I didn't go back to bed to sleep. I only slept for a while at my desk at three in the morning. Between five and six, I was startled awake by a nightmare. At this time, I found that Brother Chang hadn't slept well either. He made us breakfast and prepared to continue searching for Lin Han today.
***
At eight o'clock, the police officer in charge called me and said they had obtained the airport surveillance video and asked us to go to the Criminal Investigation Brigade to watch the recording. When we arrived, a burly man greeted us. He looked at me and extended his hand: "Hello, my name is Zhou Hao. By the way, Wang Zeyin is my former leader, and he specifically called me, so I am personally responsible for this case."
Zhou Hao, Big Zhou, is currently the most capable investigator in the Criminal Investigation Brigade. He was Wang Zeyin's assistant back then, and I had heard his name in the stories from that year, Assistant Xiao Zhou. It seems that the Assistant Xiao Zhou assigned to Wang Zeyin back then is now a backbone member of the Criminal Investigation Brigade.
***
Because of Wang Zeyin's connection, Big Zhou's investigation was exceptionally diligent. He showed me the video. Due to the Olympics, the entire airport was equipped with cameras. We saw a figure from one of the cameras. This slender figure entered the restroom and never came out.
We watched for a long time. After Lin Han entered the restroom, she never came out. Da Huang couldn't stand it anymore: "Where did she go? Officer."
"Did you see anyone disguised and coming out?" Big Zhou asked us.
"No," Fatty replied professionally and with his excellent tracking skills.
Big Zhou nodded and asked his assistant to rewind the video. He pointed to ač man with a large suitcase coming out and said: "This man's suitcase is large enough to hold a woman. This restroom is on the passage directly from the plane, and it's not yet in the baggage claim area. It's not allowed to bring such a large suitcase on the plane."
Chang Dachun understood: "Meaning this man attacked Lin Han, put her in the suitcase, and took her away. Officer, am I understanding this correctly?"
"Yes!" Big Zhou nodded.
Da Huang immediately became agitated and shouted: "Don't let me find out who he is! I'll kill him when I do."
Chang Dachun quickly pulled Da Huang back and anxiously said to Big Zhou: "Hurry and find this person."
Big Zhou sighed: "He was wearing sunglasses and a mask, so we can't identify him from the video at all. Moreover, we've investigated everyone on the same flight as Lin Han, and there's no one who resembles this person."
"What about other flights?"
"We're investigating, and it's a huge workload. So far, there are no clues."
Chang Dachun asked a few more questions, growing anxious. He then remembered to ask me. I hadn't said a word from beginning to end, only frowning.
I know my wife better than anyone. Even if she were stuffed into a doll, I could recognize her by her subtle movements. I admit that the figure looked a lot like Lin Han, and the clothes she wore were ones Lin Han had worn, but she wasn't Lin Han.
Moreover, there's a problem now. Big Zhou is a diligent worker and must have investigated all the videos. If she didn't appear anywhere else, it's very strange.
"Tang Nan, what are you thinking? Give us an idea," Chang Dachun asked.
"Brother, don't blame him. His sister is missing, and he's distraught," Da Huang spoke up for me.
I pondered and asked Big Zhou: "Officer, did Lin Han exhibit any unusual behavior on the plane?"
"Ms. Lin Han was in business class. The flight attendants said that throughout the entire flight, Ms. Lin Han never took off her mask."
Before I could speak, Fatty blurted out: "My sister must have been followed. How could she be so foolish? She should have called us in advance."
"How can we catch this person?"
Da Huang asked anxiously. Big Zhou couldn't answer; he was just routinely informing us of the investigation progress. Just as I was about to tell everyone that the person wasn't Lin Han, Fatty suddenly raised his hand: "Quiet, quiet. This scene seems very familiar to me. Let me think, what exactly is going on?"
"What's familiar about this? This is not the time..."
Da Huang was displeased, but Chang Dachun stopped him. I didn't know what Fatty was up to, so I also waited quietly. Big Zhou remained silent; he also needed clues to solve the case.
"I remember now. I read a serialized suspense novel, and in a recent case, the killer knocked out a woman in a restroom, put her in a large suitcase, and took her away from the scene."
"What's the use of talking about novels at a time like this!"
