The caller ID displayed the name of one of their field investigators. Qin Yue answered immediately. "Qin Yue speaking." Her relaxed expression disappeared as she listened. She didn't interrupt and her eyes gradually narrowed behind the report in her hand. Han Yi watched her without saying a word. After several long seconds,Qin Yue quietly replied, "Understood. Don't let him leave. We'll be there." She ended the call but didn't speak immediately.Han yi could already tell from her expression that something had changed. "What happened?" he asked.
Qin Yue slowly lowered the phone onto the desk. "A witness finally agreed to talk." Han Yi stepped closer. "About the warehouse?" Qin Yue nodded. "He was hiding nearby the night of the kidnapping. He was too scared to come forward before." Han Yi waited. Qin Yue took a slow breath. "He saw two vehicles leave Warehouse Seventeen." Han Yi's eyes sharpened instantly. "Two?" "One was the abandoned van." Qin Yue paused deliberately. "The other..." She reached into the folder once more and removed a grainy surveillance photograph taken from a distance. The image was blurred, but one vehicle could still be identified.l and it was black SUV.Han Yi stared at the photograph without blinking. Qin Yue quietly added, "The witness swears the black SUV left first."
Qin Yue watched him for a moment before speaking again. "The witness is certain the black SUV left first." Han Yi didn't answer immediately. His sharp eyes remained fixed on the photograph, carefully studying every blurred detail.After several long seconds, he finally lowered the photograph onto the desk. Qin Yue quietly closed the file. "If the witness is telling the truth," she said, "we've been following the wrong vehicle." Han Yi slowly shook his head. "Not wrong..." His calm voice carried quiet confidence. "Just incomplete." Qin Yue looked at him. "You still think the van matters?" Han Yi nodded once. "Every move they made had a purpose." He tapped the photograph lightly with one finger. "People like this don't leave evidence by accident."
Qin Yue studied him for a moment before asking, "What are you thinking?" Han Yi picked up the photograph again. "I want to speak to the witness myself." Qin Yue blinked. "You don't trust the report?" Han Yi looked at her. "I trust reports." A faint smile appeared on his face. "I trust people's memories much less." Qin Yue couldn't help smiling slightly. "Still the same." Han Yi slipped the photograph into the file and stood up. "Let's go."
A few minutes later, they walked out of the Investigation Bureau together.Qin Yue unlocked the car with a press of the remote. Han Yi climbed into the passenger seat while she started the engine. As the vehicle pulled onto the road, Qin Yue focused on driving through the busy streets while Han Yi reopened the investigation file on his lap.One photograph after another passed beneath his fingers.His eyes moved carefully over every page without missing a single detail.Qin Yue glanced sideways at him before returning her attention to the road. "You've been looking at those photos since this morning." Han Yi didn't look up. "They're still telling me something." Qin Yue smiled faintly. "You always say that." Han Yi turned another page. "Because they usually are."
After several minutes,Han Yi suddenly stopped turning the pages.His eyes remained fixed on the witness statement.Qin Yue noticed immediately. "What is it?" Han Yi didn't answer right away. Instead, he compared the statement with the timeline printed beside it. His fingers lightly tapped the paper then he quietly spoke. "Look at the times." Qin Yue briefly glanced over while waiting at a traffic light. "The witness says the black SUV left first." "Yes." Han Yi nodded. "That's mean van wasn't discovered until much later." Qin Yue frowned slightly. "So?" Han Yi slowly lifted his eyes from the file. There was a calm certainty in his expression now. "The van wasn't transporting someone."
Qin Yue looked at him, confused for only a second before realization slowly spread across her face. Han Yi finished quietly, "...It was transporting attention."Qin Yue tightened her grip on the steering wheel. "A decoy..." she murmured. Han Yi nodded once. "While every patrol unit searched for the van, the real vehicle had already disappeared." Qin Yue let out a slow breath. "We've been chasing exactly what they wanted us to chase." Han Yi closed the file. His eyes drifted toward the road stretching ahead. "Which means whoever planned this..." He paused for a brief moment. "...understood how we investigate."
