Inside the vehicle.
None of the five individuals had expected that someone would actually dare to proactively pull open the car door. Hearing the young man’s words, the five were left stunned, staring at Lin Xian with their mouths agape.
"What the hell is a 'pirate taxi'?"
Did they really look like a pirate taxi to him?
Liu Ruyan was speechless. Why were university students these days so dim? Couldn't he see the situation inside the car? Pirate taxi? How on earth did he even jump to that conclusion? They were human traffickers abducting women and young men! Could he at least show them some respect?
Lin Xian looked at the five of them with a puzzled expression. He couldn't understand why they were giving him such looks. Wasn't hailing a pirate taxi a common thing? The first time he had ever gone to school, he had taken a car just like this. Aside from having to wait for other passengers, it had no drawbacks; the price was affordable, perfectly suited for a student like him. So, the moment he saw the vehicle with the arrow sign, Lin Xian had walked right over.
In the livestream, the netizens watched as the clear-eyed, oblivious Lin Xian walked straight into the trap. The screen was flooded with question marks.
"???"
"Is... is he really that bold?"
"Damn, how did he even decide this was a pirate taxi?"
"To be fair, most pirate taxis really do look like this."
"Is this that 'relaxed vibe' university students have these days...?"
"Don't say it. He might not be a university student for much longer. I just hope that once he's trafficked, he isn't sold to some old man, and that this 'relaxed vibe' doesn't migrate to his backside."
In the command center, the police officers monitoring the scene twitched with frustration, rendered speechless. How could someone actually walk right into the trap? And asking if they’d take fifty for the ride, for God's sake! If you get kidnapped and manage to live until fifty, you'd be lucky. Was the anti-trafficking and safety awareness of today's college students really this pathetic?
The police commissioner, watching Lin Xian, wore a grave expression. "Keep an eye on this. I’m stepping out."
Zhao Guoan walked out of the command center and headed to the department handling international cases. On the main monitor, where photos of international fugitives were displayed, was the face of the very same boy from the footage—the fresh-faced Lin Xian. Below his photo was a terrifying criminal record: war crimes, illegal arms trafficking, genocide, international drug smuggling, and the looting of cultural relics. Any list of titles like that would make even an international master thief tremble and call him a hard case.
"He's so young. How did he do it?"
Zhao Guoan was incredibly shocked, but the truth would be revealed soon enough. This time, they weren't just going to arrest him; they were going to pull out the criminal network behind him by the roots.
...
Liu Ruyan was speechless. She blinked frantically at Lin Xian, trying to signal him. If she weren't afraid of implicating him and putting his life in danger, she would have shouted.
Lin Xian looked at Liu Ruyan, confused. She was a pretty woman, but was she crazy? Why was she winking at him like that? *Must be a stalker,* Lin Xian thought to himself. *Better stay away.*
"Are you taking the fifty? If not, I’ll find another ride." Lin Xian blinked, his eyes filled with that unique, innocent stupidity typical of a college student, as he waved a fifty-yuan note in his hand.
He had been in this world for eighteen years and had finally waited for his "golden finger" to arrive. Bringing fame to Linjiacun Village would earn him prestige and rewards. He needed to get back quickly to figure that out.
The leader sitting in the passenger seat was the first to snap out of it. "Yes, get in, get in!"
Lin Xian smiled and handed the note to the leader.
"Sit there, next to her, by the window," the leader commanded, gesturing toward Liu Ruyan. This way, neither Lin Xian nor Liu Ruyan would have a chance to escape, and one person could easily guard both.
Lin Xian hesitated, then shook his head. "I don't want to sit next to her... she keeps winking at me like a maniac. I suspect she has ulterior motives."
Usually, saying something like that to someone's face was rude. But, seriously, what kind of normal person starts winking the moment they see him? As Lin Xian spoke, the sister was still fluttering her eyes uncontrollably! Only after he said that did she finally stop.
"Pfft!" Wang Xue couldn't help but laugh. This college student was hilarious!
Liu Ruyan felt like she was going to cough up blood. How could this kid be so stupid that he thought she was *winking* at him? The students were never this dense when she was in college! How could each generation be worse than the last?
The netizens in the livestream were absolutely floored.
"??? Is he that abstract?"
"I've spent my whole life trying to be funny, and I still can't compete with the raw, natural talent of this guy!"
"What the hell, 'winking'? How did he interpret it as winking?!"
"He really deserves to be trafficked, I swear."
"How did he even get into college? Damn, was it a vocational school?"
"Thanks, but even our vocational students aren't this stupid."
"Uh... honestly, I can't read people's expressions either, and I’m a 985 graduate."
"Same here, I got a 211 score."
"211? Which school, alumni? Maybe I know you."
"No, I mean a 211 score on the exam."
"6."
"If it were me, I'd think the person was sick too... I guess I need to be more careful from now on! I got 659 on the entrance exam."
Liu Liang smiled. College students were just so easy to abduct. Even primary school kids these days had better vigilance. "It's fine, just sit next to her. She told me her eyes get dry easily," Liu Liang said.
Lin Xian suddenly realized, "Oh, I see. My apologies, I misunderstood."
That apology, combined with their exchange, nearly made Liu Ruyan faint. *Good lord, 'eyes get dry easily'? 'My apologies, I misunderstood'? You sure are hell of a polite, you idiot!*
The netizens flooded the chat again.
"If the situation weren't so dire, I'd be laughing my head off."
"Are all the younger generations like this? We're doomed, Huaxia is finished!"
Li Gou made room for Lin Xian, who sat down by the window. The Wuling van slowly pulled away.
Liu Ruyan watched with growing anxiety. If it were just her, so be it, but bringing this dim-witted college student along... she truly couldn't bear to watch him get trafficked. But the van was already moving; it was too late to save him. She felt helpless. How could a college student have such weak safety awareness? Why would anyone willingly walk into a trap?
The Wuling drove fast, leaving the city within half an hour and heading toward the mountains. Liu Ruyan felt a wave of despair. Was there any cell signal in the mountains? She worried. The mountain roads were treacherous; by the time the SWAT team came to rescue her, she might already be dead. She suddenly felt a pang of regret.
*No, I can't just sit here and wait to die!* Liu Ruyan gritted her teeth.
"Um, could you open the window? I'm carsick, I'm going to throw up soon," Lin Xian said, frowning with a pained expression.
The leader in the passenger seat turned and looked at him. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have agreed, but this kid—damn, he was just too stupid. Opening the window wouldn't hurt. At the rate he was going, he'd probably be counting the money for them as they sold him off.
"Open it, open it. Just don't puke in my car," the leader waved his hand, wishing all the students they trafficked were as easy as this one.
Lin Xian slowly rolled down the window. Fresh air rushed into the Wuling, and he took a deep breath, feeling much better.
Seeing this, Liu Ruyan thought to herself: *This is my chance.*