Among the group were a retired soldier and an active-duty police officer, yet Pang Le was the first to turn to Guan Xia for confirmation, asking urgently, "Well? Guan Xia, was that gunfire?"
Since her system hadn't been triggered, Guan Xia hesitated. Her instincts told her it sounded like gunfire, but she wasn’t entirely sure.
Just as Guan Xia wavered, another series of identical sounds echoed faintly in the distance.
Though Meng Lan was still clueless about what was happening, the grave expressions on everyone’s faces made her grow increasingly tense.
Zhong Xiaoyu had been listening intently the whole time. After a few seconds, she said with absolute certainty, "I’m not mistaken. That was definitely gunfire. Including this round, five shots in total."
Meng Lan was utterly stunned, her face blank with shock. "Wait… we’re just hiking, right? Why would there be gunfire? Poachers?"
Guan Xia shook her head before the more experienced members like Xu Nian could respond. "Unlikely. The Cuiping Mountain Range is vast, and while there is a wildlife reserve deep in the core zone, it’s completely undeveloped. We’re nowhere near that area, and we haven’t seen any wildlife along the way. It can’t be poachers."
Meng Lan grew even more panicked. "If it’s not poachers, then it must be criminals? Are we really this unlucky? Just a casual hike, and we run into armed criminals?"
At her words, everyone except Zhong Xiaoyu instinctively turned their eyes toward Guan Xia and Pang Le.
Pang Le’s expression remained unchanged, but Guan Xia seemed to recall something, lost in thought.
Before Guan Xia could piece it together, Qi Bai suddenly spoke up. "Cuiping Mountain Range, armed criminals… why does that sound so familiar?"
Wang Yu replied, "Of course it does. Remember the cigarette butt we found in the stream, three kilometers from the dismembered body bags in the 0503 serial murder case?"
The reminder made Qi Bai’s face twist in horror. "You mean the perpetrator from the 0217 massacre?"
Wang Yu gave a grim nod, then glanced at Xu Nian, who had been silently studying the map the entire time. "Captain Xu probably figured it out already, right?"
Xu Nian didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, "Based on the gunfire just now, I’ve roughly estimated that if the shooter was killing someone, he’s likely at this campsite."
He pressed his finger firmly onto a spot on the map.
Everyone immediately crowded around. Fortunately, they were used to accommodating Guan Xia’s height, so she secured the best vantage point.
Standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Xu Nian, Guan Xia noticed the location he indicated. On the map, it was northeast of their current position, nearly four kilometers away in a straight line—much farther if accounting for winding mountain paths.
Meng Lan, bewildered and alarmed, asked, "How do you know the armed criminal is probably at this campsite?"
Jiang Yingyao patiently explained, "First, the direction of the gunfire suggests it came from our northeast. The sound was faint, meaning it’s far away. The map shows three campsites in that direction. The closest is less than two kilometers away—a cave with no platform, just a narrow entrance. If the killer were there, the gunshots would’ve been muffled by the rock walls. The farthest one is nearly seven kilometers out. Even in the mountains’ open terrain, we wouldn’t hear gunfire from that distance. That leaves only this campsite."
Meng Lan nodded, though only half-understanding.
Wang Yu added, "Then there’s the terrain. The northeast campsite is the only one shaped like a basin. You noticed the gunfire pattern—two shots with a long gap, then three in quick succession. From what I know about the 0217 case, the killer is a natural sociopath. He doesn’t kill for conventional motives, nor is it a crime of passion. He enjoys the thrill of controlling life and death."
She pulled out her phone, showing a real photo of the campsite from an online guide.
"Look at the terrain here—narrow entry, low but commanding cliffs on either side. It fits the 0217 killer’s profile perfectly."
Meng Lan’s eyes widened in horror. "A criminal this dangerous… and he’s still at large?"
Jiang Yingyao said, "He’s brazen but cunning. He’s been exploiting the Cuiping Range’s sprawling geography across multiple provinces, moving after every attack. Police have organized countless manhunts, but he’s always slipped through."
Meng Lan paled, gripping Guan Xia’s hand tightly. "Then… could he be targeting these spots deliberately? If he’s done killing at that campsite, might he come here next? We’re in danger!"
Her voice trembled. "He has a gun. Even with our numbers, we can’t stop him—he could pick us off one by one. We should leave. Now. Call for backup."
She turned frantically to pack, but no one else moved.
Guan Xia was piecing things together. If Xu Nian’s theory was right, the killer had been in these mountains long enough to know the terrain.
And then there were the figures she’d glimpsed earlier—too far to see clearly, but their builds and clothes suggested a group of young hikers.
She hadn’t counted, but she remembered at least a dozen—more than their own group. If they’d all been killed…
Guan Xia shuddered, unable to dwell on the thought.
Wang Yu said, "From what I’ve gathered about the 0217 killer, his guns are homemade. I showed photos to Tech Team’s Sister Yu—she said they’re powerful but short-range and inaccurate. Unless he’s close, it’s hard to land a fatal shot from a distance."
Guan Xia understood these words immediately and let out a sigh of relief. It seemed the previous five gunshots were more of a warning—a twisted game by the murderer—and for now, they wouldn’t lead to major casualties.
Pang Le’s brows furrowed into a deep frown. "Is this killer insane? Taunting the police like this, firing shots in what’s practically a public space—does he really want to play some cat-and-mouse game with the cops?"
