Chapter 3 - After being kidnapped by a serial killer 1-

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After being kidnapped by a serial killer, Chapter 1: Kidnapping"Welcome back next time!"

Amidst the cacophony of voices, a damp chill swept over her. The scent of fresh grass wafting from the green belt, mixed with the fishy smell of rain, swirled in her nostrils. A few pedestrians stood under the eaves. Zhou Xinyan bypassed the people blocking the exit and walked to the left.

Cars sped by on the road, and the deserted clothing store was unbearably stuffy. She had endured the oppressive atmosphere for a long time, but the fresh air brushed against her flushed cheeks; the warmth she had built up inside the store was instantly shattered by this cool breeze. A

typical black umbrella held her down, large raindrops pounding on the ground and splashing outwards. A few drops of water clung to her pure white shopping bag. She shifted the bag further inside and pulled out her phone.

"Hey bro, are you at the police station? Are you working overtime lately? You haven't been back for days, are you coming back today? You've been eating takeout every day, it's been ages since I cooked. I made soybean paste stew and bibimbap, do you want me to bring them over? The police station must be busy."

His phone kept ringing. He pressed the green button, and a soft female voice came from the other end. Zhou Tiancheng, still sleepy, struggled to sit up straight in his chair. He rubbed his stiff face with his rough hands, feeling the short stubble prick his palms, then put

the phone down as if fully awake. He glanced at the round, red-framed clock on the wall, then looked out the window, his voice slightly hoarse, still groggy from just waking up.

"Yeah, it's a big case. I probably won't be able to come home for a while. We're swamped here, it's been going on for months, several people have gone missing, and it's been all over the newspapers for days. Those bastards are faster at getting information than anyone else, always writing those fabricated reports, always loitering outside the police station. You'd think the police station was some kind of talent agency, really..."

Under the cold, overcast sky, buildings piled one on top of another, thin black power lines stretching from afar, disappearing into the blind spots of the windows.

Heavy rain pounded against the glass, blurring the view. Rainwater slid down rapidly, forming wide, long streaks, the non-horizontal droplets colliding to create a crooked path. A cold draft seeped in through the cracks in the windows, but was held back by the stuffy, poorly ventilated air inside the crowded room.

"Then you should take care of yourself, brother. Last time I didn't come back for several days and ended up in the hospital. It's getting chilly now that the seasons are changing, so I only brought two sets of clothes. Do you need me to bring you a few?"

The bicycle was parked to the side, and the heavy rain pounded on the umbrella, making the light umbrella feel quite heavy. Zhou Xinyan dodged the people walking straight ahead, stumbled back a few steps, and was helped by a passerby. She bowed her head and thanked him, then moved closer to the bicycle, leaving a large space.

"No need. The family of the missing person came to the police station last time, and now they're stuck at home and can't come out. Who knew those guys were so despicable, acting like starving ghosts for some stupid news story."

Several tables with a bluish glow were arranged in four rows. People in police uniforms came and went in the small office. The cool air, like a thief, intruded in, and when it found that the indoor temperature was the same as the outdoor temperature, it fluttered around him in fear and vanished in a few seconds.

Zhou Tiancheng put on his coat, took a sip of cold water from his thermos, and stood with a protruding wall behind him. A cluttered table lay to his right, a bookshelf full of books stood directly in front of him, and behind him was a small room separated from the main area by transparent glass and blinds.

A cold desk lamp stood before him, a pile of documents scattered haphazardly on the table, his eyes bloodshot as if he hadn't slept in a long time, dark circles under his eyes.

Turning his head to look around, he saw his colleagues a little further away, each busy with their work. He turned his body away from the light source, raised his hand to cover his phone and mouth, and said, "Once this case is over, a promotion and raise are guaranteed. Don't look for that job yet. After I solve the case, let's go back to our hometown for a few days. You've been saying it all along, now we finally have time."

As Zhou Xinyan walked, the crowd thinned out. New high-rises mixed with old houses stood there, the air thick with a damp mist, enveloping them in a hazy glow.

The old man at the bookstall was tidying up books splashed with water. She glanced sideways at the numerous newspapers tucked between the shelves, her gaze landing on several unidentified magazines with covers featuring sexy women. Her eyes fell on the women's revealing halter dresses that exposed their thighs. She pursed her lips, lowered her head, and hurried away.

The city's hues were a deep, dark black, and lightning flashed swiftly through the low, gloomy clouds. She quickened her pace, turning into a narrow alley. Only a few passersby occasionally walked past her. Hearing a reply from the other end of the phone, she dodged a puddle, carefully stepping on the ground, and muttered to the person on the other end.

"But Brother said the same thing last time. He even got stabbed and lay in bed for days. The case was handed over to someone else, and he didn't get anything… But next week is Brother's birthday, and I've already prepared a gift. I'm waiting for Brother to come back. If you stand me up again, there won't be any for Brother next time."

Zhou Xinyan walked into a side alley. Fine raindrops streamed down from the umbrella, and the sound of the rain and the sounds around her seemed to come from two different worlds. She tugged at her skirt and quickly jumped onto a pile of stone slabs to avoid the narrow path flooded by the rain.

"Don't worry. This missing persons case has been going on for a while. The perpetrator specifically targets women. Although we have strict security here, there are bound to be loopholes. Another one went missing not long ago, so you have to be careful when you're home alone."

She pressed her milk tea-colored lipstick down, and her ankles, encased in stockings, clumsily jumped off the stone slab. The objects in her shopping bags made a sharp sound, but the rain muffled the sound so low that it couldn't be heard.

"As for the birthday celebration, based on the current clues and with my abilities, I guarantee we'll solve this case in less than a week. The birthday celebration will definitely be on time, I promise!"

Zhou Tiancheng raised a finger. Before he could hear a reply, a commotion came from nearby. Under the warm light, he looked up and saw several middle-aged men in police uniforms passing through the glass wall outside the blinds, about to enter through the main gate. He panicked.

"That's settled then." Zhou Xinyan walked along the wall. She looked up and saw a familiar figure carrying an umbrella walking past the intersection ahead. She stopped, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

"When have I ever lied to you?" He put down his teacup, craning his neck to see a woman in a police uniform bowing and greeting him outside the semi-transparent sliding door. He cursed under his breath, quickly covering his phone and saying, "I have something to do here, I'll hang up now. Anyway, be careful lately."

"Hey, brother..." Without saying a word, Zhou Xinyan put her phone away. Seeing that the phone had exited the contact interface, she frowned, wanting to complain, but her lips moved, only uttering three words.

"That guy."

She muttered, putting her phone into her shopping bag.

The rain poured down harder and harder. The weather in Yuecheng was always so unpredictable, with each rain lasting for days, as if it were releasing all the negative emotions in one day.

Early spring still had the chill of winter. When the wind blew, it felt like last month. The cold wind seeped into her skin through her thin dress. She frowned, certain that the cold she had recently recovered from was about to return.

Her cloth shoes were soaked through by the rain, her feet were cold and stiff, and even moving them couldn't warm them up. She switched hands to carry the bag and quickened her pace back, but it wasn't until she turned the corner that warmth finally surged from within her.

The rain was pouring down. A man squatted in the narrow road, his back to Zhou Xinyan. He slowly stood up, his well-defined knuckles gripping a brand-new iron hammer. Blood mixed with rainwater flowed down like wastewater from washing paintbrushes, and the dark sky almost blended into his dark raincoat.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly as she saw the crimson rainwater fall to the ground. At the hem of his raincoat lay a disheveled woman, her breath caught in her throat, as if a needle were piercing her eardrums, making a ringing sound.

The shopping bag fell into a puddle. The man slowly turned around. She moved her feet back slowly, her hand slipped, and the umbrella fell to the ground. The man turned around, his cold face hidden beneath his hat brim, yet she could clearly feel the annihilating aura emanating from him.

A biting cold swept through her body. She abruptly turned and ran back the way she came. The icy wind turned her face pale, and the splashing water soaked her completely. But the man reacted even faster, like a ghost in the rain, a series of overlapping phantoms silently approaching.

The distance between them wasn't large. Zhou Xinyan had already panicked and lost her way. With a painful groan, she fell heavily to the ground.

Black rubber shoes stopped at her feet. The man forcibly turned her body towards him. Discontent and fear filled Zhou Xinyan's eyes. Her hands clenched into fists, and she trembled all over. The man wore a mask. Looking up, she could only see a pair of beast-like eyes filled with savagery, and a hammer raised high.

"Is it...is it you?"

In the rain, far away, a woman was being dragged backward and disappeared into the distance.

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Chapter Two: Investigation After Being Kidnapped by a Serial Killer"Zhou Tiancheng! How did you let that elderly couple in? Do you know what those bastards wrote in the newspapers? This concerns the reputation of the police station! Do you know how serious this is?" In

the cramped room, Zhou Tiancheng stood with his hands in his pockets, his expression slightly grave. A glass window separated the inside from the outside. Seeing Wang Duo's indignant look, he pulled his hands out of his pockets.

"How many hours have these meetings been going on? How many times have the families protested at the police station? How many people have gone missing? Has the case made any progress? More than half a year has passed since the initial case was filed. The chief has issued a notice that if the murderer cannot be found within ten days, someone else will be sent to take over the case. Do you know what problems you, him, and them will face then?"

The two stood face to face. Zhou Tiancheng looked at Wang Duo's tense, aged face, nodded, and listened to him.

"Although you were only transferred to the task force at the beginning of this month, you handled the last case exceptionally well. I told you, if this case is solved perfectly under your leadership, Tiancheng, you'll have made a first-class contribution! You'll receive all the awards and bonuses you deserve!"

