Big Sister said: “It’s your first time doing business, right? It’s near the graves over there. There are people living there, but not many, only older people still live there. Why, do you want to go there to do business?”

“I’ll go check it out when I’m free. Making money isn’t easy.”

Big Sister shook her head: “I advise you not to waste that effort. Those old people are reluctant to spend money. They won’t pay attention to you even if you talk your mouth off. It’s better to stay in the market. Think about it, don’t people go to the market clutching money wanting to spend it?”

Ling Lie said: “That’s true, thanks Big Sister. Do you live here?”

Upon arrival, Big Sister’s husband came down to pick them up. He was wrapped up thickly, looking listless, and yawned twice just in this half minute of carrying things.

Ling Lie suddenly frowned, staring at the husband. Big Sister thanked Ling Lie, and Ling Lie said: “Why don’t I help you carry it up?”

The husband didn’t react much. Big Sister politely declined twice, but still let Ling Lie carry it.

As soon as the door opened, Ling Lie smelled a scent. He quickly scanned the room, pretended to find nothing, and left with the trolley.

“Someone in town is taking drugs?” Ji Chenjiao was in the county town near Guiweng Town at this time.

Ling Lie sat on the small truck. Their business was good today. Only half of a truckload of goods was left, and firecrackers were sold out. “Yes, I went to seven households under the pretext of delivering goods. Three of them had that smell, likely ‘Snow Child’ or something else. It was all men taking it. The time shouldn’t be long. Their families probably don’t know what they are doing. They themselves haven’t realized the harm of these things, thinking it’s just smoking.”

Ji Chenjiao: “With the economic conditions of Guiweng Town, they shouldn’t be able to afford ‘Snow Child’. Once addicted, they can’t support it at all. Could it be given by ‘Floating Light’? The purpose is…”

Ling Lie said: “‘Floating Light’ maybe intends to use ‘Snow Child’ to control them? Without requiring them to pay an economic price?”

Ji Chenjiao was silent for a while, “Short time, happened recently, plus their families didn’t notice, it is very likely that ‘Floating Light’ wants to turn this place into a stronghold.”

Ling Lie said: “I’ll find a way to get samples.”

The sun was about to set, but the market was even livelier. There would be a dragon dance performance on the street at night, all spontaneous New Year celebration activities by the townspeople.

Xi Wan said: “Where are you going?”

Ling Lie pulled up his hood, “I’m going to check the north.”

In just half a day, Ling Lie had already memorized the street layout of the entire Guiweng Town by heart through the opportunity of delivering goods. The only place he hadn’t had the chance to visit was the northwest corner.

Crossing a diagonal road dividing north and south, continuing north, the wind felt colder, and the smell of incense in the air became stronger. several people carrying bags and buckets walked towards him, with the old man in the middle wiping tears.

Ling Lie thought, they should be going to the mountain outside the town to burn paper for relatives—there has always been a tradition here of worshipping ancestors around the Spring Festival.

Continuing forward, he saw several groups of such people.

The surrounding houses were all gray-green. Many windows were empty, obviously uninhabited. But the further he walked, the stronger the sense of familiarity. Until walking to an L-shaped road, Ling Lie took his hand out of his pocket and clicked open the backup photo on his phone.

The street in the email is here!

From the angle of the photo, it should have been taken from the third floor or higher. Ling Lie slowly retreated, walked to a position almost overlapping with the photo, and turned around.

Behind him was a four-story building built by the road. It was a commercial building, but the storefronts on the first floor almost all had old rolling shutters pulled down, and should have stopped doing business long ago.

Blue smoke drifted from diagonally ahead, and ashes floated in the air, like sparse snow.

Ling Lie walked to the right side of the building and tried to pull the rolling shutter. The lock was broken, opening with a pull.

With a rustling sound, the rolling shutter was pushed up, and an old strange smell rushed out from inside. Such abandoned storefronts didn’t smell good, but Ling Lie also smelled a common hospital scent.

