Chapter 49: Rescue

“There’s a lock. Open it.” Wei Zhenguo’s expression grew much more serious.

The lockpick said nothing, quickly and efficiently unlocking the sliding door.

Wen Ming, who had been lying in wait for days, also sensed something, took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Wei Zhenguo, then pulled the sliding door open with all his strength.

A vertical shaft appeared before them.

“Notify Mu Zhiyang and the others—keep tight watch on Tan Yong. I’m sending reinforcements; wait for them before making the arrest.” Wei Zhenguo grabbed Wen Ming’s arm. “Don’t rush—I’ve checked the surroundings. The nearest building is thirty meters away, and there are no other exits. We wait for backup.”

“I’ll go down first. You stay up top and guard.” Wen Ming whipped out his baton from behind his waist, his spirits lifting.

“The situation below is unknown. You’re alone—what if something happens…?” Wei Zhenguo still wasn’t confident about Jiang Yuan—whether to send him down or keep him up top, neither option felt safe. Wen Ming was an experienced officer who’d handled multiple arrests; 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 both froze.

“That makes sense.” Wen Ming pulled out his baton again. A padlock can only be opened from the outside—so logically, Tan Yong’s accomplices wouldn’t be down there.

Of course, nothing’s absolute—but the risk is now significantly lower.

"Let's go down." Wei Zhenguo no longer insisted on waiting for backup. By the time backup arrived, jurisdiction over the case might shift. This was the provincial capital—any random police station chief or political officer who showed up would outrank him. Wei Zhenguo and his team had waited this long not for glory, but if the credit slipped away now, he’d feel guilty.

Wen Ming was even more eager—he nodded quickly and slid down the shaft.

“There’s another door,” Wen Ming reported from below, his voice muffled. “A narrow corridor, iron door—just wide enough for one person.”

“Majiang?” Wei Zhenguo called the lockpick by his nickname.

“I charge by the lock,” the lockpick said, though he was just as curious as anyone.

The iron door below was quickly opened. Wen Ming stepped inside, found another iron door, opened it—and only then did a woman’s scream echo from within.

“Damn Li Liang!” Wei Zhenguo’s eyes widened. Whether there was someone down there or not made a huge difference.

Or rather—if someone was down there, this wasn’t just a basement anymore. It was a real dungeon.

Below, Wen Ming spoke rapidly; the woman’s voice shifted from speech to sobs.

Wei Zhenguo quickly pulled out his phone and sent several messages, then shouted down: “Wen Ming, stay safe—is there any danger?”

“No weapons down here,” Wen Ming replied, then called out: “Three women, chained up. We’re unlocking them now, then coming up.”

“Understood.” Wei Zhenguo frantically sent more messages, and as he heard sounds from below, he drew his baton.

Three women climbed out of the shaft one after another.

Wei Zhenguo stared—and the last one to emerge was Ding Lan.

Compared to her photo, the real Ding Lan, just crawled out of the shaft, was even thinner, her face pale and dull—but outwardly, her body still seemed healthy.

“What’s your name?” Wei Zhenguo suppressed his excitement and asked Ding Lan directly.

“I’m… I’m Ding Lan.” Her voice was faint and timid, filled with fear. Wei Zhenguo and Jiang Yuan weren’t in uniform; Wen Ming’s self-identification hadn’t done much to earn trust.

Wei Zhenguo sighed softly: “Don’t be afraid. We’re police—from Ningtai County Bureau…”

Hearing “Ningtai County,” Ding Lan finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Tears streamed down her face, snot ran freely, and she didn’t even notice—she was completely unguarded, utterly without dignity.

Under her influence, another woman began crying too, shaking violently, clutching Wen Ming and smearing him with snot and tears.

The third woman, hiding behind the other two, seemed dazed. She stared blankly at the scene before her, eyes vacant, as if she hadn’t yet processed what was happening.

“Don’t run off anywhere. Our colleagues are coming right away—they’ll take you out,” Wen Ming whispered gently.

“Okay. Okay!” Ding Lan trembled violently, whispering the words, then burst into louder sobs.

Wei Zhenguo exhaled deeply several times.

For this case, he had too many thoughts, too many chaotic emotions.

Frankly, finding Ding Lan—successfully finding and rescuing her—involved a great deal of luck.

If Tan Yong had been more patient, Wei Zhenguo and his team weren’t sure they could’ve held out much longer.

Even earlier—if Tan Yong had been more handsome, more aligned with Ding Lan’s ideal partner—even if he’d been her ex-boyfriend—Wei Zhenguo might never have pinned him down.

Even further back—if Jiang Yuan hadn’t painstakingly matched the fingerprints, if Wei Zhenguo hadn’t reopened this case—what would Ding Lan’s life have become?

Wei Zhenguo dared not dwell on these questions.

He dared not even think carefully about the choices and judgments he’d made three years ago, when he’d been helpless before the case.

If only… if only…

Wei Zhenguo shook his head, pushing away these depressing thoughts.

Long silence.

After the first wave of emotional release from the three, Wei Zhenguo asked the nearest woman: “What’s your name?”

“Li Xiangyuan.” She was the first to climb out, about twenty years old, arms wrapped tightly around herself, trembling constantly.

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

The girl hesitated a few seconds, then whispered: “Changyang.”

Wei Zhenguo nodded, then turned to the third woman: “And you? What’s your name?”

“Wang Junru.”

“Where are you from?”

“Changyang.”

Wei Zhenguo nodded slightly, soothing the three women as he quickly jotted down notes in his notebook—but he didn’t formally interrogate them yet.

As the brief exchange continued, the emotions of Wei Zhenguo and the three captive women gradually calmed.

“I’m going down.” Jiang Yuan switched on his flashlight and descended into the shaft.