Silent Testimony - Chapter 41

“No need. Clear out all the equipment from the factory and lie low for half a month. Wait for my notification.”

Third Uncle sighed, “Aren’t you being too cautious? Besides, there’s competition in the casino business. We had about ten fewer people tonight than usual, and even some of our high-rollers ran off to the next town.”

“Third Uncle, forbearance means calm for a while; stepping back grants a wider horizon.”

The man rubbed his forehead helplessly. “Fine, it’s your casino, you call the shots.” After they ended the call, Third Uncle suddenly realized, “What if that young girl filmed something? All of us here are well-known figures in Wanyang Town.”

“Uncle, should we bring her back and search her? We don’t have to tell the boss,” suggested the black-clad man responsible for the entry scan, knowing that they had only gone through the motions and hadn’t searched her carefully.

Third Uncle pondered and nodded. “Alright, contact Second Sister-in-Law.”

On the country road five kilometers away, the sedan was speeding. In the back seat, Cheng Yingqiu appeared to be resting her eyes, but was actually estimating the time needed for the return trip, knowing that variables could arise before safely reaching Wanyang. As she deliberated, an abrupt ringtone broke the silence.

Second Sister-in-Law pulled her phone from her purse. “Hello.”

“She’s here.”

“What did you say?”

“Okay.” Second Sister-in-Law, in the passenger seat, hung up, typed a message into the memo, and showed it to the driver. The driver looked up, glanced at Cheng Yingqiu, and immediately made a U-turn at the next intersection.

With her phone in anti-eavesdropping mode, Cheng Yingqiu couldn’t hear their conversation, but she noticed the car was heading in the opposite direction. After a brief moment of surprise, she reacted quickly: “Second Sister-in-Law, where are we going?”

Second Sister-in-Law spoke evasively: “Oh, one of our big clients lost valuables and worries about a thief. Since you’re a new customer, he requested a body search…”

“What does that have to do with me? Body searches are illegal, do you know that?” Cheng Yingqiu was terrified, but she couldn’t show weakness at this crucial moment, questioning her sharply.

The driver sneered, “Heh, gambling is also illegal.”

Second Sister-in-Law tried to persuade her nicely: “Sister, the big client can’t call the police, so he just wants a search to settle the matter once and for all.”

Cheng Yingqiu realized she was trapped, with every move under their control. Her tone softened slightly: “How long will this take?”

“Twenty minutes at most, round trip.”

“Mhm, my friend is waiting for me at the hotel,” Cheng Yingqiu deliberately mentioned another person, intending to warn them not to act rashly. The car continued forward. She held her breath for two minutes, her face flushed, and said weakly, “Second Sister-in-Law, stop the car.”

Seeing her clutching her stomach, seemingly enduring pain, Second Sister-in-Law quickly asked, “Sister, what’s wrong?”

“My stomach hurts. I might have eaten something bad,” Cheng Yingqiu said softly. “Oh, it’s unbearable.”

The driver was impatient. “Hold on for six more minutes.”

Cheng Yingqiu yelled, “Six minutes? I can’t hold it! What kind of hospitality is this? Can’t I just go to the restroom?”

The driver, knowing he couldn’t afford to offend a customer, negotiated with Second Sister-in-Law: “There’s a public restroom 200 meters ahead. You stand guard at the door for her.”

“Fine,” Second Sister-in-Law replied, turning to instruct. “Sister, leave the bag you’re carrying behind.”

Cheng Yingqiu smiled. “Okay, I’ll leave my phone too.”

About three minutes later, the car stopped to the right of the public restroom. Cheng Yingqiu got out with a packet of tissues, eagerly pushed open the stall door, while Second Sister-in-Law waited outside the women’s room. Cheng Yingqiu initiated a conversation: “Second Sister-in-Law, how much do you skim off the top every day running a casino?”

“Sister, the less you know, the better.”

“Oh.” Cheng Yingqiu quietly moved some bricks, continued making small talk, finally checked the height, and climbed out the window by stepping on the bricks. She twisted her ankle upon landing. Although she quickly covered her mouth, a sound still escaped: “Ouch.”

Second Sister-in-Law became suspicious: “What is it?”

“N-nothing.” Cheng Yingqiu disappeared into the inky darkness, moving toward the slope behind her.

The driver walked across from the restroom to smoke. After stubbing out his second cigarette, he shouted: “Second Sister-in-Law, it’s been 15 minutes! Is she still in there?”

“Ah, she’s been chatting with me the whole time.”

“Go check. Don’t let her pass out in there.”

“Okay,” Second Sister-in-Law replied, walking closer. “Sister, are you finished?”

The stall was silent.

“Sister.” Second Sister-in-Law pushed open the doors one by one. She suddenly saw the stack of bricks beneath the window, slapped her thigh in astonishment, and shouted: “Niu Sanwa! She ran away!”

The driver rushed over upon hearing this. “Where did she run?”

“She climbed out the window!”

The driver circled the restroom, confirming Cheng Yingqiu’s route: “She ran towards the slope. She can’t have gone far. You call Third Uncle to bring people over. I’ll chase her first.”

“Okay, okay.” Second Sister-in-Law took out her phone to call Third Uncle, who informed her that he had already called people to come five minutes ago.

