For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. Thier eyes were locked inside the box. They were several old train tickets held together by a faded rubber band, a folded city map with worn edges, and a small black USB drive in the box. Lian ziho frowned slightly as he reached in and picked up one of the train tickets. The paper had turned yellow with age, and the printed date immediately caught his attention. "These are old!" he said quietly. Zheng Rui took another ticket from the box and checked it himself before giving a small nod. "Several years old." Lian ziho looked at him in confusion. "Why would someone keep these?" Zheng rui didn't answer. Instead, he carefully unfolded the city map and spread it across the bench.Both of them leaned closer.
Red circles had been drawn around several locations across the city. Thin black lines connected each point, forming what looked like a carefully planned route. Lian studied it for several seconds before speaking. "These places..." He pointed to one of the circles. "they aren't close to each other." Zheng Rui's eyes moved slowly from one mark to the next. "No." Lian ziho looked at him. "Do you recognize any of them?" Zheng rui nodded once. "The railway yard." His finger shifted to another mark. "The old warehouse district." Then to another. "And this bus terminal." Lian ziho's expression gradually became more serious. "Someone connected all of them."
He reached back into the box and picked up the small USB drive. It was completely black, with no brand name, no sticker,and no writing of any kind.He turned it over in his hand several times before looking at zheng rui. "Do you think this is what they came back for?" Zheng rui's gaze settled on the drive. "If it was..." He looked back at the open locker. "...then they somehow missed it." Lian ziho frowned. "People this careful don't overlook something so obvious." Zheng rui remained silent for a moment before replying, "Which means either they were interrupted..." His eyes narrowed slightly. "...or this was left here on purpose."
Lian ziho felt an uneasy chill. He looked down at the USB drive again. "You think someone wanted us to find it?" Zheng rui didn't answer his eyes swept across the busy terminal once more.Travelers hurried past them, vendors shouted to customers, and buses arrived and departed as if nothing unusual was happening.
Lian ziho slipped the USB drive carefully into his pocket before placing the folded city map and the bundle of old train tickets back into the cardboard box.He closed the lid and handed the box to zheng rui.Without drawing attention to himself, Zheng rui placed everything inside his shoulder bag and zipped it shut. Lian ziho watched him for a moment before quietly asking, "You don't want to check it now?" Zheng rui closed the locker door, turned the key, and slipped it into his pocket. "Not on a public computer." He looked around the terminal without moving his head too much. "And definitely not somewhere anyone could be watching." Lian ziho nodded slowly. "Fair point."
Zheng rui adjusted the strap of the bag over his shoulder, Lian ziho's eyes wandered across the busy terminal one more time.At first, nothing seemed unusual then his gaze stopped.Zheng rui noticed the shift immediately then he asked," What is it?" Lian ziho didn't turn his head. His voice was barely above a whisper. "Don't look now." Zheng rui looked around and said "Why?" Lian ziho kept his eyes forward. "Blue jacket." Zheng rui's movements remained slow and natural. "Where?"Lian ziho point at one man and said, "Near the newspaper stand." Lian ziho swallowed quietly before continuing. "I think he's watching us."
Zheng rui casually adjusted his sleeve and used the reflection in the terminal window to steal a brief glance without drawing attention. He saw man in a blue jacket stood beside the newspaper stand with a folded newspaper tucked under one arm. He wasn't reading it. He wasn't looking at the departure board or waiting for a bus. His attention drifted toward them every few seconds before looking away again.
Zheng rui lowered his hand. "I see him." Lian ziho let out a slow breath. "Do you recognize him?" Zheng rui shook his head slightly. "No." Lian ziho frowned. "He's been standing there since we opened the locker." Zheng rui's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. "You noticed?" Lian ziho nodded once. "At first I thought he was just waiting for someone." He paused for a second. "But everyone around him has moved." His gaze remained steady. "He hasn't."Zheng rui tapped Lian ziho's shoulder and said, "Good observation." Lian ziho looked at him. "So I'm not imagining it?" "No." Zheng rui's voice stayed calm. "He's interested in us." Lian ziho felt the muscles in his shoulders tighten. "Do we leave?" Zheng rui didn't answer instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out the locker key, and calmly locked the door again before returning the key to the terminal employee at the nearby counter. Everything he did looked completely ordinary.
