r18novel Chapter 209 Long Line
Chapter 209 Long Line
Chapter 209 The Long Journey (Part 2)
When Wei Hongsi returned home, his father, Wei Guangzhi, was sitting in the living room, picking vegetables and watching TV. The sound of chopping vegetables came from the kitchen, clearly indicating that his mother, Zhou Jing, was busy at work.
He greeted his father, then went to the kitchen to say a few words to his mother, before returning to the living room to sit down next to his father and help him prepare the vegetables.
He had already told his brother about his trip back to Xicheng today, so his parents weren't surprised and prepared a very lavish dinner.
Wei Guangzhi asked a few questions about how well he was adapting to his job, and Wei Hongsi replied, "Everything is going smoothly." His father nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
From childhood to adulthood, Wei Hongsi never caused his family any worry about his studies, so his parents got used to not interfering much in his personal affairs.
Perhaps it was this relaxed family environment that gave Uncle Zhang the opportunity to take advantage of him. If it were another child, not staying home after school would probably have caused their parents to fly into a rage.
After Wei Hongsi finished helping his father prepare the vegetables, Wei Hongbo returned not long after.
"Weren't you here on a business trip? Why are you back so early?" Wei Guangzhi was a little surprised that his eldest son had returned so early.
"I'm on a business trip, not working a regular office job, so I don't have a fixed schedule," Wei Hongbo said as he changed his shoes at the door and walked over. "I have something to discuss with Hongsi, so I'd like to use your study."
"Do whatever you want, just don't smoke in my room!" Wei Guangzhi nodded, his eyes fixed on the television.
Wei Hongbo agreed, and the two brothers went into their father's study and closed the door.
Wei Hongsi sat down in his father's rattan chair and swayed back and forth, saying, "I have confirmed that Zhang Shuqiu did indeed receive memory implantation."
"You were right." Wei Hongbo sat down behind his father's desk, frowning. "Why does Uncle Zhang always target those closest to him?"
"If he doesn't do this, how can he prevent information leaks?" Wei Hongsi then told his older brother about the analysis he had made with Zhang Shuqiu on his way home.
After listening, Wei Hongbo pondered for a moment and said, "Uncle Zhang has implanted his wife's memories into his daughter. What is he trying to do?"
Wei Hongsi said, "I have a guess. I think Uncle Zhang's wife is Huajianyue, and that book, 'The Story of Time,' was written by his wife's consciousness through Zhang Shuqiu's hand. After that book was printed, it should have been kept in Zhang Shuqiu's house until Han Tao came to pick it up."
"This should explain why that book was very important to Uncle Zhang. In terms of the outcome, the deaths of both Uncle Zhang and Han Tao were written in that book. So I suspect that the reason Uncle Zhang disappeared for a period of time and then stopped contacting me was related to the contents of that book."
Wei Hongbo nodded slowly and said, "Our investigation over the past two days has not yielded any information related to Uncle Zhang's wife. She is a very mysterious person."
If someone knew their death had been written into a book, they would logically address that crisis first before worrying about anything else. However, my brother's speculation is putting the cart before the horse, and its validity remains to be verified. But Uncle Zhang's wife is undoubtedly a key figure.
Wei Hongsi said, "I suspect that his wife died a long time ago, and at the time of her death, she was probably about the same age as Zhang Shuqiu now, or slightly older."
He had originally intended to test his "age recognition" talent on Zhang Shuqiu to see if it could detect whether she had received memory implantation, but it seems he didn't get the chance. In Zhang Shuqiu's brain, the consciousness belonging to her mother had likely already disappeared. Even if it still existed, it would be the same age as Zhang Shuqiu, and probably wouldn't be able to detect anything.
Wei Hongbo thought for a moment and said, "We can only start by investigating Xiao Qiu. She wasn't born in Xicheng. Her birth information wasn't networked more than 20 years ago, which makes things a bit tricky."
Wei Hongsi then recounted the underground warehouse behind the residential area, as well as the story of how two children, one became mentally disabled and the other disappeared, went missing years ago.
Zhang Shuqiu's description is rather vague, but it does provide relatively clear information that can be investigated.
Then she said, "According to Zhang Shuqiu, Han Tao went to Yuecheng with her. But I doubt that Han Tao, given his condition, would be able to follow her by car alone unless someone provided assistance."
Wei Hongbo said, "Shengyong's side didn't find any record of Han Tao taking the high-speed rail. How did Xiao Qiu get to Yuecheng?"
Wei Hongsi said, "She didn't say, but I guess it was the high-speed rail, since that's the most convenient."
Wei Hongbo said, "According to Sheng Yong's investigation, Han Tao is from Lucheng (a northern city in Country C). He has a history of mental illness, but it is mild and he is basically able to take care of himself. He traveled from Lucheng to Xicheng in several different vehicles, including buses that picked up passengers along the way, unlicensed minibuses, and even large trucks."
Wei Hongsi was puzzled: "How did someone with a mental disability manage to do that?"
Wei Hongbo said, "He can take a ride as long as he has money. He knows where he wants to go, and after receiving payment, the driver can give him a ride for a while and then tell him where to catch the next ride."
"I can't believe it's possible!" Wei Hongsi was very surprised; this was a mode of transportation he had never experienced before.
Wei Hongbo said, "However, your analysis is not wrong either. The distance from Lucheng to Xicheng is more than 2,000 kilometers. Without someone secretly guiding him, he probably wouldn't be able to find it even after half a month."
"The most crucial thing is that someone needs to constantly provide him with cash, because he can't go anywhere without money. And this money can't be given too much at once, otherwise he won't have a sense of how much he spends, and it will easily attract attention."
"Do you remember that before Han Tao got into trouble, he was illegally detained by some people who were gambling? He must have been out of money at that time, and when he saw the cash on the table, he tried to take it. So we suspect that the people who were with him during that period may have left."
Wei Hongsi knew that the "we" his brother mentioned also included Zhang Shengyong. In the division of labor made by Director Shi, Zhang Shengyong was the one responsible for investigating Han Tao's line of work.
He asked, "So, the people who followed Han Tao should have seen Zhang Shuqiu and me. Did Brother Yong find any suspicious people by reviewing the surveillance footage?"
"At least not yet." Wei Hongbo shook his head. "If it were an organization similar to the Light Guide Society, it certainly wouldn't be short of money and could easily conduct observation and surveillance from several kilometers away."
Wei Hongsi said, "Then the only hope is to see who goes to find Zhang Shuqiu."
Wei Hongbo said, "And you too."
He wasn't worried about his younger brother's safety, since Director Liang had arranged for people to protect him. Zhang Shuqiu usually spent most of her time at home writing, making it easy to monitor her surroundings.
But waiting passively like this is somewhat passive. If the people from that organization don't show up for two or three years, are we just going to wait like this?
Thinking of this, Wei Hongbo shook his head and said, "I think you should talk to Xiao Qiu a few more times. She is very important right now. Try to get more clues from her."