My childhood friend is in her mature, sophisticated form again today. - Chapter 2

The woman sat on the sofa, her hands still clasped together, her knuckles white.

Ah You placed a cup of warm black tea in front of her. She bowed her head and said “thank you,” but did not touch the cup.

Lin Jiqiu sat opposite her, his posture casual, but his gaze remained fixed on her. He didn’t urge her, but simply waited quietly.

A-Zuo had already turned on his computer behind the counter, his fingers on the keyboard, ready to take notes at any moment.

“Ms. Cheng,” Lin Jiqiu began, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, “could you tell me more about your daughter’s situation?”

The woman—Ms. Cheng—took a deep breath, as if organizing her thoughts.

“Xiaoyu… she’s seventeen this year, a sophomore in high school.” Her voice was still trembling a little, but it was more stable than before. “Her grades are above average, she has a cheerful personality, and she has many friends. She has never… never been like this before.”

How did she find out about this growth camp?

“She said she saw it online.” Ms. Cheng took out her phone from her bag, scrolled through it, and handed it to Lin Jiqiu. “This is the link she forwarded to me.”

Lin Jiqiu took the phone; the screen displayed a promotional page for the “Rejuvenation Growth Camp.” The colors were soft, the font rounded, and it read: “Seven days and six nights, find your true self. Suitable for women aged 16-25, professional mentor team, safe and closed management.”

It looks very professional.

He scrolled down and saw the course descriptions—meditation, self-exploration, personal growth, and group counseling. There was no religious overtone, no radical rhetoric; everything was just right, gentle and balanced.

Did you know when she signed up?

“I know.” Ms. Cheng nodded. “She told us that she wanted to participate. Her father and I felt that… she’s grown up, has her own ideas, and it seemed quite legitimate, so we agreed.”

How much is the tuition?

Five thousand eight.

Lin Jiqiu raised an eyebrow.

Seven days, 5,800 yuan. Not cheap, but not outrageously expensive either.

When did she go there?

“Last Sunday,” Ms. Cheng’s voice trembled again, “I took her to the meeting point. It was a big bus with ‘Rejuvenation Growth Camp’ written on it, and it looked quite legitimate. She said she would call me when she arrived.”

“And then what?”

“Later…” Ms. Cheng closed her eyes, as if suppressing a wave of emotions, “That night she sent a message saying she had arrived and the environment was quite nice. She also sent a message on Monday morning saying that classes had started. Monday afternoon… I sent her a message, but she didn’t reply. I thought she was in class, so I didn’t pay attention. When she still hadn’t replied by evening, I called her, but her phone was off.”

“What about Tuesday?”

“I couldn’t get through all day Tuesday.” Ms. Cheng’s voice lowered. “Her father and I went to the address on the flyer, which is in the suburbs. But there was nothing there.”

“Nothing at all?”

“It’s just an empty lot.” Ms. Cheng’s eyes reddened again. “There’s nothing there. I asked the people in the neighborhood, and they said they’d never heard of any growth camp.”

Lin Jiqiu remained silent for a few seconds.

“Did you call the police?”

“I reported it.” Ms. Cheng nodded. “The police said that we have to wait forty-eight hours for a missing minor, and…” She bit her lip. “They said the website is still there, and the phone can still be reached; it might just have moved to a different location temporarily. They told us to wait a little longer.”

“Can you get through on the phone?”

“Yes,” Ms. Cheng said, “but no one answers. I’ve called countless times, but no one answers.”

Lin Jiqiu turned and glanced at A Zuo.

Ah Zuo was already checking, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

“The website is still up,” A-Zuo said. “The registration channel is also open. Customer service phone…” He picked up the landline on the table, dialed a number, listened for five seconds, and hung up. “No one answered.”

“Can you find out where the server is located?” Lin Jiqiu asked.

“Overseas,” A-Zuo said. “The domain information is anonymous.”

Lin Jiqiu then looked at Ms. Cheng.

“Do you have any other photos of your daughter? Recent ones?”

Ms. Cheng then took out another photo from her bag and handed it over.

This is a candid photo. A girl with a ponytail, wearing a school uniform, stands at the school gate, smiling brightly. Her eyes are curved, the corners of her mouth are upturned, and she exudes a youthful vibe.

