Chapter 129 The old man looked somewhat familiar.
"Is this the time to argue about responsibility?" The old commander slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup lid rattle. "The most urgent thing is to find him! Live or dead... find the things back for me! Tell me! How did you lose him?!" His sharp gaze turned to a young soldier next to him, his eyes red and his face full of guilt.
The young soldier, his voice trembling with tears, stammered incoherently, "Reporting, sir! I did indeed escort Professor Qiu home secretly as planned last night... halfway there, suddenly... suddenly a few hooligans jumped out and... were harassing a female comrade in the alley! I... I couldn't help myself and rushed over to stop them... after driving those thugs away... when I turned around... Professor Qiu... was gone!" He pounded his head in regret.
Upon hearing this, Qin Haifeng's face instantly darkened to a grim degree! This was no accident! It was a premeditated attack targeting Professor Qiu, and the attackers knew that the military was secretly protecting him, so they even used a tactic—a diversionary tactic!
The old commander's face was ashen, his voice icy: "Professor Qiu's research has reached its final stage! That data... is of paramount importance! If something happens to him, or if the data is lost..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Qin Haifeng and the young soldier, heavy with pressure. "None of you... can bear this responsibility! The military court is the end! Now! Immediately! Send out everyone you can! Search secretly! Dig three feet into the ground and find them!"
"Yes, sir!" Qin Haifeng and the young soldier stood at attention simultaneously.
Qin Haifeng turned to leave, but was stopped by the old commander in a deep voice: "Haifeng! You stay!"
The office door was tightly shut. A full half hour later, Qin Haifeng emerged, his face ashen. His lips were pressed into a stiff line, his eyes were slightly red, and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the excessive force, as if suppressing an overwhelming rage and some indescribable heaviness.
He left with heavy steps, his back view filled with the oppressive atmosphere of an impending storm.
In the county hospital, in the doctor's office, Lin Baozhu adopted an extremely obedient, even somewhat fearful and helpless demeanor, sitting properly on the stool. The doctor sitting opposite her had a furrowed brow, repeatedly flipping through the newly released test report.
"Comrade Lin Baozhu..."
The doctor pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold white light: "When you found Professor Qiu, were there any other suspicious people at the scene? Or... did he say anything unusual?" The doctor's gaze was inquisitive.
No~
Lin Baozhu shook her head, her eyes clear and innocent: "I only heard a very faint groan. When I went in, I saw him lying there, covered in blood! It was terrifying! He just mumbled something... something about the Academy of Agricultural Sciences... and then he passed out! Saving a life is a great act of merit, so my third brother and I brought him here! Doctor, how is he? Can he be saved?"
The doctor's brow furrowed even more, his fingers tapping on the report: "The situation... is very strange! His blood loss is conservatively estimated to be over 45%! Normally, with this level of blood loss, a person should have already... but..."
The doctor looked up, his sharp gaze fixed on Lin Baozhu through his glasses: "Aside from severe anemia, all his vital signs are... normal! This defies all medical common sense! Comrade Lin..."
The doctor's voice was low and intensely scrutinizing, "Are you sure... you didn't give him anything to eat on the way, or when you found him? Or... did you apply any medication?"
A perfectly timed look of surprise flashed across Lin Baozhu's face, quickly replaced by utter confusion. She blinked, bewildered. "Medicine? I don't have any! Doctor... I'm just a young girl, how could I possibly carry any medicine with me? I only gave him a couple of sips of water... Doctor, if there's nothing else, I... can I go to the police station to report this? Such a big thing has happened in the county, the higher-ups must be frantic..."
Lin Baozhu's innocent, slightly frightened and confused appearance successfully dispelled the last trace of doubt in the doctor's eyes.
"It's getting late, be careful on the road," the doctor said, his tone softening.
"Okay, thank you, doctor." Lin Baozhu responded obediently, and only after leaving the office did she let out a soft sigh of relief. She quickened her pace and walked briskly towards the ward.
