
The main character, Liang, views himself as a cunning predator amidst innocents, more like a bandit than an upstanding citizen. He co-operates with his partner “Tongue” in various underhanded activities such as theft, violence, and taking on questionable tasks. In their latest assignment, they are tasked with escorting a group of young children to a distant city for sale, presumably as maids or servants. The group consists of two impoverished sisters, a kidnapped girl whose family failed to pay ransom, and a silent, orphaned girl, all under the age of ten. Despite Tongue’s efforts to persuade Liang that this job is justified, it clearly constitutes human trafficking, regardless of any excuses they might concoct.