The car stopped at the entrance of Xiatuo Village; the roads weren't accessible to vehicles yet.
The two got out and walked straight into the village.
Following the address, they found Bai Wei's old home — but it was just ruins, crumbling and uninhabited.
They felt disappointed, but not far off, they saw an elderly woman working in the field. Cao Yang approached her.
"Granny, do you know where this family has gone?"
The woman spoke a few sentences, but Cao Yang didn't understand a word. He looked at Xia Dongdong for help.
A cold smile lifted the corner of her mouth. "Weren't you saying I was redundant? Useless?"
Cao Yang raised his hand to lightly spank her, but paused mid-air.
She wasn't Lei Yu or Li Yan. With them, it was teasing; with Xia Dongdong, it would be perverted.
"Focus on the case. No arguing."
"Hmph!" Xia Dongdong snorted and switched to speaking in dialect with the old woman.
After a short while, she told Cao Yang: "Granny said Bai Wei's parents passed away long ago. He works outside, but she doesn't know the details."
Cao Yang, still unable to understand, noticed the old woman's eyes darting — something wasn't being said.
Makes sense. Villagers wouldn't reveal too much to strangers asking about someone.
Cao Yang took out 200 yuan, letting Xia Dongdong give it to her.
Eyes lighting up at the money, the old woman tucked it into her pocket, glanced around, and whispered some details.
"What did she say?"
"She said Bai Wei returned a few days ago, had a meal at his second uncle's house, and then left. Apparently, he spends most days at a bar in the county. We should check the bar."
"Which bar?"
"She doesn't know."
They drove to the county and, while eating, asked the restaurant owner about bars.
Being a small town, there was only one: Black Panther.
The owner warned them that the place was chaotic and advised them to avoid trouble.
After paying, they left.
With only one bar, it wasn't too hard to find. By 9 PM, they arrived at the entrance.
As Xia Dongdong prepared to go in, Cao Yang stopped her.
"You wait in the car."
"Why?"
"You're too beautiful. In a small town, you'd become the center of attention and attract unnecessary trouble."
Xia Dongdong was initially annoyed but agreed — his logic made sense. She smiled.
"Okay, I'll wait in the car."
Cao Yang nodded and entered the bar alone.
Small-town bars couldn't compare to big cities. The stage was bare, unlike city stages with decorations.
Cao Yang regretted not bringing Xia Dongdong in to see her reaction.
A server led him to a booth. He casually ordered drinks and tossed the server 200 yuan tip, instantly gaining favor.
Cao Yang waved the server away and scanned the bar.
As expected, the place was wild. On the stage were nude dancers, and in booths, men and women played drinking games. Some women had their lingerie torn, some were completely stripped.
The dim lighting made it hard to recognize faces — even if Bai Wei were in front of him, Cao Yang might not identify him.
Asking directly would arouse suspicion. Bai Wei was likely a regular here; someone might tip him off.
Snap! Cao Yang snapped his fingers. A server immediately approached.
"Brother, what do you need?"
Cao Yang said: "It's boring drinking alone."
The server immediately understood and brought two young women in sexy camisoles.
"Brother, how about these two?"
Cao Yang looked, they were average-looking but young.
"One is enough."
He pointed to the fair-skinned girl. She smiled and sat close, naturally leaning against him.
"You're not from here, right?" she asked.
Cao Yang held her gently. "You're not local either, judging by your accent."
They drank together.
"I'm from Hunan, just came here recently," she whispered.
Cao Yang was surprised. "I'm also from Hunan — fellow countrywoman!"
"Really?" she exclaimed and started speaking in their dialect.
Cao Yang responded fluently, instantly creating rapport.
She leaned into him, whispering: "Brother, even fellow countrywoman, you still need to pay."
"Of course, I don't freeload." Cao Yang gave her 200 yuan, slipping it down her top, also grabbing a playful pinch.
He didn't want to, but it was part of maintaining his persona.
The girl giggled, enjoying the attention. Cao Yang occasionally slipped money, and her excitement grew. A generous client like him was rare.
When the timing was right, Cao Yang steered the conversation toward the bar business and patrons.
She shook her head. Having only been here two months, she didn't know much.
Pointing to a table, she said: "The table with the surname Bai comes often. Their spending is as generous as yours. The rest are stingy."
Cao Yang glanced — it was the table of the guys who had stripped her earlier.
The girl said he was a Bai, and a frequent visitor.
Cao Yang had his target. He stood and walked out to follow.
He didn't want to act inside the bar. Once outside, he could tail him and interrogate about the other two men.
Stepping outside for fresh air, he saw the girl following.
"Why are you following me?"
"Brother, I didn't get your money for nothing. Let's find a hotel."
Cao Yang waved her off: "No need, go back."
The girl looked at him oddly. "Brother, are you incapable? Don't worry, I trained in Dongguan; I can help."
"Go to hell! Scram!"
Cao Yang had serious business. Her flirtation annoyed him. He scolded her: "Young lady, don't waste your youth. Why pick this work? And boasting about being from Hunan? You're shaming us all!"
Suddenly, he flipped, leaving the girl stunned — she thought, I came here to earn a living, and you want to make me feel bad for it?