MM Racing Chapter 976 Cellar
Chapter 976 Cellar
Just as Gu Nan turned to leave, a very slight sound came from the floor beside his feet, as if someone was moving underneath. The sound was so faint that it was barely audible, but he noticed it keenly.
He abruptly stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowing instantly—the house looked ordinary, yet there was movement underneath? Could it be a basement? That bastard Xiao Bao, he really was hiding in such a shady place!
A chill ran down his spine, and Gu Nan began to search the room carefully. He knocked on every floorboard, listened to every echo in every corner, and searched for quite a while, but he couldn't find a decent entrance.
Just as he was getting a little anxious and preparing to think of another solution, his gaze inadvertently swept over an old wooden box in the corner. On the floor next to the box, there was a piece of shiny hemp rope with a strange knot at the end. The color of the rope was out of place with the surrounding wood grain, and it was obviously added later.
Gu Nan's heart stirred, and he squatted down, pinched the end of the rope, and gently pulled it.
"Click——"
With a soft thud, the floor beneath our feet suddenly cracked open in the middle, revealing a dark hole. We could vaguely smell the musty odor coming from below and... a faint, almost imperceptible sobbing sound.
His eyes darkened, and he pulled a folding knife from his waist, snapping it open with a "click," the blade gleaming coldly in the dim light. Using the moonlight streaming in from the window, he saw a rusty iron ladder beside the cave entrance, gripped the knife tightly, and carefully began to climb down.
The basement was deeper than he had imagined, the air damp and foul. When Gu Nan landed, his feet rustled softly on a pile of dry grass. He squinted for a moment to adjust, and the sight before him made him clench his fists instantly, his knuckles turning white—this was no basement, but a makeshift cellar. Several tattered burlap sacks were piled in a corner, and in the center of the cellar, five or six children were bound together with thick hemp rope. The oldest was no more than ten years old, and the youngest looked only four or five. They were all ragged, with tear stains on their faces. When they saw someone coming down, they huddled together in fear, their eyes filled with terror, but they dared not cry out.
A surge of anger rushed to Gu Nan's head. He gritted his teeth and was about to step forward to untie the ropes binding the children when he suddenly heard Hei Zi's bark from the ground—it was his pet wolfhound, usually extremely intelligent, but now its bark was urgent and fierce, clearly indicating that it had sensed something was wrong.
Gu Nan's heart skipped a beat: Could it be that Xiao Bao has returned?
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! He suppressed the urge to save the children, gestured for them to be quiet, turned around and quickly climbed the ladder. He gently covered the floorboards back in place, leaving only a small gap to observe the movements outside.
He hid behind the door, gripping the knife tightly, his ear pressed against the door, listening intently. The footsteps in the courtyard grew closer, accompanied by several arrogant laughs and curses—it was indeed the voice of Xiao Bao and his gang!
Gu Nan's eyes were as cold as ice, and the anger in his chest was about to explode—he had thought Xiao Bao was just seeking revenge against an enemy, but he never expected that Xiao Bao was actually involved in child trafficking. This was simply a heartless beast! Today, he would not only settle old scores, but also wipe out this group of scumbags in one fell swoop, and he would never let them harm others again!
He took a deep breath, regulated his breathing, and gently stroked the hilt of his knife, waiting for the moment Xiao Bao pushed the door open so he could deliver a fatal blow.
Unexpectedly, only Wang Ran arrived at the agreed location. Gu Nan's heart skipped a beat—this was probably going to be difficult. If he told Uncle Tong about the situation now and let the police arrest everyone, would Xiao Bao become suspicious and hide even deeper?
You see, in a one-on-one fight, he wasn't afraid of Xiao Bao at all. But if that guy went into hiding, things would get really complicated—nobody knew when Xiao Bao would reappear or what underhanded tricks he would use against his family.
Gu Nan acted decisively, gently closing the door behind him. He gave Hei Zi a look, signaling it to guard the outside. The immediate priority was to deal with the culprits, then figure out a way to lure Xiao Bao out. Notifying Uncle Tong later wouldn't be too late. After all, Xiao Bao was his biggest concern. He silently retreated into the shadows, planning his next move.
On the other side, Wang Ran hurried towards his small clinic. Just as he was about to push open the door, a dog suddenly barked from outside the courtyard wall. The bark was urgent and fierce, startling him so much that he almost dropped the medicine box in his hand.
Gu Nan emerged from the shadows and patted Hei Zi on the head: "Alright, Xiao Bao isn't inside."
Hei Zi's ears drooped, clearly displeased, and he growled softly, "I didn't expect Xiao Bao to be so cunning, he actually hid! I'm so angry!"
Gu Nan was also holding back his anger, but he suppressed it and said to Hei Zi, "Hei Zi, I need your help. Keep an eye on things here."
Hei Zi immediately perked up his ears, thinking they were going to keep an eye on Xiao Bao, and quickly nodded: "Gu Nan, don't worry! As long as Xiao Bao dares to show his face, I'll definitely find out, and I'll tell you right away!"
Gu Nan shook his head, his voice deepening: "I'm not watching him. I just checked, this is a human trafficking den."
Hei Zi's eyes widened, and he said urgently, "Then what are you standing there for? Hurry up and find the police station and arrest all these beasts!"
“No.” Gu Nan frowned. “If we take this place down now, Xiao Bao will definitely run away. It will be difficult to catch him then.”
Hei Zi instantly understood Gu Nan's concerns—as long as Xiao Bao remained, there would be no peace in the family. It didn't say anything more, but simply nodded emphatically: "Okay, I'll keep an eye on things here, and I'll send you a signal if there's any movement."
Gu Nan knew in his heart that what he was doing was indeed wrong; allowing the human trafficking den to exist was a betrayal of those who might be victimized. But when he thought of Ran Qiuye and the child, he could only grit his teeth—for the sake of his family, he had to put morality aside for now.
He walked back, seething with anger, as if two voices were fighting inside him: one telling him to call the police immediately to save his family, and the other telling him he had to get rid of Xiao Bao first to protect his family. The two conflicting thoughts made his temples throb.
When he returned to the courtyard house, Gu Bei was guarding the gate. Seeing him return, he went up to him and asked, "How did it go? Didn't you find Xiao Bao?"
In fact, Hei Zi had already told Gu Bei about it, but Gu Bei didn't say anything, because some things don't need to be said.
Gu Nan nodded wearily, knowing that Gu Bei had sensed something through his divine sense. "I'm going back now. You should get some rest too. We can talk about it tomorrow." He waved his hand and walked heavily towards his house, the moonlight behind him casting a long shadow, filled with lingering restlessness and helplessness.