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The nurse wearing a white mask walked to Zhang Qiu's bedside, picked up a syringe, and injected it into Zhang Qiu's IV line, glancing at Zhang Qiu and asking, "You're burning up under this thick blanket, aren't you hot?"
Zhang Qiu hurriedly replied, "Not hot, not hot."
"Mengjie, don't worry. I'm here watching over him," Wang Jinghan said with a slight smile at the nurse who came to give the injection, indicating they knew each other.
"Sure, with the hospital flower here, I can definitely relax," the nurse replied with a knowing look towards Wang Jinghan and then reminded Zhang Qiu, "Drink more water, take care of yourself, and just ring the bell if anything happens."
"Okay, okay, thank you."
As the nurse pushed the door open to leave, she ran into Liu Hua and his team coming in. The nurse showed obvious surprise, glanced back once, and quickly left. After Liu Hua entered, he acted as if nothing had happened and sat down in a chair. Zhang Qiu and Wang Jinghan exchanged glances, and Wang Jinghan said, "Close your eyes and rest for a bit."
"I can't; I haven't made my call yet. Hand me my phone."
Wang Jinghan glanced at Liu Hua before picking up the phone and placing it in Zhang Qiu's hand. Once Zhang Qiu dialed the number, he heard Yang Yu's anxious voice: "Brother Qiu, how are you? Where are you?"
"I'm at the hospital, the county hospital. No! Don't come over; I was brought here by the police for treatment. Rui Rui is still at the police station. Listen to me; go alone to find a female officer named Lan Ningshan. She will help you find Jiang Xue's whereabouts. Once you find out, make sure to tell me by calling this number."
After Yang Yu assured him several times, he hung up. Zhang Qiu fell into deep thought and turned to look out the window; it was still pouring rain outside. The raindrops pounded against the glass with a thundering sound, making three o'clock in the afternoon feel as dark as evening.
Inside Beilan County Police Station, Lan Ningshan drove in with her fellow officers without even opening an umbrella; they rushed to find their mentor. Upon entering the building, they saw an older officer who eagerly asked, "Master, how is it? Did we catch anyone?"
The older officer shook his head, his weathered face showing confusion. The nearby supporting colleagues had not spotted any of the fleeing brawlers, and among those they had caught, one was sent to the hospital while the other refused to speak. According to Captain Ma's report, the surveillance cameras only captured a group fighting; when police officers went to retrieve footage from nearby businesses, all they found was blank screens. Had criminal forces truly become this rampant? How had things escalated to this point?
"Master?" One officer gently asked when he saw his mentor lost in thought.
No, I don't believe it! The older officer's eyes flickered again as he looked up at the officer and asked, "Is he awake?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you back?"
"The doctor won't let him speak."
Lan Ningshan parked her car at the basketball court and walked directly to the Technical Department, greeting her colleagues inside. She approached one person and said, "Brother Chen, please help me check a video."
"Is it about Captain Ma's case?"
Lan Ningshan smiled noncommittally and replied, "At twelve o'clock noon today, at the main entrance of Beiluan No. 1 High School."
The person referred to as Brother Chen straightened up and began operating the computer. Lan Ningshan leaned down to look at the screen. Soon, she recognized a figure in a school uniform with short hair; it was undoubtedly Jiang Xue. During the time Jiang Xue was held at the police station, Lan Ningshan visited her frequently and kept her company. She was very familiar with this younger sister-like figure.
Jiang Xue walked west out of the school gate, heading in the direction of White Day Fire. After walking a certain distance, she disappeared from the camera's view. Lan Ningshan said, "Pull up the surveillance for the next segment."
Brother Chen quickly operated the computer again, but there was no sign of Jiang Xue in the new footage. Lan Ningshan frowned slightly and said, "Thank you, Brother Chen."
Brother Chen was about to say something, but all he saw was Lan Ningshan's back as she left. He shook his head with a helpless smile; this Shan Shan always worked so energetically.
Lan Ningshan got back into her car and drove out of the police station again through the rain. Based on the surveillance footage, it was clear that Jiang Xue had indeed gone to White Day Fire after school, but for some unknown reason, she did not appear again along the way. Lan Ningshan took out a rooftop light and installed it on her car, instantly causing the police lights to flash as a white sedan cut through the torrential rain. At that moment, a young man with long hair got out of a taxi and walked into the police station; it was Yang Yu.
Upon reaching the street where No. 1 High School was located, Lan Ningshan slowed down and rolled down her window despite getting wet from the rain, carefully identifying the shops on both sides of the street. Maid Chicken! This must be it; this is where the video cut off. Lan Ningshan surveyed her surroundings and finally spotted a surveillance camera under the eaves of a Maternity and Baby Center.
