The sky over Qiqihar was so overcast it seemed to weigh down the entire city. Han Feng's plane had just landed at the military airport when a black SUV was already waiting at the end of the runway. Han Feng got in and the car sped off towards the Pearl Hotel. The scenery outside the window rushed past, and Han Feng nervously knocked on the car door, trying to calm his unease.
Yellow police tape was strung up in front of the Pearl Hotel, and more than a dozen police cars flashed their glaring lights. Han Feng pushed open the car door, and the murderous aura surging in his eyes made the young police officer on duty at the entrance instinctively take a step back.
"Sir, this is not possible..."
Han Feng flashed his identification; the gold lettering on his military officer's ID gleamed brightly. The police immediately fell silent and pulled back the cordon to let him pass.
The noisy discussion in the lobby abruptly ceased the moment Han Feng stepped in. Over twenty pairs of eyes turned to him—uniformed police officers, plainclothes agents, and hotel staff with terrified expressions. Han Feng ignored them, walking straight towards the burly man, over two meters tall, standing beside the front desk.
"The Iron Tower." Han Feng's voice was low and icy. "Tell me the current situation."
Iron Tower turned around, his usually憨笑-weary square face now tense. He handed over a tablet: "Reporting, Captain, at 2:37 last night, the target lost contact in his hotel room. Room service staff discovered the door was open and empty, so they immediately called the police."
Han Feng quickly scrolled through the photos on the screen, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper: "What about the hotel's security cameras?"
"Everything's been destroyed." The tower shook its head. "Not just deleted, the hard drives were physically removed. The base's tech department is trying to restore from cloud backups, but the chances are slim."
A middle-aged man in a police uniform, sweating profusely, jogged over: "Mr. Han, I'm Zhao Ming, the director of the Qiqihar Public Security Bureau. We are very sorry for what happened and have already mobilized the entire city's police force..."
"Have the kidnappers contacted you?" Han Feng interrupted him, his eyes sharp as knives.
Director Zhao shrank back: "Not yet. We are currently checking all hotel guests and staff..."
Han Feng's gaze made Director Zhao's words catch in his throat. He turned to the iron tower: "How's the situation at Warehouse 23?"
"Night Owl has been keeping watch there," Iron Tower said in a low voice. "Apart from that suspicious truck you mentioned, there hasn't been any movement. He sneaked in last night; it was empty, not even a footprint."
This doesn't make sense. Han Feng's fingertips tapped on the edge of the tablet. If Mu Xiaoxiao was after him, she should have waited until he arrived in Qishi before making her move. Unless... her goal is more than just this.
Just then, Han Feng caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing in the corner. Liu Xiaoran stood in the crowd, expressionless, but upon closer inspection, one could detect an invisible killing intent emanating from him.
He strode over and placed his hand on Liu Xiaoran's shoulder: "She'll be alright."
Liu Xiaoran's body stiffened like iron, a suppressed storm raging in his eyes. He nodded almost imperceptibly, his voice hoarse: "They touched someone they shouldn't have."
The murderous intent in those words sent a chill down Han Feng's spine. Liu Mengran was his sister; Liu Xiaoran would certainly not remain calm.
Just as Han Feng was about to speak, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. The screen displayed a string of garbled numbers. His pupils contracted sharply; it was the number Mu Xiaoxiao had used to contact him a few times before.
"Everyone out!" Han Feng suddenly commanded, his voice brooking no argument. "Everyone, immediately."
Without a word, Tie Ta began clearing the area. Director Zhao wanted to say something, but Liu Xiaoran's glare froze him in place. In less than a minute, only Han Feng, Tie Ta, and Liu Xiaoran remained in the entire hall.
Han Feng pressed the answer button and turned on the speakerphone.
"Mr. Han, long time no see." Mu Xiaoxiao's voice was sweet as honey, yet it sent chills down one's spine. "So you've already received my gift?"
"What exactly do you want to do?" Han Feng asked bluntly.
A soft laugh came from the other end of the phone: "So anxious? I thought you'd ask if Miss Liu was alright first."
Liu Xiaoran's fingers clenched instantly, her knuckles turning white. Han Feng's eyes grew even colder: "Enough nonsense, Mu Xiaoxiao."
"Is President Han really that short-tempered?" Mu Xiaoxiao's voice suddenly turned serious. "If that's the case, then we can just wait to collect their corpses."
Han Feng sneered: "You think you can threaten me like this?"
"Believe it or not," Mu Xiaoxiao's tone suddenly turned cold. "But let me warn you, the oxygen level where Miss Liu is is slowly decreasing. Every minute you delay, she's one step closer to suffocation."
"Fine, tell me, what do you want?" Han Feng took a deep breath and said, suppressing his anger.
"10 PM, at the suburban chemical plant. You'll see when you get there." Mu Xiaoxiao abruptly hung up before Han Feng could reply. A deathly silence fell over the hall.
Iron Tower broke the silence first: "Captain, let's go arrange manpower in that area now."
"Don't rush." Han Feng stared at his phone screen. "If she dares to say that, she's definitely not afraid of us deploying people in advance."
Liu Xiaoran suddenly spoke up: "She's stalling for time."
Han Feng looked at him, and a shared understanding flashed in their eyes. What was Mu Xiaoxiao waiting for?
According to Zheng Guodong, Mu Xiaoxiao has arrived in R country, and this has been confirmed by the R country consulate.
"The Iron Tower." Han Feng made a quick decision. "Contact the base and send a team over immediately."
The iron tower nodded and left. Liu Xiaoran stepped forward: "Then where is my sister now?"
Han Feng thought for a moment and then said, "Liu Mengran should be near the chemical plant, but not now. They must have moved her through special channels."
"Then I'll go now," Liu Xiaoran said anxiously.
"You go with the Iron Tower team to arrange personnel deployment." Han Feng looked at Liu Xiaoran seriously: "Trust me, I will bring her back safely."
Liu Xiaoran's eyes were sharp as knives: "I said I want to go too!"
"No, this is an order!" Han Feng refused decisively. "Your emotions are not stable right now. If you continue like this, you're leaving!"
Liu Xiaoran was silent for a moment, then suddenly drew a tactical dagger from his waist, the hilt pointing towards Han Feng: "Take this. My sister's favorite dessert shop releases a new mango mousse every Friday."
These seemingly unrelated words startled Han Feng, who then understood their meaning. Liu Xiaoran was telling him that if he couldn't save Liu Mengran, he shouldn't come back to see him alive.
Han Feng took the dagger and turned to walk towards the hotel entrance. Outside the glass door, the torrential rain finally poured down, just like the murderous intent churning within him.
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