Disinfectant.

Potion.

By the skylight, Ling Lie observed the traces inside. There was a staircase in this rolling shutter, considered half a public area. There were footprints on the dusty floor, as well as traces of pulleys. Ling Lie stood up and compared the width and length, similar to a gurney.

Ning Xiechen’s gurney? He was pushed in, and pushed out again?

No movement could be heard in the building, seemingly empty. But Ling Lie still took out his gun and walked upstairs vigilantly.

The second floor was empty, without even fresh footprints. On the third floor, footprints and pulley traces appeared again, and cigarette butts were piled on one side of the corridor.

Ling Lie picked up the cigarette butts and put them in the evidence bag.

This commercial building was very similar to the Huirong Shopping Mall Ling Lie saw in Zhaoxia County back then. They were all cubicles rented by vendors for business. So when the vendors all left, the layout upstairs was like a maze. You didn’t know what scene you would see after going around this partition.

The skylight gradually dimmed. Shadows flickered ahead. Several black figures leaned east and west, seemingly staring at Ling Lie.

Even knowing they were discarded mannequins, Ling Lie’s heart still lifted. He maintained a posture ready to shoot at any time, nerves tense. Hearing and smell became extremely acute at this moment. He could hear even restrained human breathing.

But here, except for him, there was no other person’s breathing.

Following the traces of pulleys, he came to a separate room on the third floor. The room had windows. Looking out from the window, it happened to be the angle in the photo.

The photo was taken here!

He looked at this room. It seemed to be a management office before, with tables and cabinets, but nothing inside now. Traces of the gurney appeared by the wall, and there were overturned infusion bottles on the floor.

He picked it up and looked. It was glucose.

There were at least four sets of footprints on the floor. Was Ning Xiechen monitored here? Nursed? Then transferred where? Why choose this place?

Just then, footsteps came from downstairs. Someone came up.

Ling Lie immediately left the room where the photo was taken and dodged into the shadow of the partition. A few seconds later, the footsteps stopped on the second floor. Someone panted from climbing stairs, and someone said impatiently: “Just here.”

They spoke local dialect, and Ling Lie listened with some difficulty. There seemed to be three people below, not going up further. There was the sound of plastic paper being torn open.

What are they doing?

Ling Lie walked silently towards the stairs. This building had hollow zigzag stairs. Hiding above could see part of the scene below. Ling Lie’s position could only see one of them, a man in his thirties, wearing a short leather jacket most commonly worn by local men—but one sleeve of the leather jacket had been taken off by him, the brown sweater inside pushed up, exposing the left forearm. He sat on the dusty floor, back leaning against a pillar, as if not caring about the dirty environment at all. He held a syringe in his left hand, containing a small section of transparent liquid.

When the liquid was pushed into the body, satisfied sighs came from below. Soon the syringe was thrown on the ground, filled with sighs and shouts.

Ling Lie didn’t go down to arrest people, quietly filming with his phone. After about forty minutes, the sunset glow was about to end. The three stood up shakily, supporting each other to walk down.

Ling Lie saw each of them clearly. They were all in their thirties, considered the backbone labor force in Guiweng Town.

“How much do you have left? Spare me a few?”

“Spare you? Where do I go to get more? No way!”

“Ai, when will the medicine be distributed? Want the horse to run, but don’t give the horse grass to eat. Sigh!”

“Wait a bit longer, it will always come…”

The voices gradually faded away. Someone bumped into the rolling shutter on the first floor with a “clang”, causing the black dog opposite to bark wildly. Ling Lie returned to the window and saw the man in the leather jacket picking up a stone and smashing it at the black dog’s head, “Get lost! Stew you into dog meat soup to eat!”

Only after they disappeared from the street did Ling Lie go down to the second floor, put on gloves, put the syringe and drugs into the evidence bag, and took pictures of the footprints.

At night, both Ling Lie and Xi Wan returned to the guesthouse. Xi Wan brought simple survey equipment, but component analysis was still impossible.

