Chapter 246: Guan Zengbin’s Whereabouts

2022-05-20

“I know he’s always wanted to get Shi Huacheng out, but just hasn’t found a way to do it.” Zhao Mingkun looked at me seriously. “All these years, he’s been recruiting people everywhere. I have no idea what his plan is, but I know Dongxing City will soon be thrown into chaos because of them.”

“So you want to find him?” I asked.

Zhao Mingkun nodded. “For ten years, I tried to teach him to become a certain kind of person. But in the end, he turned into exactly the kind of person I dreaded most. It’s the same with all of you—I tried so hard to shove you out of this mess, but you ended up right back in it. Maybe it’s just fate.”

“But what will you do when you find him?” I pressed. “Are you really hoping Wu Zui will turn back now?”

“There’s no turning back. None of us can go back.”

A heavy sigh filled the air.

Dropping the subject, Zhao Mingkun asked, “Forget it. Let’s talk about your little girlfriend. Where did she disappear? Where do we start looking?”

I frowned, settling down on the floor. Slowly, I said, “The last time we saw Guan Zengbin, she was on the hillside behind Xingdong Village. The killer tied her to a bed, but given Ze’s personality inside the killer, she wouldn’t hurt anyone. Later, when we checked the scene, we were sure Guan Zengbin was still fine. But from the way her clothes were stacked, it’s clear she didn’t leave by herself.”

Zhao Mingkun spoke up. “Besides the main road, there are lots of small paths in Xingdong Village. They’re too narrow for cars, but a motorcycle could make it through. Even so, moving someone her size on a motorbike isn’t easy. And why not dress her before moving her? What was she wearing at the time?”

I closed my eyes, thinking. “She was wearing one of those thick winter-to-spring fleece tops. Why?”

“That’s pretty warm,” Zhao Mingkun said. “But with layers like that, it’s hard to move quickly or fit through tight spots.”

“Which places would be hard to get through like that?” I asked.

Zhao Mingkun shook his head. “No idea yet. But to figure it out, we need someone who actually knows what happened. You think we can go back to that tunnel?”

After thinking a bit, I said, “No way. Xiao Liu’s in charge of that now, and you know how he leaves no stone unturned. He’ll have guards deep in the underground space, there’s no chance we get back in. Plus, the only person who really knew how it was built, Wu Xiufen, is dead. The place itself is a maze—unless you know the layout, you’ll never find your way out.”

“Why do you think that is?” In the darkness I couldn’t see Zhao Mingkun’s face, but I heard him say, “If it was just for building an underground space, why make it such a maze? What’s the real reason behind it? Just to give the killer a place to live? That’s way too big for that, isn’t it?”

I nodded, my tone serious. “You’re right. Wu Xiufen couldn’t have built that on a whim. But I still don’t know what it was meant for.”

“Blueprints,” Zhao Mingkun said. “Building something that complex—you’d need detailed plans. Structural drawings. Where are those plans? Is there a way we could see them?”

Snapping my fingers, I said, “I remember Wu Xiufen had this bad habit—she’d stash everything in her own drawers. Her drawers are packed with all kinds of stuff. If those blueprints still exist, they’re probably in there. If so, we might finally find out how Guan Zengbin was moved.”

Zhao Mingkun grinned. “Then we need to visit Xingdong Village. Hopefully those blueprints are still waiting for us.”

“But,” I began, “how do we get in? The main road’s bound to be watched.”

“Motorcycle,” Zhao Mingkun said. “Tomorrow I’ll get one and we’ll take the back paths. Problem is, what if someone is in Wu Xiufen’s house?”

I didn’t hesitate. “No chance. The killer’s been caught, and Wu Xiufen’s role in the case is clear. Everyone’s busy hunting for me anyway. The house will be empty. But we can’t stay long. The villagers have been notified—they’re watching out for us.”

Zhao Mingkun nodded, glanced out the window, and said, “Get some sleep. It’s late.”

Looking around at the bare room, I asked, “We’re just sleeping here?”