When he returned, he quietly said, "Not yet." Lian ziho raised an eyebrow. "Why?" Zheng rui glanced toward a nearby snack stall. "Because the moment we rush, he'll know we noticed him." Lian understood immediately. "So we pretend?" Zheng rui gave a faint nod. "Exactly." Lian ziho forced himself to relax, though it wasn't easy.His heartbeat had already begun to quicken. "You're asking a lot." Zheng rui allowed himself the faintest smile. "I know."Lian ziho looked toward the departure board as if checking bus schedules. "And if he follows us?" Zheng rui answered without hesitation. "Then we'll know he's not here by coincidence."Lian ziho was silent for a moment before asking, "Do you think he's alone?" Zheng rui's expression became more serious. "I hope so." Lian ziho glanced at him. "That's not very reassuring."
Zheng rui looked toward the busy terminal where travelers continued walking past with suitcases, children chased each other between the benches,and vendors called out to passing customers. Everything appeared completely normal. "People like him rarely work alone." he said quietly. Lian followed his gaze across the crowded terminal.
Somewhere inside that sea of ordinary faces, someone was watching them...and perhaps someone else was watching too. Neither of them spoke.Without exchanging another word, they picked up their bags and slowly walked away from the storage lockers, careful not to look back even once. Behind them, the man in the blue jacket slowly folded his newspaper...and began walking in the same direction.
The two of them left the old bus terminal without changing their pace. Around them, buses arrived one after another, engines rumbling loudly as passengers hurried across the pavement with bags and suitcases. Vendors continued calling out to customers, and the noise of the terminal slowly faded behind them with every step. Lian Ziho resisted the urge to look over his shoulder. Instead, he watched the reflection in a shop window as they walked.
A familiar figure appeared several meters behind them. The man in the blue jacket had left the terminal as well. He wasn't walking quickly or trying to catch up. He simply kept the same distance, blending naturally with the pedestrians. Lian lowered his voice. "He's moving." Zheng Rui didn't turn around. His expression remained calm as he continued walking with one hand in his pocket. "I know."
Lian kept his eyes forward."He's definitely following us now."Zheng rui gave a small nod. "Yes." Lian ziho frowned. "Should we lose him?" Zheng rui answered immediately. "No." Lian ziho looked at him in confusion. "Why not?" Zheng rui's gaze remained fixed on the road ahead. "Because if we disappear now, we'll lose our chance." Lian ziho's eyebrows drew together. "Chance for what?" Zheng rui replied quietly, "To find out where he leads."
Lian thought about those words for several seconds before slowly nodding. "You're using him." Zheng rui's lips curved into a faint smile. "If he's watching us, someone is watching him too." Lian ziho glanced at him. "You really don't think in straight lines, do you?" Zheng rui let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "Straight lines are predictable." Lian ziho shook his head with a helpless smile. "Remind me never to play chess with you." "You'd lose." "You sound very confident." "I usually am."
Lian ziho rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the faint smile that appeared for a moment. It disappeared just as quickly when he caught another glimpse of the blue jacket reflected in the glass of a parked car. "He's still there!" he murmured. Zheng Rui nodded once. "Good." They continued walking until the busy streets gradually became a quieter neighborhood. The sound of traffic became distant. Most of the small shops were closed, their metal shutters pulled down. Telephone wires stretched overhead, and only a few people walked along the narrow sidewalks. Their footsteps echoed against the old buildings.
Lian ziho felt the atmosphere change. "It's quieter here." "That's mean... It's not safe!" Zheng Rui replied.Neither of them spoke again for almost a minute. Lian ziho checked another window as they passed and his expression suddenly changed."Wait." Zheng rui noticed his tone. "What?" Lian ziho stopped walking. "He's gone." Zheng rui stopped beside him and slowly turned his head, scanning the empty street behind them.There was no sign of the man in the blue jacket.
