My childhood friend is in her mature, sophisticated form again today. - Chapter 8

Lin Jiqiu sat in a corner of the multi-functional hall, ostensibly meditating with his eyes closed, but actually constantly sensing the location of Qingque. Qingque perched motionless in a corner of the third-floor corridor ceiling, like a gray shadow. It could see the round door, closed, with no one entering or leaving.

Xiaoyu is inside.

It’s been two hours already.

Teacher Mingyi emerged from the circular room, holding the cup in his hand. His expression was calm, even bearing a hint of satisfied smile. He handed the cup to an older student waiting in the corridor, whispered a few words to him, and then turned and went back into the room.

The door closed again.

Lin Jiqiu tapped her fingers lightly twice on her knee. This was her and Cheng Ran’s secret signal—”The situation has changed.”

Cheng Ran’s voice came through the earpiece, very low: “I saw it. That cup… the liquid inside isn’t a regular tranquilizer. I compared the ingredients in the database, and it’s probably some kind of psychotropic drug. Low doses can cause dependence and compliance. Long-term use can lead to memory confusion and personality changes.”

Lin Jiqiu tapped his finger again—to indicate “I understand”.

“Xiaoyu’s heart rate is dropping,” Cheng Ran continued. “It’s not the kind of drop that happens during normal sleep; it’s a suppression caused by the medication. Her body temperature is also decreasing. If this continues…”

He didn’t finish speaking. But Lin Jiqiu knew what he wanted to say.

She opened her eyes and stood up.

“Lin Qiu?” Xiao Yi looked up at her. “Where are you going?”

“Toilet.”

She walked out of the multi-purpose hall and down the corridor toward the restrooms. Her pace was neither fast nor slow, like a normal student going to relieve herself. But her eyes were constantly scanning every detail in the corridor—the location of the security cameras, the type of access control, the patrol routes of the security guards.

There was no one in the restroom.

She went into the innermost cubicle, closed the door, took out the button-sized locator from her pocket, and stuck it to the inside of her collar. The moment the metal piece touched her skin, she felt a chill.

“It’s all pasted up.” She lowered her voice.

“Signal received,” Cheng Ran said. “Location is clear. Heart rate, body temperature, and breathing are all within normal ranges.”

“Tonight’s operation is being moved up. We can’t wait until late at night.”

“Why?”

“Xiaoyu can’t wait.”

Cheng Ran remained silent for two seconds.

“……What time is it?”

“Nine o’clock. Free time. Most people are on the first floor; there’s no one upstairs.”

“Okay. I’ll hack into their surveillance system during this time period. I’ll give you a fifteen-minute window.”

That’s enough.

Lin Jiqiu came out of the cubicle, washed her hands, and looked at herself in the mirror.

The face reflected in the mirror was that of “Lin Qiu”—shoulder-length black hair, delicate features, looking like an ordinary college student. But her eyes were different. That calm, alert, and slightly cold gaze didn’t belong to a nineteen-year-old girl.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her gaze had softened.

Then she left the restroom, returned to the multi-purpose hall, and continued her “meditation.”

——

It’s 6 PM, dinner time.

Xiaoyu did not come to the restaurant.

Lin Jiqiu sat opposite Xiao Yi, carrying a plate. Xiao Yi didn’t seem to have much of an appetite; she poked at the rice in her plate with her fork a few times before putting it down.

“Where’s Xiaoyu?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Lin Jiqiu said. “He might be in the room.”

“She didn’t come to class this afternoon. Is she feeling unwell?”

“Maybe.”

Xiao Yi looked at Lin Jiqiu, hesitant to speak.

“What do you want to say?” Lin Jiqiu asked.

“I…I feel something’s not right here.” Xiaoyi’s voice was very low. “This afternoon during meditation, I saw someone being taken away. It was that older student, the one with short hair. She was being carried away by two teachers, and it seemed…it seemed like she was unconscious.”