Zhao Mingkun stood and set the bottle upright again, making sure it would wake us if disturbed. “What choice do we have? We can’t take the blanket, it’s too obvious. I’ve made it through seven years of this—you’d better hope you’re cleared soon or you’ll keep suffering.”

Before meeting him, I always pictured Zhao Mingkun as a ghost-like figure, a master thief out of old legends. But living like this—it isn’t something most people could take. No fun, no comfort, just endless loneliness.

It’s only nine o’clock. Most young people are just getting started now.

“Funny,” I said, looking at Zhao Mingkun curled up in one corner, “I always thought your life must be full of adventure. Do whatever you want, whenever you want.”

Zhao Mingkun snorted. “People always envy each other, don’t they? That’s why I never wanted you turning into someone like me. Afraid to buy what I want. Afraid to do what I want. Like a cockroach—show a little light and I scurry into the dark. Jumping at every shadow, waking up from nightmares, that’s what life on the run is. No matter how much money I have, I can’t spend it anyway.”

A chill swept over me. I believed every word.

After a while, I asked quietly, “How’s your stomach wound? It’s barely been a week.”

Zhao Mingkun grunted, “It’s nothing. Not that deep, or I’d have bled out by now. But back in the sewers, I lost a lot of blood. No idea if they picked up on it yet.”

I frowned. If Xiao Liu could collect all sorts of evidence from the sewers, how could they miss such an obvious trace? Suddenly I remembered how Xiao Liu looked like he wanted to say something to me but held back. Could he know about me and Zhao Mingkun?

If that’s the case, our connection is as good as exposed. Back then, I wanted to kill the killer, and maybe that’s why.

The night passed quietly. I was still asleep when Zhao Mingkun woke up.

By the time he shook me awake, it was four in the morning. The sky outside was pitch black—the darkest hour before dawn. Only the streetlights glowed; every house was dark. Zhao Mingkun wiped away any signs we’d slept there, then crooked a finger for me to follow.

At this hour, everyone was sound asleep. The whole neighborhood was lost in stillness.

In such silence, I didn’t dare speak above a whisper, afraid to disturb the peace. “It’s so early?”

Zhao Mingkun nodded. “Four a.m. is the sleepiest hour. People are in their deepest sleep then, especially you night owls—go to sleep at three, out cold by four. Nobody will bother us now.”

[AD REMOVED]

I shot back, “You’ve started living like an old man already.”

When we stepped out the building, a motorcycle was already parked out front—nothing special, easy to miss.

“When did you get this?” I asked, surprised. “I didn’t notice a thing.”

Zhao Mingkun swung onto the bike. “That’s because you sleep like the dead. With awareness like yours, you’d be caught in less than a week. Stop spacing out.”

“Get on,” Zhao Mingkun said with a grin.

I noticed there was a bag on the handlebars, holding yesterday’s leftovers and that bottle.

Catching me staring at it, Zhao Mingkun said, “Rule number one of life on the run: never leave a trace. This house—we’ll never come back. Let’s go. To Xingdong Village.”

The engine wasn’t loud at all, probably chosen just for that. Morning wind bit at me, and I instinctively hugged Zhao Mingkun from behind. He stiffened, but said nothing and kept going.

Not a soul on the road. I never realized a big city like Dongxing could actually be this quiet—turns out, even here most people really do sleep at night. As the bike sped on, the wind whipped Zhao Mingkun’s hair against my face, making me want to laugh.

Zhao Mingkun said, “Hold on tight. Don’t fall asleep.”

I nodded silently. Suddenly a wave of loneliness swept over me. Racing into the night on the back of that bike, it felt like the world was slipping away. Feeling the warmth of Zhao Mingkun’s body, I suddenly wondered—he’d spent seven years alone like this. What must that kind of loneliness feel like?

Yeah. No matter how much money you have, you can’t spend it. No matter how much you have, nightmares still wake you. In the end, you’re still alone, lost in your own thoughts.

Seven years of this, just how empty must that feel?

Half asleep, I lost track of time until Zhao Mingkun snapped me awake. “Don’t doze off. I can’t believe you can sleep through this!”

I’m drooling on her shoulder.

“We’re here. We’ve reached Xingdong Village.”