The clock ticked past two in the morning. The entre villa was dark, except for Huo Feng’s study.
Stacks of files were scattered across, and the glow from several monitors lit up his features.
Surveillance footage played tape by tape—students leaving the campus, cars driving in and out. Nothing seemed unusual, but the more Huo Feng saw this, the more he clenched his fingers.
They were smart, he admitted. But that didn’t mean he would let them win. If he did, then he wasn’t the feared Huo Feng.
His jaw tightened as he leaned forward, replaying a particular footage for the seventh time. "Not even a shadow." He muttered under his breath.
"Boss," Ah Si called out cautiously. "Should we mobilize more men? Expand the search?" He asked.
"No, this is enough." Huo Feng shook his head. "If we make more noise, the kidnappers will be alerted. And this will put Yan’er in more danger."
"Whoever is behind this anticipated my every move. We need to search from a different angle. I’m not convinced they would do such a clean job, there will always be clues."
"We are probably searching in the wrong place. They left us nothing, the mistake is somewhere different ... one they would never have expected me to investigate." Huo Feng analyzed.
Ah Si felt a whole new round of adoration for Huo Feng. His analysis was on point. As expected from someone who got his Masters at the age of seventeen.
"But what could that be?" Ah Si asked, and they both fell into deep thoughts.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Huo Feng’s mind. "The driver!"
"Should I ask the men to search for him?" Ah Si asked. The sooner they found the driver, the better it would be for them.
Huo Feng nodded. The driver was the key to solve all issues.
On the other side of the villa, in her room, Yue Ning laid in her bed filled with her own thoughts.
Exhausted, Yun Li laid beside her, deeply asleep.
Yue Ning had forced herself to sleep, but she couldn’t. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t sleep... not when Huo Yan was in danger.
Her chest ached as her injury throbbed dully.
She had tried to be composed in front of Huo Feng earlier, but now that no one could see her, her emotions seemed to crack.
With a heavy voice, she called out mentally. "System."
’Host, I am here,’ the familiar chime echoed in her mind.
What should I do?" Her fingers twisted in her blanket. "Huo Feng hasn’t found her, and I can’t just sit here."
"Remain calm, Host." The System soothed her. "Your injuries limit your physical abilities." It paused for a bit while thinking of what it would say.
"Do you wish to initiate a search protocol?" The System probed.
Her heart skipped a bit. "Search protocol?"
"Affirmative. It requires energy and focus. You will need to access recent traces tied to the target. There is a risk of backlash, but it will yield possible location indicators." The System patiently explained.
Yue Ning hesitated. She thought of Huo Yan’s bright laugh, her mischievous smile. The girl was so young—too young to face this kind of darkness. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by ɴovᴇl(ꜰ)ir(e).nᴇt
"I’ll do it," she whispered, but her voice was firm. "I don’t care what it takes. I must save Xiao Yan."
The System sighed. ’Begin when you are ready.’
Yue Ning sat up, and straightened, ignoring the ache in her leg.
She shut her eyes tightly, concentrating on memories of Huo Yan, completely focused on the bond they shared.
At first, there was only darkness, then flashes appeared. A rusted iron door, the sound of water dripping, and cigarettes being lit in a corner.
Her breath caught in her throat, but she forced herself to concentrate. All of a sudden, she felt a sharp pain searing through her temple, and she clutched her head instantly while gasping.
The System’s mechanical voice rang in her head. ’Warning! A prolonged connection risks injury.’ It was a warning.
"I don’t care." She hissed through the pain. "Just... show me where she is. I don’t care about the consequences."
The image sharpened all of a sudden. An abandoned factory with its roof half-collapsed. There was a crooked sign hanging at the entrance. The abandoned factory was located in a large expanse of land, somewhere close to the south lake.
The image changed again, and Yue Ning was able to see Huo Yan who was bound to a chair with ropes.
Then everything was cut off. Yue Ning snapped her eyes open, determination blazing in her eyes despite her entire body being drenched with sweat.
But despite the pain in her legs, determination burned in her gaze. With a lot of strength, she left the bed.
The noise she made was enough to wake Yun Li up.
She rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing well.
"Ning Ning, where are you headed? You are still injured, you mustn’t strain your injuries" Yun Li said, leaving the bed as well.
"I have to meet Huo Feng. I know where she is, we need to save her." Yue Ning replied, and before Yun Li could understand what was happening, Yue Ning had already left the room.
She pushed herself up, half-limping toward the hall. Every step sent pain jolting through her leg, but she didn’t stop until she reached the study.
The door creaked open.
Huo Feng looked up sharply, his hand still holding the necklace. His eyes narrowed when he saw her pale, trembling figure in the doorway.
"Why are you out of bed?" His voice was low, edged with irritation, but there was concern beneath it.
Yue Ning’s lips parted, her breath still ragged. "Because..." Her gaze locked with his, unwavering despite her exhaustion.
"I think I know where they took Yan."
"What did you just say?" Huo Feng asked carefully.
"I said, I think I know where Huo Yan is. You only need to believe me." Yue Ning declared strongly.
For a long moment, Huo Feng said nothing. His gaze bore into her, as if trying to see if she was telling the truth or not. Then, slowly, he set the jade hairpin down, his expression unreadable.
"Fine," he said at last, voice quiet but dangerous.