Chapter 97

Just after Ye Feng left, Su Qing, Lin Tianhuo, and Wang Yaodong also arrived at the Xiazhou District Police Station.

The station chief, Wang Leshan, who had just regained his composure, received an internal call. The caller was the male police officer from the pair who had been assigned to guard Zhao Caiping.

"Chief Wang, that woman, Zhao Caiping, is gone."

"Gone? What do you mean by gone? Didn't I tell you to take good care of her? I even assigned a female colleague to assist you to prevent any emotional outbursts. How could she just disappear? Explain yourself clearly."

"Chief Wang, she just suddenly disappeared. It was as if, in the blink of an eye, Zhao Caiping vanished from the small reception room. We didn't see her leave at all. It's really bizarre."

"Is she gone and you haven't even started looking for her? Don't talk nonsense. A living person can't just disappear. Did she ascend to heaven or burrow into the ground? Go find her immediately. If necessary, check the surveillance footage. I'll be down in a moment."

After hanging up, Wang Leshan couldn't help but grumble. But before he could even catch his breath, his phone rang again. Seeing the caller, he was instantly startled—it was Wang Yaodong.

This great figure had mysteriously delivered a strange woman without explaining anything. After much hesitation, he had finally mustered the courage to report the matter to his superiors. After all, since the woman was brought by Wang Yaodong, the situation was definitely different. If it was related to an important case or mission, he couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

Despite Wang Yaodong's assurance that the woman could be released afterward, Wang Leshan didn't dare to let her go. Given Wang Yaodong's status, it was highly unusual for him to bring someone without any explanation. Could a person be released so easily?

Now, just as the woman had disappeared, Wang Yaodong was back. What was going on?

But he had no choice but to answer the call. Wang Yaodong was not someone he could afford to offend.

"Chief Wang, hello," Wang Leshan greeted Wang Yaodong with utmost respect.

"Chief Leshan, is Zhao Caiping still with you? I'm almost at your station. I'll take her away in a moment. I'm sorry for the trouble, Chief Leshan."

Wang Leshan was drenched in cold sweat. Wang Yaodong was really back to take the woman. How could he explain this?

"Chief, Chief Wang, Zhao Caiping has... has..." Wang Leshan stuttered, unsure how to continue.

"What happened to Zhao Caiping? Did she have an emotional outburst? Did she conflict with your officers? Chief Leshan, I order you to ensure that Zhao Caiping is treated with utmost care. No matter how she behaves, you must tolerate it. I'm on my way, and I'll be down in a moment." Wang Yaodong's tone changed, and he was clearly anxious. Su Qing was sitting next to him, and with her abilities, she could hear everything.

Without waiting for Wang Leshan to explain further, Wang Yaodong hung up.

Wang Leshan wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was a hot day, but he was drenched in cold sweat.

He steeled himself and went downstairs to greet Wang Yaodong. As he descended, he encountered the male and female police officers. Before he could ask what had happened, Wang Yaodong, Su Qing, and Lin Tianhuo had already arrived.

There was no time to gather more information. He had to be honest. Even he was confused about what had happened.

Lin Tianhuo and Wang Yaodong, who had been forced by Su Qing to apologize to Zhao Caiping, looked extremely uncomfortable. This added to Wang Leshan's pressure. Although he didn't know Su Qing and Lin Tianhuo's identities, seeing Wang Yaodong's deferential attitude, he knew they must be important figures from the capital.

Wang Yaodong asked, "Chief Leshan, what did you mean earlier?"

"Chief, I... I just received a report from my officers. They said Zhao Caiping suddenly disappeared. I haven't had the chance to understand the full situation yet."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yaodong and Lin Tianhuo's expressions darkened, and Su Qing's face also turned grim.

Wang Yaodong asked urgently, "She disappeared? How could she disappear? Explain yourself clearly. Did she leave on her own, or is she hiding somewhere in the station?"

"Chief, Chief, I..." Wang Leshan turned to the male police officer and said, "Officer Zhang, explain the situation to Chief Wang and the others."

Officer Zhang stood straight and said loudly, "Yes, Chief. Here's what happened: My colleague, Officer Xiaoli, and I were responsible for watching the lady. She was sitting in the reception room, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone. We didn't see her leave at all. It's as if she vanished into thin air."

If anyone else had heard this, they would have found it unbelievable. How could a person just disappear into thin air? Were they watching a movie?

But what was particularly strange was that the three people in front of him—except for Wang Yaodong, who looked a bit surprised—showed no unusual reactions. They didn't even comment, as if such an unbelievable event was completely normal.

But was it normal? If Officer Zhang and Officer Xiaoli were telling the truth, it was definitely not normal.

