Chapter 52: No Time
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While Xu Xingran wiped her tears and comforted her, “Auntie, this really isn’t your fault. Even if you had come back today to cook for An Lan, the bad guys would still find an opportunity to take him away. It’s not your fault at all. If anything, the three of us going to the supermarket with him ended up losing him, we have even less face to see you.”
“You… are all good children… it’s not your fault…”
Gu Liyu had been silent all along. He closed his eyes, half-tilted his head, seemingly lost in thought.
Suddenly, he stood up and walked to the balcony. It looked like he wanted to get some fresh air, but Xiao Chen could tell that he might have thought of something. So, saying, “I’ll get some fresh air,” he followed Gu Liyu to the balcony.
On the balcony, yesterday’s clothes that An Lan changed out of were still hanging there, swaying gently in the night breeze. A faint trace of An Lan’s scent could still be detected.
Gu Liyu leaned against the balcony, looking into the distance. Xiao Chen came to his side and asked, “What are you thinking?”
“So far, we haven’t received any ransom requests, and if this was planned by Xiao Yun, he would have contacted you by now. So, from a timing perspective…”
“Eden has taken An Lan, with about seventy to eighty percent certainty,” Xiao Chen said.
“But how did Eden find out about An Lan’s physical condition?” Gu Liyu raised a question that had been overlooked by them.
Xiao Chen was momentarily stunned, then immediately understood. “You mean the hospital? An Lan seems to have been treated at the same hospital all along…”
Gu Liyu nodded and said, “Yes.”
“So, should we check the hospital?”
“But we can’t make it too obvious,” Xu Xingran’s voice came from behind.
Gu Liyu and Xiao Chen turned around together.
Xu Xingran walked to their side, hands resting on the edge of the balcony, looking back at the two of them.
Gu Liyu nodded and said, “Yes.”
Then, the three of them quietly stayed on the balcony.
The night breeze came, and Gu Liyu lifted his head, seeing An Lan’s oversized white T-shirt fluttering gently.
The young man used to wear that T-shirt inside his blue and white school uniform, sticking to his skin and enjoying his body warmth.
Gu Liyu raised his hand, lightly tapping the hem of the T-shirt with his fingertips.
Xu Xingran’s phone rang, he glanced at it, and said softly, “The person who took An Lan from the supermarket has been found. Let’s go, and see what kind of tricks these guys are playing.”
They arrived at the police station, and the captain, smoking a cigarette, looked very troubled. Only when he saw Xu Xingran did he reluctantly smile.
“After those two guys drove the car out of the supermarket, they drove straight to a freight warehouse. Then, someone came to meet them at the warehouse and took An Lan away.”
“Did those two stubbornly refuse to reveal who the contact person is?” Xu Xingran asked.
“Yes. We can’t beat them up either. They seem to have made up their minds not to say anything and want to waste our time.”
Xu Xingran chuckled and asked, “Are they beta?”
“No, they are both alpha. An Lan is not exactly weak; two beta may not necessarily subdue him.”
“Alright, you keep questioning them. We’ll wait outside.”
“Continue questioning? They’re stubborn and won’t talk.”
Xu Xingran lowered his head and chuckled, “Once we arrive, they’ll tell the truth.”
Hearing this, the captain squinted his eyes, understanding the implication.
These two guys who helped “Eden” kidnap An Lan were named Zhao Da and Huang Xiang. After beating up their supervisor in the company and getting fired due to their violent history, they couldn’t find a job anywhere. Later, they were hired by “Eden” and earned quite a bit of money. They even bought houses in the city.
But the two of them also knew very well that if they revealed any information about “Eden,” what awaited them wouldn’t just be a lack of money but a loss of their lives.
Because of this, even if their bones were broken, they would swallow the pain themselves.
As soon as Zhao Da saw the captain, he put on a carefree expression, saying, “Gentlemen, I really don’t know anything. If you have major cases to solve, wasting time on me might not be a good idea, right?”
The captain, indifferent, said, “Whether it’s a waste of time or not is not for you to decide. Let me ask you again, after you took An Lan to the warehouse, who came to meet you? What are their names? What features do they have?”
Zhao Da smirked, repeating the nonsense he had said before.
“Are you sure there’s nothing you want to add?” the captain asked.
“No…”
Zhao Da was about to say “no,” but at some point, a very peculiar smell pervaded the room.
It was like the intense odor after wood burns violently. Countless sparks burst on his nerves, his breath was suppressed, his body trembled uncontrollably, and a huge sense of fear surged to his heart.
This was the scent of an alpha…
Could it be the captain in front of him? But if it was the pheromones released by the captain, why didn’t the officers around him react at all?
Zhao Da was drenched in cold sweat, gripping the arms of the chair tightly.
“Zhao Da?” the captain raised an eyebrow.
His five senses were forcefully invaded by this pheromone, unable to smell any scent, and his body couldn’t even sense the temperature. His fingers gripped the chair’s arms, but he couldn’t feel the chair’s existence. His internal organs seemed to be mixed together, and when he opened his mouth to breathe, air simply couldn’t get in.
