The next morning, the leaden sky remained overcast, and the relentless sound of waves crashing against the breakwater filled the air. Following the division of labor decided last night, the three groups geared up and, after a brief gathering on the fourth floor, set off in their respective directions.
Wang Qiang led Su Xiao toward the residential area deep inside the apartments. Although tension still lingered in Su Xiao's eyes, she was much calmer compared to yesterday.
Chaosheng Apartments featured an old-fashioned tenement layout, where most of the residents' doors opened directly into the public hallway. The hallway was fairly bustling in the morning, with residents occasionally opening their doors to fetch water or take out trash. The air was a mixture of cooking fumes from breakfast and a lingering, damp mustiness.
“Don't be afraid. Just follow me. I'll do the talking, and you listen and note down any key information the residents share,” Wang Qiang said, softening his tone with natural concern as he noticed her unease. “Remember, we are tenants who just moved in. We need to be natural when asking about Lele. Don't say we are investigating. Just say we heard about it from the manager, felt sorry for her, and are asking out of casual curiosity.”
Su Xiao nodded vigorously and whispered, “I've got it, Brother Wang.”
The two began their visits around Room 408, where Du Min lived.
Wang Qiang knocked on the door of Room 407. Shuffling footsteps sounded from inside before the door cracked open. A middle-aged woman in pajamas poked her head out, eyeing them warily. “Who are you?”
“Hello, sister. We're tenants who just moved onto the fourth floor. My name is Wang Qiang, and this is my colleague, Su Xiao.” Wang Qiang put on a friendly smile and spoke warmly. “We heard that a little girl went missing in this building earlier? We caught wind of it from the manager, and since my colleague here has a soft heart, she felt terrible about it. We just wanted to ask about the details to see if there's any way we could help.”
The middle-aged woman's guard lowered slightly, but she still frowned and waved her hand dismissively. “Don't ask me. I don't know anything. Ever since that kid went missing, her mother has been running wild through the building every single day. It's annoying as hell.”
With that, she slammed the door shut with a loud bang before Wang Qiang could say another word.
Having the door shut in their faces made Su Xiao's shoulders tense even more. She whispered, “Brother Wang, maybe we shouldn't ask anymore. They don't seem to want to talk about it.”
“It's fine. Most NPCs in instances are like this, very resistant to sensitive topics.” Wang Qiang patted her shoulder, his tone gentle. “We'll try another unit. Someone is bound to talk.”
The two went on to visit several other households on the fourth floor, but they either had doors shut in their faces or received half-hearted, dismissive answers.
It wasn't until they went up to the fifth floor and reached Room 502 that they found someone different. The door was opened by a white-haired elderly woman. Seeing Su Xiao's timid appearance, her eyes softened slightly, and she didn't shut the door immediately.
“Are you here to ask about that little girl, Lele?” the elderly woman took the initiative to speak, her voice raspy but carrying a hint of kindness.
Wang Qiang's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly. “Yes, Grandma. Have you seen her?”
The elderly woman stepped aside to let them in, pointing at the small stools near the door. “Come in and sit. It's cold outside.”
She poured them two cups of warm water before slowly saying, “I've seen that little girl. She was such a pretty child, with her hair in two pigtails. Every time she saw me, she'd call me 'Grandma' in her sweet voice.”
“Do you know where she used to play before she went missing?” Su Xiao finally gathered her courage and asked in a small voice.
“Besides the small park downstairs, she also went to the hill behind the apartment a lot,” the elderly woman recalled. “A lot of wildflowers and weeds grow on that hill, and the little girl loved to pick flowers there. Sometimes when I was hanging clothes on the balcony, I could see her running around on the hill all by herself.”
“Then did you ever see who she usually played with?” Wang Qiang pressed.
“The little girl got along with everyone. When she saw us elderly folks, she'd actively offer to help. Several times, I saw her helping an old man pick up plastic bottles. I know that old man. He lives in this building, surnamed Li. He drags a bag of recyclables around all day, looking a bit slow in the head.”
“Old Man Li?” Wang Qiang's heart sank, but he continued asking casually, “Do you remember when the last time you saw them together was?”
“Probably about two or three days before she went missing.” The elderly woman sighed and waved her hand. “After it happened, a lot of people in the building suspected that Old Man Li might have abducted the child. But the investigators said it had nothing to do with him. Old Man Li was out riding his tricycle to sell recyclables that day.”
After chatting with the elderly woman for a bit longer and confirming there was no other useful information, Wang Qiang and Su Xiao stood up to take their leave.
Once they stepped out of Room 502, Su Xiao let out a sigh of relief and whispered, “Brother Wang, we finally got some useful clues.”
“Yes, this clue is very critical.” Wang Qiang nodded. Looking at Su Xiao, who was still a bit tense, he softened his tone. “You did great just now, taking the initiative to ask questions.”
“I'm still a bit scared...” Su Xiao's cheeks flushed slightly as she lowered her head in embarrassment. After hesitating for a moment, she asked softly, “Brother Wang, you seem... to take really good care of me. Is it because you have a child at home too?”
Wang Qiang said with a touch of nostalgia, “Yeah. I have a daughter about your age. She's in college, too.”
“Then you...” Su Xiao wanted to ask why he had ended up in this game, but she swallowed her words, feeling it might be too intrusive.
Wang Qiang saw through her hesitation and said of his own accord, “I used to run a small renovation company. Once, while I was working, the scaffolding gave way and I fell. When I woke up, I was in this game.”
He paused, his voice filled with determination. “I have to accumulate ten S-rank evaluations to go back. My wife and daughter are still waiting for me.”
Su Xiao felt a pang of sadness, her eyes turning slightly red. “Brother Wang, you'll definitely make it back.”
“I appreciate the kind words.” Wang Qiang smiled and patted her shoulder.
Next, the two continued making their way down, visiting several households on other floors.
Most residents showed some sympathy when mentioning Du Min, though a few were impatient, complaining that Du Min's daily flyer-distributing had disrupted their lives. However, several households with children confirmed that Lele often played on the hill behind the building and that they had seen her helping Old Man Li collect plastic bottles.
Meanwhile, Bai Ci and Lin Wenyu had arrived at the small park where Lele went missing.
The small park was modest and sparsely equipped, featuring only an old slide, a set of swings, and a few spring riders. It was surrounded by several tall plane trees with lush foliage that cast most of the park into deep shadow.
“The commission documents mentioned that the area near the small park is a camera blind spot, and this is where Lele went missing,” Bai Ci said, standing at the park entrance as her eyes swept over the entire area. “Let's focus our search on the spots the cameras can't reach.”
Lin Wenyu nodded. He pointed to the bushes on the west side of the park, where the dense foliage made it the most likely place to hide any traces. “I'll check over there. Keep an eye on the surroundings.”
With their tasks clearly divided, the two began carefully combing through every corner of the park.
“Bai Ci, come take a look at this,” Lin Wenyu's voice called out from the bushes on the west side.
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