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

Inside the duty station, a young police officer pressed the space bar on his keyboard.

The recording noise stopped abruptly, and the sound of rain outside gradually subsided.

Water droplets splattered onto the bluestone slab along the roof tile, breaking into several pieces of white foam.

The officer pushed his phone back onto the table, his gaze sweeping over Chen Lang and Shen Qingci's Miao ethnic costumes.

"Where did you get this recording?"

Chen Lang leaned against the table, tapping the surface with his index finger knuckles.

"The walkie-talkie frequency left by market trackers mentioned Plan B, and they are still arranging to pick people up from the city gate."

The officer grabbed the police logbook, removed the pen cap, and drew two lines on the paper.

"These days, paparazzi and private investigators are constantly coming up with new tricks. Just the other day, there was even a fight at the bridgehead over who got the best shot."

Shen Qingci stood beside the table, turning to the last page of her notebook.

Most of the places I was supposed to visit today were crossed out with a black pen.

She looked up and her gaze fell on the officer's hand holding the pen.

"The other side mentioned faking the drowning and the rendezvous point; they are setting up an encirclement."

The officer stopped writing and leaned back in his chair.

"Gentlemen, there are countless film crews and internet celebrities coming to this ancient city every day. To compete for a good view, they deliberately hire people to cause trouble and make threats to scare their competitors. We handle more than a dozen such cases every month."

He pushed the police report book forward half an inch.

"The recording you provided did not name names or make any specific threats. The phrase 'picking up people' and 'Plan B' alone are not enough to establish a case."

Shen Qingci didn't say anything; she reached out and picked up the transparent file bag on the table.

She carefully collected the photos taken by the voyeur, the unusual communication records, and the red cloth route map.

"Sorry to bother you."

She closed the notebook, and Chen Lang straightened up, slipping his phone into his work pants pocket.

He followed her out.

"etc."

The officer stood up, pulled a business card-sized piece of paper from a drawer, and handed it over around the desk.

Chen Lang stopped in his tracks.

"Even though we can't file a case, I'll keep a copy of the documents."

The officer softened his tone and pointed to a string of numbers on the card.

"The city gate tower is located by the river, and it's crowded and dimly lit at night. If you feel that those paparazzi are following you closely, or if you really encounter trouble, call this hotline immediately. The patrol team is nearby and can arrive within five minutes."

Chen Lang took the card and twirled it twice between two fingers along the edge.

"With the officer's words, we feel more at ease."

The two walked out of the duty station.

The river breeze wafted into the eaves of the narrow alley, making the silver bells on the hem of the Miao skirts jingle.

Shen Qingci unfolded his notebook.

A few simple lines were drawn on the paper, marking the city gate, stone steps, shallows, and covered bridge.

She stared at the red dot on the map.

"normal."

Chen Lang opened his black umbrella, pressing the canopy down half an inch to the left to block the raindrops that were swirling in.

"A few photos and a cut-out audio recording would be considered a minor incident no matter where you put them."

Shen Qingci moved his index finger along the map.

After passing through the stone steps and the shallows downstream, it finally stopped on the North Gate tower.

"Then we'll go ourselves."

Chen Lang turned his head to look at her.

"As bait?"

"They have tracked our movements, and suddenly changing our route would only alert them. Only by making them believe that the plan is still in progress can we pinpoint the commander and the rendezvous point."

Chen Lang didn't reply, his gaze sweeping over her tense jawline.

Shen Qingci turned to look at him.

"Any objections?"

Chen Lang chuckled and tilted the black umbrella slightly towards her head.

"My opinion is that I'll cover the losses, you can build whatever you want."

His chin was tilted forward slightly.

"Let's go and meet these proxy photographers."

A few minutes later, the two walked back to the main street.

The rain stopped.

The lanterns along the street swayed, casting a yellow glow on the wet stone pavement.

Tourists carrying lanterns surged toward the North Gate Tower.

Chen Lang held up a black umbrella.

Shen Qingci pressed the back of his hand against the umbrella handle and pushed the umbrella surface back two inches towards the center.

"Your shoulder is already dripping wet."

Chen Lang gripped the umbrella ribs firmly.

"Okay, I'll do as the captain says, everyone gets a share."

We walked side by side down the street, neither of us speaking, our steps keeping the same rhythm.

The North Gate tower was much more crowded than during the day, and the stilted houses on both sides of the river were lit up.

Shen Qingci did not open the walkthrough.

She stood by the railing, opened her journal, and wrote on a new page: Tonight, I'll watch the lights, but I won't follow the path laid out for me by others.

After finishing writing, she pressed down on the corner of the paper and looked up at the river.

