Chapter 184
On a weekend afternoon, Ren Yi went to buy some of his father’s favorite snacks, and then he went to pick out a gift for Gong Feilan. He had never given the little girl anything before, so he specifically asked those around him what kids liked these days. In the end, it was Li Sa who suggested he buy a sports camera, as he remembered Gong Feilan liked outdoor activities.zkewHqOvWmGywnltOPhgmwtJPLxzUq
gyFvpnIOMLRvMVVOnce he was ready, he returned to the team to pick up Qu Yangbo and headed to the nursing home. At this time, they would just make it in time for dinner with their group. He had checked in advance, and there was a good lamb restaurant near the nursing home.caJXEmSXnppSEpxHaPVrSObkDwvyLa
PbJtdSQpKdVymck“Traffic is really bad,” Qu Yangbo complained while playing on his phone. “If we arrive later than Captain Chen, it would be so embarrassing.”KUdgbuxKVfvSNZmbBgxDSzwelbUGYg
czqEryMKJRjiLoj“It shouldn’t be too late,” Ren Yi glanced at the navigation, which displayed a tangled map of red lines, “Once we get past the Fourth Ring, it should be fine.”jiYOCMycqAxeLIznGgUsLCEvSXfxOg
HXqCRCvxuipVLMqQu Yangbo yawned and continued typing.YbGdNXdTTGcMocMlIyBYScYsgUlBPE
pKRHJWUJhUEucIP“Chatting with Captain Qiu?” Ren Yi teased with a smile.fKimCcmyestVuiwpPQQTggwDHggpUP
FuygTBXbJrHdOAJ“I wish,” Qu Yangbo waved his phone screen at Ren Yi, “I’m giving my classmate some tips for the bar exam. She’s been so busy lately, especially during this time. I haven’t seen her in a long while.”tTgbffnYPJOoBcKScWbiqwCHTtHzbF
rxYNKMRntlWKOEXEven though the content was a complaint, there was a hint of sweetness in his tone, making Ren Yi envious.WXPflUzlVHJEgWdCKNxdlHTsojaksq
HabBinAQDtyACzQTwo mature adults in a relationship should be much more relaxed, right?ovhUZyNEcmehMjVElRXwlpFGyXroqw
OAkTKkStAwIdbIv“By the way, what did you buy for Feilan?”tKeovRURJIAtXuXrRgSISMFlyPAZtq
CVanpgcZDczhYcF“A sports camera.”jFobaaaYDcZZzQMklCaEDbnJvVLtRg
kGULvbsKrUtIaRa“Make sure to bring it back for us; it might be hard to see that girl again in the future,” Qu Yangbo said with some regret. “At such a young age, going through so much, it’s really pitiful.”niZeEbSbjEdnPCYuZnOxinuPniEKxG
MZukDaXvBTFceKu“Yeah,” Ren Yi replied somewhat absentmindedly, as he couldn’t help but think of Gong Yingxian and why this pair of siblings had such a difficult fate.vGwqoycotZnkDGePgSUpOpoAauQYIw
dUkylIJcEfiIlrGAfter finally getting through the worst of the traffic, it was almost dark. Qu Yangbo checked the time: “What time did you book the private room for? Should we push it back a bit?”HjTUyuJvFgXsiOrjWafRSaPxVdbFoQ
kBnLVrOOeJCEIwC“Probably should; I booked it for six, and now it seems…” Just as Ren Yi picked up his phone, it rang. It was a call from Gong Feilan. He answered while driving, “Hello, Feilan?”oSvgiufJvCgOSUPQTBVocdoRrsYubI
TOuCBZKwixsmPjdBut there was no response on the other end, just a faint rustling sound of fabric.DNyiKUnHkTjmrCkBqxPClSKzNHdpuS
AvzSDGuPmsSRzJxRen Yi frowned, “Feilan? Hello?”hJCfyQHGkmCgWsWrRCzuaxyIWGepwe
