Recommending a friend's new book, The Great Devil, the latest masterpiece in the cultivation genre, currently at 200,000 words and set to officially launch after the May Day holiday.

Qin Xue took the driver away. Wang Zhuo and Qin Siqing left the hospital and got into a taxi. Qin Siqing suddenly had an idea: "Brother Wang Zhuo, let's go to Jinhua Temple."

Wang Zhuo was a little surprised. "Jinhua Temple? Why go there?"

"I want to make a wish for Grandpa's safety. Dad said Grandma used to go to the temple every month to pray for Grandpa when she was still alive."

"Alright then, Jinhua Temple." Wang Zhuo nodded. He wasn't interested in the military training either; standing at attention and marching was too boring. The firearms practice and target shooting scheduled for the next two days were at least worth participating in.

Jinhua Temple was situated in a less bustling part of the urban area. The car stopped about a hundred meters from the temple entrance; the rest of the way was a pedestrian street they had to walk.

Barely a few steps after getting out, two filthy children blocked their path, holding their hands crossed over their chests and gazing at Wang Zhuo and Qin Siqing with pitiful eyes.

Qin Siqing was instantly filled with compassion. She patted herself down, only to realize she was still in her camouflage uniform from the training—she hadn't brought her wallet. She turned to Wang Zhuo and asked, "Do you have any spare change?"

Wang Zhuo reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a large handful of coins. "Here."

Taxis in Jiangzhou used one-yuan coins as change, and since he had taken a taxi frequently over the past few days, Wang Zhuo had many coins. Even the cab driver just now had given him three back as change.

Qin Siqing had intended to divide these coins among the two children, but suddenly noticed several other similar children further down the street, holding out their hands to pedestrians or tourists. After a moment's thought, she gave each of the first two children five yuan, calculating that it should be enough for them to have a full meal.

Receiving the money, the two children cheered excitedly, not even saying a proper thank you, and immediately darted away. Qin Siqing was infected by their joy, shaking her head with a smile.

Those two cheers instantly brought trouble. The other begging children, hearing the excitement, immediately took notice and rushed over in a scramble.

Wang Zhuo sensed something was amiss because one little girl who had received money gestured five fingers toward a small beggar running toward them, seemingly signaling how much she had received—five yuan.

"Sister, Sister! Give it to me first, I'm starving! Give it to me first!"

"Sister give it to me, Sister, Sister give it to me, Sister—"

Aside from two slightly older boys, looking about seven or eight years old, aggressively demanding attention, the other children simply stared up with their dirty little faces, holding their hands high without saying a word.

Qin Siqing was startled by the sudden surge and involuntarily tried to step back a pace. The moment she moved, two children dropped to their knees and desperately clung to her legs.

"One at a time, everyone gets something!"

Qin Siqing cried out, frantically handing out the money to the children.

Seeing the coins in her hand dwindling, a child who hadn't received any money grew anxious and suddenly slapped out toward Qin Siqing's arm.

With that single strike, the coins in Qin Siqing's hand scattered like petals from a celestial bloom, flying everywhere. One child yelled "Quick, grab them!" and instantly, the ground was full of small beggars crouching down to scramble for the money, the scene descending into utter chaos.

Wang Zhuo rushed forward a couple of steps and pulled Qin Siqing to the side.

"Where did so many begging children come from?" Qin Siqing looked at the cluster of children, counting more than twenty of them.

"Perhaps because it's close to the temple, it's easier to get money?" Wang Zhuo frowned deeply. These children were boys and girls, some old enough for school, the youngest barely over three, all looking as if they had been fished out of a garbage heap. Some were completely barefoot or bare-chested. What kind of future awaited them?

Just as Qin Siqing was about to speak, she heard a clear voice from a little girl shout: "That man still has money on him!"

That shout instantly popped the hornet's nest. The little beggars, eyes flashing red, swarmed them, encircling the pair. Some grabbed at their clothes, some hugged their legs, some held out their hands begging, and the bolder ones even reached directly into Wang Zhuo's pockets!

Wang Zhuo slapped away the small, dirty hand. What a hand it was—a hand that, in the middle of summer, bore several old, deep cracks, with bruises on the back of the hand, and long, uncut nails whose crevices were packed with black mud.

Having no other choice, Wang Zhuo had to use a fraction of his strength to push the little beggars away. He pulled Qin Siqing close to his side, felt around in his pocket, and tossed the remaining coins onto the ground nearby.

This action was compelled by necessity. Who wanted to see a crowd of impressionable children squatting on the ground like pecking chicks, scrambling for a few pitiful coins without dignity? But if he didn't, what if one of those filthy children scratched Qin Siqing's small hands or face? Would they have to return to the hospital for a tetanus shot? Or a rabies vaccine?

