Somewhere outside the unfamiliar building while light flickered overhead inside the locked room.The walls smelled damp and cold. Jun wei sat curled tightly near the corner with his knees pulled against his chest, trying very hard not to let the fear show on his face. His breathing still trembled no matter how hard he tried controlling it.
He kept repeating one thought inside his head again and again like a lifeline."Gege will find me." His lips moved faintly beneath shaky breaths."Gege will come…" he whispered softly to himself. "He always does." But even while saying it, his voice still shook badly. He was trying not to cry for too long. "I-I just have to wait…" he murmured quietly while lowering his head against his knees. "Don't cry." He forced another breath. "Gege said brave people don't panic…" But his fingers still trembled uncontrollably against his sleeves.
Then suddenly heavy footsteps approached outside the room. Jun wei stiffened."N-no…" he whispered under his breath while staring terrified toward the door. "Who is that…?" The sound stopped directly outside possibilities he couldn't stop imagining now. What if they kill me? His eyes began trembling badly. "Gege…" His voice cracked weakly now beneath fear. "I'm scared…" He pressed himself farther into the corner instinctively. "Where are you…?"
The metal lock clicked softly before the door slowly opened. Dim hallway light spilled briefly across the floor as several men entered. Jun wei's fingers tightened hard against his sleeves instantly. One man stood behind near the entrance while another moved aside nervously then the last figure stepped inside slowly. Unlike the others, his face was hidden completely beneath a dark mask and hood.
One of the gangsters glanced uncertainly toward him before speaking carefully. "Boss…" His voice sounded uneasy now. "You said we wouldn't involve children." The masked man stopped walking. For one quiet second, nobody moved then slowly he turned his head slightly toward the gangster. "Do you think this child was chosen accidentally?" His voice sounded low and calm.The gangster immediately lowered his eyes. "No."
The masked man looked away from him afterward and toward Jun wei sitting frozen against the wall. Jun wei instinctively shrank back slightly the moment their eyes met through the darkness.The man began walking toward him slowly. Jun wei's heartbeat started pounding violently now. "D-Don't come closer." he blurted out while trying to sound brave even though fear was obvious in his trembling voice. "Who are you?" Then unexpectedly, the man spoke in a low quiet voice. "Don't be scared." Jun wei pressed himself farther against the wall anyway. The stranger tilted his head slightly before continuing almost gently, "Uncle won't harm you."
Jun wei's breathing became shakier. "Then why did you bring me here?" he asked. "Why won't you let me leave?" The masked man didn't answer Instead he crouched down several feet away from him without answering.A knife resting loosely in the man's gloved hand. The blade reflected weak flickering light coldly. Jun wei expression turned into fear."Y-You said you wouldn't hurt me…" he whispered shakily while staring at the knife. "But this…"
One of the gangsters standing near the doorway suddenly laughed quietly under his breath while watching him. "Boss," the man said casually, "the kid's actually pretty cute." Jun wei looked even more frightened after hearing that. The masked figure's eyes shifted coldly toward the gangster without turning his head fully. "Then stop staring at him like that." he said flatly.
The stranger slowly looked back toward Jun wei afterward. "Relax." he said quietly. "The knife isn't for you." That absolutely did not help. Jun wei's eyes remained fixed on the blade while his breathing stayed uneven and shallow. "Then why bring it?" he asked. The masked man tilted his head slightly before answering almost lazily, "Habit." Jun wei swallowed hard then he pressed himself harder against the wall. "Why did you lock me here?" he demanded shakily. "My gege is looking for me right now."
