I slept with my sister's classmate, and she turned out to be my boss.

Chen Dapeng dialed He Ying's number.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

"A roc?"

"Sister Ying, Gu Huaiyuan has run away."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone: "When did this happen?"

"Early yesterday morning. He changed cars twice, left his phone at the airport, and headed towards Nancheng. We are now in Nancheng and are investigating."

He Ying was quiet for a while, as if she was processing the news:

Have you located him?

"not yet.

The technical department narrowed down the location where he got off the bus to the western part of the southern city through monitoring, but the exact location is still unclear.

There are too many small hotels and rental houses here; it will take time to check them all.

Chen Dapeng paused for a moment:

"Sister Ying, I might have to stay in Nancheng for a few days."

He Ying did not say anything like "Then be careful".

After a moment of silence, he spoke: "Once you arrive in Nancheng, if you find any useful clues, let me know immediately. I also have some connections in the provincial capital; if you need local assistance, I can help you make those connections."

Chen Dapeng responded:

"it is good."

……

Inside the task force meeting room.

The desktop was covered with maps and various printed surveillance screenshots.

Several route maps were posted on the wall—showing the street layout from the highway exit to the western part of the city.

Several key intersections were marked with a red pen.

Hu Yuheng was standing in front of the table, talking on the phone with the technical department.

After hanging up the phone, she turned around and glanced at everyone present:

"The technical department just reported that the road surveillance cameras have narrowed down Gu Huaiyuan's drop-off location to this area in the west of the city."

He got off the bus nearby and then walked out of the surveillance camera's coverage area.

She circled an area on the map with her finger and continued:

"Currently, the confirmed area is the old city area in the west of the city, which is about two square kilometers. This area is characterized by many old residential areas, rental houses, and small hotels, and many of them do not require ID registration."

Chen Yuanda stood to the side, looking at the map:

"The scope has been narrowed down. Then we'll conduct an on-site investigation. We'll send personnel to Nancheng to cooperate with the local public security authorities in conducting a thorough investigation of this area."

He glanced at Hu Yuheng:

"You lead the team, and Chen Dapeng will go too."

Hu Yuheng nodded: "Okay."

She turned to look at Chen Dapeng:

"Get ready, you'll be leaving with the local police this afternoon."

Chen Dapeng replied, "Understood."

At 2 p.m., Chen Dapeng went out with two police officers from the Nancheng West Police Station.

Police officer Lao Zhou is a local man in his early fifties who knows the streets and alleys in the west of the city very well.

The other one was younger, named Xiao Liu, who had just been assigned there. He was holding a clipboard and was responsible for taking notes.

The three of them walked along the street, from house to house.

Old Zhou knows this place like the back of his hand.

I know which small hotels accept cash without asking for ID.

I also know which landlords never write contracts when renting out their properties.

He pushed open the door and called out, "Boss, have any out-of-towners come to stay recently?" His tone was as casual as if he were chatting with someone.

Most of the bosses cooperated, but if one or two looked off, Lao Zhou would ask them a few more questions.

Chen Dapeng followed behind, noting down the information of each company in his phone's notes app.

At the same time, keep an eye out for any figures that match Gu Huaiyuan's characteristics.

He knew the task force had screenshots of Gu Huaiyuan's face, but those were all ID photos and photos from the meeting.

Someone who is always mindful of their image in front of the camera might not be easily recognized on the street if they simply hide away, change into old clothes, and wear a hat.

I walked three streets.

Old Zhou stopped and leaned against the wall to smoke. He offered one to Chen Dapeng, but Chen Dapeng waved it off.

Old Zhou, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, sighed.

"The southern part of the city is not like the provincial capital. There are many small hotels here, some of which don't even have signs. It's not difficult to hide someone here."

If the person you're talking about is truly determined to hide, they probably won't be staying in a hotel; they'll be living in a rented room or a makeshift shelter. That would make them even harder to find.

Chen Dapeng nodded:

"Start by checking the small hotels, and then proceed with the others step by step."

Old Zhou stubbed out his cigarette and clapped his hands:

"Okay, let's keep going."

The investigation continued until evening, when it got dark.

The three verified seven small hotels and four rental houses.

One of the landlords said that a few days ago, a person from out of town did come to inquire about the room, but after looking at it twice, he left without renting it.

Chen Dapeng asked what he looked like, and the landlord said he couldn't quite remember, only that he was tall and thin and wore a hat.

This description is too vague; it matches Gu Huaiyuan's description, yet it doesn't quite fit either, so it cannot be used as a clue for confirmation.

