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墨書 Inktalez
Shui Su led a group of people out of the Gu Family Old Residence unscathed, and this news quickly transformed into countless phone calls reaching Song Bunan.
Still half-asleep, he took a while to comprehend what Uncle Meng was saying on the other end of the line. With a startled exclamation, he shot up from his bed, only to collapse back under the covers a moment later due to insufficient blood flow to his brain.
Song Bunan was once again impressed by Shui Su's remarkable skills. Battling through the dizziness that made stars dance before his eyes, he said he would arrive in an hour. He intended to reach out and nudge Xin Yi beside him, but found that half of Xin Yi's side of the bed was cold and empty, showing no sign that anyone had been lying there.
The dizzy feeling soon faded, and he got up to search for his boyfriend around the house. His coat, phone, and even the shoes he would wear when going out were all there, yet he couldn't find Xin Yi anywhere. He even opened the refrigerator and washing machine in vain before closing them with disappointment.
There must be something important going on, Song Bunan reassured himself as he casually went to the study to check the surveillance footage outside their door, hoping high-tech assistance would help him track down his boyfriend's whereabouts.
The black-and-white camera feed showed that Xin Yi had left home about ten minutes after Song Bunan fell asleep, dressed casually in pajamas and slippers as if he were just taking out the trash. However, something felt off; Xin Yi was holding something that Song Bunan had never seen before. It looked like a phone or some kind of communication device.
It was quite normal for Mighty Falcon members to have backup communication equipment. Although Xin Yi hadn't explicitly mentioned it, he had hinted at what devices he owned. It was clear now that he must have received a message from someone else in Mighty Falcon before leaving; judging by his demeanor, it seemed they merely wanted to talk rather than needing him for something urgent.
But why hadn’t he returned yet? It had already been over three hours.
Song Bunan wasn't someone who constantly monitored where his partner went or what he was doing, but this situation felt decidedly unusual. Taking advantage of the system's convenience, he quickly accessed surveillance footage from the entire building and after searching for a while confirmed that Xin Yi had gone to the underground parking garage. His route seemed strange; first taking two floors by elevator, then switching to stairs, and finally opting to exit via the backup Fire Escape.
Each time he changed direction, Xin Yi would check his phone. Although he didn’t reply, it was more often than usual for him to be looking at his device.
This situation was far from reassuring. Song Bunan hurriedly changed clothes, set his phone to emergency mode, grabbed his gear along with Xin Yi's phone, and rushed toward the garage. He chose not to take the elevator and made his way through the Fire Escape instead. Along the way, he carefully inspected each floor where Xin Yi had turned but found nothing unusual.
Xin Yi’s car was parked in a temporary spot right in front of the Fire Escape exit. The area was obstructed by columns about a meter wide on both sides, making visibility quite poor. Seeing that the Fire Escape door was open, Song Bunan decided to slide down along the handrail on the last flight of stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible as he cautiously hid by the door and used his phone’s camera to observe the situation outside.
The parking area had someone present, but on the other side, the voice was so faint that it was impossible to discern who it belonged to. There was no sign of Xin Yi, and from the feet visible beneath the car, it was clear that Xin Yi was not there.
The visual blind spot where the other person stood happened to be where Song Bunan was located. He tucked his phone away and slipped out from the door, using the cover of a pillar and the car body to hide in another corner—one that allowed him to see who was in front of the car.
The newcomer looked very familiar. Song Bunan racked his brain for a moment and recalled that this person must be someone he had encountered while working with Mighty Falcon, a colleague of Xin Yi. The man was on the phone, his voice too low to catch any clear words.
Song Bunan calculated the odds of being able to take this person down. After devising four or five plans only to dismiss them all, he felt Xin Yi's phone vibrate in his pocket.
It was a text from an unknown number: "You attack from behind, I’ll strike from the front." — Boss
He recognized this person’s identity. It was this individual who had facilitated Xin Yi’s entry into Mighty Falcon. Although he had never been referred to by any other title, in this story, he was like a father figure to Xin Yi. Song Bunan's instincts told him that this person could be trusted, so he replied with a simple acknowledgment and prepared himself to rush in at any moment.
Soon, footsteps echoed nearby, drawing the man’s attention. Seizing the opportunity, Song Bunan ducked behind Xin Yi’s car and slipped on a set of brass knuckles.
The newcomer was an older man dressed in plain clothes—a drab shirt and long pants—his sneakers splattered with colorful paint as if a child had gotten hold of them. The man greeted the one on the phone with a friendly tone that suggested familiarity. Song Bunan remained hidden, turning off all his devices to listen in on their conversation.
However, it seemed that the man on the phone did not want to meet him; he took a few steps back and cursed before attempting to slip into a nearby car. The older man didn’t give him a chance, lunging forward to kick the door shut and throwing a heavy punch toward his face.
Not wanting to engage in a brawl, the other man quickly evaded the attack and turned to run towards Song Bunan's location. Instead of confronting him head-on, Song Bunan sprang up and swept his leg out to trip him, successfully stalling his movement for a few seconds. It was during this pause that the older man delivered a high kick that pinned his opponent's thigh down against the ground.
"I wondered why I couldn't find my contact device; turns out it's you, kid." The older man spoke harshly as he increased pressure with his foot, causing his opponent to yelp in pain. Song Bunan crouched beside them, grabbing the man's hair and forcing him to look up into his eyes.
"Where's Xin Yi?" he asked with a smile, gently pulling out the man's phone from his pocket. After unlocking it, he scrolled through messages until he found one sent to Xin Yi. He pretended that someone needed to discuss something important with Xin Yi and asked him to come down to the underground garage. From Xin Yi's reply, it seemed he genuinely believed that the person on the other end was trustworthy.
The person caught between the two factions chose to remain silent, gritting his teeth and unwilling to make any sound. The older man bent down, intending to teach him a lesson, but Song Bunan smiled and stopped him, indicating that he would handle this matter himself.
"I like your reckless nature," he said. He despised any actions that harmed those he cared for, especially considering the older man's demeanor; he was likely one of the traitors from Mighty Falcon. Disgust and anger clouded reason, stirring up dark, hidden vices within. Song Bunan pulled out the hidden needle from his knuckle duster, aiming it at the joint of the man's finger as he slowly counted down, "Three, two..."
Inside the car, the man was not as tough as he had imagined. Disappointed, he retracted his knuckle duster and muttered that he thought he was dealing with someone fearless, only to find a coward instead.
"Then I’ll trouble you to deal with him; I’ll go check on Xin Yi," Song Bunan said calmly in this tense moment, feeling like a genius for maintaining his composure. He stood up to look through the windows of both cars and finally spotted Xin Yi bound up in the back seat of the other vehicle.
"How could someone so smart usually act like such a fool today?" The man who had knocked out Xin Yi without hesitation used zip ties to secure him as well, lifting Xin Yi out of the car while shaking his head in disappointment.
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