Nie Jiuluo descended to the stairway landing and beckoned to Xing Shen, gesturing for him to come upstairs.
Xing Shen stood up and walked over. As he passed by Dayan, fearing he might start shouting if his mouth was free, he stuffed the cloth back in.
Worried that the second floor wouldn’t be soundproof enough, they went up to the third floor to talk.
Nie Jiuluo first handed the drawing paper to Xing Shen.
Xing Shen’s eyes had trouble focusing on screens and text on paper. He held up the drawing paper, examining it against the light for quite a while before asking, “What does this mean?”
Nie Jiuluo hesitated for a moment. “I just suspect… this time, how many people were taken from this building?”
Xing Shen carefully recalled, “Including Uncle Jiang, eight people.”
“Eight people, so adding Quedie and the three-person team, that makes twelve in total?”
For now, that was correct. Xing Shen nodded: They had currently lost contact with Lao Dao and Yu Rong’s group, and the confirmed number of captives was twelve.
Nie Jiuluo continued, “They told us to bring our people home early, and said they’d told us where to pick them up—that must be referring to Nanba Houtou?”
Xing Shen had no objection: “Up until now, that’s the only location they’ve mentioned.”
Nie Jiuluo took the paper back from Xing Shen’s hands. “They had Gangzi and Dayan deliver the message but couldn’t say it directly, so they used this ambiguous method that only those who understand would comprehend. This tree has four fruits, but they’re not naturally grown—they’re hanging. I interpret this to mean it represents Quedie and the three-person team, four people in total, hanging from a tree at Nanba Houtou.”
Xing Shen’s scalp tingled. “Hanged to death?”
Nie Jiuluo shook her head. “They emphasized ‘cold weather’ and ‘frozen fruits.’ I don’t think they’re dead by hanging, just suspended there.”
Xing Shen: “You mean Quedie and the other three are currently tied up and hanging from trees at Nanba Houtou? Right now?”
Nie Jiuluo remained silent, only turning to look out the window: The snow had grown heavier, now falling in sheets. In this weather, it would only be colder in the deep mountains. To freeze someone to death, would only take one night.
She involuntarily shuddered before continuing, “They told us to pick up Quedie on the 8th, but we didn’t go. Quedie has likely been hanging there since the 8th… until now. The other three were hung up later.”
“‘When the fruits freeze, they’ll be buried beneath the tree, and new fruits will be hung until all have fallen’—this likely implies that if anyone freezes to death, they’ll bury them deep right there and hang up new people. After all, they have many of our people in their hands now.”
Until all have fallen.
Xing Shen remained silent for a while before saying, “This is a trap. They know they haven’t caught everyone and want to lure the remaining people in.”
Nie Jiuluo glanced at him. “It’s a trap, anyone can see that.”
But this trap applied tremendous pressure.
It conveyed a cruel message: Your companions’ lives are in your hands, not ours. We’ll continue to place people there regardless. Whether to retrieve them or not is up to you. The later you come, the more “fruits” will naturally freeze.
And then… until all have fallen.
Xing Shen said, “Don’t let them frighten you. This is just an empty threat. With so many lives at stake, I don’t believe they’d dare to be so lawless.”
Nie Jiuluo: “What if it’s real? What do you plan to do?”
With Jiang Baichuan gone, Xing Shen was in charge.
Xing Shen avoided the question: “I’ve sorted out seven numbers, one of them must be Yu Rong’s. Ah Luo, can you use your phone? Notifying the remaining people is most important right now.”
Nie Jiuluo hesitated briefly, then removed her phone case. Between the case layers were several backup SIM cards. She selected one to replace the original: She rarely called Jiang Baichuan, it was always him contacting her, but preparation was necessary.
After the replacement, she helped Xing Shen dial the numbers in sequence. Sure enough, on the fifth try, an impatient female voice came through: “Hello?”
Xing Shen was overjoyed: “Yu Rong?”
After connecting with Yu Rong, things became easier to manage, as having more people meant access to more resources. For instance, making anonymous calls to the police to have Gangzi and Dayan arrested was delegated to others. Additionally, transportation had been arranged to take Xing Shen to meet with Yu Rong, with the car waiting at the entrance of the Landmark Central Mall.
Nie Jiuluo briefly tidied up the building before driving Xing Shen and Mayi to the central mall.
The snow that night was inconsistent, though it would likely remain just a “light snow,” as there wasn’t much accumulation on the roads. With several cars passing through, even the traces of snow disappeared, leaving only wet roads.
But the radio said the snowfall would be heavier in the mountains.
Heavier…
Though Nie Jiuluo saw only wet, gleaming roads before her, she kept imagining dark forest shadows with people hanging from trees, frozen into icicles swaying gently in the wind and snow.
Xing Shen said something beside her.
Nie Jiuluo snapped back to reality but hadn’t caught his words. “What did you say?”
“Yu Rong’s group is secure, and according to her, they’ve even tamed something. I’ll discuss the details with her when we arrive. Ah Luo, will you join us? With the three of us, plus Mayi, I think if we plan carefully, the outlook isn’t too bad.”
Outlook? With twelve people’s lives hanging in the balance, what outlook was there to discuss?