Lian ziho's eyes narrowed. "Where did he go?" Zheng rui slowly looked from one end of the street to the other. His expression grew more serious. "He was right behind us." Lian ziho's instincts screamed that something was wrong. He knew someone didn't simply disappear on an empty street.He quietly slipped one hand into his jacket, ready for anything.Then, without warning, a calm voice drifted from somewhere nearby. "You're looking the wrong way." Both Lian ziho and Zheng rui spun around instantly, their eyes searching every corner of the narrow street.
Meanwhile Han Yi parked the car across from the small repair shop.The sign hanging above the entrance had faded from years of sunlight, and the metal shutters beside it were scratched with old dents. Several repaired motorcycles stood outside waiting for their owners.Qin Yue stepped out first and glanced around the quiet street. There were only a few pedestrians passing by and an old man sweeping leaves near the corner. Nothing looked unusual.Han Yi didn't move immediately.His eyes slowly traveled across the buildings opposite the shop, the parked vehicles, and the narrow alley beside the workshop.
He finally opened the door and walked over. The shop owner, a man in his late forties with grease stains covering both hands, looked up from an engine he was repairing.The moment he recognized the police badges, the wrench slipped from his hand and clattered loudly onto the floor.His shoulders stiffened. Instead of greeting them,his first reaction was to glance through the open entrance toward the street, then toward the alley, and finally back inside.
Han Yi silently noticed every movement. He's not looking for customers... He's checking whether someone followed us...Qin Yue offered a small reassuring smile. "Good afternoon." The man forced a smile that barely reached his eyes. "Afternoon." "We're from the investigation team." "I know." "You know?" "The news," he answered quietly. "Everyone's talking about Warehouse Seventeen." His voice was low. Qin Yue nodded gently. "You don't have to be afraid. We just need the truth." The man let out a weak laugh. "Easy for you to say." Han Yi remained silent.
The owner wiped his hands on an old towel before looking outside once more.His fingers were trembling.Qin Yue noticed it. "You keep checking the street." The owner froze. "Do I?" "You've looked outside six times since we arrived." The man's expression changed. For several seconds he didn't answer. Finally, he whispered, "I shouldn't have agreed to this." Han Yi looked directly into his eyes. "Then tell us why."
Han Yi didn't rush him.Several long moments passed before the witness spoke. "Three nights ago... someone parked across the road." Qin Yue frowned."What kind of vehicle?" "I don't know." "It stayed there for almost two hours." "The windows were completely black." "No one came out." "No lights." "No movement." "Nothing." Han Yi asked calmly, "This happened after you contacted the police?" The witness slowly nodded. "I don't think that's a coincidence." He lowered his voice even further. "I think someone knew I talked."
Qin Yue exchanged a brief glance with Han Yi. Neither of them looked surprised. Han Yi continued calmly. "Did they threaten you?" "No." "Did they approach you?" "No." "Did they leave anything behind?" The witness shook his head. "No." Han Yi gave a slight nod. "Good." The witness looked confused. "Good?" Han Yi answered in the same calm voice. "If they wanted you dead, they wouldn't waste time trying to scare you."
Qin Yue changed the subject. "You said you saw something that night." The man took a slow, steady breath. "I was closing the shop. It was late. I remember checking the clock because my wife had already called twice." A faint, embarrassed smile appeared on his face. "She always complains when I work overtime." Qin Yue smiled lightly. "What happened after that?" "I heard an engine." He pointed toward the road leading to Warehouse Seventeen. "A black SUV came from that direction." Han Yi folded his arms. "Describe it." "It was black large.I couldn't see the license plate. It drove at a normal speed." He paused, searching for the right word. "It looked... comfortable."Han yi raised an eyebrow slightly. "Comfortable?"
The witness scratched the back of his head. "I know that sounds strange. I just mean the driver wasn't nervous. The vehicle didn't swerve. It didn't speed up. It simply drove away."Han Yi silently memorized every detail. "And after that?" The witness's expression turned serious. "A few minutes later... I heard another engine. The abandoned van." Qin Yue leaned forward slightly. "You're certain?"
