Iren looked deeply at Shannchyuan. Apparently, his eyes showed disapproval. But he nodded. In a flash, he went downstairs to the bottom floor to enter a secret passage leading to their backyard.
Shannchyuan stared at Iren's back until the figure of his best friend disappeared from his sight. He then walked in circles for about five minutes. After that, he stepped into a certain part of the shopping center in the underground station. He looked into every stall in that section. After doing that a few times, Shannchyuan smiled.
He saw a figure standing in front of a simple inn in the mall. Shannchyuan quickly followed the figure. Shannchyuan wore shoes that had rubber soles so that the footsteps he made were not heard. Even if they were heard, the sound of his footsteps would not attract attention because the atmosphere was quite crowded there.
When he had caught up with the figure, Shannchyuan poked the person's shoulder straight away.
"What are you doing here?" Shannchyuan's voice was quite loud. He was sure that the person must have instantly realized who it was who poked his shoulder.
The figure who was taller than Shannchyuan stopped walking. Instantly, he turned around. This time, he faced Shannchyuan. They both stood facing each other.
"Beaushu!" the figure exclaimed in a low voice when he saw Shannchyuan.
"Good evening." Shannchyuan smiled.
"Let's not talk here." That person invited Shannchyuan to keep going.
Less than two minutes, they were at their destination. Shannchyuan looked around him. They were already in the reception room of a simple inn within the subway station complex. The clerk manning the reception desk looked at him. But he said nothing.
"Chioujen! You said you'd be home at ten. Why are you here now?"
For a moment, the person's face looked confused. But he quickly regained his composure. "Good evening, Beaushu!"
Shannchyuan smiled. "You should be carrying a backpack or purse by now. But I can see that you didn't have anything with you. So it's very likely that your bag or backpack is already in one room at this inn. You didn't come here to check in. You came in here to pick up your things before you checked out and headed home."
"Beaushu is right! Right now, I have something to talk to you about," said the person.
"What a coincidence! I also have things I want to say. This is very important," said Shannchyuan.
"Let's talk in my room. It's not comfortable standing here. This place is too open. Too easy for people to spy on. After all, Beaushu must have intended to do everything clandestinely. From the costumes and make-up that Beaushu is wearing now, Beaushu must be hoping that people won't be able to recognize Beaushu easily."
Shannchyuan chuckled. The two of them then walked into the inn's corridor leading to the rooms. That person, who turned out to be Chioujen, the friend they were waiting for to return home, guided Shannchyuan to the room where he was staying.
"When did you arrive in this town?"
"Two days ago," Chioujen said.
"I believe you have good reason not to tell us about this."
"Songfei asked me to come pick up his belongings at Dafeisy Tower. I was supposed to keep it for a while. He also said not to tell anyone about this. He seems to be very careful. I respect his request not to tell anyone. The original plan was that I would only return home after this matter regarding Songfei's belongings was settled." Chioujen sighed. "But, it turns out that a lot of things, that I didn't expect, have happened."
"You have the key to the unit that Songfei rented at Dafeisy Tower?" Shannchyuan asked.
"Songfei sent me the key."
"Then did you manage to retrieve and keep Songfei's things?"
"No! Because Beaushu took it first."
"That blue bag?"
"Right! That blue bag."
"Why did he tell us to take the same thing?"
"When did he ask Beaushu for help?"
"He called two days ago. He asked if I had received the package he sent. So I think he sent it two days before he called me."
"Nine days ago, Songfei's package arrived at my office in Yuehjao. However, because I was on duty in another city, it was only four days ago that I actually received the package. Maybe Songfei asked Beaushu for help because he realized I didn't come to Dafeisy Tower to pick up the goods," Chioujen said.
Shannchyuan nodded. "Look! I don't have much time right now. As soon as I tell you the important news, I have to go back home. I'll tell you more when you get home."
"Why the rush? We can all go home together at ten o'clock. Wasn't that what Beaushu had originally planned? Beaushu can tell friends at home that Beaushu happened to meet me, who was stopping at this mall under Jongharng subway station before returning home," Chioujen said.
"I Can't! Something big has happened."
"What happened?"
"Shinnshiow has been kidnapped!"
