151: Chapter 151 Mysterious Disappearance

Xiao Bei's heart rate accelerated. He flipped through the ledger quickly and found a line of scribbled handwriting on the last page:

"The Live Streaming Company warehouse has a secret room. The girls can't get out, and the boys can't get out either. Deputy County Magistrate Liu comes every Wednesday night. Dangerous! Do not search!"

These words struck Xiao Bei's chest like a heavy hammer. He slammed the ledger shut and looked up at Old Chen:

"What else did Zhiming say? About that county leader?"

Old Chen shook his head:

"He didn't say it explicitly. But once, when he was drunk, he said... he said that leader's surname is Fu, and he has a lot of connections in the provincial government."

Fu Chuanyi! Xiao Bei's pupils contracted sharply. Mayor Qin Ruoxi's warning echoed in his ears:

"On this path, trust no one but me."

"Old Chen, who else knows about this?" Xiao Bei asked in a deep voice.

"No one else."

Old Chen shook his head, "Even my wife doesn't know about the ledger. I'm afraid... afraid those people will come to cause trouble again. My son... he just graduated. He just wanted to do something he thought was right for the people..."

Xiao Bei re-wrapped the ledger and placed it solemnly into his briefcase:

"Rest assured, I will get to the bottom of this. As for Zhiming... I will do my best to find him."

Old Chen suddenly grabbed Xiao Bei's hand; his rough palms were covered with calluses:

"County Magistrate Xiao, you... you must be careful. Those people have connections that reach the heavens!"

Xiao Bei nodded and stood up to leave. Just then, a sudden sound of screeching brakes came from outside the shop, followed by the voices of several men.

Old Chen's face changed drastically, and he quickly turned off the lights in the shop. In the darkness, Xiao Bei heard his own heartbeat pounding like a drum.

"It's Director Hao's people!"

Old Chen's wife rushed out from the back room, her voice trembling,

"They've been hanging around the neighborhood every night for the past few days!"

Xiao Bei held his breath and looked out through a crack in the door. Two black SUVs were parked across the street, and several men dressed in black were looking around. One of them was holding a mobile phone, seemingly comparing some information.

"The back door!" Old Chen pulled Xiao Bei toward the kitchen,

"Go out through the back alley!"

Xiao Bei followed Old Chen through the cramped kitchen and pushed open a hidden small door. Outside the door was a dimly lit alleyway, piled high with debris.

"Go left to the end, then turn right, and you'll be at the back street of the Town Government," Old Chen said urgently, "County Magistrate Xiao, you must keep that ledger safe!"

Xiao Bei squeezed the older man's hand, turned, and disappeared into the darkness. He had only taken a few steps when he heard the loud crash of the breakfast shop's front door being smashed open, followed by shouts asking why they had closed so early. Clearly, the couple had been under surveillance.

Xiao Bei's footsteps faltered, and his fists clenched until they hurt. But reason told him that going back now would not only fail to help them but would also let the ledger fall into the other party's hands. He gritted his teeth and quickened his pace, running deeper into the alley.

Xiao Bei's figure moved quickly through the dim alley, the clamor from the direction of the breakfast shop still echoing in his ears. He moved close against the wall; the ledger in his briefcase felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, pressing down on his chest and making it hard to breathe.

After making two turns, he took out his phone and dialed Team Leader Zhang Yining's number:

"Yining, get a different car and come to the back door of the Town Government to pick me up immediately. It's an emergency!"

Team Leader Zhang Yining's voice on the other end of the line was tense:

"Understood, I'll be there in five minutes!"

Xiao Bei hung up the phone and hid in the shadow of an abandoned newsstand. From a distance, the sound of chaotic footsteps and shouting could be heard, and several flashlight beams swept back and forth in the alley. He held his breath, feeling as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

"Damn it, where did he go?" a rough male voice cursed, "I clearly saw someone wandering around!"

"Let's go, brother. Maybe we're overthinking it. I doubt Old Chen would dare to lie to us."

Xiao Bei's fingertips dug deep into his palms. How were Old Chen and his wife doing now? But he couldn't turn back; the ledger was more important than his life.

A black sedan slid silently to the entrance of the alley. The window rolled down, revealing Team Leader Zhang Yining's tense face. Xiao Bei crouched down and dashed over, pulled the door open, and scrambled inside.

"Go! Drive!"

Team Leader Zhang Yining slammed on the gas, and the car shot forward. In the rearview mirror, several dark figures rushed out of the alley, waving their arms in frustration.

"County Magistrate Xiao, are you alright?"

Team Leader Zhang Yining's voice trembled slightly, and her fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Xiao Bei shook his head and looked out the rear window. Only after confirming that no one was following did he relax slightly:

"Go straight back to the county. Take the back roads."

The car sped along the country road; the bumpy ride forced Xiao Bei to grip the grab handle. He took out his phone and, after a moment's hesitation, dialed the duty line of the County Public Security Bureau.

"This is Xiao Bei. There is a home invasion robbery at Old Chen's Breakfast Shop in Hongxiang Town. Please dispatch officers immediately."

He hung up after giving a brief statement, without revealing any further information.

Team Leader Zhang Yining glanced at him through the rearview mirror:

"Aren't you going to tell Mayor Qin?"

Xiao Bei stroked his briefcase:

"Let's wait until we're safely back before we talk about that... For now, let the police go over and stir things up so those people will calm down."

He thought of Mayor Qin Ruoxi's warning again, and a sharp pain pierced his heart.

It was already late at night when the car drove into Jinhe County. Only a few scattered lights were still on in the County Government building, and Old Wang in the duty room was dozing off. Xiao Bei and Team Leader Zhang Yining hurried upstairs, and not until the office lock clicked shut did both of them truly breathe a sigh of relief.

"Finally..."

Team Leader Zhang Yining slumped onto the sofa, her hair disheveled and sticking to her sweat-dampened forehead.

Xiao Bei poured a glass of water and handed it to her, while he walked to the window and pulled the curtains shut. He took out his phone and discovered a few unread messages—all from his girlfriend, Su Yun.

[Away on a business trip for a few days to handle a big matter. Do not reply.]

The short message made Xiao Bei frown. Su Yun was a reporter and often went on sudden business trips, but this message felt particularly suspicious. He was debating whether to call her back when the office door was suddenly knocked upon.

Team Leader Zhang Yining sat up straight in alert. Xiao Bei signaled for her to stay quiet and walked to the door:

"Who is it?"

"It's me, County Magistrate Lin Ruohan."

Xiao Bei and Team Leader Zhang Yining exchanged a look of surprise.

After the door opened, County Magistrate Lin Ruohan stepped in gracefully.

She was wearing a pure black suit today, and her hair was meticulously coiled at the back of her head, looking like a black swan.

"Did you just get back from Hongxiang Town?"

She went straight to the point, her gaze sweeping over their disheveled appearances, "You caused quite a stir."

Xiao Bei calmly moved his briefcase behind him:

"County Magistrate Lin, you're still working this late?"

County Magistrate Lin Ruohan chuckled and sat on the sofa on her own accord:

"Liu Fuzhi was at the office before even getting off work this afternoon, acting like nothing happened—he got back earlier than both of you."

She paused, "Did you... run into trouble again?"

Team Leader Zhang Yining looked at Xiao Bei nervously. Xiao Bei pondered for a moment and decided to tentatively disclose some information:

"We suspect there is a problem with the Live Streaming Company in Hongxiang Town."

"Oh?" County Magistrate Lin Ruohan raised an eyebrow, "Tell me more."