Guan Xia had been sitting for hours without a trace of sleepiness. The darkness outside the camping light's reach was so absolute, the silence so profound, that time seemed to stand still.
This made everyone check the time every few minutes, muttering impatiently, "Why is time moving so slowly?"
As the night dragged on, Guan Xia grew increasingly restless. Finally, just before dawn, Xu Nian's phone rang.
After a brief conversation, Xu Nian exhaled in relief, his voice tinged with excitement. "The first wave of reinforcements has started climbing the mountain. More personnel will secure the perimeter for a thorough, gap-free search."
With the arrival of backup, Guan Xia felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her chest. She relaxed slightly and said firmly, "We reported it immediately—almost as soon as the gunshots rang out. The killer couldn’t have anticipated this. He won’t escape this time."
Her words carried an unshakable conviction, an inexplicable gut feeling that the perpetrator would be caught.
Pang Le sighed. "I just hope the people at the campsite are alright. I wonder how many were hurt."
Wang Yu chimed in, "After the initial five gunshots, there were no more. When we hiked earlier, I counted about sixteen people—all young. They might not be physically strong, but at that age, reflexes are sharp. I’m optimistic."
Pang Le murmured, "Let’s hope so."
Ji An stayed silent, her eyes fixed on her watch as she glanced anxiously outside, clearly worried about Zhong Xiaoyu.
Noticing this, Guan Xia scooted closer and whispered, "Don’t worry, Ji An. Zhong Xiaoyu used to be an armed police officer. She’s tough, quick-thinking, and fearless. She’ll be fine."
Ji An forced a smile and patted Guan Xia’s head, but her eyes were clouded with worry and regret. Guan Xia guessed she was kicking herself for not insisting on going along—at least they could’ve watched each other’s backs.
Guan Xia checked the time again. Zhong Xiaoyu had been gone for over three hours.
Though it was August, the mountain’s temperature dropped sharply at night. This was an undeveloped wilderness, with narrow, treacherous paths and no guardrails. Even if Zhong Xiaoyu had studied the terrain during the day, she was still unfamiliar with it. Guan Xia’s mind spiraled into worst-case scenarios—Zhong Xiaoyu slipping and tumbling down the mountainside.
Shaking off the grim thought, Guan Xia couldn’t sit still any longer. Wrapped in a blanket, she stepped onto the platform outside the cave, scanning the darkness.
The others shared her unease. Hours later, they all gathered on the platform, eyes glued to the lone trail leading in and out of the campsite.
Fortunately, Guan Xia’s morbid imagination didn’t come true. Around 1 a.m., a familiar figure emerged from the shadows of the narrow path.
Ji An recognized her instantly, her face lighting up with rare excitement. "It’s Zhong Xiaoyu! She’s back!"
The group exhaled in unison, waving eagerly as Zhong Xiaoyu hurried toward them.
Despite the chilly night, Zhong Xiaoyu was drenched in sweat, her forehead damp with it, strands of hair sticking to her skin. She wiped her face roughly, panting as she spoke.
"I’ve scouted the situation and saw the suspect—triangular eyes, flat nose, dressed in a black windbreaker. The gun is definitely homemade, crude and low-powered. I didn’t see any bodies, but there was blood. People were hurt, but they might’ve escaped or hidden."
She paused, frowning. "And... I don’t think his goal was to kill them. This might sound strange, but through my binoculars, I saw him stalking the group without firing again. It was like he was herding them."
"Herding?" Guan Xia was stunned. "Why would he do that? Wang Yu said he’s a sociopath who enjoys controlling life and death. Could it be someone else?"
Suddenly remembering something, Guan Xia dug out her phone and scrolled frantically. After a few minutes, she shoved it toward Zhong Xiaoyu. "Is this him?"
Zhong Xiaoyu barely needed a glance. "Yes. That’s the man I saw."
Xu Nian and the others crowded around. Wang Yu confirmed instantly, "It’s the suspect from the 0217 familicide case."
Pang Le’s face twisted in disgust. "So he’s changed his MO? How twisted is that?"
Guan Xia’s eyes lit up as a connection clicked. "Pang Le, remember what happened to Song Yi in Qu Spring City?"
She glanced at Xu Nian—she’d asked him about it before, but due to confidentiality, details were scarce. Still, the parallels were uncanny.
Pang Le stiffened, then nodded gravely. "You mean... that night when Song Yi was chased, two people died, and she barely escaped?"
Guan Xia nodded. Back then, she’d marveled at how Song Yi survived—being hunted at gunpoint in the mountains at night. She’d imagined fierce struggles or clever hiding spots, but now she realized the sheer terror of that night.
