Chapter 14: The Person Locked in Qi Yu’s Basement
Fang Xiaocao took a deep breath, picked up her phone, and typed a message to Hot Noodles:
“Where is Qi Yu delivering the takeout to?”
This was something she urgently needed to know.
Right now, Qi Yu disguising himself as a delivery man definitely meant he was up to something shady.
【Hot Noodles: Meiyu Community, Building 103, Unit 3, Basement 102.】
“Is it safe for me to go there now?”
After a moment of thought, Fang Xiaocao sent another message.
【Hot Noodles: You haven’t made a choice yet, so I can’t foresee the outcome.】
Reading this reply, Fang Xiaocao chuckled, started up her BMW Mini, and set her navigation to Meiyu Community.
She drove two blocks toward her destination, then pulled over to the side of the road.
“What about now?”
She sent another message.
【Contact does not exist!】
Seeing this notification, Fang Xiaocao wasn’t flustered—she chose to wait patiently.
Five minutes later, Hot Noodles finally responded:
【Hot Noodles: You’re going to break me at this rate!】
Seeing the message, Fang Xiaocao grinned.
“Finding loopholes in the rules feels amazing.”
She muttered to herself.
“You mess with me all the time, don’t you?”
“I’m just collecting a little interest.”
“Now, tell me the result!”
She typed her response playfully.
【Hot Noodles: Hmph, just you wait!】
【Hot Noodles: It’s safe. Qi Yu has someone locked up in the basement.】
“Someone?”
Fang Xiaocao was stunned by the message.
“Who?”
She asked urgently.
【Hot Noodles: Not sure, but they seem important—possibly a key witness.】
Reading this, Fang Xiaocao didn’t hesitate—she started her car and sped toward Meiyu Community.
She parked across the street from the complex and didn’t enter right away.
Only after seeing Qi Yu drive his Maserati out of Meiyu Community did she maneuver her car around the block and finally drive through the community gates.
Meiyu Community was an old residential area.
A single elderly guard sat in the security booth, but since the place had a lot of renters from out of town, registration wasn’t required. That saved her a lot of trouble.
She parked near Building 103, Unit 2, and got out.
At the door of Unit 102, she pressed her ear against it and listened.
Silence.
The door had a keypad lock.
She tried turning the handle—it was locked.
Qi Yu was cautious; he hadn’t forgotten to lock up.
【Ding-dong!】
Just as Fang Xiaocao was thinking about how to break in, her phone notification startled her.
Feeling guilty like a thief, she quickly pulled out her phone to check.
It was from Hot Noodles.
【Hot Noodles: The password is 3081.】
Her eyes lit up.
“You had the code and didn’t tell me sooner?”
She muttered before quickly keying in the digits.
“Click—”
With a soft sound, the lock disengaged.
Fang Xiaocao opened the door, glanced around cautiously, and, seeing no one, slipped inside.
Locking the door behind her, she scanned the room.
The furnishings were simple, and there were no signs of habitation.
“Where’s the basement?”
She messaged Hot Noodles.
She was sure Hot Noodles knew the answer but was probably waiting for her to struggle a little before telling her.
So this time, she asked directly.
【Hot Noodles: There’s a storage room in the kitchen—it leads to the basement.】
“Got it.”
Raising an eyebrow, she smirked.
Entering the kitchen, she immediately spotted the storage room door.
She examined it—it had clearly been used frequently, looking out of place compared to the unoccupied house.
She cautiously turned the knob—the flimsy wooden door creaked open.
“Phew—”
She sighed in relief.
“Good thing Qi Yu didn’t lock it.”
She murmured, stepping inside.
A couple of steps in, she saw the basement entrance.
The moment she opened the door, a mix of mold and putrid stench rushed out.
“Ugh—!”
Caught off guard, Fang Xiaocao nearly threw up her earlier meal.
She rushed out of the storage room, gasping for fresh air.
After putting on a face mask and mentally preparing herself, she forced herself to go back in.
Turning on her phone’s flashlight, she carefully descended the rickety wooden steps.
The dim basement was crude, seemingly dug out privately.
It wasn’t large—one glance was enough to take in everything.
What she saw made her stomach churn.
Trash, food containers, and unidentifiable liquids covered half the floor.
The smell was unbearable.
“Ugh—!”
Even with her mask on, she felt like she could still taste the foulness.
Beside the trash heap, a haggard, unshaven man curled up in the corner.
His neck and wrists were shackled with thick metal chains, his clothes so filthy they looked like hardened armor.
“Who are you?”
“Why are you locked up here?”
Fang Xiaocao asked.
The man jerked his head up at the sound of her voice.
What a pair of eyes!
Sharp brows, piercing gaze—his eyes held a steely determination that didn’t match his ragged appearance.
“Who are you?”
His hoarse voice made Fang Xiaocao’s heart clench.
Despite the eeriness of the situation, she felt no fear.
Something about those eyes gave her an inexplicable sense of security.
“Are you with him?”
The man asked warily.
“No, I followed him here.”
Fang Xiaocao replied.
“Who are you?”
“Why are you locked up here?”
She approached him cautiously.
The man hesitated, then spoke.
“My name is Song Lin. I’m the captain of the city’s criminal investigation unit. I was on an undercover mission when I was discovered by the suspect. I was injured, lost consciousness, and ended up here.”
His voice was rough but carried a magnetic quality.
“Miss, I can tell you’re a good person. Can you call the police for me?”
Fang Xiaocao’s breath caught.
“You’re Song Lin?”
She gasped in shock.
(End of Chapter 14)
