Jiang Lao yielded all the people from Yu Chang City to her. Qin Ningyi also contacted the police station and requested a team for support, led by Director Wang.
Huo Rou naturally began to assign tasks. Wang Haozhuo adapted well, but the people from Director Wang's team were not very willing to take orders from Huo Rou.
After the arrangements were made, Wang Haozhuo immediately led his men to execute them. Director Wang’s team, however, looked to Qin Ningyi for direction. "Young Master Qin, this..."
Qin Ningyi was still lost in immense shock.
Everything Huo Rou had arranged struck him as incredibly meticulous; even he might not have done as well!
"Why aren't you moving?"
The expression on Huo Rou's face was cold, and her eyes were stern when she spoke.
This made Director Wang's scalp tingle.
Truth be told, Huo Rou was just an ordinary woman. How could she, in such a short time, understand their situation and assign tasks so appropriately? Moreover, her current tone and gaze truly reminded him of the captain who trained them, and of the director from the last national competition.
The overwhelming pressure was identical.
His feet almost refused to obey, but he couldn't just leave without an order. He had been called by Young Master Qin; wouldn't it be inappropriate to leave without waiting for Young Master Qin's word?
Qin Ningyi finally came back to his senses upon hearing Huo Rou's stern words. He scrutinized Huo Rou for a moment, met Director Wang's inquiring gaze, and nodded.
Only then did Director Wang dare to lead his team away.
Watching this series of actions, Huo Rou realized she had overstepped.
They were usually very careful not to casually direct someone else's subordinates in front of them.
Even if there were arrangements to be made, they had to be communicated to someone of equal rank or to the superior officer. In her haste, she had forgotten.
"I'm sorry, I forgot these were your people."
Her apology was swallowed by Qin Ningyi's chest.
He suddenly held her tightly. "A Rou, just who are you?"
This was the first time he had such a strong desire to know who she was.
Huo Rou was dazed as she was pulled into his embrace. Hearing his question, she faltered.
Who was she?
Wasn't she the director of Yuda Security now?
She had long since lost the identity she valued most. She was not qualified to mention it.
Qin Ningyi did not receive an answer and tightened his embrace.
"I'm the director of Yuda Security. If you want another identity, I'm An'an's mother. What's wrong?"
Huo Rou could barely breathe due to his tight grip.
Even if she answered now, Qin Ningyi would not be satisfied.
His eyes dimmed, and his brows furrowed in a way Huo Rou couldn't see.
Her arrangements were not something an ordinary person could achieve, nor something a cybersecurity company director could accomplish.
So, was he still not worthy of her true feelings?
She couldn't even tell him the truth about who she was...
"Qin Ningyi, what's wrong?"
Huo Rou's voice was squeezed out from her throat. Qin Ningyi then realized he had lost his composure. He loosened his arms and resumed his usual expression. "Nothing."
"Boss!"
"A Rou!"
Two female voices rang out. Huo Rou turned to see Tang Liu and Xia Qingxue.
"Why are you here?"
Ren Zhen walked out from behind them. "An'an is missing, and you decided to handle it yourself without telling us?"
"Exactly! I'm An'an's godmother. Do you think you can hide anything from me?" Xia Qingxue's anxiety and heartache were evident on her face.
She walked over and linked her arm with Huo Rou's. "A Rou, there are many things we can help with."
"That's right, boss. You remembered Ling Xiao but not us?" Tang Liu leaned forward, subtly pushing Qin Ningyi aside.
"Ling Xiao's situation involved his daughter, so I couldn't not tell him. I can handle things here."
Huo Rou smiled at them. At this moment, she suddenly felt a sense of belonging.
Ren Zhen brought the Ren family's network of connections to provide support. After listening to Huo Rou's plan, he found informants in those specific locations for her.
"We, the Ren family, have businesses in these three locations. These informants mingle well with the neighbors; they know more about the surrounding area than any surveillance cameras."
The three informants stood before Huo Rou.
If Qin Ningyi could mobilize resources from the top echelon, then Ren Zhen and the Ren family could mobilize resources from the grassroots.
Their businesses, like clubs and bars, came into contact with all sorts of people from various walks of life, thus gathering a lot of information.
"Yesterday afternoon, were there any unfamiliar faces in the basement or any secluded warehouses?"
The men pondered for a moment. One of them, who looked quite honest, stepped forward. "Miss Huo, there is a basement near our bar. It's dark and damp, and not many people would live there. Recently, a nice car has been entering and exiting frequently."
"Yesterday? Around noon?" Huo Rou pressed.
The man nodded. "Yes, yesterday, a customer at the bar complained about it. The entrance to the basement is right next to their house. Yesterday at noon, when a family was going back after buying groceries, a car was parked in front of the basement, blocking their way. They looked for someone to move the car for a long time before the person finally appeared."
"And when the person appeared, they looked very impatient, didn't speak much Chinese, their tone was off, and their word usage was hesitant. He remembered it vividly and even asked what good projects were available around here now, wondering why foreigners would choose to stay here even if it meant living in a basement."
Since he heard it from a customer, he could only recount the scene as best as he could to help them absorb the useful information.
Hearing this, Huo Rou felt she had a good idea. It was most likely the place.
The other two indicated that they hadn't seen anyone unusual entering or exiting the surroundings recently.
"Do you know the place? Take us there." Tang Liu fiddled with a piece of faux leather in her hand and approached the man.
"I do."
The man led them to the entrance of the basement near the bar.
"The rent here is cheap, so many people working in the city who don't want to spend too much time on commuting choose to live here. Therefore, no one finds it strange to see new faces," the man explained.
Qin Ningyi looked at the basement entrance and thought for a moment before speaking to him. "Are there any people living here with whom one can speak?"
After asking, he looked at Huo Rou. "It would be best to first ask the original residents inside about the situation before we make any plans."
This idea was clearly also on Huo Rou's mind. She nodded and asked the man to find a familiar resident of the basement to inquire about the situation.
"Brother Chen, these are my friends. Their family is facing some difficulties and wants to rent a room in the basement. They want to ask you about the situation inside."
Ren Zhen, the bar owner, spoke in a kind and approachable manner. With such an introduction, Brother Chen looked at them as if they were peers.