Skin - Chapter 60

Chapter 60 – “Welcome To The Paradise.”

　　The footprints disappeared…

　　Meng Zhao looked at the two-story building in front of him.

　　Because it is backed by a mountain and surrounded by trees in front, this low building looks extremely hidden from the outside.

　　There was no sound of anyone around, and it was impossible to tell from the outside whether there was anyone in the building.

　　Lu Shichen came over, and the two looked at each other without saying anything. They both thought of the basement of the sanatorium that day. No one could guarantee whether there would be a secret exit hidden in this building.

　　”Are you sure all the surrounding traffic checkpoints are blocked?” Meng Zhao asked Zhou Qiyang in a low voice.

　　”We’ve already notified them of a complete blockade,” Zhou Qiyang lowered his voice, “to ensure that not even a single bird can fly out.”

　　”Okay.” Meng Zhao walked forward and tried to push the iron door, but it was locked from the inside.

　　The police behind parked the car and followed.

　　Meng Zhao stepped aside and signaled Zhou Qiyang to open the lock.

　　Unlike the mechanical lock in the basement of the sanatorium last time, perhaps because this place is extremely hidden, the door was only equipped with an ordinary anti-theft lock.

　　This kind of lock was easy for Zhou Qiyang to open, and he quickly opened it with the tools he carried with him.

　　Before entering the building, Meng Zhao took off the gun from his waist and held it in his hand. He reached out his other hand to stop Lu Shichen, turned his head and whispered, “It may be dangerous inside, you stay outside.” He then said to Zhou Qiyang, “Xiao Zhou, you go back to the car. This time, watch carefully. Don’t let him out like just now.”

　　Then he turned around and looked at the police behind him, and called out the names of four people: “The rest of you stay outside the building, monitor the building from all angles at the four corners of the building, to ensure that no one can escape during the chaos. The rest of you follow me into the house.”

　　After Meng Zhao gave his instructions, he reached out and pushed the door open.

　　He walked into the house and looked around. The first floor hall was empty, with a few rooms scattered on both sides. It looked like a two-story villa. There was no one in the house. Could it be that they escaped again? All the traffic checkpoints around were blocked. Where could they escape to?

　　The secret that could threaten Lu Yang’s life must not be as simple as it seems. Meng Zhao quickly sorted out his search ideas and called the other eight police officers present:

　　”We’ll be divided into three groups. Xiao Ding will lead the first group to search the first floor. The second group will join me in searching upstairs. The third group will search this room to see if there is a basement or secret passage in this room where someone can hide.”

　　After Meng Zhao gave the order, all the police officers present took immediate action, and he went upstairs with two policemen.

　　Outside the house, Lu Shichen and Zhou Qiyang were sitting in the car, unaware of what was happening in the low-rise building.

　　Silence spread in the cramped carriage. Zhou Qiyang felt that he should say something to Lu Shichen, but he really couldn’t think of what to say. Lu Shichen didn’t seem to be someone who liked to chat.

　　Just when Zhou Qiyang was racking his brains and wanted to talk to Lu Shichen about Meng Zhao’s high school life, he didn’t expect that Lu Shichen would speak first.

　　”You are very good at picking locks.” Lu Shichen said.

　　The awkward silence was finally diluted. Lu Shichen spoke, and he praised him. Zhou Qiyang breathed a sigh of relief: “I was a technical police officer specially recruited by the Municipal Bureau at that time. Lock picking was within my scope of responsibility. There is nothing to praise.”

　　Lu Shichen said in a calm tone: “Among all the people present, are you the only technical police officer?”

　　”Yes, there are only a few people like us who were specially recruited in the entire city bureau.”

　　”Then I think you shouldn’t stay here.” Lu Shichen turned his head to look at the low building outside the car window. “The situation inside the villa is very complicated. If there is an emergency and they need you to open the lock, and you won’t be there, even if it is just a few tens of seconds, someone may die.”

　　What Lu Shichen said sounded reasonable. Zhou Qiyang was a little shaken, but still hesitated: “But Captain Meng said…”

　　Lu Shichen interrupted him: “What Captain Meng said is his business, you have to make your own judgment.”

　　Zhou Qiyang: “My own judgment…”

　　Seeing that Zhou Qiyang was still hesitant, Lu Shichen raised his hand, opened the car door, got out of the car, and walked straight to the door of the second-floor building.

　　”Forget it, I’ll take the risk.” Zhou Qiyang, who was still hesitating, got out of the car and followed immediately: “Mr. Lu, wait a minute.”

