Yu Yi confirmed the task completion and returned to the white room she had lived in before, then granted Meng Qing the highest permissions. He could not only enter her room but also use all equipment as she could. Soon, Meng Qing entered from outside, embraced her, and kissed her, murmuring passionately against her lips: “I’ve wanted to kiss you like this for so long.”
He held her tightly. Yu Yi also held him close, whispering, “I missed you too.”
Although she wanted to continue holding him tightly, Lin Bai’s disappearance was more urgent at the moment.
She looked up at him, and they exchanged a smile, but their eyes carried hidden concerns.
[Chapter 144 Extra (2) – Meng Qing Part One]
In a dark, narrow alley, a boy ran with large strides. Although several adults were chasing him about ten meters behind, his face showed little panic. He ran with all his might while using his agile eyes to quickly search for usable items or hiding places.
He was around ten years old, his facial features still showing childish softness. A small, cool raindrop broke through the lead-gray sky and landed on the boy’s forehead.
The light in the alley grew increasingly dim.
In the pile of trash beside the alley, a waste iron pipe was slanted. The boy’s mouth curved slightly, and he pulled out the pipe while continuing to run. Passing a half-open door, he pulled open the old, rickety door panel. Behind the door was a narrow passage that went through the building, leading directly to another alley.
The boy closed the door behind him and horizontally inserted the approximately half-meter-long iron pipe into the curved door handle before turning to run toward the other end of the passage.
The men chasing him pulled at the door, but it was blocked by the pipe and wouldn’t open. Furious, one man kicked the door. After several kicks, the pipe slid askew from the handle, making a “clang” sound.
The man opened the door panel and saw the passage led directly to the opposite alley, but the boy had vanished.
He waved to the three behind him and shouted, “Two of you go around and block him.”
The man and another companion directly chased through the passage. The alley on the other side was a dead end. Going right offered no escape, and going left would be intercepted by the other two companions. No matter which way the boy ran, they would surely catch him this time.
When the men and their companions ran out of the tunnel entrance, a small figure flashed from a shallow recessed wall corner in the dim tunnel, swiftly and silently running back towards their original entry point. Near the door, they picked up an iron pipe from the ground and then leaped out of the tunnel, sprinting towards the other end of the alley.
The boy had already run out, and cool raindrops slanted across his face during his sprint. A triumphant smile played at the corner of his mouth.
The rain grew heavier. Although he was sweating from running, getting wet felt comfortable, but stopping would make him shiver from the cold. With only these clothes, getting completely soaked in the middle of winter would surely make him sick.
He had to find a safe and hidden place to take shelter from the rain.
He seemed familiar with the local terrain, twisting and turning into an abandoned factory area. Bypassing a warehouse with locked doors, at the rear wall corner, he pushed aside some grass, revealing a narrow hole. He crawled through, avoiding stepping on the grass. After entering the warehouse, he slightly rearranged the grass, ensuring no trace of his passage was visible.
The boy stood up, weaving between the massive mechanical equipment and boxes in the warehouse until he found a large machine. He opened the maintenance door and crawled inside, switching on a flashlight.
The dim light illuminated a tiny living area, just over half a person’s height, about two to three square meters. A corner had an iron plate covered with cardboard. The boy took a box of cookies from a nearby iron rack, bent down, and sat near the cardboard, tearing open the packaging and eating.
Suddenly, a sound came from the warehouse’s main door. The rumbling of the continuously rising roller door sounded ominous.
The boy’s expression changed. He put down the cookie box and patted himself down, finding a tracker sewn into his coat’s inner lining. They had hidden a tracker in his coat!
No wonder they had found him in the alley before. But the tracker could only locate a general area, not precise positioning.
The boy took out a small knife, cut open the coat’s inner lining, and removed the tracker. Then he picked up the iron pipe, carefully approaching the maintenance door, and dropped the tracker near the entrance. He crouched behind the door, holding his breath and listening intently.
The footsteps suggested multiple people spreading out, seemingly searching for something.
The boy remained vigilant, praying they wouldn’t discover his hidden living space. They began opening every possible door, box lid, and panel… the searching sounds gradually drawing closer. The boy gripped the iron pipe tightly, tiny beads of sweat forming on his nose.
The maintenance door opened. The boy remained motionless in the dark behind the door, even holding his breath.
A flashlight beam swept inside, causing the boy to instinctively shrink back.
“He discovered the tracker!” a man outside shouted. A tattooed arm then reached in, picking up the tracker the boy had just dropped.
The men gathered, whispering among themselves. Since the boy had found the tracker, he certainly was no longer here.
“The tracker was moving not long ago. He can’t have gone far. Hurry and chase!”
The men hastily departed.
The boy, hearing their footsteps fade in the warehouse, slumped down, hugging the iron pipe.
Though temporarily escaped, this place was no longer safe. He must find another location. He needed to take the cookies and canned food he had stored here.
Just as the boy was about to stand, a cold voice from outside said: “I see you.”
The boy’s breath stopped, his entire body becoming rigid.
“Come out,” the voice continued.
The boy remained motionless. The man outside was just trying to trick him out.
“I know you’re still hiding here.” The man’s voice became more distant as he slowly walked among the massive mechanical equipment, searching for him.
“I know you’re hiding here,” the man repeated.
“I know you’re here. You can choose not to come out, but if you don’t, I’ll immediately go to the North District Orphanage. I hear you have a good relationship with Teacher Yu. I wonder how sad you’d be if she got hurt?”
After waiting a moment with no response, he added: “Looks like you’re not very sad. So… what if she dies?”
The boy began to tremble slightly.
“Very good, very good… Perhaps you really don’t care. But I won’t hesitate to add another life to these hands.” The man slowly walked towards the warehouse exit.
“Wait!” the boy suddenly shouted, bursting out from behind the maintenance door.
“Very good,” the man repeated, turning to face the pale-faced boy.
“I’ll go back with you.”
But you must keep your promise. As long as I don’t escape, you’re never to harm Teacher Yu again. If you break your word even once, I’ll never trust you again, and you can forget about using others’ safety to threaten me.” Though his body trembled lightly, the boy’s voice remained calm.
Very well, it’s settled then.” The man in black smiled.
The North District Orphanage was located in the northern part of the city near the suburbs. The orphanage had two small buildings: one four-story building served as dormitories for children and teachers, while the three-story building functioned as a classroom, office, and cafeteria. Behind the buildings was a small plot of land where vegetables and flowers were grown.
