Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 217: Various Signs

Chapter 217: Chapter 217: Various Signs

After waiting anxiously for a long time, Su Hui finally saw Gu Fan return. But seeing the disheveled state he was in, she knew something must’ve happened and immediately questioned him, "What happened? You didn’t run into a group of hooligans, did you..."

To this, Gu Fan nodded with a poor look on his face, "Yes, I ran into that gang and we ended up brawling. A towering man showed up and I sidelined it."

Hearing this, Su Hui felt a surge of danger just by picturing the scene and quickly asked, "What happened after that? How did you manage to escape?".

A bitter smile came over Gu Fan’s face, "They caught me. That towering man was choking me, I thought I was done for. I didn’t expect they were just warning me not to meddle in their affairs. They asked some questions and then let me go."

Feeling relieved but still feeling suspicious, Su Hui asked, "What did they ask you?"

"They just wanted to know how we saved Old Xing and how we found out where Lu Yi and Du Jun had been taken hostage." Gu Fan couldn’t help but grin at this point, "I intentionally gave them two wrong answers. I said there were some members from within the police force helping us, that’s how we found Lu Yi. And as for them, they had a traitor due to their poor treatment and intimidation which made everyone on edge. That’s how we found out about Du Jun’s location."

"Well done!" Sister Su applauded his cunning plan. "Let them doubt each other and further destabilize from within, and more their flaws will be revealed. But", she said with sudden somberness, "let’s not forget that they let you off this once. If you keep messing with them, you might not be so lucky next time."

Gu Fan nodded with self-deprecation, "I thought about staying out of this to save my own skin, but then I realized that even if I back out, you wouldn’t. You’ll still be in danger if you keep messing with them, and I couldn’t just stand by and let that happen."

Seeing this, Su Hui shook her head. "Gu Fan, I appreciate your sentiment, but I’m a cop. This is my job. You’re just a student; you don’t have to get involved."

Gu Fan looked steadfast. "Initially, you were just a routine cop. But as I started investigating about the twelve missing classmates and sought your help, you got involved. Then we went to the borderlands, and you bravely stood by us. If we’re talking about who dragged whom, I’m sorry, Sister Su. I dragged you into this. Because of me, you had to go through a lot and now have to struggle against them. So, I have a responsibility here. I can’t back out now."

Hearing this, Su Hui felt a warmth in her heart. In that moment, she knew everything she had done was worth it. Having a friend like Gu Fan meant more than she could say.

Gu Fan continued, "They’re underestimating me. I have already risked my life to go to the borderland in search of the truth. How can I be afraid now and back down?"

"Alright," Su Hui nodded. "It’s good to see your determination, Gu Fan. But let’s not forget the risk involved. If you cross them again, there might not be a next time."

"I know. So, I’m thinking about how to rid us of their threat." After saying this, Gu Fan drifted into deep thought, then said: "The biggest threat is that the undead monster. He won’t act rashly, though. The next threat is the towering guy. If we get rid of him, my safety can be somewhat guaranteed."

Upon hearing this, Su Hui nodded in agreement, "That’s true, but we still don’t know who they are. In other words, you need to hold off until we take out that guy."

Gu Fan frowned and then turned to look at Su Hui, "Sister Su, don’t you think that tall and strong man bears a striking resemblance to someone we know?"

"Are you talking about Hai, Jie’s brother? So, I’m not the only one who thinks so," Su Hui’s gaze grew more serious as she continued, "I’ve heard that Hai is a retired soldier, and when I fought with that towering guy, he had the fighting skills of a military-trained fighter."

"Really?" Gu Fan fell into deep thought, his brows furrowed.

Waving her phone, Su Hui started, "Remember the video that Lu Yi recorded last time? I always found it strange why they were so nervous when it didn’t even reveal their true identities."

A spark of realization lit up Gu Fan’s eyes, "If there wasn’t anything significant in the video, they would have released Lu Yi. But they didn’t. They must be worried about some detail in the video that could expose their true identities."

With a meaningful smile, Su Hui added, "That’s right. Someone’s gait, the magnitude of their hand movements, and other subtle habits could potentially expose their identity."

It was Gu Fan’s turn to nod vigorously, "Exactly, and the only reason they’re worried about us guessing their identities from the details in the video is that they must be someone close to us. Only by comparing the habits of the people we encounter in our daily lives with those in the video can we possibly identify them."