“She’s definitely trouble. What should we do?” The woman’s face was pale and anxious. “Could the police have sent her to investigate?”

Third Uncle spoke sternly: “Catch her and hold her. Then the police won’t have any evidence.” He asked, “Where are that girl’s bag and phone?”

“In the car.”

“Go take out the SIM card and turn it off.”

Second Sister-in-Law, who had never dealt with a major crisis or the police, trembled: “Okay.”

“Don’t panic. Calm down. Just think about earning over a hundred thousand a month.”

Second Sister-in-Law ducked into the back seat, found Cheng Yingqiu’s phone, and used a pin to eject the SIM tray.

Six kilometers away on the provincial road, officer Xiao Zhang was driving. Qiu Wan, unfamiliar with the area, sat in the passenger seat, closely watching the shared location. The familiar avatar suddenly disappeared.

“Captain Qiu, I know where it is, don’t worry,” Xiao Zhang reassured the tense-looking Qiu Wan.

Qiu Wan’s face was grim, her voice cold: “Speed up.”

Xiao Zhang was surprised. “I’m already at 70 mph, that’s speeding.”

Xiao Liao, in the back seat, swallowed. “If the Boss tells you to step on the gas, just do it. You won’t get points deducted in an emergency.”

“Got it! Hold on tight,” Xiao Zhang accelerated fiercely.

Qiu Wan took a deep breath, suppressing her unprecedented anxiety, and reminded him, “Watch the road conditions too.” Twenty minutes ago, she had received a call from Cheng Yingqiu’s colleague.

Xiao Zhang explained the situation: “That’s a fertilizer factory, leased last year to someone named Ma. It’s about four kilometers from the public restroom. I think Reporter Cheng sent the location when she was nearby.”

The clever Cheng Yingqiu had sent the shared location while grabbing the tissues. She was now hiding under a partially concealed tree pit. It was pitch black, and she could hear the driver’s shouts in the distance.

“Sister, come out first. Just hand over the stuff, and you can go back safely.”

“I know this area well. You can’t hide.”

Cheng Yingqiu desperately covered her mouth. Although she had always been brave, being in such a precarious environment, she couldn’t help but tremble physically. The flashlight swung around. She watched the beam, huddling inward against the dirt mound.

The driver tricked her: “I can see you now.”

Cheng Yingqiu realized the driver was within three meters but remained motionless, biting her lip.

The driver answered the phone and cursed angrily: “The damn girl is hiding somewhere. I can’t even see her shadow.”

“Eight people, you say? Then surround the place. We’ll find her even if we have to dig three feet down.”

“Fine, I’ll smoke a cigarette while I wait.”

Eight people… Cheng Yingqiu leaned against the dirt mound, feeling weak, her eyes filled with despair.

Shortly after, the noisy voices grew closer, all complaining that she was causing trouble: “I should have been home collecting money. At least two or three thousand.”

“Yeah, she ruined it.”

“Third Uncle said to lock her up in the old house in the village.”

“But I heard her friend is waiting. Will she call the police?”

“Call the police? Where would the police get evidence? Second Sister-in-Law is going to clean the car, and she already threw away the phone and bag.”

A burst of laughter. Cheng Yingqiu’s throat tightened, her eyes reddened, and a blurred figure emerged in her mind—her last hope.

The black-clad man deployed the others: “Let’s go, hurry up. Two people search one side, converge toward the middle.”

“Got it!”

“We’ll take that side.”

The footsteps grew closer and closer.

“Hands up! Don’t move!”

“Police?”

The black-clad man chuckled: “No way! The police at Wanyang Town station usually can’t even be bothered to investigate phone theft. How could they be out in the middle of the night?”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhang’s face grew darker, and he roared: “Operating a casino and resisting arrest?”

The black-clad man whispered to the driver: “We’re all masked. If they’re really police, run for it.”

“What if it’s not?”

“Fight! There’s only one man and one woman.”

Qiu Wan pulled out her police badge and said coldly, “Puchen Public Security Bureau Criminal Investigation Brigade.”

“C-City Bureau people!” The black-clad man was dumbfounded and immediately bolted down the hill.

“Catch at least one person!”

“Yes!” Xiao Zhang chased the black-clad man.

Qiu Wan took advantage of another man being frozen in place, immediately turned, and swiftly subdued him by leaning her left shoulder forward, down, and to the right to press against his right elbow joint.

Cheng Yingqiu recognized Qiu Wan’s voice and stood on her tiptoes to observe. Although she couldn’t clearly see the woman’s face, she stared intently at her agile movements, her eyes sparkling.

The scattered thugs, unaware of the reason, came forward to help: “What’s going on?”

The man restrained by Qiu Wan tilted his head and shouted: “Run!”

“Run for what? Can’t four or five of us take her down?” A man quickly stepped forward, grabbing Qiu Wan’s free wrist with both hands. Qiu Wan immediately twisted her waist to the right, simultaneously rotating her arms like a whirlwind from the inside out, using skilled leverage to unleash power. The man cried out in pain and instantly let go. She shoved him hard, sending him flying half a meter away.

“Come at me again,” Qiu Wan said. Strands of hair clung to her stern profile. Her eyes were dark, like the gloom before a storm. “Or tell me where she is?”