A live stream that dramatically transformed a depressed schoolgirl shocked netizens across the count

"Dad is critically ill."

Three black characters were pressed against the edge of the photo; the ink had dried completely, and the corner of the paper was stained with water from the Tuojiang River.

Water droplets slid down the paper to Shen Qingci's thumb and seeped in along the crease.

She stood at the west bank exit, with tourists constantly leaving behind her, and folded umbrellas and rain-soaked stone steps in front of her.

The person in the gray raincoat moved through the crowd, their shoulders brushing against the edge of the umbrella, their steps maintaining a steady rhythm.

The man did not turn around.

He avoided oncoming tourists, walked around a delivery tricycle, and stepped onto the stone steps on the west bank. Muddy watermarks stretched from the stone steps to the alley entrance, only to be trampled away by messy shoe prints after a few steps.

Shen Qingci's shoe soles remained stuck in place.

She didn't chase after him.

Normally, Zhao Yulan only needs to make one phone call and say "Your dad has had an accident," and the train ticket, flight ticket, and driver's license will be sent over in a package.

She only needs to follow the schedule, and she has to think about "why" three times before she dares to say it.

The three words on the note would have been enough for her to drop everything and run back in the past.

Now, the paper was crumpled in her palm, and the soles of her shoes were firmly rooted to the spot.

Shift your gaze downwards.

The man in the hospital bed was wearing a breathing mask, the monitor was flashing a red light, and the label on the IV stand was clearly visible, with the logo of Jiangcheng County Hospital printed in the lower right corner.

The camera was very close.

The texture of the bed sheet, the markings on the IV tubing, and the bed number are all clearly visible.

Breath stuck in my throat, my thumb pressed hard along the edge of the paper, creased the photo into a deep fold.

"I want to confirm."

She looked up, but the sound of the rushing river drowned out half of her words.

"But I don't want to go alone." Her voice rose an octave.

Chen Lang took the photo.

He flipped the photo over to examine the paper fibers and took pictures of both sides of the paper with his phone.

As soon as the camera was focused on the corner of the paper, Titan completed the initial scan.

Two transparent evidence bags were taken out from the inner pocket of the coat, and the notes and photos were properly sealed.

"Where do you want to go? I'll go with you."

Shen Qingci stared at him.

He shook the evidence bag in his hand.

"Confirm the information first, then decide on the route. Don't let three lines of text steer the course for you."

Her nose stung, and she looked down to dial Shen Jianguo's number.

Waiting for the sound to finish.

No one heard.

The screen is stuck on the end of the call screen, with the red hang-up button lit up in the center.

In the distance, staff members held up walkie-talkies to urge tourists to leave the low-lying stone piers, but the warnings from the loudspeakers were shattered by the river water.

My thumb hovered over the redial button for two seconds before I pressed it down hard.

The second ringtone was drawn out even longer, and it was still a dial tone.

The phone was moved to a different position in her palm, her shoulders were tense, and her knuckles dug white marks into the phone's casing.

"Dad usually doesn't ignore the phone."

Chen Lang turned halfway around, blocking her from the crowd of tourists behind him.

"Go to the high-passage lane first."

"What if he really—"

"stop."

Chen Lang took the phone, glanced at the time, and put it back in her hand.

"The fact that no one answered twice only means he didn't answer the phone. The photos, the note, the stranger—at this point, it only means someone wants you to believe one thing."

"But the person in the photo..."

"The filming time has not yet been confirmed."

He pointed his finger towards the river.

The waterline climbs up the low stone piers, and only half a palm's width of the stone surface is exposed above the water. Dead leaves swirl and fall down the stone piers.

"Stand here and guess; the river will make the decision for you. Get away from the water first, then go investigate the clues."

Shen Qingci looked at him, her lips moving slightly.

How can you be so sure there are only two possible outcomes?

Chen Lang raised his chin.

"Your dad's in the hospital, I'll go with you. He's fine, we'll find the person who delivered the message. I don't scare myself with made-up stories."

She gripped her phone tightly and strode towards the high-passage corridor.

Chen Lang followed beside her.

Tourists pushed in from behind, and he raised his forearm to block the impact, creating a half-step sterile circle.

Shen Qingci took small steps and didn't look back at the west bank exit again.

Titan's voice came through the headphones.

The route taken by the man in the gray raincoat has been identified.

[47 seconds of surveillance footage missing from the west exit. Equipment power-off method: manual disconnection.]

[The target's gait was recorded by three cameras along the coast, with a match rate of 97.8%.]

Chen Lang stopped in his tracks.

"When the photo was taken."

[Original file metadata has been removed. Paper fiber detection result: Printing time not exceeding twenty-four hours.]

"Hospital signage".

The current signage at Jiangcheng County Hospital has been replaced. The old signage is shown in the lower right corner of the photo; it was discontinued three years ago.

Shen Qingci turned around.

"Old photos?"

"Closer to this conclusion."

"Closer?"

"The photos may be from old files, or someone may have used old bed sheets to rearrange the bed. To verify, we need to check with the hospital's records."

Chen Lang slapped the evidence bag into the inner pocket and glanced at her screen.

"Try it again."

Shen Qingci took a breath and pressed the call button.

The phone rang for the third time before it was answered.

"Qingci?"

The sound of pages turning came from the other end of the phone, papers sliding across the table to the other side, and the background noise mixed with tense arguments about contracts.

The instruments in the ward were silent, and there was no sign of medical staff moving around.

Shen Qingci gripped her phone tightly.

"Dad, where are you?"

"The company conference room. The legal department changed two pages of the agreement, and I'm having them change it back." Shen Jianguo paused. "What's wrong with your voice? Did something happen?"

Shen Qingci looked up.

Chen Lang nodded, indicating that he should tell the truth.

The black writing on the note, the bed number in the photo, the raincoat worn by the delivery person, and even the direction of retreat were all transmitted via radio waves.

The statement is full of objective details, without a single subjective guess.

There was a deathly silence on the other end of the phone.

"Qingci, listen to me," Shen Jianguo said in a low voice.

"I'm at the company, I'm fine, and I even had a heated argument with the legal department just now."

As he spoke, he cleared his throat twice into the microphone.

"Mr. Shen, your confidence is stronger than a megaphone, why would you need to go to the hospital?" someone joked in the background.

"Stop being so sarcastic," Shen Jianguo cursed, then changed the subject, "Who are you with now?"

Shen Qingci lowered his eyes.

The rain pressed against my eyelashes, and a ring of moisture spread around the edge of my vision.

He rubbed the back of his hand hard against the corner of his eye, and his knuckles paused twice.

"Chen Lang".

Shen Jianguo breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Don't go alone, and don't trust any addresses. As for Zhao Yulan, I'll have her lawyer handle the court proceedings."

"dad."

"Um?"

Shen Qingci turned halfway around, and the surging Tuojiang River came into view.

The low-lying stone piers had long been submerged by water, and the newly erected warning ropes were flying wildly in the wind.

He gripped the casing tightly with his five fingers, the sound still carrying a tingling aftershock, yet the words rang out with a resounding thud.

"I'm not going back."

There was only static in the receiver.

Shen Qingci didn't stop.

"You take care of the company, I'll take care of myself. I'll find out who sent the photos."

Shen Jianguo answered readily.

"Okay, you decide for yourself."