The witness nodded. "I remember because it nearly hit a trash bin while turning. It was moving much faster. The driver braked too late. The tires even squealed." Han Yi asked, "How much time passed between the two vehicles?"
The witness closed his eyes, carefully searching his memory. "Maybe three or four minutes. No longer than five." Han Yi continued. "Are you certain about the order?" The witness opened his eyes and answered without hesitation. "Yes. I'm absolutely certain."Qin Yue tilted her head."What makes you so sure?" The witness pointed toward the entrance. "I had already pulled the shutter halfway down. When the SUV passed, I stopped for a moment because I thought someone was just leaving work. Then I continued closing. But before I could lock the shop, the van came speeding out." He slowly shook his head. "That's why I remembered. The difference was too obvious."
Han Yi remained expressionless. "The SUV left calmly..." The witness quietly finished, "the van left in a hurry."Han Yi replayed the timeline inside his mind. A calm departure... followed by a panicked escape, that's means whatever happened inside the warehouse had already ended before the van moved...
Where did they hide him?... where are you little one?... And that...SUV wasn't escaping. It was leaving according to plan...Qin Yue looked toward him. "What are you thinking?"
Han Yi slowly turned back to the witness. "I think you noticed more than you realize." The witness blinked. "I've already told you everything." Han Yi shook his head. "No, People don't remember events in order. They remember details when something triggers them." Qin Yue understood what he meant and stepped closer to the workbench. "Don't force yourself to remember the vehicles." She smiled gently. "Think about the people."
The witness lowered his head, rubbing his forehead with grease-covered fingers. "The people..." He closed his eyes and remained silent for several seconds. The repair shop became so quiet that the ticking wall clock sounded unusually loud. Han Yi waited patiently. He had learned long ago that interrupting a witness often destroyed the memories they were trying to piece together. Suddenly, the witness's breathing changed. His eyebrows tightened. "Wait..." he whispered. "There was..." He slowly opened his eyes. "There was someone."
Qin Yue leaned forward. "Someone from the SUV?" The witness nodded uncertainly. "I didn't see clearly."Han yi adjusted his glasses and asked,"How many?!" "Only one." "Boy or girl. ?" "I don't know!" "What was he doing?" The witness swallowed and his expression became uneasy. "He was carrying..." He hesitated again. "...a BOY?!" Both Han Yi and Qin Yue stiffened almost at the same time. Han Yi's eyes sharpened. "A BOY?" The witness nodded. "The person came out of the warehouse carrying someone in both arms."
Qin Yue asked quietly, "Was the boy awake?" The witness slowly shook his head. "No." "At least..." He frowned, trying to remember. "I don't think so." "The boy never moved." "His arms were hanging down." He demonstrated the position with his own hands. "Like he was unconscious." Qin Yue felt her heartbeat quicken. "Could he have been sleeping?" The witness looked uncertain. "Maybe." "Or maybe he was unconscious." "I honestly couldn't tell."
Han Yi asked the next question without hesitation."Did you recognize the boy's face?" The witness immediately shook his head. "No." "It was too dark."Qin Yue quietly broke the silence. "Could you estimate his age?"The witness rubbed his chin."Maybe..." "Eight." "Definitely not older than ten." Han Yi's jaw tightened slightly. Every answer was pointing toward the Jun wei.He asked another question. "The person carrying him..." "Did he seem to be struggling?" The witness thought carefully. "No." "He carried the boy very easily." "Like..." He searched for the right comparison. "...like he had done it before."
Han Yi's expression remained unreadable, but inside his thoughts became heavier. Professionals. Whoever is behind are Calm. and organized.Qin Yue noticed his silence. "Han Yi?" He looked back at the witness. "Forget the child for a moment." "Think about the SUV." "Was there anything unusual?" The witness frowned.The witness frowned. "I already told you everything." Han Yi shook his head. "No." "Not everything." "Something caught your eye." "You just haven't remembered it yet." The witness sighed deeply. He looked toward the ceiling as if searching through old memories. Nearly a full minute passed before his eyes suddenly widened. "The window!" Qin Yue stepped closer. "Which window?" "The rear windshield."