His body felt as if it had been dragged into another space, and even his vision was gradually darkening.
The invisible pressure was unbearable; he lowered his head, and his neck seemed about to break.
It was a feeling more terrifying than death. With each passing second, his body’s cells were being scattered like grains of sand blown by the wind, and he was about to disintegrate!
“I… I’ll talk…”
In an instant, the stagnant air began to flow again, as if he had walked a circle on the edge of death and came back. Afraid that he might speak too slowly and experience the fear of having his senses sealed again, Zhao Da quickly said, “I said…”
That feeling was as if one was alive but their body was dead.
“Eden” was a highly secretive organization, and Zhao Da had almost no substantial contact with people within the organization. Every time they handed over a beta, they would go to the designated location according to the instructions. They would stop the car, the receiving party would take the goods, and cash would be left behind.
They had no direct contact.
The captain didn’t feel hopeless because of this; instead, he inquired about all the locations and times of the transactions in detail.
When Zhao Da was taken out of the interrogation room, his whole body was limp, his back was soaked, and he couldn’t walk; he had to be supported by two officers.
Before Huang Xiang was taken into the interrogation room, he passed by Zhao Da. Seeing his appearance, Huang Xiang staggered in fear.
Zhao Da seemed to have not been physically touched by anyone, but he had a look as if he was about to die.
After Huang Xiang entered, in less than a minute, he also confessed, saying similar things to Zhao Da but adding many details about the deliveries.
The captain said to the officers beside him, “Based on the time and locations they confessed, focus on checking surveillance videos. I don’t believe these people could leave no traces.”
The officer who was taking notes was very puzzled and couldn’t help asking, “Boss, what’s going on? Why wouldn’t these two speak earlier, and now they’re saying everything?”
The captain didn’t answer him directly. Instead, he said, “In this world, there are some people or things scarier than death.”
They packed up and left the interrogation room, passing by a small room next to the interrogation room where three students were sitting.
“Boss, what’s scarier than death?”
The captain patted his shoulder and said, “Being overwhelmed by an alpha’s pheromones.”
“But… we didn’t feel anything.” The young officer showed a puzzled expression.
The captain narrowed his eyes and said, “Believe me, that’s not a pleasant experience. It’s fortunate not to feel it.”
Because many of Zhao Da and their transactions with “Eden” had been going on for more than half a year, surveillance footage could not be retrieved, and in the last six months, there were only three transactions, with almost no footage capturing the people who came to collect the goods.
It had to be said that the meticulousness of “Eden” was astonishing. If allowed to continue developing, the entire social structure would be subverted by them.
Those one or two hours of video footage—everyone looked through it repeatedly, hoping to find clues, even if it was just a tiny one.
The captain squinted his eyes, and in the footage, a car approached from afar, illuminating the shop window. The car belonging to “Eden” flashed by.
“Stop, rewind! Rewind! That’s it! Zoom in on the shop window!”
Although not very clear, the people in the car either wore hats or masks. However, there was a man in the passenger seat with one hand hanging outside the window, and on the back of his hand was a tattoo.
After restoration, the tattoo turned out to be a snake.
This result did not make everyone cheer. They were unsure when this tattoo was done or even if it was done in the city. How many people had the same tattoo?
It was still like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The captain handed the picture of the tattoo to Xu Xingran.
“With the capabilities of the Xu family, perhaps they can really find this person.”
“Thank you.” Xu Xingran squinted at the photo and said, “This is the snake that infiltrated Eden. Look, it’s still holding an apple in its mouth.”
After taking the photo, Xu Xingran went to discuss with Gu Liyu and Xiao Chen.
Regarding the school, they temporarily hid the news of An Lan’s disappearance, so as not to cause panic among the students.
But now, it had been more than forty-eight hours since An Lan was taken away.
“At first, I thought Eden couldn’t resist and would actively contact us, but now it seems… I might have been wrong.” Xu Xingran frowned.
“Eden will give us clues, making us take the initiative to find them,” Gu Liyu replied.
Xiao Chen rubbed his chin. “Then let’s each try and see who can find Eden first. I’ve never hated playing hide and seek so much in my life.”
At that moment, Xiao Chen’s phone vibrated. He took it out, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow.
“What’s up?” Xu Xingran asked.
“I’ve got a lead,” Xiao Chen turned his phone around for them to see.
The message was from an unknown number: [If you want him alive, go to the back alley of 23 Lening Road before 22:00 tonight. Time waits for no one.]
Xu Xingran intriguingly stroked his chin, “People from Eden are well aware that the three of us are together. They didn’t bother cautioning you in the messages, indicating a strong confidence. They seem eager for the three of us to go together.”
Gu Liyu commented lightly, “It’s a good opportunity to test whether Xiao Yun is involved in this.”
“If he is, I’ll smash his head in,” Xiao Chen gritted his teeth.
“I’ll go follow my lead,” Xu Xingran raised his hand and showed them the picture.
“I also have a direction to investigate,” Gu Liyu stood up.
