Chapter 4: Piercing Gaze

After listening to Sun Xingye recount the events in detail, I recalled Uncle Li, whom I had met a few days ago. I initially thought he was merely a subordinate of that General Kuang, but after hearing Sun Xingye's account today, I realized he is actually quite an influential figure

Sun Xingye's home is located in a small county in Ya'an. This place, after the major disaster in 2013, has had almost all its buildings rebuilt, so the street planning is particularly well done, and on the surface, it appears to be a relatively affluent area

This is my first time visiting Sichuan at this age. It is now July, and the climate here is both humid and hot, which is quite uncomfortable for me as a genuine northerner

After chatting with her for a few moments, I took the room key and went to room 305. As soon as I opened the door, a musty smell hit me, making me frown. Sun Xingye, noticing this, quickly said apologetically: "The climate here is somewhat humid, so there is a bit of a moldy smell in the room. You people from the north might not be used to it." After saying this, he walked over to the window and opened it.

A night without dreams, I was originally sleeping soundly, but I don't know if it was because I ate too much spicy food or if the bedding was too damp, I ended up going to the bathroom several times in the middle of the night, which disrupted my sleep.

I also tried several kinds that were not out of the ordinary, and in the end, my mouth became numb; it seems that these snacks share a common characteristic, which is their numbing spiciness

Sun Xingye's home is a two-story small building, with a small factory in the front yard producing motorcycle parts, and the backyard is filled with processed semi-finished products, indicating that the family's financial situation should be quite good

Sun Xingmei's room is on the second floor. Before coming here, I had mentioned to Sun Xingye that I needed something that his sister loves the most to find her. However, in Sun Xingye's words, he does not know this sister well. It is understandable, as Sun Xingye is in his thirties this year, while his sister is only 18 years old, highlighting a clear generational gap.

I did not answer the question directly, but instead shifted the conversation by asking her a question, "Boss lady, from your accent, I can tell you are from Northeast China! Which part of Northeast are you from?"

"Handsome, is this your first time in Sichuan?" the proprietress said with a beaming smile

Early the next morning, Sun Xingye arrived before 8 o'clock. I could understand his mood; after all, he had lost his younger sister, and it was only natural to feel anxious to know the outcome, especially since there was no sign of her alive or dead. After a simple breakfast together, we drove straight to his home.

In a state of helplessness, I had no choice but to get dressed and go downstairs, arriving at this exceptionally lively night market to take a stroll. Upon my arrival, it was more accurate to describe this place as a street of snacks rather than a night market, as vendors were setting up stalls to sell various specialty snacks from Sichuan.

It is not a good thing for an inconspicuous outsider like me to be targeted. Thinking of this, I hurried to settle the bill and leave. After returning to my room, I still felt a bit anxious. Through the curtains, I secretly glanced at the pedestrians on the street below, but did not notice anything unusual

As soon as I heard, I asked, where is your home? Is it far from here?

I smiled at him and said, "It's nothing, you'll get used to it!"

As soon as we got off the train, Sun Xingye arranged for me to stay at a local特色 "Bashu" inn. He must have had high hopes for me, as he took great care of me along the way. This made me somewhat embarrassed, because after all, I couldn't guarantee the situation. If that girl had been abducted by human traffickers, I would truly be powerless to help.

The police have been searching for over a month, yet there are still no results. Consequently, they sought the help of Master Li through various contacts. After Master Li divined for his sister, he stated that she was likely no longer alive, and the urgent task now is to find the girl's body so that she can be laid to rest.

His parents are also ordinary farmers. When they saw that Sun Xingye had invited me, they looked at me with tears in their eyes. Being gazed at with such expectation, I felt even more uncertain inside.

She looked me up and down and said with a smile, "I am from Heilongjiang. A few years ago, I married here, but then that deadbeat died in a car accident. As a woman, I had no choice but to take over this inn."

Upon pushing open the door of the Spring Tea House, I saw a man dressed in a black casual top sitting inside. There are not many people in the tea house today, so he must be the man who called earlier.

Just as I was bowing my head to eat the skewers in my hand, I suddenly felt a sharp gaze shooting towards me from a distance. I was taken aback and quickly turned my head to look! However, there were too many pedestrians coming and going behind me, making it difficult to identify the owner of that gaze.

I said, "Alright, then you should go back and rest first."

The owner of the "Bashu" inn is from Northeast China, and she was particularly warm and welcoming upon seeing me. I wonder if it is because of my strong personal charm or if she treats every guest this way

From a young age, I have always believed in my feelings. Although I do not know whether that gaze is benevolent or malevolent, there is one thing I can be certain of: it has always been watching over me

After Sun Xingye left, I let out a long sigh; finally, I could lie down quietly by myself for a while! But as soon as I lay on the bed, I felt that the bedding was as damp as if it had just been taken out of a spin dryer, making me feel uncomfortable all over. ... Just thinking about having to stay in such a room for the next few days makes my heart ache with despair ...

The man's name is Sun Xingye, and he has a younger sister named Sun Xingmei, who is 18 years old and in her second year of university. She was supposed to come home for vacation a month ago, but after her family received her last phone call saying, "I will be home soon," she went missing. To this day, there has been no sign of her, neither alive nor dead.

However, this matter is far from easy. The local police deployed over a hundred personnel to search the vicinity for Sun Xingmei, yet they were unable to locate her. It was even more challenging for them to search on their own. In the end, it was Master Li who provided my phone number to Sun Xingye, and only then was he able to reach me

Sun Xingye is eager to find his sister. He promised me that if I can help their family locate her, he would reward me with 30,000 yuan. If I am unable to find her, they will still cover all my travel expenses, including food and accommodation.

The location of this "Bashu" inn is quite good, as it is situated right on a street. It is fine during the day, but at night, it turns into a night market! The sounds of vendors calling out and people chatting and laughing make it impossible for me to sleep early

A few days ago, Sun Xingye's mother suddenly dreamed that her daughter had returned, and she told her that it was too cold outside and that she didn't even have a piece of clothing on her. After waking from the dream, the old lady thought it was strange and felt that something was amiss; it seemed that her daughter was likely facing grave danger.

Sun Xingye glanced at me and said, "My home is in Ya'an, Sichuan"

He saw that I was not overly concerned and said with a grateful expression: "Brother Jinbao, you must be tired after just arriving. Please take a good rest today, and I will come to pick you up to my home early tomorrow morning."