The villagers were completely convinced by Shen Qiqi's words, and smiles appeared on their faces again.

They all nodded in agreement, their doubts vanishing.

An atmosphere of trust was once again established in the village, like an invisible bond that closely connected everyone together.

Shen Qiqi won the respect of the villagers, and a feeling of pride arose in her heart.

She felt like a conductor, using her wisdom and strength to play a harmonious and beautiful melody.

At this moment, a figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the village.

The man was wearing an inappropriate gray Zhongshan suit and a tattered hat. He looked around furtively with a hint of barely perceptible anxiety in his eyes, like a wolf that had strayed into a flock of sheep, looking out of place.

Lu Qing keenly caught the figure of that person. He approached Shen Qiqi calmly and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Who is that person? He looks a little strange."

Shen Qiqi also noticed the stranger. Her heart trembled, and the smile on her face just now disappeared without a trace, replaced by a sense of vigilance.

She and Lu Qing looked at each other, and both saw seriousness in each other's eyes.

A feeling of uneasiness, like a vine, quickly wrapped around their hearts.

The mysterious man looked around the village, being extremely cautious with every step he took.

His movements seemed particularly strange in the sunlight, as if every step he took was stepping on a crack in time.

Shen Qiqi's heartbeat accelerated involuntarily. She took a deep breath and whispered to Lu Qing, "You go inform the village chief, I'll follow him."

After saying that, Shen Qiqi walked towards the mysterious man with a firm tone, each step was steady and decisive.

Lu Qing hesitated for a moment, then nodded, turned and ran towards the village chief's house.

Shen Qiqi's eyes were fixed on the man's back, and every step she took was like walking on thin ice.

The mysterious man seemed to notice that someone was paying attention to him, so he quickened his pace. His footsteps echoed on the path at the entrance of the village, sounding particularly hurried.

Shen Qiqi followed closely behind, nervousness spreading in her heart.

Her palms were slightly sweaty, but her expression remained calm.

Lu Qing also rushed over quickly, and the two of them, one in front and one behind, surrounded the mysterious man in the alley at the entrance of the village.

A solemn atmosphere spread around the three of them, like an invisible wall, isolating them from the noise of the outside world.

The mysterious man stopped and turned to look at Shen Qiqi, his eyes flashing with complex emotions.

Shen Qiqi did not question him directly, but pretended to approach him casually, with a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, as if waiting for an answer.

Shen Qiqi smiled like a little fox that had stolen some meat, and approached the mysterious man with brisk steps, humming a tuneless little song, as if she was just taking a leisurely walk after dinner.

The mysterious man obviously relaxed his guard and looked at the smiling girl in front of him with confusion, wondering why the villagers were so enthusiastic.

He tried to get close to me before even asking for directions.

He forced a smile on his face, but before he could say anything, he felt his hands go empty.

"Huh? What is this?" Shen Qiqi was holding a small black notebook in her hand, flipping through it with curiosity, as if she had discovered something new.

"Comrade, this thing looks very important, please don't lose it." She said with a smile, but there was a hint of subtle temptation in her tone.

The mysterious man's face changed drastically and his eyes almost popped out. This little notebook was his lifeblood!

He stretched out his hand to grab it back, stammering, "This... this is mine... mine..."

"Oh? Yours?" Shen Qiqi raised her eyebrows, a sly look flashing in her eyes, "But why can't I understand any of the words written on it?" She deliberately turned to one of the pages of the small notebook. It was densely covered with strange symbols, like some kind of code.

The mysterious man was suddenly speechless, his face turning pale and blue, like a chameleon.

He stood there awkwardly, at a loss as to what to do, like a caught thief.

The surrounding villagers gradually gathered around, pointing and talking at Shen Qiqi, their eyes full of admiration.

"Qiqi, this girl is really smart!"

"That's right, this shifty-looking man is obviously not a good person!"

"Thanks to Qiqi, otherwise who knows what bad things he would do!"

The villagers' discussions came like a tide, and the mysterious man felt like a monkey that had been stripped of its hair and exposed to everyone.

He was so ashamed that he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Shen Qiqi closed the notebook, gently patted the mysterious man's shoulder, and said earnestly: "Comrade, leniency will be given to those who confess, and severity will be given to those who resist. What is written in this notebook of yours? You'd better tell the truth."

The mysterious man opened his mouth, but could not say anything.

His eyes flickered, as if he was making his final struggle.

Suddenly, he pushed Shen Qiqi away, turned around and wanted to run.

"Want to run? Not that easy!" Lu Qing was quick-eyed and quick-handed. He grabbed the mysterious man's collar and lifted him back like a chicken.

"Let me go! You...you are illegally detaining me!" The mysterious man struggled desperately, but could not break free from Lu Qing's iron-like grip.

Shen Qiqi walked up to the mysterious man, squatted down, stared at him sharply, and said word by word: "Who are you? What are you doing in our village?"

The mysterious man's eyes were evasive and his lips were trembling, but he still refused to speak.

At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard in the distance, and a familiar voice broke the deadlock...

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