Chapter 92: Chapter 48: Splitting Up
"Old Qian, I’m right in the room. Just press the doorbell when you get downstairs, and I’ll open up for you."
"Xiaopang, are you sure He Kao disappeared suddenly?"
"How could it be fake? His coat is still here, he didn’t even wear his shoes, and everything like his phone is in the room, yet he’s nowhere to be found! Who leaves the house without their phone nowadays? He was very likely kidnapped."
"How did this happen! Wait for me a few minutes, I’ll check something out before heading up."
After about twenty minutes, footsteps echoed in the hallway, and Xiaopang opened the door saying, "Why did it take you so long?"
Qian Guran slipped in quickly: "Close the door first, we’ll talk inside."
This was the apartment in the E-Times District where He Kao was in "seclusion" during his holiday. Although He Kao hadn’t gone out for a few days, he had been in constant contact with Xiaopang, sending his test data and revision opinions to Xiaopang first.
Xiaopang was the team leader for He Kao here, receiving He Kao’s data, organizing the business packet, and forwarding it to the other departments of the subsidiary while managing the progress schedule.
Xiaopang told He Kao to take his time and not to work so hard, saying there was no reason to sacrifice his holiday by working continuously. Xiaopang even adjusted the progress schedule and told He Kao he could slack off and take it easy for a week after the holiday.
Their kind of work sometimes made no distinction between holidays and workdays, and even if they were traveling out of town, they would find time to handle work tasks online if needed.
Xiaopang hadn’t left the house for the past few days, being stuck at home in Pugang Town by Mrs. Chen, meeting several girls for matchmaking dates one after another. Xiaopang was very reluctant, always making excuses about having work to do to avoid them.
Even when he couldn’t avoid it, he used work as an excuse to go as late as possible and leave early, trying to appear dedicated to his career.
This evening, while having dinner, Mrs. Chen told Xiaopang that an old colleague of hers introduced another girl for him to meet, and they were scheduled to meet the next day at noon at a Western restaurant in a five-star hotel in the center of Qi Yuan City.
Mrs. Chen wanted Xiaopang to dress smartly, style his hair nicely, and drive over. When Xiaopang inquired about the girl’s name, he was surprised to find out she was his former middle school class president, and He Kao was also in their class.
So it turned out to be an old classmate. Xiaopang had always disliked her nosy nature back in school. Even more critically, the class president wasn’t his type at all.
"Mom, she’s the class president from our middle school class, blonde crooked teeth and skinny as a stick, really unattractive! Always looked down on others with her head held high, big nostrils, no chin, as annoying as could be..."
Mrs. Chen, however, scolded him: "I saw the photo the introducer sent, she’s a very pretty girl! They say girls change a lot when they grow up, becoming more beautiful, and she’s more than a match for you. And I’m quite satisfied, unlike you who doesn’t even bother to check yourself in the mirror.
The middle school class president? That’s even better, knowing each other since childhood. Why call it being nosy? I think you need someone like that to keep you in line. Any girl you find should be like that!"
Xiaopang really didn’t want to waste time on it, and couldn’t argue with his mother, so he thought about turning to He Kao for help. He wanted to ask He Kao to cover for him by calling with an emergency task that supposedly required Xiaopang’s expertise the next day...
... as he really didn’t want to stay home any longer.
But Xiaopang couldn’t reach He Kao; calls went unanswered and messages unreturned. Even if it’s understandable to miss it for a while, the silence lasted into the late night with no word.
Xiaopang inexplicably felt that something might have happened to He Kao. He knew exactly where He Kao was these days, at that apartment which was their department’s work site, with keys and access card given by Xiaopang.
So Xiaopang dressed and went straight to the site, only to find that He Kao was gone.
What now? If he reported this to the police, they might just say he’s making a fuss over nothing. Xiaopang didn’t really know many very capable friends, as he had always been his own boss. After pondering, he suddenly thought of Qian Guran.
The mysterious email described Qian Guran as a Tier Three Zongheng Scholar of the Qi Observation Sect, with considerable skill. Xiaopang guessed the email was sent by He Kao, who indicated that Old Qian was trustworthy.
Having no other option, Xiaopang could only call Old Qian to inform him that He Kao had inexplicably vanished, likely something had happened to him.
Old Qian had falsely claimed he went to Pingjing for a trip but had actually not left, staying in Qi Yuan. Hearing the news, he was surprised too and drove to the scene immediately, contacting Xiaopang on the way to confirm the situation once more.
He Kao seemed to have disappeared into thin air, and though Xiaopang wasn’t unfamiliar with such incidents, He Kao wasn’t a Hidden Moth!
On arriving, Qian Guran entered and explained everything to Xiaopang—
"No need to look for him, He Kao should have been kidnapped. The kidnapper disguised as medical personnel of the 120 emergency services, entered with a 120 ambulance, and directly carried He Kao out of the building on a stretcher, leaving in broad daylight.
When I entered the neighborhood, I gathered information from security and property guards and watched the surveillance footage; it happened just two hours ago. We discovered it a bit late, and it’s probably impossible to catch up if we pursue now..."
Xiaopang was astonished: "You found out all that in just the time it took to enter the community?"
Old Qian explained: "You said over the phone that He Kao was missing, likely kidnapped. But with such a big living person, unless taken to another apartment in the same unit, it would be difficult to get him out without some form of cover."