Da Huang was dissatisfied, but I vaguely saw a glimmer of hope. If there were clues, this might not be a simple kidnapping, but the work of the Schemer.
Over the years, Big Zhou had achieved remarkable success in solving cases and was quick-witted. His eyes lit up, and he pressed Fatty: "Can you tell me what novel it is?"
"Let me think."
Da Huang chimed in again: "Fatty, hurry up and tell the officer."
Chang Dachun was so angry he pulled Da Huang's arm: "Stop talking."
Fatty couldn't recall the name, so he took out his phone and found it, saying it was this one.
The novel was called "Calamity Descends in Threes" by author J. Detective. Its main selling point was the protagonist's use of triple murder methods to punish evil and promote good. In the latest serialized chapters, the killer was dealing with a wealthy woman smuggling antiques, acting as a hero. I saw the latest chapter described how the killer knocked out the wealthy woman in the airport restroom and took her away in a suitcase.
***
Big Zhou looked at the plot description, and it was indeed very similar to the current situation. He asked us to wait in the lobby and immediately went to find his subordinates to investigate the author's real identity. Since the novel website was located in Shanghai, the investigation was not quick.
In the lobby, Da Huang was as restless as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth. Fatty kept refreshing, both hoping and not hoping for the author to update with bloody chapters.
Only Chang Dachun remained as calm as ever. He looked at me: "Tang Nan, why don't you seem anxious at all?"
"The person who was taken away was not Lin Han."
"What?"
Chang Dachun didn't react for a moment. Da Huang and Fatty's gazes all shifted to me. Da Huang was about to shout, but I signaled him to be quiet. I said seriously: "That figure looked very much like Lin Han, but she wasn't Lin Han."
"Then who was she?"
"I don't know."
"Where is Lin Han?"
"The police officer named Big Zhou said Lin Han never took off her mask and sunglasses in business class. Even if she was being followed, what's the point of wearing sunglasses and a mask on the plane?"
Chang Dachun understood my meaning: "Tang Nan, are you saying Sister didn't even board the plane?"
"Yes."
Da Huang became anxious: "Then what the hell are we doing here? Let's go save Lin Han quickly."
I waved to stop Da Huang's impatience and said seriously: "They used this trick to create a diversion. I suspect Lin Han saw through their scheme and is temporarily out of danger. However, their plan was already in motion, so they had to find someone to impersonate Lin Han temporarily to lure me into their trap."
At this moment, even Da Huang was listening to me quietly. I looked at the three of them and said: "We'll split into two groups. I can't leave; I must stay here to keep the enemy occupied. Brother Chang, you and Brother Da Huang, go to the airport immediately. One of you flies north, and the other flies south."
Da Huang was puzzled: "Fly where?"
"The soonest available flight, so as not to give the enemy a chance to set up."
"And then?"
"The one flying south goes to Xi'an, and the one flying north goes to my hometown to find Tie Zhishan for help."
Da Huang was puzzled: "Not to find my sister?"
"Lin Han will not return to my parents' place if she's trying to shake off the enemy. She's a determined person and will find a way to deal with them. The further this battlefield is from home, the better. You are not familiar with my hometown, so let Tie Zhishan help. Tie Zhishan has recently returned home and is familiar with the area, which will make things twice as effective."
"What's the meaning of returning to Xi'an?"
"If the enemy is too powerful and Lin Han knows she can't defeat them, she will go home. Only then can I find her. So, going back to Xi'an might also be an option for her. Remember, no matter which direction you fly, identify the people following you, but do not lose them."
"Why is that?"
"Once you shake them off, new people will follow you. It's better to have people you know well when you need help at a critical moment."
Da Huang gave me a thumbs-up: "Awesome. I'll do as you say. I'm leaving now."
"One last thing? It doesn't matter if you can't find Lin Han, just believe that my wife won't be easily captured."
***
After Chang Dachun and Da Huang left, I looked at Fatty and asked seriously: "What kind of novel is 'Calamity Descends in Threes'? Brother San, tell me in detail."
"The author's logical ability is exceptionally strong. They don't follow ordinary orthodox reasoning. They are willing to use gimmicks, the plots are obvious, and the methods are bloody. However, because of the dark emotions and decisive actions, they have gained a large number of fans."
Fatty said while taking out his phone. He opened it and exclaimed: "Oh no, the author has updated."