Although she had embarked on this arduous journey with the hope of uncovering something, when her suspicions were confirmed, Guan Xia felt a strange sensation rise from the depths of her heart amidst her excitement. Liu Xiang's words and actions were deeply contradictory.
Clearly, the others shared the same thought.
Casually restoring the small grave mound, Qi Bai began pulling items from his large backpack, arranging them before the grave as he spoke. "Never thought I'd see the day—a police officer paying respects to the son of a criminal. But considering Liu Xiang gave us this lead, I suppose it’s worth it."
As he spoke, Qi Bai’s expression grew more solemn, carefully placing the hamburgers, fries, and other snacks children love in front of the grave.
Perhaps impatient with his slow movements, Wang Yu stepped in to help, pulling out a few toy cars and gently setting them down by the small grave.
After finishing these gestures, Wang Yu didn’t immediately stand up. Instead, he gazed thoughtfully at the grave, lost in contemplation for a moment before rising. "I’ve been thinking—Liu Xiang’s behavior and words don’t align. On the way here, Guan Xia mentioned that Liu Xiang seemed indifferent to the outside world, even coldly dismissive of others’ lives. Yet in secret, she buried such crucial evidence in her child’s grave, and so shallowly at that."
Wang Yu’s expression turned pensive again. Ji An, his voice tinged with complexity, added, "Right. Burying it so shallowly meant it was risky. If the organization had even the slightest suspicion and followed her here, they’d have found it immediately. That would’ve been a death sentence for her."
Guan Xia recalled Liu Xiang’s words and shifting expressions during their meeting at the detention center, sensing something unspoken. Hesitantly, she ventured, "Maybe… she was conflicted all along. She wanted to live, but she wasn’t afraid to die. To her, this life might not have mattered much—that’s why she seemed so contradictory. She played the role of the organization’s executioner for the children, yet secretly gathered evidence. The fact that she buried it so shallowly suggests she almost wanted someone to find it, to end her current existence."
Pang Le’s face twisted in confusion. "So she hated her life, but why did she seem so at ease, even enjoying it?" He trailed off, rubbing his face. "It’s too complicated. I can’t make sense of Liu Xiang’s motives. But it doesn’t matter—no matter her reasons or struggles, her crimes are undeniable. She wasn’t wrong about one thing: she might not live to see next year."
Zhong Xiaoyu clapped Pang Le on the shoulder. "Exactly. Whatever her internal struggles, the evil she committed is real. Countless children died indirectly because of her. Let’s not dwell on it here in the middle of nowhere—I’m getting drained by these mosquitoes."
As he spoke, Zhong Xiaoyu swiftly smacked two mosquitoes. Guan Xia belatedly realized she’d been unconsciously scratching the bites on her hand.
"Agreed," Xu Nian said. "We’ve got what we came for, and we’ve paid our respects. Let’s head back. We can discuss more in the car."
After packing up their belongings, Guan Xia cast one last glance at the small grave before following the group back.
The return trip was smoother since they didn’t need to navigate unfamiliar paths. By the time they reached the car, it wasn’t even 10 p.m.
But just as they got in, before the door could close, Xu Nian’s phone rang, piercing the quiet night.
Everyone tensed, instinctively turning toward him.
Sure enough, after a brief exchange, Xu Nian hung up and announced, "That was Captain Zhou. The forensic team worked overtime on the biological samples collected from the car Wu Yingze drove in that town. The results are in—and it’s unexpected. He’s not biologically related to Wu Xingxian."
The group was stunned. Guan Xia’s voice was laced with disbelief. "What does that mean? Did we chase the wrong person? Was he an imposter too?"
Pang Le’s eyes widened. "No way! If he wasn’t Wu Yingze, why go through all that trouble? We saw the surveillance footage—he even changed clothes in the supermarket and covered his tracks. If he wasn’t Wu Yingze, why bother?"
Xu Nian shook his head grimly. "The task force has a theory, though it’s unconfirmed. But according to Captain Zhou, it’s almost certainly correct."
Pang Le pressed, "What theory?"
Before Xu Nian could answer, Guan Xia had already begun to piece it together. Noticing the dawning realization on Ji An’s face, she instinctively turned to her.
Ji An met her gaze, equally perceptive. "You figured it out too?"
