Chapter 58 Resembling You

Zhao Liming continued in his calm yet cold tone, "We found the underground entrance to Warehouse No. 2. There were signs of recent activity, but the place was deserted. The other party was very vigilant and moved out very quickly."

Su Xiaonuan pursed her lips, unsure how to respond.

After a brief silence, Zhao Liming revealed the most crucial information: "However, the technical team has made a significant discovery. We have recovered the data from a damaged cell phone wreckage left at the scene. This basically confirms why the victim chose to call you for help."

Su Xiaonuan held her breath.

“In that phone,” Zhao Liming’s tone remained calm, but what he said was chilling, “there was only your phone number.”

"What?!" Su Xiaonuan couldn't help but exclaim, completely unable to understand.

"Furthermore," Zhao Liming continued, dropping another bombshell, "your number was blocked on the phone. Based on the analysis of the operation traces, it is speculated that the victim took advantage of the kidnapper's inattention to temporarily remove your number from the blacklist, and then immediately removed it back after making the distress call. That's why when you called back, it said the number was not in service."

Su Xiaonuan was stunned! This operation... was too dangerous! Under what critical circumstances could that victim remain so calm and resourceful?!

"Furthermore," Zhao Liming continued, "based on the analysis of the electronic devices and technology left at the scene, the kidnappers possessed a high level of hacking skills and extremely strong counter-surveillance capabilities. This is one of the reasons why our tracking has been so difficult."

He paused, then finally uttered a piece of information that sent chills down Su Xiaonuan's spine:

"In addition, based on some biological samples and residual information extracted from the scene, it is preliminarily judged that the female victim has a high degree of similarity to you in terms of appearance, estimated to be at least six or seven points similar."

Zhao Liming's words were like a red-hot iron, burning Su Xiaonuan's heart.

"boom--!"

Su Xiaonuan's mind went completely blank for a moment, as if all her thinking ability had been drained by that sentence.

A chill ran from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head, making her feel as if her blood had frozen and her limbs were ice-cold.

Her pupils contracted violently and uncontrollably, and the knuckles of her fingers gripping the phone turned white from the force.

Fear.

This is an unprecedented, deep-seated fear.

It's not because of any potential danger, but because of this strange, clearly defined connection.

A girl who looks similar to her has been kidnapped by a hacker. In an extremely dangerous situation, she uses a phone that only has her number saved in it and has been blocked to call for help... This can't be explained by a simple coincidence! There must be an extremely dangerous reason behind this that she doesn't know about!

She was the only contact number... kidnapped... hacker kidnapper... someone who looked remarkably like her...

Su Xiaonuan, however, could not put down her phone for a long time and stood frozen in place.

She slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on the completely dark night outside the window. The deep darkness seemed to conceal countless unknown and unsettling secrets.

The initial relief from solving the case and helping others was instantly replaced by a thick gloom filled with suspense and worry.

In the kitchen, the stone pot crab roe tofu was still bubbling gently, emitting a warm and enticing aroma, while the ingredients for the chocolate brownie lay quietly on the table, waiting to be made into a sweet comfort.

But at this moment, Su Xiaonuan seemed to have lost all interest in tasting the food.

Zhao Liming, on the other end of the phone, seemed to keenly notice her sluggish breathing and unusual silence.

His usually cold and hard voice revealed a rare hint of reassurance: "Su Xiaonuan? Are you still listening?"

Su Xiaonuan opened her mouth, but found that her throat was so dry that she could not make a sound.

Zhao Liming continued in a deep voice, "Don't worry, and don't overthink things. We're telling you this to keep you on your guard, not to scare you unnecessarily. We will definitely investigate the case thoroughly. These are just preliminary inferences and may not be accurate."

He paused, his tone becoming serious and leaving no room for argument: "However, given the special and uncertain nature of the current situation, for your absolute safety, with approval from higher authorities, starting tomorrow, we will arrange for plainclothes police officers to provide you with 24-hour protection. Whether you are at home or out setting up your stall, someone will be following you discreetly without interfering with your normal life. Tomorrow morning, the colleague in charge will meet with you in advance to hand over the duties, familiarize themselves with the situation, and your daily routine. Please cooperate."

Plainclothes protection... 24 hours a day...

As Su Xiaonuan listened to these words, her heart pounded heavily in her chest.

She knew this was a necessary measure, and she also knew it showed the police's concern and protection for her.

She tried to take a deep breath, attempting to calm the overwhelming fear, but her fingertips remained icy cold.

Her brows furrowed tightly, her mind churning with countless questions and speculations.

She wanted to ask Zhao Liming more details, to ask who the victim was, and why it had to be her number... but the words stuck in her throat.

She knew that Zhao Liming had already told her enough; the rest was classified as investigative information, and she couldn't ask any more questions.

In the end, all the words he wanted to say were reduced to a single, dry, and submissive syllable: "...Okay. I understand. Thank you, Officer Zhao."

After hanging up the phone, Su Xiaonuan felt as if all her strength had been drained away, and slowly slid down to sit on the cold floor.

In the kitchen, the pot of fragrant, mouthwatering crab roe, shrimp, and tofu stew was still warm, but she had no desire to even glance at it.

She struggled to her feet, walked to the dining table, scooped up a small bowl of tofu, and mechanically put it into her mouth.

However, the delicious food that was originally fresh, sweet, tender and flavorful tasted bland and tasteless in her mouth.

Her taste buds seemed to have gone malfunction; all her senses were consumed by immense unease and fear.

Her brain was spinning rapidly, like an overloaded computer, frantically searching for every possible piece of information.

Who could it be?

You have her phone number, but you've blocked her?

This is inherently contradictory.

If it's someone you know, blocking them usually means you've fallen out or don't want to contact them anymore, so why keep their number? If it's a stranger, how could you possibly have their number and then deliberately block them?

She didn't know many people to begin with, and even fewer would give her their contact information.

She carefully considered every possible person: relatives, a few old friends, customers she gained after setting up her stall—

Wait! A phone call!

She suddenly realized a key point.