Wen Ning got up early the next morning, planning to visit the Underworld and look into what had happened to Lin Feng's family.
But before he could leave, Lu Ming came out from the back, holding up his phone with an uneasy expression.
"Wen Ning, look at this."
He handed over the phone.
Wen Ning took it. The screen showed a local news article posted in the early hours of the morning.
A serious kidnapping occurred in our city last night. The suspect, surnamed Lin, took his own life by striking his head against a wall while awaiting questioning at a police station. He was taken to hospital but died despite efforts to save him. According to available information, Lin had been emotionally unstable for some time following his daughter's suicide. Yesterday, he abducted a female student and, after being detained by police, committed suicide in the interview room. The case remains under investigation.
A photo beneath the article showed Lin Feng being escorted out of a police car. His head was lowered, hiding his face, but his washed-out jacket was instantly recognizable.
Wen Ning stood there holding the phone, motionless for a long time.
Lu Ming stood beside him, his voice quiet.
"He was fine last night. How could he just..."
Wen Ning handed the phone back without a word.
He sat behind the counter again and remained still for a long while. There was little point in visiting the Underworld now. It was too late.
Just then, someone came through the door.
Wen Ning looked up and froze for a moment.
"Zhou Ming?"
Zhou Ming stood in the doorway, wearing a gray jacket and carrying an old backpack. He didn't look well.
He took a couple of steps into the shop and looked at Wen Ning.
"Are you