The supermarket wasn’t very big—just a narrow storefront, and the interior was cramped, with goods packed tightly on the shelves. But a quick glance showed it was surprisingly well-stocked.
Ji An led the way, with Guan Xia following closely behind as they pushed aside the curtain and stepped inside.
Upon entering, they didn’t immediately browse around. Instead, they headed straight for the drinks section to pick up a few energy drinks. Exchanging a glance, they wordlessly moved to the freezer aisle, pretending to browse while casually asking the slightly plump woman behind the counter, “Do you offer delivery here? The weather’s been so hot lately, we’d rather not come out to shop.”
“Of course we do!” The woman, addressed as Sister Fan, replied cheerfully. “We deliver for orders over 20, and as long as it’s within three kilometers, we’ll bring it right to your door.”
Ji An feigned surprise. “Delivery within three kilometers, and a minimum order of just 20? Boss, you really know how to run a business.”
Sister Fan sighed. “Times are tough, money’s hard to come by. A small shop like ours can’t compete with the big supermarkets nearby unless we go the extra mile. Don’t worry, our deliveries are prompt—just send a message with your order, and you can pay when we arrive.”
In just a few words, Ji An successfully added Sister Fan as a contact.
Just as the friend request was accepted, the girl who had been hauling two crates of beer earlier emerged from the back, wiping sweat from her face with a tissue. She looked lively as she said to Sister Fan, “Sister Fan, have you and Little Gao eaten yet? If not, let’s close up early and grab a meal outside. Sister Liu called earlier—said it’s been a while and wants to catch up. Her treat.”
No one knew who this “Sister Liu” was, but at the mention of her, Sister Fan’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Sounds perfect! Little Gao and I were just waiting for you to come back so we could eat together. Let’s close up once these two ladies leave—business is slow at this hour anyway. We’ll reopen early tomorrow.”
The beer-hauling girl nodded eagerly. “Great! That gives me time to shower and change. I’ve been running around all afternoon, and I’m drenched in sweat.”
It seemed their living quarters weren’t far from the supermarket. With a wave at Sister Fan, the girl pushed through the curtain and hurried out. Moments later, the sound of a van starting up could be heard.
Guan Xia instinctively exchanged another glance with Ji An. Their expressions remained neutral, but their eyes conveyed volumes.
Ji An spoke up. “Boss, you’ve got plans, so we won’t keep you. How much for these?”
Sister Fan scanned the items and quoted a price—cheaper than most chain supermarkets.
After paying, the two didn’t linger, quickly stepping out of the store one after the other.
Once they regrouped with Jiang Yingyao, Guan Xia plopped down beside him, handing over a bottle of water as she said, “Ji An, Jiang-ge, I’ve got a hunch—that ‘Sister Liu’ the girl mentioned might not be an ordinary person. Their dinner tonight might not be just a casual get-together.”
Having worked multiple cases together, both Ji An and Jiang Yingyao trusted Guan Xia’s instincts implicitly.
Almost before she finished speaking, Ji An pulled out her phone. “I’ll call Lu Tingfeng. All three of us have been seen—even though Jiang-ge didn’t go into the supermarket, that girl drove past us earlier. No guarantee she didn’t notice him. To be safe, we’ll have Lu Tingfeng and Wang Yu handle the surveillance tonight.”
They kept their voices low, and with no one around, there was little risk of being overheard.
While Ji An stepped aside to make the call, Guan Xia asked Jiang Yingyao, “Jiang-ge, did you notice anything suspicious while sitting here?”
Jiang Yingyao shook his head. “Three cars and two pedestrians passed by—nothing unusual.”
Before Guan Xia could respond, her attention was caught by a slender figure riding an electric bike past them. A sense of foreboding flickered in her mind.
Her eyes trailed the figure, and sure enough, two minutes later, the girl parked her bike outside the supermarket and called out, “Sister Fan! I’m back from deliveries. Has Little Ge returned with the stock?”
Sister Fan poked her head out from behind the curtain, waving. “She went back to shower—said she was drenched from working all afternoon. Oh, and she mentioned Sister Liu called earlier, inviting us all to catch up. Hurry and freshen up too—call me when you’re ready, and I’ll close up.”
At the mention of Sister Liu, the young woman—apparently called Little Ge—brightened instantly. “Sister Liu’s treating us? Perfect! I’ll go shower right now.”
With practiced ease, she turned the bike around and sped off the way she came.
