The Deceased [V Announcement]

In other words, the person who took Nannan away must have left the square sometime between 7:20 and 7:36 p.m.

"That area across from there is a surveillance blind spot. We can't see anything at all," a police officer said with a frown.

"Was she talking to someone? Did someone call her over?" Another officer repeatedly reviewed the footage from that time. Zooming in again and again, he noticed that Nannan seemed to be speaking with someone.

Unfortunately, there had not been enough light at night. Even though the streetlamps in the square were bright, the camera footage was still not as clear as it would have been during the day. On top of that, the other person had deliberately stayed in the surveillance blind spot, and there had been many people in the square. After that, Nannan could no longer be seen.

"The other party knew this was a surveillance blind spot and even avoided the other cameras..." The officer's expression darkened. He suspected that whoever had taken Nannan was very familiar with the square's layout and the locations of its cameras.

Nannan's mother said anxiously, "Our Nannan is a very good girl. I taught her not to eat things from strangers and not to talk to strangers. She wouldn't have gone off with a stranger."

"Then it was likely someone she knew..."

"Question the people nearby again. See whether anyone noticed who took Nannan away that night. Immediately check all vehicles passing through this area during that time period. Ask the nearby shops as well and see which ones have cameras installed, whether any of them captured who took Nannan away..."

Huo Jiu held the remaining half-box of boat-shaped pastries and sat outside the police station with the elderly men and women who danced in the square. When Granny Yang and her son and daughter-in-law came out of the station, he stepped forward and asked, "When did Nannan go missing? Where did she disappear?"

Even if he could not find her now, Huo Jiu was still confident that he could bring Nannan back after the plot Reloaded. That was why he had to get a clear answer on the time and place of her disappearance.

Granny Yang wiped at her eyes. Before she could speak, her son and daughter-in-law asked warily, "Who are you?"

"This is a classmate I met at the market. He's a good boy, and he even promised to make pastries for Nannan—"

Before she could finish, Granny Yang's son suddenly flew into a rage. "What kind of shady people have you been meeting outside? I tell Nannan every day not to talk to strangers and not to eat things strangers give her! Yet you let her eat pastries made by some outsider. Do you even know who he is?"

"You're the one who spoiled Nannan! That's why she followed whoever called her over!"

The Deceased [V Announcement]

What did he mean by "shady people"?

Huo Jiu frowned, but he knew that Nannan's parents were worried after losing their daughter, so he did not intend to argue with him.

He patiently repeated his question.

Granny Yang choked out, "We just watched the footage. Nannan disappeared at around 7:20 p.m. It was where I was doing my square dance. The police said Nannan may have been called away by someone she knew—"

"What's the point of telling him all that?" Granny Yang's son impatiently cut her off. "The child is gone. Can he bring Nannan back just because you tell him all this?"

After saying that, he irritably shoved Huo Jiu aside. "Quit getting in the way and asking pointless questions—"

Huo Jiu slapped away the paw reaching toward him. "No one will mistake you for mute if you keep your mouth shut."

Nannan's father froze.

Huo Jiu had never been particularly gentle or understanding by nature. If Nannan had not been so adorable, and Granny Yang had not looked so pitiful while crying, he would not have bothered meddling in the first place.

But since he had involved himself in this matter, he would see it through to the end. He did not expect anyone's gratitude, but neither could he tolerate someone taking out their misplaced rage on him for no reason.

"Since I asked, I naturally have confidence that I can help Granny Yang bring Nannan back. As for you, ever since I met you, that mouth of yours hasn't stopped running. You think Granny Yang telling me what happened is useless, but you think constantly blaming her will bring Nannan back?"

Nannan's father was rendered speechless. After a long while, he blustered, "Who the hell are you? What does our family's business have to do with you?"

"I'm nobody, and I can't be bothered getting involved with an idiot like you." Huo Jiu snorted, then questioned Granny Yang in detail about every aspect of Nannan's disappearance.

Granny Yang's son and daughter-in-law stood beside them. Though they complained aloud, they still hoped Huo Jiu could help bring Nannan back.

Seeing how thoroughly Huo Jiu was asking, they asked expectantly, "Well? Can you find her?"

Huo Jiu could not be bothered with the two of them and simply left.

"What kind of person was that?" Granny Yang's son grumbled resentfully, complaining to Granny Yang, "Didn't he say he would help find Nannan? Why did he leave without saying a word?"

Granny Yang's daughter-in-law suddenly said, "Could he be one of those internet influencers? Maybe he deliberately asked about our family just so he could post videos online and chase clout?"

Granny Yang's son grew agitated again at once and shot Granny Yang a glare. "Look at the kind of people you know!"

After leaving the police station, Huo Jiu returned to the square where Granny Yang danced and walked around the area where Nannan had disappeared.

The people dancing in the square had not dispersed yet. However, no one was in the mood to dance anymore. They gathered around the place where Nannan had vanished, chatting all at once.

"When we were dancing to 'Grassland,' I saw Nannan still following Old Yang around! Right over there!"

"I saw her too!"

"When do you think the child disappeared..."

"If Nannan really is gone, Old Yang's life will be hard from now on."

"Her son and daughter-in-law are furious. They look like they want to eat her alive."

"They already had a problem with her doing square dances!"

"Who could have expected something like this?"

Huo Jiu made a round of the area and heard more than enough gossip. He did not say anything, merely leaving on his own.

Over the next few days, Huo Jiu followed his usual routine while keeping an eye on Granny Yang's search for Nannan. In the meantime, he did not forget to keep his promise. He stewed the shark fin and abalone sent by the Cao family and invited Diwu Ling over for a meal. While he was at it, he asked for some basic knowledge about stock trading. Then, when the plot Reloaded, Huo Jiu made his way to Lakeside Park with practiced ease.