Wang Duo slammed his hand heavily on the table, the crisp sound standing out against the white noise.

"Did I just give you all the files without thinking? Take a closer look; that murderer is incredibly cunning. I'm getting old, and I'm inevitably less capable of handling these kinds of cases. I'll just wait until this case is over before being transferred back to my hometown to retire. You're so young; this position will be yours sooner or later. Keep up the good work; you know what to do."

The blinds were neatly arranged, and a heavy weight fell on his shoulder. Zhou Tiancheng looked at Wang Duo's smile and immediately breathed a sigh of relief, laughing heartily in response, now full of confidence as well.

"Don't worry, Chief. I've got the victims' information. I'm confident I can catch the killer. We're just not sure if it's a solo or group crime, but based on observations, we've identified three suspects. It's a rainy night, so I've notified the team to keep a close watch on the suspects. If anything unusual happens, we'll take them down immediately. They won't get away."

Wang Duo raised his head and said, "That's for the best! There are already four missing persons, all women. If reporters write nonsense in the newspapers, won't that cause panic? Also, have you investigated the relationships between them? That's a crucial point; we can't afford to be careless."

"We have. The four victims are all very different, and they live in completely different areas. With such different backgrounds, it's hard for them to know each other. The killer must be someone who has contact with them."

Wang Duo crossed his arms and nodded thoughtfully.

Zhou Tiancheng said, "But in my opinion, it's been so long since the first victim, the number of survivors is almost negligible. It's raining heavily today, who knows where that bastard might have hidden the body, maybe even on the mountain."

"Hey, don't say that." Wang Duo pointed outside, "One of the missing persons is the daughter of a high-ranking figure. Look at the chief's expression, if that big shot hadn't given the order, would he be in such a hurry to find her? Even if she's dead, he'd find her remains, let alone if she's alive."

"Heh." Zhou Tiancheng scoffed, "Finding the murderer is a secondary issue; catching that madman is the key."

After saying that, Zhou Tiancheng glanced at the door, leaned closer to Wang Duo, and whispered, "The murderer mostly targets women in their twenties and thirties, and the victims mostly disappeared in remote areas. Looking at the photos, the four victims look somewhat similar, but there are plenty of women in Yuecheng who look alike. Who knows which one will be the victim?"

"I'm thinking, the killer acted so cleanly, and even targeted areas with broken surveillance equipment, they must have scouted the place beforehand. Why don't we arrest a few suspects first, question them to intimidate the higher-ups, and then investigate privately?"

"That bastard has such an antisocial personality; seeing this, he'll definitely commit another crime. Let's lure him out and then trap him like a turtle in a jar. What do you think?"

"Yuecheng is so big, where are we going to trap someone like that? What if we can't catch him, and the family comes making a scene, unlike that old couple today!" Wang Duo said. Zhou

Tiancheng listened, took a breath, and scratched his head in distress.

"If you ask me, you should take someone to that elderly couple's house and try to calm them down. Use the excuse of investigating leads to get them to behave, at least until the murderer is caught, so they don't spout nonsense in front of the reporters. That way, our investigation will be easier."

"Go now? It's pouring rain outside. Should I wait until it stops?"

The two exchanged a glance. Wang Duo gave him a warning look, and Zhou Tiancheng immediately raised his hand, his eyebrows raised in surrender. Closing the door behind him, Zhou Tiancheng looked out at the torrential rain, feeling somewhat annoyed. He put his hands in his pockets and strode back to his seat.

Yu Maoran, buried in his small cubicle, occasionally glanced up into the office. Seeing Zhou Tiancheng come out, he immediately stood up to greet him.

"Boss." Yu Maoran moved closer to him. Zhou Tiancheng glanced at him and heard him say, "What did the sheriff say?"

Zhou Tiancheng picked up his keys, zipped up his coat, glanced out the window, and said, "What else could it be? The case. If we can't solve it, this month's bonus is gone."

"I see." Yu Maoran looked up at his watch, then looked up again and saw that Zhou Tiancheng had already reached the door. He quickly followed.

The two went downstairs in the pouring rain. Braving the downpour, they got into the car, fastened their seatbelts, and Yu Maoran craned his neck, saying, "Next week is Boss's birthday. Xin Yan said she's going to throw him a birthday party. She's probably buying a gift right now. With this heavy rain, should we give her a ride home?"

"Oh?" Zhou Tiancheng inserted the car key, somewhat surprised, and said, "No wonder it's so noisy over there."

"Boss already knows?" Yu Maoran asked in surprise, "I thought Xin Yan wouldn't tell you."

Zhou Tiancheng glanced at him, turned to look at the rearview mirror, and said while reversing, "It's not a secret, why can't you tell me? I usually celebrate with her, I didn't expect her to invite you. You two have only met twice and you're already planning a birthday party for me?"

"It's all because of the trouble the boss caused last time he was hospitalized. I went there so many times, I even got several calls from the nurses, how could I forget Xin Yan? But Xin Yan looks pretty familiar. I think I saw her near Chamingdong before, wearing a white dress and carrying an umbrella, I don't know where she was going. Does the boss know?"

He threw this question at Zhou Tiancheng, who turned the steering wheel and said, "I don't know, maybe she's visiting a friend."

He backed the van out between the two cars and adjusted it. Looking in the rearview mirror, Yu Maoran said, "But aren't we going to pick her up? It's raining so hard outside, it'll be hard to get a taxi. The mall isn't far from here, is it on our way?"

In the rearview mirror, Zhou Tiancheng glanced sideways at the tall, thin man in the passenger seat. He snorted, stepped on the gas, and said, "Old Wang has a task for us, let's take care of that first."

Yu Maoran was taken aback. He opened his mouth to say something, but his body swayed. Looking ahead, he quickly grabbed the handrail and cried out, "Hey, hey, boss, watch where you're going!"

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Chapter 3 of "After Being Kidnapped by a Serial Killer": Violation (h)A force surged into her body, seemingly tearing her in two. Her delicate eyelashes trembled slightly, and Zhou Xinyan groggily opened her eyes.

Everything was blurry; her forehead throbbed, and a persistent pain spread from her lower body to her limbs. A burning hot penis seemed to tear her apart, wildly thrusting and penetrating her body, relentlessly expanding its territory and entering her narrow passage.

Her lips were sealed with yellow tape, and she groaned softly. Her consciousness was hazy; she saw a double image of a dim light bulb. It was raining outside, the sky so dark it seemed to swallow the world, and she couldn't distinguish the shadowy objects.

The sounds of a man's heavy breathing mingled with a woman's soft sobs. With all her might, she turned her head to her right. In the dark corner lay a woman covered in blood, her hair disheveled, staring at everything in terror.

Her hands were bound and raised above her head, her long skirt, reaching her ankles, was pulled down to her lower abdomen. The rapid thrusting caused her excruciating pain, and the excessive stimulation caused her body to secrete a sticky fluid. Her fair ankles were fixed in the air, bobbing up and down. She could hear the man's pleasured breathing and feel the unbearable sensation of their skin colliding.

The cool raincoat clung to her thighs, the narrow space it covered burning hot. His large hand lifted her left leg, and a cold air rushed in through the parted opening, dispersing some of the decadent smell inside the clothing.

This was a complete sexual assault. The narrow passage enveloped the man's burning genitals. His penis was very thick and long, and the rapid, forceful friction made the walls of her vagina unbearably hot, but the even hotter penis continued its rampage, even penetrating deeper and deeper, as if it wanted to completely pierce her.

The humiliation of being violated gradually overwhelmed her. On one side was the man's intrusion, on the other, the woman's gaze. The feeling of being raped in public stimulated her delicate nerves. She suppressed the overwhelming shame, clenching her hands tightly.

Large tears slid down her cheeks. The man's face was blurred under his raincoat, but the taut veins on his neck looked terrifying. His heavy breathing surrounded her like a ghost.

Her legs were held in place by a pair of rough, large hands. The tender flesh pricked by the man's pubic hair felt as if countless ants were gnawing at it, a tingling sensation stimulating her vagina to secrete even more lustful fluid. Her

eyelashes were wet with tears, a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her frozen body began to heat up under the intense movement. Her soft flesh felt like countless tiny mouths were sucking on his penis, the red rod making her pink vagina swell and turn red. The man's haphazard, brute force was both excessively stimulating and intensely pleasurable.

A clear liquid dripped down her hips onto the floor. The man pinned her down, looking down at her in the dimly lit room. Zhou Xinyan couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel his lustful gaze, cold yet burning, like a bottomless abyss, swallowing her whole.

She trembled uncontrollably, tears welling in her eyes as she avoided his predatory gaze. The wooden planks beneath her creaked erratically. The lewd scent of musk filled the room and her nostrils. She stared at the rain-blurred glass, the chill seeping through the planks engulfing her. Tears streamed down her cheeks and into her hair, her half-dry hair blooming like a black flower on the floor.

A faint musty smell mingled with the lewd odor in the damp, cold air, filling the small room. The enormous object inside her occupied her warm, moist opening, stretching her tiny, finger-sized vulva to its limit, her pink labia white and swollen.

In the darkness, enveloped by the raincoat, a phallus, perfectly aligned with her fleshy opening, thrust forcefully into her flower-like orifice. Each time the shaft, barely visible in the dim light, withdrew slightly, it brought forth strands of vaginal fluid. The cool air it encountered tightened around the warm flesh, pushing it deeper once more.

