It was past 11 PM, and Shen Xiyin hadn't seen Mu Mian return home, nor had she received any text messages from her. She tried calling, but no one answered.
Suddenly, she had an ominous feeling. Mu Mian always came home on time, and even if she worked late, she would be home before 11. If she couldn't make it back in time, Mu Mian would always send a text to let her know.
Shen Xiyin tried calling Fang Rui, but he didn't answer either.
Her instincts told her that something had happened to Mu Mian and the others.
Shen Xiyin dialed a number she hadn't called in a long time.
"What is it?" The voice on the other end was cold.
"Lin Sen, do you know where Mu Mian went?"
"Forensic Pathologist Mu? Didn't she leave work? I saw her get into Fang Rui's car. Hasn't she made it home yet?"
"No."
"Don't worry, I'll call Fang Rui." Even over the phone, Lin Sen could sense Shen Xiyin's panic.
"Captain Fang's phone isn't going through either."
"Are you at home now? I'll drive over to find you. We'll talk when we meet."
On his way to Shen Xiyin's house, Lin Sen suddenly spotted Fang Rui's car. He pulled over and found that Fang Rui's car door was open, the right tire was flat, and there were glass shards scattered a few meters behind the car.
He instantly realized that someone had deliberately used glass shards to force Fang Rui's car to stop. Fang Rui and the others were likely in trouble. He immediately contacted Zhang and the team.
Lin Sen found it strange. Given Fang Rui's skills, he shouldn't have been so easily captured by criminals. What exactly had happened?
Fortunately, there was no blood at the scene, so Fang Rui and the others might not have been injured.
Sun Guangtian and Captain Li, who had just finished a late-night snack, quickly rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.
Shen Xiyin had also taken a taxi to arrive. She looked very flustered. Seeing Lin Sen, she anxiously asked, "Lin Sen, did the serial killer who murders couples kidnap Mu Mian and Fang Rui?"
"It's possible."
"Lin Sen, you must help me rescue Mu Mian. I can't lose her."
Seeing her like this, Lin Sen suddenly felt a bit jealous of Mu Mian. When she had broken up with him, she had been so calm, but now she was in such a panic. Mu Mian must be much more important to her than he ever was.
Lin Sen comforted her, "Shen Xiyin, I won't let anything happen to them."
"Lin Sen, I've already lost so many important things. I have almost nothing left. Mu Mian is the only important person I have. I really can't lose her too." Shen Xiyin was on the verge of a mental breakdown. "Lin Sen, you must help me save Mu Mian."
"The killer must have mistaken Mu Mian and Fang Rui for a couple. He won't kill them so quickly." Lin Sen reassured her, "As long as we find the two culprits before he makes his move, they'll be safe."
Shen Xiyin controlled her emotions and began searching for clues around the car. Mu Mian was very clever; she must have left some clues.
Soon, she found Mu Mian's bone pendant on the ground. Shen Xiyin also saw three letters scrawled on the ground: SOS.
"Lin Sen, this is my sister's favorite pendant. She always keeps it in her pocket. She left us a distress signal. She must be in danger." Shen Xiyin began to panic again, "Will Mu Mian die?"
Lin Sen embraced her, "No, they're very smart. They'll surely find a way to save themselves. We need to stay calm now and find the killer as quickly as possible."
Shen Xiyin tried hard to control her emotions, but she still couldn't overcome the fear. She was too afraid of losing Mu Mian. Since losing her parents, Mu Mian had become her biggest reason to keep living. She couldn't imagine what her life would be like if Mu Mian died.
"Shen Xiyin, you still have me. No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side."
Lin Sen's words gave Shen Xiyin courage.
Perhaps she could still have Lin Sen, no matter what she became.
Lin Sen addressed the group, "Given Fang Rui's skills, he wouldn't be easily subdued. Unless the perpetrator used special methods, like an electric shock or a tranquilizer dart. In that case, Fang Rui would certainly need some time to regain consciousness.
The killer abducted them to test their love, so he'll wait until Fang Rui wakes up before conducting his test. The time Fang Rui is unconscious is our window for rescue."
Zhang said, "It's unlikely to be an electric shock. The boss has been prepared for that. He wears insulated shoes on missions, so ordinary electric shocks shouldn't affect him."
Shen Xiyin said, "Then the killer must have used a fast-acting sedative to control them. Mu Mian has a high tolerance for sedatives. She must have taken the opportunity to leave us clues."
Lin Sen held Shen Xiyin's hand, offering support. Shen Xiyin squeezed his hand back.
Sun Guangtian also assigned tasks to the team. "Li and Old Zhang, quickly check the nearby surveillance cameras to see if you can find any suspicious vehicles. Song Haiyang and Zhang, each of you take a team to search the areas around Zhang Ming and Zhou Junwei's homes. We must be quick; we need to find them as soon as possible."
Everyone sprang into action.
Li and his team quickly found an unusual vehicle from the surveillance footage—a silver van. The intersection camera caught this van passing through a few minutes before Fang Rui's car, but it only appeared in another surveillance video about thirteen minutes later. At normal driving speed, the journey between the two cameras should only take three minutes.
This van kept taking small roads and constantly changing direction, trying to prevent the police from tracking its route. Later, it entered a section of road without surveillance cameras and never reappeared in the traffic monitoring system.
Time ticked by minute by minute, and as the sun rose, it was already daylight. But they still hadn't tracked down where the van had gone.
They didn't have much time left.
Lin Sen said, "I have a way that might buy us some more time. But we'll need the bureau chief's help."
