There was no choice but to try to leverage his relationships. Yi Shi gritted his teeth and reached out to stop a middle-aged man walking towards him, forcing a stiff smile. Unfortunately, the man seemed to have no reflection of him in his eyes and walked straight past.
“……” Was Yu Zhen and others’ praise of his female disguise all lies? At critical moments, even his attractiveness didn’t help.
After several failed attempts, Yi Shi finally realized the problem. It wasn’t that his female disguise wasn’t appealing, but rather… these passing pedestrians simply couldn’t see him.
Just like Zhang Rui and the cleaning lady couldn’t see Xiao Shitou and Gardenia, Yi Shi had stumbled into a mirrored world where he was also a bizarre presence, invisible to everyone.
This was quite strange. It wasn’t Yi Shi’s first time crossing over. Each time, he was able to talk to people and even accept their items. Why, this time, did following them mean he could do nothing?
He couldn’t help but shiver. Was this the predetermined rule of the development of events, that even if he was present, he could only be an observer, watching everything unfold?
The broadcast was again announcing the upgrade of the Antarctic Ice and Snow Pavilion. Gardenia blinked her big eyes: “Brother, I want to see polar bears and penguins.”
Xiao Shitou looked troubled: “…Polar bears and penguins aren’t outside. If you want to enter the Ice and Snow Pavilion, there’s an additional fee.” Seeing his sister’s disappointed expression, he quickly reassured her, “It’s okay, we’ll go to the parking lot. The elite school is also coming to the zoo today. We’ll get two school uniforms from the school bus and blend in to see the penguins and polar bears for free.”
“Eh? How do you know, brother?”
Xiao Shitou sneered: “Remember the fat kid who kicked me last time? I heard it from him.”
The elite school he mentioned was Weisen International Kindergarten on Hongfu Avenue, an area surrounded by rich neighborhoods where they often scavenged. They could always find good stuff here and also often encountered trouble. Like last time, a fat kid threw his toy into a trash can on the street. When Xiao Shitou went to retrieve it, it was snatched back, and he even got kicked.
Since then, Xiao Shitou had a deep impression of him. A few days ago, passing by Weisen Kindergarten, he happened to see the fat kid leaving the school gate, pestering his dad to call the teacher because a kid from Class 21 wanted to go to the wildlife park, and he also wanted to go.
Parking lot? School bus?
Yi Shi narrowed his eyes. He was unwilling to resign himself to fate and had to do something no matter what.
———
In the parking lot, the Weisen International Kindergarten bus was parked in spot 3. The children lined up, took a group photo, and then entered the zoo. Xiao Shitou and Gardenia went around to the other side and quietly climbed through an open door. Yi Shi, expressionless, strode over and boldly boarded the bus. Since no one could see him, there was no need to be cautious about his appearance.
The little backpacks were scattered on the seats. With the driver absent, Xiao Shitou grew bolder, grabbing two and rummaging in the back. Yi Shi thought their goal was just clothes, but food turned out to be their main target.
“So many snacks, brother, I can’t spell this pinyin.”
“That’s English. You’ll learn it when you go to school. Here, put the bread in your pocket and eat it when you’re hungry.”
“This candy looks so pretty, like a gemstone ring!”
“Shh, lower your voice. If you like it, just take it.”
“……” As a person with a sense of justice, Yi Shi couldn’t tolerate it any longer. He walked over and grabbed the two kids’ arms.
…Hmm? Did he make contact?
The three of them were stunned. Xiao Shitou suddenly turned around, noticing a woman had appeared behind them. Reacting instinctively, he shielded Gardenia and looked at her warily: “Y-You, who are you?”
“Can you see me?”
Xiao Shitou nervously nodded. Yi Shi didn’t have time to analyze the reason and began to lecture: “Taking someone else’s belongings without permission is ‘stealing.’ Whether it’s food, clothes, or daily necessities, it falls under the category of all possessions.”
Gardenia huddled in her brother’s arms, too scared to speak. Xiao Shitou stubbornly retorted: “…It’s not ‘stealing,’ it’s borrowing!”
“Alright, let’s set aside the issue of ‘borrowing’ things. If you want to make up for it, you need to help me with something.”
Xiao Shitou asked cautiously: “What?”
“Go down immediately, call 110, and say—” Yi Shi’s words suddenly stopped as he pressed the two children down and made them crouch under the seat, placing his finger on his lips.
Xiao Shitou saw the beautiful woman’s lips moving.
Don’t speak. They’re here.
———
In the large-nosed bus, silence reigned. Yi Shi pressed the two children down, using the seats to shield their bodies, and quietly peeked out towards the bus door.
First came a man dressed in leather, his face covered with sunglasses and a mask. He glanced roughly at the front of the bus, and with a wave of his hand, a child got on, followed by another, and one by one, the children who had been lined up downstairs came up.
“Hurry up! What are you dawdling for?!”
The man in the leather jacket pushed a slowly walking little girl with a large hand like a fan. She let out a soft cry, fell into the aisle, and pouted, crying out loud.
A teacher who followed onto the bus quickly picked her up. The man in the leather jacket furrowed his brow, and his sunglasses couldn’t hide the fierce look in his eyes: “Why is she crying?! If she makes any more noise, I’ll kill her!”
“Don’t, don’t, don’t!” The female teacher immediately covered the little girl’s mouth, trying to stop her from crying while also trying to calm the man’s mood, “She won’t cry anymore, she won’t cry. She’ll be obedient right away, she definitely won’t make a fuss…”
Soon, all the children were on the bus, a total of 15. Yi Shi looked at the innocent faces—Yang Keyi, Yu Xiran, Dou Zhenyi…each one was a hostage he had seen in the files, including a boy in a shirt and vest whose features were very familiar—it was Jiang Dongliang.
