It is better to strike while the iron is hot. Yu Xue arranged to have dinner with Jiang Dongliang. Since Jiang was on the list of people kidnapped in Lin He’s case, it was highly likely he was involved in the incident. It would be great if he could recall some details, as it could be very helpful.
Jiang Dongliang held his chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat, and put it into his bowl. “At that time, I was also in the senior class. The class had organized a trip to the zoo, and everyone was happy. We didn’t expect to be hijacked before we even entered the park. Later, we were taken into the mountains, Southern Cheng’an Mountain. It was full of snakes, insects, and ants, and there were no roads. The kidnappers even held guns to our heads and ordered us to climb quickly, or they would shoot us.”
“I was very scared. Fortunately, a female teacher held my hand and helped me climb up. If it weren’t for her, I might have been shot. We stayed in several caves, only able to eat one meal a day—hard, cold steamed buns with mineral water. We were all hungry, dizzy from hunger, and mentally tortured.”
“Later, we were divided into two groups. Unfortunately, I had to continue climbing north to Cheng’an. After an unknown amount of time, one day I was taken out of the mountains, bound with explosives, and thrown into a factory. This experience left me a lifelong trauma. Even now, thinking about the close contact with death still sends shivers down my spine.”
His tone was casual, but it couldn’t hide the fear and bitterness deep inside. Yu Xue smiled, “But you’re strong. You turned your fear into motivation and became a bomb disposal expert.”
Jiang Dongliang also smiled, “Yes, I joined this field to overcome my inner fear. Also, I promised the police officer who saved me that I would work hard to enter the police academy. Over the years, I’ve kept this promise as a source of motivation. Becoming a bomb disposal expert might also be thanks to the protection of that senior.”
Yi Shi put down his chopsticks, “Who saved you?”
“The Criminal Investigation Team of Haijing. I only know his surname is Lin. I originally wanted to report my good news to him as soon as I joined the police force, but he ended up going missing…”
Jiang Dongliang sighed, “He was a good police officer. I still keep the photo he gave me back then, hoping that I could see him in my lifetime.”
Yu Xue and Yi Shi exchanged a glance. The savior he mentioned was none other than Lin Heyu.
“Can I see the photo?” Yu Xue asked.
Jiang Dongliang took out his wallet and carefully retrieved a passport-sized photo from the compartment.
The edges of the photo were yellowed, and there were traces of glue on the back, indicating it was once pasted on a wall and later removed. The person in the photo had a stern expression, with a serious and upright appearance. His gaze seemed to pierce through the lens, looking straight into the viewer’s eyes.
Yi Shi took the photo, smiled faintly, and then quickly wiped the smile away. He returned the photo to Jiang Dongliang, saying indifferently, “I’m also looking for him.”
“…You’re looking for him?” Jiang Dongliang was surprised. “Why?”
If Yi Shi directly mentioned the peculiar connection with Lin Heyu, it would lead to two possible outcomes: either Jiang Dongliang would be scared, or he would think they were crazy. Both outcomes would be unfavorable, so Yi Shi avoided the main issue and picked the most practical reason: “He is my adoptive mother’s brother, who has been missing for many years. My adoptive mother is very concerned about him.”
“So, Officer Lin is your… uncle?”
Yi Shi coughed lightly, not refuting. God knows he had never considered Lin Heyu as an elder. Both parties tacitly avoided discussing this awkward relationship.
Jiang Dongliang never expected such a coincidence. This meal was not in vain. The people sitting in front of him were the family of the savior, so Jiang Dongliang offered a toast with tea to express his gratitude to Officer Lin.
“Do you remember the classmates who were kidnapped with you back then?” Yu Xue asked.
Jiang Dongliang listed a few names, which matched the names on their list. Yi Shi put a fish ball into his bowl and casually mentioned, “Do you know there were two extra children among the hostages?”
“What?” Yu Xue was taken aback. “Wasn’t there one extra child? How could there be two?”
According to the information given by Lin Heyu, one of the hostages rescued from the cave was an orphan, temporarily adopted by Lin Heyu’s colleagues. How could there be another?
Jiang Dongliang was stunned, his chopsticks frozen mid-air, and he did not put them down for a long time.
After a while, he gently nodded, “Yes, there were two—a boy and a girl. I saw them as soon as I got on the bus. They were probably orphans who got mixed into the school bus, possibly just looking for food, but unexpectedly got caught up in the kidnapping case.”