KVjjrhcGaVnbwxzAfter waiting for a full three seconds, there was still no response. This shouldn’t be a signal issue. Ren Yi raised the phone to his face to confirm it was indeed Gong Feilan calling, so why wasn’t she speaking? A sudden ominous premonition struck him; after all, there had been calls from Gong Feilan’s phone before that brought terrible news.yCLWUTsAMqWYVCgePorOwwsiOmRMrl
OIHyPEvGwZxPWCwRen Yi grew anxious and was about to ask again when the call was abruptly disconnected.WdIjTpAYgOVuctzPlNrdYfMRGjuOpz
OGHHdpJIWcaOUxjQu Yangbo sat up straight, nervously asking, “What happened?”UdyqBglfRwpgruAeINYTdQejUvSAYX
SYtoDioiAUKeQGHRen Yi had no time to answer. He quickly redialed, but as soon as the call connected, it was hung up. At the same time, a message came through, consisting of just two words: “Help me.”piTnAyMKehkIQfjiVWaIXRDdBsGfMC
VRVUPaXbNFBWdxCRen Yi’s mind exploded with panic, and he slammed on the brakes.eqwGGAlMQpiVSynsZJubbgzGfiIDMC
WiyXjAZVaerDAYYThe traffic was already heavy, and his sudden stop caught the car behind him off guard, leading to a minor collision.LNJuLAUxDhwNJavCxdsTKnuucdHZhq
KlstOtCQVEFItRbThe impact wasn’t severe, but both of them lurched forward, only to be yanked back by their seatbelts, their heads hitting the seatbacks hard, leaving them momentarily dazed.VVDdmKbeVTvfmSgFNleeaAkfTcvMSE
edrZETQWHzHDMkkQu Yangbo covered his head, urgently asking, “Ren Yi, what’s going on?!”rNQkQgWljrhDAbaLCiQbuCtPTrmNcd
hPsqvXsHvusuKZWThe driver of the car behind had already gotten out, but Ren Yi couldn’t care less about such trivial matters. He threw his phone to Qu Yangbo, “Call Gong Yingxian.” Then, he pressed the gas and turned the steering wheel, disregarding traffic rules as he veered onto a side road.bBTJcizirqtVPvOXZJdGlBmprPjuaR
ULTnHnsczkCiHjTQu Yangbo glanced at the message, his face turning pale. “Not again?” He hurriedly called Gong Yingxian, but there was no answer. He tried calling Qiu Yan, but still no response. “What’s going on?”lypRSmxeTrvAZBlwCfMcdRVikWooNu
zfvMfxpkwxCDGMMRen Yi snatched the phone back and sent a voice message to Gong Yingxian: “Feilan might be in trouble. She’s heading home; call me back as soon as you see this!”MuHPOwyZBjanpbUelYwhlHbMmIIoPW
raAfpXlfdFDlpPg“Why is no one answering their phones at a time like this? Aren’t they all glued to their phones 24/7?” Qu Yangbo said anxiously, sitting up straight.eKmpGkohdFOtUcGlqglovVRwkUOkAo
vtzKJnRVHZcBkUM“If they’re all not answering, they’re likely on a mission and have their phones on silent,” Ren Yi said, his gaze dark and heavy as he focused on the road ahead. “The timing of this call must have been planned. We’re not far from Feilan’s home; you call the police and have the nearest station send someone over quickly.”HyyhXGLbUUygNtIArbAzykMEQvtVjb
yYudLQtwpABaYTe“Okay.”bSOPyqeguPAOEyKzWSstQjwNtuJMMs
wdEWxanjBBTlAngRen Yi’s heart raced with anxiety and fear. He knew this wasn’t over; he knew that as long as Purple Flame was still at large, no one was truly safe. But he never expected that Purple Flame would still target a little girl?!vFDbRLRfNuxdVxsvQmoCjWKRGMeefT
plOhTLvZrDzqOhoRen Yi gripped the steering wheel tightly, his hands trembling.vWugjbmWUwUHGcolcwBWuCXwHqgqHs
wCmJnFuXiBfjDgYQu Yangbo held his wrist, “Don’t panic. I’ve already called the police; they should arrive before us.”LzvAJrDTiIUZlAiVQrBKWvzNOKuMqd
