Han Yi's expression changed for a brief second before returning to normal. He looked at Suo ran with a puzzled face. "Why are you asking that?" he asked quietly. "Did you see someone?" Suo ran kept looking at him. "I'm asking a normal question!" he replied. "Can you just give me a normal answer?" Han Yi adjusted the cuff of his shirt, avoiding Suo ran's eyes for a moment before answering, "I didn't see anyone come here." He gave a small shrug. "Maybe you were dreaming. You had a high fever and you were unconscious for a long time. It's not strange to imagine things." He paused before asking carefully, "Why? Who do you think you saw?"Suo ran lowered his eyes. His fingers slowly tightened around the blanket.
Han Yi watched him carefully. "Suo Ran?" he called again. "What are you thinking about?" Suo ran slowly closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillow. After a long silence, he let out a quiet sigh. "Forget it." Han Yi frowned. "Forget it?" "Yes." Suo ran opened his eyes again, but they looked tired. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it was just a dream." Han Yi studied him for another moment. Something about Suo ran's expression told him he wasn't convinced at all. He wanted to ask more questions, but the words stopped in his throat. "Don't think too much!" Han Yi said gently. "The doctor told you to rest. The more you force yourself to remember, the worse your headache will become." Suo ran gave a small nod, though his mind was far from calm. "I know."
Han Yi glanced at the clock on the wall before picking up his jacket from the chair. "I'll go check if there's any update from team!" he said. "If anything comes up, I'll let you know immediately." Suo ran nodded without looking at him. "Okay." Han Yi walked toward the door, but before opening it, he looked back one last time. Suo ran was staring quietly at the window again, lost in thought. He's still thinking about that person, Han Yi thought silently. Did he really not remember? Without saying anything else,Han Yi opened the door and quietly left the room and door clicked shut.
Elsewhere Cai Lang's black car stop outside the abandoned warehouse just as the wind swept across the empty district.He saw building that wrapped with yellow police tape that fluttered restlessly between rusted metal posts. Several police vehicles remained parked nearby, their flashing lights long since turned off, leaving only an uneasy silence hanging over the scene. Uniformed officers stationed at the entrance immediately straightened the moment they recognized him. One stepped forward respectfully and lowered his head. "M.R Cai lang!" Cai Lang acknowledged him with a slight nod, his expression calm and unreadable. Without saying a word, he lifted the police tape with one hand, ducked beneath it, and walked inside.
As he walked in dust floated through thin beams of sunlight pouring in from shattered windows high above.His footsteps echoed softly across the cracked concrete floor.An investigator hurried over with a folder tucked beneath one arm. "Boss, we've preserved the scene exactly as it was found. Nothing has been moved except what was necessary to evacuate the injured." Cai Lang didn't take the folder. His eyes slowly swept across the warehouse instead. "Good!" he replied quietly. "No one follows me." The investigator hesitated before nodding. "Understood."
He motioned for the others to remain where they were while Cai Lang continued deeper into the building alone.He didn't rush. Every step was deliberate. He looked around he saw broken wooden crates lay shattered across the floor, splinters scattered in every direction. Several heavy metal shelves had been overturned, their twisted frames suggesting they hadn't simply fallen but had been forced down during a violent struggle.Then he noticed deep bullet marks scarred the concrete pillars supporting the warehouse roof, some clustered together while others stretched farther across the room, showing how the fight had moved from one end of the building to the other.
Cai Lang stopped beside one of the concrete pillars. His gloved fingers brushed lightly over several bullet hole.He slowly turned his head, silently measuring the distance between each impact, then looked toward the opposite side of the warehouse.They fired from here... His gaze shifted toward another pillar. You moved there. Then toward the shattered wooden crates. You kept changing cover... buying yourself seconds. His eyes narrowed slightly as another thought quietly surfaced. But why did you come here in the first place? Who brought you here? That man from hospital?! His expression grew colder. What is your relationship with that man? Did you come willingly... or were you forced?
He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. No... He remembered Suo Ran's stubborn personality all too well. You wouldn't follow a stranger without a reason. His gaze swept across the silent warehouse once more. Then what made you walk into a place like this? What were you trying to do... and what were you trying to find here? Were you chasing a lead... or were you following someone? His eyes narrowed. Did they use Jun Wei to lure you here? The thought settled in his mind. No... that would have been enough. He knew Suo ran. If there was even the slightest chance Jun Wei was inside this place, Suo ran would have walked into danger without hesitation.
