063 A mountain forest

Shi Jingxia also turned to look, nervously asking, "Where is someone?"

"Xiaojing, you should go back first. I'll go take a look."

"I want to go with you."

"Be obedient. It's better for one of us to remain hidden for now. We don't know what the other party intends to do. It would be inconvenient if you were there."

Saying this, I kissed her forehead.

It wasn't the first time we felt like we were being followed. Just a moment ago, when I turned back, about forty to fifty meters away, a big man casually picked up a pair of women's underwear from a stall and started looking at it.

Even in the present day, such behavior, especially in broad daylight, was considered abnormal. Moreover, it was almost impossible for such a situation to occur during that era. That person definitely had issues.

As we retraced our steps, when we were close, the other party noticed me and ran off. I chased after him without hesitation.

"Help, thief! He stole my underwear!" The shopkeeper shouted at the top of her lungs.

The man ran fast. After chasing him for about three hundred meters, a traffic light separated us. He stood on the other side, smiled at me, waved goodbye, and then disappeared into the crowd.

Botong Hall.

Not leaving the pot, not moving. After dinner yesterday, Zhang Ling and Duan Huairen left.

We moved to Botong Hall. When we returned to the room, Shi Jingxia wasn't there. I called her, but her phone was switched off.

For some reason, I had a bad feeling, as if something was about to happen.

Just then, my phone received a notification. A stranger had sent me a multimedia message.

Shi Jingxia had been kidnapped.

Her hands and feet were tied, bound to a chair, with a look of terror on her face.

I panicked instantly. The kidnapper had added a message, forbidding me from telling anyone, otherwise they would harm her. If I didn't believe them, I was welcome to try. They also said they would contact me the next day.

I tried calling the number, but it was already unreachable.

That night was the most difficult and longest night of my life.

The next morning, sure enough, I received another multimedia message. The picture showed Shi Jingxia being taken to a forest.

"Oh no, I've been fooled."

I slapped my thigh, fell for it. The kidnapper had used a diversionary tactic and spirited Shi Jingxia away overnight.

Calmly analyzing the situation, the kidnapper hadn't made any demands, so it couldn't be for money. It must be for revenge, but I hadn't made any enemies. Who could it be?

Zooming in on the photo on the computer, the electronic equipment at the time wasn't very advanced, and the resolution wasn't good, but I still noticed a clue.

In Shi Jingxia's black eyes, there was a white dot, like a person. The facial features weren't clear, but from the body shape, I immediately thought of one person.

Bai Ruoxue!

After loading my pistol, as soon as I stepped out, Lin Canghai's voice came from behind me.

"Guangting, why are you up earlier than the sun today? Where are you in such a hurry to go?"

I hastily made up an excuse, "During Qingming Festival, I didn't visit my father and grandfather's graves. I want to go back and pay my respects."

Lin Canghai nodded. "Even if a tree grows tall, it shouldn't forget its roots. You've been at Botong Hall for over a year now. It's time to go back."

Pausing for a moment, he added, "Remember to burn some incense for my ancestors too."

While waiting for the bus, a young man came up to me. He looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen him.

"Brother Du, good morning."

"Big-nosed cannon, is that you?"

As soon as he spoke, a bubble of snot blew out from under his nose, and I recognized him immediately.

However, big-nosed cannon had changed his appearance and tidied up. He looked much better.

"What's the matter? You finished a hundred pounds of honey in just a few days?"

"I sold the honey. The old fat man refunded me 800 yuan."

"You're really good at business. What can I do for you?"

"It's nothing major, just wanted to tag along for a meal with you."

At that moment, a taxi pulled up. I waved it down, and Big-nosed Cannon wasted no time getting into the car with me.

"To the Hongguang Welfare Institute."

The driver turned off the vacant sign and merged onto the main road.

The children had just woken up and were having breakfast. The place was filled with the sound of clinking dishes and bowls. Bai Ruoshui and two aunties were patiently tidying up.

"Duziteng, what brings you here?"

"Director Bai, have you seen Miss Er?"

"You mean Ruoxue? She left a couple of days ago for Tongchuan. She might have already left. She asked me to take care of those dogs for her."

"Tongchuan? Tongchuan is vast. Which specific place?"

"It seems to be a place called Yijun County."

Worrying about Shi Jingxia, I spoke a bit urgently. I apologized to Bai Ruoshui and left.

Tongchuan was seventy to eighty kilometers away from Xi'an. Two hours later, we arrived at Yijun County.

This place was famous nationwide for its coal production. The air carried a distinct smell of smoke and fire.

In front of a tofu shop.

"Sister, give me a piece of tofu."

The shopkeeper lifted the thick layer of coal ash from the cloth covering the tofu and cut a piece with a sickle.

"Sister, I wanted to ask, has there been any strangers around here lately?"

The shopkeeper glanced at me, placed the tofu on the weighing tray, and said, "Two pieces, young man. As you said, this is the coal city. People from out of town come here every day."

I realized it was true and changed my question.

"Has a girl driving a big bullhead come by here?"

"What's a big bullhead?" the shopkeeper asked.

Big-nosed Cannon grabbed a piece of tofu and put it in his mouth. "Yeah, aren't bulls meant for riding?"

I gestured with my hand in a circle. "A very large green SUV."

The shopkeeper thought for a moment, her eyes lighting up. "Yes, there was such a person."

Relieved, I asked eagerly, "Quick, where is she?"

"For ten yuan, I'll tell you."

I handed her a newly issued 20 yuan bill, and the shopkeeper beamed.

"I didn't see the person, but the car went in that direction. I found it strange at the time. That direction leads to Yanmen Mountain, also known as Anmen Mountain. There's a coal mine there. They say the resources have been exhausted and it's been abandoned for quite some time."

The shopkeeper waved her hand and continued, "Oh, I can't make sense of those terms. Speaking of that mountain, let me tell you, there's the..."

I realized the conversation was going off on a tangent and quickly interrupted her.

"Sister, I wish you prosperous business. Big-nosed Cannon, let's go."

"Hey, try this. It's tofu soaked in brine, has a fragrant oil taste."

The shopkeeper said that it was about seven to eight kilometers from the tofu shop to Yanmen Mountain. We found a bicycle repair stall and bought two old bikes.

After about thirty to forty minutes, we reached the foot of Yanmen Mountain. There was no road, so we crouched down and inspected the thick layer of twigs and leaves. There were tire marks leading into the dense forest.

The bikes were completely impractical, so Big-nosed Cannon and I switched to walking. After about an hour, we were deep inside. Big-nosed Cannon suddenly lowered his voice and shouted to me.

"Be careful, something's up."

"What is it?"

"Look over there. What do you see?"