Good and Evil Chapter 124: Jin Enpei’s Blushing Face, Alan’s Excitement

Xu Lang frowned while looking at the game window because many players were shouting in the chat, searching for Zhou Hongwen, or rather, searching for the person with the ID "Fool and Girl."

Zhou Hongwen had been missing for two months, with no sign of him alive or dead. Not only were his parents searching for him, but his relatives, friends, teachers, classmates, and even players he had once helped in the game were looking for him. However, according to the information Xu Lang and his team had gathered, no one had caught a glimpse of his whereabouts.

Xu Lang asked Jin Enpei to try adding Zhou Hongwen as a game friend. Using the ID provided by Zhou Jianjun, Jin Enpei searched and found that the player "Fool and Girl" was offline. Searching for Wu Mengmeng’s game ID also showed that she was offline. It appeared that neither of them had logged in since Zhou Hongwen’s disappearance.

Seeing this, Jin Enpei looked at Xu Lang and asked, "Brother Lang, what should we do now? Should we keep shouting in the chat?"

Xu Lang shook his head. Since so many players had already been searching for two months to no avail, shouting in the game would likely yield the same result. It was pointless to continue.

Xu Lang hadn't yet decided on the next step. If it were a criminal case or a major incident, he could have directly sought help from the Public Security Bureau. However, this was merely a missing person case. With no body found and no evidence of foul play, thousands of people went missing in S City every year—and that was only counting the registered cases; the unregistered ones were even more numerous. It was hard to say if Zhou Hongwen was still in S City or even alive. Finding one person in a city of ten million was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

As for questioning Zhou Hongwen’s relatives, friends, teachers, and classmates, Xu Lang felt it was unnecessary for now. Zhou Hongwen had been missing for two months, and the police, along with his family and acquaintances, would have already exhausted those avenues. If he hadn't been found yet, it meant they didn't know where he was either.

After organizing his thoughts, Xu Lang concluded that the priority was not to search for Zhou Hongwen directly, but to investigate the girl named Wu Mengmeng. Zhou Hongwen’s disappearance was deeply tied to her. Finding her would likely reveal why he disappeared and where he might have gone.

With this plan in mind, Xu Lang asked Jin Enpei, "Do you have Wu Mengmeng’s QQ or any other contact information?"

Jin Enpei nodded. "I do."

"Give it to me."

After saying this, Xu Lang called out to Liao Mei, who was busy nearby, "Liao Mei, come here for a second."

Liao Mei looked up, saw Xu Lang beckoning, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and walked over. Xu Lang handed him the information on Wu Mengmeng and said, "I don't care what methods you use, find out her real name, who she is, and where she lives."

Liao Mei took the file, adjusted his glasses, sat down in the chair Jin Enpei had just vacated, and began working on the computer.

About forty minutes later, Liao Mei stopped, pushed up his glasses, and said to Xu Lang, "Found it."

Xu Lang and Jin Enpei immediately gathered around the monitor. According to the data, the girl was not named Wu Mengmeng, but Wu Qiuyue, twenty-seven years old. Her current address was unclear, but she was a frequent visitor to the Se-Se Bar.

In the file, Liao Mei also found a photo of Wu Qiuyue. In it, she was wearing a school uniform with her hair in two pigtails. She looked incredibly young and innocent, like a high schooler, bearing no resemblance to her actual age of twenty-seven.

Seeing the photo, Xu Lang understood why Zhou Hongwen had fallen for her. Even he had been taken aback for a moment; it was hard to believe the girl in the picture, who looked sixteen or seventeen, was actually twenty-seven. But he quickly dismissed the surprise. In an age of advanced technology, photos could be edited, filtered, and enhanced, and women were masters of makeup and digital retouching.

Xu Lang had expected it to be difficult to find "Wu Mengmeng," but learning she frequented the Se-Se Bar brought a sense of relief. It reminded him of someone—a woman named Ellen.

Thinking of Ellen gave Xu Lang a headache. She was one of the victims in the Qiu Liang rape and robbery case. After Xu Lang assisted the Second Criminal Investigation Team in capturing Qiu Liang, Ellen had constantly visited the Public Security Bureau to see him, leading the staff to believe they were in a relationship. After the 810 explosion case, when Shu Yue appeared as Xu Lang’s girlfriend, Ellen had visited less often, but she still showed up occasionally, bringing snacks or thoughtful gifts that Xu Lang found impossible to refuse.

Now that the agency’s case led to the Se-Se Bar, Xu Lang knew he had to face Ellen. The thought of her enthusiastic personality made his teeth ache.

