The four of them hurriedly arrived at Nanping District Police Station as the sky had completely darkened. The entire station was brightly lit, bustling with detectives engaged in urgent conversations while jogging around.
As Guan Xia and the others sprinted into the office building, more vehicles continued to pour into the parking lot. Despite having been in Shangshuang City for several days, this was the first time they felt the police station was crowded.
Climbing the stairs to the second floor in haste, they passed many unfamiliar faces before finally spotting a familiar one in the hallway.
It was Captain Zhou. It was impossible to tell how long he had gone without sleep—his hair was so greasy it nearly clumped together, and the dark circles under his eyes rivaled a panda’s. He seemed to have just come down from upstairs, and despite his exhaustion, it didn’t slow his brisk pace.
Even from a distance, their eyes met with unspoken understanding. Captain Zhou immediately greeted them, "Captain Xu, Expert Guan, you’re here too."
Since Guan Xia and the others were closer to Captain Zhou’s squad office, they stopped at the entrance, waiting for him to approach.
Guan Xia was the first to ask, "Captain Zhou, what’s the situation now?"
Clearly anxious, Captain Zhou quickened his already fast pace, nearly breaking into a jog as he ushered them into the office. "The situation is severe and complex. From what I know, the number of missing persons is still rising. Half an hour ago, the count had already reached 57. I’ve heard the municipal bureau has reported it to the provincial department. In a few hours, checkpoints will likely be set up at the airport, train stations, bus terminals, and major traffic routes. The entire police force in Shangshuang City has been mobilized."
Recalling the number of police cars they’d passed on the way, Guan Xia nodded with a grave expression. This case was already tied to a large-scale criminal organization, and now, with this sudden turn of events, no one could predict what those desperate criminals would do next. Caution was absolutely necessary.
Once everyone was inside the office, Captain Zhou casually closed the door and added, "Our squad’s task is to suspend all follow-up work and focus on finding the missing persons by any means possible. Since you’ve been called back, I assume your assignment will be similar."
As Captain Zhou spoke, Guan Xia glanced around the office and noticed it was already packed with people—some familiar faces, others strangers—all hunched over computers, intently scrutinizing their screens.
Even without thinking, Guan Xia knew they were repeatedly reviewing surveillance footage.
After Captain Zhou finished briefing them, Guan Xia and the others wasted no time. After a quick thank-you, they hurried off to meet the task force’s leader.
This was Guan Xia’s first time meeting the task force leader since their arrival in Shangshuang City.
As expected, he was a tall, imposing man with a composed yet intimidating presence. His hair was half-gray, and deep frown lines etched his forehead. He seemed to recognize Xu Nian, accurately calling out his name before shifting his gaze to Guan Xia.
Despite having seen her share of formidable figures, Guan Xia still felt a flicker of nervousness, though she managed to keep her composure.
The man’s piercing gaze only lingered briefly before he, too, called her by name. It was clear he wasn’t one for smiles, and the strained attempt at friendliness only made him appear more intimidating.
The tall man forced a cordial tone as he greeted her, "Expert Guan, hello. We should have met sooner after arriving in Shangshuang City, given your crucial contributions, but the case has been too demanding. Still, better late than never. I hope your collaboration with the police has been satisfactory so far."
Guan Xia could only muster a few polite words in response. Fortunately, time was tight, and neither side wanted to waste it. After a brief exchange, they got straight to the point.
Just as Captain Zhou had predicted, the task force highly valued Guan Xia’s ability to uncover clues from minute details. They earnestly requested her to leverage her expertise to help locate the missing persons for rescue.
Guan Xia, of course, agreed without hesitation.
After leaving the task force’s temporary office, a familiar administrative staff member from Nanping District Station was already waiting outside. Gesturing ahead, she said, "Expert Guan, your workspace has been prepared. Please follow me."
Returning to the second floor, they didn’t walk far down the hallway before the staff member stopped and pushed open a door. "Here we are. The station is packed right now, so the space is a bit cramped. We appreciate your understanding."