Lin Jiqiu paused for a moment.

Are you sure?

“I’m sure.” Xiaoyi’s fingers twisted together under the table. “The way she walks is wrong; her feet are dragging on the ground. It’s like…like she’s asleep, but her eyes are open.”

Lin Jiqiu didn’t answer. She searched her mind for the person Xiaoyi had mentioned—short hair, thin, with empty eyes. It was the person behind the iron gate that Qingque had seen last night.

“Xiao Yi,” Lin Jiqiu put down his chopsticks, “listen to me.”

Xiao Yi looked at her, her eyes filled with unease, but also trust—the kind of trust that comes from not knowing who else to trust but only the person in front of her.

“From now on, no matter what happens, you must stay alert. Don’t drink anything they give you—water, beverages, soup, nothing. If Teacher Mingyi asks you to talk to him alone, find an excuse to refuse. If someone tries to take you away, shout.”

Xiao Yi’s face paled.

“What…what are you saying? What happened?”

“I can’t explain too much,” Lin Jiqiu’s voice was low but clear, “but do you believe me?”

Xiao Yi looked at her, remained silent for a few seconds, and then nodded.

“letter.”

“Then do as I say.”

Xiao Yi nodded again.

Lin Jiqiu stood up and picked up his plate.

Where are you going?

“Go see Xiaoyu.”

——

The door to room 203 was closed.

Lin Jiqiu knocked twice, but no one answered. She took a thin wire from her pocket—which she had taken from the binding thread of her notebook that morning—inserted it into the lock, and turned it gently twice.

Click.

The door opened.

The room was dark, and the curtains were drawn tightly. Xiaoyu lay on the bed in the same position as when she left that morning, as if she hadn’t moved at all.

Lin Jiqiu walked to the bedside and squatted down.

Xiaoyu’s eyes were closed, her breathing was shallow, and her lips were pale. Her face—Lin Jiqiu reached out and touched her forehead—was a little cool, not the kind of cool that comes with a fever, but the kind of cool that comes with a low body temperature.

“Cheng Ran”.

“I heard that. Her heart rate… is 52 beats per minute. It’s a bit low than normal, but still within the safe range.”

“Drug effects?”

“Very likely. She needs to drink water to metabolize the medication in her body.”

Lin Jiqiu picked up the thermos issued by the camp from the bedside table and shook it—there was water inside. She unscrewed the lid and smelled it; there was no strange odor. But she didn’t give it to Xiaoyu. She went to the bathroom, filled a glass with tap water, and brought it back.

“Xiaoyu.” She gently patted Xiaoyu’s face. “Xiaoyu, wake up.”

Xiaoyu’s eyelids twitched, but she didn’t open them.

“Xiaoyu, it’s me, Lin Qiu. Wake up.”

After a few seconds, Xiaoyu slowly opened her eyes. Her pupils were slightly dilated and her focus was unstable. It took her several seconds to recognize Lin Jiqiu.

“Lin…Qiu?”

“Hmm. Are you thirsty? Have some water.”

Lin Jiqiu helped her sit up and held the water glass to her lips. Xiaoyu took a few sips, choked, and coughed a few times.

“What… happened to me?”

“do not you remember?”

Xiaoyu frowned and thought for a moment, her expression somewhat blank.

“I went to the third floor… Teacher Mingyi told me to drink water… and then…” Her voice trailed off, “and then I don’t remember anything.”

“You’re back. Lying in bed.”

How did I get back?

“I don’t know. Maybe someone else brought you back.”

Xiaoyu lowered her head, looking at her hands. Her hands were trembling.

“Lin Qiu.”

“Um.”

“I’m scared.”

Lin Jiqiu looked at her and reached out to take her hand. Xiaoyu’s hand was cold, her fingertips were icy.

“I know,” Lin Jiqiu said, “but I will take you out.”

Xiaoyu looked up at her. Her eyes were filled with tears, and also with some inexplicable expectation.