Nie Jiuluo casually replied, “I have work to attend to, I need to go back and participate in the competition.”
Right, the competition. Old Cai had asked her to win several awards.
He’d also mentioned introducing her to a promising young talent…
At this moment, Nie Jiuluo felt her life was somewhat disconnected.
Xing Shen fell silent, then spoke after a while: “Ah Luo, I think your matters can wait. Uncle Jiang has been captured now, and if he can’t hold out and reveals your involvement, do you think you’ll still be able to work or compete?”
Nie Jiuluo pressed her lips together.
“And if he doesn’t reveal you, Ah Luo, that means he’s desperately protecting you. Are you just going to abandon him? Uncle Jiang has always been good to you. Without him, you wouldn’t be who you are today.”
Nie Jiuluo coldly replied, “I never said I wouldn’t help him. When help is needed, I’ll do my part. Also, I asked you earlier, and you didn’t answer—if what those two conveyed is true, what do you plan to do? After you meet up with Yu Rong, will you immediately lead people to Nanba Houtou?”
Xing Shen remained silent.
Nie Jiuluo found it amusing. “Go or don’t go, just give me an answer. I just want to know what you’re inclined to do.”
Xing Shen chose his words carefully: “I very much want to rescue them, but this is a trap, and going there would mean no return. I’m inclined to preserve our strength first and look for another opportunity.”
Nie Jiuluo made a sound of acknowledgment. “So what about those twelve people? If it comes down to it, we’ll just abandon them?”
Xing Shen dared not say such things: “I’ll have to go back and ask everyone’s opinion. For something this dangerous, I can’t make decisions for others.”
Nie Jiuluo smiled slightly and said, “I understand.”
Nie Jiuluo didn’t drive to the mall entrance.
She stopped at the street corner, watching as Xing Shen carried the luggage bag containing Mayi until she saw him get into the car. Only then did she turn around and head to the lumber yard to return the car.
Xing Shen’s answer was quite objective.
For the enemy to set such a trap, they must have made additional arrangements. Who would dare to commit to going to Nanba Houtou? Moreover, after Jiang Baichuan’s group was nearly wiped out, the remaining people were likely already spooked.
Everyone’s opinion? Even a fool could guess it would be something like “Let’s think it through,” “Don’t be rash,” or “take it slow.”
And then what? The fruits would just… fall one by one?
Nie Jiuluo drove the car down the road and tiredly rested her head on the steering wheel for a moment.
Dawn hadn’t broken yet. The pickup truck’s heater was quite noisy but nearly ineffective. Nie Jiuluo felt waves of cold assaulting her from front and back, feet and legs.
Hopefully, as Xing Shen said, the enemy was just “bluffing.”
She took out her phone to call a car for herself. When the screen lit up, she noticed an unread message in the “burn after reading” app.
Could it be a reply from Jiang Baichuan?
Nie Jiuluo sat up instantly and clicked.
It was from Yan Tuo.
—Did something happen to your people?
Looking at the sending time, it was over an hour ago, when she had been busy and hadn’t noticed.
Nie Jiuluo typed: Yes, what do you know?
She silently prayed that Yan Tuo wasn’t asleep and would reply immediately.
This night was sleepless for Yan Tuo as well. He read it instantly and replied: Don’t know much, heard they were all captured at once. Someone surnamed Jiang was injured, half his foot was blown off.
Nie Jiuluo stared at her phone for a long while. Even after the text had burned away, she still gazed at the blank screen in a daze.
What did it mean, that half his foot was blown off? Why did they maim someone right from the start?
She steadied herself and typed again: Do you know where they were taken?
Yan Tuo replied: Not sure.
Nie Jiuluo felt disappointed. As she watched the phone screen dim, she thought to herself: What does it have to do with me?
But the next second, Xing Shen’s words seemed to echo in her ears: Uncle Jiang has always been good to you. Without him, you wouldn’t be who you are today.
…
Yan Tuo might be a minor player, but at this moment, he was her only source of information.
Nie Jiuluo reactivated the screen and sent Yan Tuo a message: Can we meet in person?
With cameras in the rooms and corridors, it would be hard to explain going out before dawn. After careful consideration, Yan Tuo arranged to meet Nie Jiuluo for breakfast.
It was still early, so he crawled into bed, forcing himself to sleep for another hour. However, with things weighing on his mind, it was difficult to sleep soundly. In his half-asleep state, he kept wondering: Hadn’t Nie Jiuluo always been unwilling to get involved? Why had she suddenly changed? Was there someone she particularly cared about among those who were captured?
…
Just after seven, Yan Tuo got up. Xiong Hei had left in the middle of the night, leaving only him, Lu Xian, and the injured person from last night in the house.
Yan Tuo first knocked loudly on Lu Xian’s door. Lu Xian was so sleepy he could barely open his eyes, shouting from his bed, “Are you calling for ghosts?”
Yan Tuo had already prepared his excuse: “I want to eat. The fridge is all frozen food—is that fit for human consumption? And we’re not allowed to order takeout. I want something hot.”
Lu Xian snapped, “Then get out and eat!”
