Silent Testimony - Chapter 106

It was a gloomy, rainy day. The lighting in the parking lot was dim and hazy, as rainwater clumped together and smashed against the ground, gradually forming puddles.

Li Hewei’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled as Tao Ling sat back into the rear seat. She handed a prepared towel to the girl. “Dry your hair first.” Since Tao Ling’s near-death experience the previous year, her constitution hadn’t been the same; she needed constant care.

“Okay.” Tao Ling spoke while drying her hair. “Surrogacy. They are running an illegal surrogacy ring.” She summarized the janitor’s testimony, noting that the contact numbers on the advertisements were changed weekly.

Li Hewei frowned. “What’s the number?”

Tao Ling pulled out her phone and handed her the photo from her album.

Li Hewei used her clearance to check the number. It was registered in Puchen—a “black card” with no real-name registration. She immediately relayed this to Qiu Wan and learned that the colleagues in the other two cars had also made discoveries.

Qiu Wan fell silent for a moment before asking, “Can you speak Cantonese?”

Li Hewei wasn’t sure of her plan but replied, “Yes.”

“Fluently?”

“Passably.”

“Listen. I’m sending you an address. Come here immediately.”

“Understood.” Li Hewei received the address and connected her Bluetooth navigation.

Outside, the rain grew heavier, and the dampness seemed to press the oxygen out of the air. As she hung up, a dull ache filled her chest, her thoughts tangled in Tao Ling’s words. Surrogacy. Women’s fertility was being given a price tag. Years ago, Chu Xiaoyi was likely silenced by this syndicate because she was investigating their illegal operations.

“After locking onto the target, we’ve achieved a major breakthrough. Groups Two, Three, and Five all found key clues in tonight’s operation.” In a hotel room, Qiu Wan’s voice pierced Li Hewei’s ears. She snapped back to attention, focusing on the displayed photos. “Chu Xiaoyi’s death is almost certainly linked to this surrogacy agency. We plan to enter the tiger’s den to find further evidence.”

“Li Hewei.” Qiu Wan handed over an ID card, her tone solemn. “From now on, your name is Lin Qiao. Born April 9, 1986. You’ve lived in the Qingwan District of Yuecheng (Canton) for a long time, running a small supermarket. On March 19, you took flight CA1798 to Shujiang for a vacation.”

Li Hewei took the ID, looking at the photo of a woman whose features were about fifty percent similar to her own, and digested the cover story.

“Here is your phone, handbag, and the room card for the room next door.” Qiu Wan handed them over and detailed Lin Qiao’s background. It turned out Lin Qiao had passed away unexpectedly three hours ago. After screening candidates and obtaining consent from the family, the task force had assumed her identity.

Li Hewei nodded to show she understood.

Qiu Wan signaled her to call the agency to inquire about prices and procedures while the technicians prepared to trace the recipient’s location.

The technician donned headphones and began the countdown: Three, two, one… Li Hewei dialed the number.

“Hello?”

Li Hewei spoke in fluent Cantonese: “Hello, hi.”

The person on the other end paused for a few seconds before asking cautiously in the local Sichuan dialect, “What’s this about?”

“I saw your ad for surrogacy. I was wondering about the price?”

“Where are you from? Can you speak Mandarin?”

Li Hewei adapted instantly, speaking in “Cantonese-accented Mandarin”: “I’m here on vacation from Yuecheng. I saw your ad at the highway service area.”

“Fine. I’ll send you an address. We’ll talk in person.”

The man wanted to hang up. Li Hewei glanced at the technician.

The technician shook his head—not enough time. She stalled: “How much is it?”

“In person. You pick a package.”

“A package? Can I choose the gender?”

“Yes, and you can even have twins.” The man’s tone turned impatient. “Look, there are many packages; it’s too complicated for the phone. Let’s meet, talk, and sign the contract directly so we don’t waste each other’s time, right?”

Knowing she couldn’t push too hard without sounding suspicious, Li Hewei agreed. “Alright. Send me the meeting address.”

“Will do.” The man ended the call.

Qiu Wan pressed her lips together. “55 seconds. He timed it perfectly; he has a very high awareness of anti-tracking.” Just as she spoke, Lin Qiao’s phone received a text. Li Hewei opened it.

【Sister, where in Yuecheng are you from? I’ll check if we have partner hospitals there for the birth certificate.】

As expected. Qiu Wan warned, “He’s trying to verify your personal info.”

Li Hewei typed: 【Qingwan District, Yuecheng.】

【Name?】

【I’ll tell you once I’ve decided to go through with it.】

【Fine.】

【The address?】

【No rush, Sister. I’ll send it in a bit.】

Qiu Wan folded her arms and told the technician, “Start the timer. Let’s see when he sends the address.”

The surrogacy agency was large-scale and cautious. To avoid exposure, they would typically verify a buyer’s identity. A standard data firm or private individual would need at least ten minutes; however, if a corrupt official in a judicial department used their clearance illegally, it would take five minutes at most.

Li Hewei stared unblinkingly at the screen. The numbers ticked by. At 3 minutes and 27 seconds, a text arrived.