“real?”

“real.”

Lin Jiqiu released her hand and stood up.

“Rest here and don’t go out. If someone knocks on the door, ask who it is first. If it’s Teacher Mingyi or Teacher Chen, tell them you’re not feeling well and don’t want to see anyone.”

Where are you going?

“I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be right back.”

——

8:50 p.m.

Free time. Some students were reading, chatting, and writing in their journals in the lobby on the first floor. The teacher in charge sat in a corner, looking down at his phone.

Lin Jiqiu went up to the second floor via the stairs.

There was no one in the corridor.

She walked to the door of room 203 and pushed it open. Xiaoyu was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, holding the thermos in her hand.

“You’re back.”

“Okay.” Lin Jiqiu walked to the window, pulled back a corner of the curtain and looked outside. “Xiaoyu, something might happen tonight. No matter what noise you hear, don’t come out or open the door. Got it?”

Xiaoyu’s face turned even paler.

“what are you up to?”

“I’ll take you out.”

Lin Jiqiu lowered the curtains, turned around, and looked at Xiaoyu.

“Xiaoyu, do you believe me?”

Xiaoyu looked at her and remained silent for a long time.

Then she nodded.

——

Nine o’clock sharp.

Cheng Ran’s voice came through the earpiece: “The monitoring system has been hacked. The replacement screen has been initiated. You have fifteen minutes.”

Lin Jiqiu took a deep breath.

She walked to the window and opened it. The night breeze blew in, carrying the coolness unique to autumn.

She closed her eyes.

This time, it’s not about releasing the Bluebird.

It means releasing the other one.

A larger, darker, more nocturnal shadow emerged in her mind—Amo. A pure black cat with golden eyes and a slender body, it landed silently on the windowsill.

Amo squatted there, its golden eyes looking at her, its tail swaying gently.

“Find that iron gate,” Lin Jiqiu instructed in his mind. “See what’s inside.”

Amo silently jumped off the windowsill and walked along the ledge on the outer wall. Its black fur blended into the night, making its outline almost invisible.

“Amo has gone out,” Lin Jiqiu said in a low voice.

“I can see it,” Cheng Ran said. “The picture is a bit dark, but it’s still clear.”

Amo walked along the outer wall to the side of the main building. It found an open window and silently slipped inside.

corridor.

Dark, just like Amo.

It walked along the wall, passing rooms with symbols on their doors. Some doors had light shining through the cracks, while others were completely dark. Amo paused for a second in front of each door, listening and sniffing.

The smell of disinfectant.

It’s getting thicker and thicker.

At the end of the corridor. That iron gate.

Amo squatted in front of the iron gate and gently touched it with his paw—it was locked.

It raised its head and looked inside through the small window.

It was dark inside, but Amo’s night vision was far superior to Qingque’s. It saw—

A bed. White sheets.

A chair.

There’s something on the wall.

Lin Jiqiu saw those things through Amo’s vision.

photo.

Lots of photos.

They were plastered on the wall, densely packed. Each photo showed the face of a person—young women of different ages and appearances. Some photos were crossed out with red X’s, a shocking sight.

“Cheng Ran”.

“I saw them.” Cheng Ran’s voice became very low. “Those photos… are of people in the missing persons database. There are at least twenty.”

Lin Jiqiu’s fingers tightened slightly on the windowsill.

There was a person lying on the bed.

Short hair, thin, wearing a white T-shirt. He’s the former student Xiaoyi mentioned who was taken away.

Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was shallow. There was an IV needle in her wrist, connected to an IV bag beside the bed. Clear liquid, drop by drop, slowly entered her veins.

“What are they giving her?” Lin Jiqiu asked.

“I’m not sure. But judging from the equipment, it doesn’t look like a regular nutrient solution.” Cheng Ran paused for a moment. “That IV bag… it has a label. Let me zoom in and take a look.”

Amo moved a little closer to the small window.

