Chapter 56 Can't Alert the Enemy? System Strips Little Brother's Pants

This was supposed to be a touching mother-daughter reunion filled with tears and embraces, but Jiang Xiaxia sidestepped it completely with a graceful dodge.

She marched up to the pockmarked man, extending her little hand. "Where is the candy?"

If there really wasn't any candy, she was going to be genuinely angry!

Lan Zi was left awkwardly frozen in place by Xiaxia's reaction.

The pockmarked man let out a "tsk," increasingly convinced that the little girl in front of him had a screw loose. He cast a sideways glance at Lan Zi. "Alright, alright. Xiaxia, wait right here. Uncle will go get the money, and have your mother get the candy!"

With that, he began guiding Jiang Xiaxia toward one of the rooms.

"Xiaxia can play with the other little friends in this room for now. Once Uncle and your mother get the things, we'll come back for you, okay?"

As he spoke, the pockmarked man reached out to remove the gold locket from Jiang Xiaxia's neck, only for her to deftly duck away.

The man didn't mind; he could always take it later once the little girl fell fast asleep!

He glanced into the small room where four young boys were all fast asleep. After shoving Tiedan inside as well, he gave Jiang Xiaxia a gentle push inward.

Before Xiaxia could even react, he slammed the door shut and locked it from the outside.

Outside the door, Lan Zi frowned at him. "Why is she still awake? Didn't those tomb raiders say this child was raised by a soldier and would be very vigilant?"

"I tested her. Aside from being unusually strong and a bit slow in the head, the girl is a complete idiot!" The pockmarked man scoffed, repeating the lies he had just fed the child.

Lan Zi clicked her tongue. "If I hadn't happened to take the same transport as them halfway and spotted this kid, we would never have stumbled upon this high-paying job from the tomb raiders! Come to think of it, what on earth happened to this girl's uncle? Why would those tomb raiders offer enough money to buy two boys just to get their hands on this girl?"

"His whole operation almost got wiped out, that's why! That's why he's out to retaliate against that soldier!" The pockmarked man stretched lazily. "In a little while, figure out a way to trick that little fool and inject her with a sedative directly! That little idiot's nose is way too sharp—she won't eat anything laced with medicine!"

Lan Zi nodded. "Don't worry! Once the evening shipment arrives, we'll dose them all together."

Inside the room, Jiang Xiaxia clenched her little fists, desperately wishing she could smash both of their heads open! They were the ones who were stupid! Their whole family was full of idiots!

After huffing indignantly a couple of times, Xiaxia's sharp little eyes scanned the room twice before landing on a boy in the corner.

She crept up to him and peered closely, feeling that this older boy looked somewhat familiar.

Scratching the little tuft of yellowish hair on top of her head, Xiaxia pondered for a moment, unable to recall where she might have seen him.

Rubbing her rumbling tummy, Xiaxia put on a stern little face, reached out, and poked the slightly older boy beside her. "Food?"

The person she poked didn't even budge.

Xiaxia sniffed the air, glanced at the person pretending to be unconscious, and decided to take matters into her own hands.

Her little hand patted the older boy's body. Finding nothing on his upper half, she continued downward until she reached his waist, causing the boy to suddenly sit up with a flushed face.

However, the moment his gaze fell upon the gold locket around Jiang Xiaxia's neck, his shy expression instantly turned fierce. "Get away!"

***

Sensing the hostility radiating from the boy in front of her, Jiang Xiaxia pursed her lips and took a small step back.

Grandma said to exchange equivalent value, and Grandpa said to be fair.

But her candy was meant to be taken back for her older brothers and sister, so she couldn't trade it.

Well, then she would just have to stay hungry for now! Once that person brought the candy back, she would ask that silly kidnapper where the gold locket came from, and then she would leave.

Except—except she was really, really hungry!

Burning with hunger pangs, Jiang Xiaxia paced back and forth anxiously inside the small room.

Why were these human traffickers so inefficient? They still hadn't come back yet! There was no sound from Uncle outside either.

