Shen Yihan and Jiang Tang were still in Jingnan.
The next morning, it was Zhang Nan who came to pick up Lin Mo again.
After getting into the car, Lin Mo fastened her seatbelt with her fair, jade-like fingers. "Back to the slums," she said.
"Did you find the exact location?" Zhang Nan asked.
"Yes, we should head there now. They should still be there."
During breakfast, Xie Guanyan had informed her about the leads they had uncovered. The police had spent the entire night searching and had finally located them. However, they had only confirmed their whereabouts under the guise of identity registration, careful not to alert them.
Suddenly, Lin Mo's phone rang—an unknown number. Without hesitation, she hung up.
The same number called again, and again, she rejected it.
Zhang Nan, curious, asked, "Why aren’t you answering?"
Lin Mo replied, "It might be a scam call. Shen Yihan mentioned that one of your company employees lost 100,000 yuan after answering an unknown call."
Zhang Nan blinked in surprise. "Really? This is the first I’ve heard of it."
Lin Mo nodded. "It’s better to avoid unknown calls. Yesterday, I saw a video on Douyin where someone said they got scammed out of all 56 yuan in their bank account!"
Zhang Nan burst out laughing. "Tragic! Absolutely tragic!"
Meanwhile, Gu Jingchuan frowned deeply as his call was rejected yet again.
Had Shen Yihan given Lin Mo his number?
Gu Jingchuan picked up his backup phone and dialed Lin Mo once more.
Again, the call was instantly declined.
Gu Jingchuan: "..."
What was going on?
Was this even Lin Mo’s number? Had the private investigator scammed him?
[The calls aren’t going through. Are you sure you gave me the right number?]
The private investigator replied promptly: [Absolutely correct. Try calling a few more times.]
Gu Jingchuan: [Calling more will just get me blocked.]
Private Investigator: [That’s rough!]
Fuming, Gu Jingchuan’s nostrils flared as he messaged his assistant.
[Why haven’t I seen the trending topic all night? What are you even doing?]
The assistant replied quickly: [Weibo won’t let it trend, no matter how much we pay. There’s nothing I can do!]
Xie Guanyan must have gotten to Weibo first!
Gu Jingchuan yanked at his hair in frustration, pulling out several strands.
He had to meet Lin Mo in person!
Thanks to Zhang Nan’s familiarity with the slums, they soon arrived beneath a bridge.
Indeed, Shen Ji'an hadn’t found proper shelter—he was living under the bridge.
The place reeked, crowded with homeless people whose gazes were uncomfortably direct.
Zhang Nan suggested, "Do you have a photo? I can go in and look for you. Wait here."
Lin Mo shook her head, pulling out a mask for Zhang Nan and one for herself.
"We’ll go together."
Having grown up here, even Zhang Nan felt uneasy.
Lin Mo held her hand, walking calmly as her eyes scanned the figures sprawled on the ground.
Finally, at the far end of the bridge, she spotted a thin boy kneeling, helping an older woman drink water.
Just one day had passed, but the once-neat boy was now filthy, his hair matted with dried blood.
Lin Mo took a shallow breath—the stench was overwhelming.
She approached, crouched down, and gently touched his head. "Shen Ji'an."
Her soft voice and the warmth of her touch made Ji'an, exhausted from a sleepless night, turn slowly. His eyes widened in shock.
"Sister, you—"
Realizing she had touched his dirty hair, he hastily pulled out a tissue. "My head’s filthy. Here, wipe your hand."
Taking the tissue, Lin Mo felt a mix of anger and heartache. She pinched his nose lightly. "You little rascal, you had me searching everywhere! Come home with me now."
Suddenly, the woman on the ground sat up and clung to Ji'an, screaming, "No! We’re not going back! Never going back! Get away! Leave us alone!"
She grabbed a cup and hurled it at Lin Mo.
Before Lin Mo could react, Ji'an shielded her.
The cup struck his back with a heavy thud. He winced in pain, his bangs hiding his guilty eyes. "Sis, please go. I can’t go back with you."
Lin Mo’s brow furrowed. She pulled Ji'an aside and turned to the woman, her voice gentle. "Auntie, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to protect you both."
The woman’s expression softened slightly, confusion in her gaze. "Pro... protect us?"
Lin Mo’s words cut through Ji'an like a knife.
He bit his lip hard. "Sis, we—"
Lin Mo glared. "Shut it. You’re coming with me now."
The authority in her tone left Ji'an no room to argue.
Shouldering his backpack, he helped the woman up. "Auntie Zhen, this is my sister. We’re going with her."
Auntie Zhen studied Lin Mo for a long moment, her eyes inexplicably welling up. "So... beautiful," she murmured.
The car couldn’t navigate the slum’s narrow paths, so they had to walk to where it was parked.
Auntie Zhen’s condition was dire—she coughed up blood multiple times along the way.
Zhang Nan moved to support her, and the four made their way out together.
As they reached the car, they were met with an unexpected sight—Gu Jingchuan.
His nose wrinkled at the sight of the two disheveled figures, but he stepped forward anyway, offering with feigned concern, "Lin Mo, need any help?"
