Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

Chen Hai immediately introduced the group to each other formally: "These two are my team members, Lin Feng and Ye Shuang. And you two, this is Ms. Shen Jingshu, a special consultant specially hired by our Special Affairs Bureau."

The two people in the back seat immediately straightened their expressions and greeted her in unison, "Hello, Miss Shen."

"Hello." Shen Jingshu returned the greeting calmly and composedly.

Ye Shuang in the back seat is a typical cold beauty, her face is cold and expressionless, without any extra emotion.

Wearing a sleek, form-fitting black leather jacket and pants, she exudes a tall and capable figure. Paired with sophisticated and cool makeup, she is both beautiful and sassy, ​​with a commanding presence that makes her unapproachable.

Lin Feng, standing beside her, had a completely different temperament. Dressed in a clean white tracksuit, with a neat and tidy hairstyle, and clean and gentle features, he looked like a sunny and cheerful boy next door, exuding approachability and instantly winning people's favor.

With everyone present, Chen Hai stepped on the gas, and the car smoothly drove away from the school gate. Looking ahead, he said in a deep voice, "Everyone's here. While we're on our way, we can explain the mission objectives and specific details."

Upon hearing this, the three of them focused their attention and waited for what was to come.

As Chen Hai drove, he slowly recounted the entire story of the mission in a deep voice.

"Our mission location this time is a primeval mountain forest in S City."

"Six months ago, the villagers at the foot of the mountain still maintained their habit of going into the mountains to pick wild vegetables and mushrooms, and their lives were peaceful and uneventful. But starting six months ago, strange things began to happen one after another, and villagers who went into the mountains disappeared without a trace. The local villagers noticed something was wrong and reported it to the police immediately. The police organized manpower to go into the mountains to search and rescue many times, but they could not find any trace of the missing people. They were neither alive nor dead."

"Since then, this mountain forest seems to be cursed, with one person disappearing every month. To date, a total of six villagers have gone missing. The case is bizarre and without any clues, and ordinary police forces are simply unable to investigate. The local police realized that the situation was not simple and reported it up the chain of command, eventually handing it over to our Special Affairs Bureau."

"After receiving the report, the bureau immediately dispatched two team members to investigate in the mountains. Before entering the mountains, the two maintained communication with the bureau, but once they stepped into the depths of the forest, the signal was instantly cut off, and they have been completely out of contact ever since. As of today, the two team members have been missing for three whole days."

Chen Hai's tone became more serious: "The situation has escalated, and the higher-ups have issued an urgent order for me to lead a team to handle the situation. Our primary mission is to search for and rescue our two missing colleagues, and at the same time, to investigate the mysterious reasons behind the successive disappearances of villagers."

He glanced at the two people in the back seat and continued, "Ye Shuang and Lin Feng are quite knowledgeable about formations and are the team's specialists in formation deciphering and defense, so I brought them along this time."

Finally, his gaze fell on Shen Jingshu in the passenger seat, and his tone softened slightly: "As for Miss Shen, you've been with our bureau for a while now, but you haven't been on any field missions yet. This time, I'll take you along to see our work firsthand and familiarize you with the mission procedures."

In fact, Chen Hai himself couldn't explain the reason.

When he was given this tricky and strange mission in the mountains, and the director asked him to choose his own team members, he immediately thought of Shen Jingshu.

He always remembered Shen Jingshu's casual remark, "I know a little bit," when he first joined the company.

She claimed to know a little about everything – feng shui, talismans, divination, and formations – but from beginning to end, he never truly witnessed her trump cards or real strength.

As the group works together on cases, they will inevitably need to assess each other's capabilities. This dangerous mission in the mountains provides the perfect opportunity for such a thorough assessment and training.

The black sedan sped along, leaving the city center. The further it drove into the outskirts of S City, the colder and more oppressive the atmosphere became.

It was a bright, sunny day, but the vast primeval forest ahead was perpetually shrouded in a thick, hazy mist, completely obscuring the entire forest and preventing any light from penetrating.

Looking into the distance, the dark forest stretched endlessly, with a faint, eerie wind swirling around it, exuding a deathly stillness and sinister atmosphere that kept strangers at bay.

The car finally came to a steady stop at the entrance of the village at the foot of the mountains.

As soon as I opened the car door, a biting cold wind blew in, completely different from the warm air outside. The chill seeped into my clothes and spread throughout my body. It was the height of summer, yet the place felt as cold as a frosty autumn night.

Lin Feng got out of the car first. His usually sunny and gentle eyes were now devoid of any smile, and his expression was serious and solemn. He looked up at the misty mountains and said in a low voice, "Captain, the energy field in this forest is chaotic, and the yin energy is stagnant. Something is definitely wrong. It's highly likely that a maze or a trap has been set up."

Ye Shuang, standing to the side, straightened up, her cold gaze sweeping across the entire forest. Her fingertips lightly pinched together as she secretly calculated the array's structure. Her voice was clear and indifferent: "The fog gathers but doesn't dissipate, blocking signals and isolating auras. Ordinary instruments and search and rescue equipment will become completely ineffective. No wonder we couldn't find any trace of the missing villagers and our team members."

Chen Hai nodded slightly, his expression solemn: "It's consistent with the bureau's prediction. The formation in this mountain forest is very well hidden; it's not an ordinary, low-level formation, otherwise it wouldn't have trapped two professional team members."

After speaking, he turned to look at Shen Jingshu beside him, subconsciously wanting to observe her reaction.

In his mind, even if Shen Jingshu had some knowledge of metaphysics, she would still be somewhat moved or surprised when she first encountered such a strange and eerie mountain with its dense yin energy and hidden malevolent spirits.

However, Shen Jingshu remained calm and composed after getting out of the car.

She slightly raised her eyes, her gaze piercing through the layers of mist, looking into the deep, tranquil depths of the mountain forest. Her clear eyes took in the hidden malevolent energy and chaotic array patterns within the mountains.

The entire primeval forest was tightly enveloped by an invisible, giant array. The array's core was hidden deep within the forest, and the layers of mist were all illusions created by the array. They could not only confuse people's vision but also disturb their minds and devour the breath and vitality of intruders.

The disappearance of one person each month over the past six months is no accident; it is because this formation is periodically absorbing living souls and accumulating malevolent energy.

A faint hint of understanding flashed in Shen Jingshu's eyes, but her face remained calm and composed, without the slightest tension or fear.

Seeing her so calm and composed, Chen Hai was secretly surprised and became more curious about her statement that she "knows a little about everything".

"Time waits for no one, we must head into the mountains immediately." Chen Hai pulled himself together and gave a solemn order: "Lin Feng, Ye Shuang, you two go ahead to scout the route and avoid traps. I'll follow in the middle and provide support as needed. Miss Shen, you stay by my side and pay attention to our surroundings."

"Received." Lin Feng and Ye Shuang replied in unison, instantly getting into work mode.

The two had been partners for many years, carrying out missions related to formations, and their teamwork was impeccable. They walked one in front of the other, keeping a distance between them, their sharp eyes scanning their surroundings, their steps cautious, and steadily making their way towards the entrance of the mountain forest.

The moment the four of them stepped into the mountain forest, the village path behind them, which had been relatively clear, was suddenly and rapidly covered by a thick white fog.

Looking back, the sunlight, villages, and voices of the outside world all disappeared, as if they had not stepped into the mountains and forests at all, but into a strange space that was isolated from the world and closed off from it.

The surroundings were completely silent. There were no birdsong, no insect chirps, and even the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves had disappeared. The entire forest was eerily quiet.

Lin Feng paused, his brows furrowing slightly: "The formation has been activated; we're completely trapped."