"Officer Wang, Captain Song, with all this commotion here, could Qi Yu have run away?"
Fang Xiaocao walked up to Wang Qiang and Song Lin, speaking in a low voice.
Hearing what Fang Xiaocao said, both Wang Qiang and Song Lin were taken aback.
"Who is Qi Yu?" Wang Qiang asked, puzzled.
But Song Lin's face changed.
"Qi Yu is the murderer we have locked up here."
"Damn kid, go catch him now," Song Lin shouted urgently.
"Yes!" Wang Qiang instinctively responded.
He turned and ran towards the basement exit, shouting as he did, "Criminal Investigation Team, follow me to catch him."
Fang Xiaocao glanced at her phone's time.
19:48!
"Officer Wang, we could first check my previous rental place. Qi Yu's girlfriend is having a get-together there, Qi Yu might go there," Fang Xiaocao shouted to Wang Qiang.
"Alright, I got it," Wang Qiang replied and hurried off with his team.
Soon after, the noise of police sirens filled the air outside the building.
After Wang Qiang left, Fang Xiaocao, remembering the confused look on Wang Qiang's face when she brought up Qi Yu, asked with concern, "Captain Song, does Officer Wang know who Qi Yu is?"
At these words, Song Lin was startled.
"Damn, that kid doesn't know Qi Yu," Song Lin exclaimed, slapping his thigh.
"Captain Song, don't move around," a firefighter preparing to cut through something reminded him helplessly.
"Captain Song, don't panic, I'll follow and take a look," Fang Xiaocao hurried to calm Song Lin, urging him not to get agitated.
"Okay, please," Song Lin nodded and said.
"Mm, don't worry, Captain Song," Fang Xiaocao nodded in affirmation, then turned and ran towards the basement exit.
"We absolutely cannot let Qi Yu escape, there's still much trouble on him," Song Lin called out, straining his neck.
"Alright," Fang Xiaocao responded.
After dashing out of room 102, Fang Xiaocao hopped into a car and drove off.
"Where is Qi Yu?" Fang Xiaocao drove and sent a voice message simultaneously.
[Contact does not exist!]
"Damn it," Fang Xiaocao cursed under her breath after seeing the WeChat notification.
She put the phone aside and sped in the direction of the rental place.
Unable to count on Hot Noodles, she had to rely on herself. Qi Yu, in his flight, would definitely take the Maserati.
As Fang Xiaocao was driving close to the rental place, still a street away, a pink Maserati zoomed past like the wind.
It didn't even slow down after clipping a pedestrian on the roadside.
Fang Xiaocao didn't think twice, flooring the gas pedal to chase after the Maserati.
At that moment, there was only one thought in her mind.
"That Maserati is Qi Yu's!"
"We can't let Qi Yu escape."
Her BMW Mini's speed, combined with Fang Xiaocao's driving skills, was obviously not a match for the Maserati's.
Fortunately, it was the rush hour.
The roads were congested with traffic and pedestrians.
At several traffic lights, long queues had formed.
Even in his madness, Qi Yu couldn't drive a tank; he couldn't just plow through the cars blocking his path.
He could only rely on his luxury car to force his way through, betting others wouldn't dare to hit him.
Fang Xiaocao's BMW Mini, compact in size, was far more adept at maneuvering through the congested streets than the Maserati.
For a time, she managed not to lose sight of Qi Yu.
Taking advantage of the slow traffic and Qi Yu trapped in the line of cars unable to escape, Fang Xiaocao picked up her phone and dialed Wang Qiang's number.
"Officer Wang, I've spotted Qi Yu."
"I'm currently in my car, following him."
As soon as the call connected, Fang Xiaocao quickly spoke.
Fang Xiaocao reported her location and Qi Yu's car model and license plate number before hanging up the phone.
Fang Xiaocao glanced at the navigation map; this road led to the university and the back mountain.
The thought that Song Lin had mentioned Qi Yu once kidnapped the neighbor's older sister, Chen Hong, to commit a violent act on the university's back mountain, brought up a notion in her mind: the back mountain of the university was Qi Yu's secret base.
In the case of the missing female office worker, aside from Chen Hong, the victims had not been found. They must have been hidden by Qi Yu, and this hiding place for the bodies was very likely to be the back mountain.
Now that Qi Yu was fleeing in panic, wanting to conceal his tracks before the police could react, this hiding place was definitely the best choice.
Thinking this, Fang Xiaocao gritted her teeth and, taking advantage of her compact car, forcibly changed lanes and turned into a side road.
This road led straight to the university.
It was the essential route Fang Xiaocao used to take when she was in school.
And it also led to the back mountain!
The road was narrow, though, and most cars couldn't get through.
Fang Xiaocao knew that once free from the flow of traffic, she would definitely be unable to catch up with Qi Yu, so she decided to get ahead and wait for him.
[Ding-dong!]
Just then, Fang Xiaocao's phone rang.
Fang Xiaocao glanced at the phone screen.
It was a WeChat message!
While driving, Fang Xiaocao opened WeChat.
[Hot Noodles: What you're doing is dangerous!]
"I can't worry about that now, I can't let Qi Yu get away."
Fang Xiaocao replied with a voice message.
[Hot Noodles: There's no reward for catching him, why are you risking your life!]
"You can still send me messages!"
Fang Xiaocao voiced back casually while she drove out of the side road and onto the main road.
Fang Xiaocao looked around and, confirming that Qi Yu's Maserati had not yet come out, she stopped by the roadside to wait for him.
[Hot Noodles: What the hell are you playing at with your life; I almost died!]
"But you didn't die, did you?"
Fang Xiaocao replied offhandedly.
"Buzz buzz buzz～"
The roar of the engine filled her ears.
Fang Xiaocao looked up and saw a pink Maserati speeding towards her.
It was Qi Yu, the very person Fang Xiaocao had been waiting for!
Fang Xiaocao turned off her phone, gritted her teeth, and a look of determination and madness flashed in her eyes.
The next second, Fang Xiaocao floored the accelerator.
The small BMW Mini immediately accelerated, charging head-on towards the Maserati.
The road was narrow, a one-way street.
It couldn't accommodate two cars side by side.
Fang Xiaocao was going to put her life on the line with Qi Yu!
If she couldn't force Qi Yu to stop, she would crash into him.
Hot Noodles could still send her messages.
This gave Fang Xiaocao a surge of confidence; she wouldn't die.
If she died, Hot Noodles would be done for.
But Hot Noodles was still alive, so nothing would happen to her.
This only made Fang Xiaocao's decision more resolute.
As they drew closer, Fang Xiaocao could even see the bloodshot eyes of Qi Yu in the driver's seat of the Maserati.
His eyes were crazy, bloodthirsty, and violent!
Her body shook with fear and tension, and she instinctively wanted to hit the brakes.
Fang Xiaocao simply gritted her teeth, stomped on the gas pedal to the floor, and closed her eyes.
"Let the storm come even more violently!"
Fang Xiaocao screamed.
"BANG!"
A loud crash resounded.
The airbag deployed!
Fang Xiaocao felt everything spinning around.
Pain and dizziness followed one after another.
Fang Xiaocao felt a tightness in her chest...
"Good thing I wore a seatbelt..."
As this thought flashed through her mind, Fang Xiaocao lost consciousness under the assault of dizziness.
In a haze, she heard the chaotic sound of police sirens in her ears, and it seemed like Wang Qiang's shouting.
"Quick, to the hospital～"