　　•=|=•

　　Meng Zhao quickly led the team to the second floor. Compared with the spacious layout of the first floor, the second floor, which had better lighting, seemed crowded and depressing.

　　There are doors on both sides of the corridor, which look like the room layout of a motel. At a glance, there are more than thirty rooms on the second floor.

　　Meng Zhao held the gun and signaled the policeman behind him to open the door. The door was not locked, and after the policeman pushed it open, Meng Zhao walked in. There was no one in the room, which was about 15 or 16 square meters. In addition to a bed, there were also computers, microphones, cameras and other equipment. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary bedroom used for live broadcasting.

　　But after looking around, Meng Zhao felt something was wrong.

　　There were some other things scattered on the bed. Meng Zhao had participated in the city’s anti-pornography campaign a few years ago, and he recognized the things on the bed as sex toys. In addition, there were two or three needles more than ten centimeters long on the bedside, and a whip fallen on the floor. Meng Zhao squatted down and took a look. There were dried dark red blood stains on it.

　　‘Whips, long needles… Is this a live porn service?’

　　Meng Zhao walked out and went into the next room. There were some clips scattered on the bed, and a lighter and a half-burned candle on the bedside.

　　Meng Zhao led his people into each room one by one. In addition to these bedroom-like rooms, there were some rooms with special decorations. The scenery was extremely realistic, no different from school classrooms and company offices. Thinking about what these scenery were used for, Meng Zhao felt a little nauseous.

　　Suddenly, a scream came: “Help!”

　　There is someone on the second floor!

　　Meng Zhao paused and tried to hear other sounds clearly.

　　But after that scream, the whole building became quiet again.

　　Because the scream was extremely short, it was impossible to determine the exact location of the sound source, but the sound seemed to come through the door. There must be someone hiding in a room on this floor!

　　Meng Zhao said into the intercom: “There is someone on the second floor, everyone comes over quickly to search.”

　　Within a minute, all the police officers were upstairs. Most of the doors were not locked and could be opened easily.

　　He searched door by door and found the room at the end of the east side. The door was closed. Meng Zhao grasped the door handle and tried to turn it, but it was locked. This should be the room.

　　Meng Zhao held the gun in one hand and glanced at the policeman behind him.

　　Two policemen quickly stood on both sides of him, and the others quickly formed a circle.

　　Everyone present kept silent tacitly. Meng Zhao raised his hand and counted: three, two, one…, and the three of them kicked towards the wooden door at the same time.

　　With a “bang”, the door was pushed open.

　　”Don’t move!” Meng Zhao walked into the house with a gun in hand, and the other police officers immediately rushed in and surrounded the house.

　　Even though he was mentally prepared, Meng Zhao was still a little shocked when he saw the scene.

　　This room was much larger than the other rooms on the second floor. There were as many as thirty or forty girls crammed in it. At the moment, they were all squatting with their heads down, curled up and not daring to say a word.

　　There were two men standing near the door, holding wooden sticks as thick as their wrists.

　　A little girl was lying on the ground, blood still on her forehead and large purple marks on her bare arms.

　　Meng Zhao turned to look at the two men: “Put down your weapons!”

　　The two men, who were threatening a room full of girls with sticks a few minutes ago, loosened their grip and threw the sticks to the ground when they saw the police.

　　Meng Zhao shifted his gaze from the two men and looked around the room. There were thirty or forty girls, all dressed scantily, with skirts as short as their thighs and their upper bodies exposing large areas of their breasts. Some were squatting against the wall, while others were sitting on the ground with their legs hugged.

　　”Everyone stand up,” Meng Zhao said, “Don’t bow your heads.”

　　All the girls in the room stood up quietly, raised their heads slightly, but kept their eyes down.

　　Meng Zhao looked at these girls. Judging from their height and appearance, most of them seemed to be around eighteen or nineteen years old. There were also a few girls who were short with childish faces and looked only thirteen or fourteen years old.

　　Because of their revealing clothes, Meng Zhao saw signs of beating and abuse on several girls’ bodies.

　　Meng Zhao walked over, reached out and helped up the little girl who was lying on the ground.

　　”Were you the one who shouted for help just now?” Meng Zhao suppressed the anger in his chest and tried his best to make his tone sound calmer.

　　The girl nodded.

　　”You don’t look very old,” Meng Zhao asked her, “How old are you?”

　　”Eighteen years old…” The girl’s voice was as thin as a mosquito.

　　”Eighteen years old? Really?” Meng Zhao looked at her, “We are the police, no one can threaten you now, tell the truth.”

