Chapter 2: Searching for a Body in the Reservoir

Chapter 2: Searching for a Body in the Reservoir On second thought, the scene that had just flashed through my mind was probably the missing son of the boss that the young man had mentioned. With that realization, I asked him, "What was the boy wearing when he disappeared?" The man was taken aback. "Why are you asking that?" "I'm just trying to help! I come here often and know the area well. If you tell me what the kid was wearing, I can help look around. An extra pair of eyes might just make a difference!" I replied sincerely. After thinking for a moment, the young man found my words reasonable and answered, "The boy was wearing a black Adidas T-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers. We've been searching for three days, but there's still no sign of him…" Hearing this, I was certain—it was the same teenage boy I had just seen in my mind. I turned to the little girl beside me and whispered in her ear, "Stay here and don't wander off. I'm going in alone to check if your dog is inside. Remember, if anyone asks why you're here, do not say you're looking for a dog!" Hearing that I was going to look for her pet, the little girl nodded excitedly and obediently stayed put. After making sure she wouldn't run off, I turned back to the group of men and asked, "Where's your boss? I'd like to meet him." The men exchanged glances before the young man in the lead frowned and asked, "You want to meet our boss? Do you know him?" I shook my head honestly. "Nope." "Then why are you butting in? Trying to scam money off us? Get lost!" The young man said impatiently. That pissed me off. I let out a cold chuckle and said, "If you don't take me to your boss right now, I guarantee that even if you search for another three days, you still won't find that boy!" A man standing nearby reached out to grab me by the collar, but I quickly raised my voice, "If you take me to him now, I guarantee that you'll be able to go home and sleep tonight!" The leader hesitated, scanning me up and down. They must have been truly desperate after searching for so long because, in the end, they decided to take a chance and led me inside. They brought me to a black Porsche Cayenne. The young man spoke a few words to someone inside through the open window, and a tall, middle-aged man stepped out of the car. Judging from his well-dressed appearance and his bloodshot eyes, I immediately knew—he was the boy's father. Seeing his grief-stricken face, I didn't waste time on pleasantries and got straight to the point. "I can help you find your son's exact location, but you'll need someone else to retrieve the body." The middle-aged man looked me up and down before coldly pointing toward the water. "I've had dozens of my men searching the reservoir for three days, and they haven't found anything. Why should I believe you can find him?" I knew he wouldn't trust me at first and probably thought I was just another con artist looking for easy money. So, I raised my chin and said, "I'm not asking for a single cent. Isn't it better to have one more person helping you search for your son? Just give me a boat—I have a 70% chance of finding him." The man stared at me for a long ten seconds. His gaze was so intense that it made me uneasy. Just as I started to wonder if he would have me thrown out, he turned to his men and said, "Get this kid a boat. Someone with good swimming skills should go with him." Then he turned back to me and added, "Go ahead and try. I won't blame you if you fail." The hopelessness in his eyes told me everything—this was the look of a father who had lost his child. The only thing that could bring him peace now was finding his son's body. I nodded solemnly and followed his men toward the water. I boarded a rescue boat, and a lean, dark-skinned man got on with me to row. As the boat slowly left the shore, I closed my eyes and calmed my mind. Though I could still hear people calling out as they searched, I knew they were looking in the wrong place. The dark-skinned man, seeing that I wasn't saying anything, began rowing toward the areas where the others were searching. But I suddenly opened my eyes and said, "Row west!" The man hesitated for a moment but didn't argue. After a short pause, he turned the boat toward the western part of the reservoir. This reservoir was a popular spot for fishing enthusiasts, and many people built makeshift pavilions in the northeast section—the entrance of the reservoir—to fish. But the boy didn't fall into the water there. He had wandered deeper inside, into an area dense with reeds. That's where he had accidentally slipped and fallen in. Since he didn't know how to swim, he sank almost instantly. Though the surface of the reservoir looked calm, strong undercurrents ran beneath. The boy's body had been carried westward, where the water was filled with thick aquatic plants. His body had gotten trapped in the weeds and mud at the bottom, preventing it from floating to the surface. The dark-skinned man, still skeptical, finally spoke up, "This spot is too far from the shore. You sure the kid's here?" I glanced at him and said, "We've already searched the areas close to shore, haven't we? Just keep rowing west. I'll tell you when to stop. We'll definitely find him." Hearing my confidence, the man stopped questioning me and rowed harder toward the western part of the reservoir. After a few minutes, I suddenly shouted, "Stop!" The man immediately put down his oars and asked, "What now? Do we turn back?" I rolled my eyes at him. "Turn back? Are you kidding? I can't swim. You go down and check—see if the boy's body is tangled in the weeds below!" The man nodded and dove into the water. The other people searching nearby must have noticed us because they all stopped what they were doing and watched curiously, as if waiting to see me make a fool of myself. A few minutes later, the man resurfaced, wiping water from his face. His eyes were wide with excitement as he exclaimed, "He's down there! He's right down there!" I clenched my fists. Success! Standing up, I waved toward the shore, signaling them that we had found the boy. Before getting on the boat, I had already made it clear—I only find bodies, not retrieve them. So, once everyone else arrived, I motioned to the man still in the water. "Come back up. Take me back to shore."