The sensation of being cold on the outside and hot on the inside made her dizzy. Her lower body was covered by the man's large raincoat, but she could clearly feel how the thick penis was wreaking havoc inside her. Her body collided with the man's penis, her small orifice tightly gripping the intruding foreign object.

The "oohs" that initially escaped her lips gradually turned into disordered breathing. A wave of heat surged within her; she contracted her lower abdomen, trying to expel the thing, but only heard a low growl from the man, followed by a violent slam that nearly shattered her soul.

Her eyes blurred with tears. She clenched her teeth, the agonizing sensation of her body being violated almost colliding with her ideals. She felt suffocated, the tide of sex engulfing her. Large tears streamed down her face, and she could only suppress the damned sense of annihilation with rapid breathing.

The woman in the corner closed her eyes, unable to raise her hands to cover her ears. She was soaked to the bone, her white clothes stained crimson with blood. Her lips trembled, unable to save the woman being violated, and even less able to save herself, who was covered in wounds.

The woman's chest heaved, her pale legs clamping around the man's strong waist. The man seemed to have inexhaustible strength; every thrust was so forceful, the sounds of flesh colliding were especially loud in the room, the "splashing" of water sounding subtle and restrained.

A subtle tingling sensation emanated from below, lessening the pain somewhat. The feeling was unfamiliar and mysterious, like the pleasure of breaking through some taboo. She desperately wanted to condemn her unyielding body, but the unfamiliar pleasure was undeniably fatal. Her body felt like a ship adrift in a stormy sea, seemingly wanting to sink yet also determined to remain afloat.

Her white dress clung to her body, outlining her beautiful curves. The semi-transparent white fabric subtly revealed the flesh beneath. Her breasts, encased in a bra, swayed irregularly with each movement. Her dark, tousled hair clung to her flushed face.

Her eyes were glazed. Her fair wrists, bound with hemp rope, were rubbed raw and red from the movement, tinging her pale skin with pink. The man thrust into her with vigorous, forceful strokes. Perhaps it was her first time, for her vagina gripped his deep red penis tightly, each withdrawal bringing out tender pink flesh.

The overly tight vagina was like a greedy little mouth, constantly flowing with a clear liquid. The liquid slid down the canyon, dripping onto the wooden floor and then falling into the soil through the cracks.

It felt as if something was about to burst out of her lower abdomen, a feeling similar to going to the toilet, but not quite. Her hands clenched involuntarily as the penis thrust hard into the even narrower part of her vagina. Zhou Xinyan trembled, her lower abdomen throbbing uncomfortably.

She breathed heavily, her legs, which had been raised for so long, gradually going numb. Her breasts bounced up and down inside her clothes. She trembled, and in an instant, she burst out with a "splashing" of liquid.

The man didn't stop there; instead, he pressed on. The vagina, still tender and hot from the orgasm, was covered with a large amount of vaginal fluid, which soaked the tip of his penis. The hot penis was immersed inside, a feeling of pleasure that sent a tingling sensation down her spine.

The man held Zhou Xinyan's slender waist, thrusting deeper and deeper with each stroke. Her tight flesh clung to his penis relentlessly, the intense friction causing her snow-white buttocks to glow with a honeyed red.

The feeling of being violated grew stronger; her body, after the climax, was weaker than ever. Her eyes held a humiliated resentment, yet her body yielded to the man, making it easier for him to penetrate her.

His rod was hard and hot, like iron clamps just pulled from a furnace, pounding against her inside. Her testicles, stained with sticky vaginal fluid, slapped against her buttocks with each thrust.

Tears blurred her vision. She twisted her body, trying to resist, but the man's strength was excessive, holding her firmly like an iron frame. Even with her resistance, she was like a live fish on a chopping block, helplessly slaughtered.

The man released her hand, pressing it against the floor beside her face. His body gradually sank lower, the intense scent of his hormones assaulting her senses. She was pinned down, their breaths mingling. Her watery eyes stared directly at him. He was

like a venomous python, filled with a sharp, piercing light. The dark aura he exuded made her unconsciously slow her breathing, and the intense scent made her lower her eyes in fear.

The man gazed at her tear-streaked face, his movements below not ceasing, but becoming even more vigorous.

Zhou Xinyan's breathing became heavy, enveloped by the man's unique scent. The feeling of being violated from the inside out grew stronger. Her eyelashes trembled, her weak thighs gripping the man's waist and abdomen tightly.

The man frowned, his member slamming into her deepest uterus. His glans trembled slightly, and in an instant, a gush of hot semen shot in.

The man let out a low growl, like a beast releasing its pent-up rage. A bead of sweat dripped onto her eyelashes due to gravity. Zhou Xinyan closed her eyes, unwilling to feel the strange sensation of his penis ejaculating inside her, nor the shame of her uterus gradually being filled with hot semen. But the more she tried to avoid thinking about it, the clearer the feeling became.

After ejaculating for a while, the man reluctantly withdrew from her body, even kindly pulling down her skirt to cover her private parts.

Zhou Xinyan slightly clenched her numb legs, her fair skin flushed a light pink. A large amount of hot liquid gathered in her lower abdomen, and as she tilted slightly, the liquid flowed out of her vagina.

The woman beside her heard the commotion and slowly opened her eyes. This live sex act had made her lower body wet, but fear prevailed.

She looked up at the man in the raincoat approaching. He picked up a drill from the table and gently pressed it. A sharp sound echoed through the room. Footsteps moved under the table, and he came over.

The woman, bound with rope, was dragged out by the man, staggering. It was still pouring rain outside, and the sky was dark. The man opened the trunk and shoved her inside.

The bedroom door was open, as was the living room door. Zhou Xinyan tried to lower her raised hand and prop herself up on her elbows to look outside. There was a yard outside, bare except for a layer of muddy ground soaked by the rain.

The man returned, the drill in his hand no longer moving. Zhou Xinyan shrank back, looking at him with wet eyes. The man, with a cold face, shoved her into the trunk while she was soaked in the rain.

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Chapter Four: The Murder After Being Kidnapped by a Serial Killer"Ding-dong." Zhou Tiancheng pressed the doorbell, patted the water droplets off his shoulder, and heard a sound from inside. He leaned in front of the monitor, his face taking up most of the space, and said, "Hello, we are police officers investigating Miss Lin's disappearance."

Zhou Tiancheng's face was vaguely reflected in the monitor. The door opened from the inside, and an elderly woman stood in the doorway. Zhou Tiancheng glanced at her and smiled, "Oh, Auntie, it's been a long time. We are police officers from the police department investigating Miss Lin's disappearance. We visited last time and took your statement; you should remember us, right?"

The woman's temples were gray, and she looked extremely haggard. She nodded and asked softly, "Is there any news about my daughter?"

Zhou Tiancheng drew out his question without speaking, and led Yu Maoran into the house. The woman closed the door. The room was slightly dark; the light coming in from the balcony was insufficient to illuminate it. She turned on the light, and the two closed their eyes, taking a while to adjust to the light.

"We're here specifically to verify the information. The work over there is very intense. You know, these kinds of cases are very complicated; every step can be crucial. If it's Miss Lin over there, we'll call you immediately. Don't worry, Auntie, everything will be fine."

The woman's eyes were full of worry, her head hanging low and listless. She said, "I've been waiting for so long. We've made calls, given clues, but we haven't received any useful information. I'm so worried that I can't sleep or eat, and it's even affected my work. How can my husband and I wait any longer?"

Zhou Tiancheng put one hand in his pocket and said, "Of course we understand your worries. Everyone is doing their best to investigate, and there are many people like you waiting for news. We're here to confirm the clues on Miss Lin's side. It shouldn't delay you, right?"

As he spoke, he turned and gestured to Yu Maoran, who nodded, put on gloves, and went into Lin's room.

"But…but didn't we already investigate last time? You saw what you shouldn't have seen, and you took what you shouldn't have taken. There are only some daily necessities and furniture left in the house. Are you going to take even that?"

The woman clenched her fists, looking anxiously at Yu Maoran who had entered the room, then at Zhou Tiancheng, her words revealing her dissatisfaction.

"No, once we find the guy who kidnapped Miss Lin, we will return all the items we took. You don't need to worry about that." Zhou Tiancheng sat down on the sofa and said, "However, Auntie, you also need to cooperate with us. If you make a big fuss and cause them to become wary, it will be very disadvantageous for us. You should consider Miss Lin, who is suffering somewhere right now."

Outside, it gradually darkened, the cold air was penetrating, lightning crackled in the clouds, and occasional thunderclaps illuminated the room.

The woman sat down, rubbing her hands, and said, "We didn't mean to, it was those reporters who kept pestering us. We didn't expect it to have such a big impact, it's really troublesome for you."

Zhou Tiancheng nodded, looked up at the photo frame next to the TV, a family photo of the three of them. He glanced at the photo, his expression calm, and said, "Anyone would feel bad after something like this, it's only natural. We understand how you feel."

"Although we haven't found Miss Lin yet, not finding her means there's still hope, right? I believe Miss Lin is also waiting for our rescue, she'll hold on until that day, don't you think?"

"I hope she's alright," the woman said with a bitter face.

Zhou Tiancheng raised his hand to look at the clock on his wrist, seeing that it was almost time, he leaned to the side and called into the room, "Hey, how's your investigation going? It's time, we should go." A

sudden response came from the open door. Seeing this, Zhou Tiancheng stood up on tiptoe.

His shoes were slightly wet from the rain. Looking down at the shallow footprints on the marble floor, he immediately smiled apologetically and said, "I'm so sorry to have caused you trouble."