Han Yi's attention sharpened. "What about it?" "One corner was cracked." "Just a small crack." "The lower right corner." Han Yi nodded for him to continue. "Anything else?" The witness snapped his fingers. "Yes!" "There was a sticker." Qin Yue quickly pulled out her notebook. "Describe it." "Small." "White." "Square." "It looked like one of those inspection labels repair shops stick on vehicles after replacing glass."Han Yi immediately understood. His eyes narrowed slightly. Qin Yue looked at him. "You know what that means?" Han Yi gave a small nod. "Most repair shops place their own inspection stickers on replacement glass." He looked back at the witness. "Did you read the name?" The witness shook his head with regret. "No." "It was too far away." "I only noticed it because the white sticker reflected the streetlight." Han Yi folded his arms. "That's enough."
Qin Yue looked puzzled. "Enough?"Han Yi nodded calmly. "A cracked rear windshield is uncommon." "Replacing one leaves records and Insurance claims." "Repair invoices." "Inspection logs." He looked toward the street outside. "We don't need the entire license plate anymore." "We only need to find every black SUV that replaced its rear windshield before the warehouse incident."
Qin Yue's eyes slowly widened. "That would reduce thousands of vehicles to..." "a very small list!" Han Yi finished quietly. Before Qin Yue could respond, her phone suddenly vibrated inside her pocket.
She immediately answered. "Qin Yue speaking." A nervous voice came from the other end. "Captain..." Qin Yue's expression changed. "What happened?" The forensic officer spoke quickly. "We have bad news." Han Yi looked toward her without saying anything. Qin Yue listened silently as the report continued. Her face gradually became more serious. At that exact moment, the witness happened to glance through the front window. His face instantly lost all color. His breathing stopped. His eyes became fixed on something outside.
Han Yi noticed the sudden change immediately. "What's wrong?" The witness didn't answer. His trembling finger slowly pointed toward the opposite side of the street. Han Yi and Qin Yue turned at the same time.Across the road, a black sedan sat quietly beside the curb. Its engine was still running. The windows were completely black so no one could see inside.The witness whispered," They're here." Before either detective could react, he suddenly dropped the towel from his hands, spun around, and sprinted toward the back of the repair shop. "Wait!" Qin Yue shouted as she rushed after him.
Han Yi was already moving. He pushed open the side gate leading toward the storage room. Metal shelves rattled as the witness knocked over boxes while running. The back door slammed open, and bright afternoon sunlight poured into the narrow alley behind the repair shop. Han Yi reached the doorway only a second later. The witness was already running down the alley without looking back. Han Yi immediately gave chase, Qin Yue close behind.
The alley was long and narrow, lined with stained brick walls and overflowing garbage bins. Rusted fire escapes hung overhead, casting broken shadows across the pavement. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed between the buildings. "Stop!" Qin Yue shouted. "We're trying to protect you!" The witness didn't slow down. Instead, he ran even faster. Han Yi's eyes never left the fleeing figure. "He's not running from us. He's running from someone else."
The witness turned sharply around the corner at the end of the alley. Han Yi followed only two seconds later. But the moment he rounded the corner, he stopped.The alley beyond was completely empty.Qin Yue arrived beside him, breathing slightly harder. "Where did he go?" Han Yi slowly scanned the surroundings. There were no footsteps. The witness had vanished. Qin Yue frowned. "That's impossible. He couldn't disappear in two seconds."
Han Yi remained silent and his sharp eyes moved across every window, every rooftop, every side passage. No,People don't disappear. Someone helped him... or someone took him... Before he could think more a faint buzzing sound suddenly broke the silence. *Bzz... Bzz...*Han Yi lowered his gaze. A mobile phone lay face-up on the cracked pavement a few meters away. The screen was still glowing. He walked over slowly while Qin Yue followed close behind. "His phone?" she asked quietly.
Han Yi crouched beside it but didn't touch it immediately.He carefully examined the surrounding ground.He noticed there were no blood stains and no signs of a struggle. Nothing except the phone.He took out a clean handkerchief, carefully picked up the device, and looked at the screen. An unread text message filled the display. Han Yi silently read the words.* You talked too much.*