Iren looked deeply at Shannchyuan. Apparently, his eyes showed disapproval. But he nodded. In a flash, he went downstairs to the bottom floor to enter a secret passage leading to their backyard.
Shannchyuan stared at Iren's back until the figure of his best friend disappeared from his sight. He then walked in circles for about five minutes. After that, he stepped into a certain part of the shopping center in the underground station. He looked into every stall in that section. After doing that a few times, Shannchyuan smiled.
He saw a figure standing in front of a simple inn in the mall. Shannchyuan quickly followed the figure. Shannchyuan wore shoes that had rubber soles so that the footsteps he made were not heard. Even if they were heard, the sound of his footsteps would not attract attention because the atmosphere was quite crowded there.
When he had caught up with the figure, Shannchyuan poked the person's shoulder straight away.
"What are you doing here?" Shannchyuan's voice was quite loud. He was sure that the person must have instantly realized who it was who poked his shoulder.
The figure who was taller than Shannchyuan stopped walking. Instantly, he turned around. This time, he faced Shannchyuan. They both stood facing each other.
"Beaushu!" the figure exclaimed in a low voice when he saw Shannchyuan.
"Good evening." Shannchyuan smiled.
"Let's not talk here." That person invited Shannchyuan to keep going.
Less than two minutes, they were at their destination. Shannchyuan looked around him. They were already in the reception room of a simple inn within the subway station complex. The clerk manning the reception desk looked at him. But he said nothing.
"Chioujen! You said you'd be home at ten. Why are you here now?"
For a moment, the person's face looked confused. But he quickly regained his composure. "Good evening, Beaushu!"
Shannchyuan smiled. "You should be carrying a backpack or purse by now. But I can see that you didn't have anything with you. So it's very likely that your bag or backpack is already in one room at this inn. You didn't come here to check in. You came in here to pick up your things before you checked out and headed home."
"Beaushu is right! Right now, I have something to talk to you about," said the person.
"What a coincidence! I also have things I want to say. This is very important," said Shannchyuan.
"Let's talk in my room. It's not comfortable standing here. This place is too open. Too easy for people to spy on. After all, Beaushu must have intended to do everything clandestinely. From the costumes and make-up that Beaushu is wearing now, Beaushu must be hoping that people won't be able to recognize Beaushu easily."
Shannchyuan chuckled. The two of them then walked into the inn's corridor leading to the rooms. That person, who turned out to be Chioujen, the friend they were waiting for to return home, guided Shannchyuan to the room where he was staying.
"When did you arrive in this town?"
"Two days ago," Chioujen said.
"I believe you have good reason not to tell us about this."
"Songfei asked me to come pick up his belongings at Dafeisy Tower. I was supposed to keep it for a while. He also said not to tell anyone about this. He seems to be very careful. I respect his request not to tell anyone. The original plan was that I would only return home after this matter regarding Songfei's belongings was settled." Chioujen sighed. "But, it turns out that a lot of things, that I didn't expect, have happened."
"You have the key to the unit that Songfei rented at Dafeisy Tower?" Shannchyuan asked.
"Songfei sent me the key."
"Then did you manage to retrieve and keep Songfei's things?"
"No! Because Beaushu took it first."
"That blue bag?"
"Right! That blue bag."
"Why did he tell us to take the same thing?"
"When did he ask Beaushu for help?"
"He called two days ago. He asked if I had received the package he sent. So I think he sent it two days before he called me."
"Nine days ago, Songfei's package arrived at my office in Yuehjao. However, because I was on duty in another city, it was only four days ago that I actually received the package. Maybe Songfei asked Beaushu for help because he realized I didn't come to Dafeisy Tower to pick up the goods," Chioujen said.
Shannchyuan nodded. "Look! I don't have much time right now. As soon as I tell you the important news, I have to go back home. I'll tell you more when you get home."
"Why the rush? We can all go home together at ten o'clock. Wasn't that what Beaushu had originally planned? Beaushu can tell friends at home that Beaushu happened to meet me, who was stopping at this mall under Jongharng subway station before returning home," Chioujen said.
"I Can't! Something big has happened."
"What happened?"
"Shinnshiow has been kidnapped!"
