Volume 1, Chapter 33: Human Traffickers

It took about ten minutes before the two of them finally separated, both panting for breath.

Fang Mo coughed incessantly, his face flushed. "Is this little vixen trying to swallow my tongue?"

The faint sheen on their lips was visible to the naked eye.

"President Ning, I thought you would use actual actions to compensate me!"

Just then, Wu Jiabei knocked on the car window from outside. "You two would be better off kissing in a room at the resort. You might even be able to take things to the next level; you can't exactly do anything else in the car..."

"No one will mistake you for a mute if you don't speak," Ning Yuelan said, casting a cold glance at Wu Jiabei outside.

It was obvious this woman was taking blatant revenge for the frequent displays of affection over the last two days and had deliberately followed them to disrupt their intimate moment.

"Alright, Wu Jiabei, say less. It’s getting crowded now, and I really don't want to soak in the hot springs with a bunch of strange, sweaty men..." After saying this, Zheng Rong directly dragged Wu Jiabei toward the resort.

Fang Mo snuck a peek at Ning Yuelan; the powerful woman’s ears were still bright red.

"Sister Yuelan, let’s go too."

"Don't you want your gift? Your sister really wants to make up for all the presents I missed on your birthdays over these years!"

Ning Yuelan paused. "Owe?" she asked. "Why do you say 'owe'?"

Fang Mo chuckled. "Isn't Sister Yuelan the greatest gift heaven has ever given me? If I could hear you say 'goodnight' to me every day, I think I’d be content."

"My wife is the dream of twenty million men in Jiangcheng. If I’m dreaming, I hope I never wake up."

*Fool!*

Rarely hearing such sweet nothings from Fang Mo, Ning Yuelan’s pretty face flushed red. She had always been the proactive one, and she hadn't expected this young man to fall so deeply, so quickly. She never thought he would occasionally blurt out such moving words, and they happened to strike right at the softest part of her heart.

When the two returned to the resort, Li Haowen scanned their still-flushed faces and poked Fang Mo’s arm teasingly. "What were you two doing just now?"

"Adults' business. Mind your own." Fang Mo gave Li Haowen a look, then looked at the slender, jade-like hand Ning Yuelan had suddenly locked with his. "Sister Yuelan, is the hot spring here really as exaggerated as Li Haowen says?"

Ning Yuelan nodded slightly. "Pretty much. Before Song Yu knew I was the heir to the Ning family, she always took pride in it."

*Took pride in it?*

*Hiss*, it seemed that was indeed the case. Having such a lucrative hot spring resort in the family was certainly something worth showing off. If Li Haowen wasn't exaggerating, Sister Song Yu could indeed boast about this resort hotel wherever she went.

"By the way," Fang Mo asked, looking at the captivating Ning Yuelan beside him, "did your friends not know you were the heir to the Ning family before?"

"They never asked, so why would I volunteer the information? Besides, is it something worth bragging about? Only Song Yu likes to broadcast such things everywhere. You know me, I’m very low-key," Ning Yuelan said with a soft laugh.

"There’s another funny story. Once, Song Yu brought her classmates to this resort. When we were checking in, the receptionist saw my ID number and immediately came over to say, 'Ms. Ning, you are our VVVVIP member, you can enjoy the independent presidential suite.' Song Yu was completely stunned."

Trying to show off only to hit a brick wall—that would certainly leave someone stunned. Sister Song Yu probably wanted to do a little bragging in front of her classmates back then, too. Who knew she would run into Ning Yuelan, a young heiress who naturally exuded an aura of superiority? The most important thing was that although this heiress had a cold temperament, she didn't put on airs.

"Alright, enough nonsense. I’m going up to change. See you later at Hot Spring Pool 088. I'll be waiting for you there."

*088?* How did Sister Yuelan remember the number so clearly?

"Gulp!" Just then, Li Haowen next to them said with a mournful face, "President Ning is such a show-off. 088 is the most luxurious private hot spring pool in the entire resort; it has never been open to the public."

"I saw in the news that this pool had been bought by someone, but I didn't believe it. Today, I finally believe it. Is it really that hard for someone of President Ning’s status to have a private bath here?"

*As expected, his perspective was just too narrow.* Li Haowen had hoped that by getting into the bathhouse, he might catch a glimpse of the perfect figure of the woman of twenty million men's dreams. Now he realized he had been thinking too much.

"Don't cry. If you keep crying, I won't take care of you."

"Is this little thing hungry? Go, make him some formula."

At that moment, a hoarse voice reached Fang Mo's ears. He turned toward another direction in the lobby. Ning Yuelan and her group had already gone upstairs, and now only a few receptionists and Li Haowen remained in the resort lobby. The sudden voice was particularly jarring.

The next moment, Fang Mo heard the sound of an infant crying. Two individuals, wrapped up tightly and heavily disguised, were holding a child. One of them threw a baby bottle to the other, signaling him to go make the formula. The other walked reluctantly to the front desk.

"Could you please get me some water?"

"Sir, we only have cold water here. At this hour, there aren't many guests, so we haven't boiled any hot water yet," the receptionist replied with an embarrassed, bitter smile.

"Cold water is fine. As long as it can dissolve the powder." The man didn't care at all and shoved the bottle into the receptionist's hand.

