A Frantic Search in the Rain

The cold, mechanical female voice reverberated in her ears, each word a sharp blade twisting in her fresh wound.

Memories of Lin Suo’s abduction surged, causing Lin Yiting’s fists to clench instinctively, her knuckles turning white.

“Boss Chen, please excuse me for a moment.”

Still in a drunken stupor, Chen Lujun’s brow furrowed in an instant.

“You… you can’t leave. I paid good money for you to be my bodyguard for the entire day!”

His mind swam in a hazy fog, rendering his words utterly devoid of logic.

Unable to simply slap him back to his senses, Lin Yiting attempted to reason with the inebriated man.

“Boss Chen, my younger brother’s phone is off. I have to go find him.”

“Oh? Is that how it is…”

Chen Lujun stroked his chin thoughtfully, then pulled out his own phone to call his daughter. After a few rings, the call was abruptly disconnected.

Half of Chen Lujun’s intoxication vanished in an instant.

He immediately tried calling Chen Sishi again, but she remained unresponsive.

A sudden realization dawned on Chen Lujun, and he smacked his thigh in a fit of rage.

“That girl is truly just like her mother. We need to leave now, or we’ll be in serious trouble.”

As a man of experience, Chen Lujun understood all too well the potential repercussions of Chen Sishi’s actions.

If they arrived too late, Lin Suo might genuinely become their son-in-law.

Hearing Chen Lujun’s decision to join, Lin Yiting offered no objection. She simply retrieved her phone and opened a tracking application.

Fortunately, Lin Yiting had been prepared. Earlier that day, before they left, she had slipped a small tracker into Lin Suo’s pocket.

“Excuse me, have you two seen a particularly handsome young man, about 1.7 meters tall?”

Just as they rose to their feet, a female voice drifted from nearby.

Glancing over, they saw two strikingly beautiful young women. Lin Yiting recognized one of them, having crossed paths with her on several previous occasions.

Qin Ruoxue’s expression shifted to surprise upon seeing Lin Yiting and Chen Lujun. She had assumed they would remain inside for some time, never expecting to encounter them here.

“Sister Lin, Uncle Chen, have you seen Lin Zhi and Chen Sishi?”

Given their familiarity, Qin Ruoxue saw no need for pleasantries. Yet, after she posed her question, a troubled look settled upon both Lin Yiting and Chen Lujun’s faces.

A terrible premonition suddenly seized her. It was just like last time, when Lin Zhi and Chen Sishi had vanished without a trace.

Knowing Chen Sishi’s impulsive nature, Lin Zhi had most likely been dragged off by her once more.

Her small, delicate fists clenched anew, and Qin Ruoxue turned and walked away without a backward glance.

“Hey? Wait for me!”

Xu Wei, still beside her, hadn’t quite processed the situation. Only after Qin Ruoxue had taken several steps did she finally cry out and rush to catch up.

Lin Yiting and Chen Lujun watched their retreating figures for a moment before rising to follow.

****

The rain intensified, growing heavier with each passing moment as the dark clouds, having held their burden all day, finally unleashed their full fury.

Braving the torrential downpour, the group ran with determined purpose in a single direction.

Approximately ten minutes later, they reached an artificial lake.

Due to the relentless rain, the lake’s surface was churned into a tempest of wind and waves. The small pavilion at its center seemed precariously close to being swallowed by the surging water, an exceptionally perilous sight.

While it might have served as a decent hiding spot, it wasn’t the location indicated by the tracker on Lin Yiting’s phone.

Lin Yiting and Chen Lujun remained silent as she led the group onward. Before long, a house with a stunning sea view came into sight.

The tracker pointed precisely to that beachfront property. Accelerating her pace, Lin Yiting kicked the door open with a forceful shove.

Her right hand instinctively moved to her waist, drawing forth a black pistol.

However, the room stood empty. Scattered across the floor were patches of white powder and fragments of black plastic.

Lin Yiting’s brows furrowed deeply. The phone clearly indicated this location, yet there wasn’t a soul in sight.

By then, the others had finally caught up. They surveyed the chaotic scene on the floor, momentarily struck speechless.

Lin Yiting circled the room, eventually spotting a small tracking device near the doorway. It was the very one she had placed on Lin Suo that morning.

“Well? Where is Lin Suo?”

Lin Yiting turned to Qin Ruoxue, letting out a helpless sigh.

“The tracker fell. They must have gone somewhere else.”

Though she hated to admit it, the truth was undeniable. Despite their frantic rush, they had arrived a step too late.

Lin Yiting’s teeth gnashed audibly, her fury a tempest with no clear outlet.

Vivid scenes of her time with Lin Suo flashed through her mind, each memory as fresh as if it had happened only yesterday.

Unbidden, a crystalline tear traced a path down her cheek. Lin Yiting tightened her fist and violently slammed it into the adjacent doorframe.

With a resounding crash, the seemingly sturdy wooden doorframe shuddered violently from the impact of her fist.

Dust rained down, mingling with the white powder already coating the floor.

Allowing herself a moment to regain her composure, Lin Yiting refocused her gaze on the ground.

With a clear mind, she now discerned new clues.

Across the pristine white tiles, two faint tire tracks were barely visible.

These tracks stretched from within the room, leading directly out the door.

Lin Yiting looked up at the others gathered in the room, then clapped her hands lightly.

“There are tire tracks here. They must have left.”

Upon hearing her words, the others emerged from the room, their eyes fixed on the tire tracks on the ground.

The marks were incredibly faint; had the floor not been so stark white, they would have been easily missed.

As soon as the new clue was spotted, Qin Ruoxue immediately followed the tracks outside.

A moment later, her voice echoed from outside.

“They’re here too!”

At her shout, everyone quickly rushed out.

Outside, the heavy rain had formed shallow puddles across the ground. Within the murky water, two tire tracks stretched onward, their destination unknown.

This discovery brought a wave of relief to Lin Yiting. As long as clues remained, as long as hope flickered, all was not lost.

****

Outside the manor, a sleek black car idled by the roadside.

Inside sat a middle-aged man, casually dressed, behind the wheel.

He watched the imposing manor gates, a cigarette dangling casually from his lips.

He was an acquaintance of the butler, called in for a favor, and had minimal contact with the Chen family.

Barely fifteen minutes prior, he had been enjoying a peaceful fishing trip nearby when the butler’s call had abruptly interrupted him.

The butler had asked him to drive to the manor, explaining that a silver-haired girl, laden with a large bag of luggage, needed a ride to the Chen residence.

Given his good rapport with the butler, the middle-aged man readily agreed to the request.

Finishing his cigarette, the middle-aged man rested his hand lightly on the steering wheel.

As the rain continued to intensify, a flicker of anxiety began to stir within him.

In such a downpour, for a young girl to walk out would surely mean she’d catch a cold.

Unable to sit idly any longer, the middle-aged man slowly started the car, intending to drive into the manor and investigate.

The butler had previously shared Chen Sishi’s location, instructing him to follow this road to find her.