Han Yi's fingers tapped lightly against the cover as he read through every page again. Suddenly, he looked up from the file. "How much farther?" he asked. Qin Yue glanced at the navigation screen before returning her attention to the road. "About five minutes." Han Yi gave a small nod."The witness's name?" "Luo Jian." "Age?" "Fifty-three." "Occupation?" "He repairs fishing boats near the river." Han Yi quietly repeated the information in his mind before asking another question. "Any criminal record?" Qin Yue shook her head. "None." Han Yi looked back at the file. "Family?" Qin Yue's voice softened slightly. "His wife passed away five years ago. He lives alone now." Han Yi was silent for a few moments before speaking again. "A man living alone..." His gaze shifted toward the road ahead. "...is easier to frighten."
Qin Yue glanced at him briefly. "You think someone threatened him?" Han Yi closed the file and rested it on his knee. "I'd be surprised if they didn't." Qin Yue frowned slightly. "Then why come forward now?" Han Yi looked out the window, his reflection visible in the glass. "Because something changed." "Such as?" Qin Yue asked. Han Yi answered calmly, "Either he finally found the courage... or the people threatening him can no longer reach him." Qin Yue tightened her grip on the steering wheel. "I hope it's the first." Han Yi didn't reply.
As they approached a traffic intersection, Han Yi's attention suddenly shifted toward a tall pole standing beside the road. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly. "Pull over!" he said quietly. Qin Yue looked at him in confusion. "Here?" "Yes." Without questioning him further, she slowed the car and parked near the curb. Both of them stepped out.Han Yi stood in the middle of the sidewalk, looking up at a surveillance camera mounted above the intersection. Qin Yue followed his gaze. "That camera wasn't listed in the report."
Han Yi studied it for another few seconds. "Exactly." Qin Yue folded her arms. "You think it recorded something?" Han Yi kept his eyes on the camera. "I don't know." After a brief pause, he added, "But I don't like assumptions."Qin Yue smiled faintly. "That's why you're impossible to argue with." Han Yi didn't react. "Let's check." They crossed the road and entered a small security office beside the intersection.As they entered in an elderly security guard looked up from his desk in surprise. Han Yi calmly showed his identification. "We're investigating a kidnapping."
The guard immediately stood. "Of course, officers." Han Yi pointed toward the monitor connected to the roadside camera. "We need the footage from several nights ago." The guard's expression changed almost instantly. "I... I can't help you." Qin Yue frowned. "Why not?" The guard looked uneasy then he replied, "The recorder is gone." Han Yi's eyes sharpened. "Gone?" The guard nodded nervously. "A group of men came here only a few hours after the incident. They showed official-looking documents and said they were collecting evidence."
Qin Yue exchanged a quick glance with Han Yi. "Did you verify who they were?" she asked. The old man lowered his head. "No. They looked legitimate." Han Yi spoke in the same calm tone. "Describe them." The guard thought for a moment. "Three men came they wore dark jackets. One of them did all the talking. They removed the hard drive themselves and left."Qin Yue's expression grew serious. "Did they leave any paperwork?" The guard shook his head slowly. "Nothing." Qin yue laughed and said, "Nothing?! Wow! Tell me what is your work?!"
He paused for second and then said, "Are you seriously just watching everyone's faces or something?! And you still have the nerve to say, 'Nothing!' "
Han Yi walked over to the recording cabinet. He opened it without a word. Inside, only loose cables remained. The hard drive had been removed cleanly.Qin Yue let out a quiet breath. "Another piece of evidence erased." Han Yi gently closed the cabinet door. "Not erased," he corrected quietly. "Collected." Qin Yue looked at him."There's a difference?" Han Yi nodded once. "Erasing evidence is careless." He turned toward the empty cabinet. "Collecting it means they knew it was valuable." Qin Yue understood immediately. "Which means they expected investigators to find this camera eventually."
Han Yi slipped one hand into his coat pocket and looked toward the busy intersection outside the window where hundreds of cars passed every hour. "They aren't just covering their tracks." His voice remained calm, but every word carried weight. "They're staying one step ahead of us." Qin Yue looked at the empty recording cabinet. "Do you think they knew this camera captured something important?" Han Yi gave a small nod without taking his eyes off it. "They wouldn't risk exposing themselves otherwise."