Just as Xiaxia was contemplating how to take matters into her own hands, a weak voice piped up.

Turning her head, she saw that the little boy lying next to the older boy who had just yelled at her was waking up.

"Brother Lin, I'm so hungry!"

Hearing Lin Shengwen's voice, Xia Lin spoke in a soft whisper, "Hang in there a little longer. We'll be able to eat soon!"

As he spoke, he didn't forget to pull Lin Shengwen closer to his side, trying his best to protect him.

Xiaxia looked over at the newly awakened Lin Shengwen, suddenly let out an "Ah," and realized who he resembled.

Rubbing her small chin, Xiaxia tilted her head to study Lin Shengwen. She hadn't expected an unexpected bonus here today.

She hadn't managed to farm any "loot drops" from her uncle today, but she wondered if this Lin Shengwen counted.

Xiaxia thought for a moment, raised a hand to grope around in her pockets, and then drooped her little head in frustration.

No good! Her pockets were still just as empty, and she couldn't feel a thing.

Sighing mournfully, Xiaxia wandered over to the other two boys, looked them over carefully, and after confirming she didn't recognize them, paced the room a couple more times with a soft huff.

She was! Really! So! Hungry!

Driven half-crazy by hunger, Xiaxia clenched her little fist and delivered a ferocious punch straight into the wall.

The next second, Xia Lin heard a crashing sound, and the wall just like that... developed a hole?

Staring at the opening in the wall, Xiaxia guiltily pulled her hand back, tucked it behind her back, and looked at the two dumbfounded boys, muttering quietly, "This, this wall... isn't sturdy!"

"Brother Lin, you run first! Go find the public security officers to save us!"

Lin Shengwen regained his senses first and immediately began pushing Xia Lin toward the exit. "I can't run, I'll only hold you back. Go, run!"

At a time like this, saving even one person was better than none!

***

Outside, upon hearing the commotion inside the room, Jiang Jing lowered his voice to brief Xia Ming: "There's a hole in the wall at the back of the kitchen, and a child is crawling out! Go guard that side! I'll go get help!"

While Xia Ming was still wondering how Jiang Jing could possibly know about this, Jiang Jing had already pointed out the direction and sprinted away.

Seeing this, Xia Ming had no choice but to rush around to the back.

However, the moment he arrived at the rear, he saw his younger brother crawling out in a disheveled state.

"Xiaolin!" Xia Ming was startled, stepping forward quickly to yank him out. "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Upon seeing his brother, Xiaolin's eyes instantly reddened, and he blurted out, "Little brother Wen is still inside! He got beaten by the traffickers because of me! Big Brother, go save him quickly!"

Xia Ming glanced at the hole in the wall, realizing that an adult's body simply couldn't squeeze through, so he could only comfort his brother first. "Xiaolin, my friend has already gone to get help! Just stay here for a little longer—"

Before he could warn him not to alert the enemy, another little head poked out from the hole.

Xia Ming looked at Jiang Xiaxia, and just as he was about to speak, he heard suspicious voices approaching from outside.

"Was there some kind of noise just now? Quick, open the door and take a look!"

Disregarding everything else, Xia Ming lowered his voice and hissed, "Xiaxia, your uncle went to get help! He told you to stay here until evening! He'll come rescue you tonight! Find a way to hide this hole!"

With that, he darted away to find a hiding spot.

But how could a hole this massive possibly be hidden?

Xiaolin panicked. He knew that what his brother meant was that more kidnapped children would be delivered here tonight, and if they startled the traffickers now, everything would be ruined!

Just as he was panicking and at a complete loss, Xiaolin felt a sudden draft of cold air around his lower half.

Dazedly looking down, he watched in utter horror as the niece of his older brother's soldier comrade pulled his pants right down!

She pulled them all the way down!!

His face instantly burning bright red, Xiaolin scrambled to pull his pants back up, only for a small hand to deliver a resounding *smack* to his bare bottom.

Xiaolin: "..."

Xia Ming, watching from not far away: "..."