Who is it?!
Zhang Shutong's heart sank.
The beam of the flashlight waved above their heads. The darkness in their vision was gradually devoured by the light.
A few minutes? Or one minute? Maybe even faster than that. As long as the person's footsteps got a little closer, their private patch of grass would be completely exposed.
Countless clues were immediately connected:
...The Forbidden Zone.
...The man.
...The west side.
...The opposite shore.
...The recently opened wrapper.
All the keywords quickly flashed through his mind;
They pieced together like fragments in an instant. But no matter who the other party was, there was no time to think about it anymore—
Should they run?
Absolutely not!
Zhang Shutong immediately rejected this idea. If it were just him, he could give it a try, but there were too many of them. He couldn't take the risk. An accident happening to anyone would be an unbearable consequence;
So Zhang Shutong quickly waved his arm, pointed to the reeds, and said in a low voice:
"Hide!"
He was usually a person of few words, but when he was serious, his words were always effective; in this small group, the only people who could make a decision at a critical moment were Ruoping and Zhang Shutong himself.
The others looked at each other, but Lu Qinglian was the first to take a step. Ruoping and Du Kang were about to say something, but they were pulled along by the two of them. Their bodies moved subconsciously, and they immediately started packing up the things on the ground.
The light beam was getting closer and closer.
Zhang Shutong scanned the surroundings. As far as his eyes could see, the bicycles were the easiest to be spotted. Fortunately, none of their bikes had been moved and were still stuffed in the reeds;
The rest were fishing rods and stools. The stools were easy to handle, they could always be picked up and taken away. The fishing rods, however, were completely different. This thing was never just a rod itself. It was also connected to the fishing line, the float, and the hook. If they weren't careful, it would get tangled in the weeds on the ground;
His own fishing rod was already in his hand. Ruoping and Du Kang weren't fishing at all. Only Qingyi was chatting with a few people, and all of his things were still by the water.
Seeing that the other party was about to turn back, Zhang Shutong rushed forward, held his arm, and gestured with his eyes toward the top. The two of them really had an unspoken understanding, or rather, this was the good thing about middle-schoolers. They could get into character in a minute; Qingyi also nodded solemnly, and then he extended his foot and kicked the fishing rod into the water without hesitation;
The force was just right, like a bamboo shoot slipping into a pot. An almost inaudible sound of something entering the water rang out. When he looked back, a few people were already crouching down and quickly crawling into the reeds.
Zhang Shutong knew that they still thought it was the police on patrol. So they were all well-trained. The few of them had done this kind of hide-and-seek game many times before. They were experienced and didn't need him to tell them what to do.
So he didn't explain. In this situation, it was better to maintain this perfect misunderstanding.
The footsteps were getting closer and closer. He took one last look at the patch of grass and pulled back the reeds behind him. Fortunately, the bicycles inside had already separated the reeds a little, otherwise, there would have been more than just this sound.
Then he let go, and the view in front of him immediately became pitch black. The reeds isolated them from the outside, but they also almost completely blocked the view in front of him.
The faint sounds of breathing from the people behind him were very close. He turned his head and saw only a few pairs of shining eyes in the dark.
Zhang Shutong was familiar with this look—he had been on a roller coaster. The most suffocating moment on a roller coaster is never the headlong plunge; it's when you're holding tightly to the handles on your shoulders, your vocal cords are tense, and your body is leaning back. You're slowly moving up the rising track that looks like a ladder to the heavens, and a few seconds later, you reach the highest point!
The expressions on their faces were no different from being on a roller coaster. Zhang Shutong could see what they were thinking—"a close call" or they were treating the current hiding as an exciting adventure. It was a bit embarrassing, but teenagers at this age were fearless. What's the big deal about being caught? At most, they would get into a big chase with that giant bear-like police officer, like a game of tag. Maybe it would even become a topic of conversation in class tomorrow...
Zhang Shutong, of course, also hoped it was the police. The police would be great. The worst that could happen would be a scolding. They wouldn't be hurt, and even if they were reported to the school, it wouldn't be a big deal. If he could, he really didn't want to scare himself. Wouldn't it be better for everyone to go home, take a shower, and sleep? Why would they have to play a game of cat and mouse with the air here? So, stop being so nervous and making a fuss...