　　The girl suddenly began to sob quietly, and after a while she whispered, “Thirteen years old.”

　　”Thirteen years old,” Meng Zhao nodded, and then asked, “Did you get hurt because he beat you up when you shouted for help just now?”

　　The girl nodded again and cried even harder.

　　”What about the wound on your neck?” Meng Zhao noticed that there were blue and yellow marks on the girl’s neck, which did not look like a new wound. “Did they beat you too? Why did they beat you?”

　　The girl cried and said, “I don’t listen…”

　　Meng Zhao stood up, walked towards one of the men, raised his hand and grabbed his collar: “Why did you hit her just now?”

　　The man was frightened by the room full of armed police officers and said nothing.

　　Meng Zhao grabbed his collar and dragged him to the corridor: “Are you the one in charge here?” Seeing that the man still didn’t speak, he said sternly, “Speak! Do you have to let me beat you up before you speak?!”

　　”I’m not,” the man finally explained, “I’m just working…”

　　”Working? Is this the kind of work you do?” Meng Zhao raised his foot and kicked him hard in the abdomen, kicking him several meters away.

　　The man was kicked to the ground, covering his abdomen with his hands.

　　Meng Zhao walked over and kicked the man hard again, then he squatted down and raised his hand to strangle the man’s neck:

　　”You were the one who caused all the injuries on them?

　　”You force them to do this every day?”

　　”Don’t you have any family?”

　　”No sisters?”

　　”Are you a beast to do this kind of work for others?!”

　　Along with questioning, Meng Zhao punched the beast again and again.

　　The man’s face turned purple, his eyes rolled up, and an unclear sound came out of his throat.

　　But Meng Zhao was still angry and didn’t loosen his grip. Suddenly, he thought of Meng Ruoshu.

　His fist stopped moving for the time being, but it was not that he wanted to stop, but that he was tensing his arms to accumulate as much strength as possible. At this time, the policeman next to him saw that something was wrong and reminded him: “Captain Meng, calm down…” But Meng Zhao shouted: “Get out!”

　　His fist was filled with his anger that he had no place to vent for some time. Once this fist was thrown down, no one knew what the consequences would be. But Meng Zhao didn’t want to think about it anymore. He needed to punish these beasts immediately…

　　Just as he was about to throw his fist, a hand tightened his arm.

　　”I said get out of here!” Meng Zhao turned around and yelled, but saw Lu Shichen coming over at some point.

　　Lu Shichen held his wrist with his uninjured hand and shook his head gently at him.

　　Almost in an instant, Meng Zhao calmed down, and the hand that was pinching the man’s neck immediately loosened its grip.

　　He was so angry that he almost made a big mistake. The man in front of him was almost suffocated. If he threw a punch at him, the consequences would be disastrous.

　　Meng Zhao let go of the man, looked at Lu Shichen again, and then walked into the room.

　　In the room, more and more girls started crying, and it was heartbreaking to hear.

　　There were also a few girls squatting with their legs hugged with expressionless faces, as if they had been numbed by the torture.

　　Meng Zhao looked at the other man leaning against the wall. The man’s body had begun to tremble, as if he was afraid that Meng Zhao would treat him the same way he just did.

　　Meng Zhao took a deep breath, calmed himself, and looked at the man: “Are you two the only ones in charge of this place?”

　　”There is one more…”

　　”Where did he go?”

　　“Run away.”

　　”How did he run? Explain clearly!”

　　”I don’t know either. There was a man taking pictures outside, and Wu Ge chased him out. After a while, he came back and told us that we were in danger and asked us to hide. He also said that he would find a car to pick us up, but he hasn’t come back yet…”

　　”Just one?” Meng Zhao walked towards him. “Are you not lying?”

　　When the man saw Meng Zhao approaching, his body trembled even more severely: “No, it’s really gone…”

　　”Come with me,” Meng Zhao grabbed the man’s collar and pulled him out of the room, “Where do you usually monitor them? Take me there!”

　　”On the first floor…” The man staggered as he was pulled by him.

　　”Come on, two of you, come downstairs with me!” Meng Zhao grabbed the man and walked to the first floor, and Lu Shichen and Zhou Qiyang followed him downstairs.

　　The man took him to a monitoring room. Meng Zhao threw the man to the other two policemen and looked at the monitoring screen.

　　The screen is divided into more than thirty pieces, and each screen monitors a corresponding room.

　　”Where is their live streaming platform?” Meng Zhao looked at the man, “Open it on my computer.”

　　Two policemen took the man to the computer. The man held the mouse and opened the website on the computer with trembling hands.