Wang Yaodong looked at Su Qing, unsure of how to react. Lin Tianhuo, however, spoke up, "Fourth Sister, I think the lady left on her own. How could she just vanish into thin air? Since she's gone, Fourth Sister, let's go back."

Su Qing ignored Lin Tianhuo and walked straight into the small reception room, looking around. After a moment, she said, "Take me to the surveillance room. I want to see all the footage, including outside the station. Only I, Chief Wang, and Lin Tianhuo can view it. The rest of you, please wait outside."

After about ten minutes, Su Qing and the others came out of the surveillance room. She called Wang Yaodong over and whispered, "Chief Wang, did you see anything unusual in the surveillance footage?"

Wang Yaodong thought for a moment and replied, "Unfortunately, there's no surveillance in the reception room. We can only see some clues from the footage inside the compound and outside. Although it's hard to see with the naked eye, there is a shadow, possibly due to the speed at which it moved, leaving a trail in the footage."

Su Qing nodded. "That's right. Can you think of anything this might suggest?"

Wang Yaodong shook his head. Even if he could think of something, he didn't dare say it out loud.

Su Qing didn't elaborate but said, "Alright. This matter is no longer related to the Xiazhou District Police Station. Take the surveillance footage. Tell Chief Wang Leshan that this incident never happened. As for the city bureau, I will handle it personally."

Wang Yaodong nodded in agreement. Regardless, the matter had been resolved, even though he was still confused.

Wang Yaodong then went to retrieve the surveillance footage from Wang Leshan and conveyed Su Qing's instructions. Lin Tianhuo, meanwhile, approached Su Qing and whispered, "Fourth Sister, from the surveillance, it seems the woman was taken away. The blurry human-shaped shadow clearly left the ground and moved at high speed. This is not a simple matter. The person who took her is definitely not an ordinary person. As for who this person is, I have no idea, but if I had to guess, it might be Ye Feng."

Su Qing sighed. She had to admit that Lin Tianhuo had some insight. His analysis was at least partially correct.

Based on the surveillance and the police officers' statements, Su Qing was certain that Zhao Caiping had been taken away, and the person who took her was definitely not an ordinary person.

As for the identity of this person, Su Qing couldn't be entirely sure, but based on Zhao Caiping's background, her husband was Du Lijun, who was the foreman of Ye Feng, the key figure she was investigating.

The answer was becoming clear. The person who took Zhao Caiping was likely Ye Feng.

If it was indeed Ye Feng, Su Qing would have to temporarily abandon the plan to apologize to Zhao Caiping. She didn't want to alert him. To investigate Ye Feng, she had to avoid drawing his attention and avoid direct confrontation. If Ye Feng was a special person or even a practitioner of dark arts, alerting him would make it much harder to gather information about him. Without knowing his exact capabilities, Su Qing had to proceed with caution.

Moreover, Su Qing had a hunch that Ye Feng was not a practitioner of dark arts but a human, albeit a very unusual one. She was curious and puzzled about how he had learned his invisibility and the ability to kill four ghost slaves.

Her interest in Ye Feng was growing.

On the other side, Wang Yaodong had completed his instructions from Su Qing and reported to Chief Wang Leshan. He asked Su Qing what to do next and whether they should visit Zhao Caiping's home.

Su Qing shook her head. "No need. You don't have to return to the capital for now. Tonight, you, I, Lin Tianhuo, and our sixth junior brother, Wanxiang Cheng, will review our plan for tomorrow. We'll put the Zhao Caiping matter on hold for now."

Feeling the two ancient jade pieces in her pocket, which she had intended to return to Zhao Caiping, Su Qing made up her mind. She nodded to Wang Leshan and left the Xiazhou District Police Station.

Watching the three important figures leave, Wang Leshan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately called the deputy chief of the city bureau, Han Kai.

"Chief Han, it's Leshan. Chief Wang Yaodong from the capital, along with a young man and a young woman, came to our station and wanted to take away the woman named Zhao Caiping, but..." After explaining the situation, he reported this bizarre incident to his superior.

On the other end, Chief Han instructed him, "Leshan, there should be no written record of this incident. The two officers involved should also maintain confidentiality. As for the final destination of the missing woman, since Chief Wang Yaodong has given the order, you don't need to worry about it. By the way, Chief Guoqiang is hosting a 50th birthday party at his home, and I'll invite you to attend."

Hearing this, Wang Leshan's worries turned to joy. Chief Guoqiang, the head of the city bureau, was a rare opportunity to attend. With Han Kai's recommendation, he had a chance to stand out among the many district chiefs.

After thanking Han Kai, he hung up the phone. Thinking about Zhao Caiping and the sudden arrival and departure of Wang Yaodong and the others, Wang Leshan felt that today's events were like a dream. (To be continued)

PS: Today's update of 12,000 words received only one monthly ticket, which is truly disheartening!

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