Zhang Qiang chuckled wryly on the other end of the phone: "Chen Yan, you really think of me as your logistics intelligence officer? Fine, I'll ask around. But you should also be careful. You just finished a whole night of work, don't run into any tough guys again."
"Don't worry, it's just a minor possession. Thanks!"
I hung up the phone. The car slowly drove into the Cuihu Garden residential area. The environment here was indeed very nice, with shady trees and brand-new buildings.
We found the apartment building where the Su family lived according to the address, but strangely, none of the other apartments had their lights on.
"That's strange. Such a big building, surely only his family lives there?" I asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Hehe, the people living here are either high-level white-collar workers who are so busy they barely have time to breathe, so how could they possibly get off work so early? Or they're just mistresses of some leaders, so it's normal that they're never home."
Luo Tianhe said it casually, without taking it seriously.
I thought about it and realized that's true. These rich people think differently from us. Who knows what they're busy with every day? It's not a big deal if they're never home.
When we arrived at the Su family's door, the door opened impatiently as soon as we pressed the doorbell. A middle-aged woman in her forties with red and swollen eyes and a haggard expression opened the door; she must be Su Xiaoxiao's mother.
Behind her stood a middle-aged man with an equally worried expression.
The man was dressed in a suit and tie, so he should be a high-level white-collar worker. But it's only a little past five o'clock, why isn't he at work?
Although this happened to her daughter, at least it hasn't caused too much harm yet. Isn't it enough that her mother is there to take care of her? Someone has to go to work to make a living.
However, I only had a slight doubt in my mind. Perhaps his family values their daughter very much, which is quite normal.
"You must be Master Chen? Please come in. And these people, are they your friends? Or...? Come in and let's talk!"
When Su's mother saw us, it was like grasping at a straw, and she quickly invited us into the house.
"Oh, they are my helpers, you can think of them as assistants or something."
I gave a casual explanation and went into his house. The living room was spacious and bright, and the decoration was exquisite, but at this moment there was a depressed and uneasy atmosphere.
Moreover, it's as if they have obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness; the huge living room is exceptionally tidy, almost excessively so!
There wasn't even a water glass or a remote control on the coffee table, and the floor was spotless.
There was a faint smell of air freshener in the air, masking all signs of daily life.
What bothers me most is that there is a large mirror hanging on the wall opposite the sofa in the living room.
Moreover, this mirror must be quite old; it's very likely something sinister.
I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. The couple said nice things, but they didn't seem to take what I said seriously at all. They didn't even take the mirror down or put it away somewhere.
"Master Chen, and these two masters, please have a seat!"
Mr. Chen's attitude was extremely earnest, and for a moment, I didn't show my displeasure.
We had just sat down on the sofa when Su's mother eagerly pointed to a closed bedroom door, lowered her voice, and said in a tearful tone.
"Xiaoxiao is inside. Ever since she came back from the hospital, she's been locking herself up and won't let us in. When we bring her food, we only open the door a crack. Just now, I heard her muttering to herself inside, like she was talking to someone!"
Li Huai, Luo Tianhe, and I exchanged glances, all seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.
"Mr. Su, Mrs. Su, please don't rush. Tell me more. Besides having nightmares, feeling cold, and humming while combing her hair, has she shown any other unusual behavior? Has she mentioned any particular names of people or places, or shown any particular fear or liking towards anything?"
I asked.
Su's father frowned as he recalled, "What's special about her? It doesn't seem like anything special, except that she always says she's cold and wants to wear thick clothes, and her eyes are a bit vacant."
Oh, by the way, she picked up a pretty white stone from the botanical garden and keeps it like a treasure by her bedside, not letting anyone touch it!
White stone?
My immediate thought was of human bones.
"Could you show it to us? Or describe it in more detail?"
I asked.
“It’s in his room. You all know the child’s condition, so we don’t dare go in to get it.”
Su's mother looked somewhat troubled, and I understood.
"By the way, after the Little Center, besides the mirror, has anything else in the house been moved, or have any other things been added that shouldn't be there?"
I rephrased the question.
Su's mother thought for a moment and shook her head: "No, it's just that the house feels a bit cold, even though the air conditioner is already set to 26 degrees."
As she spoke, she tightened her thin coat.
After hearing what she said, I also realized that it was indeed a bit cold and had a rather eerie feel to it.
Having seen ghosts so often, I've gotten used to these somewhat eerie places.
That's why I didn't notice it just now.
While I was chatting with the couple, Li Huai and Luo Tianhe were also observing their surroundings discreetly.
Suddenly, Li Huai nudged me with his elbow and gestured for me to look at a vase in the corner of the living room.
The vase is beautiful and looks high-end; it must have cost a lot of money. Inside are a few withered flowers, the variety of which is hard to tell, but their color is dull and faded, as if they've been there for a long time.
This is illogical. Given the Su family's financial situation and the lady of the house's meticulousness and excessive tidiness, they shouldn't have displayed such obviously withered flowers.
I thought about it for a while and felt something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
"Let's go check on her first."
I stood up and walked towards the closed bedroom door.
The closer you get to the bedroom, the more pronounced the chill becomes. The door is made of solid wood and is tightly closed, so you can't hear a sound.
I raised my hand and gently knocked on the door.
"Xiaoxiao, are you there? I was asked by your parents to help out. Can you open the door?"
There was complete silence inside. After about a minute, just when I thought there would be no response, a hoarse, dry voice drifted out from under the door: "The door isn't locked."
Luo Tianhe, Li Huai, and I exchanged glances; they were all on edge. I took a deep breath and slowly turned the doorknob.
The bedroom lights were off, and the curtains were drawn tightly. Only the light coming through from the living room allowed us to barely see what was inside the room.
A large bed was placed against the wall, the blankets on the bed were messily bulging into a human shape, and there was a musty smell in the air.
"Xiaoxiao?"
I called out tentatively and slowly walked into the room, but the human figure on the bed remained motionless.
Just as I walked to the bedside, wanting to get a better look, my phone suddenly rang, the ringtone sounding particularly jarring in the deathly silent room.
The call was from Zhang Qiang.
I answered the phone, and Zhang Qiang's urgent and tense voice came from the other end: "Chen Yan, are you at Su Xiaoxiao's house? Get out of there immediately!"
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