Chen Dapeng called Hu Yuheng to report on the progress:

"Director Hu, we've searched about a quarter of the western part of the city, but haven't found any trace of Gu Huaiyuan. There are a few vague leads that don't match up, and we need to verify them further."

Hu Yuheng paused for a moment on the other end of the phone:

"Continue the investigation. The technical department will simultaneously retrieve more intersection surveillance footage to try and further narrow down the scope. Be careful on your end, and don't act alone."

"clear."

……

Yang Xiujiang's office at the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

He left the office early at 5 p.m., telling his secretary that he wasn't feeling well and was going home first.

He didn't actually go home. Instead, he parked his car in a quiet alley near his workplace, sat in the driver's seat, took out his phone, and found a number—

A relative from another province, surnamed Li, is his cousin's husband. He does business in a prefecture-level city in a neighboring province.

Yang Xiujiang hesitated for a moment before pressing the call button.

The phone rang four times before being answered, and my cousin's husband's voice carried a hint of surprise:

"Brother? It's been so long since we last talked. What made you decide to call?"

Yang Xiujiang made her voice sound very casual:

"I have a business trip planned soon, and I might need to visit you. Would it be convenient for me to stay for a few days?"

The other party did not hesitate:

"That's convenient. Just let me know when you arrive and I'll make arrangements for you."

"Okay, I'll contact you then."

Yang Xiujiang didn't say how many days he would stay, nor did he specify the exact date of his arrival; his tone suggested it was just a casual remark.

After hanging up the phone, he deleted the call log and then sat in his car, his fingers still gripping the steering wheel.

He knew perfectly well what that phone call meant.

He was looking for a way out for himself—

A path that Gu Huaiyuan chose but failed to follow.

But he also knows that this backup plan is currently just a hypothetical scenario.

He hasn't made up his mind to actually leave yet.

He started the car, drove out of the alley, and headed home.

……

South City, bathhouse.

Gu Huaiyuan woke up at six in the morning.

He never slept soundly; he opened his eyes at the crack of dawn.

Occasionally, people would move around in the corridor, their footsteps approaching from afar and passing by the door.

He was always on edge.

Once the corridor had completely quieted down, he sat up, put on his coat, picked up his briefcase, and walked out of the bathhouse.

It was already daylight outside, and people were starting to move about on the streets, with breakfast stalls steaming.

He walked in the crowd, just like everyone else.

As he passed a roadside stall, he stopped, ordered a bowl of noodles, and found a corner to sit down.

The noodles were served, steaming hot soup noodles.

He ate slowly with his head down.

After finishing his noodles, he put the money on the table, stood up, and continued walking.

When he reached a secluded intersection, he took out his old-fashioned cell phone and dialed the number.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

"Has the car arrived?"

"We've arrived. Someone will be waiting for you in the alley near the old bridge in the south of the city. He will take you to the next place."

"Where to?"

"You'll know when you get there. The fewer questions you ask, the safer you'll be."

Gu Huaiyuan didn't press further, only saying one word: "Okay."

……

The next day, in the morning.

Chen Dapeng followed Lao Zhou and Xiao Liu to investigate a more remote street on the western edge of the city.

The street was uneven and full of potholes, with old self-built houses on both sides. Some of them had signs that read "hotel," while others had nothing at all.

Old Zhou pushed open the door of a small hotel.

The boss was sitting behind the counter watching TV.

Old Zhou knew him well, so he called out "Old Liu" and then asked him directly if any out-of-towners had come to stay recently.

The owner thought for a moment and said that a guest did come yesterday, but did not register his ID card, paid in cash, and has already checked out and left.

Chen Dapeng asked, "What does it look like?"

The shopkeeper said, "He's tall and thin, wearing a hat, looks to be around fifty years old, and speaks quite calmly; he doesn't seem like a local."

Chen Dapeng took out his phone and showed Gu Huaiyuan's photo:

"Is it him?"

The boss leaned over for a look and nodded:

"That's him. He also had a bag, grayish-black, similar to this person's."

He pointed to the photo.

Chen Dapeng's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't show it.

He pressed the record button on his phone, recorded the check-in and check-out times described by the hotel owner, asked a few more questions about the details, and then quickly walked out of the hotel.

He walked to the side of the street and dialed Hu Yuheng's number:

"Director Hu, the owner of Lao Liu Hotel in the west of the city has confirmed that Gu Huaiyuan stayed here one night yesterday and has already checked out."

The shopkeeper didn't notice which direction he went, but he was certain that he had left the western part of the city today.

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone:

"Understood. Continue the investigation. I'll have the technical department retrieve surveillance footage from the area around the hotel to see which direction he went after checking out."