“The girl had big eyes and was always clinging to her brother. She was very weak and timid. I lent her my school uniform to pass her off as one of our classmates, and the kidnappers didn’t notice she wasn’t one of us.”
Yu Xue supported his chin with one hand, “What about the other boy? Why didn’t the kidnappers notice he was an orphan?”
Jiang Dongliang shook his head, “At that time, a female teacher protected him, saying the boy was her son, which is why the kidnappers didn’t suspect.”
Yi Shi recalled Jiang Dongliang’s testimony, “But you didn’t provide this information after you were rescued. Perhaps other children wouldn’t know, but you had direct contact with them. Why didn’t you tell the police?”
Jiang Dongliang’s lips pressed into a line, “Because… that boy asked me to act as if I didn’t know about his sister’s existence. I was very young at the time and respected my promises. After being rescued, I didn’t mention them to anyone. Looking back, he must have been afraid that if the kidnappers found out there were worthless hostages, they would kill them, or that the police would delay rescuing her, so he let his sister blend in and be rescued safely along with him.”
Comfort was inadequate; only the warmth and coldness were known to oneself. The boy’s dark and bright eyes were etched in Jiang Dongliang’s memory—a soul that had never experienced warmth, distrusting the world, justice, and everything, keeping all security within himself.
“Was the girl rescued later? This case happened more than twenty years ago. If she grew up, she should be of marriageable age now,” Yu Xue said.
Jiang Dongliang frowned slightly: “… No.”
Yi Shi’s eyelids twitched. He saw Jiang Dongliang lower his head: “That case… still has no outcome. I heard that the remaining hostages were found, but the kidnappers are still missing, and the investigation personnel disappeared. It can only be treated as a cold case. I asked old seniors, and there were no girls among the hostages who were found. She was not rescued.”
“What about her brother?”
“He seems to have been adopted and left Haijing a long time ago. I don’t have any news about him either.”
That child was adopted by Lü Kanshan’s family, who were colleagues of Lin Heyu. However, to date, Lü Kanshan has not joined the Haijing City Bureau, and his wife, Teng Xiaoyuan, is still at the grassroots level. Clearly, that child would not be with them.
The two extra hostages, including Lin Heyu, have all gone missing, suggesting a subtle, indescribable connection.
Late at night, only one light was on in the Haijing City Bureau building. A faint glow emerged from the room at the end of the third floor, which was the archive room of Haijing City Bureau.
Yi Shi had changed out of his awkward outfit and was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a flashlight, surrounded by a small mountain of documents. Yu Xue was rummaging through another cabinet. The two were silent, with only the rustling of paper filling the room.
Another half-inch thick document was sealed back into a brown paper bag. Yi Shi checked his watch. It was almost midnight. They had been searching for four hours and still hadn’t found anything.
Around eight o’clock, Yu Xue made a call to get the key to the archive room. Yuan Kang sent someone over immediately, without mentioning a word about returning it. The most cooperative in Haijing was indeed Captain Yuan.
Finding records from twenty years ago was not easy. Not only were there no electronic files on the internal network, but even paper materials in the archive room were also missing. They had to open every single file from that year, confirm it was not relevant, and then put it back intact. Finally, after going through an entire year’s worth of cabinets, they sat in silence, the atmosphere even more oppressive.
The archive room was airtight. Yi Shi stood up, cracked the window to let in a draft of cold air. Why were there no records? Such a big case, and not a single record left behind—it didn’t make sense.
The supernatural forces of the mirrored world could affect people’s memories, distorting and adjusting them to varying degrees, but they had never erased established facts. So Yi Shi was convinced that an unsolved case from that year would definitely be archived and stored. Unexpectedly, from electronic files to paper records, not a single relevant keyword had been found.
Yu Xue picked up his ever-present cup of tea, advising him to stay calm and wait for news from Uncle Sheng. The next moment, Sheng Guoning called: “The documents you’re looking for are not here. I’ve even pulled out higher-level confidential files, and there’s no record of the Haijing kidnapping case from twenty years ago.”
“It definitely happened. There are firsthand witnesses among Haijing colleagues, and also—” Yi Shi paused, “This case was handled by you, and my mother’s brother disappeared while working on it. You must have a deep impression of it.”
“Yes, I indeed can’t forget it. I haven’t given up on finding Zhizhi’s brother all these years,” Sheng Guoning sighed. “Some things can’t be explained in a few words. The kidnapping case shocked the whole city and remains unresolved to this day, yet no news media has ever reported or discussed it over the years. Human memory is truly terrifying. I’ve interacted with several hostages, and some don’t even remember they were kidnapped in their childhood.”
