SFTD -Chapter 409 White Spots Reappeared (Part 50)

Zhou Hai shook his head. “It’s not that I’m imagining things too well. I’m simply making deductions based on his theories and way of thinking.

After all, arrogant killers like this all believe they’re extraordinary. They think they’re gods of this world, holding power over life and death!

Alright, that’s enough analysis for now. Fengzi, contact Huang Zhongsheng and have him coordinate with the narcotics division to investigate where these drugs came from!

Even if they’re all called methamphetamine, the purity from each supplier should still differ, right?”

Hu Nan nodded. “Of course. If it’s not from the same batch, the purity levels will vary. But if he mixed it into tobacco for smoking, he wouldn’t need high purity—ordinary-grade product would be enough.”

Seeing this, Fengzi hurried off to contact Huang Zhongsheng.

At that moment, Zhou Hai’s stomach growled loudly. Beside him, Hu Nan curled her lips and glanced at the time before rolling her eyes at him.

“Your hospitality is seriously making me want to complain. It’s just buying some food—why hasn’t Xu Biao come back yet? Don’t tell me he ate first before returning? You should know that when my blood sugar drops, I become irritable, bad-tempered, and foul-mouthed!”

Zhou Hai’s thoughts shifted instantly. Xu Biao really had been gone for a long time. Why still no sign of him?

Even if the guy was unreliable at times—lazy, gluttonous, and slippery—he would never let his coworkers and friends go hungry. Besides, knowing Hu Nan was here, he would’ve tried even harder to impress her.

So where exactly had he gone?

Pulling out his phone, Zhou Hai quickly dialed Xu Biao’s number. A woman’s voice came through the speaker.

“Sorry! The subscriber you dialed cannot be connected for the moment. Please redial later.”

Zhou Hai froze.

Xu Biao would never turn off his phone at a time like this. Something must have happened.

Thinking of Lu Xi, Zhou Hai’s breathing faltered. Could Yang Duxiu, hidden in the shadows, be planning to harm Xu Biao?

Zhou Hai suddenly grabbed the phone from Fengzi, who was still in the middle of a call. On the other end, Huang Zhongsheng was repeatedly saying “alright,” clearly preparing to hang up.

“Wait, Captain Huang! Xu Biao’s phone can’t be reached. He said he was going to buy food, but he’s been gone almost an hour now. I’m very worried. Send people immediately to track his location. I’ll have Xiao Hu pull traffic surveillance around the forensic center. We need to find him fast!”

Huang Zhongsheng’s expression tightened.

“Haizi, are you sure Xu Biao didn’t just go somewhere to eat?”

Zhou Hai roared:

“Stop wasting time and find him! Xu Biao would never abandon us and leave on his own. If he left, then he must’ve discovered something unusual and couldn’t notify us…”

Zhou Hai abruptly stopped speaking. Tossing the phone back to Fengzi, he turned toward Hu Nan.

“Stay in my office and don’t go anywhere, understand? Huang Zhongsheng will send people over soon!”

As he spoke, Zhou Hai tore off his white lab coat and tossed it to Hu Nan while simultaneously dialing Xiao Hu.

“Xiao Hu, quickly track Xu Biao’s phone location, and pull road surveillance around our center. He’s in danger.”

“Understood!”

Xiao Hu immediately pressed the emergency response button on the desk. One computer began searching for Xu Biao’s phone location, while another started scanning intersections surrounding the center.

Very quickly, a location appeared, which he immediately forwarded to Zhou Hai and Huang Zhongsheng.

“Brother Hai, I’ve sent Xu Biao’s phone location to you and Captain Huang. It’s currently showing as powered off.”

As Zhou Hai’s phone chimed, he opened the map directly. Narrowing his eyes at the location, he frowned.

Why had Xu Biao gone so far away?

Xiao Hu stared at eight fast-forwarding surveillance screens.

Xu Biao’s fluorescent green Alto exited the center gates and headed east before turning south at the next intersection.

After passing several more intersections, the car arrived at the border between the Eastern and Western districts.

It stopped in front of an old family-style restaurant.

According to the timestamp beneath the footage, about fifteen minutes later, Xu Biao walked out carrying several bags of food. As customers moved in and out around him, he stood there blankly for a moment.

But after getting into the car, he didn’t leave immediately.

The vehicle remained parked for quite a while before finally starting again.

What puzzled them was that the headlights never turned on. Instead of returning the way he came, Xu Biao drove south into a narrow alleyway.

Xiao Hu searched footage from several directions, but never saw the car emerge from the area again.

Such a bizarre disappearance was utterly baffling.

But when he looked again at Xu Biao’s phone location, Xiao Hu became confused.

The phone still showed its location at the restaurant.

Why hadn’t it moved?

Had Xu Biao accidentally left his phone behind there?

Xiao Hu grabbed the phone and dialed Zhou Hai immediately. The call connected almost instantly.

“Any discoveries?”

“Brother Hai, Xu Biao’s phone signal is still showing at the restaurant. But after he picked up the food, he drove into an area with no surveillance coverage. I checked all nearby footage up until now and still haven’t found the car leaving the area. I’m sending the map of the region to Captain Huang now. His people should already be arriving.”

Zhou Hai gripped the phone tightly, his voice trembling slightly.

“Xiao Hu, keep watching the surveillance. Also check whether there’s an underground sewer network nearby—the kind built during the German occupation era. Xu Biao should’ve sent you those photos before. I want you to overlay that pipeline map onto the current city map.”

Xiao Hu could sense Zhou Hai’s anxiety, but no comforting words came to mind. The best reassurance now was finding Xu Biao as quickly as possible.

“Don’t worry, Brother Hai. I’ll get more people to help merge the maps and have others continue monitoring surveillance. I’m bringing my equipment over now too. If we need to detect underground passages, my gear will come in handy.”

After hanging up, Hu Nan followed Zhou Hai downstairs.

Turning around, Zhou Hai gestured downward with both hands.

“Staying here is the safest option for you. The person Yang Duxiu most wants dead is me, so staying with me is the most dangerous thing possible. Understand?”

Hu Nan waved dismissively.

“Don’t give me that speech. This guy’s a chemical expert—I’ll actually be safer following you. Besides, I can handle myself. I won’t be a problem.”

Just as Zhou Hai hesitated, footsteps sounded from outside.

Chu Menghan entered with several people behind her. Seeing Hu Nan clutching Zhou Hai’s arm, she narrowed her eyes slightly before gesturing behind her.

“Leave four people here. Protect Forensic Doctor Hu and secure the center. Zhou Hai, come with me. Let’s head to the scene.”

Hu Nan stared sharply at Chu Menghan, her gaze fierce enough to cut. After a brief sigh, she released Zhou Hai’s arm.

Since someone would be protecting him, perhaps staying behind really was the better choice.

“I’ll stay. But if you enter underground tunnels, don’t touch any liquids casually. Yang Duxiu’s chemical expertise is terrifying. Everything he’s doing now is bait to lure us in. Once you enter those underground passages, you’ll be on his home turf. Be careful.”

Zhou Hai looked directly into Hu Nan’s eyes, a trace of pleading visible in her expression.

“Help me keep an eye on the comparison results. Once Sister Zeng finishes her analysis, let me know, alright?”