Currently, the police force is distributed in Guiweng Town, Qianbing County and several surrounding villages and towns, while the Special Action Team is deployed at the border. Several parties held a video conference together. Ling Lie showed the needle and the photos taken in the northwest of Guiweng Town.

“After today’s visits, I judge that there may be no ‘Floating Light’ people in Guiweng Town currently. They most likely have taken Ning Xiechen to another place—not far, still in these mountains. For some unknown purpose, they need the young and strong of Guiweng Town for their own use, so they use drugs—likely ‘Snow Child’ as benefits to control them indirectly. The building where the photo was taken should not only be where Ning Xiechen once hid, but also where local ‘addicts’ hide. These people will definitely go again.”

Team members visiting other villages and towns also said they found men in their thirties and forties looking like drug addicts.

Xi Wan sighed, “Dragging the masses in is simply insane! Boss, I want to apply for inspection support from the municipal bureau.”

She was referring to Qianbing City to which Guiweng Town belongs. The city and county share a name.

Ji Chenjiao nodded, “I have applied to the municipal bureau. The inspection center is open for our use.”

Currently, everyone has only found people suspected of using “Snow Child” in various places, but hasn’t found traces of “Floating Light”, so Ji Chenjiao decided to hold still temporarily and continue observing.

Early the next morning, Xi Wan took a minibus to Qianbing County. Ji Chenjiao prepared a car for her in the county town and sent her directly to the city.

One day closer to the Spring Festival. Before nine o’clock, children were setting off firecrackers all over the street. Townspeople got up early, visiting the market or making reunion dinner. The air smelled of gunpowder smoke and cooking smoke.

Ling Lie still set up a stall in the market. Only he was alone today, not easy to leave. But after selling for more than an hour, his shoulder was suddenly patted. Turning around, it was actually Wen Zhengchao.

Wen Zhengchao changed his upright and straight appearance when wearing a uniform. Got a dark gray leather jacket from somewhere, hair made a bit oily, shoes dirty. Without speaking, he was simply indistinguishable from locals.

Ling Lie said: “Dad, why are you here?”

Wen Zhengchao was not ambiguous either: “Didn’t your sister go to restock? Afraid you’re too busy, asked me to come help.”

Ling Lie said happily: “Hey you came just right. That brother bought my cupboard. I was just about to deliver!”

“Go ahead, I’ll watch the business.”

So Ling Lie moved the cargo box onto the trolley and went through streets and alleys like yesterday.

After delivering several times consecutively, saw more suspected addicts, and all men. Women seemed unaware of this.

At noon, the big sister who patronized his business yesterday brought a group of white-haired grandmas, saying enthusiastically: “Young man, these grandmas are elderly people living alone. Buying things is inconvenient. As soon as I said you can deliver to the door, they wanted to come see if there is anything suitable. Can you receive them?”

Ling Lie smiled: “Alright!”

The grandmas dressed simply, many with patches on their cotton coats. Saying they were old, actually not that old, only fifty or sixty. But the hard life in the countryside aged their appearance early, looking much older than peers in the city.

They asked about everything, but few really bought. Several people took a long time to choose things like cotton coats, kettles, and electric blankets. Ling Lie pushed the cart to deliver door to door, noticing a grandma called Sister Chen kept staring at him.

Sister Chen was the last household. After delivering things, Ling Lie said: “Sister, have you seen me?”

Sister Chen examined him, murmuring: “Rou Zai, Rou Zai is back.”

Ling Lie: “Rou Zai?”

Sister Chen said: “You are Rou Zai, you are Rou Zai!”

People here almost never went further than Qianbing County in their lives, especially women. Ling Lie thought quickly. Sister Chen said he was Rou Zai because he looked like that person called Rou Zai? There was once a person like him in such a remote town?

Ling Lie immediately said: “Sister, you don’t know how to use this electric blanket, right? How about I go in and adjust it for you?”

Sister Chen said repeatedly: “Good good, Rou Zai come in.”