Yi Shi glanced at Xiao Shitou and Gardenia. Adding them, there were 17 children. Also, the two female teachers matched the photos provided by the school. It seemed they were truly involved in the ongoing kidnapping case.
Now, the extra child was Gardenia. What about him? Was he the unknown “female teacher” in the case or would there be other developments making him leave the kidnapping case?
The last two men to board were one with a large build and a shaved head, and the other with shifty eyes and a slim figure. The two had their hands half hidden in their clothes. Yi Shi squinted and tilted his head to change the angle, and indeed, he saw half of a black, shiny gun barrel.
Yi Shi’s hand instinctively went to his waist. At such a short distance, taking on four people should be no problem… He frowned—where was his gun?
The action today was crucial. They had already received their guns. Yu Zhen had specifically helped him choose a dress to hide the weapon. Before climbing the barbed wire, he had checked it once, clearly avoiding low-level mistakes like losing it in the woods.
And… Yi Shi felt for his pocket, and sure enough, the phone was also missing. He glanced at the two children huddled under the seat. Everything seemed to go wrong after touching them; he was now truly unfortunate to become an unarmed “teacher.”
The teachers, under duress, had no choice but to get back on the bus with the children. The door to the driver’s seat opened, and the person who came up took off his baseball cap, fanning himself: “Is everyone here? If everyone’s here, I’ll start the bus.”
The man in the leather jacket grabbed the female teacher’s ponytail, angrily asking: “Look carefully! Is everyone here or not?!”
The female teacher, tearful with pain, nodded helplessly: “Yes, yes… everyone is here.”
The vehicle slowly started and left the parking lot, leaving the zoo shortly after. The curtains were tightly drawn, serving as a cover for the dirty dealings.
The bald man boldly took out his gun and started frisking everyone. He ordered the female teacher to collect all electronic products and metallic accessories, leaving nothing behind. The children’s fancy little backpacks were tossed into the aisle and piled up. The man in the leather jacket opened each backpack, spilling the contents—fruits, snacks, and toys scattered everywhere. A little boy, desperately reaching to grab his stuff, was kicked several meters away, landing right at Yi Shi’s feet.
His ribs seemed broken, his face pale from the pain. Turning his head, he saw Yi Shi and cried out: “Ah!”
Yi Shi did not dodge or move away but stood up. The kidnappers, surprised to see a woman suddenly appear at the back of the bus, raised their guns and questioned her.
Yi Shi picked up the injured child: “I’m a teacher.”
“Teacher?” The man in the leather jacket asked the female teacher viciously, “Is she from your school?!”
The female teacher, pale with fear, looked at Yi Shi with uncertain eyes. Yi Shi gave her a slight nod, and the female teacher stammered: “Y-Yes… from our class…”
The bald man slapped the back of the leather jacket man’s head, cursing him for being blind, not noticing such a big living person on the bus. The man in the leather jacket protested loudly: “This woman was hiding in the back! I don’t have eyes that can see a thousand miles!”
He approached angrily. Yi Shi placed the little boy on a nearby seat, maintaining a calm demeanor while making eye contact with him. When he saw Yi Shi’s face clearly, his anger gradually dissipated, and a lewd smile appeared: “Hey, international schools are different; teachers are all chosen by model standards, right?”
Saying this, he grabbed Yi Shi’s arm, pressing her down on the seat, and started feeling her body: “Let me check if you’re carrying any dangerous items. Oh, little girl, your waist is really slim, your legs are long, but your chest is a bit small…”
Yi Shi sneered. That was a padded insert; otherwise, it would be an expansive runway.
“Alright, alright! Damn, I know your intentions! You can deal with this woman slowly later! Get the real business done first!”
The man in the leather jacket reluctantly got up. Yi Shi curled up on the seat, secretly relieved. Xiao Shitou and Gardenia were still hiding under the seat; he needed to come up with a good plan to get them through this.
Soon, the teachers’ phones, necklaces, and rings were all collected into a bag. The children’s gold bracelets and protective amulets were also confiscated. The bald man sat with his legs crossed: “Search more carefully! These little devils’ families are rich. Their mothers have them wear things on their bodies; make sure nothing is missed!”
Yi Shi thought to himself that modern kidnappers were quite advanced, knowing to find and destroy tracking chips. No wonder there was no trace. They even had metal detectors, and when it beeped on a little girl’s head, an alarm went off. The bald man grabbed the headpiece: “What’s this?! Didn’t we say all metal items should be removed?!”
The female teacher quickly explained: “That’s a cochlear implant! Xu Xuan’s right ear is deaf, and the implant helps her hear. It’s not dangerous!”
“Just because you say it’s not dangerous, does that mean it’s not? Do I listen to you?!”
The man in the leather jacket fueled the situation, yelling to remove it. The bald man grabbed the external part of the cochlear implant, trying to pull it off, causing Xu Xuan to flail her arms and legs, crying out in pain. The teacher, with tears streaming down her face, begged: “Please, don’t be so rough. It’s not a surveillance device, just a hearing aid…”
The bald man ignored her pleas, seemingly deaf to Xu Xuan’s cries. The teacher, powerless, could only kneel beside her and beg. Yi Shi, unable to stand it any longer from the back, rushed over, grabbed the attacker’s hand, and twisted his wrist behind his back, and forced him to let go. He then pulled the girl into his arms, looking down to check if the equipment on her head had been damaged by the rough handling.
The back of his head pressed against a hard object: “Beauty, you’d better behave. I don’t want to leave a hole in your head right now.”
Yi Shi didn’t even turn his head: “If you have the guts, just shoot.”