Guan Xia watched the slender figure disappear into the distance before turning to Jiang Yingyao with a frown. “Jiang-ge, they’re being way too open about this. Could they really be the ones we’re after?”
Her doubt wasn’t unfounded—their casual, affectionate banter was nothing like the caution displayed by the suspects in the surveillance footage.
Ji An returned just then, overhearing the last part. “We’re only suspicious because we know the context. To anyone else, it’s just harmless small talk. That’s exactly what makes our theory plausible—the better the disguise, the more inconspicuous they seem.”
After this cryptic remark, Ji An scanned their surroundings before lowering her voice further. “Lu Tingfeng’s on his way with Wang Yu. We’re too exposed here—let’s move somewhere less obvious.”
She pointed toward a small square in the distance. “Over there. Plenty of shrubs, and the streetlight’s out. We’ll stay hidden but still keep an eye on the supermarket.”
Guan Xia followed her gaze and nodded. The spot was indeed more secluded. She stood first. “Let’s go. Though we’ll probably get eaten alive by mosquitoes—should’ve brought repellent.”
Dividing their attention, the trio kept watch on their surroundings while fixated on the supermarket’s movements. Just as Sister Fan began turning off lights and locking up, Lu Tingfeng’s call finally came through.
Ji An carefully described the appearances of the three women again, including Sister Fan’s outfit, as well as the color of the minivan driven by the woman referred to as Little Ge and the text printed on its body. He made sure there was no room for error before hanging up the phone.
After waiting a few more minutes, Guan Xia saw the same minivan pull up in front of the small supermarket.
Through the open window, she could make out the two women in the driver’s and passenger seats—the same ones who had earlier been moving crates of beer and riding the electric scooter.
The three exchanged greetings before Sister Fan, the slightly plump woman, opened the door and climbed into the minivan.
As the minivan drove down the main road of the residential area toward the front gate, Ji An immediately called Lu Tingfeng again.
This call lasted unusually long, stretching over ten minutes before Ji An finally hung up and let out a relieved sigh. “Lu Tingfeng and Wang Yu have successfully tailed them. Let’s go too—time for some late-night snacks.”
Guan Xia was still buzzing with excitement, thrilled by the night’s discoveries and eager for the results of the surveillance. It took her a few seconds to process Ji An’s words. “Huh? Late-night snacks?”
Ji An gave her an amused look and ruffled her hair. “Clearly, you’ve never done this kind of thing before. It’s already past 11 p.m., and they won’t be back until at least 1 a.m. We’ve got just enough time to grab a bite and take care of a few other things.”
Curious, Guan Xia asked, “What other things?”
Jiang Yingyao chuckled and chimed in, “Compare notes, for one. And check in with the colleagues at Nanping Precinct to see if we can confirm the identities of those women tonight.”
That brought Guan Xia back to reality. She thought for a moment and said, “I left my sketchbook in the car. How about we eat in the car after buying snacks and go over today’s findings?”
“Sounds good.” Jiang Yingyao stood up from the stone bench and tossed his empty drink bottle into the trash. “It’s been a long day, and Qi Bai only sent one message in the group chat. No idea how Xu Nian and the others are doing—hope their surveillance is going smoothly.”
After quickly grabbing some food and returning to the car, it was already past midnight.
Guan Xia wolfed down her meal, wiped her hands clean, and pulled out her sketchbook, flipping to a fresh page. She concentrated, recalling the faces from the system’s high-definition video feed, and began sketching.
It took her over half an hour to finish the portraits of all three women.
Handing the sketchbook over, she rubbed her sore neck and shoulders and asked Jiang Yingyao, “Jiang, did you manage to get in touch with Xu Nian?”
Jiang Yingyao, who had been playing a mobile game, put his phone away. “Yeah. They’re also conducting surveillance in shifts. Geng Jing is way more cautious than the people we saw today. According to Xu Nian’s observations, they probably have a target in mind, which is why they’ve suddenly heightened their guard. Right now, they’ve got eight teams taking turns. When I called, Xu Nian and Zhong Xiaoyu had just been relieved.”
Guan Xia’s mind flashed to scenes from crime dramas she’d watched, and her pulse quickened. After a pause, she asked, “Jiang, in situations like this… is there usually any danger?”
Jiang Yingyao caught her concern and grew serious. “There’s always some risk. But don’t worry—no matter what, the frontline officers will always take the lead. Pang Le’s role is to lower the suspects’ guard, and everyone will make sure she’s protected. She won’t be in harm’s way.”
