Chapter 8: The Corruption of Greed

Get it done

Upon hearing Liuzi mention that there was business to be had, these two brothers ran faster than rabbits. A few years ago, they had only followed Liuzi to deceive a few children and made five hundred. If they had not been unable to find Liuzi, they would have likely sought him out long ago.

Thus, stealing a newborn from someone's home is something the Sun brothers have the audacity to do, because even if the matter comes to light, a newborn cannot say anything. However, if they were to deceive a six or seven-year-old, they would indeed feel somewhat apprehensive.

Indeed, Liuzi, how is it going? Do you have any goals yet

The majority of those who abduct children sell them to families in impoverished mountainous areas that do not have children. However, those families seek to continue their lineage, and girls are far less valued than boys. Sun Laoda is worried that "Boss Chi" might not want them.

"It is the two brothers of the Sun family. I have long heard of your great reputation. What boss or no boss? We are all brothers within the four seas. Come, let us sit down and have a few drinks first"

Elder brother, this matter still needs to be handled by the local influential figure.

In the mid-1980s, the two individuals began doing business while on sick leave from their pensions. However, these two brothers were too shortsighted, focusing solely on immediate profits, which led them down an increasingly narrow path, ultimately resulting in the complete loss of their initial capital

Oh, how could I have forgotten about this? Is there no one to take care of that little girl?

The Sun brothers exchanged whispers for quite some time. Sun Laoda turned to Hao Laoda and said: "Boss Chi, to be honest, there are indeed two people. The younger one is a girl, about six or seven years old. However, the older one is a bit troublesome, already around eleven or twelve years old. I fear it might be difficult to raise her properly if taken out."

Seeing that Hao Laoda was somewhat moved, Liuzi continued, "Elder Brother, since the Liu family has treated us this way, there is no need for us to show them any courtesy. Once we leave, we will be far away from their influence, and we will have no further dealings with them in the future"

Upon hearing this, Old Sun frowned. In the early 1990s, people were relatively simple-minded, mostly living in single-story houses, with children running around everywhere, and adults had little sense of vigilance.

Boss Chi is indeed a straightforward person, my brother, I will toast to you again

As for that eleven or twelve-year-old boy, Hao Laoda also has his methods. At that time, piercing his eardrum, cutting his tongue, and breaking one of his legs would also make him a tool for generating wealth

Upon seeing the stack of money in Liuzi's hands, Sun Laoda's eyes immediately widened. His brothers had been terrified of poverty, and the appearance of this stack of money instantly gave rise to their reckless thoughts.

Seeing the Sun brothers, Liuzi felt a bit intimidated. He quickly began to beat the side drum beside him, while pulling out a stack of "Great Unity" from his pocket. He patted it in his hand and said, "Boss Chi is indeed very sincere; this money is all prepared!"

Ah, I say to you two brothers, I know that you have great influence in this area, which is why I introduced Boss Chi to you. If this matter cannot be resolved, then in the future, if there are opportunities for wealth, do not blame me for not taking care of you.

Elder brother, this matter is easy to handle

As the saying goes, the law does not hold the masses accountable. In the end, the Public Security Bureau was unable to take any action against those villagers, only sentencing the two leaders to two years in prison. After this incident became known, the public order in Cangzhou improved significantly, and petty thefts became rare.

This deaf-mute girl elicits sympathy far more easily than a boy does, yet the Sun brothers are unaware that Hao, the eldest, would be more than happy to bring back a girl

Liuzi finished the wine in his cup, stood up, and said: "Elder brother, I have arranged to meet the two sons of the Sun family; they should be arriving soon. I will go out to greet them."

Upon hearing Hao Laoda's words, Liuzi revealed a hint of a sinister expression on his face, "At that time, we will puncture the child's eardrum and feed him a mute drug. After getting in the car, we will administer some sleeping powder. By the time we reach the destination, he probably won't even wake up. Once we are in our territory, what is there to fear?"

The sixth person is a prison mate whom the two met at the labor reform farm

A few years ago, there were two human traffickers who deceived a child. However, before they could leave Chaozhou, they were intercepted by villagers who had rushed to the train station. At that time, dozens of people surged forward and killed the male and female traffickers on the spot

Come, my two brothers, let us first drink this cup of wine

"Is it a girl?" Hao Laoda chuckled, "A girl is good. That family wants a girl, and the older one is also fine. I want her too!"

Old Master Hao raised his wine glass in a toast to the two men. The Sun brothers, already feeling a tingling sensation all over from the alcohol, quickly downed their drinks in one go, contentedly wiping their mouths, neglecting even the food on the table

Once they entered prison, they naturally lost their jobs. The Sun brothers were also accustomed to laziness and were unwilling to exert themselves to work, spending their days idly. From that time on, they developed a drinking habit, and a day without alcohol made them feel completely unwell.

In 1990, Liuzi once found two individuals and wandered around the Beijing-Tianjin area, bringing back three children, at that time handing the two brothers five hundred yuan.

However, children around six or seven years old are already capable of remembering things. If they fail to deceive and are discovered, the two of them must consider the consequences. This place is known for its fierce and aggressive people; in a moment of anger, killing the two of them would not be considered unusual.

