This sudden shift in attitude made Đinh Trường Sinh instantly suspicious. From the moment he stepped into the house, he was already on high alert.
But as soon as he walked in, he was jolted.
Sitting on the couch was a woman—not wearing a single piece of clothing. Despite her haggard appearance, Đinh Trường Sinh was convinced this was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Her skin was pale as snow, and her body was... well, curvy in all the right ways. But what terrified him the most were her eyes—completely empty, lifeless. Even worse, her leg was chained to the bedframe with a thick iron shackle.
She was holding a newborn, breastfeeding it. Even as someone entered, she showed no reaction.
"Tran Tieu Tu, who’s this...?"
"Oh, that’s my wife," Tran Tieu Tu said casually. "She’s mentally ill. Always hits people if she goes outside. I can't afford treatment, so I had to chain her up. Sit down, I’ll go get us some tea."
He turned and walked away.
But the moment he left, the woman suddenly came alive. Her eyes lit up with shocking clarity. She stared directly at Đinh Trường Sinh, mouthing something rapidly, desperation and urgency written all over her face.
Her red lips moved frantically, and Đinh Trường Sinh, though no expert at lip-reading, understood the repeated phrase:
"Help me. Help me."
Footsteps approached. Just as Tran Tieu Tu returned, the woman instantly reverted to her blank, zombie-like stare—like nothing had happened. In that moment, Đinh Trường Sinh was nearly certain: she wasn't mentally ill. Something deeper, darker was going on here.
"Here you go, bro. Drink up."
"Wow, your wife is... quite the looker. You’re one lucky guy, huh?"
"Ha! Lucky? Nah, it’s just marriage, man—raising kids, trying to get through the day. With her condition, I can’t risk letting her out. Everything inside and out, I have to handle myself. It’s exhausting."
"Shame, really. By the way, are you sure you don’t know anything about old man Lý’s missing cow?"
"Come on, man, that’s a serious accusation! A cow’s worth what, three or four grand? You get caught, that’s prison time. I’ve been playing mahjong over at Uncle Vương’s for the past few nights. Heck, I was there all last night. We weren’t even betting—just playing for fun. Ask him if you don’t believe me."
"Fair enough. I was just asking. Honestly, that cow’s probably been eaten already. Might’ve turned to fertilizer by now. But hey, things are heating up around here. Election season’s coming, and my boss is keeping a close eye on Lô Gia Lĩnh. You better stay sharp."
"Haha, with Chief Hoắc around, I sleep like a baby! Hey, here, a little something from me. Just a token of friendship. Remember me when something good comes up, yeah?"
As he walked Đinh Trường Sinh out, Trần Tiêu Tử slyly slipped something into his jacket pocket.
"Hey now, what’s this about? No need for this between friends. You didn’t come by that money easily."
"It’s nothing, nothing—just some of my winnings from last night’s... wait—damn!" He slapped himself. A minute ago he said they didn’t gamble.
Luckily, Đinh Trường Sinh didn’t press it. He just smiled and walked off.
Down a nearby alley, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick wad of cash. One bill, two, three, four, five... Trần Tiêu Tử was surprisingly generous. His house was practically falling apart—didn’t look like he had this kind of money. So where did it come from?
Đinh Trường Sinh debated whether to report this to Hoắc Lữ Mậu. But then he remembered Điền Ngạc Như’s warning and shivered. Sure, he could play the obedient little cop in front of Hoắc, but getting too close? No way. Điền Ngạc Như and Khấu Đại Bằng wouldn’t let him off easy. Some secrets are better left untouched.
But who was that woman chained up in Trần Tiêu Tử’s house? Why did she have that look in her eyes? One thing was clear—she was definitely not some crazy woman.
Back at the village headquarters an hour later, the group reconvened.
"Any leads?" Hoắc Lữ Mậu asked.
"Nothing. Too much time’s passed. Villagers coming and going non-stop. Any clues are long gone," Trương Cường reported. A by-the-book cop, he always started from the crime scene.
"What about you, Nhị Cẩu?"
"Uh... nope. Didn’t find anything either." Đinh Trường Sinh hesitated, but kept quiet. Trương Cường didn’t notice, but Hoắc Lữ Mậu clearly caught the flicker of doubt in his eyes.
"Alright, we’ll talk more later."
"Lữ trưởng, at least stay for lunch!" called out an old man from the headquarters—Lý Kiến Thiết, the current Party Secretary of Lô Gia Lĩnh, and Lý Kiến Toàn’s younger brother.
"Rain check. Got things to handle back at the station. I’ll be back for that cow. Take care."
Back at the station, Trương Cường went to wash the car. Hoắc Lữ Mậu called Đinh Trường Sinh into the office.
"Sit down, Nhị Cẩu. You were acting sketchy today. Found something, didn’t you?"
"Chief, nothing on the missing cow, but... I think I stumbled onto something worse. A kidnapping."
"Kidnapping? Ha! What, some affair gone wrong? Let it go. If it's consensual, we don’t interfere."
"It’s not that, Chief. Trần Tiêu Tử has a woman chained up in his house. No joke. And she’s hot."
As Đinh Trường Sinh detailed what he saw, Hoắc Lữ Mậu’s expression darkened. He smoked nonstop, lighting one cigarette with the last.
"That all?"
"Yes, sir. I really think we should rescue her. A woman like that shouldn’t be suffering like this..."