A surge of excitement at potentially uncovering the truth filled Lan Ningshan as she parked her car, opened her umbrella, and ran over. The hard-soled shoes made a splashing sound against the waterlogged ground. She pushed open a single door, startling the Receptionist behind the counter who looked surprised to see a police officer enter.
The Receptionist hesitated for a moment before stepping out from behind the counter and asked tentatively, "Officer, how can I help you?"
Lan Ningshan pointed outside toward the surveillance camera and asked, "Is this camera operational?"
"Yes," replied the Receptionist after thinking for a moment. "It should be."
"Great, I need to view some footage; here is my identification." Lan Ningshan pulled out her ID from her jacket pocket and placed it in front of the Receptionist.
Reception hesitated while pinching the corner of her clothes and said, "This needs to go through our manager; I can't make that decision."
"Assisting the Public Security Bureau with investigations is the duty of every citizen. How about you contact the manager? Is he here?"
Reception nodded and picked up the light yellow phone on the counter. Moments later, a well-dressed woman with a purple scarf around her neck appeared at the top of the stairs, her high heels clicking on the wooden floor.
"Hello, officer. What can I do for you?"
The manager was poised and appeared very enthusiastic, embodying the spirit of a modern woman. Lan Ningshan got straight to the point: "Hello, manager. I would like to review your store's surveillance footage regarding a case. I hope you can assist me; here is my identification."
The manager chuckled and said, "Sure, no problem. It's our duty to cooperate with the Public Security Bureau. Please follow me."
The manager readily agreed to Lan Ningshan, though her gaze lingered on the police badge for a few seconds. Lan Ningshan followed the manager to the second floor, where wooden rocking chairs and cribs were placed in rooms on either side of the hallway. A blanket was spread over a large bed where a mother played with her child, while cries of infants could be heard from some rooms. Nurses in uniforms moved from one room to another, prompting Lan Ningshan to glance curiously.
"Here we are; please come in." The manager led Lan Ningshan into the surveillance room, which contained only a computer and one staff member. Upon seeing the manager enter, the staff member stood up respectfully to greet her and was momentarily taken aback upon noticing the police officer beside her.
The manager smiled warmly and said, "Wang, this comrade police wants to see our surveillance footage. Please assist her; we will meet any requests from Comrade Police."
"Yes!" Wang stepped aside to give Lan Ningshan a seat. Lan Ningshan replied, "You can handle it; I'll tell you which time frame to look for."
Wang sat down as Lan Ningshan calculated the time difference and slowly said, "Start from twelve ten this afternoon; please find that."
Wang retrieved the video archive and pulled up the time records. As the timeline progressed, Jiang Xue appeared on screen. In the footage, Jiang Xue walked alone with her head held high, appearing in good spirits. Suddenly, a white Jinbei Van stopped beside her. At that moment, Jiang Xue turned her head to look; as the van's door opened, two young men in their twenties with dyed hair jumped out.
Jiang Xue was clearly called over by them and turned around to respond. One young man leaned out from the vehicle while simultaneously one of the young men who had exited grabbed Jiang Xue from the side while another covered her mouth. Jiang Xue struggled briefly before being lifted into the van by both young men. The whole incident happened too quickly for passing pedestrians to notice anything amiss. The van slowly drove away, and two minutes later, two female students walked by.
Lan Ningshan took out a USB drive and placed it on the table before turning to the manager: "This footage is very important; may I make a copy?"
"Of course," replied the manager nervously, beads of sweat forming on her brow as she recalled what she had just witnessed. It was terrifying that a kidnapping occurred right in front of their store in broad daylight. It seemed necessary to hold a meeting to remind all staff members—especially those working night shifts—to be more vigilant and preferably travel in pairs.
The phone of Lan Ningshan rang with an unfamiliar number. Without a second thought, she swiped to reject the call. The phone rang again, and this time Lan Ningshan answered. A strange voice came through the receiver: "Is this Officer Blue?"
Lan Ningshan was taken aback and asked, "Who are you?"
"My name is Yang Yu. You know Zhang Qiu, right?"
"I know him. What is your relationship with him?"
"I'm his brother. He sent me to find you. You can help him rescue Jiang Xue."
"Where are you now?" Lan Ningshan's voice showed signs of agitation.
"I'm under the eaves of the police station."
"Get inside! You can't be making calls under the eaves! Wait for me inside; I'll be back soon."
Lan Ningshan hung up the phone, grabbed her USB drive, and hurriedly left. A voice called out from behind the glass door, "Have a glass of water before you go..."
Once in her car, Lan Ningshan found that it wouldn't start no matter what she did. She turned the key over and over as the car sputtered and shook. Finally, the encouraging sound of the engine roared to life, and Lan Ningshan pressed down on the accelerator and sped away. Time was of the essence!
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