The east of the city belongs to the industrial area. The streets and alleys there are intricate. It's easy to get lost if you're not familiar with the terrain. The small hotel is located at the end of a narrow alley. It's a bit more upscale than other hotels, with its own parking lot. The three - story building has about twenty rooms and backs onto an old steel mill. With the dim yellow light in the alley, the chimneys standing behind the small hotel look just like the spines on a monster.
On the corridor of the small hotel, the hasty footsteps of three people echoed. Qin Feng couldn't believe that Yan Xiaoyi would be willing to stay in such a place. The damp and musty smell was unpleasant. The mottled walls and greasy floors exuded an air of cheapness everywhere.
"Room 203. We're here." Xie Bingxia stood in front of the door. Qin Feng immediately stepped forward and pounded on it. "Yan Xiaoyi, open the door. It's me."
There was no response.
"Yan Xiaoyi, open the door!" Qin Feng's tone grew harsher. He pounded on the door twice, and it creaked open by itself.
The three of them looked at each other. After a moment of hesitation, they pushed the door open. The room was in a complete mess. There were wine bottles and cigarette butts all over the table. Several T - shirts were carelessly discarded on the bed, all crumpled.
"He's not here." Li Duo glanced around.
"Maybe he went out to buy something to eat?" Qin Feng guessed. Xie Bingxia shook her head. "No." As she said this, she lifted the lid of a bowl of instant noodles on the table. "The noodles have been soaked for a while. They've swollen up, but he didn't eat them."
Xie Bingxia then bent down and pointed to a half - smoked cigarette on the floor. It was still faintly glowing and emitting smoke.
"The freshly made instant noodles were left untouched, and even the half - smoked cigarette wasn't put out. He left in a great hurry. Maybe... something happened to him."
"Bingxia, don't scare me." Qin Feng got goosebumps. "I'd rather believe that he just went out for something urgent."
"Should we wait for him to come back here?" Li Duo asked.
Xie Bingxia walked around the room again and shook her head. "I don't think he'll come back. He didn't take his clothes or daily necessities, but he grabbed his wallet and phone. Moreover..."
"He wasn't alone. There were at least two other people here." Xie Bingxia took out a tissue, picked up the cigarette butts in the ashtray, and showed them to Qin Feng and Li Duo. "Among these cigarette butts, there are two different brands of cigarettes and three different bite marks."
Qin Feng and Li Duo leaned in. They looked at them back and forth for a long time, both looking confused. Qin Feng looked up and said to Xie Bingxia in surprise, "Bingxia, are you the modern - day Sherlock Holmes?!"
"I can't see anything." Li Duo gave up.
"If, as you said, he's not coming back, what should we do?" It was as if the duck that had just been caught had flown away. Qin Feng anxiously scratched his temple.
"Let's leave first and then figure out another way." Xie Bingxia walked out of the room and stood on the corridor outside. The corridor of the small hotel was like a semi - open balcony. One side faced the parking lot, and one could clearly see the area below. She stood by the railing, stared at the parking lot for a long time, and suddenly said, "I'll go down and take a look."
Xie Bingxia ran to the parking lot and squatted down. Since this area was close to the factory, there was a lot of dust. Coupled with the irregular cleaning, a thick layer of dust had accumulated on the parking - lot floor. The thick dust had clearly been trampled on by many people, and the footprints were in a complete mess. Not far from the footprints were two tire marks, showing the tracks of a vehicle entering and leaving the parking lot.
The tire marks... looked very familiar.
Xie Bingxia took out her phone, searched online for a while, and her expression immediately darkened. At this time, Qin Feng and Li Duo followed her downstairs and hurriedly asked, "What did you find?"
"I know who to ask about Yan Xiaoyi's whereabouts." Xie Bingxia stood up and turned to Qin Feng. "Can you take me to the Xie Group?"
*
After ten o'clock at night, the over - worked employees finished their tasks one after another, packed up their things, and prepared to leave. Some of them made an appointment to go for a late - night snack. Secretary Zhang looked at the clock. It was almost time for him to go home and continue his single - dog life for the rest of the night.
He had just picked up his briefcase when he saw a figure quickly passing through the office area. He immediately felt something was wrong - his life for the rest of the night was going to be spent in the company. Even though he was reluctant, he still chased after Xie Bingxia.
He must stop Xie Bingxia before she opened the door to Boss Gu's office!
"Miss Xie! Miss Xie!" Secretary Zhang took three steps at a time and rushed in front of Xie Bingxia to block her. "The boss is in an international voice meeting. Let me take you home and wait for him, okay?"
"No!" Xie Bingxia was firm. "Secretary Zhang, please step aside."
Secretary Zhang shook his head like a rattle. "Miss, don't make things difficult for me..."
"Okay, take me back then." Xie Bingxia pretended to compromise. The moment Secretary Zhang let down his guard, she ran at full speed, passed by him, and rushed into the office.
"Gu Bei!" She was out of breath from running. Already gasping for air, the scene in front of her made her catch her breath.
Yuan Yiyun was sitting on the sofa, deliberately crossing her legs to show off her perfect legs. Her deep - V dress was the perfect outfit for temptation. She was holding a champagne glass and chatting animatedly with Gu Bei. When she saw Xie Bingxia, she was initially stunned, and then she pursed her lips and smiled. That smile in Xie Bingxia's eyes was full of provocation.
Gu Bei was originally sitting opposite Yuan Yiyun, with his back to Xie Bingxia. When he heard her call his name, he was shocked. He stood up. His tall figure created an invisible sense of oppression. He gradually walked closer, deliberately forcing Xie Bingxia out of the office.
"I'm having a meeting. Go back first. Secretary Zhang - "
"I'll leave after I get my answers." Xie Bingxia was fearless. The tall and the short figures confronted each other face - to - face at the office door.
"What do you want to ask?"
"You've been to the small hotel, haven't you?" Xie Bingxia got an affirmative answer from Gu Bei's suddenly constricted pupils. Before coming up, she had been to the garage and checked Gu Bei's Mercedes G - Class. The tire treads matched those left in the small - hotel parking lot. She had also deliberately pinched the dust on the wheels and in the window seams, and it was similar to the dust in the northern part of the city. That area was close to the steel factory, so the dust would contain fine steel powder.
"How did you...?" Gu Bei obviously couldn't believe that Xie Bingxia had investigated this far.
"Don't even try to fool me. Where did you take Yan Xiaoyi?"
After the initial surprise, Gu Bei quickly regained his composure and said, "I don't know where he is."
Xie Bingxia didn't want to argue with him any more. She gritted her teeth and asked again, "What did you do to him? Answer me."
"I'm not a gangster. What could I do to him?"
"Oh dear, it seems I've come at a bad time." Just then, Yuan Yiyun butted in. "Maybe I should go back first and we can make another appointment next time?"
"It's okay. I'll finish talking soon." Gu Bei turned to Yuan Yiyun. "Go back and sit down."
"Hey, don't say that. Bingxia is family. We can help her figure out a solution to her troubles together!" Yuan Yiyun nestled against Gu Bei's arm like a little bird. "Right, Bingxia?"
"No, thanks." Xie Bingxia read Gu Bei's evasion from his averted gaze. Continuing to僵持 wouldn't lead to any results.
Xie Bingxia turned around and was about to leave. Her slender back looked so tired and helpless. Gu Bei stared at her for a few seconds. Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore and sighed. "Since you don't trust me, saying more is useless."