In the ward, Lin Sanlang had already brought warm water and carefully wiped the blood off the old man's face. When the pale face, which still revealed the refined features, was fully revealed, Lin Sanlang's movements suddenly stopped, his eyes widening in surprise!
This...this old man...he looks so familiar!
He frowned, desperately searching his memory. He was sure he'd seen him somewhere before! But where exactly… how could a country bumpkin like him possibly know such an esteemed figure who clearly exuded sophistication? This felt too strange!
When Lin Baozhu pushed open the door, she saw her third brother standing like a pillar by the hospital bed, staring intently at the unconscious old man with a look of utter disbelief.
"Third Brother? What are you daydreaming about?" Lin Baozhu asked in a low voice.
Lin Sanlang snapped back to reality, pointed at the old man's face, and said in a very low voice, with disbelief, "Little sister! Look! This old man... I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."
Hearing this, Lin Baozhu's heart stirred slightly. She immediately took two steps closer and, in the dim light of the ward, carefully examined the old man's face. In an instant, a face flashed into her mind!
This old man is very likely related to Qiu Sangbiao; the two look so alike.
But she remained expressionless, simply nodding calmly: "Hmm, he does look somewhat familiar, maybe he resembles someone." She cleverly changed the subject, while simultaneously pulling three crisp new ten-yuan bills from her pocket and handing them to Lin Sanlang.
"Third Brother, I have to go to the police station to report this right away. Here's three hundred yuan for you. If the hospital needs to cover any urgent expenses, don't delay, just pay up! The old man's life is more important! I'm leaving now!" She spoke quickly, and after giving her instructions, she turned and hurriedly left the ward.
The atmosphere inside the county public security bureau was oppressive and tense.
A refined-looking young man with black-rimmed glasses was now like a trapped beast, his eyes bloodshot, his hands gripping the arm of a young policeman so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His voice was hoarse, trembling with a sense of impending collapse:
"Comrades! Please! My grandfather has been missing for several hours! He is a professor at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences! He is very important! He should be home by now! Please! You must find him! You must find him!" He spoke incoherently, his whole body radiating an overwhelming anxiety and fear.
"Comrade Qiu! Comrade Qiu! Please calm down! We understand how you feel! We've sent out all the people we can to look for you! Please don't panic..." The young policeman was in pain from being gripped so tightly, but he could only try his best to comfort him.
"Not in a hurry?! That's my grandfather! He's my only family. How can you expect me to stay calm?!" Qiu Heng's voice rose, filled with desperate sobs.
Just then, Director Zhuang rushed in from outside, covered in sweat and panting, clearly having just received the news and rushed back.
He spotted Qiu Heng's emotional breakdown at a glance, and his heart sank instantly! He subconsciously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, trying to keep his tone calm:
"Comrade Qiu! Please believe us! We have mobilized all our resources and are searching for Professor Qiu's whereabouts! We..."
Before Director Zhuang could finish speaking, Qiu Heng abruptly interrupted him, his bloodshot eyes filled with undisguised doubt and skepticism: "Believe? Director Zhuang! My grandfather disappeared in your jurisdiction, under the protection you promised! If... if he really..." Qiu Heng couldn't finish his sentence; immense fear made him tremble all over.
Director Zhuang was choked and his face turned pale; his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat. Qiu Heng's question pierced his heart like a knife.
Professor Qiu disappeared without warning, on the line between two points... This almost foreshadowed the worst possible outcome!
If that person really died… he'd probably lose his job, and the town mayor would be in deep trouble too! He suppressed his panic and tried to assure them in a hoarse voice, “We will…”
Qiu Heng no longer looked at him, as if he had exhausted the last bit of strength to stand there, and said dejectedly, "...Forget it. You can search all you want, I will also mobilize all my connections to search! If you find the person...or...if you have any news, please notify me immediately to come to my house, I will send someone to wait for news at home!" After he finished speaking in a hoarse voice, he turned to walk out the door with a gloomy face.
Just as he reached the door and was about to push it open—
"Bang!"
The door was suddenly pushed open from the outside! A slender figure rushed in like a gust of wind, bumping right into the distraught Qiu Heng!
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