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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 4: Finding the Way Back
Chief Zhang's home was located on the Fourth Ring Road, and it took a full two hours to drive there. Qin Jian's calls were still going unanswered. Upon arriving at their building and noticing lights on upstairs, he decided to go straight to the door and knock.
As Qin Jian knocked, I checked the time—it was 8:20 PM. The night was thick with darkness, and visibility was low.
On Chief Zhang's door was a festive image of a Fuwa holding a carp, wishing for a prosperous New Year. The doorbell was just a tiny dot above the fish's eye; if it were me, I would have fumbled around that picture, unsure of where the button was.
Qin Jian pressed the button, and the sound of the doorbell echoed outside. Soon after, we heard footsteps approaching the door, as if someone inside was peering out. Then, the door opened.
A graceful and beautiful young woman appeared at the entrance. She recognized Qin Jian and cheerfully exclaimed, "Qin, where's your brother Zhang?" As she spoke, her scrutinizing gaze lingered on me for a moment.
"Sister-in-law, has Brother Zhang not returned yet?"
From this exchange, I realized that Chief Zhang had not come back. So where could he have gone?
"No, what happened? He left this morning; you two are on duty tonight and he should be back later."
Qin Jian smiled awkwardly; it was a forced smile that seemed unnatural. Then he said, "Brother Zhang hasn't returned; he must still be at the station. I'll go check with Qi. Goodbye, sister-in-law."
"Call him!" As we walked toward the stairs, Chief Zhang's wife called out behind us with concern.
I thought about Chief Zhang's disappearance; his wife would soon find out. If Qin Jian couldn't reach him by phone, she wouldn't be able to either.
“Will Chief Zhang...”
What Qin Jian was worried about, I was worried about too. Without knowing the exact situation, I really couldn't jump to conclusions. I could only comfort him, saying, “I don’t know, but we need to find him soon.”
“Do you think he went to the hospital?”
“Which hospital is closest to the City Bureau?”
“Of course, it's City Hospital.”
At that moment, we headed straight for City Hospital. After driving for a while, I thought it might be better to contact Chi Xinrong and ask her about the current situation instead of just going to the hospital. Qin Jian agreed with my suggestion and hurriedly tried to reach Chi Xinrong.
To our surprise, the call wouldn’t go through.
It felt like we were haunted tonight; this phone wouldn’t connect and that one wouldn’t connect either.
Qin Jian started complaining again.
But I was thinking about something else.
The corpse had mysteriously disappeared, and now Chief Zhang was also missing. This situation was too suspicious.
“Should we still go to the hospital?”
“No, let’s go to Fruit Street instead.”
"Mm?" Qin Jian couldn't understand why they were heading to Fruit Street.
"Just follow my lead."
Qin Jian slammed on the brakes, then turned sharply, reversing and navigating through the winding streets until he found the right route to Fruit Street, speeding ahead. The car, cloaked in the night, moved like a massive shadow through the streets.
I had a feeling something was off at Fruit Street.
As we raced toward Fruit Street, Qin Jian's phone suddenly rang. He answered it, and it was his superior on the line.
"Qin Jian, there's been an incident at Fruit Street. You need to check it out immediately."
Qin Jian slammed his hand on the steering wheel and gave me a thumbs up. "You've got some skills." It turned out there really was trouble at Fruit Street, which was not what I wanted to hear.
"Okay, hurry up."
Without another word, Qin Jian pressed the gas pedal and shifted gears, the car shooting forward like an arrow. Fortunately, this stretch of road was newly constructed, with few pedestrians and even fewer vehicles. Sparse buildings lined the sides, and the newly planted trees hadn't grown much yet. With so few people around, there was no risk of congestion—perfect for us to make good time.
Most of the buildings in this new area were modeled after villas; it would surely become bustling in the future. The residents here were either wealthy or influential. Even now, some of the completed villas had security guards stationed at their entrances.
As we sped along, a sudden scream pierced the air from the new road: "They're robbing someone!" The voice belonged to a woman, trembling with fear.
Qin Jian and I exchanged no words as the car swerved sharply toward the sound.
Under the streetlights, we saw a man and a woman struggling over a bag. The woman cried out, "That's my bag! I'm a local; how dare you try to steal it?"
The man wore a mask and was forcefully snatching the bag, remaining silent.
I rushed over with Qin Jian to confront them. Seeing the situation turning against him, the man abandoned the woman and the bag, bolting away. He jumped onto a nearby Electric Vehicle, attempting to escape.
As the vehicle came to a stop, I jumped out and sprinted towards the man, while Qin Jian checked on the woman's injuries.
The man noticed me approaching and swiftly pulled out a dagger, glaring menacingly. "Mind your own business," he growled, starting the Electric Vehicle in an attempt to flee.
With a swift kick, I knocked him off the Electric Vehicle, causing it to topple over and its wheels to spin wildly.
Struggling to get back on his feet, the man brandished the dagger. I sneered, "If you know what's good for you, stop your futile struggle. I graduated from the police academy, and you're just unlucky to run into us on patrol tonight."
"Police?" The man faltered at the word, his grip loosening as the dagger clattered to the ground without a sound. It looked like a fake dagger made of cheap material. Qin Jian approached with the woman, dialing a nearby police station to take the man away.
Afterward, the woman got into our vehicle, and we offered to drive her home.
She lived on a street adjacent to Fruit Street. She had been returning from a friend's house and decided to take a shortcut through this newly constructed area. While walking near Baymax, she felt reassured by seeing people around during the day. However, at night, the empty streets made her uneasy; several times she considered turning back but ultimately gathered her courage, convincing herself that there would be more people ahead.
"This new road isn't open yet; it's dangerous to walk here," I warned her.
"I saw streetcars passing by Baymax and thought it was open," she replied.
"When you're out and about, don't rely on luck," I advised.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded repeatedly. Then she complained, "I knew there were security guards on that side of the street. I shouted for help for so long, but no one came. Thank goodness I ran into you."
"Don't worry, it's all right. We are the police, and it's our duty to protect you."
"Thank you. My name is Yuan Fang. I will remember your kindness. Could you tell me your names?"
Qin Jian politely declined, "Let's skip that."
I noticed that the girl was quite attractive, with bright eyes and fair skin, and she was tall. When she asked for their names, her gaze was fixed on Qin Jian. I chuckled and said, "He doesn't like to share his name. If you want to repay him, just go to the City Bureau and look for someone named Qin Jian."
Qin Jian snapped back, "Ma Qi, what are you talking about? Did you take your medicine today?"
"Come on, I don't mean any harm. The girl is asking; it's rude not to give her your name."
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