Chapter 146: Su Mian, My Love Part 1
"The speed of sound waves is 340 meters per second. When the sound of the explosion happened, there were slight differences in their speed of reaction," Han Chen says.
From just these two sentences, Su Mian understands right away. Ding Jun also shows an expression of understanding while frowning. Xu Si Bai, on the other hand, is calm and quiet. He clearly thought of it too.
They don't have a lot of time, so Han Chen doesn't explain in detail. He helps Ding Jun up, and the four of them start to jog forward. He says to Su Mian, "The first to hear the sound of the explosion was the woman. I remember that before we heard it, she had already bent her head down. Therefore, she's the closest to the location of the explosion and is at one level below ground. She's also the nearest to the edge of the shopping center."
Su Mian nods and can't help but glance at his side profile. This man is always smarter and sharper than you can imagine. Who would have taken notice of sound and lighting while investigating a case? But in his eyes, these things have all become clues.
"Zhang Fu Cai, Ji Zi Chang, He Ya Yao, and He Jing Lun. These four are all at three levels below ground, which is the same as us," he continues in his deep yet crisp voice, "When the explosion happened, their reactions were slower than us by over a second. This can't be caused by vertical distance. It can only be done by being spread further out horizontally and nearer to the riverside."
Su Mian understands completely, but she has one doubt, "What about the one in the middle level? What about that old factory owner, Zhou Feng Mao?" If we use sound to locate them, there are a number of possibilities for the person in the middle. How does Han Chen know that he must be on two levels below ground? He's too incredible.
Who knew that Han Chen would answer indifferently, "I just guessed."
Su Mian, "Hah?"
Xu Si Bai, who's been quiet all this time, takes a glance at him suddenly. Su Mian can read his expression——Xu Si Bai also couldn't figure out this point that Han Chen made earlier.
The corridor in front of them is still dark. The two men are still unable to have a friendly conversation.
______
Five minutes later.
It's the women's clothing department in front of them. The lighting is still very dim. From the outside, all construction work and decorations have been done. The floor is glittering white, and almost all of the brand name logos have been installed. Many of the shops have even finished setting up their mannequins. They look to be ready to start their business.
But to the four of them right now, the scene carries a sense of eeriness to it.
They've reached the area where the victims may be kept. Han Chen scans across the place and looks down at Su Mian, "What is the most possible place that they may be hidden at?"
Su Mian answers swiftly, "Zhang Fu Cai, women's washroom."
All three men are stunned. Su Mian explains, "There are only three possible places that have water at the mall: the fountain, the children's pool area, and the washroom." She explains her reasoning on why she ruled out the first two possibilities and continues, "Only the washroom is left. Although L may look mature on the outside, he's actually just as childish and mischievous as A and likes to mock others. Therefore, Zheng Fu Cai, as someone whom L looks down on, is the most suitable to be locked in a women's washroom."
_____
"Thump," the sound of a door swinging open. In the emergency lighting, Su Mian stares at the empty women's washroom and frowns.
How could this be?
Nothing. Zheng Fu Cai is not inside. She was confident of her reasoning, but who knew that she would be wrong.
"Let's go," Han Chen pulls her arm and leads her outside. His face turns solemn while Su Mian also falls into deep thoughts.
The moment they step outside, they see Xu Si Bai and Ding Jun come. Although Xu Si Bai is aloof, he's rather caring for those who are injured. Right now, he's holding Ding Jun and letting Ding Jun lean onto him for support. Good thing that Ding Jun is a manly man. Although he looks awful due to the injury, he's been gritting his teeth and following them every step.
"He's not in the men's washroom either," Ding Jun shakes his head toward them. Xu Si Bai stares at Su Mian with his dark and gentle eyes.
The four of them are standing at an intersection. Su Mian looks down at her watch. 9 minutes have already passed since L announced the start of all this.
"What should we do?" Ding Jun says worrying, "We don't have any clues and can't find a single person."