Something almost resembling amusement appeared in the masked man's voice after hearing that. "I know." Jun wei's breathing turned uneven immediately afterward. The man slowly lifted the knife then rested the cold flat side gently against Jun wei's cheek. Jun wei flinched violently at the contact, eyes widening in terror now. "D-Don't touch me…" His voice nearly broke there. "Please…"
The masked man tilted his head slightly while studying him quietly. "You're trying very hard not to cry." Jun wei clenched his trembling hands tighter. "I'm not scared of you." The man smiled faintly beneath the mask. Jun wei could hear it in his voice somehow. "That's unfortunate." he murmured softly. "Because you should be." Jun wei's eyes immediately filled despite trying desperately to hold the tears back. The knife slowly lowered again before the masked man reached into his coat calmly and placed an old photograph onto the floor between them. "Then answer something for me." he said quietly. "What does your brother remember?" Jun Wei stared at him blankly. "What?" "About his father." Jun wei shook his head immediately. "I don't know what you're talking about." No one spoke for seconds.
Then the masked man calmly pushed the photograph slightly closer toward him. "Look carefully." Jun wei hesitated before slowly lowering his gaze toward the old worn picture. He saw photograph where several unfamiliar people stood together beside an older building. One face had been scratched out violently with black marks. Jun wei frowned slightly through his fear while staring harder at the image. Then suddenly his expression changed because pinned onto one man's jacket inside the photograph was the exact same school district pin worn by security staff near his own school entrance. Jun wei froze instantly.
That jacket… His thoughts stumbled uneasily now while staring harder at the small symbol. Why does it look like my school's pin?
(...)
No(…)His fingers tightened unconsciously around the edge of the photograph.
Why would someone in this photo have that?
(...)
The masked man noticed the exact second Jun wei understood that. "Smart child." he murmured quietly. Jun wei slowly looked back up at him now with genuine fear in his eyes for the first time. "Who are you people?" The masked man stood slowly afterward. "People your gege should've stopped searching for years ago." Jun wei's fingers tightened hard around the photograph now. "Suo gege didn't do anything wrong." The masked man became still for one brief moment after hearing that then quietly he said, "That's the problem."
The man turned toward the door before stopping once more near the entrance. Without looking back, he said softly, "Your gege still doesn't understand what your father protected him from." Jun wei's eyes widened before he could speak again, the masked man stepped outside. The door slammed shut behind him with a violent sound that echoed through the room while jun wei remained frozen there clutching the old photograph tightly in trembling hands.
Jun wei lowered his gaze shakily toward the photograph still clutched in his hands. His fingers trembled badly against the worn paper now. "Gege…" he whispered softly.Tears slipped down his face despite how hard he had been trying not to cry this entire time. "Where are you?" He pressed the photograph tightly against his chest,"I'm scared…" "You said you'd protect me." he murmured shakily through tears. "So hurry up…" His breathing hitched unevenly while fear continued"Please come find me." He lowered his head tightly against his knees afterward while trembling fingers clung desperately to the old photograph. "I don't want to stay here anymore…"
Heavy rain across the streets outside the school while flashing traffic lights reflected across the wet pavement in blurred streaks of red and white. Parents and students had mostly disappeared by now, leaving the area strangely empty despite the storm. Suo ran stepped out of the taxi almost before it fully stopped moving. His clothes were still damp from the cemetery and strands of wet hair clung messily against his forehead now.
The second he spotted lian ziho searching frantically near the sidewalk beneath the rain, he immediately hurried toward him. "What happened?" Suo ran asked breathlessly the moment he reached him. "How did he disappear?" Lian xiho turned instantly at the sound of his voice. He looked terrible his clothes were soaked."I got here late." he said quickly while still glancing around the streets, "The teacher said he already left." Suo Ran froze slightly. "Left?"Lian Ziho swallowed hard before continuing. "With someone familiar."
For one second suo ran simply stared at him silently then slowly his expression changed into fear. "No." he muttered immediately under his breath like he was trying to reject the possibility itself. "Jun wei wouldn't leave without calling me first." Lian ziho ran one trembling hand through his wet hair in frustration. "I know." His voice cracked slightly now beneath the pressure he had been forcing onto himself since arriving. "I already checked everywhere nearby."