Qin Yue frowned thoughtfully. "They arrived only a few hours after Jun Wei disappeared." "Exactly!" Han Yi replied. He looked through the window toward the busy intersection where cars and pedestrians moved as if it were just another ordinary day. "That's too fast!"Qin Yue said quietly. Han Yi's eyes remained fixed on the traffic outside. "It means they already knew which cameras had recorded them." Qin Yue folded her arms across her chest. "So they planned the escape route before the kidnapping even happened." Han Yi nodded once. "They planned everything."
The elderly security guard, who had been standing silently nearby, hesitated before speaking. "Officer..." Han Yi turned to him immediately. "I remembered something." Qin Yue stepped closer. "What is it?" The old man scratched the back of his neck as he searched his memory. "One of those men wasn't wearing gloves." Han Yi's expression remained calm, but his eyes sharpened slightly. "Go on." The guard pointed toward the desk. "He leaned over right there and signed the visitor book." Qin Yue blinked in surprise. "Visitor book?" The guard nodded quickly. "Everyone who comes here after midnight is required to sign it." Han Yi's gaze became more focused. "Where is it?" Without wasting another second, the guard hurried to a nearby cabinet and carefully pulled out a thick, worn notebook. He placed it on the desk in front of Han Yi.
Han Yi slowly opened the notebook and began turning the pages one by one. Every page contained neat handwriting from delivery drivers, maintenance workers, and security staff who had entered the office during the night. He continued reading until his hand suddenly stopped. His eyes rested on the center of the notebook. One page had been ripped out completely. Qin Yue leaned forward, her expression changing at once. "They removed the page." The elderly guard stared at the notebook in disbelief. "It... it wasn't missing before."
Han Yi carefully examined the torn edge without touching it directly. Qin Yue looked from the notebook to Han Yi. "Whoever these people are..." She paused for a moment before finishing her sentence. "...they don't leave mistakes behind." Han Yi gently closed the notebook and handed it back to the guard. "No!" he said calmly. "They erase them." Without another word, he walked slowly toward the window and looked out at the street beyond the glass, his eyes studying every person and every passing vehicle.
Meanwhile Lian ziho unfolded the receipt again, studying every word printed on it for what felt like the hundredth time.The faded ink showed the name of a roadside gas station,the time of purchase, and the handwritten storage locker number on the back. He turned it over once more, hoping he had missed something before. There was nothing else.After several minutes, Lian ziho sighed quietly. "Do you think they dropped it by accident?" Zheng Rui kept his eyes on the road ahead. "Maybe."Lian looked sideways at him. "You don't sound convinced."
And faint smile appeared on zheng rui's face before disappearing just as quickly. "People like them don't make many mistakes." Lian ziho lowered his eyes to the receipt again. "So it could be a trap?" Zheng rui nodded slightly. "It could." Lian ziho was silent for a moment before folding the receipt carefully and slipping it back into his pocket. "We're still going." Zheng Rui glanced at him briefly before returning his attention to the road. "We don't have anything better."
Lian ziho leaned his head against the car window. He closed his eyes and his mind keep thinking about Jun Wei and he felt disappointed that every lead they found seemed to raise even more questions. First the abandoned warehouse, then the hidden router, and now a storage locker that might not even contain what they were hoping for. He quietly clenched his fist. Please... just let this be something useful.I don't need all the answers. I just needed one clue that could bring us closer to Jun wei.
Nearly half an hour later, Zheng rui slowed the car as an old bus terminal came into view. The building looked worn by time. Its faded sign hung crooked above the entrance, and the cracked pavement was crowded with people dragging old suitcases, carrying heavy bags, or waiting for buses beneath weathered shelters.Vendors called out to passing travelers while the smell of hot tea and fried snacks drifted through the air. The noise of conversations, engines, and bus horns filled every corner of the terminal.
Lian ziho looked through the windshield in surprise."I wasn't expecting this many people." Zheng rui parked the car across the street and switched off the engine. "That's exactly why someone would choose this place."Lian ziho watched dozens of strangers moving in every direction."Easy to disappear." Zheng rui opened the door. "Easy to watch people too." They stepped out of the car almost at the same time. Lian instinctively adjusted his jacket before scanning the terminal.His eyes moved carefully from one face to another.He noticed middle-aged man sat drinking tea near a newspaper stand. A young couple argued quietly beside a bus platform. An elderly woman struggled to lift her luggage while a porter hurried over to help her. Everything looked perfectly ordinary.