The woman saw the young policeman come out of the house, his hands empty, seemingly carrying nothing. She breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "It's alright, it's alright."

Zhou Tiancheng turned to look at Yu Maoran, who was also looking at him. They exchanged glances and walked out without thinking. As he left the house, he said goodbye to the woman. The moment he saw her close the door, he snorted, put his hands in his pockets, and said, "What a nuisance."

-

The cold rain fell in her face. The towering trees darkened the surroundings, and the strong smell of grass permeated the area surrounded by trees. The muddy ground under her feet seemed to threaten to sink her into it. She stumbled and fell, like a puppet on a string, up the hillside.

A black raincoat concealed the man's muscular physique as he dragged the unconscious woman down the sloping hillside deeper into the mountains. The woman's condition was unknown; her eyes were tightly closed, and one hand was being pulled by the man.

Blood flowing from her body fell to the ground, quickly washed away by the rain.

Zhou Xinyan followed behind, her waist-length hair clinging to her body, her pale face utterly haggard. The hemp rope binding her chafed her skin, burning painfully with every touch of rain.

Her legs felt like lead, her steps unsteady, her calves trembling. Her parched throat could only be lubricated with saliva, and the people before her were already blurry.

Exhausted, she slumped to the ground against a thick tree trunk, panting heavily. In

the gloomy weather, her soaked clothes clung to her body, her vision blurred, and she could only make out the swaying, overlapping silhouettes of several men before they dispersed.

The man seemed to have no intention of going any further. He released the woman's wrist and squatted down. He opened the transparent plastic bag he was carrying in his right hand, which contained many tools. He reached inside and searched for a while, eventually finding the drill he had tossed into the bag.

The sound of the drill starting was extremely piercing, even more terrifying in the woods. Zhou Xinyan forced herself to stay focused, the dim world making it difficult to distinguish things. It was

very cold. The sound of the drill filled her ears. She lifted her eyelids and watched the blurry black figure walk towards a white object. The sharp drill made a strange sound as it touched something, like peeling away a layer of flesh to reach bone, then preparing to drill through the bone and fall to the ground.

The woman's screams were heart-wrenching, echoing in her ears. Zhou Xinyan's pupils dilated. The man blocked her view, but she could still see the woman's convulsing legs.

Bright red blood gushed from her body like a small fountain, instantly splashing onto the surrounding grass and staining it red.

The sound of the drill piercing her skull was muffled by the rain, and tears mingled with the rain, making her face indistinguishable.

She saw the man pick up a hammer, his expression hidden by a black mask. Blood trickled from the corner of his eye, mixed with rainwater. As if noticing her gaze, the man turned his head and glanced at her, his eyes cold and sinister, gleaming with a sharp, eerie light.

A chill ran down her spine to her heart, and the nauseating stench of blood filled the air. Her eyes widened, a faint bitter taste spreading in her mouth.

The despair of death was so intense. A large amount of blood gushed from the head, staining the woman's chiffon blouse crimson. The red liquid mixed with the muddy water, rushing down the mountain. It brushed past Zhou Xinyan's shoes, and she immediately pulled her foot back, trembling and curling up under a tree.

Her breathing was rapid. Looking at the woman lying on the ground, she had a strong premonition that if she didn't run away, she would be next to die.

The man raised the hammer. The woman, still seemingly conscious, felt a growing sense of danger and struggled desperately, her mouth, sealed with duct tape, emitting cries.

The man, appearing impatient, pressed one hand against her neck and, under her desperate gaze, slammed the hammer down on her head.

The woman fell completely still, lying quietly on the ground, unable to utter a sound.

But the man wouldn't stop, relentlessly pounding the woman's head, seemingly as a release of lust, reveling in the pleasure of destroying a person like livestock.

He was utterly insane, devoid of humanity and emotion.

In the dark forest, nothing was visible, the sound of rain muffled its echoes, yet it reached Zhou Xinyan's ears clearly. The woman's body twitched with each blow, like a dying fish's last stand.

Terror gripped her mind. She cautiously rose, using the trees as cover, only to fall again.

His face was stained with blood, like a demon torturing humans in the night, surrounded by darkness, unable to see a glimmer of light, yet dragging her slowly into hell with his blood-soaked hands.

Her skirt was stained a mess of mud. She dared not move, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, but with each surge of emotion, something seemed to flow down her body.

She watched as the man picked up a shovel and quickly dug a large pit in the ground. He stuffed the mangled woman into a black body bag, zipped it up, and pushed the bag into the pit.

She trembled violently, tears streaming down her face, but no sound came out. Her white canvas shoes were stained with muddy sewage. She watched as the man filled the pit little by little, the freshly turned soil almost indistinguishable from the original. He placed a large stone on top, a perfect cover-up, leaving virtually no trace. After

finishing, he stomped on the filled mud, leaving a mark on the ground with his rubber boots, but it was quickly washed away.

He bent down, picked up a hammer, and turned to walk over. Zhou Xinyan's heart pounded, as if she had suddenly stopped running.

The man walked up to her and slowly squatted down, looking her in the eye.

She could only see the man's dark lips beneath his hat brim. She had never been able to read people's minds, and instinctively, she took a step back.

She had a gentle, pretty face, but now it was filled with fear and dread. Her reddened eyes made her look pitiful. She lowered her head, endless fear eroding her heart.

The man didn't speak, nor could he reveal his expression. His well-defined hands, resting on his knees, moved slightly and reached towards her.

She wanted to dodge, but there was nowhere to hide. His hands passed under her armpits and wrapped around her. The embrace was so sudden that Zhou Xinyan gasped. Her hands were bound in front of her, and without any support, she almost fell.

The man's body was hot, like a furnace; even through several layers of clothing, she could feel the intense heat.

She dared not speak, nor dared she look up. The road down the mountain was long, but his steps were steady. She hunched her shoulders, and when she was stuffed back into the trunk, she lay silently in the cramped space.

The road near the foot of the mountain was extremely remote. A few cars occasionally passed by on the way back, their undercarriages soaked with water. The strong smell of gasoline lingered around her. She seemed dead, motionless.

The car came to a steady stop in the rain, waiting for the streetlights. The man took off his raincoat and put on a baseball cap. In the dim light, his gloomy gaze swept across the car through the rearview mirror. The cold mirror reflected his facial features. He raised his hand to adjust the brim of his cap, expressionless, and stepped on the gas.

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Chapter 5 of "After Being Kidnapped by a Serial Killer": The AccidentThe heavy rain washed the car windows clean. Yu Maoran opened a bottle of liquor and handed it to Zhou Tiancheng. Sitting in the passenger seat, Zhou Tiancheng crossed his legs, took a big gulp of liquor, shook it a few times, and casually put the bottle back in its slot.

"Boss, wasn't what you just said a bit inappropriate? What if that elderly couple finds out their daughter is dead? Will they come to the police station again?"

The car headed towards the city center, where traffic was backed up in several rows due to the rain. Zhou Tiancheng, his leg shaking, looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Why are you asking this? You're not new to this job. Don't ask such stupid questions like a rookie."

"Hey, you know me, bro. I've been following you around for the past six months." Yu Maoran said with a grin, "I'm just worried about that couple. They only have one daughter. If something happens to her, I don't know how they'll live the rest of their lives."

"Tsk, instead of worrying about them, you should be concerned about this case. Those old hands in the team are like starving dogs, eager to devour any clue they find, but they haven't even found a hair on the killer's head yet, and they're afraid of not getting promoted. And you, you brat, instead of worrying about the case, you're worrying about other people's business. You're just being nosy."

Zhou Tiancheng glanced at him sideways, and Yu Maoran nervously swallowed, looking at the road ahead, and said, "No. Isn't Big Brother always very confident? This afternoon Big Brother said he would find the killer before his birthday. I'm saying this because I believe Big Brother, right?"

"Damn it, you little brat, you dare to eavesdrop on my phone call, you've got some nerve!" Zhou Tiancheng quickly took off his shoes, pulled off the socks he'd worn for several days, aimed at the spot, and threw them, cursing under his breath.

"Oh my god! Big brother, no, no! I won't do it again!" Yu Maoran grabbed the corner of the sock and dropped it to the side. He opened the car window halfway, made a gagging gesture, and stretched his neck to take a few breaths.

Zhou Tiancheng took off the other sock, making an "ouch" sound. Seeing Yu Maoran's embarrassed look, he smiled happily, crumpled the sock into a ball, threw it on the back seat, reached for the liquor bottle, looked up, and took another swig. Seeing Yu Maoran roll up the window, his lips curled up in a subtle expression.

His phone suddenly rang in his pocket. He leaned against the car window, took out his phone, and saw the name "Old Wang" on the screen. He pressed the answer button, leaning back in his seat, and said, "Old Wang, everything's taken care of here. Anything else? Oh, uh-huh? What? Missing again? Where? Near my house? Damn it, I got it, 3085 Ming'an-dong. We're going there now."

"Scumbag." He hung up, put the phone back in his pocket, looked at the road leading towards the city center, cursed under his breath, and said, "Go straight, to Ming'an-dong."

"What's wrong, bro?" Yu Maoran turned to look at him, and seeing his displeased expression, immediately turned and headed straight for the main road.

"Something's happened. A woman has gone missing near Ming'an-dong. Her parents still haven't found her. Damn it, I knew that bastard wouldn't stop." Zhou Tiancheng pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, fumbling for a lighter.