Pang Le groaned. "Stop with the riddles! Just tell us already!"
Zhong Xiaoyu, never one for overthinking, beat them to it. "Pang Le, remember when we were tailing Wu Yingze and talked about how different he seemed from before? Like a completely different person? And his sudden study abroad history?"
The moment Zhong Xiaoyu mentioned it, Pang Le gasped. "You’re saying… this Wu Yingze is a fake? He was replaced during his time abroad?"
Everyone looked to Xu Nian for confirmation. He nodded. "The task force analyzed Wu Yingze’s history and the stark contrast in his behavior. They’ve reached the same conclusion."
"That explains everything," Qi Bai said, smacking his palm. "No wonder he panicked and used decoys to flee the moment we started tailing him—his identity couldn’t withstand scrutiny. If we’d considered this earlier, a single strand of his hair would’ve exposed him."
Pang Le exhaled sharply, awestruck. "So he really was a spy. Back when we first discussed it, I thought that was too far-fetched. But turns out, we’ve been chasing a spy all along."
Jiang Yingyao’s expression shifted as he turned to Xu Nian. "If he’s a spy, then the task force must’ve—"
Before he could finish, Xu Nian nodded. "They’ve already escalated it. National security will likely take over soon."
"Good grief," Pang Le muttered under his breath, "What kind of case have we stumbled into? Even the State Security is involved—those are people we’ve only heard of but never seen. And Wu Xingxian..."
Pang Le suddenly thought of something and hurriedly asked, "What about Wu Xingxian and Peng Yuanwei? Are they spies too?"
Before Xu Nian could answer, Guan Xia spoke up, shaking her head. "Probably not. Compared to Wu Yingze’s quick reaction, Wu Xingxian and Peng Yuanwei seemed completely in the dark. If they were spies too, they wouldn’t have reacted like that."
"Good grief," Pang Le exclaimed again, "No wonder the criminal organization was run by the son. I thought it was a bit backward at first, but now it’s clear—Wu Xingxian and Peng Yuanwei were just pawns being used. So Peng Yuanwei isn’t innocent, but Wu Xingxian might be?"
Guan Xia didn’t even need to think. Based on what she’d observed through the shared system, she shook her head firmly. "No. Wu Xingxian might not have been directly involved in the criminal organization, but with a spy posing as his son, he couldn’t have been completely unaware. He might not have known his son was replaced, but he must have noticed something about his activities. He might have even played a part in it."
As for what exactly he did, Guan Xia didn’t know yet. But judging by the red aura tangled around his soul, it was clear he was just as guilty.
Once again, things unfolded almost exactly as Qi Bai had predicted. By the time Guan Xia and the others returned to Nanping Sub-bureau, it was already midnight on August 29th.
The group hurried upstairs, their footsteps echoing in the hallway. Hearing the commotion, Captain Zhou opened the door before they even reached it, looking exhausted as he greeted them. "You’re back? Any leads?"
"We do have something," Guan Xia slowed her pace as she walked into the office, "But it’s too early to say for sure. We’ll need to look into it further. By the way, Captain Zhou, what’s the task force’s next move?"
Captain Zhou stepped aside, yawning. "State Security has already sent people over. The higher-ups issued a search warrant for Wu Yingze, and a full investigation into him and Kangjian Health Center is underway. Teams have been dispatched to arrest Peng Yuanwei and Wu Xingxian—we should hear back soon."
"What about the spy?" Guan Xia pressed. "We got word this afternoon that he’d been cornered in the mountains. With over a thousand people searching, has he been caught yet?"
Captain Zhou shook his head. "No updates yet. Probably not."
"That spy is really slippery," Zhong Xiaoyu remarked. "But now that his identity’s exposed, no matter how skilled he is, he won’t escape our grasp in this country."
After sharing the latest updates, Guan Xia took the transparent evidence bag containing the USB drive from Xu Nian and turned to leave for their temporary office. Just as she did, Captain Zhou called out, "By the way, Specialist Guan, Captain Xu, the joint task force for the spy’s manhunt just left. Do you want to tag along?"
Honestly, Guan Xia was tempted. Based on the current leads, the spy was the mastermind behind the criminal organization centered around Kangjian Health Center. His desperate escape suggested not only that his identity wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny, but also that he was deeply involved in criminal activities. No matter how careful he was, traces would be left behind.