Without another word, Cai Lang walked toward a dark stain on the concrete floor. He slowly crouched beside it, resting one hand lightly against his knee as his eyes settled on the dried blood. Time had already turned it into dark, cracked patches against the rough ground, but it was still unmistakable. For several long seconds he simply stared at it in silence, his expression unreadable. This is where you were shot... His fingers tightened almost imperceptibly. How much blood did you lose before someone took you away? He lowered his gaze, and a quiet ache settled deep inside his chest. His jaw clenched.Were you calling my name... while I wasn't there to answer?
He slowly closed his hand into a fist beside the dried blood. You stubborn idiot... His gaze remained fixed on the dark stain. You always carry everything by yourself....A faint crease appeared between his brows. Even when the danger is obvious... you still choose to stand in front of everyone else.His eyes drifted toward the bullet-scarred pillars once more. How long did you keep fighting? How many times did you refuse to fall?If I had answered that call... would any of this have happened?
He slowly stood up and said.No matter who brought you here... no matter who did this to you... I'll find every single one of them.
One of his investigators jogged toward him, carefully holding a transparent evidence bag in both hands. "Boss!" he called, slowing to a stop before him. "We found something beneath the broken crates."Cai Lang lowered his gaze. Inside the evidence bag was a mobile phone.The screen was shattered beyond recognition, deep cracks spreading across the glass like a spider's web. Dust and dried blood stained one corner of the case. The investigator held it out carefully.
Without hesitation,Cai Lang took the evidence bag. His gloved fingers turned the damaged phone over slowly.Despite the cracked screen, one thing immediately caught his attention.Stuck to the back of the faded phone case was a small cartoon cat sticker beside a tiny yellow star. One corner of the sticker had peeled away slightly, but it was still there.Cai Lang's eyes rested on it for several quiet seconds.
Then he remembered one day when Jun wei sat cross-legged on the living room floor surrounded by colorful sticker sheets, humming happily to himself. Suo ran had just returned from work and stopped in the doorway, staring at the mess spread across the coffee table. "Jun Wei..." he sighed, already knowing trouble was waiting for him. Jun wei immediately looked up, his eyes sparkling. "Ge-ge! Come here!" Suo ran raised an eyebrow. "Why?" Jun Wei held up a tiny cat sticker proudly. "Your phone is too boring."
Suo ran looked down at the plain black phone in his hand before looking back at jun wei."It's a phone, not a toy." Jun wei pouted. "Exactly! That's why it's boring!" Lian Ziho, who had been reading nearby, couldn't stop himself from laughing. "He's got a point." Suo Ran shot him a helpless look. "Don't encourage him." Jun Wei quickly stood up and tugged at Suo ran's sleeve with both hands. "Please! Just one sticker! One tiny sticker!"
Suo ran looked at the hopeful face staring up at him and immediately knew he had already lost. "...Only one." Jun Wei gasped happily. "Really?" Suo ran nodded with a resigned sigh. "Only one." Less than five minutes later, the back of the phone held not one sticker, but several. A smiling cat, a yellow star, a tiny cloud, and a little paw print. Suo Ran looked at the phone in disbelief. "Jun Wei..." Jun Wei immediately hid behind Lian Ziho, giggling. "You promised!" "I promised one." "They're very small. They count as one together."
Lian Ziho laughed so hard he nearly dropped his book.Even Suo ran couldn't hold back a smile as he shook his head helplessly. "You're impossible."Jun Wei grinned proudly. "Now whenever you look at your phone, you'll remember me." Suo ran gently tapped the boy's forehead. "As if I could forget you." Jun Wei puffed out his cheeks proudly before suddenly looking toward Cai Lang, who had been quietly watching the entire scene from the sofa without saying a word. His eyes immediately lit up."Cai -ge!" Before anyone could react, he grabbed another sticker sheet and ran over.Cai Lang raised an eyebrow as the little boy stopped in front of him. "What?" Jun wei held up a small cat sticker. "Give me your phone."
Cai Lang looked at him for a moment before calmly taking his phone from his pocket and placing it in Jun Wei's hands without asking a single question. Suo Ran looked over in disbelief. "You actually gave it to him?" Cai Lang answered without taking his eyes off Jun Wei. "Why not?" Suo ran folded his arms. "Because five minutes ago he promised me 'only one sticker.' " Jun Wei said, "I didn't lie! They were tiny stickers!" Lian Ziho burst into laughter again while Cai Lang gave faint smile.