The house was very old, no distinction between living room and bedroom, just two rooms. The outer room had a bed. Painful groans came from the inner room. Sister Chen said that was her husband, sick for several years.

“Get up quickly and look, Rou Zai is back!” Sister Chen shouted at the door of the inner room.

Ling Lie followed behind her and saw a man in his sixties lying on the bed, wearing a lot, and also wearing a hat. The man looked at him, stammering: “Rou, Rou Zai.”

Sister Chen helped the man up and let him sit on the rattan chair aside. In just a while, she sweated all over. Ling Lie then understood the electric blanket was for the man, sighed, and laid the electric blanket on the bed with Sister Chen.

After finishing work, Sister Chen poured water, “Rou Zai, where have you been all these years? No news at all.”

Ling Lie thought for a while and said seriously: “Sister, I am not the Rou Zai you mentioned.”

Sister Chen was stunned, looking at Ling Lie’s face again. After a moment, as if waking up, “Yes, yes, I am confused. After so many years, Rou Zai should be as old as us. Then you… then you are his child?”

Ling Lie said: “I don’t know the person you mentioned.”

Sister Chen didn’t quite believe it, “But you really look alike.”

Ling Lie said: “Since alike, then I have fate with this Uncle Rou Zai. Can you tell me what kind of person he was?”

Sister Chen showed nostalgia and some regret, “He, counted as my younger brother. Not related kind of brother. We used to live close. He always followed me calling sister sister.”

Rou Zai had no parents, picked up by an old man named Chen. Old Man Chen never treated him badly, farming and collecting mountain goods to raise him up and support his schooling. He was also very filial, cheerful, got along with peers in town, and had good grades. But the year he was to take the high school entrance exam, Old Man Chen fell ill and passed away. He buried the old man and didn’t go to high school in the county.

He told Sister Chen that Grandpa was gone, so he didn’t want to be bound in Guiweng Town anymore. He wanted to go out and make a living. If he achieved something, he would take sister and brother-in-law to see the world.

That year Sister Chen wasn’t married yet, blushed by Rou Zai’s words. Together with her partner, prepared dry food for Rou Zai, and drove a tricycle to send him to Qianbing County.

After Rou Zai left, he never came back. They asked many people who went out to work and came back, all said they hadn’t seen Rou Zai.

Rou Zai was picked up by Old Man Chen when he was a baby. When Old Man Chen passed away, Rou Zai also disappeared, as if he had never been to Guiweng Town.

If not for taking photos together back then, Sister Chen would have forgotten Rou Zai.

Ling Lie said: “Can I see the photo?”

Sister Chen got up and said: “I’ll look for it.”

A moment later, Sister Chen found the photo album, turned to a page, pointed to a yellowed photo and said: “Like, really like!”

There were four people in the photo, three young people and one old person. Ling Lie saw the tall boy in the white shirt in the middle at a glance. The boy looked greener than him, like… like him before twenty!

Sister Chen said the other three were her, her husband, and Grandpa Chen. The photo was taken on Rou Zai’s birthday, the only photo left of Rou Zai.

Ling Lie took a picture of the photo. Blurred the first time, realizing his hand was shaking a little.

Sister Chen sent Ling Lie to the door and sighed, “My eyes and brain are useless, recognizing people blindly. Young man, don’t mind.”

Ling Lie shook his head. After going downstairs, lit a cigarette, suddenly feeling a little dazed.

Why did he come to this small town hidden deep in the mountains?

To find a man who looks very much like him? To combat drugs? To make a small amount of money before the Spring Festival?

No, seems none of them…

Right, it’s because the police received four distress emails suspected to be sent by Ning Xiechen. Ning Xiechen is here, “Floating Light” is here…

But upon arrival, he first found that the able-bodied men here were controlled by something suspected to be “Snow Child”. Now suddenly someone took out an old photo, and the boy on it looked like him ten years younger.

But that was definitely not him.

Not him, who would it be?