Lian lowered his voice."Do you recognize anyone?" Zheng rui slowly shook his head while pretending to check the departure board. "Not yet." Lian ziho slipped one hand into his pocket, his fingers brushing against the folded receipt again. "I don't like this." Zheng rui glanced at him. "Because of the crowd?"Lian ziho nodded."Too many people and many places to hide.If someone is watching us..." His eyes drifted across the terminal once more. "we'd never notice."
Zheng rui remained calm."Then we don't give them anything to notice." Lian ziho looked at him. "Meaning?" Zheng rui started walking toward the terminal entrance at a steady pace. "Act like we're exactly what we appear to be."Lian ziho raised an eyebrow. "And what do we appear to be?" And faint smile appeared on his face."Two men looking for a storage locker."Lian ziho couldn't help and he started to laughing."You're terrible at making dangerous situations sound normal." Zheng rui didn't look back as he continued walking. "Someone has to stay calm."Lian ziho followed beside him.
They entered the terminal together, blending naturally into the crowd.The noise of conversations, rolling suitcases, and bus announcements echoed through the large hall. And then their eyes locked on long row of metal storage lockers stood against one wall beneath a faded sign.Some people opened lockers before rushing toward departing buses, while others collected bags without paying attention to anyone around them.Lian ziho quietly reached into his pocket and unfolded the receipt again. His eyes moved from the handwritten number to the lockers in front of him. He counted carefully. "Thirty-six... thirty-seven... thirty-eight..." His footsteps slowed. Then he stopped in front of one of the lockers. His heartbeat quickened slightly. He looked at the small metal door before speaking in a low voice. "This is it."
Zheng rui stepped beside him but didn't immediately reach for the locker. Instead, his sharp eyes slowly swept across the terminal. He watched the ticket counter, the waiting area, the nearby snack stall, and the entrance without turning his head too obviously. Lian ziho frowned. "Aren't you going to open it?" Zheng rui quietly answered, "Not yet." Lian looked at him in confusion. "Why?" Zheng rui kept scanning the crowd. "Look around first."
Lian ziho understood immediately. He forced himself to stay still even though every instinct told him to open the locker as quickly as possible. His eyes moved carefully across the terminal. He saw one of bus driver was chating with a cleaner near the entrance. Then he saw an elderly couple argued over their tickets and besides them little girl tugged her mother's sleeve while pointing at a snack stand. Everything looked completely ordinary.
After nearly a minute, Zheng rui finally spoke. "I don't see anyone paying special attention to us." Lian ziho quietly let out the breath he had been holding. "Neither do I." Zheng rui reached into his pocket and removed the small locker key they had found with the receipt. He held it between his fingers for a brief moment before looking at Lian ziho. "Ready?" Lian ziho nodded once. "As ready as I'll ever be."Zheng rui took a slow breath before sliding the small key into the locker. For a brief moment,neither of them moved. Then he slowly turned it and soft metallic click broke the silence.
Zheng rui carefully pulled the locker door open. Both of them leaned forward at the same time, expecting to find something important inside. Instead, they fell silent. The locker was almost empty. There were no bags, no weapons, no money, and no documents scattered across the shelf. There was a small, plain cardboard box. Lian ziho stared at it for a few seconds before blinking in surprise. "That's it?" he asked quietly. Zheng Rui didn't answer immediately. His eyes carefully examined the box without reaching for it. "Looks that way!" he replied at last.
Lian ziho frowned, unable to hide his disappointment. "After everything we've been through... this is all they left?" Zheng rui finally nodded toward the box. "Don't guess. Open it." Lian slowly reached into the locker and carefully lifted the cardboard box with both hands. It was much lighter than he expected, making him even more confused. He carried it to a nearby bench and gently placed it down. For a brief moment, he exchanged a glance with Zheng rui before taking another slow breath. Then he carefully lifted the lid. Both men lowered their eyes and looked inside.