If Yi Shi were to describe it, it should be seen as an intervention. From a god’s perspective, he knew that not only the hostages but also Sheng Guoning and Qi Wenyu’s memories had been altered to varying degrees, though the individuals themselves were unaware. Including Jiang Dongliang, whom he interacted with today, Yi Shi couldn’t determine the reliability of his recollections.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and asked, “Is there any news about the orphan among the rescued children?”
“Orphan? What orphan?”
“…” Yi Shi sighed quietly. See, when discussing other people’s situations, Sheng Guoning spoke confidently, yet he himself was also a “memory distortion” case.
Yu Xue extended his hand, indicating for him to pass the phone over. It was time to leverage their connections with the higher-ups.
The report for this operation did not go smoothly. First, the Haijing leadership rejected the proposal to allow the kindergarten to operate normally. Although Nanyi City Bureau comprised their own people, the bureau chiefs were hesitant. After all, with so many children’s lives at stake, any minor error would be hard to justify to the public.
Therefore, the only connection they had was now needed.
“Yu Xue, I’ve seen your report on the operation. I’ll just ask you one question—how confident are you?”
Yu Xue glanced at Yi Shi and replied, “90%.” He didn’t overstate it, leaving the remaining 10% for potential unforeseen issues in other parts of the operation.
“Such confidence?”
Yu Xue smiled, “Uncle Sheng, even if you don’t trust me, you should trust Yi Shi.”
Sheng Guoning, of course, knew his son well. From the moment he saw the operation list with Yi Shi at the top, he was already reassured. However, as a leader, he had to consider various aspects, especially in plans involving ordinary citizens, where the margin for error was very small.
Yi Shi calmly said, “You should be aware of how Xu Shang was rescued. This operation is essentially the same, and the probability of success is very high.”
There was a long pause on both ends of the call. Although Yu Xue remained calm and composed, his left hand tightly gripped the edge of the cabinet, the knuckles slightly whitening; Yi Shi’s expression was emotionless, but his long fingers were rolling a small piece of paper into a tight ball, getting smaller and denser, almost becoming a high-density paper “iron ball.”
They were waiting for the higher-ups to make a decision. Could the city bureau ignore the provincial department’s directives?
“Yu Xue, was it your idea for Yi Shi to go undercover?” Sheng Guoning suddenly asked.
“Mm.”
“It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to be a male teacher at the kindergarten. You don’t mean—he has to dress as a woman, do you?”
“…” Yi Shi lowered his head. You really know him too well.
Yu Xue smiled and explained that it was a matter of timing and opportunity. After all, Yi Shi was just so well-suited for it. He heard that when Ms. Lin was younger, she had wanted Yi Shi to dress as a girl, but unfortunately, she never succeeded.
“I have very good reasons not to approve, but since he has made such a big sacrifice, and you are betting your future on it, you should be even more careful. I’m old now, can’t move around, and really miss the energy I had when I was young. Now, I can only watch you take risks,” Sheng Guoning’s tone carried a smile, “There are still two days left. Prepare well.”
Yu Xue’s eyes sparkled with surprise. Yi Shi looked up, feeling a mix of emotions, and didn’t know what to say. In the end, all he could say was a simple “Thank you.”
He had always downplayed his feelings with his adoptive parents, maintaining rationality since childhood, knowing they were not his biological family and shouldn’t rely too much on them or take too much of the affection meant for biological children. After graduation, he had further distanced himself from his warm family. The change in Sheng Yu’an’s feelings had also made him deeply fearful, afraid that getting too close to his adoptive parents would cause even more harm.
For years, Yi Shi had been giving himself psychological hints that he must get used to living alone. He dared not face Sheng Guoning and Lin Zhizhi’s feelings for him and ignored their years of trust and affection. That phone call just now made him suddenly realize that as long as his household registration was with the Sheng family, they would always be his family.
Yi Shi covered his forehead, suddenly feeling his eyes moisten.
Yu Xue saw this and patted his shoulder: “What, are you regretting it now? Realizing that Uncle Sheng and the others hold you dear? I’ve always said, don’t be so distant, come home more often.”
Yi Shi really took this to heart this time.
Yu Xue sighed: “Don’t say we’re taking risks, Uncle Sheng is also going all out. If something goes wrong this time, it will be a disaster for him.”
“So—no accidents.” Yi Shi replied calmly.