“Peace…no. Stability…”

“Sedatives?” Lin Jiqiu’s voice turned cold.

“Possibly. Long-term use could lead to memory loss and personality changes.”

Lin Jiqiu closed her eyes, then opened them again.

“Amo, take a picture.”

Amo’s eyes flickered—it wasn’t a real photograph, but rather Lin Jiqiu “remembered” the scene through it. Every detail would be completely etched into her memory after the clone was retrieved.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Amo silently returned the way he came.

As it passed through a door, it heard footsteps.

Lin Jiqiu’s body tensed for a moment.

Amo shrank into the shadows of the door frame, holding its breath—if it could breathe.

The footsteps grew closer.

A person walked over from the other end of the corridor, holding a flashlight. It wasn’t a security guard, but—Teacher Mingyi.

He had changed into dark clothes, no longer wearing a white robe. He held a folder in his hand, and his expression was no longer gentle and compassionate, but focused and calm, like a doctor performing a routine check-up.

He walked to the iron gate, took out his key, opened the door, and went inside.

The door closed.

Amo slipped out of the shadows and silently followed to the iron gate, peering through the small window.

Teacher Mingyi stood by the bed, checked the IV bag, and then made some notes in the folder. He glanced at the photos on the wall, his gaze lingering on one of them for a few seconds.

The photo was not crossed out.

It was the face of a young girl, with a bright smile and crescent-shaped eyes.

Lin Jiqiu recognized the face.

It wasn’t Cheng Yu. It was someone else.

But her heart sank a little.

Teacher Mingyi turned around, walked out of the iron gate, locked it again, and then walked along the corridor in another direction.

Amo waited until his footsteps had completely disappeared before emerging from the shadows and retracing his steps.

——

9:12.

Amo silently slipped in through the window and landed on the windowsill. Its golden eyes flashed in the darkness, then it jumped down from the windowsill, walked to Lin Jiqiu’s feet, and rubbed against her ankle.

Lin Jiqiu squatted down and reached out to stroke its head.

“Thanks for your hard work.”

She closed her eyes and retrieved Amo.

In an instant, all the images that Amo saw flooded into her consciousness—the photos on the wall, the person on the bed, the IV bag, the folder in Teacher Mingyi’s hand… Every detail was so clear that it seemed to be engraved in her mind.

There’s also a 40% feeling of fatigue.

It wasn’t heavy, but her legs felt a little weak.

“You’re back?” Cheng Ran’s voice came through the earpiece.

“Um.”

“That photo… I compared it.” Cheng Ran’s voice was low. “That person was reported missing three months ago. The police are still looking for him.”

Lin Jiqiu stood up and looked at the night view outside the window.

“This organization does more than just brainwash people.”

“I know.”

“They’re using drugs to control people. Turning them into…obedient beings.”

“I know.”

Lin Jiqiu gripped the edge of the windowsill tightly.

“Cheng Ran”.

“Um.”

“Tomorrow, I will end this.”

Cheng Ran remained silent for a few seconds.

“……good.”

Lin Jiqiu closed the window and drew the curtains.

Xiaoyu sat on the bed, looking at her. There was fear in her eyes, but even more so, there was a sense of anticipation—anticipation for her to speak.

“Xiaoyu.” Lin Jiqiu turned around and looked at her. “Tomorrow, we’ll leave here.”

Xiaoyu’s lips trembled slightly.

How do I leave?

“I’ll figure something out.”

Lin Jiqiu walked to the bedside, sat down, and looked into Xiaoyu’s eyes.

“But you need to do one thing.”

“What?”

“Get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow, no matter what happens, stick with me.”

Xiaoyu looked at her and slowly nodded.

The night wind was still blowing outside the window.

The moonlight was bright, but it couldn’t penetrate the room with the curtains tightly drawn.

Lin Jiqiu lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.

My mind is filled with those photos—more than twenty faces, more than twenty missing girls.

She memorized every face.