Kiwi Beyond the Cage 010

**Knife in the Fog (IV)**

On the fifth day of Meng Qingde’s disappearance, the police were at a complete loss.

Her car, which she had driven to the villa, sat abandoned in the garden, its doors wide open and unlocked—a clear case of deliberate abandonment.

Given that most residents of the villa complex were affluent or influential, privacy was paramount. The area was guarded by a professional security team conducting 24-hour patrols, with surveillance cameras installed only in select locations.

Zhao Liang reviewed the day’s footage repeatedly but found no trace of Meng Qingde. The security guards on duty that day confirmed they had seen her car enter but not leave.

“If she disguised herself or altered her appearance, would you recognize her?”

The security captain replied confidently, “Impossible.”

The complex, though large, housed only a handful of prominent residents. The guards were well-versed in their profiles from day one; strangers couldn’t even enter. Even if someone slipped in, they’d be approached for identification. For Meng Qingde to leave undetected in disguise would require evading patrol teams—a near impossibility.

“How many exits does the complex have?”

“Four,” all equipped with surveillance. Zhao Liang had checked them all. The number of vehicles entering and exiting that day could be counted on one hand, none suspicious.

So, how did Meng Qingde vanish?

Five days of intensive searching—through the villa and the entire complex—yielded nothing.

Zhao Liang had never felt so frustrated. Collapsing into his office chair, he heard Officer Wang enter. “Any breakthrough from the Meng family?”

Wang snorted. “They’re all talk and no help. What do you expect?”

The family’s priority was the will and its assets, not their missing daughter.

“These rich folks are all the same,” Zhao Liang grumbled. “Their daughter’s gone missing, and they couldn’t care less. All they want is the will. Do they want us to find the will or their daughter?”

Exhausted from days of overtime, he massaged his aching forehead. “Compared to them, Sheng Long seems almost normal.”

“Normal?” Ou Yang Lin entered with coffee, handing a cup to each. “Meng Qingde is his biological mother. She’s been missing for days, and he hasn’t asked a single question. Don’t you find that odd?”

“So what?” Zhao Liang took a few gulps to stay awake. “He said himself he left home early and isn’t close to his parents.”

Their actions over these days certainly reflected that.

“These rich people,” Zhao Liang mimicked the Meng family’s haughtiness. “Money and power have blinded them. Wine and wealth numb their emotions. Blood ties mean nothing. Those elite families would do anything for power.”

Ou Yang Lin was both amused and irritated.

She slapped his forehead. “Too much TV, Zhao.”

If Zhao could think it, so could she. “As you said, Sheng Long’s indifferent to Meng Qingde, but as Sheng Linrong’s son and the primary heir, wouldn’t he care that she’s fled with the will?”

Born into wealth, running the family company, estranged from kin—understandable. But estranged from wealth and power? What exactly did he want?

“Exactly!” Zhao Liang realized. “You suspect him…”

Ou Yang Lin interjected, “It’s just a hypothesis. No evidence yet.”

After Meng Qingde’s disappearance, fearing she might harm Ji Wei again, Ou Yang immediately assigned officers to monitor the hospital—名义上是保护，实则是监视。

Sheng Long stayed by Ji Wei’s side at the hospital until today, when he finally returned to work.

Zhao Liang was uneasy. “Should I tail him instead?”

Tomorrow would mark the sixth day. They still couldn’t decipher the six days Meng Qingde had requested in her note. What would she do after six days? Who was the note even for?

“You stay. I need you for something else.”

The Sheng Linrong case had spiraled into multiple subplots: Ji Wei’s surveillance, Wu Fali’s mysterious death, and now Meng Qingde’s disappearance. The team had been working nonstop for over half a month, exhausted and shorthanded.

She handed Zhao Liang a stack of files. “Check this person out.”

While they’d made no progress on Meng Qingde, Wu Fali’s death had yielded new leads. After interviewing five delivery riders, Ou Yang and Wang canvassed the incident neighborhood, uncovering crucial details.

The first rider recalled:

The man who assaulted him wore the same delivery uniform, complete with a hat and mask, concealing his face.

Most cameras in the old district were dysfunctional, especially around the alley where he was beaten. While unconscious, he vaguely saw the man rummaging through his delivery cart, as if searching for something.

Ou Yang hypothesized the suspect was after Wu Fali’s orders, but how they confirmed the rider’s identity or knew Wu Fali’s ordering schedule remained puzzling.

The mystery soon unraveled.