Guan Xia had been listening intently but realized he’d misunderstood. “Jiang, I wasn’t just asking about Pang Le. I meant everyone—Pang Le, Zhong Xiaoyu, Xu Nian, Qi Bai… they all matter.”
Jiang Yingyao smiled again. “Then rest easy. Both Xu Nian and Qi Bai are seasoned professionals. Tailing two people isn’t the same as making an arrest. There won’t be any real danger.”
Only then did Guan Xia relax.
While they talked, Ji An had already photographed the three sketches and sent them to Captain Zhou at Nanping Precinct.
Captain Zhou clearly took the new lead seriously—Ji An’s phone rang almost immediately after he sent the images. After a brief exchange, Ji An hung up and said, “Captain Zhou’s team will verify their identities tonight. Should we head back to Nanping Precinct to cross-reference missing persons records while we wait, or go straight to the hotel?”
Both Jiang Yingyao and Ji An looked to Guan Xia for her opinion.
She checked the time. “Let’s go back to Nanping Precinct. With everyone out on operations tonight, we wouldn’t be able to rest at the hotel anyway. Better to stay productive in Captain Zhou’s office than pace around a room.”
Neither objected. They made a quick stop at the front gate to pick up more food before driving straight to Nanping Precinct.
For the next few hours, the three worked while waiting for updates. Around 2 a.m., with no further breakthroughs on their end, Lu Tingfeng and Wang Yu returned first.
The moment he walked in, Lu Tingfeng placed his phone on the conference table. “Surveillance went smoothly. We even got photos. Take a look at this fourth person—does she seem familiar?”
All three leaned in to examine the screen. By the time Lu Tingfeng finished a glass of water, Guan Xia was the first to speak. “She does look familiar—probably one of the people we saw scouting earlier.”
Remembering something, Guan Xia swiftly opened the laptop temporarily assigned to her by Nanping Precinct and pulled up the folder she’d created before leaving. She arranged the screenshots side by side and compared them with the photo on Lu Tingfeng’s phone.
The angle of Lu Tingfeng’s photo suggested it wasn’t taken covertly—he and Wang Yu had likely snapped a selfie while discreetly capturing the four women in the background.
Including Sister Liu, there were four of them—all relatively short, with one slender, two slightly plump, and one petite. Coincidentally, their builds matched those of the suspected scouts Guan Xia had noted earlier.
One woman in particular stood out: Sister Liu. With her round face, large eyes, and kindly, well-fed appearance, she looked to be in her early forties, her thick hair tied in a low ponytail. She perfectly fit the description of the second suspect involved in the disappearance of Ning Xin and her daughter—the one seen with Geng Jing in Ning Xin’s neighborhood.
As she compared the images, Guan Xia asked Lu Tingfeng, “This Sister Liu—the one who looks well-off—what kind of car did she drive to the gathering? Did they mention their jobs? Was she running a supermarket?”
Lu Tingfeng crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "I thought of this question earlier. On the way back, I already asked Xu Nian. It’s the same person—the supermarket owner’s wife that Geng Jing discovered."
Guan Xia slammed the table in excitement. "I never expected we’d connect the dots between two criminal accomplices like this. It seems there’s no shortage of people willing to do dirty work like kidnapping for hire. But what I don’t get is—Geng Jing is one thing. He’s got a record, and I wouldn’t put anything past him if money’s involved. But these four women, especially these three."
Guan Xia tapped the photos of Sister Fan, Little Gao, and Little Ge. "What’s in it for them? They’re so young, with their own jobs. Judging by how they can decide when to close the shop, the supermarket must belong to one of them. They’re not wealthy, but they’re comfortable. Why would they team up with someone like Geng Jing for a crime that could cost them their heads?"
Lu Tingfeng’s lazy voice chimed in. "What else? They got duped. I’d bet anything this Sister Liu must’ve helped them somehow—maybe even saved their lives. Then she brainwashed them, and boom, they were wrapped around her finger, ready to do her bidding."
Guan Xia found it hard to believe. Just how big of a favor could make them willing—even eager—to kidnap people?
Lu Tingfeng added, "Easy to find out. Just wait a little longer." He checked the time. "All four are locals. Their identities should be confirmed by dawn at the latest. Then we’ll ask the local police and their community for details. We’ll figure out exactly how Sister Liu ‘helped’ them."