But Zhang Shutong couldn't think like that.
All he could think of was the killer who murdered Gu Qiumian eight years ago and the dagger that was plunged into the back of his neck eight years later. That night was just like tonight, with cold hands and feet, a biting night wind, and the wind was getting stronger... He took out his phone and started typing in his notes. He turned the screen brightness down to the lowest setting and handed it behind him.
"Give me the stick! It's in the side bag! No matter what happens, you just run!!!"
That's what was on the screen. He used five exclamation points in one breath, hoping to make them take it seriously. In theory, the other party was only one person, and there were five of them. They had a chance to capture the killer;
But Zhang Shutong knew that murderers generally fell into two categories. One was manslaughter. A thief who only wanted to steal a wallet might take a desperate action when cornered; and the other was...
Someone who was out for a life.
The other party was the latter.
Zhang Shutong didn't dare to gamble.
What's more, the incident happened so suddenly that they had no time to plan. For example, he wanted to add the words "and then call the police quickly" to the phone, but he knew that someone would definitely ask, "Aren't the police here to catch us? Why do we have to call the police?"
In this kind of situation, the more you say, the more mistakes you make. The less you say, the fewer mistakes you make. Fortunately, a stick-like object was quickly handed to him. Zhang Shutong gripped the baton tightly and waited with bated breath.
He listened to the close footsteps and prepared for the worst. The footsteps were getting closer, almost above their heads, like a wolf standing on a mole's hole. The moles underneath could only shiver.
Then the vicious wolf's gaze probed the hole:
As a beam of flashlight shone down, his nerves were also stretched to the limit. Maybe it was a few seconds, maybe ten seconds. His heart was pounding. Even he couldn't remember how long it had been until the flashlight suddenly moved away;
A series of mumbled words with a heavy accent came to his ears:
"That's strange. I just heard someone here. Are those kids not here?"
...
A long breath was let out from his chest.
Of course, the people around him didn't immediately burst into laughter. They patiently waited for the other party to leave until the light from the flashlight was almost gone. Then, a series of crisp laughter came from behind him.
It was Ruoping's:
"Shutong, look how scared you were. You were all hunched over, and you even wanted a baton..."
Du Kang also chimed in:
"I swear, brother. The police didn't scare me just now, but you scared me. I thought you were going to assault the police."
Zhang Shutong ignored the two of them. He breathed a sigh of relief, turned on his flashlight, and shone it behind him. The faces of the people were red from the excitement after the scare. They seemed to be wanting more. Zhang Shutong didn't know what to say, but one thing made him stop in his tracks—
Lu Qinglian was behind him.
When did she get there?
Shouldn't it be Qingyi? He remembered that the two of them were the last to go in.
Only then did he remember that the hand that handed him the baton was very cold.
The other party still had that indifferent expression. Zhang Shutong thought she would frown and ask what was going on, but in reality, she was the same as usual, with no emotional fluctuations.
Only when the flashlight accidentally shone on her face would she subconsciously narrow her eyes and turn her face away, like a cat.
Forget it. It's good that everyone is fine.
Although it was a false alarm in the end, this was undoubtedly the best result.
Thinking of this, he put the baton away and smiled himself:
"Is it wrong for me to be a coward?"
"Tsk, I'm a girl, and I wasn't as scared as you. And look at Qinglian. I was right behind her, and her breathing didn't even change."
"Yes, yes, you're brave. Everyone will listen to you in the future..."
Just as he was about to tell everyone to leave, Qingyi said thoughtfully:
"Shutong wasn't wrong. We didn't know it was the police before they came. It could have been someone else. I think we should be careful."
Zhang Shutong thought, "Finally, someone is saying something for me." In a way, he was right.
"You mean that man Du Kang was talking about just now?" Ruoping asked.
"Yes. Isn't it very abnormal?" Meng Qingyi then asked Du Kang, "Did you get a good look at his features?"