Guan Xia peeked inside. The room was indeed small—likely an infrequently used reception area. The bulky sofa, coffee table, and cabinets had been removed, replaced by two elongated desks crammed into the center.
Each desk could barely seat two people. A water dispenser and a modest filing cabinet occupied a corner. The sparse furnishings left little room to move, forcing anyone inside to sidle past.
Still, Guan Xia was satisfied. Given the overcrowding tonight, having a dedicated workspace was already a privilege.
Once the staff member left, Xu Nian closed the door, and the four of them crowded around the desks, sifting through the stacks of surveillance footage stored in several small boxes.
Pang Le picked up one casually and remarked, "Looks like we’re pulling another all-nighter."
He glanced around the cramped makeshift office and added, "With desks this narrow, sleeping here’s just asking for a stiff neck. By the way, Guan Xia, is your neck fully healed from last time?"
Guan Xia rotated her head quickly to demonstrate. "Completely fine now. Last time, I didn’t know better. This time, I came prepared. Ji An even gave me some tips—don’t sleep directly on the desk. Pad your head with something, like clothes or a cushion."
Pang Le chuckled, about to reply, when Wang Yu suddenly interjected, "We’ve got U-shaped pillows in the car. When someone gets tired later, I’ll go fetch them. We brought four—one for each."
Guan Xia turned to Wang Yu in surprise. "When did you prepare those? Did you foresee us sleeping in Nanping Station’s office again?"
Wang Yu didn’t answer but tilted her chin toward Xu Nian. "Ask Captain Xu. He had them ready a couple of days ago. Actually, there are more—Brother Jiang’s car has some too."
Hearing this, Guan Xia immediately looked at Xu Nian.
Xu Nian was staring at his computer screen without looking up as he said, "I think this case is far from over, and who knows how many sleepless nights we’ll have ahead. To avoid another situation like Guan Xia’s sprain, I prepared some supplies—a neck pillow, essential ointments, spray for injuries, and the like. Though I’d rather not have to use any of it."
No one could really respond to that. Investigations were unpredictable, and no one knew what might happen next. Of course, they all hoped they wouldn’t need those supplies, that everyone would stay safe and return unharmed.
Without any formal arrangement, they casually took their seats—Guan Xia sitting across from Xu Nian, with Pang Le beside her.
Given the high number of missing persons, sifting through surveillance footage was impractical. Instead, they simply reached into a box and randomly picked a USB drive.
Guan Xia plugged the drive into the computer and quickly located the copied surveillance video, scrutinizing it carefully.
The footage had already been preliminarily reviewed and filtered, so Guan Xia had no trouble identifying the first scene where a missing person was last seen.
It was a narrow alleyway. Judging by the angle, the camera must have been mounted on a streetlight several dozen meters away, providing a broad view. Despite the darkness, the streetlight illuminated the scene clearly enough to make out the entire sequence.
A grimy van pulled up purposefully to the alley’s entrance. Almost simultaneously, both side doors swung open, and four figures—tall and short, all wearing hats and masks, their builds suggesting they were men—jumped out.
The four moved swiftly, not even glancing around before darting straight into the alley.
About ten minutes passed with the van remaining stationary. Then the four figures reappeared. They had gone in empty-handed but now emerged in pairs, each carrying a burlap sack. The way the sacks bulged and the strain in their movements made it obvious: there was a person inside each one.
What shocked Guan Xia most was that after tossing the sacks into the van, the last man to climb in paused briefly, scanned the area, and then flipped off the surveillance camera with a blatantly offensive gesture.
A chill ran down Guan Xia’s spine. One thing was clear—this was deliberate. They were flaunting their crime, intentionally drawing police attention to serve some unknown purpose.
Guan Xia’s discovery wasn’t unique. Before she could share it, Pang Le suddenly cursed in frustration.
Guan Xia had a sinking feeling. She stood and walked over, hearing Pang Le rant, "These scumbags, these absolute trash—they’re doing this on purpose! Taunting the police! Damn it, they’re too bold. This has to be a diversion, no question."