Suo ran stepped closer. "Did you find anything?" Lian ziho hesitated briefly before pulling out his phone with tense fingers. "There's CCTV footage from the front entrance." Suo ran grabbed the phone instantly.Rainwater dripped steadily from both of them while the footage began replaying in footage children were leaving, cars moving slowly through the rain. Suo ran watched silently without blinking. Then Jun wei appeared on screen near the gate with his school bag hanging loosely over one shoulder. He looked completely normal. A black car slowly pulled up nearby then window lowered slightly. Someone inside spoke to Jun wei. Jun wei paused for only a second before walking closer toward the car. Then he smiled faintly.
Suo ran's fingers tightened violently around the phone. His breathing stopped for a second completely because Jun wei wasn't scared he trusted whoever called him over.Lian ziho looked away briefly with visible guilt crossing his face now. "He thought he knew them." he said quietly. Suo ran didn't answer. His eyes remained fixed on the screen replaying Jun wei entering the vehicle again and again. The realization terrified him that the person who took Jun wei is someone he familiar.Then suddenly Suo ran frowned slightly. His eyes narrowed toward the edge of the footage. "Wait." Lian ziho looked back toward the screen. "What?" Suo ran replayed the footage manually now frame by frame with trembling fingers. His entire focus sharpened instantly despite the panic inside him. "There." he said quietly. "Near the crosswalk."
Lian ziho leaned closer.At first nothing looked unusual just rain, passing cars.Then a figure became briefly visible standing beneath a dark umbrella across the street from the school entrance.He was watching.Lian ziho's expression hardened. "That's not the driver." Suo ran replayed the footage again slower this time.The unknown watcher never approached Jun wei.He never moved toward the black car either. They simply stood there observing the school entrance from a distance and watching everything happen. Then seconds before the black vehicle drove away the figure quietly turned and disappeared from camera range first.
Suo ran slowly lowered the phone afterward while something cold settled heavily inside his chest now. "There were two groups." he murmured quietly. Lian ziho looked at him sharply. "What?" Suo ran's expression darkened visibly beneath the rain while his mind raced violently now. "The person who took Jun wei…" He paused briefly before looking back toward the frozen image of the unknown watcher. "And someone else watching them." The atmosphere suddenly changed after that realization
If I'm right! then whoever kidnapped Jun wei wasn't the only one involved anymore.
(...)
someone else had already been monitoring everything from the shadows long before today. (....)
Lian ziho slowly lowered the phone with tense fingers before looking back toward the nearly empty school building behind them. "There might still be something inside." he said quietly. Suo ran blinked once before dragging his gaze away from the footage. "What do you mean?" "Jun wei's desk." Lian ziho answered immediately. "I checked quickly earlier but…" His expression tightened visibly with frustration and guilt now. "I wasn't thinking clearly."
Suo ran didn't waste another second after hearing that. Both of them headed back toward the school entrance through the rain. Their wet footsteps echoed sharply through the nearly silent hallway once they entered the building. Most lights had already been turned off for the evening.They entered the classroom.They were small chairs, Half-cleaned whiteboard and scattered papers left behind from earlier lessons. Everything looked normal now. Jun wei's desk sat near the window exactly where he always preferred because he liked staring outside during class whenever he got bored.
Lian ziho moved toward it and began searching more carefully this time. He started opening textbooks, checking drawers. Pens were scattered carelessly inside the compartment beneath the desk. Suo ran stood nearby silently watching while trying unsuccessfully to stop his mind from imagining worse possibilities. Then suddenly Lian ziho paused. "Wait." Suo ran looked up instantly. "What is it?" Lian ziho slowly pulled something folded from between the pages of one of Jun wei's textbooks.
There was asingle wrinkled sheet of paper. At first it looked unimportant just another rough classroom drawing. But the second Lian ziho unfolded it fully, both of their expressions changed.The drawing was messy but detailed enough to recognize.A black car parked beside the school gate, tall man standing nearby beneath dark clothes. And on the sleeve of the figure a strange symbol drawn carefully in black ink. Suo Ran's breathing slowed instantly because he recognized the symbol. It was same mark connected to the hidden files.