"Big Brother lives in Ming'an Cave, right? Something happened nearby. Xin Yan should be alright, right? Didn't she say she was going to buy Big Brother a gift? Girls take their time choosing gifts, like my cousin. Shouldn't we drop her off on the way?"

"She went back a long time ago." Zhou Tiancheng fumbled for a lighter for a while but couldn't find it. Frustrated, he threw the cigarette pack on the center console and said, "We took the main road. It was still light out at that time. Seriously, if we catch that brat, we'll definitely beat him up to vent

our anger. Damn it, I'm so angry!" As he spoke, Zhou Tiancheng leaned over and reached into his pocket. He vaguely felt a gaze from the side. He paused, turned his head, and became even angrier. "Hey! You brat, drive properly!"

After being scolded, Yu Maoran sniffed, turned his head sheepishly, and sped up.

There were significantly more cars during rush hour, and the two were stuck in traffic for a while before finally leaving the city center. Ming'andong wasn't far from the city center, but it was a relatively remote and narrow corner. The car moved forward at a steady speed, following the main road.

The rain continued to fall relentlessly. Zhou Tiancheng glanced at his watch and saw that it was already six o'clock in the evening. He opened his phone and typed a line of small text on the small keys. He silently read it to himself, deleted a few words, and was about to send it when he suddenly heard Yu Maoran curse.

He looked ahead suspiciously and saw that the sloping road was filled with sewage. There used to be a manhole cover there, but now it was buried in the murky rainwater and could not be seen.

The shops on both sides were also flooded with rainwater, and more and more people were standing under the eaves complaining. Zhou Tiancheng glanced around and saw several children in yellow school uniforms walking to the left. He leaned back, nudged Yu Maoran, and urged, "Ignore them, hurry up and go."

Yu Maoran replied with an "Okay," drove the car into the water, the tires creating waves in the sewage, and soon they reached their destination. A police car was already parked nearby. Yu Maoran parked the car on the side of the road, and the two got out of the car in the rain. Zhou Tiancheng pushed open the gate to the courtyard and went inside. After a few steps, he heard a mournful cry.

He took off his shoes and stepped barefoot onto the beige floor. His colleagues had already started their work and greeted him when they saw him come in. The weeping woman also turned her head and looked over. Seeing that it was Zhou Tiancheng, she hurriedly stood up and came over.

"Xiao Hui will be alright, right? She'll be alright, she definitely will be alright, right, Tiancheng?"

Zhou Tiancheng didn't dare to speak, looking up at Mo Ran. Mo Ran, who was asking her questions, came over, gently took the woman's arm, said a few words of comfort, and helped her back to the sofa.

The room was in chaos, yet seemingly orderly. Everyone's voices were incredibly disorderly. Yu Maoran also put on gloves and shoe covers and joined in the work. Zhou Tiancheng looked down at the unsent message, pressed send, glanced around at the situation, put his phone back in his pocket, and turned to leave.

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Chapter Six: Disappearance After Being Kidnapped by a Serial Killer"What's the situation now?" Zhou Tiancheng asked under the eaves.

"Zhao Huiling's mother said that around four o'clock this afternoon, Zhao Huiling called her. They were chatting when suddenly the other end went silent. She only heard a 'thud' from the phone before it hung up. She waited at home for half an hour, but Zhao Huiling didn't return, so she went out to look for her. After returning home and still not being able to reach her by phone, she called the police."

Both of them were standing on the edge of the eaves. Yu Maoran held several photos in his hand, comparing them. He sighed, glanced at the tightly closed door, bent down, and whispered to Zhou Tiancheng... He said, "I think it's probably that bastard's doing! I see Zhao Huiling's photo, and her features are somewhat similar to the previous victims. There are so many people in Yuecheng who look alike, I don't know how that guy found them all, it's really strange."

Zhou Tiancheng squatted down next to him, watching the water column falling from the eaves. Hearing what he said, he immediately turned his head and looked at him with a strange look, saying, "Does it look like her?"

Yu Maoran probably felt that his look was a bit strange, rubbed his head, stood up straight without understanding, and chuckled.

Zhou Tiancheng turned his head, looking at the scene in the courtyard. He felt a tightness in his chest. He casually pulled out his phone and turned on the screen. Seeing that there was no reply, he stood up and said, "There are a few side roads around here. The main road is blocked by water, so only cars can pass and people can't pass. I'll go check the side roads. You pull up the surveillance footage from the intersections. Take the stuff back to the police station for a meeting."

He heard Yu Maoran reply, then went inside to borrow an umbrella and went out. He walked to the left. There was a wall opposite the courtyard. He walked straight along the base of the wall, passing an old house with branches extending into the courtyard.

He stopped, raised his umbrella, and looked up at the iron gate. Anxiety pounded in his chest. He frowned, wanting to push open the door that separated him from the narrow path, but hesitated. He lowered his head and walked forward along the flowing water.

The wind and rain lashed down, his right hand, holding the umbrella handle, was red with cold. He reached an intersection and saw some people detouring out from another intersection. He moved closer to the side, observing the hurried passersby. He made a silent request, then turned away from the flow of people and went inside.

It was more secluded than he had imagined. He stopped after walking a short distance, holding his umbrella and staring at the dark road. The sunken path was filled with rainwater, and several people were slowly making their way across, stepping on the stones along the wall.

The air was foul, and the sewers were gushing with rainwater. He stood in the middle of the intersection, slightly raising his head, his pupils following the slight movement of his body. The rain was gradually subsiding, but the fine raindrops still stung his face.

His gaze fixed on a utility pole not far away, where a surveillance camera, also soaked in the rain, waited silently. Disappointment flickered in his eyes. He lowered his gaze, looking at the noisy sewers on the ground, and then his eyes lit up.

The water had submerged his shoes. He switched the umbrella between his hands, squatted down, and picked up a tangled strand of long hair, sticky with a slimy liquid that smelled particularly foul in the fishy air.

He cursed in disgust, threw the hair down, and looked into the sewer. It was pitch black inside, and he couldn't see anything. He craned his neck, turned on his phone, and shone the light into the sewer, but only the reflection of sewage answered him.

His face contorted in pain. He stood up, wiped his fingers on the wall, and retreated in disgust, turning to walk back the way he came.

By the time he returned to Ming'an Cave 3085, it was too dark to see anything. His colleagues were packing up, Mo Ran was still comforting the woman, and Zhou Tiancheng stood by the car, making small talk with Yu Maoran who was starting the engine, but his eyes were fixed on the old house two buildings away.

Every other house had its lights on, but that one remained silent. He checked his phone and saw that the message he'd sent not long ago hadn't received a reply. He looked back at the dark house, and a nameless worry welled up inside him again.

He gripped his phone tightly, ignoring the calls behind him, and hurried towards the house.

Soaked in the rain, he gripped the doorframe and called out to the house, but there was no response. The iron gate wasn't locked, so he anxiously pushed it open.

The yard was filled with plants, most of them budding. A small pot of daisies sat by the wooden porch, its petals few and far between, looking pitiful but unnoticed.

Zhou Tiancheng frowned, his worry deepening. How could that silly girl have forgotten to bring her beloved flowers in the rain?

He bent down and pushed the flowers onto the porch. Yu Maoran, who had been waiting for him to get into the car and leave

, hurriedly ran over. He took off his shoes and went inside. The room was decorated in a warm, sunny style, with many small floral patterns. A photo of the two of them was displayed next to the bookshelf, and on the next shelf were childhood photos of the two of them under the jujube tree in their hometown. Yu Maoran followed, and Zhou Tiancheng had already dialed a phone with his hands on his hips. A cold, mechanical female voice came from the other end of the phone, like a thorn piercing his heart. The cold wind blew his leather jacket, and the veins on the back of his red hands were exposed, trembling in the cold air.

"What's wrong, brother?"

He slowly raised his eyes, looking through the door at the muddy soil washed by the rain. His expression was extremely unnatural, and the flesh on his cheeks was trembling uncontrollably.

His pupils swirled helplessly in their sockets. He pulled himself back to reality, wiped his nose, and forced a smile. He said, "Nothing, just thinking about something that couldn't possibly happen. It's nothing, I was just imagining things. This kind of thing can't happen."

He seemed to be answering himself, or perhaps replying to Yu Maoran.

Yu Maoran was completely baffled. Seeing Zhou Tiancheng's strange expression and connecting it to the house, his confusion gradually faded. He looked at Zhou Tiancheng, somewhat incredulous.

Zhou Tiancheng didn't speak. Outside, the rain was incessant, and he felt a chill in his heart even more biting than the spring cold. He put his phone in his pocket when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

The sound was light, like a feather floating in the rain being struck by large raindrops. Yu Maoran craned his neck; the gate to the yard had already quietly closed. He said, "Is that Xin Yan?"

A figure suddenly flew past him. As the sound of the knocking began, Zhou Tiancheng's heart slowly settled. He rushed into the yard and hurriedly opened the door. When he saw who it was, the words he was about to utter stopped abruptly. His bright eyes fell silent, as if covered with a layer of dust, losing their luster.

"It's Jinxiong. What's wrong?" Zhou Tiancheng crouched down, looking directly at the young boy in front of him. The boy was wearing a bright yellow raincoat and clutching a heavy, soaking wet leather bag.

He handed the bag to Zhou Tiancheng, who took it and opened it with a puzzled expression. Inside was a carefully wrapped gift box, also wet from the rain, but only the surface was damp. Next to it was a pink cell phone.

"This is... Xin Yan's phone?"

He wasn't sure. He tried pressing the buttons, but the phone seemed to be wet and wouldn't light up. He quickly gave up on the phone and looked at the boy with an inquisitive gaze, hoping to glean some useful clues to justify his unfounded fear.

