"Knock, knock, knock..."
The sound of knocking arose.
Ding He’s pen didn’t stop.
The more successful the person, the more dedicated they are.
With a successful career and having established such a large law firm, he could work less, but in reality, he as the boss would leave later than most employees every day.
"Lawyer Ding, someone is looking for you."
"I don’t seem to have any appointments today."
"He says he’s a friend of Fang Qing."
Ding He showed a hint of surprise, then said, "Please show him in."
Soon after, a young man walked into the office.
"Hello, Lawyer Ding."
Ding He smiled in astonishment and put down his pen, "We’ve met before."
When Fang Qing took leave, he had visited her and had seen the other party at her house, having made their acquaintance then.
"Pour a cup of coffee."
With that order, Ding He cordially and politely motioned for Jiang Chen to sit down, "Fang Qing is not in the office."
"I know, I’m here to see you, Lawyer Ding."
Ding He’s eyes showed a question, "What’s the matter?"
"I want to ask Lawyer Ding, did Fang Qing come to the office today?"
Although not answering her phone and her mobile being off didn’t necessarily indicate a problem, Jiang Chen had an unsettling feeling that something might have gone wrong.
"She was here in the morning, what happened?"
Without changing his expression, Jiang Chen continued to inquire, "After leaving the office, where did she go?"
"She went to see Guan Libing. Did something happen?"
As a lawyer, Ding He naturally didn’t lack professional sensitivity and sensed something was off.
"I just came from Fang Qing’s house, she hasn’t returned home, and her phone is off too."
"Off? I just called her earlier."
Ding He said instinctively.
"When?" asked Jiang Chen.
Ding He raised his wrist to check his watch, "About an hour and a half ago, she should have just left the detention center by then, and based on her tone, she seemed to be on her way home. By this time, she should have arrived."
A sense of foreboding grew stronger inside.
"Fang Qing might be in trouble."
The office suddenly fell silent.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Once the person left, Ding He became serious, "I’ll give her a call and see."
Jiang Chen placed the coffee on the table, offering no objection.
"The number you have dialed is switched off. Please try again later."
The mechanical voice remained unchanged.
Ding He put down his phone with a frown, "Fang Qing’s phone is never off."
"Lawyer Ding, has Fang Qing had any conflicts with anyone lately?"
Even though he knew Fang Qing’s personality, Jiang Chen still cautiously asked.
Ding He shook his head without hesitation, "How could she possibly have conflicts? She gets along quite well with her colleagues in the law firm."
Jiang Chen nodded, "Lawyer Ding, could you accompany me to the detention center?"
"To the detention center?"
Ding He was taken aback, but then realized, "You want to see Guan Libing?"
Jiang Chen nodded, "Guan Libing should be the last person Fang Qing saw. I want to know what they talked about. As a major suspect, I’m worried the detention center won’t allow me to visit him."
"Okay, I’ll go with you."
Ding He agreed promptly and set out with Jiang Chen immediately.
"Don’t worry too much, it could just be that her phone’s battery died."
Ding He drove a Lincoln Aviator; it was unclear if he was trying to comfort Jiang Chen or himself.
In fact, that explanation was too far-fetched for even him to believe; in this day and age, power banks were everywhere. Where couldn’t you charge a phone?
Moreover, since Jiang Chen came from Fang Qing’s house, it was highly unusual for her phone to have been off for so long during this time.
With a court session impending, Fang Qing wouldn’t possibly cut off all contact with the outside world.
"My thanks to you, Lawyer Ding."
Jiang Chen appreciated the warmheartedness of Fang Qing’s boss.
"Don’t mention it, Fang Qing and I are also friends."
To save time, Ding He tried to speed up as much as possible, but given the evening rush hour, the traffic was packed and it was difficult to accelerate.
"How long have you and Fang Qing known each other?"
There was a red light ahead.
Ding He had no choice but to brake along with the traffic.
"How many years is ’many’?"
Ding He turned his head.
"Since birth. She and I are neighbors."
Ding He sighed lightly, then jokingly said, "Last time at her house, I thought the two of you were a couple."
"She has high standards, how could she have eyes for me."
The red light turned green.
The traffic began to move again.
"Do you also work in Capital City?"
"No, I’m in East Sea."
The two men chatted casually, the atmosphere not too tense, or at least they did not show their inner anxiety.
Owing to the congested traffic in Capital City, by the time they arrived at the detention center, it had already turned completely dark.
And with the overcast sky, there was no moon to be seen, nor could even a few stars be glimpsed.
With Ding He there, Jiang Chen had an easy time meeting Guan Libing, the current hot topic on the internet.
"I am Fang Qing’s boss, Ding He from Tianhe Law Firm."
Ding He quickly introduced himself with no unnecessary talk, getting straight to the point, "Did Fang Qing visit you today?"
Guan Libing nodded, somewhat bemused.
"When did she leave?"
Ding He pressed on with his questions.
"Around four in the afternoon. What happened?"
Ding He didn’t respond, "What did you two talk about?"