"Uh, I didn't pay attention. He was wearing a cap and had a snakeskin bag on one shoulder. He seemed to be holding something in his other hand? That's all I remember."
"That's what makes it strange."
"Stop building suspense. Just say it. And what's wrong with him coming here to fish?" Ruoping urged him. Everyone knew that Qingyi was a mystery fan.
"What do you think, Shutong?" To his surprise, Qingyi threw the question to him. "What does that mean?"
"It means he came from a place nearby," Zhang Shutong thought. "And he wasn't here to fish."
"Why?"
"If Du Kang didn't see it wrong and the man was really carrying a snakeskin bag, it means two things. First, what's inside is very heavy. A regular bag would tear, so it wouldn't be fishing gear."
"Maybe he just happened to have this kind of bag at home. My grandma also likes to use fertilizer bags to carry her groceries." Ruoping pouted.
"Your grandma is just used to being frugal, but if a person can afford a full set of fishing gear, they wouldn't be short on a bag," Qingyi said.
"Then what's the second thing?" Ruoping turned to him.
"Second, this place is very far from the city. Since he was carrying something heavy on his shoulder, he couldn't have walked all the way from the city. But Du Kang saw him walking, which means he has a base nearby, which could be a car or something else."
"Then what did he come here for?"
"I don't know, but think about it. A normal person doesn't wear a hat in the middle of the night. So I said Shutong was right to be careful."
"Fine, you two have convinced me." Ruoping was also straightforward. But after she said that, she hit Du Kang and said with disdain, "Look at you. You were the first one to see him. How did you not think of any of this?"
Du Kang showed his teeth: "Come on, big sis. Weren't you on my side just now..."
"Humph."
"Alright, let's go. If you have any questions, we'll talk in the group chat."
Zhang Shutong said, shining his flashlight around.
"Let's go back. It's already 7:40. If it wasn't for waiting for you, Shutong, I would have been home watching my show by now. Now I'm going to miss it..." Ruoping also nodded.
It was completely normal for a girl to love watching TV shows.
"Me too. I have to go home and read." Qingyi was about to go and pick up his fishing rod.
He had nothing else to do besides reading.
"Right, right, right. I also have to go back and check on my frogs."
The few of them suddenly fell silent.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Du Kang cautiously put his hand in his pocket.
Even Zhang Shutong had a lot of complaints he wanted to make.
Fortunately, Ruoping had already gotten a head start:
"What's wrong with you?" She said in the same tone as the deduction just now. "First, did you really dig up frogs? Second, student Du Kang, can you please not put your hand in your pocket?"
After she said that, Ruoping laughed with relief:
"Who in the world! Wants! To steal your frogs!"
As her voice got higher, the frog in Du Kang's pocket seemed to wake up from hibernation and croaked.
Du Kang quickly changed the subject:
"Let's go home quickly. Your show has already started..."
"Don't take this lightly," Zhang Shutong reminded him. "Since we've already noticed that something's wrong, you guys should all be careful. Did you all bring your phones? Remember to call the police. Don't try to be a hero."
Du Kang held his head: "No problem, no problem. Speaking of which, you suddenly became so talkative today."
Zhang Shutong ignored him:
"And, if you ever run into a situation like this again, listen to my command. If I can't command you, just run and then call the police. Can you remember that?"
He scanned their faces and saw that they all nodded in confirmation. Zhang Shutong was slightly relieved and then looked at Lu Qinglian:
"And you too. It's best not to stray from your usual routine."
Although she was theoretically not in danger, what happened tonight made Zhang Shutong realize that theory is just theory.
Just like in his original life, Lu Qinglian would not have gone fishing with them tonight. Du Kang would not have gone back to get a stool, and he would not have seen the man who was a suspected killer on his way back—
Since the past had already changed, and it was still within a controllable range, who could say that a bigger accident wouldn't happen?
Besides, Lu Qinglian didn't have a car or a phone. If she were in danger, she couldn't run and couldn't call for help. She was even more vulnerable than them.
Fortunately, Lu Qinglian nodded when she heard this. Although she still had no expression, and it was really just a slight nod, that was enough.