"This conversation ends here. You are not to tell anyone. If word gets out, it’ll be big trouble. Understood?"
"Yes, sir..."
Hoắc Lữ Mậu’s attitude left Đinh Trường Sinh bitterly disappointed. How could a cop just ignore this? But he didn’t dare ask. All he could do was keep it to himself and think it through in the dead of night.
Điền Ngạc Như had just finished processing the last household registration for the day. She collapsed into her chair, completely drained. Lately, she’d been feeling bone-deep exhaustion, and not just physically. What truly worried her was that her period was now a week late—that was the real problem.
She looked around the empty registration office, quietly locked the door, then pulled out her phone to call Khấu Đại Bằng.
“Calling me at this hour? You miss me that much? Your hubby not home?”
“Ugh, go to hell! I don’t feel good. I told you to be careful, but you didn’t listen. Now I think I might be pregnant. It’s been a week. I’m never late.”
“No way! You mean last time? On the mountain?”
“Yes! That time! I told you to use protection, but you wouldn’t listen. If I’m really pregnant, I’m screwed!”
“Haha, it’s fine. If it happens, just have the baby. Let old man Hoắc raise it. I’ll cover your expenses.”
“You think this is a joke? That man hasn’t touched me in over two months! If I suddenly turn up pregnant, he’ll go ballistic!”
“…Okay, yeah. That’s a problem. So what do you plan to do?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I called you—to figure it out.”
“Go to the hospital. Get checked. Don’t panic until you know for sure.”
“…Fine. But what about Đinh Trường Sinh? He’s stuck to Hoắc like glue. I’m afraid he’ll spill the beans. Living in fear every day like this is killing me.”
“He’s just a punk. Throw him a few bones, make him yours. If you need cash, just say the word. No need to go all murder-mystery on him.”
“This is all your fault, damn it! Whatever. I’ll handle it myself.” Điền Ngạc Như ended the call and sat motionless, lost in thought.
The village committee election in Lô Gia Lĩnh had reached a boiling point. After the cow theft, a few of the Party Secretary’s goats were found poisoned. This wasn’t just theft—it was revenge. Hoắc Lữ Mậu was fuming, spending three days straight in the village. Naturally, he dragged Đinh Trường Sinh with him.
“Nhị Cẩu, you’ve got a name like a sniffer dog—time to sniff out the culprit! We’re staying here tonight. I’ll stay in the open, you hide in the dark. Let’s smoke these bastards out.”
“Chief, my name’s Đinh Trường Sinh, not Spot the Wonder Dog,” he muttered.
“Shut it! Use your brain for once!” Hoắc Lữ Mậu snapped. He was so stressed his lips had started blistering. In rural areas, village elections weren’t just about votes—they were power struggles between families. This was the prime time for trouble. And when it hit, it hit big.
And so, Đinh Trường Sinh resumed his old wandering habits—slinking through village alleys in the dead of night. But this time, he wasn’t afraid of being caught. He even planned to find a quiet spot to nap. The heat had died down, but the mosquitoes? Still relentless.
Unconsciously, he found himself in front of Trần Tiêu Tử’s house again. He was about to knock when he noticed the front gate was locked from the outside. Was Trần Tiêu Tử out? Probably off gambling again.
To be sure, he swung by Uncle Vương’s place.
Inside, the lights were bright, and the clack of mahjong tiles rang out non-stop. Through the window, Đinh Trường Sinh spotted Trần Tiêu Tử engrossed in his game.
Bingo.
He returned to Trần Tiêu Tử’s house. The main door was locked—but that wouldn’t stop a former thief. He popped a hairpin from his mouth. A few clicks later, the lock gave way.
Inside, the woman was wide awake. She scrambled upright, clutching a blanket around herself. In the dim light, her pale skin looked almost ethereal. Even though her face was mostly hidden, her figure stood out in stark contrast to the darkness, and Đinh Trường Sinh couldn’t help but swallow hard.
“Who are you?” Her voice was hoarse. It was the first time he’d heard her speak.
“Don’t worry. I’m the cop who came by before. What’s going on here?”
“Please—please, save me! Get me out of here! I’ll pay you whatever you want! My family’s rich—I swear, I’ll be grateful for life! Just get me out!”
Hearing he was a cop, she didn’t even care about being naked. She dropped to her knees in front of him, chains rattling in the silence. It sent chills down his spine.
“Get up. Start from the beginning,” he said, reaching out to help her—only to accidentally grab something soft and... extremely inappropriate. He recoiled instantly, thankful it was too dark for anyone to see how red his face got.
“What’s your name? Why are you here?”
“My name is Dương Kim Thoa. I’m a senior in college. A year ago, I went backpacking with friends and got separated. Then I was caught by human traffickers and sold here. Please, I’m begging you, help me. You’re a cop—you have to help me!”
“Calm down. This isn’t simple. I promise I’ll get you out. But if you run now and get caught again, it’ll be even worse. For now, eat, stay strong. I’ll come back. I’m with the Lâm Sơn police station. Trust me.”
“What is there to prepare? I can’t spend one more night here! Call the police!”
“I did. Told my superior. He didn’t believe me. Useless. But I swear—I will come back. But what about the baby?”
“I don’t care! That baby isn’t mine by choice! I’ll abandon everything if it means getting out. Please! I just want to die!”
“I got it. I got it. Just do as I say. I’ll be back soon.”
Wiping sweat from his forehead, Đinh Trường Sinh slipped back out into the night...