Lian ziho stared harder at the page before noticing small handwriting near the bottom corner. His expression darkened immediately afterward. "Suo Ran." Suo ran stepped closer quickly. "What?"Lian ziho slowly turned the paper toward him. Written beneath the drawing in Jun wei's uneven handwriting were the words: 'Saw him again today.'
Suo ran stared at the sentence without moving while realization slowly settled like ice through his chest.
Jun wei had noticed someone following him before today. (...)
And he never told anyone. (...)
Lian Ziho's fingers tightened hard around the paper now, anger and guilt visibly mixing across his face. "Why didn't he say anything?" he muttered quietly, almost to himself. "Why would he keep this hidden?"
Suo ran didn't answer because deep down he already knew exactly why. Jun wei probably thought he was protecting them just like he always did whenever he noticed suo ran already exhausted or stressed. The realization hurt badly. Suo ran slowly sat down in the small chair beside the desk while staring silently at the childish drawing now resting in his trembling hands. His throat tightened painfully. "He noticed them…" he whispered quietly. "And I still didn't realize anything."
Lian Ziho looked toward him. "This isn't your fault." Suo ran laughed softly after hearing that. "He was being watched near our home." His voice lowered further now. "Near school…" His fingers slowly tightened against the paper. "And I never saw it." The guilt inside him became almost unbearable now that he understood.
Jun wei had been carrying this fear alone for days. Not days maybe longer.
(....)
Lian ziho turned away briefly and pressed one hand hard against the back of his neck before speaking again with visible frustration. "No." His voice sharpened suddenly. "Don't do this to yourself right now." Suo ran remained silent.
Light filtered through the apartment curtains while rain tapped steadily against the windows outside.The entire apartment felt quiet.Cai lang lay motionless across the couch for several long seconds after waking, his vision blurry beneath exhaustion while dull pain throbbed heavily behind his eyes. His head felt unbearably heavy. He slowly lifted one hand against his forehead and winced. "What the hell…" His voice sounded rough from sleep and exhaustion.
He pushed himself upright carefully before immediately stopping again when dizziness hit hard enough to make the room tilt slightly around him. Cai lang shut his eyes briefly and pressed one hand harder against his temple. "Why did I sleep this long?" he muttered quietly to himself. His throat felt dry and muscles stiff.
The memory returned instantly.Cai lang exhaled slowly through his nose before forcing himself to sit fully upright. "Why is my head spinning…" he murmured with visible irritation now. "What actually happened last night?" Fragments replayed unevenly inside his mind. He was sitting alone in the parking structure, rewatching the footage repeatedly.
He rubbed both hands slowly over his tired face before reaching for his phone resting nearby on the table.
The screen lit and multiple notifications appeared at once.Cai lang frowned faintly while scrolling through them absently then his expression changed instantly. He saw several missed calls. And all from suo ran. His fingers froze against the phone screen.Cai lang stared at the missed calls without moving for several seconds while unease slowly crept coldly through his chest. "Suo Ran?" he murmured quietly.
Cai lang checked the timestamps quickly. Multiple calls within short intervals. His brows tightened. "Why did he call me this many times?"Cai lang leaned back slowly against the couch while staring at the screen in silence now then he lowered the phone slowly while frustration mixed uneasily with concern inside his chest now. "You disappear without saying anything and..." he muttered under his breath. "Then suddenly call me?"
His jaw tightened faintly. "What did you get yourself involved in now?" But even while saying that, his thumb was already hovering near suo ran's contact again.Cai lang stopped himself halfway through pressing call. Cai Lang exhaled heavily before standing slowly from the couch. Dizziness hit again immediately. "Damn it!" he muttered quietly while steadying himself against the table edge.