“She took this last month,” Ms. Cheng said. “She said this one was nice and asked me to print a few more.”

Lin Jiqiu placed the photo on the table and tapped it lightly with his finger.

Does your daughter spend a lot of time online?

“Many,” Ms. Cheng said. “These days, which child doesn’t go online?”

Has she mentioned making any new friends online?

Ms. Cheng thought about it.

“It seems like… there is.” She said, “She said there was an older sister she met in some kind of growth group, and they got along quite well. I didn’t pay much attention and thought she was just an ordinary online friend.”

“What’s that older sister’s name?”

“I don’t know. She never said.”

Lin Jiqiu nodded and memorized all this information.

“Ms. Cheng,” he said, “I’ve taken this case. You go back first, and I’ll contact you if there’s any progress. In the meantime, don’t do anything, especially don’t go to that place on your own.”

“Why?”

“Because if there’s any real problem, your going there will only alert them.” Lin Jiqiu’s tone was calm but left no room for doubt. “Leave it to us.”

Ms. Cheng looked at him, her lips moved, and finally she nodded.

She stood up, picked up her bag, and looked back at the door as she walked.

“Will my daughter be alright?”

Lin Jiqiu did not say “yes”.

He said, “I will do my best.”

Ms. Cheng’s eyes reddened again, but this time she didn’t cry. She nodded, pushed open the door, and went out.

The wind chimes tinkled.

——

After the door closed, Ah You was the first to speak.

“Five thousand eight, seven days, suburbs, fake address.” He counted on his fingers. “Isn’t this just like that… brainwashing organization?”

“Not necessarily.” A-Zuo was still researching. “It could also be a pyramid scheme.”

Is there a difference?

“Brainwashing is a more sophisticated method.”

Lin Jiqiu did not participate in their discussion. He picked up the flyer and looked at it again.

“Find your true self.”

There’s nothing wrong with the statement itself. In fact, it could be said to be quite appealing.

But the problem is—it’s too attractive.

A seventeen-year-old girl, at an age where she’s searching for herself. What would she do if someone told her, “I know who you are, and I can help you find your true self”?

She will believe it.

“A-Zuo, check if this ‘Revitalizing Growth Camp’ has been held in other cities.”

“We’re already investigating,” A-Zuo said. “The information we have so far is that this domain name was registered three months ago. There are no records of historical activity.”

“Three months,” Lin Jiqiu thought for a moment. “That’s not a long time. It means they might still be testing the waters.”

“It could also be a different person using a different identity,” A-Zuo said.

“That’s possible.”

Lin Jiqiu stood up and walked to the window.

Across the street, the flower shop owner is watering a potted plant. Meanwhile, the cafe staff are moving tables and chairs.

Everything is normal.

But his intuition told him that this case was not simple.

He took out his phone and sent a message to Cheng Ran.

Check this website’s browsing history. See if there’s any information about other users.

The replies are almost instantaneous.

[It’s already under investigation.]

Lin Jiqiu glanced at the screen, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

This guy is quick.

——

Half an hour later, Cheng Ran called.

Lin Jiqiu answered the call but didn’t speak, waiting for the other person to speak.

“The website doesn’t get much traffic,” Cheng Ran’s voice came through the receiver, accompanied by the sound of typing on a keyboard. “But judging from the comments and forum posts, quite a few people have signed up. The main age group is 16 to 22, and it’s mostly women.”

“Is it possible to find out who participated?”

“Yes,” Cheng Ran said. “A user posted on a social media platform that she participated in the previous growth camp. She felt it was great and gained a lot, and recommended that everyone go.”

“It sounds like a shill.”

“Not necessarily,” Cheng Ran said. “I checked this person’s social media accounts, and it’s a real person. They started posting three years ago, and the content is normal, not like a paid troll.”

“When was the ‘last issue’ she was referring to?”

Two months ago.

“Where is the location?”

“The address on the flyer.”

Lin Jiqiu frowned.

“But there’s nothing at that address.”

“I know,” Cheng Ran said. “So either she remembered it wrong, or… the address was fake, but she went to another place.”

“What’s the meaning?”