Jun Wei carefully stuck a single tiny black cat onto the corner of Cai Lang's phone case before proudly holding it up. "Done!" Cai Lang accepted it, looked at the sticker for a second, then looked at Jun Wei. "Only one?" Jun Wei nodded seriously. "Only one." Suo Ran couldn't help laughing. "See? He likes you more." Jun Wei quickly shook his head and hugged both Cai Lang's arm and Suo Ran's waist at the same time. "No! I like both of you!" Cai Lang quietly rested a hand on Jun Wei's head, gently ruffling his hair. "Good answer." Jun Wei beamed happily while Suo Ran simply smiled, watching the two of them with quiet amusement.
The warm memory slowly faded from Cai Lang's mind as his gaze returned to the cracked phone resting in his hand. His thumb brushed lightly across the faded little cat sticker before he carefully slipped the phone back into the evidence bag.Just then,hurried footsteps approached from behind. "Boss!" one of his men called as he stopped a respectful distance away. Cai Lang looked over without a word.The investigator straightened immediately. "Our forensic team is standing by." Cai Lang handed him the damaged phone. "Recover the data.I need every message, every photograph, every call record and every deleted file." He paused briefly, his eyes lingering on the shattered screen. "As soon as possible." The investigator accepted the evidence bag with both hands and nodded firmly. "Yes, Boss. We'll begin immediately."
Cai lang was about to but his phone vibrated again.He saw unfamiliar number flashed across the screen once more and his gaze immediately sharpened.Without hesitation, he answered the call and lifted the phone to his ear. "Speak." For a brief second, there was nothing except faint static.Then a small, trembling voice came through the speaker. "...Ge-ge..." Cai Lang froze. His expression changed instantly. "Jun Wei?" The frightened voice sniffled softly. "Ge-ge... I'm scared..."
Cai Lang's fingers tightened around the phone. "Jun Wei." His voice unconsciously softened. "Don't be afraid. I'm here. Listen to me carefully. Tell Ge-ge where you are. Can you see anything? Is there a window? A door? Tell me anything you can remember." Jun Wei's breathing trembled on the other end. "It's... dark..." he whispered fearfully. "I don't know where I am... I want Ge-ge... I want Lian-ge..."Cai Lang slowly closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. "You'll see them soon. Just stay calm. Don't cry. We're looking for you."
Before Jun Wei could answer, the sound of struggling suddenly echoed through the phone. "N-No..." Jun wei cried out. "Give it back!"A muffled noise followed before another voice replaced his. "If you want the boy to stay alive..." The man deliberately paused. "tell Suo ran to hand over the scroll."
Cai lang's eyes instantly turned cold. "Who are you?" His voice was frighteningly calm. "Leave him out of this. He's just a child." The man chuckled quietly."I like your confidence." And he laughed again,"But sometimes... confidence isn't a very good thing." Cai Lang's jaw tightened. "If you're capable, come for me instead." His voice became even colder. "Don't drag an innocent child into this."
The man laughed again,this time louder. "Very touching."He paused before continuing. "Unfortunately... you're not the one I want." Cai Lang took a slow breath, forcing himself to remain calm. "Then what do you want?" "I already told you. I want scroll." He continued slowly, making sure every word was heard clearly. "Tell Suo Ran to hand it over." A dangerous silence followed before the man spoke again. "Otherwise..." He paused deliberately. "...prepare to collect that child's body."
Cai Lang's grip tightened until his knuckles turned pale.Before he could speak again, Jun Wei's frightened voice suddenly returned, sounding as though he had briefly grabbed the phone back. "Ge-ge!" His voice shook uncontrollably. "I'm scared... Ge-ge..." Cai Lang immediately spoke. "Jun Wei!" His calm finally cracked. "Listen to me! Don't be afraid! I'm coming to get you! Do you hear me? I'll bring you home!"A loud rustling sound interrupted him then... the call disconnected.
Cai Lang stared silently at the dark screen for several long seconds. No one dared to speak. Suddenly, with a violent swing of his arm, he hurled the phone across the warehouse. It smashed against a concrete pillar with a deafening crash before shattering across the floor into dozens of pieces.