Zhang Shutong said again:
"You guys can go and pack up. I have something else to do."
"'You guys'?" Ruoping asked. "What are you going to do?"
"I need to call my mom back. She just texted me."
As he said that, Zhang Shutong held up his phone and walked up the dirt slope with his bike.
But in reality, that was not the case at all. He was going to call the police.
This was not a game where he could just save and reload. The opportunity was right in front of him. If he missed it, he would really miss it;
Besides, the "reversion" was also gone. He didn't have the countless opportunities to try and get information like he used to. He had finally found a clue about the killer. What's more, the other party was likely nearby. Of course, he had to take action while he could.
So Zhang Shutong had no intention of going back tonight.
He just wanted to trick his friends into going home safely.
There was nothing wrong with strength in numbers, but he didn't want to get his best friends involved.
He then came to the dirt road in the dark. Zhang Shutong looked at the screen and immediately frowned.
Why was there still no signal?
He didn't expect to be in a predicament at such a critical moment.
He walked a few more steps toward the distance, but the call still wouldn't go through. Zhang Shutong helplessly put his phone away.
Then he could only ride his bike.
He had to catch up to the patrolling police officer before he went too far. It should still be possible to call him back.
So he just shouted down:
"You guys go together. My mom is angry. I'm going back first. I'm leaving you in charge, Ruoping. Watch them. Call me when you get home."
Anyway, their homes were in different directions, so this excuse was a good one.
After he said that, he didn't care about their questions and got on his bike and left.
...
"Hey, Zhang Shutong!" Feng Ruoping shouted, but she saw that the boy had already ridden far away on his own.
The girl pouted in dissatisfaction: "Seriously, what's wrong with this person?"
Now, everything was her responsibility. She suddenly felt like a worried old mother... No, that was too old. Let's go with caretaker.
But she was used to it. Just as she was about to tell them to pack up, Qingyi suddenly asked:
"Don't you think Shutong is a bit strange today?"
"He's okay. He's always been like this. He's a lone wolf..."
"Do you remember what he said when he came back tonight?"
"What?"
"He said his mom called him to deliver something for her."
"Oh, yeah, I think so."
"And just now, he said his mom sent him a text message to hurry up." Qingyi reeled in his fishing rod and wiped it. "Did you notice a problem?"
"Ah, I told you to stop building suspense."
"The two statements contradict each other." Meng Qingyi held his chin and thought. "You see, we all know his parents work at the research institute and aren't usually home, right?"
"So?"
"Then the problem is, if his mom was off today and happened to be home, why would she have him deliver something? If his mom wasn't home today, how would she know he wasn't home?"
Feng Ruoping was stunned. "You're right. Then Shutong..."
"He's probably going after that man Du Kang was talking about."
The girl was immediately worried. "That's not okay. Who knows if it's dangerous? What if something happens to him alone..."
Before she could finish, she saw that Qingyi also looked ready for a fight:
"Shutong is really not a good friend. Let's go too."
"You wish!" Ruoping rolled her eyes at him. "I'm calling him now to tell him to come back. Seriously, none of you are easy to handle..."
However, the voice from the other end of the phone was that the user was not in the service area.
Feng Ruoping stomped her foot:
"Then let's go look for him together."
Saying that, she called out to Du Kang and Lu Qinglian. There was nothing to say to Du Kang. She just apologized to Lu Qinglian:
"Qinglian, how about you wait here for a bit? When we find Shutong, we'll all go back together?"
It was too late to let her go back to the mountain alone, but they were short-handed now, and they didn't know what the situation was with Shutong. Ruoping wasn't willing to have someone go and walk her back;
But it was also not appropriate for the girl to join them to look for him. She could only ask her to wait there until they came back.
Lu Qinglian, however, shook her head, "Let's go together."
A few of them had just agreed to leave when another set of footsteps was heard above their heads.
Du Kang was the first to complain:
"What the hell? What's going on? Who's coming now..."
Before he could finish, Meng Qingyi covered his mouth:
"Shut up. Didn't you notice..."
The boy's voice dropped to a whisper:
"He's not using a flashlight."