“This means that ‘Rejuvenation Camp’ may be using a fake address as a cover. The real camp is elsewhere.”

Lin Jiqiu remained silent for a few seconds.

This is highly likely.

If an organization is really doing something shady, it will never put its real address on its flyers.

“Can you find the real address?”

“We’re investigating,” Cheng Ran said. “It will take time.”

“how long?”

“Before tomorrow.”

“good.”

Just as Lin Jiqiu was about to hang up, Cheng Ran suddenly spoke up again.

“That girl,” Cheng Ran’s voice lowered, “is named Cheng Yu, seventeen years old, a sophomore in high school. Her grades are above average, and she has a cheerful personality. Her last post on social media was last Sunday, geotagged in the suburbs. The content was…”

He paused for a moment.

What is the content?

“‘I’m going to find myself now. See you in seven days.'”

Lin Jiqiu tightened his grip on the phone slightly.

I need to go find myself.

See you in seven days.

It’s been four days now.

“Investigate as soon as possible,” he said.

“Um.”

The call ended.

Lin Jiqiu put her phone on the table and turned to look at A-Zuo and A-You.

“Zuo, compile a list of all the names and addresses this organization may have used. You, come with me this afternoon.”

“Where to?” Ayou asked.

“The outskirts of the city,” Lin Jiqiu said. “Let’s go check out that place where ‘there’s nothing there’ first.”

“What should I bring?”

“Just bring yourself.”

Ah You scratched his head: “Then… should I bring some food?”

“casual.”

——

At 2 p.m., Lin Jiqiu and Ayou went out.

A-Zuo stayed at the office, continuing his research. A-Hua lay on the counter next to him, her tail swishing. A-Mo was hiding somewhere, and A-Ju was still asleep.

The clouded leopard lay in the shadows by the door, like a statue, only its ears occasionally twitching.

“Tell me,” Ah You said as he drove, “what exactly is this ‘Rejuvenation Growth Camp’ all about?”

“I don’t know.” Lin Jiqiu sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window. “We’ll find out when we get there.”

“What if it really is some kind of brainwashing organization?”

“Then take it.”

Ah You glanced at him.

Lin Jiqiu’s expression was calm, as if he were casually asking, “What should we have for dinner tonight?”

Ah You swallowed hard and didn’t ask any more questions.

The car drove for forty minutes and arrived at the outskirts of the city.

The address on the flyer was an unnamed country road. Large fields stretched out on either side of the road, with a few scattered houses in the distance. There were no buildings, no campsites, nothing at all related to a “growth camp.”

Ah You parked the car on the side of the road, and the two of them got out.

Lin Jiqiu looked around.

There really was nothing there.

He crouched down and looked at the ground. There were tire tracks in the soil, more than one, and they were very fresh.

“A car came by,” he said.

“Could it be a farmer from nearby?”

“Farmers couldn’t make such wide ruts,” Lin Jiqiu pointed with his fingers. “These are the tire tracks of a bus.”

Ah You leaned closer to take a look: “A bus? But there’s nothing here.”

That’s why it’s strange.

Lin Jiqiu stood up, took out his phone, took a few photos, and sent them to Cheng Ran.

There are tire tracks here. From a bus. Very new.

Cheng Ran replied quickly: “I’ll check the surveillance footage around here. There’s a camera at an intersection, about two kilometers away.”

What can be found?

It depends on luck.

Lin Jiqiu put away his phone and wandered around the neighborhood for a while.

Farmland, houses, a road, nothing else.

But he always felt that something was wrong.

He couldn’t explain it.

It’s just a feeling.

“Let’s go,” he said.

“that’s all?”

“That’s it.” Lin Jiqiu opened the car door. “I’ve seen everything I needed to see.”

Ah You didn’t know what he saw, but he still got into the car.

The car turned around and headed into the city.

Lin Jiqiu leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed.

The image of that road flashed through my mind: tire tracks, houses, and farmland.

what else?

He thought about it.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

“Are any people living in those houses?” he asked.

Ah You paused for a moment, then said, “I didn’t notice.”

“go back.”

Without saying a word, Ah You turned the car around and drove back.

This time, Lin Jiqiu didn’t stop at the intersection. He had Ayou drive the car to the nearest house.