He slowly clenched both fists. "They threatened a child..." His voice was low enough to make the entire warehouse feel colder. He slowly looked around at everyone present. "They used Jun Wei to threaten Suo Ran." His jaw tightened. "Unforgivable." He continued,"Mobilize every team." He looked directly at the nearest investigator. "Trace that call." Then toward another. "Search every abandoned warehouse, every factory, every safe house and every building they could possibly hide in." His gaze swept across everyone in the room. "I don't care how much money it costs." His voice dropped even lower. "I don't care how many people they have." He paused, his eyes burning with quiet rage. "Find them."
No one answered immediately. They were still stunned by the rare display of anger they had just witnessed.Cai Lang took one step toward the exit before stopping. Without turning around, he said, "And when you find them..." He paused for one final second. "...leave them alive."He paused for second then he finished coldly, "I'll deal with them myself."
Meanwhile Han Yi pushed open the office door and stepped inside without making a sound. Morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the quiet room. He was no longer dressed like the ordinary driver Suo ran had grown used to seeing. He wore crisp white shirt fit neatly beneath a dark charcoal vest, the sleeves buttoned perfectly at his wrists with long black coat rested over his shoulders.
Inside the office,Qin Yue was already there. She sat casually on the edge of a desk with one leg crossed over the other, a cup of coffee balanced lazily in one hand while the other flipped through several thick case files. Hearing the door open, she glanced up and smile little.He walked straight to his own desk, removed his coat, and carefully hung it over the back of his chair without creating a single wrinkle.Just as he was about to sit down, his eyes landed on the small metal nameplate placed at the front of his desk. It had shifted ever so slightly, almost impossible for anyone else to notice.
Han Yi reached out calmly with two fingers and adjusted it until it sat perfectly centered with the edge of the table.He looked at it for another second to make sure it was straight before finally pulling out his chair.Qin Yue had watched the entire process from beginning to end.Unable to hold back anymore, she chuckled into her coffee. "Seriously?" she said with a grin. "Even your nameplate has to be perfectly straight?"Han Yi acted as though he hadn't heard anything. He calmly sat down, opened the first investigation file waiting on his desk, and began reading page after page without the slightest reaction.
Qin Yue laughed even harder. "Looks like Captain Han is officially back." Han Yi slowly turned another page before speaking in a flat voice. "Do you have something useful to say?" Qin Yue lifted an eyebrow dramatically. "Actually... I do." Han Yi finally looked up at him over the top of the file, his expression calm. Qin Yue leaned forward slightly with a playful smile. "So..." She paused on purpose before continuing. "...are you finally done pretending to be someone's driver?"
Han Yi didn't answer immediately. He simply closed the file in front of him, picked up another one, and continued reading. Qin Yue clicked her tongue. "Come on, don't ignore me." Still nothing. Qin Yue stood up from the desk, walked over, and leaned both hands on Han Yi's table. "I have to admit, though," she said with a laugh. "Out of all the undercover identities you've used, this one surprised me the most." Han Yi continued reading. "Is that so?" "Of course." Qin Yue nodded. "I've seen you pretend to be a consultant, an office worker, even a university lecturer once." She folded her arms with a grin."But a driver?" she shook his head. "That one caught everyone off guard."
Han Yi finally raised his eyes toward him. "It was necessary."Qin Yue smiled wider. "Necessary?" Han Yi nodded once. "Yes." Qin Yue looked at him for several seconds before laughing again. "Does Suo ran even know?" Han Yi quietly lowered his eyes back to the documents. "Know what?" Qin Yue smiled knowingly. "That the quiet driver who picks him up every day is actually Captain Han Yi?"Han Yi didn't answer. Qin Yue immediately understood. "So he really doesn't know." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully before smiling to herself. "Poor guy." Han Yi calmly adjusted the cuff of his sleeve. "Qin Yue." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried enough warning to make Qin Yue laugh instead of continuing. "Alright, alright." She lifted both hands innocently. "I'm just curious."
Qin Yue sighed dramatically before asking in a more serious tone, "Then answer me one thing." Han Yi looked at her again.Qin Yue's smile became smaller. "Why did you pretend to be his driver? You could have met him openly as Captain Han Yi, the lead investigator on the case.Wouldn't that have been easier?" Han Yi quietly closed the file in his hands and stood up from his chair. He walked toward the window with slow, steady steps before stopping in front of it. Looking outside, he slipped one hand into his pocket. "If I met him as Captain Han Yi," he said calmly, "every conversation would have sounded like an interrogation."
