And she was completely weak, likely drugged.
She pushed herself up from the floor, reaching with her other hand for the wall, and quickly leaned against it, her gaze fixed on the darkness ahead.
The deathly silence around made her uneasy.
She took a deep breath, "Is anyone there?"
The space seemed vast and empty, her voice echoing back.
In such a pitch-black environment, the girl lost all track of time, only able to count silently in her mind, estimating that about ten minutes had passed.
She was certain no one was there.
As time passed, she initially kept track, but then, her fear and the boundless silence intertwined like vines around her heart.
Slowly, she began to panic.
Death itself wasn't frightening, but the waiting before death was.
Upstairs.
Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu had a meal. Lin Mo had visited the hospital today. The couple, having a rare moment of rest, enjoyed a good meal before unhurriedly heading to the basement.
A soft "click."
In the dark basement, a sliver of light finally leaked in. The girl's head shot up, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Suddenly seeing the light, she was a bit unaccustomed.
She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, seeing the familiar man and woman enter.
She gritted her back teeth, "What do you mean by this?"
They didn't close the door as they entered. Fu Jingshu stood by the doorway, his gaze calmly fixed on the dimness, not looking at her at all.
Shen Qingqing, on the other hand, pulled over a chair and sat down. "I want to talk to you."
It was then that the girl finally saw her surroundings clearly: empty, cold, with only a single chair now occupied by Shen Qingqing.
She herself sat on the ground, chains binding her hands and feet.
She looked at Fu Jingshu sarcastically, "I'm already like this, do you still need to guard me?"
Fu Jingshu ignored her.
Shen Qingqing said calmly, "It's not guarding you. He has a洁癖 (germophobia); it's a bit dusty here, and he doesn't want to come in. That's all."
The girl choked, her face turning a little pale. "What do you want? To take the law into your own hands?"
"You dared to try and kill someone," Shen Qingqing said, as if teasing, yet also mocking. "Are you still expecting us to abide by the law?"
The girl raised her chin, her face somewhat pale. "What evidence do you have to prove I was trying to kill someone?"
After all, the person wasn't dead, right?
Shen Qingqing pointed a finger at her. "Cunning."
The girl said coldly, "Likewise."
Back in the corridor, she never suspected that the person wearing a nurse's uniform, who greeted her so naturally, wasn't actually a nurse!
She had been discovered then, yet they had deliberately spoken to her.
Treating her like a monkey!
Shen Qingqing rested her arm on the chair's armrest, her hand supporting her delicate chin. "Let's not beat around the bush. Since I was prepared, do you think I wouldn't have anticipated this?"
"What do you mean?"
Feeling bored and like she was wasting time, she stood up and walked towards her. Her high heels made a rhythmic sound as they struck the ground.
"Tap, tap, tap."
It was like someone was incessantly tapping her heart with a small hammer.
The girl couldn't stand it, feeling a sense of suffocation. "What do you want? Just say it directly, don't play these mind games! I wasn't scared into growing up. When I started this line of work, I knew I might end up in this situation!"
Shen Qingqing stopped in front of her, looking down at her. "The louder you are, the more guilty you are."
The girl immediately fell silent, a drop of cold sweat appearing on her forehead.
"Speak, or don't speak," Shen Qingqing said impatiently. "If you don't speak, then we'll get straight to the point and cut to the chase, without wasting time."
If she didn't speak, she certainly wouldn't get away unscathed.
The girl knew this clearly. She glanced towards the world outside the door, which was a corridor, with lights and sunlight, like another realm.
She took a deep breath. "I can speak, but I have a question."
"Say it."
"How long have I been locked up?"
Shen Qingqing replied calmly, "Two hours."
"Only two hours..." the girl murmured. In the darkness, she had vaguely lost her sense of time and almost thought several days had passed.
If only the poison hadn't taken effect.
She looked up at Shen Qingqing. "You're really amazing, pity..."
She trailed off the last few words very quietly, and Shen Qingqing didn't hear clearly. "What did you say?"
The girl slowly lowered her head.
Shen Qingqing felt something was wrong. She grabbed the girl's chin, only to see a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were already closed, and she had instantly died!
She quickly felt for the girl's pulse, clenching her teeth. "Died of poisoning."
After apprehending her, she had deliberately searched her thoroughly and checked her mouth. She was certain the girl had no poison on her. This meant the poison must have been ingested before the girl acted!
She turned and walked out, her face grim.
Fu Jingshu followed closely. "I'll do my best to have someone investigate."
Even though she was gone, as long as the people involved existed, they would leave traces. No matter what kind of traces, they could follow the clues.
Shen Qingqing stopped and said sternly, "Do you know what this means?"
Fu Jingshu nodded. "Yes."
Shen Qingqing clenched her fists tightly. "This means she's from an organization, well-trained, and not even her life belongs to herself."
Fu Jingshu walked over and held her hand.
He understood this principle too. This meant the mastermind's abilities far exceeded her imagination. Director Liu alone was probably not enough to accomplish this.
He must have a greater backing.
Shen Qingqing said grimly, "No matter who is behind this, I will find him!"
Fu Jingshu's voice was deep and magnetic. "Yes, I will help you. Whatever decision you make, I will support you."
"Jingshu..."
Shen Qingqing leaned gently against his shoulder.
Fu Jingshu put his arm around her shoulders, holding her protectively in his embrace. "Don't worry, we will definitely catch the person behind this."
"Mm."
Shen Qingqing slowly closed her eyes, her mind rapidly formulating a plan.
Since the other party had backing, she couldn't use the same methods to deal with them. After all, she was in the open, while the mastermind was in the dark.
Soon, a rough outline began to form in her mind.
The next day at noon, Shen Qingqing visited her son and the elderly lady at the hospital. She then took out her phone and went to the corridor to make a call.
The person who answered was a young man. "Why are you calling me so suddenly? What's up?"
Shen Qingqing lowered her eyes slightly. "I need you to do me a favor."
"What favor?"
"Help me find someone."
There was a clatter in the background. The man seemed busy. "Sure, send me the name and photo to my phone. I have something to do right now, and I'll look into it for you once I'm done."
"You can't wait until you're done. Go immediately!"