Wang Xiaoliang told the driver to turn around and head back downtown. The corners of the driver's mouth lifted, but he did not ask why. After driving a little farther, he reached a place to make a U-turn. With a turn of the wheel, the car swung into the opposite lane. Wang Xiaoliang opened his ticket-booking app, swiped a few times, found his ticket, and tapped to cancel it. Then he called Luo Bisheng. After a few rings, the call connected.
"Bisheng, don't come to the airport today," Wang Xiaoliang said straight out. "I'm not sure when I'll be back."
"What happened? Flight canceled?"
"No. Something came up. I'll tell you later."
The car stopped beside a one-way street downtown. Huang Xueli's black sedan was parked in a marked space. Wang Xiaoliang pulled open the door and got into the passenger seat, asking before the door was even fully shut, "Did you see him?"
Huang Xueli shook his head, his eyes fixed on the side entrance of the building ahead. "No."
"Then why do you think he's here?" Wang Xiaoliang followed his gaze. It was an unremarkable emergency exit, its iron door half open and the space beyond it dark. Several trash cans stood outside.
"I ate here yesterday," Huang Xueli said. "I think I saw Guoguo."
Wang Xiaoliang leaned forward a little. "You think? How long has it been since you last saw Guoguo? Are you sure?"
Huang Xueli shook his head again. "It should've been him. He was running down the hallway with a few other kids. I thought he looked familiar, but it didn't click. By the time I realized and went looking, he wasn't with those kids anymore." He paused. "This restaurant serves high-end Cantonese food. Several signature dishes are exactly the same as Hongbin Tower's,