Still fuming, Pang Le rewound the footage slightly for Guan Xia to see.
The scene was eerily similar: the same rundown van, the same four-person team, the same heavy burlap sacks unmistakably holding human shapes. The only difference was the location—instead of a dim alley, this van was parked along a tree-lined path, likely near a park or a side entrance to a scenic area.
What had been a suspicion for Guan Xia now solidified into certainty. This criminal organization had a larger goal behind these brazen abductions—perhaps to create chaos, divert police resources, and cover the escape of a key figure.
Without delay, Guan Xia called Ji An.
The moment the line connected, Guan Xia cut straight to the point: "Ji An, how’s it going on your end? Everything normal?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Xu Nian also on the phone—no doubt checking in with colleagues surveilling Wu Xingxian and Peng Yuanwei.
After a brief glance, Guan Xia focused back on Ji An’s response.
"Everything’s quiet so far," Ji An said grimly. "What about you?"
Guan Xia summarized their findings and suspicions. Ji An’s tone grew heavier. "We discussed the same possibility after you left. To be safe, we’ve spread out undercover around the area. Every exit of the bar is covered. Zhong Xiaoyu even secured a high vantage point for a clearer view. If Wu Yingze tries to slip out, no matter which way he goes, we’ll intercept him."
It sounded foolproof, yet Guan Xia couldn’t shake her unease. Whether it was the tension of the situation or her instincts kicking in, she felt something major was coming—maybe tomorrow, maybe even tonight.
"What about inside the bar?" Guan Xia pressed. "Has anyone gone in?"
"Zhong Xiaoyu and Lu Tingfeng did, around 8:30 p.m.," Ji An replied. "They confirmed seeing Wu Yingze at a corner booth—full face visible. He was drinking with a few women, bodyguards scattered around. In the twenty minutes they observed, he ordered several more bottles, likely planning to get wasted. Based on his usual habits, he won’t leave before 3 a.m."
Ji An’s team had covered all bases. Remembering Lu Tingfeng’s quick thinking and Zhong Xiaoyu’s skills, Guan Xia felt slightly reassured but still urged, "Something feels off. Stay alert."
Ji An agreed solemnly, exchanged a few more warnings, then hung up.
Tossing her phone onto the table, Guan Xia saw Xu Nian end his call too. "I checked with the task force," he said. "No movement from Wu Xingxian or Peng Yuanwei yet. Wu Xingxian’s still working late at the office. Peng Yuanwei went straight home after clocking out."
As Xu Nian finished, Pang Le rubbed her arms. "Maybe it’s just me, but even though everything seems normal, I’ve got this creeping feeling—like something big’s about to go down."
It was clear that Guan Xia and Pang Le weren’t the only ones with such thoughts. Though Xu Nian and Wang Yu remained silent, their expressions showed they, too, were treating the current situation with grave seriousness.
The four of them furrowed their brows in thought for a while before Xu Nian finally spoke with a hint of resignation, “Before Wu Yingze and the others make their move, we’ve already done everything we can to prepare. At this point, all we can do is wait and keep monitoring the situation. Even if they’re just decoys meant to divert the police’s attention, to us, every life is far more important than Wu Yingze and his accomplices. We must do everything in our power to track them down and rescue them.”
The number Captain Zhou had mentioned earlier weighed heavily on their minds—57 people. That meant 57 lives at stake: elderly parents, young women, innocent children. Each life represented a family, and for their loved ones, the thought of them coming to harm was unbearable. For Guan Xia and her team, it was no different.
Though anxiety gnawed at her, Guan Xia quickly steadied herself and refocused, returning to her computer to scour for clues with renewed determination.
Still, she couldn’t help but silently pray with all her heart—that this case would be resolved as smoothly as the ones before, with no casualties, no injuries, everyone safe and sound. Like the perfect ending of a feel-good novel, where justice prevails and evil is utterly vanquished.
This case is nearing its end, and every day, I look forward to wrapping it up soon.