LlyqJuqpBkiqREiRen Yi gritted his teeth, “This isn’t the first time. I thought after Yue Xingu died, they wouldn’t touch Feilan again, after all, Feilan was used to threaten Yue Xingu, but…” His voice suddenly dimmed, “Feilan can also be used to threaten Gong Yingxian, to threaten me.”FHqLLoJYDIHObChNkslnbSAJizSzaV
HWnydxNsovsSCTw“Those heartless bastards.” Qu Yangbo suddenly remembered something, “Right, what about the old captain…”jYpVKXIZaYCVEjREbiCMeoJBKMiHVm
TpwdIbmjFgaRNHYRen Yi then recalled the true purpose of their outing. He hurriedly called his father.cOdeoFZPROEWPITMwqXBffGZVWTZvL
golipTrTlNmmone“Hello.” Ren Xiangrong’s tone was reproachful, “Where are you? Captain Chen arrived at four this afternoon; why haven’t you made it yet?”iBPdqpRXTAvauRDmksibnKdlddUPVT
puCbBRLYZLHamqD“Old Ren, something very important has come up here, and I don’t know when I can get there. You guys eat first; don’t wait for us.”XRylnLlrRtzydbGRtJqevSWzQOwnJU
IFtUmxBtPhXFHjX“You really…,” Ren Xiangrong said unhappily, “What could be so important that you can’t put it off? You invited the leaders, and now you’re not coming. Is this how it should be?”POyFWmqLyGuQAMckliGLBMgXMCVmCg
flbYPTdndZSptieRen Yi was sweating with anxiety, “I really have something very important. I’ll explain later; please apologize to Captain Chen for me.”CxjpqfadQTUHNUJcecYQwMkezCBmfX
UjrWrZcAorjEBNi“You…”XAbjyTVrREAEUrXTKabYXTdHAXQECr
DjXAehLyMFAieZCRen Yi hung up the phone, pressing the gas pedal as hard as he could, hoping the car would go faster, wishing he could fly to Gong Feilan’s home.IBsYYKszFHmimHqozSvZjjkDlldroW
vgmDvLOWcPaFPPgFortunately, it wasn’t far. As soon as he arrived, he received a call back from Gong Yingxian.XXKGVxkvfNagMrypENVxPJKJcDJFKD
UUzgtFhPNMyCRjk“Hello? Where are you? What were you doing just now? Feilan might be in trouble; I just got to her building,” Ren Yi said in one breath.jAalDopELwYYHKeBTTVvApdkNqLVPk
diOBqPjwikeBQuG“What happened?” Gong Yingxian panted heavily, “We were just catching… but first, tell me about Feilan.”EbMpmNfzLOusciOkMqfKDYQbXirFSv
scfqfWmlmUVpwSP“She sent me a distress text, and when I answered the call, no one spoke.” Ren Yi stopped the car, “It’s this building, number 6.” Gong Feilan lived in a high-end apartment complex with a low occupancy rate but a large area, and it took several turns in the underground parking lot to find the right building number.jCSAStpkCSDgVhpBVVyxjiGejEbDfD
alTllmJPEvoLKVQGong Yingxian paused for a moment, whispering, “It can’t be… it can’t be…”OywGMQmdJOSmjjYMkcyzyWDkXURPXg
iOoIIKGuHwvOVlE“What can’t be?” Ren Yi rushed into the elevator, about to press the button, but then remembered Feilan’s home was on the eighth floor, so it would be faster to run up. He exchanged a glance with Qu Yangbo, and they dashed into the stairwell.zBkNRLyzSIhHfZHFYNjbYxwpffMPpS
PqpCMcHKtFYZKAaUnexpectedly, the signal in the stairwell was poor. Ren Yi could hear Gong Yingxian saying something, but the noise distorted it, making it impossible to discern the content. Out of breath, Ren Yi decided to hang up the phone.bXGFhPujYQtPzzirHOnixyvorbuZja
GFyrATXHsUomWSQWhen they reached the eighth floor, the upscale apartment with two units per floor had the left door slightly ajar, and voices could be heard from inside.iFdherADgFJmpBXtqgxHTIUcoCKpdF