【Sunshine Community, Building 3, Room 1209. 10:00 AM tomorrow.】

Qiu Wan: “Check the owner.”

The technician tapped away. “The owner’s name is Huang. The property was listed on a rental site on March 12. This is likely just a rented meeting spot.”

“The renter?”

“Unregistered.”

“Cunning.” The ID used for the rental was likely a fake too. Qiu Wan frowned at the rain-blurred night outside. “At 6:00 AM tomorrow, Captain Feng will bring a makeup artist to transform you.”

Captain Feng was an expert in undercover disguises, often posing as a tenant to gather intel from building registrars, cleaners, and guards.

“Understood.”

Qiu Wan looked back at her, a deep worry in her eyes. “You’ll stay in Lin Qiao’s room tonight.”

Li Hewei accepted all the arrangements.

Qiu Wan lowered her voice. “Is there anything you want me to tell her (Tao Ling)?”

“Nothing.” Li Hewei knew this mission was tied to Tao Ling’s very survival. She took a deep breath, suppressing the heartbeat that seemed to echo in her chest. “Just… tell her not to worry.”

The spring rain in Puchen was always lingering. Li Hewei listened to the rain and barely slept a wink. At 6:00 AM sharp, Captain Feng knocked. Li Hewei sat before the mirror, letting the police makeup artist work magic. Chestnut-brown French waves, colored contacts, red lips, and contouring to sharpen her T-zone and make her features more three-dimensional. Paired with wide-leg trousers, a vintage striped shirt, and an old sheepskin coat, she looked bold and flamboyant—a perfect match for the “Lin Qiao” in the photos.

The makeup artist spoke gently, pulling her out of her daze. “Team Leader Li, I need to pierce two ear holes. It’ll hurt a bit.”

“It’s fine.”

The professional piercing was done quickly and sanitized. Small, lightweight sterling silver earrings were selected, and she was given two bracelets to wear.

“Okay, Captain Feng, take a look. What do you think?” the artist asked.

Feng looked at Li Hewei, his face lighting up with approval. “Your skills? I have absolute confidence!” He checked his watch—9:16 AM. “Lin Qiao, you head out at 9:30. Hail a taxi with the plate Shu-A 74RE6 and go to Sunshine Community.”

She couldn’t carry a tracker for this meeting, but the task force had established stakeouts in Building 5, the parking lot, and the west gate.

“Understood.”

“Sunshine Community is likely just the consultation point,” Feng emphasized. “Captain Peng wants the loot and the thieves together. Ideally, you should get him to take you to the actual embryo transfer surgery site. But safety first—if anything feels off, find a way to escape immediately.”

“Got it.”

The drizzle that had paused at midnight began again. The command vehicle followed the taxi toward the community. Tao Ling, whom Qiu Wan had intentionally kept by her side, stared at the car barely ten meters ahead, her heart lodged in her throat.

Qiu Wan noticed and comforted her in a low voice: “Three stakeouts, one command vehicle, and backup on standby. We’ve ensured nothing will go wrong.”

But Tao Ling knew that criminals were treacherous. For Li Hewei to complete her mission would not be easy. She watched the woman in the distance step out of the car, her silhouette gradually blurring as the mist outside threatened to fill Tao Ling’s eyes.

Qiu Wan immediately deployed the team: “Park. Find a concealed position and wait.”

“Count off.”

“No. 1 ready.” “No. 2 ready.” “No. 3 ready.”

The leader of Stakeout No. 1 reminded Qiu Wan: “Captain Qiu, from our position, we can only see the master bedroom, the living room, and the secondary bedroom facing the atrium. If they talk in the study, we need Room 1207 in Building 3.”

“The owner is out and didn’t leave a key. Group Four is negotiating for a lock-pick.” Just then, Wang Cen called: “Captain Qiu, the owner of 1207 agreed. I’m inside, but the curtains in the study opposite are drawn. It’s too close to monitor easily, so I’ve placed a listening device under their window.”

“Good.”

The parking lot stakeout reported: “Captain Qiu, Zhou Qi has stepped out of his car.”

Qiu Wan’s gaze turned cold as she watched the video feeds. “No. 1, heads up.”

In the elevator of Building 3, Li Hewei took a deep breath. The doors opened to reveal a smiling Zhou Qi.

“Sister.”

Li Hewei nodded, saying nothing.

Zhou Qi pointed the way. “This way.” He turned left, walked a few meters, and unlocked the door.

Li Hewei followed him inside. She scanned the surroundings: simple modern decor—sofa, TV stand, shoe rack—but no extra furniture. She cut to the chase: “How are your doctors’ skills?”

“All professionals,” Zhou Qi countered. “Sister, what would you like to drink?”

“Coke.”

“You got it.” Zhou Qi grabbed two bottles of Coke from the kitchen and led her into the study. “Please, have a seat.”

Once she sat, Zhou Qi pulled out a tablet and opened a folder labeled Medical Personnel and Facilities. “Our company partners with professional doctors. You’ll be satisfied.”

Li Hewei scanned the profiles. She let her brow furrow. “Doctors from Grade-A hospitals? You’re not just hanging a sheep’s head to sell dog meat (false advertising), are you?”