It was an old two-story building with white paint on the exterior, but it was already somewhat faded. A minivan was parked in the yard, and the curtains were drawn in the windows.

Lin Jiqiu got out of the car, walked to the door, and knocked.

No one answered.

He knocked a few more times.

Still no one.

He peered through the crack in the window—the living room was empty, but there were several cups and an ashtray on the table. There were many cigarette butts.

“Someone lives here,” he said in a low voice.

“But he’s not home?” Ah You leaned closer.

“Not necessarily.” Lin Jiqiu glanced at the van in the yard. “If the van is there, the people should be there too.”

He didn’t knock on the door anymore, and turned back to his car.

Let’s go.

This time, Ah-you didn’t ask why.

After driving for a while, Lin Jiqiu took out her phone and sent a message to Cheng Ran.

Please help me find out who owns that house.

Cheng Ran’s reply was simple: 【Okay.】

——

It was almost five o’clock when I got back to the office.

A-Zuo was still in front of the computer, with a pile of printed documents spread out in front of him.

“What did you find out?” Lin Jiqiu asked as soon as he entered the room.

“This ‘Revitalizing Growth Camp’ was also held in the neighboring province three months ago.” A-Zuo handed him a printed screenshot of a webpage. “It used the same domain name and the same promotional copy. The address was also in the suburbs, and it was fake.”

Did anyone participate in that session?

“Yes. It says fifteen people signed up.” A-Zuo turned to another page. “But there were no follow-up reports, no one said they were scammed, nothing.”

“It’s too clean,” Lin Jiqiu said.

“Yes.” A-Zuo nodded. “It’s abnormally clean.”

Lin Jiqiu sat down on the sofa and spread out the flyers, photos, and information that A-Zuo had found on the coffee table.

He stared at these things for a long time.

Then he picked up the flyer and turned it over.

There is a line of small print at the very bottom—

“Huanxin Growth Camp is affiliated with Huanxin Culture Communication Co., Ltd.”

“Ah Zuo, check out this company.”

A-Zuo’s fingers flew across the keyboard.

“The registered address is in another province, and the legal representative is a person named ‘Zhang Wei’,” A Zuo said. “But this Zhang Wei… we can’t find any more information about him. His ID number might be fake.”

“It’s fake again,” Ah You muttered from the side. “The address is fake, the legal representative is fake, everything is fake.”

“No,” Lin Jiqiu said, “one thing is true.”

“What?”

“money.”

He picked up the flyer and pointed to the registration information.

“It’s 5,800 per person. If there are 15 people per session, that’s 87,000. If each session lasts three months, that’s over 300,000 a year. And this is just one place.”

“You mean…this is for making money?”

“It’s not just about making money,” Lin Jiqiu said. “Making money is just the surface. What they really want is…”

He recalled Cheng Ran’s words—”Find your true self.”

“What they want is people.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Ah You opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

A-Zuo’s fingers remained on the keyboard, motionless.

Lin Jiqiu stood up and walked to the window.

It was getting dark. The flower shop across the street closed, and the lights in the café came on.

“Tomorrow,” he said, “I will go to that place myself.”

“Didn’t you already go?” Ayou asked.

“I went during the day. I’ll go again at night,” Lin Jiqiu said. “There are some things you can’t see during the day.”

He turned around and looked at A-Zuo and A-You.

“Get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow might be very busy.”

A-Zuo nodded, and A-You nodded as well.

Lin Jiqiu went upstairs, entered her room, and closed the door.

He stood by the window, watching the sky outside gradually darken.

The image of the girl with the ponytail in my mind is still there.

Seventeen years old.

He was the same age as when he first awakened his abilities.

He didn’t know where she was.

But he knew he had to find her.

My phone vibrated.

Cheng Ran’s text message: [We’ve found the owner of that house. It’s a man named “Wang Jianguo,” 62 years old, a local. But…]

But what?

His house was rented out three years ago. The tenant’s information is fake.

Lin Jiqiu stared at the screen in silence for a long time.

It’s fake again.

Everything seemed fake.

But the missing girl is real.

He put down his phone and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, he will find that place that “has nothing” and find out what is hidden there.