Guan Xia and her group were the last to return to the hotel. When they entered Wang Yu's room, the others were already deep in discussion. However, the moment they saw Guan Xia and the others, the attention immediately shifted. Zhong Xiaoyu was the first to speak up: "Looks like you had quite the productive day. All three of you were so busy that no one even replied in the group chat. You practically vanished after noon. So, how did it go? Everything go smoothly?"
Lu Tingfeng, ever the joker, playfully squeezed Jiang Yingyao's shoulder and grinned. "Bro Jiang, you must be exhausted. Come on, spill it—did you make any big discoveries today?"
Jiang Yingyao yelped at Lu Tingfeng's antics, finally breaking free and grabbing the water from Xu Nian's hands. After taking a sip, he said, "We did find something, but it's a long story. Let’s hear about your day first. What did you uncover?"
Wang Yu rubbed her tired eyes and sighed. "Lu and I spent the whole day looking into missing persons cases. So far, nothing concrete, but something feels off. Yongquan City is a tourist destination, but compared to nearby cities, it’s still relatively niche. Even though tourism has boomed in recent years, especially with people looking for long-term stays, the number of missing persons is noticeably higher here. I even cross-checked with our city’s data—it’s two percentage points above average."
Zhong Xiaoyu frowned. "Could it be because it’s closer to the border, so there are more human traffickers?"
Wang Yu hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "That was my first thought too, but when I looked at the data from previous years, the trend shows a clear increase. It wasn’t too bad before, but starting from 2017, the curve shot up dramatically."
At the mention of 2017, Guan Xia instinctively exchanged a glance with Ji An. Seven years ago—that would be the fourth year since the health examination center was established in Yongquan City.
Based on what they’d learned from Ning Xin’s mother earlier that day, the Kangjian Health Examination Center was built in 2013 and opened in 2014. From the very beginning, it had marketed itself as an affordable service for the public, building a reputation through word of mouth. By the fourth year, it already had a substantial clientele.
Jiang Yingyao seemed to have made the same connection, his expression turning thoughtful.
Lu Tingfeng’s lazy voice cut in. "Yongquan City’s tourism industry is way more developed than Yongquan’s. If the number of missing persons is still higher here, then something’s definitely fishy."
While the three of them discussed, Xu Nian noticed the subtle shift in Guan Xia, Ji An, and Jiang Yingyao’s expressions. He asked, "Does Wang Yu’s discovery tie into what you found today?"
Guan Xia exchanged another glance with Ji An before nodding at Xu Nian. "We stumbled upon something unusual—related to a health examination center."
"A health examination center?" The group was visibly surprised, and their expressions gradually darkened as realization dawned.
Guan Xia continued, "Right now, we only have circumstantial evidence—nothing concrete. But we’ve managed to pry open a small crack. The next step is figuring out how to widen that crack and dig deeper."
She then proceeded to recount their findings in detail—from hearing about Doctor Hu’s suspicious death to the testimonies they’d obtained from two habitual thieves in prison. She also emphasized their suspicions about the connection to a criminal organization.
Just as Guan Xia had expected, everyone except Lu Tingfeng looked stunned.
Pang Le was the first to voice disbelief. "Ning Xin and her mother’s disappearance might be linked to that criminal organization? But didn’t they claim to be ‘dispensing justice’?"
Xu Nian shook his head. "People who wield violence without restraint can’t possibly be righteous. Take Zhang Weiyan’s case, for example—he was Lu Manqing’s accomplice. If you argue that his uncle’s death was ‘karma,’ fine, but what about his two cousins? They might’ve been morally questionable, but they never actually committed any crimes. Did they deserve to die? That organization just hides behind a righteous-sounding slogan."
Wang Yu added, "That’s standard procedure for criminal groups and cults. A noble-sounding cause makes it easier to recruit and expand."
"If that’s the case, we need to be careful moving forward," Jiang Yingyao suddenly interjected. "If that health examination center is really involved in organ trafficking like we suspect, then it’s probably a core part of their operation. If we investigate too openly, they might see us as a threat—especially since Yongquan City seems to be one of their key territories based on what we’ve found."
Lu Tingfeng glanced at Jiang Yingyao. "Are you suggesting we report this case to higher-ups?"
Xu Nian pondered for a moment before saying, "If this is indeed connected to that organization, we can’t afford to act recklessly. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll brief Director Ren first. From now on, we’ll proceed with caution, maintaining cover as much as possible. Ideally, we’ll pose as tourists."
"I’ve got experience with that," Lu Tingfeng said, raising an eyebrow. "And so do Ji and Xiaoyu. Let’s pretend we’re a company on a team-building trip."
He scanned the room with growing enthusiasm before clapping Jiang Yingyao on the shoulder. "After careful consideration, you’re the only one here who looks like a boss. Xu Nian? Too techy. Qi Bai? Too naive. Ji An? Perfect for a finance manager. Guan Xia? Definitely the accountant. Pang Le? Sales manager material."
Lu Tingfeng’s playful diversion lightened the mood, and soon everyone was curious about their assigned roles.