Chen Lang stood to her side and behind her, and raised his phone.

"Don't take pictures."

"It's already been filmed."

Shen Qingci turned around to block the camera.

Raise your wrist halfway.

On the screen, she stands between a stone wall and river lanterns, her indigo Miao dress damp, silver ornaments clinging to the ends of her hair, staring intently at the camera.

Chen Lang handed over the phone.

"Delete it."

"Read it first."

Shen Qingci took the phone, her thumb hovering over the delete button.

Two seconds later, she withdrew her hand.

Send it to me.

"Original image or compressed version?"

Original image.

"The copyright fee is three strings of ginger candy," Chen Lang said seriously.

"You've already eaten."

"Then put it in the book."

Shen Qingci lowered her head and wrote a line of words in the corner of the notebook.

Chen Lang leaned over and took a look.

"Chen Lang owes three skewers of ginger candy. How come he still owes one more?"

"Interest."

Shen Qingci closed the pen cap, and the silver bell rang crisply with the movement.

"This one doesn't need to be deleted."

Chen Lang glanced at her.

With a simple tap of the screen, you can forward the photo directly.

"Keep it safe."

Shen Qingci clicked to receive.

The Titan's notification sounded in my headphones.

Number of nearby devices: 37.

[Abnormal short-range communication: Six groups.]

[Relay signal is being assembled.]

Chen Lang put away his phone and glanced at the crowd.

Under the eaves of the teahouse on the west side, a black umbrella stood motionless, and the man in the raincoat beneath it followed Shen Qingci's every move.

At the exit of the stone steps, a man carrying a long telephoto bag blocked the widest exit route.

There were two other people on the riverbank. One was pretending to take pictures of the illuminated boats, with his phone camera pointed at them. The other was wearing a tourist raincoat, with the toes of his shoes pointing downstream and his body facing away from the river.

Chen Lang looked away.

"team leader."

"How many?" Shen Qingci asked.

"There are four people in the open, but there are others behind them."

"Where's Blackie?"

"nearby."

Shen Qingci's pen tip pressed against the paper.

The paper has a small dent.

When do they plan to make their move?

[Relay communication decoding complete.]

[Target: Shen Qingci.]

[Method of Operation: Creating a shoving incident to fake a drowning accident.]

[Transfer window: 30 seconds.]

[Reception point: Downstream shallows, 180 meters away.]

Shen Qingci stopped writing and looked up at the river.

A little boy carrying a lantern ran by, slipped, and almost fell into the river.

"Slow down!" The child's mother pulled him back.

Chen Lang stepped to the side, blocking the view of the teahouse.

"Let's leave first."

"I'm not leaving."

"reason?"

"They've already drawn up their escape route."

Shen Qingci walked to the stone railing.

The journal was pressed down on the bluestone slab.

She took out a pencil, but instead of drawing a route, she glanced at the crowd below.

"Looking from the west side of the city gate, the stone steps block the view, and the riverside creates a misleading line of sight."

The pencil fell onto the paper.

"But the real rendezvous point is not in the shallows."

"How so?"

"It's too obvious."

Shen Qingci pointed to the river.

"After the lightboat docks, there will be a brief gap in visibility downstream. The shallows are 180 meters from the city gate, which is suitable for evacuation, but not for hiding people immediately. If the police surround us from both sides, the pick-up vehicles will be blocked."

"So the shallows were just bait, and also the direction they were forcing us to take."

"Where is the rendezvous point?"

"Covered bridge".

The pencil traced along the city wall, circling the area beneath the covered bridge.

"There are tourists near the covered bridge, but there are no fixed surveillance cameras. If there is pushing and shoving on the city gate tower, everyone's attention will turn to the river."

She drew an X at the top of the stone steps.

"The people at the top of the stone steps are responsible for stopping them."

Two arrows were drawn on the riverbank.

"The people along the river are responsible for pushing the river into the shallows."

Enclose the covered bridge.

"The real people take their targets from the covered bridge."

Chen Lang stepped forward and made a circle on the other side of the covered bridge.

"There are back streets and alleys here, and the exit connects to the parking area, so you can park your car under the bridge in advance."

Shen Qingci nodded.

"They assumed everyone's attention would be drawn to the lightship."

Chen Lang glanced at the river.

"Unfortunately, they didn't expect that some people wouldn't be watching the lights tonight."

"Who?"

"Me," Chen Lang said, "I'll look after the captain."

Shen Qingci glanced at him.

A pencil drew a double line near the covered bridge.

"We need to make them think I'm going to the shallows."

"Sure?"

"Where I stand is not up to them."