But the boy nodded, pointed to the bag with his short finger, and said innocently, "I found this on my way home. There's Xin Yan's phone inside. I wanted to give it to her, but she wasn't home. I just saw Uncle, so I took it."

As if in a final blow, his hand holding the phone trembled, and his eyes flashed with a strange light. He asked, "Found it on the road? A phone and... a gift?"

He saw Jin Xiong nod, and it was like a bolt from the blue. He felt the phone in his hand was unreal. His heart, which had been filled with passion, pounded violently in his chest. His breathing became slow, and the air he inhaled was icy cold, like a frost-covered spider web coming from all directions.

He was frozen stiff, trembling uncontrollably in the dim light, overwhelmed by the terrifying speculation. Everything seemed to spin before his eyes, and he couldn't even hold onto his phone, which was slipping from his grasp.

He collapsed to the ground, the rain on either side isolating him. Like a drowning man, he clutched his head, his eyes red-rimmed, unable to speak. The suffocating feeling was almost unbearable, even more painful than death itself.

"No, it can't be..." A wave of pain surged through his nose. He clenched his fists, gripping the phone tightly. "Xin Yan...she..."

A sense of utter despair overwhelmed him. His vision blurred, even the person before him was indistinct. The last two words were stuck in his throat.

He hoarsely pressed the small phone against his heart, as if it held all his strength, making it impossible for him to utter those final words.

He trembled, like a wild beast, letting out a tearing howl in the rain. Lightning lashed through the dark clouds, illuminating the entire city for a moment, but even through the downpour, his grief had already consumed him.

In the rain, Yu Maoran leaned on the threshold with one hand, gazing at the grieving man for a long time, unable to utter a single word amidst his sobs.//////////

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Chapter Seven of "After Being Kidnapped by a Serial Killer" - Forced Entry (H)Hot water poured from above onto the floor, filling the bathroom with steam. The man, naked, brushed the stray hairs from his forehead, revealing his face.

He squinted, a scar almost the same color as his skin on his forehead. His body, muscular from years of training, was incredibly strong; even a simple movement revealed defined muscles.

Beneath his tanned skin was a clump of black pubic hair, and a massive erection, seemingly awakened from a dream, stood erect within it. Warm water flowed from both sides, making the already enormous and terrifying member even more grotesque.

His well-defined fingers gripped the massive member, sliding it up and down for an unknown amount of time, yet it remained thriving.

The man frowned, raised his hand to turn off the shower, and a rush of cool air filled the damp room. Water droplets slid quickly down his back. He stepped barefoot out of the dark room, the curtains drawn. He pressed the handle and pushed open the door in the dim bathroom light.

Steady footsteps approached, stopping a short distance away. Zhou Xinyan, her eyes closed in the darkness, trembled slightly, her pupils sliding beneath her eyelids. After a long silence, she slowly opened her eyes.

Her vision was blurry and unfocused, several thin strands of hair obscuring her view. In the silence, her gaze focused, moving for a moment before settling on the imposing figure. Instantly, her pupils dilated.

The man stood naked before her, backlit. Water droplets fell from his heels to the ground. The living creature standing in the black grass looked like a man-eating monster, terrifying even in the darkness.

A sense of danger struck her heart. A muffled "woof" escaped her gagged mouth. She twisted her body, backing away, but the bed behind her blocked her view, exposing her to the man's unrestrained gaze.

Seeing her fear, the man seemed to think of something amusing, a cold smile creeping across his face.

In the darkness, the man approached step by step. A tremendous fear gripped her; tears welled in her eyes as she desperately shook her head, begging him to let her go. But the man grabbed her ankle, swiftly pulling her out of the bedroom and slamming the bathroom door shut.

Warm water cascaded down, soaking her clothes and expelling the biting cold. She groaned, opening her eyes in the water. Before she could even register her surroundings, the overwhelming scent of hormones enveloped her.

She struggled, whimpering, as the man's head buried itself in her shoulder. Her limbs were frozen stiff, yet she could feel him sucking on her neck. A strange sensation churned within her; she twisted frantically, trying to escape his advances.

Tears mingled with the hot water, her screams muffled by duct tape. She struggled to escape the man's grip, but the difference in strength was too great. In her fierce resistance, the man pressed down on her abdomen, pinning her to the ground. The rushing water slapped against his bent back, dripping from his back to between her legs.

Her fear was undisguised; large tears streamed down her face. She looked into the man's increasingly dark eyes and saw an emotion she desperately wanted to avoid.

Suddenly, a strange sound came from the bathroom. The man dragged her by her long hair to the sink. Her reflection in the mirror showed her miserable state: her white dress tattered, the mud stains washed away by the hot water. Her disheveled black hair was tightly gripped by the man, and under her terrified gaze, the large hand controlling the back of her head forcefully pushed her into the sink.

The icy pool water rushed into her nostrils, rapidly depleting the air in her lungs. Instinctively, she struggled to lift her head, but the hand holding her back held her firmly. A feeling of suffocation crept in. The faucet continued to run, and she splashed the overflowing water, the cold making her even more lucid.

Just when she thought she was going to die there, she felt a tug at the base of her hair, pulling her up. She gasped for breath as the tanned arm reached across her other cheek, and with a hiss, the yellow tape fell to the side. Before she could react, she was submerged again.

The shallow water was eerily silent, large bubbles rising to the surface. She gently shook her head, listening to the sounds below. Her chest felt even thinner than before. She struggled desperately, feeling a despair worse than being killed outright.

The man pulled her up again and roughly threw her under the shower. Zhou Xinyan lay on the floor, drenched in hot water, her hands bound behind her back. Her face was pale, and she coughed uncomfortably in the steam rising from the water.

The ropes on her wrists were untied, her white dress was pulled down, her soaked bra was forcibly torn off, and her already tattered panties fell to the floor, completely soaked.

Her vulva was exposed to the air. She tried to close her legs, but the man grabbed her arms and pressed her against the wall. Her full breasts were squeezed out of shape by his strong body, and her private parts were pressed tightly against his abdomen. His huge penis rubbed up and down between her legs, as if he was ready to completely destroy her.

"Ah..." Zhou Xinyan was filled with fear. Her body slumped due to gravity, and she had to hug the man's neck to maintain temporary balance.

The man lifted her legs and forced her to wrap them around his waist. The woman's body was white and smooth, as tender as tofu, irresistible to the touch. Her ankles were slender, but her thighs and hips were full, especially her breasts, which were incredibly soft against his healthy-skinned body.

His penis gently rubbed against her plump labia, a slow and agonizing process. A sticky liquid flowed from her vulva, gathering at her clitoris, forming a sweet nectar that flowed downwards. The clear liquid stretched into a straight line, its heaviest point severing its connection to the top in an instant. The circular, rolling liquid hurtled towards the ground, but was intercepted by his waiting penis several meters away.

The muddy liquid, unable to escape the penis's blockage, felt the sensation of flesh against flesh sending chills down her spine. She buried her face in the man's shoulder; his intense breath seemed to penetrate every pore of her body as his hot penis slowly rubbed against her crotch.

Hot water poured over her head, trickling down her hair and flowing into the hollows between her shoulder blades. The burning sensation from the friction between her thighs was unbearable. She twisted her body, trying to escape the discomfort caused by the man's genitals, but he pressed her down firmly, making it difficult for her to breathe freely.

The man pressed against Zhou Xinyan, easily finding her extremely hidden opening with his penis. Without any foreplay, he thrust in forcefully, pushing half of his penis inside. His penis squeezed into the closed soft flesh, like a sharp blade forcibly tearing open the tender walls.

Zhou Xinyan trembled slightly. The hard penis felt as if it wanted to pierce through her body. She groaned in pain, extremely disliking this feeling that her body was hers but didn't belong to her, and the feeling of being violated yet having to rely on the man for her panting.

Their bodies pressed together and then separated, her thighs being repeatedly thrust into. Warm water surrounded them both. She wrapped her arms around the man's neck, feeling the moist air surrounding her, yet feeling increasingly cold.

Her breasts swayed, striking the man's hard chest, as she moaned weakly. It was impossible to tell if it was sweat or hot water seeping into her body; only the thick, erotic scent filled the air.

The man's waist was strong; he held the woman beneath him, slowly draining her. Her vagina released a clear, viscous fluid, making both of them wet and sticky.

The woman clinging to his neck seemed to have lost all strength. The man supported her buttocks with one hand and gripped the wall with the other. The bathroom was filled with smoke, and the walls were covered in water droplets. The woman's face was flushed, and her tightly furrowed brows made her look extremely pained, but the moans escaping her lips seemed out of place.

The bathroom facilities were somewhat old, and water droplets accumulated on the ceiling. The shameful sounds of their intercourse were masked by the running water. Zhou Xinyan felt like she was going crazy. A fire burned within her, a fire that burned fiercely, and the one who ignited that flame was the man who was violating her.

She was drenched in water and couldn't open her eyes. She could only close them to feel the stimulation coming from her private parts. She curled her toes and was held captive in the man's arms. The fiery rod inside her explored deeper and deeper, stimulating her still swollen flower hole to release a lot of juice.

The passage was tight and hot. Each withdrawal of the penis caused countless small mouths to reluctantly release new fluids to lubricate the passage, as if to facilitate the man's better penetration, or perhaps to tempt him to commit relentless crimes.