AGdQbSjoxIyuMsXRen Yi rushed over and pushed the door open.pBGtwVffbIFvspgwkUabzRtfDfXRaS
JKhzguzZqHqaKqzThe scene before them stunned both the newcomers and those inside.fWQKsBYegIPgSmGRkeNNIqDZpceGmZ
QqVapEciHGDNFjiThe spacious living room of the apartment was decorated with colorful balloons, streamers, and flowers, with a buffet spread on the table, clearly preparing for a party. In the center of the living room stood Gong Feilan and several police officers.XFXkcgZXphWUMPRnUmqxdrXDQotxLc
TuptMdBMbgNaLQgRen Yi was dumbfounded.earYdUzmqsLKlLdFxBLorhaGNqRThM
rPbKEZswbnwuonEWhen Gong Feilan saw Ren Yi, she was equally surprised: “Captain Ren? Why did you come so early?”JWVdiVfWAheuHKLaJZcwtfbFgfPqzO
yvuTMbGfwwqXBfwRen Yi snapped back to reality, striding over to grab Gong Feilan’s shoulders, nervously scanning her up and down, “You… are you okay?”lDCsOerbqUpBcObRfNYlGGPoGePMuw
vEXfMyqkAGXQjSn“What… what could happen to me?” Gong Feilan looked puzzled and worried. “What’s going on? Suddenly, several police officers came to my house, and then you rushed over. Your expression… don’t scare me, what happened?”BaxwVxtUadZtkmIiEdZfPosCrfqaVr
kclFucJbfzLZPpiQu Yangbo asked, “Where’s your phone?”LDYQVGfVROtIGyUTeCJGAHHGdylPyM
DFZdoKrxwtrTQac“I can’t find my phone; I don’t know where I put it.”JJZAUEkPXPsGOjkgOZehxaEAdXuJhx
KCmgwQNBWVqkczi“Lost it?” Ren Yi felt something was very wrong. It was good that Gong Feilan was fine, but what about that call and text? It all seemed like a deliberate attempt to lure him here.YtaDMaFrkEbEfdWZvfRsebZLSAldii
FLGvEDpLextDhqRWhy?ULmcwaKUJNFmbFafsNOyfPAbOcgLro
afahvTSehYCRRxo“It shouldn’t be lost; I used it a few hours ago. I was busy preparing for the party this afternoon, and there were so many things that I might not know where I put it in some corner,” Gong Feilan looked at them, “What’s going on?”fpUlDXPePJNRdRKFTvofkcKXiolnHL
ZaVHWWowSzmnFcYRen Yi’s phone rang again; it was Gong Yingxian calling. He rubbed his face and answered, “Feilan is fine.”ktKvnhtFNYqBrbAMJoJblVxHrmkKdg
MDtaOrXXTDyEIigGong Yingxian seemed to want to say something but was cut off by this statement. He then asked, “Is there anything unusual at her home?”PtSPiLHNRuceBFHttcQktFEasuDPHM
jZIgVGkZhYPMnMB“She said she can’t find her phone. But she’s safe now; there are police, a nanny, a bodyguard, and a party company here.”mCykxuyVoPaPbZVDevQTKHaGvcXDao
aHZMyZcgKAkMPNGGong Yingxian paused, confused, “Why would he send you a message?”bzVbXQnMSHamSZbHiPTemSlIIWhmrP
nCXcQWAAxhdfnky“You mean the person who… no, you mean the one who stole her phone?” Ren Yi felt overwhelmed, “I don’t know! What’s going on? Why would they bring me and Yangbo here? I was supposed to…” Ren Yi suddenly remembered something, a chill running down his spine, fear creeping into his nerves like a parasitic vine.IRgOtTIcvoUlyHtvwCfYLQUPhIrXkr
FCxBPPrxfJYFJAEGong Yingxian asked softly, “You were supposed to go where?” as if afraid of disturbing something.dStCnjhCtxBxhYCToCzVCcLVHCnqLI
ddjGQpfXxIYlsVP“To see my dad.” Ren Yi hung up the phone and rushed out the door like the wind.PSzyOArFFzgHPTNajDaEaiVRBZJsuV
bICXfOxaVpYTdQuhMbOiIRPngJDPKSeVMQzreVTlfvOoT