Li Haowen noticed Fang Mo frowning as he looked over, so he tapped his brother on the shoulder. "Fang Mo, let’s go. What are you looking at?"

"I think something is wrong..."

"Huh?" Li Haowen was stunned, not yet reacting.

Fang Mo silently moved to the resort's main entrance, quietly blocking the exit. "Two gentlemen, a child of this age shouldn't be weaned yet, right? He should be having breast milk. Isn't it a bit bad to feed the child formula?"

"Breast milk?" One of the men, seeing someone meddling, frowned in annoyance. "His mother isn't here. We’re in an emergency. The child is hungry, so we have no choice but to feed him formula. What’s the problem?"

"Formula mixed with cold water will give the child a stomachache," Fang Mo said, his eyes narrowing as he seemed to be picking a fight. "As the child's parents, don't you know such basic common sense?"

Li Haowen finally realized something was amiss. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly looked at the child in the man's arms. The baby had delicate, jade-like features, a fair and clean little face, and was expressing dissatisfaction. The cute little mouth opened and closed, letting out a thin, childish cry.

The man was only supporting the child's back without using his forearm to cushion the child's neck. A baby’s cervical spine wasn't fully developed; if held incorrectly, it could easily cause long-term health issues. The child was crying not just because he was hungry, but because he was being held uncomfortably! The flushed look on his little face was a clear sign of oxygen deprivation!

"You aren't the child's parents, are you?" Li Haowen finally shouted, having caught on. "You’re human traffickers!?"

"They’re human traffickers! Help! There are human traffickers here!"

As Li Haowen’s voice rang out, everyone in the resort lobby was instantly drawn to them. The word "trafficker" was something every responsible citizen despised. Numerous tourists and staff members rushed over to surround them.

The two traffickers likely hadn't expected to be exposed just by trying to make formula. Both were somewhat panicked. "Kid, don't talk nonsense! What traffickers? Where are any traffickers here?"

"Then tell me, exactly how many months old is the child? What is the child's name? And has the child received the smallpox vaccine for tuberculosis?" Fang Mo remained quite calm, his sharp eyes fixed steadily on the two.

"Yes, he got it!" The man holding the child suddenly became agitated. "Of course he got it. Look, this little guy still has the mark on his arm from the vaccine..." He grabbed the child's arm to show the crowd.

A few bystanders were surprised—it really was a vaccination mark. This person even knew about that; could they really be the parents?

However, Fang Mo sneered. "Sorry, but our country stopped administering the smallpox vaccine to newborns in 1981. Only the older generation would have that type of vaccine. Also, let me educate you: the smallpox vaccine doesn't prevent tuberculosis."

"Newborns today need the BCG vaccine within three days of birth. The BCG vaccine is also derived from cowpox, so it has some effect in preventing smallpox, but they are two completely different things."

"You..."

"You are not the child's father at all."

*Boom!*

The entire room was shocked. Even Li Haowen looked at Fang Mo in amazement. This guy actually knew such obscure knowledge? He had seen the vaccination scars on his parents' arms and assumed it was the same thing he’d received at birth.

"Grab them! They’re the human traffickers!" Fang Mo signaled to the security guards nearby. In fact, he didn't even need to speak; the guards had already rushed forward, intending to pin the two down.

As the saying goes, a thief will eventually reveal their own flaws. With their cover blown, the two collapsed without a fight. The guy who had been making the formula tried to pull out a butterfly knife to resist, but as he ran to the entrance, he found Fang Mo already standing there, ready and waiting.

"Although I may look like a weakling, I only need to hold you for three seconds before everyone else rushes up to subdue you. So, I suggest you..."

"Enough! Die, kid!" The criminal clearly lacked composure. Seeing his plan ruined, he became enraged and held a grudge against Fang Mo. Instead of retreating, he slashed the butterfly knife straight toward Fang Mo’s throat.

Li Haowen was terrified. "Fang Mo, back up!"

Just then, Fang Mo stepped forward, squinting to dodge the knife’s trajectory. He punched the criminal square in the jaw; the man let out a scream as his head snapped back. Fang Mo then grabbed his shoulders and delivered a fierce knee to his chest.

*Bang!*

A perfect knockout.

"My suggestion was for you to be honest, because even though I look like an easy target, I still have a bit of fighting ability when it comes to dealing with ordinary people!" Fang Mo clapped his hands.

After a brief silence, a burst of enthusiastic applause erupted. Li Haowen clapped until his palms were red. "Kid, you’ve been hiding your skills!"

"You're too kind..." Fang Mo was planning to show off a little more, but a fragrant breeze drifted from behind him. Before he could react, a pair of jade hands pinched the young man's ear hard.

"You’ve gotten capable, haven't you? Engaging in a battle of wits with criminals?" Ning Yuelan pressed tightly against Fang Mo's back. "If something had happened to you, did you ever consider the consequences of me becoming a widow? A man who doesn't have his wife in his heart like you is no good. I’m punishing you—no bed for you tonight."

With that, Ning Yuelan bit Fang Mo's ear hard.

*Hiss!*

The pain made the young man gasp repeatedly. Fang Mo looked at her with a pitiful expression. *Sister Yuelan, are you a dog?*