The man was also sweating, but the sweat was quickly washed away by the water. His dark eyes were tinged with lust as his palms caressed the smooth skin. He could clearly feel the woman trembling in his arms, but he did not stop. Instead, he thrust into her body even more violently.

The bathroom curtains were drawn, but the window was not closed. Occasionally, a cool breeze would blow into the room, making the woman tremble even more intensely. It was from the fear in her heart. In the narrow room, the man's presence was so strong. His penis seemed to want to merge with her, thrusting relentlessly. Her legs were numb and sore. If the man hadn't been supporting her, she might have collapsed weakly to the ground.

Her body was constantly leaking fluid, yet the man remained vigorous, seemingly growing stronger with each thrust. Zhou Xinyan shook her head, letting out low sobs. The unfamiliar lust stimulated her brain; the man's body heated up, his facial muscles trembling with his movements.

The steaming smoke made everything seem dreamlike. Her hands gripped the man's shoulders, her fingertips almost digging into his flesh. She dared not speak to stop him; each withdrawal made her involuntarily clench her legs, but each time his penis broke through layers of soft flesh, it brought her an indescribable shock.

She was like a fairy, her limbs tightly wrapped around the man's body. She seemed unwilling to accept this soul-stirring sex, but her vagina made her unwillingness utterly unconvincing.

Zhou Xinyan bit her lower lip; the air was filled with the scent of lovemaking, even stronger than before, almost filling her nostrils.

Both the man on top of her and the blushing smell terrified her. Thick fluids dripped to the ground in countless thin strands; her body was flushed, tender and smooth, like a newborn baby.

Her waist-length hair clung to her back, the man's hands rough yet strangely tactile.

The woman's slender waist swayed passively, the man's heavy breathing almost overwhelming her senses; a tingling, numbing pleasure, like poison, drove her mad.

The intertwining of two bodies of different skin tones amplified the visual impact. The only sounds in the damp bathroom were their intimate breaths. Zhou Xinyan's eyes were red; she tried desperately to push the man away, but whenever their eyes met, terror would engulf her.

The addictive pleasure of sex almost suffocated her, the feeling of being defiled constantly reminding her of the conflicting emotions pushing her to the brink of collapse. The third layer of pleasure brought tears streaming down her face.

The man's lovemaking was driven by a primal animalistic instinct, but this instinct also stirred a deeper desire within her. The friction between their flesh and his thick penis aroused wave after wave of pleasure, stretching her tight, narrow vagina until it was perfectly aligned with his.

The enormous glans plunged deep inside, into a more mysterious place, exuding a tranquil aura, hidden in an even more secretive location, an alluring presence unknown even to the owner of the vagina.

The tip of the glans, overflowing with white fluid, explored further. Zhou Xinyan clenched her hands, the breath escaping from her throat prying open her lips. She curled her toes, her soft voice like the ripples of warm spring water, her body swaying with the man's movements, her breath coming in gasps as she let out deadly moans.

The fire within her was unbearably hot; she couldn't control her cries, clinging to the man's burning body, feeling the rod inside her grow ever more ferocious, as if trying to drain her dry, pounding until her waist ached.

The rain continued relentlessly, the night grew deeper, and even after the nearby houses had turned off their lights, he didn't stop.

Zhou Xinyan was almost fucked unconscious. She climaxed several times, hot water drenching her body, the man thrusting wildly inside her. She had no will to resist, only unconscious gasps, until, under his endless torment, she completely lost consciousness.

The streetlights flickered on and off, and the white smoke drifting out of the window was swallowed up by the rain until the room finally quieted down late at night.

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Chapter 8 Vacation After Being Kidnapped by a Serial KillerLate at night, the cries of a woman and child echoed from a square window standing in the pouring rain. Broken glass littered the floor. The woman and child huddled together, while a man's rude curses rang overhead. A bell rang outside. The man spat, opened the door, and a large group of people rushed in, shoving him to the ground in a chaotic commotion, shouting and yelling, their screams filling the air.

In the dimly lit bedroom, a shirtless man was masturbating at a computer. The computer played a woman's moans and a man's heavy breathing. His chair swayed with his movements, and rustling sounds came from the room behind him. He stopped what he was doing, whirled around, and saw two men standing behind him. A moment of silence followed, then a prolonged and uncontrollable chaos.

The police station, brightly lit in the rain, saw men and women hurrying along the narrow corridors. Landlines on desks rang incessantly, male and female voices mingling, occasionally punctuated by angry men spewing out profanities.

A private car with its red and blue lights flashing quickly pulled up outside the police station. A group of people walked into the station in the rain. The officers escorting the man walked through the lobby corridor and up the stairs. The man being escorted jumped up and down, shouting. An undercover officer cursed and dragged him into the basement.

The chaos in the rain lasted for a long time. As dawn broke and the rain stopped, the lights in the interrogation room were turned off, and the frantic situation temporarily calmed down.

Green liquor bottles were scattered all over the floor, slowly rolling to the corner. The door was suddenly flung open, and a strong smell of alcohol rushed out. Yu, dressed in a police uniform, rushed in and was caught off guard, stumbling back several steps before regaining his footing.

He wrinkled his nose, fanned away the smell of alcohol emanating from the room, and looked up at the glass window opposite the door. The room was dark, and only the faint light coming in from outside could barely make out the surroundings.

He took off his shoes, leaning against the door. The room was quiet, except for a man sitting on the sofa with his head down. Empty bottles surrounded his feet. He was wearing the same leather jacket as yesterday, with stubble around his mouth and messy hair obscuring his eyes, looking utterly dejected.

"Brother?" Yu Maoran called softly.

Hearing the sound from above, Zhou Tiancheng looked up at him. His vision was blurry. Seeing Yu Maoran, he said, "Coming." He fumbled for something nearby, picked up a bottle of wine, and tilted his head back to drink. Yu Maoran was about to stop him, but seeing that the bottle was empty, not a drop could be poured out, he stopped and slowly lowered his hand, looking at him with a complicated expression.

Seeing that the bottle was empty, Zhou Tiancheng, leaning on the sofa, shakily stood up and walked towards the refrigerator. He opened the door, but the refrigerator, which had been full of wine yesterday, was gone, leaving only various green vegetables lying quietly inside.

Yu Maoran clenched his fists, took a deep breath of the icy air, and, unable to bear seeing Zhou Tiancheng so dejected, said, "Boss, Xin Yan is just missing. We still have a chance to find her."

The refrigerator door was open, and the cold air enveloped him. Zhou Tiancheng stopped searching, his face filled with confusion, which gradually faded after hearing Yu Maoran's words. He slowly turned around, looking at Yu Maoran, who was looking at him with a worried gaze and a tired expression.

"A chance? You know better than I what kind of city Yuecheng is. Xin Yan was kidnapped, kidnapped along with a white-collar worker. It's been half a year since the case started. A chance? How can there be a chance?"

He suppressed his emotions, slammed the refrigerator door shut, and the bitter taste seeped back into his mouth, deepening the unbearable sorrow. He leaned weakly against the wall, then slid down the refrigerator to the floor. Darkness enveloped him, and the fatal helplessness was something he had never felt in his twenty-one years.

After his parents died in a car accident when he was a child, he and his grandmother raised him in the countryside. The year he finished his college entrance exams, his grandmother also passed away, forcing them to return to their old house in the city. Even after graduating from university and becoming a policeman, he still couldn't protect his closest family.

He slumped to the ground, his hands buried in his hair, tears welling in his eyes. The conversation they had shared yesterday replayed endlessly in his mind. His eyes were bloodshot, his under-eye area dark, and words he wanted to say escaped his lips, but only incoherent sobs escaped.

He clutched his short hair, suppressing a whimper, as dejected and listless as an old yellow dog under a bridge.

Yu Maoran couldn't bear to see his boss like this. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his resolve hardened. He couldn't help but shout, "Boss, Xin Yan is still waiting for us to rescue her! Now is not the time to be sad! It hasn't been more than 24 hours since the incident. I believe Xin Yan is still alive. We must find her as soon as possible. She needs you now. You must pull yourself together!"

"Shut up, you bastard!"

Zhou Tiancheng punched the ground. Xin Yan was right in front of him. He reached out to grab her, but her bright smile vanished, leaving only a black figure. His anger was a jumbled mess. He clenched his fists, trembling with rage like an enraged beast.

"Please, please don't let me catch that guy!"

He tore the black figure to shreds, slowly stood up, and looked out at the rainy scene. The rage in his heart had already consumed him.

The sky remained overcast, a strong wind howled, causing the roadside trees to sway precariously. A row of electric scooters blared their sirens, the cacophony seeming to anticipate his mood, a constant warning of danger. Frustrated, Zhou Tiancheng gripped his beer bottle tightly, opened the car window, and threw it forcefully out. With a loud crash, the bottle shattered on the sidewalk. Yu

Maoran, looking worried, averted his gaze, stepped on the gas, and quickly drove through an intersection towards the police station.

Upon arriving, the station was packed with reporters. The two weaved through the crowd of strangers. Inside, chaos reigned; colleagues, their faces tense, were alarmed by the sudden disappearance of two people, one of whom was a police officer's family member. Everyone quickened their pace, and upon seeing Zhou Tiancheng, they couldn't help but murmur words of pity.