After providing the information, Liao Mei returned to his desk, leaving only Xu Lang and Jin Enpei. Jin Enpei noticed Xu Lang staring blankly at the photo. At first, she thought he was interested in the woman, but upon closer inspection, she realized that despite her youthful appearance, the woman was twenty-seven—older than Xu Lang—and not particularly beautiful. Jin Enpei felt that both she and Shu Yue were much better looking.

She then realized that Xu Lang’s focus wasn't on the woman, but on the location: the Se-Se Bar. Knowing the reputation of the bar and having heard rumors of Ellen’s pursuit of Xu Lang, Jin Enpei couldn't help but chuckle. It was amusing to see the brilliant detective so flustered by a woman. She suddenly felt a flush of heat, glanced at Xu Lang, and quickly looked down, heart racing.

While Jin Enpei was lost in thought, Xu Lang made up his mind to ask Ellen for help. Every day earlier that Zhou Hongwen was found meant his parents could rest sooner. He decided to take it one step at a time.

When Xu Lang looked up and saw Jin Enpei blushing, he asked curiously, "Why are you blushing? Are you wearing too many layers?"

Jin Enpei’s face turned even redder. She glared at him without saying a word.

Baffled, Xu Lang shook his head. "I’m going out. Keep communicating with Zhou Hongwen’s parents and see if there are any new leads." He walked into his office, shut down his computer, grabbed his coat, and headed out.

As he passed Jin Enpei, he added, "The air conditioning is on in the office; take off a layer if you're hot." He left the detective agency without looking back.

"Jerk," Jin Enpei muttered, stomping her foot as she watched him leave.

After leaving the office, Xu Lang hailed a taxi and told the driver to head to the Se-Se Bar. The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror, confused as to why anyone would go to a bar in the middle of the afternoon, but he didn't ask questions and drove off.

When Xu Lang arrived at the bar, he realized it wouldn't be open yet. He felt embarrassed standing there, but fortunately, he was alone. The door was unlocked, and a few staff members were preparing for the evening. Xu Lang walked in and sat at the bar.

A staff member approached and said, "Sir, we aren't open yet. You're early."

Xu Lang handed him a hundred-yuan bill. "Just give me something to drink. I'm waiting for someone."

The staff member took the money and went behind the bar to mix a drink. Xu Lang took out his phone and dialed Ellen’s number. It rang for a long time before she answered, her voice sounding tired and lazy.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Ahem, Ellen, it’s me, Xu Lang."

"Xu Lang? Ah..." Ellen’s voice immediately turned soft and gentle. "Brother Lang? Where are you? What made you think to call me?"

Xu Lang rubbed his ear and nose. "I’m at the Se-Se Bar. I wanted to..."

Before he could finish, Ellen interrupted, "You’re at Se-Se Bar? Wait for me. I’m coming right over." She hung up.

Xu Lang sighed, helpless. The bartender set a cocktail in front of him. Xu Lang thanked him and sipped the drink, waiting. Twenty minutes later, a woman walked into the bar.

She had long, golden wavy hair, wore a cropped top and a short skirt, and moved with confidence in high heels. Her makeup was exquisite, and she carried a shoulder bag. It was Ellen.

Xu Lang watched her enter. It was winter, and despite his heavy coat, he still felt the chill, yet Ellen was dressed so lightly. He couldn't help but marvel at the lengths women would go to for the sake of beauty.

Ellen saw Xu Lang and calmed her excited demeanor. She walked toward him with a rhythmic clicking of her heels. She sat down, tossed her bag onto the bar, and told the bartender, "Get my bottle."

Then, she looked at Xu Lang with a touch of resentment. "Why did it take you so long to come see me?"

Xu Lang forced a smile. "I've been a bit busy lately, so..."

He knew Ellen understood what he meant. She rolled her eyes playfully, a look that seemed more like flirting, leaving the bartender stunned. He had worked there for over a year and had never seen the bar’s female DJ act so girlishly toward a man.

The bartender poured their drinks and wisely retreated.

Ellen swirled her glass and looked at Xu Lang. "Tell me, why did you come to find me?"

"Ahem, well... I actually came to see you because... well, there’s something I need help with."

Ellen smiled. "I knew it. You wouldn't come just because you missed me. What is it? Maybe I can help."

Xu Lang stopped hesitating and explained the situation with Zhou Hongwen and the girl. He kept it brief, focusing on whether Ellen had seen Wu Qiuyue.

Ellen listened, took a sip of her drink, and replied, "I don't recognize the name Wu Qiuyue. Do you have a photo?"

Xu Lang handed her his phone. Ellen looked at the photo, her expression shifting. "You said her name is Wu Qiuyue?"

Xu Lang nodded. "That’s what my team found. Why? Is that not her name?"

Ellen shook her head. "I don't know about that name. I only know her as Wu Keke, the woman of a local gang leader."

"Wu Keke?" Xu Lang repeated.