Not only did Song Yi have to dodge bullets, but she also risked plummeting down the slopes. Her survival wasn’t just luck—it was her experience and wilderness-honed endurance.
Guan Xia doubted she’d last an hour in those conditions.
As she reflected, Meng Lan interjected anxiously, "Stop speaking in riddles! Some of us are slow—can someone explain?"
Once again, it was the ever-patient senior Jiang Yingyao who explained: "What they're saying is that the perpetrator of the 0217 massacre has escalated their methods. Based on the case in Quchun City this past April and tonight's events, we can deduce that the killer no longer derives pleasure from the act of killing itself but rather enjoys tormenting victims, reveling in their fear and despair. Take what Zhong Xiaoyu witnessed tonight—given prior patterns, we can infer that the reason the killer fired five shots and then stopped was to terrorize them first. The panic would ignite a desperate will to survive, making them scatter in all directions. Then, the killer could follow at a distance, savoring the intense negative emotions and chaotic choices born from their struggle to live. Just imagine—an undeveloped wilderness mountain, unfamiliar terrain, narrow and treacherous paths... what might happen when a group of terrified people flee for their lives?"
Jiang Yingyao’s expression grew darker as he spoke, while Meng Lan listened in stunned silence. Subconsciously following his train of thought, she murmured, "They might fall down the mountain... or even push and shove each other to avoid being the last one?"
As if frightened by her own speculation, Meng Lan shuddered and said in disbelief, "How can someone so twisted exist in modern society?"
Pang Le remarked flatly, "That’s why they’re a born sociopath. No normal person could do something like this."
Xu Nian suddenly turned to Zhong Xiaoyu and asked, "You said you saw the campers fleeing—which direction did they go?"
Zhong Xiaoyu replied, "Most ran downhill, but a few panicked and came toward our campsite."
Ji An followed up, "What about the killer? Which way did they go?"
Zhong Xiaoyu answered, "Chased the majority downhill. What a shame I didn’t have a sniper rifle—at that distance, I could’ve taken them out with one shot." She smacked her thigh in frustration. The others understood—as a former armed police officer, her instinct was to protect civilians. Xu Nian and the rest felt the same; if they’d had weapons, they would’ve rushed toward the gunfire immediately.
Guan Xia quickly grasped Xu Nian’s intent and glanced at him. "You want to intercept the ones heading our way and get more details?"
Xu Nian nodded, then looked at his colleagues and Ji An for input. "What do you all think?"
Ji An responded calmly, "I agree. We should move now—no delays."
Meng Lan hesitated, glancing at them before finally saying, "It’s the darkest part of the night, and the mountain paths are damp and slippery. You all..." Under their collective gaze, her voice faded until she whispered, "Just... be careful."
Guan Xia, self-aware about her lack of stamina, stayed behind. Pang Le instinctively began packing but then paused, setting her backpack down. She looked at Ji An and said, "You go ahead. Guan Xia and I are attached at the hip—I can’t relax unless she’s in my sight. Stay safe and watch your step."
No one else objected, though Zhong Xiaoyu hugged Pang Le before leaving. Guan Xia noticed her discreetly slipping something into Pang Le’s hand.
Once the group was gone, Guan Xia asked curiously, "What did Zhong Xiaoyu give you?"
Pang Le opened her palm to reveal a small dagger. "No idea when she packed this. Probably for self-defense."
Guan Xia was impressed. "Zhong Xiaoyu really came prepared for this trip—even brought a weapon."
Pang Le twirled the dagger with one hand and slung an arm around Guan Xia’s shoulders. "Guess she heard about your ‘legendary’ mishaps from Ji An and decided to play it safe. Former armed police—they’ve got a chronic fear of insufficient firepower. If guns weren’t banned here, she’d probably have brought one."
She examined the blade and added, "Weirdly, I’ve got a feeling this’ll come in handy tonight."
Guan Xia stiffened. "Don’t tell me we’re unlucky enough to have the killer show up the second they leave."
Meng Lan paled, shuddering as she pressed herself against the rock wall and stared anxiously at the now-empty path.
"Nah," Pang Le reassured her. "Trust Zhong Xiaoyu—if she thought this place wasn’t safe, she wouldn’t have left. Those people out there are civilians, but so are we three."
Guan Xia wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and nodded belatedly.
That made sense. After working cases with Xu Nian’s team, constantly surrounded by detectives and bouncing between police stations and crime scenes, she’d almost forgotten they weren’t actual officers—just consultants affiliated with Yongquan City.
With that realization, Guan Xia stopped worrying about herself and instead gazed uneasily in the direction the others had gone.
She could only hope they’d succeed in bringing those people back safely—without any surprises.