Guan Xia found it all absurd and didn’t bother trying to decipher the killer’s motives. Instead, she turned to Xu Nian and asked, "What’s your plan? Are you going to check it out?"
Even as she asked, she knew Xu Nian well enough—he wouldn’t act recklessly.
Sure enough, Xu Nian shook his head. "This is an undeveloped mountain. Going out at night is too dangerous, especially when we’re just speculating. We don’t know the full situation, and we’re unarmed. Charging in blindly won’t help. I’ve already reported this to Chief Ren via satellite phone. He’ll contact the local police and armed forces. For now, all we can do is gather as much intel as possible and see if there’s a safe way to get closer."
Hearing this, Qi Bai suddenly patted the binoculars still hanging around his neck with relief. "Thank goodness I randomly decided to bring these. Without them, we’d be completely blind in the dark."
As he spoke, he started to hand the binoculars to Xu Nian, but a hand suddenly snatched them mid-air.
It was Zhong Xiaoyu. Adjusting the binoculars, she said, "I used to be in the armed police. Even though I’ve been out for a few years, my skills haven’t rusted. You all stay here. I’ll find a vantage point to observe and come back with intel."
Zhong Xiaoyu was a woman of action. Before anyone could react, she slung the binoculars around her neck, grabbed some essentials from the cave, and headed out.
Ji An quickly grabbed her arm. "It’s too dangerous to go alone. Let me come with you—we’ve worked together before."
Zhong Xiaoyu firmly pulled her arm free. "Ji An, this isn’t like before. We’re dealing with armed criminals, and we don’t even know how many there are. I’ve had specialized training—I can handle situations you can’t. Just wait here. I promise I’ll only scout and won’t engage. Once I know what’s going on, I’ll come straight back."
The group fell silent. They knew that in this situation, tagging along would only slow her down. After a brief pause, Ji An reluctantly hugged her and whispered, "Be careful." The others also voiced their concerns.
As Zhong Xiaoyu’s figure disappeared into the dark mountain path, Guan Xia turned to Xu Nian. "How soon can reinforcements arrive?"
Xu Nian checked his watch. "The local police will be the fastest, but it’ll still take at least four or five hours."
Guan Xia mentally retraced their climb. Even at top speed with no breaks, it would indeed take that long.
Pang Le sighed. "Four or five hours… Who knows what’ll happen by then? I just hope some people manage to escape and casualties stay low."
The waiting began. Without Qi Bai’s binoculars, their flashlights barely illuminated anything, and using them would only reveal their position.
Meng Lan had initially insisted on descending the mountain, but after hearing Xu Nian’s analysis, she reluctantly changed her mind. "What kind of luck do we have? We just wanted a simple trip to relax, and now we’re caught up in this mess. And I specifically picked a niche spot too—still ended up in trouble."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone instinctively glanced at Guan Xia and Pang Le.
Meng Lan finally caught on, hesitantly looking at Guan Xia. "Wait… They’re looking at you like that again. I think I’ve said something similar before, and they did the same thing. Don’t tell me…" Her expression turned uneasy.
Guan Xia gave an awkward smile. "Yeah, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. Lately, whenever Pang Le and I go out, there’s a high chance we’ll stumble into some kind of crime."
As she spoke, Guan Xia suddenly remembered something. Her eyes flicked to Jiang Yingyao, then to Wang Yu and Xu Nian.
Now that she thought about it, ever since they started climbing, Xu Nian and the others—including Ji An—had been oddly vigilant, constantly scanning their surroundings as if searching for something.
At the time, she’d found it strange. But now, hearing Meng Lan’s words, it clicked. They’d expected trouble from the start, which was why they’d been so alert the entire way up.
Having pieced it together, Guan Xia glared at Pang Le. "Show me your phone. What exactly did you send in that group message?"
Pang Le scratched his chin guiltily, suddenly fascinated by the cave ceiling. "Wow, the weather’s great tonight. The moon’s huge, and the stars are so clear."
Guan Xia snorted and made a grab for his phone. Realizing he couldn’t dodge the question, Pang Le finally admitted, "I was just being honest! Ask Xu Nian—I didn’t exaggerate."
Under Guan Xia’s scrutinizing gaze, Xu Nian sighed and handed over his phone. "I don’t know how to explain it. See for yourself."
Guan Xia took the phone without hesitation and opened Pang Le’s chat. The last message read:
Xu Nian, Guan Xia and Meng Lan are going hiking and camping. I’m tagging along. I have a feeling something’s going to happen. I probably can’t handle it alone—you in?
Guan Xia stared at the screen, stunned. "No wonder Ji An and Zhong Xiaoyu came. Even Lu Tingfeng wanted to join. With a message like that, of course they’d show up!"
Pang Le shrugged innocently. "But was I wrong? My gut was right. And look—Zhong Xiaoyu’s skills came in handy. Out of all of us, she’s the only one with military experience. And Qi Bai brought binoculars! Without them, the three of us would’ve been completely helpless. With you two being so out of shape, I wouldn’t even dare take you back down—one wrong step and you’d go tumbling off the mountain."
Guan Xia rolled her eyes and handed the phone back to Xu Nian. "Yes, you’re absolutely right. Thank you so much. Without you, I definitely wouldn’t be sitting here feeling so safe and chatting like this."
Pang Le wrapped an arm around Guan Xia's shoulder and said smugly, "No need to thank me—I was just being cautious. But honestly, we really owe Qi Bai for this. Without his telescope, we’d have been stuck between a rock and a hard place."
