron door."

"Mahjong?" Wei Zhenguo called out the locksmith's nickname.

"I charge by the lock, you know," the locksmith said, though he was also incredibly curious himself.

The iron door below was quickly opened. Wen Ming walked a few steps inside, and there was another iron door. After opening that one, they heard a woman's exclamation from inside.

"Damn it!" Wei Zhenguo's eyes widened instantly. The difference between having people in this basement and not having anyone was huge.

Or rather, if there were people inside, this basement was no longer a basement—it was a real dungeon.

Below, Wen Ming was speaking urgently, and the woman's voice gradually turned from talking to crying.

Wei Zhenguo quickly took out his phone, sent a few text messages, and shouted down: "Wen Ming, be careful, is there any danger?"

"No, there are no weapons below," Wen Ming replied, then shouted: "Three people, female, locked up. We're opening the locks now, then we'll come up."

"Understood," Wei Zhenguo said, frantically sending messages. When he heard the sound from below, he also drew his baton.

The three women climbed out of the vertical shaft one after another.

Wei Zhenguo looked closely, and the one climbing out last was indeed Ding Lan.

Compared to the Ding Lan in the photos, the real person who had just climbed out of the shaft looked thinner, and her complexion was gray and dull, but judging by her appearance, her body seemed to be healthy.

"What is your name?" Wei Zhenguo asked Ding Lan directly, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

"I am... I am Ding Lan," Ding Lan's voice was small and low, carrying a hint of fear. Wei Zhenguo, Jiang Yuan, and the others weren't wearing police uniforms, and Wen Ming's self-introduction didn't necessarily bring much trust.

Wei Zhenguo sighed slightly: "Don't be afraid, we are police officers, from the Ningtai County Bureau..."

When Ding Lan heard "Ningtai County," she couldn't hold it back anymore and burst into loud sobs.

She cried until her face was covered in tears, and snot ran out, but she didn't notice at all. It could be said she had no image left to speak of.

Influenced by her, another woman also began to cry, shaking all over. She couldn't help but hug Wen Ming, who was beside her, and wiped snot and tears all over his arm.

The third woman, hiding behind the two, looked somewhat sluggish. She watched the scene before her numbly, her eyes vacant, as if she hadn't realized what was happening yet.

"Don't run around yet. Our colleagues will be here soon, and then we'll take you out," Wen Ming advised softly.

"Okay. Okay!" Ding Lan said, trembling with excitement, her voice suppressed. Then she cried even louder.

Wei Zhenguo also let out a few breaths.

He had too many thoughts and chaotic emotions regarding this case.

Honestly, being able to find Ding Lan, successfully find Ding Lan, and rescue her—the element of luck involved was not small.

If Tan Yong had been a bit more patient, it was uncertain whether Wei Zhenguo and the others could have persisted with the stakeout for a few more days.

Going back further, if Tan Yong had been a bit more handsome, more in line with Ding Lan's criteria for a partner, or even if he had been Ding Lan's ex-boyfriend, Wei Zhenguo wouldn't have had the chance to lock onto Tan Yong.

Going back even further, if Jiang Yuan hadn't made the fingerprints one by one, if Wei Zhenguo hadn't brought this case out again, what direction would Ding Lan's life have taken?

Wei Zhenguo didn't dare to think about these questions in detail.

He dared not think carefully about how he had made his choices and judgments three years ago when he was helpless in the face of the case.

If only... it would have been good...

Wei Zhenguo shook his head, not letting these depressing questions continue to assault him.

After a long time.

Wei Zhenguo waited for the first wave of emotions from the three people to subside before asking the one closest to him: "What is your name?"

"Li Xiangyuan." This was the first girl to climb out, looking about 20 years old, hugging her chest and trembling constantly.

"Where are you from? Where did you live before?" Wei Zhenguo asked softly.

The girl hesitated for a few seconds and whispered: "In Changyang."

Wei Zhenguo nodded and looked at the third girl, asking: "How about you? What's your name?"

"Wang Junru."

"Where are you from?"

"Changyang."

Wei Zhenguo nodded slightly. While comforting the three, he took out his notebook and quickly made some notes, but he didn't formally question the three.

And with the brief conversation, the emotions of Wei Zhenguo and the three imprisoned women also calmed down somewhat.

"I'll go down and take a look," Jiang Yuan said, holding a flashlight and descending into the vertical shaft. ===== CHAPTER 50 =====