Qin Yue's playful smile faded a little. Han Yi continued, "People become cautious around investigators. They choose their words carefully. They hide things without realizing it." He turned his head slightly toward Qin Yue. "But they rarely hide anything from the person driving them home." Qin Yue blinked before letting out a soft laugh. "So that's why you chose to be a driver." Han Yi nodded once. "Drivers hear conversations no one else does." Qin Yue crossed her arms and smiled helplessly. "You know..." She shook his head. "That sounds strangely romantic if someone overhears it."
Han Yi gave him a flat look. "Fortunately, no one asked for your opinion." Qin Yue burst into laughter. "There it is! I was wondering when Captain Han would finally fight back." Even Han Yi couldn't help letting out a quiet sigh. He adjusted his glasses with one finger before returning to his desk. "Are you finished?"Even Han Yi couldn't help letting out a quiet sigh. He adjusted his glasses with one finger before returning to his desk. "Are you finished?"The smile slowly disappeared from her face as she reached for another file from the stack beside her.She placed the thick brown folder on Han Yi's desk and gently tapped it with her finger. "Jokes aside," she said, her tone becoming serious, "the forensic team finally finished examining the abandoned van."
Han Yi immediately stopped what he was doing.He opened the file and looked directly at Qin Yue. "Results?" Qin Yue exhaled quietly before opening the report. "Nothing." Han Yi frowned slightly. "Nothing?" Qin Yue nodded. "No fingerprints." She turned another page. "No DNA." Another page. "Not even a usable fiber." She looked up at Han Yi. "Every surface was cleaned professionally. Whoever handled that van knew exactly what investigators would look for."
Han Yi leaned back slightly in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.His eyes remained fixed on the report. "Professionals!" he said quietly.Qin Yue nodded without hesitation. "Exactly. This wasn't done by amateurs." A brief silence settled between them.Han Yi lowered his gaze again, carefully reading every line of the report himself before speaking. "They planned this long before the kidnapping." Qin Yue gave a small nod. "I reached the same conclusion." He reached into the folder again and pulled out a large photograph before sliding it across the desk. "But..." he said, "...they still overlooked one detail."
Han Yi picked up the photograph and adjusted his glasses slightly before studying it carefully. At first glance it looked like an ordinary dirt road. Then his eyes narrowed it was tire tracks stretched across the ground, overlapping each other.He remained silent for several moments.Qin Yue stood beside him and pointed at one particular set of tracks. "Look closely." Han Yi compared the width and spacing without saying a word. After nearly half a minute, he finally spoke. "These weren't made by the abandoned van." Qin Yue smiled faintly. "Exactly." Han Yi looked up. "The spacing is different." "Different wheelbase," Qin Yue agreed. "Different vehicle." Han Yi placed the photograph back onto the table. "Go on."
Qin Yue folded her arms. "Our vehicle specialist measured every mark. The abandoned van couldn't have made these tracks."She pointed toward another photograph showing the same location from a different angle. "Which means..." Han Yi finished the sentence before he could. "Jun wei an was transferred." Qin Yue nodded slowly. "Into another vehicle."Han Yi's expression became noticeably colder. "Before the van was abandoned." "Exactly."
Qin Yue walked toward the whiteboard hanging on the wall and picked up a marker. She quickly drew two simple rectangles representing two vehicles."Vehicle One." She tapped the first drawing. "The kidnapping van." Then she tapped the second. "Vehicle Two. Unknown." She drew an arrow between them. "Transfer point." Han Yi stood up and walked over to the board. His eyes remained fixed on the simple drawing. "Meaning Warehouse Seventeen wasn't the final destination." Qin Yue nodded. "It was only a transfer point."
Han Yi fell silent. His fingers rested lightly against the edge of the table as his thoughts rapidly connected one clue after another. "They changed vehicles..." he murmured. "...to break the trail." "Exactly!" Qin Yue replied. "If the police found the van, they'd naturally assume that was where everything ended." Han Yi looked at her. "But it wasn't." Qin Yue shook her head. "Not even close." Han Yi walked back toward the desk and looked once more at the photographs scattered across it. "Whoever planned this understood investigation procedures."
Qin Yue gave a short laugh without any amusement behind it. "Sometimes I hate dealing with smart criminals." Han Yi replied calmly, "Better than dealing with careless ones." Qin Yue smiled helplessly. "You really know how to encourage people."Before Han Yi could answer, Qin Yue's phone suddenly vibrated across the desk. Both of them looked at it at the same time.