Calculating the age, that was likely his father, the father he had never seen.

He always felt he was different from Ji Chenjiao. Although for a long time, they didn’t know who their parents were, Ji Chenjiao’s background might affect Ji Chenjiao’s present, but his wouldn’t. No matter who his parents were, he was just Ling Lie.

He was born in “Sinking Gold”. All the detained children had no more than a few origins—children plundered from the border, irresponsible products of some mercenaries in the organization. So who the parents were didn’t matter at all, and he never thought about looking for parents.

But now, at the critical moment of his full investigation, at this key location of Guiweng Town, someone told him that his father might be called Rou Zai.

Isn’t this too absurd?

Earlier he didn’t know why it was Guiweng Town. “Floating Light” should have chosen towns on the northern border instead of southern mountains.

Could it be because of him? His father walked out from here?

But if it’s really like this, how did “Floating Light” know? How did Bai Lingxue know?

A gust of cold wind blew, brightening the cigarette in Ling Lie’s hand. A section of ash fell like snow.

He shivered, but his brain became clearer.

This is either a coincidence, or Rou Zai was a very important person in “Sinking Gold”.

No…

Ling Lie frowned. If Rou Zai had a high status in “Sinking Gold”, then why did he suffer such treatment when he was a child?

He put out the cigarette and smoothed his hair. Felt like being pulled into a whirlpool, slowly rolled towards darkness.

At this time, the phone rang. Ling Lie came back to his senses and saw it was Ji Chenjiao.

He paused.

He knew he should tell Ji Chenjiao about Rou Zai, but for some reason, maybe his brain was still unclear, he chose to hesitate.

Phone connected, Ji Chenjiao asked: “Convenient to talk?”

Ling Lie dragged the trolley, very noisy, “Convenient.”

Ji Chenjiao said: “Xi Wan just got results. The syringes and drugs you collected, and those collected from other villages and towns, have similar components to ‘Snow Child’.”

Ling Lie stopped walking.

Ji Chenjiao added: “But still somewhat different from the ‘Snow Child’ we contacted earlier. Their purity is lower, relatively less harmful to the body, but stronger addictiveness. In other words, easier to control people who touch it.”

Ling Lie was silent for a few seconds, “I know.”

Ji Chenjiao felt Ling Lie was a bit wrong, asking: “What’s wrong with you?”

Ling Lie inhaled lightly, “Nothing.”

Ji Chenjiao said: “Are you hiding something from me?”

Ling Lie opened his mouth. Was his reaction just now abnormal? Xiao Ji felt it so easily?

For a moment, Ling Lie had the urge to say it, but as if a rope was pulling inside his body, he instinctively didn’t want to mention Rou Zai. This matter made him feel chaotic and uncontrollable. Yes, that’s it. He didn’t want to confess his confusion to Ji Chenjiao, which would make him appear less powerful and omnipotent.

“No.” Ling Lie said: “‘Snow Child’ was within my expectations. ‘Floating Light’ prepared very fully this time. Not just Guiweng Town, the entire Qianbing County is their trap. The more ‘addicts’ they control, the more constrained we are.”

Ji Chenjiao said: “If make a move, this group of people will definitely be pushed out first. But until now, we haven’t found where ‘Floating Light’ is hiding.”

Controlling locals with “Snow Child” is a major variable. Before the Serious Case Squad, Special Police, and Special Action Team came to Qianbing County, they didn’t know “Floating Light” would do this. So strategies can only be adjusted temporarily, and actions must be more cautious.

Four days after the police arrived in Qianbing County and Guiweng Town, investigations on the network and in reality still failed to lock “Floating Light”. Wen Zhengchao checked emails more and more frequently, but apart from the earlier four, the anonymous person didn’t send new ones.

“The townsmen’s ‘Snow Child’ is running out.” Ling Lie said: “Someone fought in town today, like fighting for ‘Snow Child’. Last time in that building, I heard them say what to do if ‘medicine’ ran out. Looks like most people’s ‘medicine’ is running out now.”

