Although Guan Xia had identified a key suspect in the disappearance case of Ning Xin and her daughter, the group didn’t act immediately after their meal. Instead, they discussed and divided tasks among themselves—some were assigned to surveillance, others to investigation. It wasn’t until past three in the afternoon that they dispersed after exchanging reminders.
This time, Guan Xia wasn’t paired with Pang Le. Since neither of them had police credentials and lacked much experience in fieldwork, they were split up—Guan Xia teamed with Ji An, while Pang Le partnered with Wang Yu.
Guan Xia and Ji An’s mission was to pose as newcomers looking to rent a long-term residence in Shangshuang City, using this pretext to strike up conversations with residents in Geng Jing’s neighborhood and see if they could uncover any clues.
By the time they took a taxi to Geng Jing’s residential area, it was still before four. The sun hadn’t set yet, and with rush hour yet to begin, the neighborhood was quiet, mostly populated by elderly residents sitting in shaded spots, chatting in small groups. Only a handful of younger people were out and about.
Guan Xia and Ji An first pretended to look for rental postings, circling the neighborhood to familiarize themselves with the layout and facilities. Then, adjusting their expressions, they approached a kindly-looking elderly woman.
The woman sat under a large tree, engaged in casual conversation with another elderly man. Spotting the two young women from a distance of about ten meters, she turned her head keenly and smiled as they approached.
Before Ji An could even speak, the woman chuckled and said, “You two girls are here to rent a place, aren’t you? I’ve been watching you for a while now. Old Tian and I even made a bet on when you’d come over to ask us.”
Ji An smiled back. “Grandma, are there any places for rent in this neighborhood?”
The woman nodded. “Of course there are, but you’re a bit late. Last month, there were plenty, but now only a few older, smaller units are left—not much to choose from.”
Guan Xia asked curiously, “Is it because of the recent influx of tourists?”
The woman squinted at Guan Xia and grinned. “My, what a pretty girl! You look so sweet. How old are you?”
“Twenty-five,” Guan Xia replied with a smile.
“Still so young!” the woman said warmly. “Come sit by me, dear. Let me tell you all about it.”
With that, she nudged the elderly man beside her, scolding playfully, “Move over already! No sense of courtesy at all.”
The man, unfazed, cheerfully scooted aside, making room for Guan Xia.
Guan Xia glanced uncertainly at Ji An, who showed no hesitation and gently urged her forward. “Go on, don’t be shy. Whether we find a place today depends on you.”
Used to dealing with children rather than the elderly, Guan Xia felt slightly awkward but obliged, sitting down beside the woman.
The woman began by asking her a few questions—why they’d suddenly decided to rent here, whether their work was demanding, and if they planned to stay long-term.
After Guan Xia answered according to the script she and Ji An had prepared, the woman finally explained, “You must not have visited Shangshuang City much, dear. Our city’s a bit special. Right now, it’s scorching hot, but after the 15th or 16th, the weather cools down. That’s when tourists really start pouring in, and older folks come to stay for months, sometimes until after the New Year.”
No wonder rentals were in demand. Guan Xia nodded in understanding.
The woman continued, “If you’re looking for a long-term lease, options are slim right now. But for short-term, there’s still some availability. I think Unit 301 in Building 12, Block 2—the Huang family’s girl’s place—is still free. And Old Zhao’s old apartment in Building 19 might be vacant too.”
As she pondered, the elderly man on Guan Xia’s other side suddenly chimed in, “Isn’t Building 14 supposed to have two empty units? Third and fourth floor, two-bedroom apartments. Wouldn’t those suit them?”
The woman immediately frowned. “See? Your memory’s failing you again. Have you forgotten who lives in Building 14? These two young girls wouldn’t get a moment’s peace if they moved there!”
Guan Xia’s interest was piqued. She had a hunch about whom they were referring to but feigned ignorance. “Grandma, who are you talking about? Why wouldn’t we have peace if we rented there?”
The woman’s expression softened again as she patted Guan Xia’s hand. “Don’t mind that old fool. Building 14’s no place for two young ladies like you. You’d be harassed for sure.”
Before Guan Xia could press further, the woman glanced around and lowered her voice. “There’s a troublemaker living in Building 14—always scowling, quick to pick fights. Word is, he suffered a head injury when he was younger and has… mental issues.”
This caught Guan Xia off guard. “Mental issues? Like… psychiatric problems?”
The woman hushed her urgently. “Shh! Don’t say that too loudly—especially where he might hear. He’d show up at your doorstep in a heartbeat. That man’s got a nasty temper. Last month, someone’s son muttered something unflattering about him, and what happened? That very night, his front door was splashed with paint, and the man threatened to chop him up! With behavior like that, who’d dare cross him?”
Guan Xia was stunned. “Isn’t that outright intimidation? Didn’t anyone report him?”
“Who’d dare?” the woman sighed. “At worst, he’d get a slap on the wrist—locked up for a few days. But once he’s out? He’d make their lives hell.”
Ji An interjected calmly, “With that kind of attitude, surely he’s done something serious enough to land him in jail for good?”
“Who knows?” the elderly man grunted. “He’s so volatile—just looking at him the wrong way earns you a scolding. Nobody dares keep tabs on him. But I did hear… he’s kidnapped someone before.”
