Unlike usual, this time there was not a single glass on their dining table. There were no plates, either. Earlier, before leaving, Yihshyong and friends had already cleaned up their dinner containers. The other friends also had dinner before going home or coming back to this house. Iren got up from his chair. He rushed to the kitchen. He soon returned with bottles and glasses for himself and his friends.
"Thank you," Yihshyong said after Iren put the glass in front of him.
Iren just chuckled.
"The accident we had was a bit strange. But then again, we can't jump to conclusions. It could have happened by chance. It's very possible that the driver was drunk or something like that. There is a link between the accident that we experienced and the Shinnnshiow kidnapping incident," Yihshyong said.
Yihshyong stopped talking for a while. He grabbed the glass in front of him. After taking a few sips of water, he resumed his speech.
<
"Fortunately, then there is a neighbor who lives in the house on our left, namely Mr. Shiuander. He is kind enough to take us to our destination. Although Mr. Shiuander is a little strange, but this time, we must thank him."
Chioujen raised his hand.
"What is it, now?" Yihshyong asked.
"Shouldn't we also investigate him?"
"Are you suspicious of him?" Yihshyong asked.
"He just started living next door to us. I think everyone who has suddenly appeared around us in the last six months deserves our suspicion."
Iren turned to Tsaehorng. The young man seemed to want to say something.
"I think Uncle Jongharng is right. They suddenly appeared, most likely for some reason. So there's no harm in investigating that too," said Tsaehorng.
"In that case, we must also investigate our other neighbors," said Jenqyih.
"Eh?" Chioujen smiled faintly?"
"Besides the neighbors to the left and right of our house, the neighbors in the house right across the street are also new people," said Jenqyih.
"Right," Iren nodded. "It's not just them. The occupants of the houses to the right and left of the house in front of us are all new people. Even if I remember correctly, there are three or four other houses in our alley whose residents have lived there not long."
Tsaehorng looked surprised. His face was so weird. Under normal circumstances Iren would most likely laugh at a face like that. But in a situation like now if he laughed it might even look ridiculous and uncivilized. The young man opened his mouth. "So a lot of new people in this place."
Jenqyih nodded. "Now that I think about it, things like that are a bit suspicious. Won't your friends be bothered if they have to investigate all of them?"
"I think," Yihshyong said. "You ask your people to investigate several people, but focus on only two people, namely the neighbors to the right and left of this house."
"All right, Uncle!"
"Now I continue again," said Yihshyong. "Turns out the shock we've had is still not over. The criminals don't seem to have any intention of receiving the ransom there. They just want to send us a message. They must have realized that the police have been monitoring the messages they sent us all along. So this is a way to trick the police. There must have been a member of the kidnapping group in the park watching us. So I'm sure they know we did find the message they were hiding."
Iren and the others nodded.
"Now is the time to discuss more about the series of events that we experienced today," said Yihshyong.
"I think the police were late in examining Songfei's belongings and copying the writings and pictures inside. Is this just my feeling? Or do the police really think that Shinnshiow's case has nothing to do with Songfei's disappearance?" Chioujen said.
"The kidnappers demanded the items in the bag as ransom. So it's almost certain the two cases are related. However, the police may feel there are things that are strange in this case. So I think, although this is a slim possibility, the police might consider that the kidnappers want to make us believe that Shinnshiow's kidnapping is closely related to the case that Songfei is investigating," Yihshyong said.
"It doesn't even make sense!" Iren said. "What's their purpose for making us think like that?"
Yihshyong shook his head. Like I said, it's just a slim possibility."
Chioujen looked straight at Yihshyong. "Do you think it was the Shinnshiow kidnappers who wanted the police to investigate the case that Songfei was investigating?"
"I'm not sure. But as small as the possibility. We must not rule this possibility," said Yihshyong.
<
"If that's really what happened, then Shinnshiow's kidnappers are in the opposite camp from the people Songfei is investigating," said Iren.
"So, this is a case between one group of criminals against another group of criminals?" Jinqkang, who had been silent that night, opens his mouth.
"Not necessarily so," said Yihshyong. "It could be that one of these groups is a criminal while the others are people trying to uphold justice in their own way."
"Shyongge, do you mean like superhero characters or crime-fighting groups in stories?" Jenqyih asked.
"It's something like that. Maybe they feel that they inevitably have to involve the police. Kidnapping Shinnshiow is one of their ways to get the police to pay attention to the case that Songfei is investigating."
"Then what is Songfei's role here?" asked Chioujen.
"I don't know," Yihshyong replied. "But in my opinion, Songfei would absolutely not use these means to lure the police into participating in the investigation. What is more likely is that the Shinnshiow kidnapping group supplied Songfei with information in the hope that Songfei would help them. When Songfei turned out to be helpless, then they kidnapped Shinnshiow to force the police to interfere."
"It doesn't make sense," said Jenqyih. "Who exactly is Songfei? What made them believe in Songfei in the first place?"
"You asked me about who Songfei is." Yihshyong looked at Jenqyih. "But do we really know who Songfei is? Isn't it possible that there are certain reasons for a mysterious group to ask Songfei to investigate something?"
Jenqyih was silent. Iren agreed that Yihshyong's words are not wrong. None of them knew much about Songfei's background.
"It means the problem is much more complicated than we previously thought!" Iren sighed as he closed his eyes.