At that moment, Xiao Yuande called me. "The Chief wants to see you."I acknowledged him and immediately drove back to the station."The reason I called you is that we've discovered Zhang Jiye attended a party shortly before his disappearance," Chief Liu said, handing me a list of attendees. Sure enough, Zhang Jiye's name was there. I also noticed another familiar name on the list—Li Xiang.Li Xiang was the daughter of Li Xiude, the owner of that eerie estate."Could there be a connection here?" I asked."Exactly. I want you to go to her school and question her. Don't let Li Xiude or anyone else know—you must avoid alerting them. Interrogate her thoroughly.""Understood."Chief Liu gave me an address: Hope High School, where Li Xiang was a second-year student.Soon after, Xie Deguang sent me additional details about the party, revealing that Huang Xueming had also attended, along with Li Xiang's friend Qiao Chuchu—and, of course, Zhang Jiye.Accompanied by Xiao Yuande, I arrived at Hope High School. At the gate, the security guard stopped us. "Who are you?"I presented my badge. "Police. I need to speak to your principal."Upon learning our identity, the guard's attitude shifted to respectful compliance. He led us to the principal's office."Principal Huang, the police are here to see you.""Hmm?" The door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman adjusting her glasses. She gave me a sharp look. "I'm Principal Huang. What brings the police here? Our school has always been peaceful and law-abiding."Sensing her concerns, I clarified, "No need to worry. I'm here to speak with one of your students, Li Xiang. I have a few questions to ask her.""Alright. Teacher Zhao, please fetch Li Xiang from her class."At the principal's command, a neatly dressed female teacher nodded and left. Shortly after, she returned with Li Xiang.Li Xiang appeared nervous upon seeing me, her gaze fleeting and avoiding mine, though she quickly regained her composure."Do you know this boy?" I asked, showing her a photo of Zhang Jiye.Li Xiang seemed unfamiliar with the person in the picture, her expression conveying a lack of recognition."This boy… I think he was at a party I attended. His name is Zhang Jiye, right?""How did you recognize him so quickly? Were there only a few people at the party?" I pressed further, narrowing my eyes to study her reaction.Li Xiang hesitated, turning her gaze toward the principal's desk. After a brief pause, she replied, "Zhang Jiye comes from such a prominent family—who wouldn't recognize him? Besides, he spent the entire party flirting with the girls, so everyone there noticed him.""Don't try to mislead me. If you're lying, the police will uncover the truth eventually." I watched closely as her pupils dilated, her gaze shifted nervously, and her lips tightened. Her face turned pale—classic signs of deceit."Officer, you're mistaken! Li Xiang is an exemplary student with excellent grades and character. She wouldn't do anything wrong!" Principal Huang interjected, defending her.I left the principal's office, and Xiao Yuande asked, "Why didn't you press further? That was a golden opportunity.""It's not the right time. If she's intentionally hiding something, pushing too hard now will only alert her," I replied."Hmm, makes sense," Xiao muttered begrudgingly.We then sought out another party attendee, Qiao Chuchu."You're close with Li Xiang?" I asked."We're friends, yes. Why?" she replied naturally."At the party, did you notice any unusual interaction between Zhang Jiye and Li Xiang?""Li Xiang initially didn't want to drink, but Zhang Jiye persuaded her. After that, we went to have a barbecue. I was busy playing games with some boys and didn't pay attention to where she went."Her response seemed plausible. Using my keen observational skills, I couldn't detect any signs of deception.I've activated my deep green-blue "observant eyes" multiple times now to analyze her. Midway, Xiao blurted out, "Captain, what's up with your eyes? They're glowing green! Are you some kind of sorcerer? Don't freak me out—you're not a monster, are you?""Shut up!" I snapped. Although everything seemed normal on the surface, the coincidences were too convenient, making me deeply suspicious."When was the last time you saw Li Xiang?" I asked."I don't remember. Everyone was having so much fun—who would be paying attention to that?"Her point was valid. Realizing further questioning wouldn't yield results, I ended the conversation and gave Xiao a scolding before walking away.Based on the current clues, it was hard to dismiss the connection between Li Xiang, her father Li Xiude, and Zhang Jiye's disappearance. Such coincidences rarely happen without reason.Just then, I received a call from Zhao Simeng. She informed me that the only fingerprints on the watch were those of Han Xuelin and Zhang Jiye. This lead was now a dead end.At the same time, Xie Deguang had identified the location of a coal yard near Jiaoyu Town. Perfect timing—I was already planning to return there. Everything seemed to align perfectly.