"What about me?" Zhong Xiaoyu raised her hand. "You forgot me, Lu. What do I get?"
Lu Tingfeng grinned. "Easy—top sales performer."
Qi Bai eagerly raised his hand too. "And me?"
"You’re the boss’s clueless nephew tagging along for fun," Lu Tingfeng said without missing a beat. "Zero office drone vibes."
The room burst into laughter, and suddenly, Qi Bai’s bright-eyed, energetic demeanor did make him look like someone who’d never been worn down by corporate life.
Qi Bai pouted in protest, but the group unanimously agreed to Lu Tingfeng’s proposal, and the undercover plan was settled.
After some lighthearted banter, Guan Xia felt her exhaustion ease slightly. She steered the conversation back on track.
Turning to Xu Nian, she asked, "What about you guys? What did you find today? I saw Qi Bai’s message in the group at noon—something about possibly identifying another suspect in Ning Xin and her mother’s disappearance case besides Geng Jing?"
As soon as the topic of the case came up, the smiles faded from everyone's faces. Xu Nian nodded and said, "There is indeed some suspicion in that regard. Certain characteristics of that woman match the description given by the eyewitness."
Guan Xia immediately understood and asked, "Did you go to see that eyewitness today?"
Xu Nian nodded again. "The man is a taxi driver. We deliberately took his cab and managed to get him to spill everything with just a few leading questions. Judging by his expression, some parts were definitely exaggerated, but the description of her fair skin and plump figure seems fairly accurate."
Guan Xia murmured, "I see."
She didn’t press further about why they hadn’t taken an official statement, guessing that the man was probably loose-lipped and they were being cautious to avoid alerting Geng Jing.
"What’s next?" Ji An asked. "Has the woman’s identity been confirmed?"
Qi Bai replied, "It’s confirmed, but on the surface, she doesn’t seem to have any connection with Geng Jing. When Pang Le and I tailed him today, we only saw him enter the supermarket she owns. He was in and out in no time—barely exchanged a few words. There didn’t seem to be any meaningful interaction."
"So how do you plan to proceed with the investigation?" Guan Xia was more concerned about this and instinctively glanced at Pang Le. "Will you split into two teams again? Pang Le and Qi Bai in one group, Xu Nian and Zhong Xiaoyu in the other?"
Xu Nian’s expression turned slightly helpless. "We didn’t expect to find another potential suspect so quickly. With this new lead, our original plan needs adjustments. If Geng Jing and that woman are indeed involved in long-term human trafficking, their alertness must be high. Just two people tailing them would make it too easy to get exposed. Before coming back, I already contacted Captain Zhou. His team has ruled out Geng Jing’s ex-wife, Tang Lianhua, as a suspect, so they can spare some manpower to take shifts with us in surveillance."
After outlining his plan for the next steps, Xu Nian turned to Guan Xia. "What about you? With such an important discovery, what are your thoughts?"
Guan Xia hesitated, glancing at Ji An before speaking.
Catching her look, Ji An smoothly took over. "In a couple of days, we might need to leave Shuangshi City briefly to investigate Doctor Hu’s grandnephew—the one who inherited his estate. But before that, we’ll apply for a search of Doctor Hu’s home. Hopefully, we’ll find something useful."
He quickly added, "Of course, to avoid tipping anyone off, we’ll use another excuse—like saying some of Doctor Hu’s relatives are visiting Shuangshi City and want to clean up his old place to prevent it from deteriorating."
Xu Nian nodded again, though his furrowed brow showed he was still uneasy.
The group discussed the leads until nearly midnight. By the time they finished dinner and wrapped up their discussion, it was time to say goodnight and head to their rooms.
Just as Guan Xia stepped out, Xu Nian called her back.
"Wait, Guan Xia," he said, closing the distance between them in a few strides and lowering his voice. "There’s something I need to talk to you about. Let’s find a quiet spot."
Puzzled, Guan Xia first let Ji An know before following Xu Nian to the end of the hallway.
The moment they stopped, she couldn’t hold back her curiosity. "What did you want to talk about?"
She couldn’t think of anything between them that needed to be kept from the others.
Just as she was speculating, Xu Nian asked in a strange tone, "Do you… remember that woman we met in the wild mountains—the one who looked just like you?"
Guan Xia hadn’t expected this topic. She froze, a bad feeling creeping up as she answered hesitantly, "Yes, I remember. Why?"
Xu Nian pressed his lips together, glancing around cautiously before continuing in a hushed voice, "I got a call from my mom today. She said she ran into a strange person in our neighborhood this morning—someone who resembled you and claimed to be your sister. She was asking around about you, even approached my mom. Luckily, my mom was wary and didn’t give anything away, just brushed her off."
The bad feeling solidified. Guan Xia couldn’t suppress a flicker of irritation and disgust.
Seeing her reaction, Xu Nian treaded even more carefully. After a brief hesitation, he asked softly, "What are you going to do?"
Guan Xia shook her head reflexively. She had anticipated this, but now that it was happening, she wasn’t sure how to handle it. In all her plans for the future, those three people—connected by blood but not by affection—had never factored in. This sudden intrusion left her unprepared.