　　A huge iron cage appeared on the screen with scarlet letters “CAGE” displayed on it.

　　Below that is a line of English: “Welcome To The Paradise.”

　　The man entered his account password, clicked enter, and jumped to the live broadcast page.

　　The interface of this live broadcast platform is extremely similar to that of a surveillance screen, with more than thirty grids and clear barriers like a prison. Because no one is broadcasting live now, all the grids only show the picture of the rooms.

　　Meng Zhao took the mouse, clicked on one of them, and then clicked on a recorded video.

　　The video began to play. On the screen, a masked man was strangling the girl’s neck. The girl struggled with a painful expression, but the man’s movements became more and more forceful, as if he wanted to strangle the girl to death. At the same time, the sexual assault did not stop.

　　”Is this person you?” Meng Zhao asked the man coldly.

　　”It’s not me,” the man immediately shook his head, “It’s really not me.”

　　”Who is that? Tell me.”

　　Cold sweat appeared on the man’s forehead, but he said nothing.

　　”You saw me beat up your companion just now. You want me to try it on you, right? Let me make it clear. I can’t guarantee that I can control my emotions this time.”

　　”Yes… our boss brought them here. They are all clients who need our service.”

　　”Your boss? What’s his name?”

　　Seeing that the man was silent again, Meng Zhao was about to raise his hand to grab the man’s collar, but at this moment, his cell phone rang. Meng Zhao withdrew his hand, glanced at the man, and took out his cell phone to answer the call.

　　The person on the other end of the phone said, “Captain Meng, we found Lu Yang…”

　　”Send me the location,” Meng Zhao said immediately, “I’ll be there right away.”

　　After hanging up the phone, Meng Zhao looked at the man and said, “Wait, I’ll continue to interrogate you when we get back to the police station.”

　　Then he looked at the two policemen and said, “You stay here and work with everyone upstairs to thoroughly search every room in this building, take photos and collect evidence. Also, call the police station and ask them to send a few more cars to pick us up. I’ll go check on Lu Yang.”

　　Meng Zhao turned around, walked over, held Lu Shichen’s wrist and said, “Let’s go.”

　　After leaving the house, Meng Zhao asked again, “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the car? Why did you come out again?”

　　”Come and take a look.” Lu Shichen said.

　　Meng Zhao was still furious and couldn’t vent his anger on Lu Shichen, the patient, so he could only vent his anger on Zhou Qiyang: “Xiao Zhou, what’s wrong with you? I asked you to watch him in the car twice, and you failed twice!”

　　”It’s my fault, it’s my fault…” Zhou Qiyang admitted his mistake with a bitter face.

　　”It has nothing to do with him,” Lu Shichen said, “I wanted to come in.”

　　Meng Zhao didn’t say anything else. After leaving the building, he walked to the car and opened the back door for Lu Shichen: “Get in.”

　　Lu Shichen leaned down and got in, Meng Zhao closed the car door, then opened the front door and got in. Zhou Qiyang also got in the car.

　　Meng Zhao drove the car all the way to the location. It was still about a hundred meters away from the location. Meng Zhao stopped the car and looked at Lu Shichen in the back seat through the front mirror, “I’ll go check the situation. Lu Shichen, don’t come out again this time.”

　　He turned to look at Zhou Qiyang again: “Xiao Zhou you…”

　　”Brother Zhao, I can’t do this job. I can’t handle it. I don’t have the ability.” Before he finished speaking, Zhou Qiyang preemptively declined, “How about I go with you, and you find someone else to look after Mr. Lu?”

　　Meng Zhao: “…”

　　Lu Shichen sat leisurely in the car, looking at Meng Zhao through the rearview mirror as if nothing had happened.

　　Meng Zhao thought about it, pushed open the door and got out of the car. Then he walked to the back seat, opened the door and leaned in. He grabbed Lu Shichen’s uninjured arm with one hand, and took out handcuffs from his pocket with the other hand. After two crisp “clicks”, he handcuffed Lu Shichen’s wrists to the armrest on the roof of the car.

　　Lu Shichen: “…”

　　”Okay.” Meng Zhao looked at Zhou Qiyang, “Can you keep an eye on him this time?”

　　”Yes…” Zhou Qiyang said.

　　Watching Meng Zhao walk away, Lu Shichen spoke again: “As far as I know, even in China, the police are not allowed to fight with suspects.”

　　Zhou Qiyang felt a headache when he heard Lu Shichen speak, but he had to answer: “The rules are definitely like this, but our Captain Meng has such a bad temper that no one can persuade