Guiweng Town is just that big. Many able-bodied men wandered outside. Ling Lie initially figured out that a dozen people in town touched “Snow Child”. Another fifty-plus people were found in other villages, towns, and the county town. The identity information of these people has been grasped by local police.

Ling Lie said: “I targeted a Leather Jacket. He looks a bit like the leader of a small group. If ‘medicine’ runs out completely, they should go find ‘Floating Light’. If ‘Floating Light’ wants to continue controlling them, should also contact them.”

Ji Chenjiao said: “I’ll come to Guiweng Town tomorrow.”

Ling Lie said: “Don’t. Just stay in the county town. Me and Teacher Wen here are enough. Many people attract attention. And you…”

Ji Chenjiao asked: “Me what?”

Ling Lie smiled: “You look so good. I’m afraid you’ll be snatched as soon as you come.”

“…”

“Don’t come ha. You can’t pretend the temperament of crooked melon and cracked jujube vendors like us. Coming will ruin my business.”

Ji Chenjiao was silent for a while, “Pay attention to safety.”

After ten o’clock at night, the market gradually quieted down. Children were driven home to sleep. Adults drank enough wine and played mahjong in the yard. Ling Lie and Wen Zhengchao packed up the stall. Ling Lie saw a group of men walk into the alley diagonally opposite, immediately said to Wen Zhengchao: “Teacher Wen, you go back first. I’ll go check.”

Among the crowd was that Leather Jacket from last time. They were speaking in low voices, sneaking around. No streetlights in the alley. Ling Lie used shadows to cover himself, not discovered.

“If no ‘medicine’ again, my brother can’t make it. Must get ‘medicine’ today!”

“Brother Wan, you pulled me in. You have to be responsible for getting ‘medicine’!”

Leather Jacket was Brother Wan. He said irritably: “I fuckin’ ran out of ‘medicine’ too. You find me, who do I find?”

“I quit! No ‘medicine’, we go to the police station to reason!”

“Wait wait wait! I’ll go to Basun Village tomorrow to ask!”

“Can’t wait until tomorrow. Ghost knows if they are there? Go now!”

“Fine, go then!”

The crowd dispersed. Before long, motorcycle sounds appeared at the village entrance.

Ling Lie clicked open the map. Basun Village is thirty kilometers west of Guiweng Town, all winding mountain roads, closer to the border. Leather Jacket knew the contact person was hiding in Basun Village?

Ling Lie borrowed a motorcycle from the familiar Big Sister. After reporting to Ji Chenjiao, also rushed to Basun Village. The county town and Guiweng Town were not in the same direction. Ji Chenjiao notified the Special Police Detachment, driving to Basun Village. Distance closer, arrived before Ling Lie.

“I see the people you mentioned.” Ji Chenjiao said in the team channel, “Four people, riding motorcycles.”

Ling Lie said: “I probably need another quarter. What’s the situation in the village?”

Ji Chenjiao was in the car, “Very quiet, people sleeping. This village is not small, has a primary school and clinic.”

Leather Jacket four left the motorcycles, looking around on the street.

“They really here? Where are the people?”

“How do I know? It’s you who insisted on following!”

“Stop arguing okay? Unity, pay attention to unity. We came to get ‘medicine’, not quarrel! Getting no ‘medicine’ does no good to anyone!”

Shen Qi held the laptop sitting in the back row, suddenly said: “Brother, there is high-intensity signal shielding equipment in this village!”

Villages with such things basically have problems. Ji Chenjiao got off the car, tracking the four under the cover of night. They split into two groups, climbing over wall courtyards like thieves, climbing out soon after, seeming to be looking for people.

Ling Lie rushed to Basun Village, turned off the motorcycle and hid it, knocked on the car door. The team member sitting in the driver’s seat opened the door immediately.

Shen Qi told Ling Lie about the shielding equipment again. Ling Lie nodded, “Where is your Brother Team?”