Midnight had arrived, and the date turned to 2nd April 2023.
"Did you find anything?" Leng Yan inquired, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
"No," replied Zhang Wei, slight frustation evident in his voice.
Leng Yan let out a tired laugh. "What about you? Are you sure this girl is the one we should be chasing?"
Zhang Wei pulled out a cigarette and sighed deeply. Hours had passed with an intense search in progress.
Nearby, Zhao Hongyan sat with a few policen, ensuring she didn't venture on her own.
Inside the car, Lisa slept soundly, having no role to play her.
[Host, do you need any help?] the system asked, breaking the silence.
Zhang Wei fell into deep thought. He realized that navigating this situation without the system's support was proving more challenging than he had initially anticipated.
Nevertheless, he was determined to handle it today.
The looming uncertainty made it essential; who knew if tomorrow would bring real danger to his won?
Song Shoushan's life couldn't be allowed to end without reason.
Zhang Wei pressed Leng Yan with an sudden query, "...What was the ti of death for all the victims of that mysterious serial killer?"
Leng Yan's shoulders slumped as she shared the information, "It was 2:00 AM, confird by the forensics report. Why do you ask?"
Zhang Wei's mind raced as he calculated the hours. "So we have two hours before she dies..."
!?
Leng Yan couldn't hide her shock. "Two hours before she dies!?"
In a hushed mont, Zhang Wei silently cursed and hastily pulled her down to avoid any undue attention.
"D-Did you find anything?" Zhao Hongyan, who had been observing from a distance, couldn't help but be alard by Leng Yan's animated reaction.
Zhang Wei quickly offered reassurance, his voice pitched low, "It's nothing. We're in the midst of planning. We've confird that Shanshan is alive, and we're strategizing for a rescue mission to ensure her safety."
Zhao Hongyan trembled with anxiety, her patience fraying. "You've been saying that for the past two hours...."
Zhang Wei remained composed, "Planning takes ti. Check your clock; we'll wrap things up by 3 AM."
Leng Yan, however, couldn't resist pointing out the contradiction. She whispered in Zhang Wei's ear, "But didn't you say we have only two hours left?"
Zhang Wei flashed a sly smile, masking the urgency. "She doesn't need to know that."
Leng Yan's sympathetic glance was directed at Zhao Hongyan. She then turned her focus back to Zhang Wei. "So, according to your theory, the serial killer and this girl Xie irong are connected?"
Zhang Wei's inference was clear. If Song Shoushan had just two hours remaining, it was an ominous indicator that she might be the next target of the serial killer.
Zhang Wei dropped a bombshell. "Not just connected, but the sa person."
Leng Yan's eyes widened in disbelief. "What!?"
"Shh!" Zhang Wei hushed her urgently.
Leng Yan, unable to contain her curiosity, pressed, "Explain it to , then."
Zhang Wei leaned in and spoke in hushed tones, "That girl, Xie irong... She's not just a regular high schooler."
Leng Yan's confusion was evident. "What do you an?"
Zhang Wei continued, "She's stronger than you."
Leng Yan couldn't help but retort, "Are you joking?"
Zhang Wei's bitter smile told a different story, causing Leng Yan's expression to shift from disbelief to deep concern.
_______________
"He's back again, huh?" Wang Haoran muttered, his voice filled with exasperation, as he observed the all too familiar figure of Mo Chen standing outside the gate.
It was a source of bewildernt for everyone. After being unceremoniously dumped in a trash can, it was expected that Mo Chen might have a mont of enlightennt, but instead, it seed his mind had grown even more twisted.
Since the early hours of the morning, he had been a constant nuisance at the Wang Family's gates. Every ti he was confronted, he would inevitably face a beating, only to wake up hours later and repeat the entire process.
Wang Chonglin, the head of the Wang Family, had already given the order to eliminate this troubleso individual and dispose of his remains in the sea. Wang Haoran was inclined to do the sa, but he felt it might be prudent to consult Zhang Wei first.
After all, that evil spirit had a habit of showing up randomly! Each ti with so new trouble!
The re thought of Zhang Wei's involvent sent shivers down the spines of the Wang Family. Whenever he made an appearance, it was they who seed to bear the brunt of the consequences.
"Let in!" Mo Chen bellowed for the umpteenth ti, still eager for an audience with Wang Xiaoying.
Despite Wang Liang's best efforts to keep Wang Xiaoying away from Mo Chen, Wang Haoran could only serve as a reluctant ssenger.
And since such efforts failed to deter Mo Chen, beatings beca the only option.
"Is this guy out of his mind?" muttered one of the guards, wincing as he clenched his bruised hands.
The continuous beatings had taken their toll on Mo Chen, but his determination remained unwavering.
With a pained grimace, one of the guards remarked, "He must be insane to keep coming back for more punishnt."
Wang Haoran mocked, "It's more than insanity — idiocy. He's like a persistent cockroach."
A sense of gloom hung over the Wang Family. The mories of previous encounters with Zhang Wei were fresh in their minds, and the aftermath had always been unsettling.
In the distance, Mo Chen continued to shout, "Let in! I must see her!"
Wang Haoran couldn't put this off any longer. He reached for his phone, his finger hesitating over Zhang Wei's contact.
After a deep breath, he finally made the call.
Zhang Wei picked up after a few rings, his voice cool and collected. "What is it?"
Wang Haoran wasted no ti. "Zhang Wei, it's Mo Chen again. He's outside our gate, demanding to see Wang Xiaoying. We've tried to keep her away from him, but he's relentless. Do we deal with him, or should I follow Wang Chonglin's orders and dispose of him?"
_________
Leng Yan watched with growing concern as Zhang Wei frowned during the phone call. She couldn't help but inquire, "What happened?"
Zhang Wei didn't imdiately respond. Instead, he stood up, his gaze sweeping over the vast expanse of the Royal Art Academy. The scope of the search was imnse, and he knew that they might have overlooked several areas.
Quickly, he placed Wang Haoran on hold and dialed Tang Bo, seeking information about Hao Yue's mother's location. After getting the necessary details, he instructed Wang Haoran to et him at the back of a hospital in which Hao Yue's mother is located, accompanied by Mo Chen.
"Are you going sowhere?" Leng Yan questioned, concern etched on her face as Zhang Wei abruptly ended the call.
Zhang Wei nodded in response. "Yes, wait here for half an hour, and I'll be back."
"But we don't have that much ti..." Leng Yan began to voice her concerns, glancing over at Zhao Hongyan, who sat with a gloomy expression. However, by the ti she spoke, Zhang Wei had already seized his Audi and departed.
Leng Yan let out a sigh. She had an inkling that there was more to this situation than just a simple kidnapping and murder.
"Where did he go?" Liu Zhihao, the chief of the bureau, inquired as he approached, donning a leather jacket.
Today's search for Song Shoushan had taken on a dual purpose—a covert attempt to apprehend the serial killer. The entire area was sealed off, and nearly half of the bureau's personnel were dedicated to scouring the University district.
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