If Guan Xia and her team investigated alone, it might take forever to uncover anything. But with the joint task force and State Security pooling their resources and expertise, breakthroughs would come much faster. They might even find clues about Ning Ping’an’s whereabouts sooner. Even though the chances of her being alive were slim, at least it would bring closure to Ji An’s years-long pursuit.
But just as she was considering it, Guan Xia caught sight of the evidence bag in her hand and dismissed the idea. "No, Captain Zhou. We still don’t know what’s on this USB drive. The joint task force is already on the move—if they find anything, we’ll hear about it soon enough."
After bidding Captain Zhou farewell, Guan Xia and the others headed straight to their temporary office.
However, the office was so cramped that only four people could sit inside. After some discussion, Ji An, Wang Yu, and Xu Nian stayed with Guan Xia while the others found places to rest.
Fortunately, Guan Xia had managed to nap in the car both on the way there and back, so despite the late hour, she was still alert enough to keep going.
Distributing the USB drives, Guan Xia plugged hers into the main computer. Unsurprisingly yet still startling, the drive contained nothing but leads on the buyers.
It was unclear how Liu Xiang had managed it, but the footage—whether shot from high or low angles, in daylight or pitch darkness—always captured the buyers’ faces with crystal clarity.
After reviewing all the surveillance videos, Guan Xia and the team began extracting clear facial shots of the buyers while trying to deduce the placement of the hidden cameras based on the angles.
"This one must’ve been disguised and hidden in the grass," Xu Nian analyzed, enlarging a high-definition close-up. "Look at this angle—it’s shooting upward, not only capturing the buyer clearly but also part of the abducted child’s face. The child looks about six or seven, and based on the clothing and surroundings, it must’ve been summer—the grass isn’t withered at all."
"And the child was drugged," Wang Yu added, peering over Xu Nian’s shoulder. "Seems like all their victims were kept unconscious from the moment they were taken, eliminating any chance of resistance."
"Kept unconscious the whole time?" Guan Xia couldn’t help but mutter. "No matter what drugs they used, the dosage must’ve been massive. This organization was clearly harvesting organs—they never intended to let anyone survive."
She sighed. Kangjian Health Center had been operating in Shangshuang City for over a decade. Who knew how many victims like Ning Ping’an and Yan Xingyu had suffered at their hands? Though the case was now clear, the exact number of victims remained unknown.
Pushing aside the grim thoughts, Guan Xia and the team compiled the buyer leads from the USB drive. Liu Xiang’s recordings alone pointed to thirteen victims—and thirteen buyers (excluding Yan Xingyu, who had been rescued). Most encouragingly, they had finally found a lead on Ning Ping’an.
From the angle of the surveillance footage, it appeared the camera capturing the scene had also been hidden in the bushes—likely arranged by Liu Xiang. Through the gaps in the foliage, not only could the buyer be seen, but also the faint silhouette of a child lying unconscious on the ground. This clue was discovered by Ji An. Even after so many years, she still vividly remembered the clothes Ning Ping'an had been wearing on the day of her disappearance. She recognized them instantly, her voice firm with conviction: "That’s Ping'an. I couldn’t possibly mistake her. The day she went missing, she was wearing a pink princess dress, white lace socks, and little white leather shoes. I bought the dress myself, and the socks and shoes—Ning Xin and I took Ping'an to pick them out together. It’s her."
After five long years, they had finally found a lead on Ning Ping'an's whereabouts. Ji An was so overwhelmed she nearly burst into tears, and Guan Xia was equally exhilarated.
"Hurry, check it," Guan Xia urged Xu Nian impatiently, unable to contain her excitement. "Find out who this buyer is. Judging by his clothes, he’s probably similar to the other buyers we’ve caught—maybe another personal assistant to some high-profile figure. If we follow this trail, we might finally uncover where Ning Ping'an ended up."
It never occurred to Guan Xia that the crucial clue leading them to Ning Ping'an would come from Liu Xiang, the very person responsible for her disappearance.
As Guan Xia considered the unusual location where Liu Xiang had hidden the evidence, she couldn’t help but wonder—was this more than just indifference to life and death? Had Liu Xiang chosen such a specific spot in some twisted attempt to accumulate blessings for her son?