"No, there are clues," Su Mian looks up and stares at the three of them, "Not being able to find him at the women's washroom is a clue——we thought that they would hide the victims in places based on their likes and dislikes. But this proves that it's not the case. This means that they're using a different set of standards, a different set of principles and basis to hide the victims. We just need to find out what they are and then we'll be able to find all six of them."
Ding Jun opens his eyes wide, "That's so true! So this is how it is!" Xu Si Bai keeps quiet. He has a serious expression on his face as if he's thinking of something. Han Chen turns to look at her. Su Mian is looking back at him. They can see the wave of energy in each other's dark brown eyes.
"If we've looked at all the places that 'should' have water already……" Han Chen says, "this means that he's at a place that 'should not' not water, yet there is water."
"What is that place?" Su Mian asks softly.
"There's only one possibility," Han Chen answers.
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In the city, on the main road leading toward the East side of the Han River.
12:00 pm. It's been half an hour since the people at the peninsula have been held hostage.
The police vehicles are stuck in traffic on the 2nd Ring Road (highway) and are unable to budge. Chatterbox is grasping on the car handle impatiently and can't sit still.
"Why is there so much traffic? Why is there so much traffic?" He glares at Cold Face, who's driving, "s.hit! Can't you think of a way? Why did you choose to go on this road? We don't even know whether Leader and the others are dead or alive, dead or alive! F–k! Yet we're stuck in traffic! Holy s.hit! I really want to hop off and start running! Do you have another way or not!?"
"Shut up!" It's rare for Cold Face to be angry. His handsome face is stiff. It's also rare for him to speak in such a long sentence, "Get out of the car if you continue to blabber so much! This is the road that we must take in order to cross the Han River! There's no alternative route!"
Chatterbox knows that he's just being too anxious, but he feels he has been wronged at the same time. So he pokes his head out of the window and complains to himself like a cat on a hot tin roof, "Hurry! Hurry and go! Why is it not moving, oh man, s.hit……"
Cold Face ignores his anxiousness. His pitch black pupils are staring straight ahead while he grabs his phone, "hello, this is the Black Shield Team. We're on the 2nd Ring Road. Why is it on a complete standstill? We're on a case!"
The traffic department answers immediately, "Mister Officer, it's because, at 2 km ahead, the water main has broken, so they're currently fixing it. The volume of cars on this road has always been big, so we don't have a choice. We're trying our best to direct the flow of cars……"
Cold Face's expression turns cold.
He hangs up immediately, releases his seatbelt, and pushes open the door, "Chatterbox! There's a subway station at 2 kilometers ahead, let's run over!"
Chatterbox agrees and follows him. The two of them are wearing the same black colored police coat as they run like the wind, crisscrossing between cars and other people without looking back.
_____
Underground.
"There's someone here!" Xu Si Bai's cold and crisp voice says.
Han Chen and the other three raise their heads and look toward him.
It's a small area that's still under construction at the underground mall. It's roughly on the side of the women's clothing department. Compared to the completed part of the mall, this area is just as bare as the place where they fell in. A yellowy light hangs above the dirt walls. It's just one lamp lighting the rather big cave-like construction site. There are tree roots and steel reinforcing bars standing on the ground. And there is shallow water seeping through the soil. It's muddy and fits the criteria of the image.
After Su Mian and Han Chen made their inferences just now, the answer was obvious. If it's a place that shouldn't have water, it must be a place where it's still under construction. It's because it hasn't completed its work on waterproofing and other things, and therefore, it's possible for water to seep through.
As a result, they've found this place based on the temporary construction markers on the map.
It's just that this place is wet everywhere, just like a swamp. There's also a sign that reads "dangerous" standing on the side.
The four of them split up and start to search the area. At this moment, Xu Si Bai is standing by the wall farthest away. There is a pile of steel rods and other wood materials on the side, blocking everyone's view.
"Help me, help me! Are you police officers!? Hurry and save me!" that person has clearly spotted Xu Si Bai. His raspy voice says anxiously and he's almost crying in joy.
Su Mian feels happy hearing the voice. She follows Han Chen and rushes over. Ding Jun is limping behind them.
It is really Zheng Fu Cai!?