The little beggars immediately rushed over to snatch the money. Two who were still trying to cling on hesitated when they saw Wang Zhuo's grim expression, then abandoned their grip and joined the scramble.

"Taxi!"

Wang Zhuo hailed a passing cab and, before the beggar gang could regroup and charge again, he and Qin Siqing got inside.

The cab started, pulled into traffic, and the driver, after setting the meter, asked, "Where to?"

"Just drive anywhere for now," Wang Zhuo said with a wry smile. It seemed the trip to Jinhua Temple was definitely canceled.

Qin Siqing shook her head repeatedly, still unnerved. "That was terrifying. Where did so many poor children come from? Were they working together?"

"Were you accosted by those money-begging kids?" the driver chuckled. "They are organized. If you give one child money, the rest show up."

Wang Zhuo’s heart stirred. He recalled the gesture made by the first little girl who received money, which instantly confirmed his suspicion.

"Organized? Who organizes them? An orphanage?" Qin Siqing asked innocently.

"An orphanage?" The driver immediately burst out laughing. "Some of these kids are stolen, some are picked up, some are bought, some are snatched, and some are rented. Someone is controlling them from behind the scenes, making money off them."

What? Wang Zhuo and Qin Siqing were both stunned into silence.

"What's going on? Please tell us more," Qin Siqing urged.

"Don't you watch the news? How can you not know about this?" The driver seemed surprised in turn.

Qin Siqing countered, puzzled. "I watch the national news broadcast every day, and I read the papers. I haven't seen any news about this."

"That kind of news that only reports the good and hides the bad—what's the use of watching it?" the driver grumbled, then opened up his floodgates. "There are people now who specialize in controlling children to go out and beg; they earn a good living doing this. In our Jiangzhou alone, one child can beg up several thousand yuan a month, and if they can manage three children, their monthly income can exceed ten thousand."

"Ah?" Qin Siqing was utterly astonished. Although she didn't grasp the concept of money as deeply as Wang Zhuo, she knew that a civil servant's salary was only a few thousand yuan.

The driver continued: "That group of children just now? They've been in Changning District for over a year, changing locations every few days. Someone picks them up and drops them off daily, just like going to work. When they pick them up in the evening, if they see a child hasn't begged enough, they beat them right there, kicking them within an inch of their lives. I’ve personally witnessed it twice."

Qin Siqing was already shocked. Wang Zhuo frowned and asked, "Is there no one managing this situation? Why hasn't anyone called the police?"

"Calling the police is useless—" the driver said earnestly. "Those police officers don't care about things like this. They'd rather spend their time busting prostitution rings or gambling dens; it's easy work with side benefits. Who bothers with this kind of trouble? It’s thankless and difficult."

As he spoke, they reached a red light up ahead. A young boy, about seven or eight years old, ran up and began begging from the drivers waiting at the light.

"See that? That kid was here last year too. Rain or shine, New Year’s Day or National Day, he never rests," the driver shook his head with a bitter smile. "He carries a key ring and specifically targets private cars for money; if you don't give, he scratches your paint!"

"Over a year, and no one has done anything? Is there any law in Jiangzhou?" Qin Siqing found it even harder to comprehend. This was the city managed by her father? A leading international metropolis renowned across the nation?

Rule of law? Wang Zhuo sneered. Since the day his father went to jail, he had stopped believing in the rule of law.

As the little beggar passed their taxi, he did indeed not stop, walking straight toward a Buick behind them.

The driver chuckled, a hint of helplessness in his tone: "Whether there’s rule of law or not, I just know the police are people too; they won't move unless there's personal gain—"

"Then these children aren't even going to school. What happens to them in the future?" Qin Siqing looked at Wang Zhuo.

Wang Zhuo shook his head slightly. He had already thought about the future of these children, but he didn't know how to explain it to Qin Siqing.

"Future? What future do they have?" The driver picked up the conversation. "Now they are little beggars; when they grow up, they'll be thieves or prostitutes. Nothing more than male criminals and fallen women."

Qin Siqing frowned deeply. "Don't these children's parents worry about their future?"

Wang Zhuo gave a bitter smile and interjected, "Little princess, didn't you just hear this driver brother say that these children are snatched, kidnapped, and bought? Their parents might be in Guangdong, maybe Yunnan, maybe Anhui—anywhere. They probably don't even know where their own children ended up. Worrying about them is useless!"

The driver immediately chimed in agreement: "Exactly! Who cares about other people's kids? Didn't that news story say that some begging children who are missing limbs or legs aren't actually born disabled? They are deliberately maimed by the people controlling them because that gets them more money."

Qin Siqing’s tears suddenly streamed down her face. She thought about how she had deliberately given an extra few yuan to that little girl who was limping, only to realize that the girl's limp was precisely a calculated tactic to trick ignorant people like herself into giving away more money!