The word “kidnapped” made Guan Xia’s pulse quicken. She exchanged a subtle glance with Ji An before feigning casual curiosity. “Kidnapping? How’d anyone find out? Wouldn’t something like that be kept under wraps?”
The man leaned in conspiratorially. “My neighbor Old Li told me. His son was driving back from a trip outside the city years ago when he spotted a minivan with some supermarket logo. At first, he didn’t pay attention, but then he heard the driver cursing—and recognized the voice. It was that man from Building 14.”
The woman scoffed. “And how does that prove kidnapping? Plenty of people sound alike.”
The old man, feeling challenged, grew flustered and snapped, "We heard a child crying in the car! That guy from Building 14 hasn’t been with anyone since his divorce back in 2015—where would a child come from? Old Li said his son even sped up to get a closer look, and it was definitely him. There was also a woman sitting in the passenger seat."
"A woman?" the other elderly man remarked. "Could it be his ex-wife? Getting tangled up again after the divorce? What’s in it for her?"
"No," the first old man replied. "Old Li said his son didn’t dare look too closely—didn’t want trouble—but he caught a glimpse. He couldn’t make out her face clearly, but he’s sure it wasn’t the ex-wife. This woman was much prettier, fair-skinned, with a round face—looked like she had good fortune written all over her."
Hearing this, Guan Xia exchanged a subtle glance with Ji An, committing every word to memory.
As more residents began milling around the neighborhood, the two old men either grew wary of eavesdroppers or regretted oversharing. They quickly changed the subject, circling back to the topic of renting the apartment.
It wasn’t until nearly 9 p.m., long after dark, that Guan Xia and Ji An finally left the complex. To maintain their cover, they inspected the apartment, took the landlord’s number, and promised to think it over before hailing a cab straight back to the hotel.
Instead of returning to their own rooms, they headed straight to Wang Yu’s. As expected, the rest of the team was already there, eating and deep in discussion.
The moment they walked in, Pang Le blurted out, "How’d it go? Smooth sailing? No hiccups?" His eyes darted over Guan Xia from head to toe, only relaxing once he confirmed she was unharmed.
Guan Xia tossed her crossbody bag onto an empty bed, took a swig of water, and said, "Went well. This afternoon, we ran into two elderly folks in Geng Jing’s neighborhood and may have stumbled upon an eyewitness linked to the Ning Xin mother-daughter disappearance case five years ago."
The news took everyone by surprise. Faces lit up. "Already? That fast?"
Ji An, gulping down half a bottle of water, grinned. "All thanks to Guan Xia. Guess her face just clicked with those old folks—they ended up spilling more than they meant to. Judging by their expressions and body language, they might’ve exaggerated some details, but the part about the eyewitness? Almost certainly true."
She then recounted the old men’s words verbatim.
Zhong Xiaoyu chimed in, "Earlier today, Captain Zhou mentioned Geng Jing’s ex-wife’s name—something Lotus, right? We got lucky, but sounds like Captain Zhou hit a dead end."
Xu Nian’s voice was grave. "Fair skin, a face that radiates good fortune in the eyes of the elderly… If we follow Geng Jing’s trail, and with five years having passed since the case, we should uncover something soon."
Pang Le frowned, turning to Ji An. "But Ji An, five years ago, Ning Xin and her daughter were lured into Geng Jing’s car on a main road—shouldn’t surveillance cameras have caught everything? How come his identity wasn’t confirmed all this time?"
Ji An sighed. "I reviewed the footage from around the time of the incident. Both of them wore simple disguises. None of the cameras got a clear shot of their full faces."
Pang Le still seemed uneasy. "Logically, Ning Xin, being in poor health and with a young daughter, would’ve been extra cautious. Why skip roadside assistance and hop into a stranger’s car? Something about this doesn’t add up. Feels off."
Guan Xia glanced at Ji An. "Ji An, after recovering data from Ning Xin’s phone, apart from the recording, was there anything else unusual?"
Ji An nodded. "We found multiple outgoing calls that never connected. She was driving on a main road—no way there’d be signal issues. We suspected a signal jammer might’ve been planted near where her car broke down, but the Nanping team searched the area later and found nothing."
Zhong Xiaoyu sucked in a sharp breath. "This is next-level. Signal jammers? What were they after? A four-year-old child—what could possibly be worth this much effort? Organs? Hearts, livers, corneas—sold separately, they’d fetch a fortune."
Guan Xia stiffened, turning to Zhong Xiaoyu. "But a four-year-old’s body isn’t fully developed. Even if transplanted, adult recipients couldn’t handle the strain, right?"
"Still better than waiting to die," Zhong Xiaoyu countered. "I remember reading about a case—a father and child, blood-related. The dad had kidney failure, and they matched. Ended up taking one of the kid’s kidneys. Though that child was older, like a teenager."
Her words opened up another avenue for investigation.
The room fell into thoughtful silence until Xu Nian spoke. "Ji An, did your team explore this angle back then?"
Ji An’s expression darkened. She shook her head. "Given the child’s age, and with Ning Xin only officially listed as missing—not confirmed dead—we focused more on the adults’ social connections."
Guan Xia’s face mirrored Ji An’s unease. If this was truly about organ trafficking, then Ning Ping’an couldn’t be the only victim. They’d need to dig deeper—starting with Geng Jing, but also Ning Ping’an herself.