Forensic experts discovered a virus in Wu Fali’s phone, traced to an inconspicuous encrypted app. Upon cracking it, they found screens of black对话框:

【As instructed, I only mentioned the emails, nothing else.】

【The cops are onto me. Heard he’s in the hospital. Can’t sneak out to stalk lately. Can we pause?】

【?? When’s the money?】

【Speak up.】

【You son of a bitch, answer me!! Or are you trying to stiff me?】

【Don’t think I don’t know who you are, you bitch. Want me to rat you out to the cops?!】

The chat displayed no timestamps—just Wu Fali’s monologue. After a tirade of insults, his messages turned garbled:

【Why won’t the phone call go through?】

【Did you do it?? What have you done!!!】

【I’m wrong, I’m wrong. Please, I’m sick, please take me to the hospital.】

Piecing together the fragmented text, it seemed Wu Fali had finished his meal, realized something was off, and tried to save himself. His phone couldn’t make calls; the poison left him weak, dizzy, and unable to type coherently.

The virus had a self-destruct protocol. Before police could review all data, Wu Fali’s phone overheated, stalled, and died. Technicians could only attempt recovery, with no guarantee of success or timeline.

Fortunately, they’d saved some dialogues. Evidence confirmed Wu Fali had lied to them.

Using emails for photos was a ruse. The real channel for stolen snaps was this cryptic app, and the mastermind behind it might not be Meng Qingde—or even someone she knew.

In other words, there could be a fourth surveillant, potentially the culprit behind these murders.

Recalling Ji Wei’s pale face, Ou Yang Lin felt a chill. Scouring her network yielded nothing.

Who could this fourth surveillant be?

Ou Yang and Wang canvassed the old district, learning most residents were elderly, spending days outdoors and well-acquainted with the few young adults in nearby buildings.

From them, they learned Wu Fali’s building housed only two young residents: him and “Red Hair” downstairs.

The elders didn’t know Red Hair’s real name, describing him as a flashy, foul-mouthed drifter, sometimes gone for days, other times stumbling home drunk at midnight, causing a ruckus.

Two days before Wu Fali’s murder, the elders saw Red Hair return, never to be seen again.

During the crime scene investigation, Ou Yang had knocked on Red Hair’s door—no answer. She returned at night; still no lights, no one home.

The elders’ description of Red Hair matched the suspect who knocked out the delivery rider. To this day, Red Hair hasn’t resurfaced—his disappearance now highly suspicious.

Zhao Liang’s mission: find Red Hair. The fourth surveillant’s info might just spill from him.

.

On the sixth day of Meng Qingde’s disappearance, the police remained empty-handed.

Ji Wei, however, regained clarity this day.

The ward was quiet. Two teddy bears sat side by side on the sofa, smiling at her from across the bed. Fresh flowers with dewdrops filled a new vase—the old one… shattered the night Ou Yang Lin left.

Fortunately, it was just a vase.

Not every life is meant for a good police officer.

Ji Wei’s head still felt foggy. Post-episode, she rarely remembered delusional episodes—only vague, fragmented memories unless… some real, terrifying detail from her hallucinations bled into reality, forcing her to remember.

Like Sheng Long wishing her a happy birthday.

*Bang, bang—*

Intolerable horrors brought back hallucinations: Ji Wei heard钝器striking the ceiling, knives piercing flesh.

*Bang—*

The ward door swung open with a heavy thud.

Ji Wei jolted, returning to the present. The caregiver, carrying a thermos, entered softly, her movements gentle—a nervous Ji Wei had magnified the sounds, scaring herself.

“Awake?” The caregiver smiled, thinking Ji Wei still groggy, coaxing her like a child, “Want some porridge?”

Ji Wei clenched her candy box and shook her head, prying a piece of sugar with cold fingers and placing it in her mouth. As calmly as possible, she asked, “Where is he?”

“You mean Mr. Sheng?” The caregiver hadn’t yet noticed the urgency. “He went to the office to handle things and will be back soon. You…”

Her arm grabbed, the caregiver looked puzzled at Ji Wei.

“Can I borrow your phone?” Ji Wei’s face drained of color rapidly—she couldn’t wait for him to return.

Thankfully, she had memorized that number. Ignoring the teddy bear’s gaze, she used the caregiver’s phone to call Ou Yang Lin, “Where’s Meng Qingde… Officer Ou Yang, find Meng Qingde now, she’s in danger!!”

At the police station, the Meng family was causing a scene, demanding the will and Meng Qingde be found that day.

As captain, Ou Yang Lin was the primary target. Normally too busy for calls, she paused upon seeing the caregiver’s number—worried something happened at the hospital. She signaled a break and headed outside.

“What attitude is this?!”

“If my sister’s will is harmed, I’ll never forgive you!”

Amidst the chaos, Ou Yang heard Ji Wei’s unusually clear voice. Before Ji Wei could say more, another call interrupted.

“Ji Wei.” Meng Qingde’s voice came through the speaker, cold and processed.

Unknown how she got the caregiver’s number, she chose this moment to call. After a long breath, she said, “I’m sorry.”

She also said, “Happy birthday.”