But as dusk approached and there was still no news of the sinking, Liu Simin finally sensed that something was wrong.
Under pressure from Liu Simin, Zhou Xu and Wang Yangming had no choice but to reveal their shortcomings and, together with some familiar classmates, began searching for VR venues, amusement parks, and other similar places throughout Jingcheng.
"Still nothing?" Upon hearing Zhou Xu's report, Liu Simin didn't delay any longer. She reported the matter to the school and then went directly to the police station.
...
Happiness Community, Shenqian's home.
Shen Liang glanced at Wang Xiaojuan, whose face looked haggard, and couldn't help but say, "Why don't you go and rest for a while?"
Wang Xiaojuan shook her head silently, her eyes still red and swollen. "My son just disappeared like that, how can I sleep... Old Shen, where did he go? How come he's nowhere to be found, alive or dead..."
Wang Xiaojuan dared not finish the sentence, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
Today marks the third day since he went missing before the sinking.
From disbelief to sleepless nights, Shen Liang and Wang Xiaojuan were utterly exhausted.
"Didn't the police say that they can officially open a case after more than 48 hours? Teacher Liu went to the police station this morning. Once the police get involved, they'll definitely find Xiaoqian soon. Don't worry," Shen Liang comforted him.
“No matter how naughty Xiaoqian is, he has always been very sensible and would never run away from home. I’m just afraid something might happen to him…”
Sobbing, Wang Xiaojuan finally spoke her deepest thoughts.
"Hey, he's a proper martial artist now, what could possibly happen to him?"
Shen Liang forced a smile, but his heart was equally heavy.
Knock knock!
A knock suddenly sounded at the door. Wang Xiaojuan instinctively tried to get up, but she stumbled. Shen Liang quickly supported her and, once she regained her balance, strode over and opened the door.
The door was opened, but standing outside was not Shen Qian, Liu Simin, or the police, but a tall girl with a ponytail.
Her features were exquisitely sculpted, her skin as white as jade, and she wore light blue jeans, a simple white shirt, and a linen cardigan with large slits. Combined with her cool and aloof temperament, she looked like a figure from a painting.
"You are..." Shen Liang vaguely felt that he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where.
"My name is Ding Yi, and I'm Shen Qian's classmate," the girl said, her voice a little hoarse. "I heard he went missing, so I... I came to check on him."
Shen Liang was stunned for a moment, then realized that this was the female classmate Shen Qian had mentioned who was his childhood sweetheart and had borrowed money from him.
Shen Liang, being worldly-wise, noticed the unusual quality in the girl's voice. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that Ding's eyes were slightly red.
Is what my son said true?
At this moment, Shen Liang temporarily forgot his worries and was shocked that Shen Qian hadn't been bragging to him...
"Old Shen, who is that?"
Wang Xiaojuan's voice startled Shen Liang, who quickly led Ding Yi into the living room.
Shen Liang whispered a few words to Wang Xiaojuan, who was also stunned, but she wasn't too surprised. Her gaze towards Ding Yi softened considerably.
The atmosphere in the living room was somewhat awkward. Ding Yi realized that her act of coming directly to the door seemed a bit rash. She lowered her head slightly, bit her lip lightly, and a rare feeling of embarrassment arose in her eyes.
Fortunately, the sudden ringing of the telephone broke the atmosphere.
Shen Liang picked up the old-fashioned landline phone that was always by his side and pressed the answer button.
After nodding, Shen Liang hung up the phone and looked at Wang Xiaojuan. "The police have officially opened a case against the armed group. Teacher Liu wants us to go there right away."
Ding Yi suddenly stood up. Seeing Shen Liang and Wang Xiaojuan looking over, she hesitated for a moment but still looked up and said firmly, "I'll go with you."
...
Jingcheng Center, the city's police and armed personnel's garrison.
In a dimly lit small conference room, Liu Simin was having a low conversation with Shen Liang and his wife. Lin Xiaoqian and Ding Yi were sitting together. Lin Xiaoqian was whispering in Ding Yi's ear, but Ding Yi, who had a cold expression, seemed a little dazed and only nodded occasionally.
On the other side, Zhou Xu, Wang Yangming, Zhang Liangwei, and several other classmates sat silently, their eyes occasionally glancing at Ding Yi with surprise. However, when they thought about how Ding Yi's fate was still uncertain, they lost their desire to gossip.
The door creaked open, and a tall, bearded man in a uniform walked in.
Everyone in the conference room stood up, and Liu Simin asked first, "Captain Song, how is it?"
Song Ye nodded slightly, "Based on our day's screening, we've finally found a clue. Online records show that Shen Qian booked a room at a hotel called Tongxinyuan in Beicheng four days ago..."
"What is he doing booking a hotel room?" Liu Simin asked, puzzled.
"He's alone?" Ding Yi asked immediately, then fell silent again when she noticed everyone looking at her strangely.
"This requires further investigation, but the hotel's surveillance footage shows that he was indeed the one who checked in. Well... he was alone at the time, but he left the hotel in the early hours of the next day and then disappeared without a trace."
Liu Simin frowned. "Does that mean the trail has gone cold again?"
"It's both yes and no."
"What do you mean?" Liu Simin was taken aback.
"Because there were no other surveillance videos for comparison, I applied to my superiors to investigate Shen Qian's communication records."
Song Ye pondered for a moment and said, "According to the chat history, his last chat partner was named Huo Ling'er. Does anyone know her?"
Ding Yi was a little distracted because she heard Song Ye say, "Apply to the higher-ups."
She was somewhat confused because she knew more about some of China's mechanisms than others. Why would an ordinary person like Chen Qian need to apply to his superiors?
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