He tightened his grip faintly around the phone before finally speaking again under his breath with visible frustration now. "You didn't even tell me where you went." Silence followed briefly then quieter he said "And why do I still care this much?" He loosened the collar of his shirt irritably before walking slowly toward the bathroom. "Whatever! I don't care!" he muttered under his breath.
The bathroom light flickered on softly as he stepped inside.He stared tiredly at his own reflection in the mirror for a long second."You look terrible." he murmured flatly toward himself before turning the shower on. Steam slowly filled the room while water hit against tile steadily.He stepped beneath the stream and lowered his head as cold water ran through his hair and down his face. For several quiet moments he simply stood there motionless.
Then suo ran's missed calls replayed inside his thoughts again.He opened his eyes slowly beneath the falling water. "What if something serious happened?" he murmured quietly to himself. Silence followed except for the shower running around him. His jaw tightened faintly afterward. "Should I call back?" he shook his head once like he was trying to force logic back into place. "No…" he muttered quietly. "If it was urgent, he'll call again."
Meanwhile Suo ran stood beneath the rain completely soaked now, his wet hair clinging against his forehead while panic and exhaustion in his face.Lian ziho had moved farther down the next street searching nearby alleys and storefronts while repeatedly calling Jun wei's name into the storm neither of them had stopped searching since arriving.Then suddenly suo ran's phone vibrated sharply inside his pocket.He saw that was unknown number.Suo ran answered immediately. "Wei Wei?" His voice cracked hard from panic.
Then slowly, a distorted male voice spoke instead. "You sound more frightened than I expected." His grip tightened around the phone. "Who are you?" he asked. Rainwater dripped from his face. "Where is Jun wei?" "You keep looking at dead people," the caller said quietly. "But you still haven't understood your father." Suo ran's chest tightened at the mention of him. "What did you do to Jun Wei?" His voice rose this time beneath growing anger and fear. "If you touch him..." "Ask yourself something first." the voice interrupted smoothly. "Why did your father spend so much time hiding things from you?"
Suo ran froze slightly.he asked,"What?" "Not all the evidence disappeared after his death." the caller continued quietly. "Some of it was erased by your father himself." Silence between them then caller spoke again before he could respond. "He wasn't only hiding from them." A pause followed then he said "He was hiding things from you too." Suo ran's fingers trembled faintly around the phone now"You're lying!" Suo ran whispered. "Then ask yourself why a dying man buried secrets instead of giving them to police."
Suo ran said nothing."Who are you?" he asked again quietly this time but the caller ignored him once more. "The child is only the beginning." Suo ran's expression darkened violently. "Don't you dare!" "Your father understood one thing before he died." the voice interrupted softly. "The truth doesn't protect people." A long pause followed then he said "It destroys them." The call disconnected.
Suo ran stood completely motionless beneath the rain."Suo Ran!" Lian ziho's voice suddenly broke through the storm from farther down the street. Suo ran blinked hard before lowering the phone slowly then he started moving again through the rain."Wei Wei!" His voice echoed loudly across the empty street now. "Jun Wei!" Rain soaked through his clothes completely while both men searched frantically through alleys, bus stops, side streets, anywhere a frightened child could possibly be hidden.
Lian ziho checked behind another closed storefront while Suo ran pushed forward into the storm with increasingly unstable breathing. "Wei Wei!" His voice cracked harder now. "Where are you?" No answer came back. "Gege's sorry…" he shouted hoarsely into the empty street while tears mixed invisibly with rainwater running down his face.
"I should've protected you better…" His voice broke completely afterward. "Don't be scared…" he whispered shakily while still searching desperately through the storm. "I'll find you…" Lian ziho turned after hearing the state of his voice now. "Wei Wei…" His breathing became ragged now beneath growing desperation. "Please answer me…" His eyes were teary while emotion collapsed through every wall he had been holding up since the phone call earlier. "I can't lose you too."