Chapter 195
Chapter 195
October 8, 2022, 7:50 p.m.
Wen Xin had just finished his evening run.
Drenched in sweat, he braced his hands on his hips and walked a slow lap around the track to loosen his muscles.
When he returned to the spot where he usually left his water bottle, he saw a dark figure walking away from it. He paid no attention at the time. The track was always crowded at night.
But the instant he picked up the bottle, he noticed that its weight felt wrong.
Startled, he unscrewed the lid and discovered that someone had poured out all his water, then stuffed an envelope and a small black box inside.
“What the fuck?” Wen Xin’s throat was parched, and he could not stop himself from cursing. “Who the hell has so much time on their hands that they put this crap in my water bottle?”
Fuming, he dumped everything out. Then he saw the words written across the envelope: *For Wen Miao’s eyes only!*
Wen Xin had already suspected that some girl was behind this, but his hand paused before throwing the letter away.
If the envelope had said *For Wen Xin’s eyes only*, he would have tossed it straight in the trash without a second thought. He had no intention of encouraging those girls.
If it had said *Wen Tangtang*, he would have found somewhere to destroy the evidence-probably the nearest sewer-rather than let it appear in front of her.
But it said *Wen Miao*.
That put Wen Xin in a difficult position.
He felt he should give the letter to Wen Miao. It belonged to her, so she should decide what to do with it.
Then again, what if some unreliable punk used a torrent of flowery words and empty promises to deceive his innocent little sister?
Wen Xin spent the entire walk back to his dorm clutching the letter, torn and miserable. By the time he arrived, he could no longer restrain himself. He decided to open it and take one quick look.
Wen Miao was his sister, after all. As her older brother, what was wrong with screening potential suitors for her?
If the guy was decent, Wen Xin might reluctantly approve. But if he was one of those spoiled rich kids on campus who did nothing but eat, drink, and party…
Then the bastard had better not blame him for being ruthless.
Wen Xin carefully opened the letter. The first line read: “I know you’re going to read this, Wen Xin.”
Wen Xin stared at it, dumbfounded.
Feeling as though he had been struck over the head, he flew into a rage and kept reading.
“Calm down. Don’t bother guessing who I am, either. You’ll never find me.”
Wen Xin bristled at the challenge.
*Like hell I won’t.*
“Don’t waste your energy on me. Protecting Wen Miao is what matters now. There’s a video in the black box. Once you watch it, you’ll understand.”
Wen Xin’s expression turned grave. He opened his computer and connected the little black box.
While he waited for it to load, he continued reading.
“I don’t recommend calling the police, but don’t let down your guard. Wisdom Biotechnology is immensely powerful. Defeating them cannot be accomplished in a day. Do not act rashly. Remember that!”
“If danger arises, this video can be used as leverage.”
The veins stood out on the back of Wen Xin’s hand as he gripped the letter, his knuckles turning white.
===
October 8, 2022, 8:40 p.m.
Deqing District Police Station, City A.
“I’m exhausted! What a day.”
After spending the entire day in the field, Xing Shuyuan returned to the station office, rubbing her shoulder. She sank wearily into her chair.
She was stretching her stiff muscles and trying to relax when quick, light footsteps sounded outside. Then a familiar voice called, “Shuyuan, there’s a kid outside asking for you.”
Xing Shuyuan turned and saw one of the station’s auxiliary officers. Confusion crossed her face. “A kid? What kid?”
“No idea.” The officer shrugged. “They just said they were looking for you. There’s no adult with them. Why don’t you go take a look?”
Xing Shuyuan considered it. “Could it be my niece?”
But her niece was only six. Surely she could not have come all the way here alone. The more Xing Shuyuan thought about it, the more frightened she became. She hurried outside to make sure.
She ran all the way to the entrance, only to find an unfamiliar child standing there. The child’s clothes were gender-neutral, making it impossible to tell whether they were a boy or a girl.
Xing Shuyuan studied the child several times. Once certain they had never met, she asked curiously, “Were you looking for me?”
“Are you Xing Shuyuan?” The child tilted their head back to look at her, so well-behaved and earnest that they were rather adorable.
“I am.” Xing Shuyuan could not resist patting their fluffy hair. “Who are you? Why are you here alone? Where are your parents?”
Instead of answering, the child asked solemnly, “Which Xing, which Shu, and which Yuan are in your name?”
“Well, look at you!” Amused, Xing Shuyuan bent down and deliberately tilted her head. “You’re the one who came looking for me. What, you don’t know who I am?”
The child answered as if it were perfectly obvious. “I’m delivering something for someone. I’ve never seen you before, so of course I don’t know you. You have to tell me which Xing, Shu, and Yuan you use. I need to make sure I have the right person before I give it to you.”
“Clever little thing.”
Xing Shuyuan laughed. Now she was curious about who had sent the child and what they had brought.
She carefully explained her name. “It’s the Xing written with ‘open’ and an ear radical. Shu as in ‘book,’ and Yuan as in ‘socialite.'”
Then she teased, “How old are you? Do you even know those characters?”
“I’m already ten. Of course I know them.” The child pulled a stern face and tried to look like an adult, making Xing Shuyuan struggle not to laugh.
“So, am I the person you’re looking for?”
“Yes, you’re the one.” The child nodded and pulled an envelope from their pocket. “Here. This is what that person asked me to give you. They said you’d better leave immediately and take someone into custody. Otherwise, that person might be killed to silence them.”
“Mm-hmm. Wait-what?”
Xing Shuyuan, who had accepted the letter absentmindedly, suddenly stared at the child. “What did you just say? Killed to silence them?”
Her disbelief sharpened her voice. When she saw the child about to leave, she grabbed their collar and turned stern. “You’re not going anywhere! Tell me who said that to you.”
The child was not frightened in the least. Instead, they replied with righteous conviction, “I don’t know anything. The person was wearing a mask when they spoke to me. Stop wasting your time on me! Every extra minute you hesitate puts that person’s life in greater danger. The longer you wait, the sooner they’ll die.”
Xing Shuyuan froze, astonished that a child could say such a thing.
In that instant of distraction, the child slipped free of her grasp and sprinted away, vanishing around the corner.
“Hey! Hey, stop right there!”
Xing Shuyuan started after them, but after a few steps, the child’s warning surfaced in her mind.
*Every extra minute you hesitate, the sooner that person will die.*
She stopped. An auxiliary officer on duty happened to be passing the guard booth, so she shouted for them to give chase. Then she headed toward the lobby, tearing open the envelope as she walked.
A stack of photographs spilled out. They appeared to show a location on a mountain.
Xing Shuyuan turned to the letter. Three addresses were listed, labeled as the victim’s location, the killer’s residence, and the evidence holder’s address.
The entry for the evidence holder even included a phone number and a note: An Zi, pet-video blogger. Killer’s face captured by dog’s GoPro. Date: April 19.
The information sent a chill through Xing Shuyuan. The letter was so precise that she could not decide whether it was an elaborate prank or a genuine crime report.
Still doubtful, she rushed back into the office and breathlessly ordered the officer on duty, “Quick, check whether Gu Zhishu’s family reported him missing in April!”