A thousand, how about it, two older brothers, isn't Boss Chi generous in his dealings

Old Sun Er still retained some rationality and was not completely blinded by money. Seeing his elder brother taking on the entire responsibility, he immediately pulled Old Sun Da aside and whispered, "Elder brother, don't be too quick to agree; this matter... is quite complicated to handle"

Old Master Hao pretended to think for a moment and said, "The family we need this time is relatively poor, and I've been worried they won't be able to support a child. I think a six or seven-year-old would be just right."

Old Master Sun greedily gazed at the stack of money and said, "Since Boss Chi values us brothers, we will not let Boss Chi down. You can leave this matter to us."

Moreover, Liu Zi has also clarified his relationship with Hao Laoda both in words and actions, which will reduce the vigilance of the Sun brothers, preventing them from believing that the other party is colluding to deceive them

The six individuals are responsible for traveling to various cities across the country to seek out those wandering children. Through this method, they have brought back at least twenty to thirty children, making them quite experienced in this endeavor

For the two brothers of the Sun family, who are addicted to alcohol, five hundred yuan is hardly enough; it didn't take long for them to squander it all away.

"Six or seven years old? Such a big child is indeed easy to find, but... they are all quite sensible now, so it might be difficult to deceive them away."

Upon hearing his younger brother's words, Sun Laoda chuckled with satisfaction and lowered his voice, saying: "Er, what is there to be afraid of? Have you forgotten about those two children living by the railway? The younger one is only about six or seven years old, isn't he?"

How much is this child?

Then... how could I possibly be so bold

Although the words were delayed, however, Old Sun and Second Sun could not help but sit at the table, eagerly gazing at the food and drinks laid out before them

After letting the two men in, Liuzi gave a glance to Boss Hao and said, "Gentlemen from the Sun family, this is Boss Chi from the north. I, Liuzi, am just making the introduction; you may discuss whatever you wish."

In 1986, the two individuals defrauded a livestock company in the provincial capital, Shishi, of 5,000 yuan. However, before the brothers could squander the money, they were apprehended and each was sentenced to two years of imprisonment.

In business, there are naturally profits as well as losses, which is not unusual; one can simply return to work. However, these two individuals took a different path and resorted to fraudulent schemes.

Boss Chi, how old of a child do you want? Is it a newborn or...?

The Sun brothers were originally employees of the railway, which in that era was considered a stable job. However, these two brothers were fond of ease and averse to hard work. When some people began to prosper after the reform and opening-up, the two brothers started to dream of getting rich.

However, in the ruggedly traditional Cangzhou region, the two of them can only keep a low profile, relying solely on the meager retirement pension of the old father to make ends meet. Life has been quite difficult for them in the past two years

Abducting children for begging is even more serious than trafficking them. Hao Laoda has no intention of confiding in the Sun brothers at all. Their excessive drinking habits make Hao Laoda look down on them.

Upon hearing Hao Laoda's words, the drunkenness in the eyes of the Sun brothers immediately cleared somewhat. The two exchanged glances; back in the day when Liu Zi had sought out the two brothers to abduct children, it was with this very excuse. Therefore, Sun Laoda did not harbor any suspicions.

After being out for no more than five minutes, two middle-aged men of similar build and appearance followed behind Liu Zi as they entered. As soon as they stepped into the room and saw the wine on the table, their eyes lit up.

The eldest son of the Sun family was quite unreserved; after filling his own and his brothers' cups to the brim, he poured a drink for the eldest Hao as well. Without waiting for Hao to say anything, he tilted his head back and downed it.

Those who navigate the underworld, especially those engaged in illicit activities, generally do not disclose information to outsiders, except to their own people. Although Boss Hao clearly came from the south, upon arriving at Liuzi Kou, he transformed into a boss from the north

"Ah, ah, I will also have a drink." Seeing his elder brother drink another cup of wine, Sun Lao Er was unwilling to fall behind and with a "slurp," he downed another cup.

Sun Laoer’s eyes lit up; the two of them spent their days idly wandering the streets, and they often encountered the Qin siblings. However, at that time, the two children did not seem worth their attention. In retrospect, they were indeed the best candidates.

Old Master Hao was somewhat swayed by Liuzi's words; after all, they would be traveling by sleeper train, and with several children in tow, no one would suspect anything.

Old Master Hao was not in a hurry. After the bottle of Erguotou was nearly empty, he took out another bottle. Seeing that the Sun brothers had almost finished drinking, he finally spoke up: "Brothers, to be honest, I came to Cangzhou this time to take two children back with me. In our area, there are some families who cannot have children and are looking to buy them. Do you see any suitable ones here?"

As soon as Liu spoke, the two sons of the Sun family simultaneously swallowed their saliva. At this time, a formal worker on the railway earns just over 100 yuan a month; 1,000 yuan is roughly equivalent to a year's salary, and it requires a whole year of not eating or drinking to save that amount.

As soon as the Sun brothers entered the room, Hao Laoda noticed that the two had a fondness for the drink in their cups. He immediately stood up and spoke in a thick Northeastern dialect, without a trace of a Southern accent.