“Hey,” Xiao Chen called out. The other two turned to look at him.
“Our goal is to bring him back, whether he’s an alpha or omega, whether we have feelings for him or not… he’s our classmate, a rare friend… we might not have such good friends again in the future.” Xiao Chen’s gaze was serious.
“Nonsense,” Xu Xingran turned and left.
“If there’s any news, I’ll let you know,” Gu Liyu also left.
Xiao Chen let out a breath, glanced at the time on his wrist, and saw there were still two or three hours until the agreed time of 22:00.
He entered an internet cafe, opened a computer in the most secluded corner, his fingers swiftly typing on the keyboard. Then, he clicked “send.”
Meanwhile, Xiao Yun was leaning against the bed, holding a tablet to check his email messages.
Due to his heart condition, he subscribed to several electronic journals on heart-related issues.
Just as he was about to take a break, he noticed an unread electronic journal with the title “Irreversible Damage Caused by Eve’s Apple to the Heart.” The content of the paper included various clinical data and real cases. The conclusion was that the newly appeared ‘Golden Apple’ on the market extracted a large amount of aplus component from alpha pheromones during the purification process. However, this purification process would cause significant damage to the alpha’s heart, affecting myocardial function and even leading to myocardial necrosis. The worst result could be sudden death on the spot.
Xiao Yun’s hand trembled, immediately opening the webpage, continuously searching. This paper seemed to have been published today, and many authoritative medical websites had reposted it.
Xiao Yun’s hand clenched the bedsheet, getting tighter and tighter.
Anxiously, he reached for his phone and called his mother, “Mom! Tell them to stop, tell them not to touch Xiao Chen!”
“What’s wrong with you? It’s so late, and suddenly you’re telling me not to touch Xiao Chen?” his mother asked.
At this moment, the door to the room opened. A woman in her forties, wearing a silk nightgown, walked over. As soon as she reached Xiao Yun’s bedside, she was grabbed by Xiao Yun, “Mom, Eden wants the aplus in Xiao Chen’s pheromones! And not just a small amount, but a large amount! This large intake will cause massive damage to Xiao Chen’s heart! Even if Eden promises to bring Xiao Chen’s heart back to us later, what’s the use of a damaged heart?”
“It can’t be true,” Xiao Yun’s mother, Han Li, the financial director of a listed company, and the well-known tycoon in the real estate industry, said with disbelief.
“It’s true.” Xiao Yun opened all the news reports for Han Li to see. “Mom, we initially wanted to use Eden to get rid of Xiao Chen and get his heart. But according to these studies… if Eden significantly purifies Xiao Chen’s aplus, it will render his heart useless!”
Han Li’s expression also became heavy.
Although the Han family was engaged in the real estate industry, there were also many shady businesses behind the scenes. One part of it was to introduce clients to Eden. These clients spent a fortune to “customize” omegas from Eden. Therefore, Han Li had some ways to contact people from Eden.
After Gu Yunyi’s art exhibition, Xiao Yun investigated An Lan and discovered that he had been injected with eve’s apple three times the regular amount.
They reported An Lan’s situation to Eden, attracting Eden’s attention and leading to subsequent transactions.
However, they never expected that it would ruin Xiao Chen’s heart.
Apart from Xiao Chen, Xiao Yun was afraid he wouldn’t live to see another heart match for himself.
“Mom, quickly contact them, don’t touch Xiao Chen…”
“No… you don’t understand Eden’s style. They do as they please, and we have no room for negotiation.”
“Then… we can only keep an eye on Xiao Chen. Absolutely don’t let Eden take him away. We’ll figure something out after the An Lan incident is over.”
“That’s all we can do.”
Han Li glanced at the time; it was half-past nine in the evening. She called Xiao Chen’s younger sister, Xiao Le.
“Lele, it’s Aunt Han. Has your brother returned home?”
Xiao Le replied indifferently, “I haven’t seen my brother for two or three days. If there’s anything, you can contact him directly.”
After saying that, Xiao Le hung up.
As soon as Han Li heard the phrase “two or three days,” she immediately had a bad premonition.
Ignoring the fact that her relationship with Xiao Chen had long been frozen, Han Li immediately dialed Xiao Chen’s phone.
Xiao Chen’s phone was on, which was a relief.
But after calling five or six times, he still refused to answer. Han Li immediately sent a text message: Xiao Chen, I have important things to tell you. Answer the phone right away.
At this moment, Xiao Chen was eating noodles at a roadside stall. The alley across from him was the agreed-upon meeting place with Eden.
Xiao Chen glanced at the message from Han Li and directly replied: No time.
His fingers tapped on the tabletop, and he turned the phone over. He had just sent out those research papers, and Han Li couldn’t wait to call. It seemed that An Lan’s situation was definitely related to them.
Xiao Chen touched his chest, feeling his heart beating forcefully in his chest.
A faint smile appeared on his lips, but his gaze was ice-cold.
Author’s note:
If you steal a chicken, you might lose a whole sack of rice, probably something like Xiao Yun.
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