“Walking is tiring. Lend me your car.”
Lu Xian opened the door with obvious annoyance and threw out the car keys.
Yan Tuo caught the keys and left, going straight to the underground garage. After getting into Lu Xian’s car, he first turned off the dashboard camera’s power and then drove out.
At the agreed street corner, he saw Nie Jiuluo waiting there, leaning against a utility pole, looking like she was about to fall asleep.
Yan Tuo pulled up beside her and tapped the horn.
Nie Jiuluo opened her eyes and got into the car. As soon as she entered, she brought in a wave of cold air. Yan Tuo noticed the dark circles under her eyes: “Didn’t sleep well?”
Nie Jiuluo merely hummed in agreement. She had done more than just not sleep well—after returning the car to the lumber yard, she had taken another taxi here, barely stopping to rest.
Yan Tuo turned the heater to maximum and drove toward the nearest breakfast street. To maintain the pretense, since he was supposedly out to “buy breakfast,” he would naturally need to bring back several portions, taking care of everyone’s needs, which would make things more convenient later.
The car’s temperature rose quickly. Lu Xian’s car was a good one, with particularly comfortable seats. The moment Nie Jiuluo fastened her seatbelt and leaned back, she was so comfortable she almost fell asleep. She pinched her thigh and asked Yan Tuo, “When you captured everyone, where would they be taken?”
Yan Tuo shook his head: “I don’t know. Lin Xirou has several safe houses in Shihe, I’m not even sure where she lives. Why, are you planning a rescue?”
Nie Jiuluo asked diplomatically: “Is it that you don’t know, or that you might be able to find out if you ask around?”
Yan Tuo thought for a moment: “If I ask around, maybe. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
Nie Jiuluo dropped a bombshell: “Could you help me rescue them?”
Yan Tuo was startled and instinctively hit the brakes, bringing the car to a stop on the empty road.
Fortunately, it was too early, and being in the suburbs with no cars nearby, a thin fog had risen, making the visibility somewhat grayish-yellow.
After a pause, Yan Tuo started the car again: “Miss Nie, I’m very grateful for your help before, but I can’t help you do anything too dangerous. My life is quite precious, and it’s not mine alone—I need to cherish it.”
Nie Jiuluo made a sound: “Oh? You seemed quite careless with it before.”
Yan Tuo knew she was referring to when he fell into Ban Ya’s hands and when Mayi had injured him.
He nodded: “Yes, that’s why I reflected each time. I think being more detached, more guarded, and harder-hearted might suit me better.”
Then he couldn’t help asking: “Who do you want to save? I can’t help with the rescue, but if I see them, I could help look after them or pass along a message—that shouldn’t be difficult.”
Nie Jiuluo hesitated for a moment, thinking that some care was better than none: “The one with the injured foot.”
Yan Tuo was somewhat surprised: “You mean that Jiang person? The older man with the big pompadour?”
He had once overheard Nie Jiuluo talking to this Jiang from a distance, and her tone had been completely businesslike—just money and debts.
Nie Jiuluo nodded: “I owe him some kindness.”
By now, they had reached the entrance of the breakfast street.
Yan Tuo pulled over: “Wait here a moment. I need to buy some meals for the others to make my excuse believable.”
Since he was rarely buying meals for others, Yan Tuo couldn’t be too careless. He went to two shops and ordered several relatively luxurious portions. While waiting for the food, he suddenly remembered that Nie Jiuluo probably hadn’t eaten either, so he turned back to ask what she wanted.
Just as he approached the car and was about to knock on the window, he suddenly stopped.
After a moment, Yan Tuo peered through the window.
Nie Jiuluo was asleep.
Truly asleep, resting against the neck pillow, very quietly. Her eyelashes cast dark shadows beneath her eyes. However, looking more carefully, one could tell she wasn’t completely relaxed. Yan Tuo noticed that the index finger of her hand resting at her side was slightly raised, like the only trigger mechanism in her entire body—if he were to open the car door or tap the window, she would wake up instantly.
Yan Tuo withdrew his hand and stepped back several paces, turning to survey the gradually bustling small street.
This area must be near a school, as many elementary school students in uniforms could be seen on the street. After the breakfast shops, the stationery stores, toy stores, and educational material stores were also beginning to open.
Closest to him was a toy store. The owner was busy arranging goods on the display stand outside the door when accidentally, a rubber duck rolled to Yan Tuo’s feet.
Yan Tuo picked it up to look at it. It was a little yellow duck, completely yellow with black eyes and an orange-red long beak.
The shop owner asked, “Want to buy one for a child? It’s a bath duck, that can float in the bathtub. If you squeeze it, it makes a quacking sound.”
As he spoke, he reached out to demonstrate.
Yan Tuo said, “No need, there are no children at home.”
He put the rubber duck back on the display stand.
The rubber duck sat there quietly, very much like the one that had sat in the glass display case so many, many years ago.
And little Yan Xin, his sister who could barely speak then, had clung to the glass counter refusing to leave, mumbling, “Duck duck, buy duck duck.”
Beside her, Aunt Lin had bent down and said softly, “Alright, we’ll do as Xin Xin says and buy the duck.”