Zhou Tiancheng's face was grim, clearly displeased with being treated like an outsider. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and he clenched his fists tightly. But as soon as he reached his desk, Mo Ran called him to his office for a talk. His expression was unusually resolute, and without much hesitation, he

went to the office. Inside, Wang Duo had his back to him, and Zhou Tiancheng had a vague premonition

. Sure enough, when Wang Duo turned around, his first words were, "It's best if you don't participate in this case." A sudden, inexplicable anger flared within Zhou Tiancheng. He unbuttoned his shirt with one hand, put his hands on his hips, and spread his hands, saying, "Recusal? I was transferred to the team specifically for this case. This case is very important. If you want to solve it quickly, you should know what to do. Therefore, I reject your suggestion."

Wang Duo seemed to smell the alcohol on him. He had anticipated this rebuttal. He turned and found a report among the many documents, pressing his finger on the paper, and pushed it towards Zhou Tiancheng, saying this.

"I know you're upset, but you're no longer suitable to be involved in this case. For your mental health, I've applied for a week's leave for you. You can relax and come back later, no problem at all, you know that."

Zhou Tiancheng took the report, quickly skimming through every word. He seemed to be pondering, took a deep breath, and after a moment, exhaled heavily, bowing to Wang Duo as if in resignation.

Closing the office door, he put his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless, head bowed and a somber expression on his face as he walked out.

The sky was overcast, and a large group of reporters were ushered out of the gate. The cold wind cleared his head slightly, as if he had caught his breath. He strode to his car parked across the street, opened the door, and got in. Just as he was about to start the engine, he heard shouts outside the window.

He turned his head and saw Yu Maoran running towards him from the other side of the road. He rolled down the window and saw Yu Maoran leaning on his knees, panting heavily, and asked, "What are you doing here, kid?"

Yu Maoran, flustered, laughed and said, "Of course, I'll assist the boss. We've been working together for over two years; how could I not see what the boss is thinking?"

Zhou Tiancheng smiled and asked, "So, tell me, where should I go next?"

Yu Maoran straightened up, leaned against the car window, looked around, and said, "Those suspects from last night were all arrested and interrogated all night. We also ransacked their house. Besides some pornographic tapes, we also caught a thief. However, several of them have alibis, and they'll be released soon. Do you want to search their house again, brother?"

Zhou Tiancheng shook his head, raised his finger to the radio, tapped the station, and said, "Go to the mountains."

"Go to the mountains?" Yu Maoran asked, puzzled. "Didn't we go to the nearby mountains once before? Are we going again?"

"Yes," Zhou Tiancheng replied, "This time, the place is different. I think if we go, we should find something."

"But Director… I understand. Xin Yan also treats me like a brother. I support you, boss!"

Zhou Tiancheng smiled, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes, but it disappeared soon afterward.

//////////////Chapter Nine of "After Being Kidnapped by a Serial Killer": The Forest Ranger (Bonus Chapter)The road leading up the mountain was eerily silent. A strong wind was blowing, and rain was falling. The trees on either side swayed violently, and the grass on the ground shook in a perfunctory manner.

Since a new road was built in the west of the city, the area had become even more desolate, with only the occasional car passing by, making the silence even more palpable.

A strong wind blew, and Zhou Tiancheng rolled up the window. The ground was damp, and the misty rain seeped into the forest. A few scattered houses lived at the foot of the mountain, presumably forest rangers. A

dilapidated van was parked nearby. The two men got out. With their backs to the mountains, the lush forest seemed like a cage imprisoning ghosts. Zhou Tiancheng stepped over the fence and came to a house with a tin roof. He gently knocked on the door, but there was no response.

"No one's here. Did they go out?" Zhou Tiancheng, drenched in the light rain, squinting to avoid getting the rain in his eyes, turned to Yu Maoran, who was shielding his forehead from the rain, and said.

With mud clinging to his shoes, Yu Maoran stood under the eaves, stepping onto the cement floor. "There doesn't seem to be anyone else around," he said. "This place is so dilapidated, is anyone really still living here?"

Zhou Tiancheng ignored him, taking two steps to the left. He noticed the window was covered from the inside by newspaper, and the security bars were rusty. He was annoyed that he couldn't see inside, but then an idea struck him.

He rolled up his sleeves and reached his hand through the gap in the security bars. His arm was caught in the iron bars, limiting his movement. He pushed the window open; thankfully, it wasn't locked from the inside. He shoved it open a crack, then patted his hand away.

He bent down, gripping the security bars, and peered inside. The room was damp and cramped. A dusty light bulb hung from the ceiling. Old clothes were piled on top of boxes, and the bedding was neatly made. There was no one there, and nothing particularly noteworthy.

He was about to get up when a shout suddenly came from behind him. Startled, he turned around and saw an elderly woman.

"What are you doing!"

The woman had slightly curly short hair, a hoe on her shoulder, a raincoat, and rubber boots, as if she had just come down from the mountain.

Zhou Tiancheng immediately smiled, saluted her, and said, "Hello, we are police officers from Longdong District. We've come specifically to ask Uncle Li some questions."

As he spoke, he showed his badge, which had his basic information and photo on it. The woman looked them over warily, then bent down and put down her vegetable basket, saying, "He went up early this morning. He should be back soon. If you're not in a hurry, you can sit here and wait for him."

She wasn't very welcoming to them, only telling them to sit inside. She poured two cups of warm tea and then left. Zhou Tiancheng took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and leaned out. Under the eaves, the old woman was sitting on a stool shelling beans.

The room was cold and quiet. Zhou Tiancheng glanced at the photos on the table, his gaze sharpening. It was another case about a girl.

He frowned, feeling the girl in the photo looked familiar. When he saw the school uniform she was wearing, he suddenly remembered.

It was a case from several years ago. A high school girl, not long after starting school, sneaked out of her house late at night and jumped into the river, ending her life. The reason for her suicide was that a week earlier, her mother had taken her to the police station to report that she had been kidnapped and assaulted by a group of male classmates. The case progressed smoothly; all the sixteen-year-old boys were found and given a full day of "education."

He had just arrived at the police station then, and Wang Duo was in charge of the case. He had personally witnessed the boys' parents coming to the police station every day, offering money and gifts, inviting them to meals, and bowing and scraping, begging them not to leave a record on their children's files. But when Wang Duo asked them if they had apologized to the girl, they were all speechless and looked at each other blankly.

Later, he heard that after the girl's death, her parents came to the police station every day. He then officially joined the police force and went to that high school to investigate a beating case. He accidentally learned that the real reason for the girl's suicide was not anything else, but the overwhelming criticism.

Because of the rape and bullying, the girl suffered much scorn and gossip at school, not only from students but also from teachers. Yet the perpetrators came to the school unscathed, pretending nothing had happened, living their lives normally.

But the case became complicated because of the girl's suicide, and ultimately it was left unresolved. Although the verdict at the time was infuriating, the matter was settled, and he didn't ask any further questions.

This wasn't a touching reunion with an old friend. He shifted his gaze and looked out the window opposite the door into the mountains. Coincidentally, a patch of unusual green appeared in the frame. He quickly stood up and saw a tall, middle-aged man in work clothes carrying a wooden stick, walking down the slippery muddy ground overgrown with sparse weeds.

After a quick look, Yu asked, "Is he the person we're looking for?"

Zhou Tiancheng nodded. If anyone knew this mountain better than the forest ranger who had spent years traversing its slopes, it was undoubtedly him.

The middle-aged man in a dark green coat walked to the cement path outside the door and rubbed the mud off his feet. Perhaps noticing the van parked by the fence, he placed his tools by the door and spoke briefly with the woman picking vegetables.

After speaking, the woman pointed towards the house. The man looked in the direction she indicated and, seeing the people entering, pursed his lips, wiped his hands on a towel, and slowly walked over.

He wore a military cap, the brim pulled low, obscuring his emotions.

"I didn't know you two officers had graced us with your presence. Is there some problem this time?" The man's hair was graying on both sides, his back was ramrod straight, and although somewhat thin, he exuded an air of righteous indignation.

The bureau had previously organized a search of the mountains. Zhou Tiancheng had seen the files when he first joined the team, and there was a record of the couple in it. However, more than two months had passed since the last operation, and he was still uneasy, so he came here specifically to investigate again.

"It's like this, there have been frequent disappearances in recent months, causing widespread panic. This place is remote, and few people come and go, so we would like to ask Mr. Li to keep an eye on the situation in this area. If you find anything amiss, please contact us."

The uncle didn't look at him, his expression quite indifferent, seemingly uninterested in what he was saying.

"We've already investigated this matter. We've said it before, who would come to this desolate place? Even if a kidnapper brought someone here, it's impossible. Besides these few houses nearby, there are practically no other houses; everyone here is elderly. Who would do something so foolish?"

Zhou Tiancheng asked, "Then has anyone come up the mountain? Or anyone lingering around here who seems odd?"

The uncle leaned against the door, took out a cigarette, lit it, and said, "If you're talking about odd people, it's a group of disreputable young people who like to picnic here. I've chased them away several times, but they never learn. But it's been raining these past few days, so what idiot would come here again?" "

However, there have been quite a few people digging for bamboo shoots lately. If you want to ask them, go to the bamboo forest now and try your luck. Maybe you'll bump into a few who haven't gone back yet. They're digging in the rain; they're incredibly bold."

"Judging by the weather, it looks like heavy rain is coming soon. Those people digging for bamboo shoots should all be heading home. If we get there, we'll probably be greeted not by people, but by a downpour," Yu said rashly.

The weather outside matched his prediction, extremely gloomy. The forecast indicated six consecutive days of rain, followed by clearing skies, and then more heavy rain. This kind of weather is very common in Yuecheng during spring, and they've gradually gotten used to it.

"Let's try our luck," Zhou Tiancheng said, rubbing his nose. He looked out the window at the muddy ground, pondering to himself.

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