But since it had come to this, she had no choice but to face it. Taking a deep breath, she said, "If she’s going to such lengths, she won’t stop until she finds me. I’ll deal with it when I get back. If she’s still around, I’ll talk to her and see what she really wants."
Xu Nian hesitated again before tentatively offering, "Do you need my help?"
Guan Xia almost laughed. "How would you help? Talk to her?"
She figured this was something only she could resolve, even if they were friends.
To her surprise, Xu Nian replied earnestly, "I’m a cop. I could have a ‘legal discussion’ with her—maybe scare her off."
The idea was tempting for a moment, but remembering the stunned, almost awed look her so-called sister had given her, Guan Xia shook her head. "Let me talk to her first. If she insists on causing trouble, then we’ll try your way."
Xu Nian agreed readily. "Alright. I’m right across from you, and my phone’s always on. If you need anything, just call."
With that settled, Guan Xia turned to leave—only for Xu Nian to call her name again.
She stopped and looked back questioningly.
Xu Nian studied her for a few seconds before saying quietly, "Be careful these next few days. Stay safe."
So that was all. Guan Xia smiled faintly and replied just as softly, "You too. Stay safe."
This time, when she walked away, Xu Nian didn’t stop her. She made it back to her room without interruption, though her peripheral vision caught him still standing at the end of the hallway, expression unreadable, deep in thought.
She didn’t dwell on it, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.
The moment she did, Pang Le sidled up with a grin, eyes sparkling with gossip. "So, what did Xu Nian want? Did he whisper sweet nothings to you?"
Guan Xia knew Pang Le wouldn’t say anything sensible, so she sighed helplessly, "When will you ever give up on playing matchmaker? There’s really nothing between us."
Pang Le wore a look of disbelief. "Then why did he call you out alone? What could you two possibly have to say that the rest of us can’t hear? It couldn’t have been about the case, could it?"
Guan Xia plopped down on the bed, irritation creeping into her voice. "He told me something. His mom called him and said she saw my biological sister in my neighborhood. She’s been asking around about me."
Pang Le’s eyes widened in shock, and she let out an audible gasp. A few seconds later, she finally processed the news and exclaimed, "Holy crap, that woman actually came after you? What does she want? To reunite with you? She can’t possibly be that shameless, can she? Does she not know you were abandoned by her parents? Or maybe her parents don’t know, and she came here secretly? Whatever she’s up to, it’s disgusting. She’s not deluding herself into thinking you’d want a family reunion, is she? Like she’s here to make up for everything?"
Guan Xia stayed silent, but inwardly, she agreed with Pang Le’s assumptions.
She remembered what Meng Lan had once told her—that her biological sister had lived a privileged life, not just materially but emotionally. Maybe she genuinely pitied Guan Xia and had traveled all this way to find her, even going so far as to ask around about her.
Whether others would be moved by such a gesture, Guan Xia didn’t know. If it were Meng Lan, who yearned for familial bonds, she might have been touched. But for Guan Xia? She didn’t need it. Maybe when she was little, she had wished for a normal family, one where she didn’t have to fight for scraps among so many children. But now that she was grown, financially independent, and content with her life, she didn’t need anyone’s pity or attempts to "make up" for the past.
After turning it over in her mind, Guan Xia couldn’t come up with a perfect solution. She sighed. "Let me talk to her first and see what she has to say. If she insists on forcing a reunion despite my refusal, then we’ll figure out another way."
Pang Le tentatively suggested, "What if I go rough her up a bit? A sheltered girl like her probably hasn’t faced much hardship. A little scare might be enough to make her back off."
Guan Xia shook her head firmly. "I might sound overly sympathetic, but I believe the ones who wronged me were the parents who abandoned me—not her. Unless she actually does something to hurt me, she doesn’t deserve that. Let me talk to her first. Once I understand her intentions, we can deal with it accordingly."
Pang Le always had Guan Xia’s back unconditionally. She nodded eagerly. "Fine. Once we wrap up this case and return to Yongquan City, I’ll stay at your place. I’d love to meet this girl myself and see if she knows the truth. If she doesn’t, fine. But if she does? Then she’s got some nerve. I’ll give her a piece of my mind."
At that, Guan Xia suddenly thought of Meng Lan again. They hadn’t been in touch since she returned to Linshan City, and Guan Xia wondered how she was doing—and whether that woman, Wang Huiqin, was still tailing her.
They had initially suspected Wang Huiqin might be connected to the disappearance of Ning Xin and her daughter, especially since she was from Shangshuang City. But after learning that Wang Huiqin hadn’t returned to Shangshuang since moving to Linshan City, they dismissed the idea.
Now, however, with evidence suggesting that Shangshuang City might be a key hub for that organization, the old suspicion resurfaced.
Guan Xia had been mulling it over during her free time today. Wang Huiqin had moved to Linshan City in 2015, while Kangjian Medical Center was built in late 2013 and opened in 2014. Could her sudden departure have been related to that?
