Bright lights illuminated the slightly dusty Floating Fighter Jet.
He Ao raised his eyes to the jet's closed hatch.
"Mr. Vice President," a staff member said nervously as he approached, "this Floating Fighter Jet applied for permission to enter the city some time ago. It arrived last night and was scheduled to take off early this morning, but it never did. We can't reach its owner or the person who submitted the application."
He Ao held out his hand, and Mark passed him a tablet.
It displayed surveillance footage of the jet.
In the footage were the white-robed, hooded figures He Ao had seen before. One of them held a sleeping child.
The camera had not caught the child's face, but He Ao recognized Bode's Daughter at once.
Under normal circumstances, his daughter would not have been so quiet for so long. He Ao frowned slightly.
His gaze followed the hooded figures through the changing camera feeds.
Soon, he saw them cross the airport lobby, leave the terminal, and head into the street outside.
An exterior camera caught them walking south before they turned into a narrow alley.
"There are no cameras in that alley," the staff member said, lowering his head.
"So we've lost their trail?" Mark asked quietly.
As he spoke, he glanced at He Ao's expressionless face.
"Yes."
The staff member nodded, and the mood in the room sank.
Seeming to sense it, he hurriedly added, "The airport cameras never caught them again, so they probably didn't come back. Their Floating Fighter Jet is still here, which means they may still be in the city. We might find them if we keep looking."
"Or they might have left another way," a younger staff member murmured. "It's been a long time since last night. They could already be