Next, Gu Fan and Su Hui meticulously reviewed the video, then carefully watched Hai’s walking style. The similarity was striking, but they couldn’t be completely sure. Then, they heard the sentence from the video: "Someone over there is recording us, get him."

"He’s riding an electric bike, get after him!"

Gu Fan realized that the other party had caught Lu Yi secretly filming them, which caused Lu Yi to flee quickly on his electric bike. Suddenly, Gu Fan’s face changed which immediately caught Su Hui’s attention, who hurriedly asked, "Gu Fan, did you figure something out?"

Gu Fan thought for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh: "I remember that before Lu Yi’s kidnapping, he, me, Hai, and Jie played basketball together. Hai even brought up the topic of the electric bike which Lu Yi and Jie had bought together. In his hurried escape that day, Lu Yi accidentally caused some damage to the bike, and left it at Jie’s house, which Hai happened to come across."

Su Hui too understood: "You mean to say that when Hai saw the bike, he suspected that the person who recorded the video that day was Lu Yi, which is why he called you guys out to subtly test Lu Yi, and then confirmed that Lu Yi was indeed the one who recorded the video."

"Exactly, and this logically explains why Lu Yi was identified even though he was wearing a helmet when recording. I can’t help but worry, how much does Jie know about all of this?" Gu Fan was becoming more frightened the more he thought about it.

Su Hui recalled another incident: "Last time when we were in Qianye Mausoleum, Jie was in danger and that tall strong man stepped in to help. I was surprised when I saw that."

"That must have been Hai, which explains why he would save Jie." Upon reaching this conclusion, Gu Fan looked very serious: "If Hai is one of them, then what about Jie? Would he and his brother be in league?"

"Although it’s upsetting to suspect our own comrades, this possibility cannot be ruled out." Su Hui too didn’t wish for another team member to betray them like Du Jun did, but turning a blind eye to the crisis could put more people at risk.

After mulling it over, Gu Fan looked troubled: "I’ve been wondering who could have installed a tracking device in my old phone. As I didn’t want to suspect my comrades, I didn’t dare to think too much. Now, after discussing so much, I am back to reconsidering this incident. The ones who could have the easiest access to my phone were Lin Xi, Sister Su, Du Jun, and Jie."

"It seems you’ve discovered something new." Out of curiosity, Su Hui pricked up her ears to listen.

"Firstly, Lin Xi denied doing it and I chose to trust her. Secondly, Lu Yi, he saved Old Xing and captured the video which led to his own abduction, so he’s not the one. Then comes Sister Su, if you were on their side, would you have been reassigned? That leaves us with Jie." Gu Fan’s process of elimination seemed quite logical.

Gu Fan continued: "Remember when we went to rescue Du Jun? Many of us went, including Jie. If Jie were on their side, would we have had a chance to save Du Jun?"

Su Hui frowned slightly: "So, you’re essentially saying that Jie has also been ruled out as a suspect. After all this, you still can’t figure out who might have installed the tracking device in your old phone."

"Isn’t it good to rule out our companions as suspects? Now, all we need to do is find other possible people." Gu Fan gave a bitter smile as he spoke, then continued: "When we went to rescue Lu Yi, afraid that we might not succeed, we had Jie ask Hai for help."

Su Hui immediately understood: "When Hai arrived and saw that there were so few of us, he must have immediately told his accomplices at the factory to move. But then, unexpectedly, Zhuo Hang’s men appeared."

"Exactly. If you, Sister Su, were one of them, why would you misinform the people at the factory about the escape route?" After all the discussion, Gu Fan’s suspicion towards Hai had greatly deepened.

However, Su Hui raised an objection: "But these suspicions aren’t enough. We need conclusive evidence to expose Hai."

In agreement with her, Gu Fan nodded and pointed at his own forehead: "During our fight, I landed a punch on that tall guy’s glasses. I believe it must have left a mark on his forehead. Based on this, we can determine if Hai is our enemy."

Su Hui couldn’t help but give a thumbs up: "Good idea. Once we eliminate the threat from Hai, the enemy’s combat power will be significantly reduced."

Gu Fan shook his head, sighing: "I hope our speculation is wrong because Jie admires Hai a lot. If Jie finds out that Hai is such a person, I fear he may not be able to bear it."

Hearing this, Su Hui was struck with feelings of empathy. She had solved many cases, and in some, when the criminals were caught, those around them would refuse to believe their true nature.