He Chuan Zhou was stunned, as if she were watching a surreal drama unfold.
Jiang Zhaolin, noticing her unusual expression, immediately leaned over to look at her phone and was equally shocked.
His greatest fear had been that Tao Siyue would commit suicide or that she and Wang Yifei would go on a killing spree. Learning that it was a kidnapping left him bewildered, unsure whether to feel relieved or more tense.
Before He Chuan Zhou could ask for details, Zhou Tuoxing sent more information.
Zhou Tuoxing: He might have sent it himself. Many reporters in City A received it in their emails, and it was uploaded to several major social media sites. I noticed it only when a friend pointed it out to me.
Zhou Tuoxing: It’s a video, not a live stream. The recording time is uncertain.
Zhou Tuoxing: You can watch it directly here. It hasn’t been deleted from the main page yet. [Web link]
He Chuan Zhou immediately clicked the link.
The phone's web loading speed was slow. When it finally loaded, it was a blank screen with only the top bar indicating "Loading." After a few seconds, overlapping ads and images appeared, but the video still wouldn’t play.
It was likely due to the heavy traffic on the site at that moment, causing a noticeable lag.
Jiang Zhaolin, anxious, took out his own phone to search for the video.
He Chuan Zhou turned to Xu Yu and said, “Notify Brother Huang. Tell him Wang Yifei uploaded a video of himself kidnapping Tao Siyue online and that he should request an immediate trace of the related IP.”
Xu Yu, already scrolling through her contacts, responded briskly, "Got it!"
He Chuan Zhou added, “Contact the website too, and have them take down the video as soon as possible.”
Brother Huang picked up the phone quickly. Xu Yu said a few words and then turned to ask He Chuan Zhou, "Brother Huang wants to know which website... Captain He, I don't have the specifics."
He Chuan Zhou took Xu Yu’s phone and walked out quickly, stopping Jiang Zhaolin, who tried to follow. "Stay here. Don’t move around," she instructed.
She then turned to her colleagues, "Please come with me to provide more details."
To avoid detection, Wang Yifei had split the entire video into four parts, with misleading titles like "What to Do When You Encounter a Kidnapper?", "This Guy's Acting is Amazing!", "Does Anyone Know Which Drama This Is?", and "Shocking! The Truth Is Revealed!"
He Chuan Zhou’s phone struggled to load the titles. By the time she returned to the office and used a computer to open them, the videos had already been taken down.
“Why was the review response so quick this time? Sensitivity is off the charts,” Xu Yu said, scanning various websites. “Captain He, people have reuploaded it on Weibo and TikTok too.”
Initially, netizens didn’t realize the significance of the videos’ removal, thinking it was due to inappropriate content. But soon, someone pointed out that the person in the video looked a lot like Tao Siyue, potentially linking it to Tao Xianyong's murder case.
The comments section was chaotic. Some complained about the poor video quality. Others compared stills of Tao Siyue from the news. Many insisted it was a real kidnapping, while others thought it was just netizens letting their imaginations run wild.
As suspicion grew, the swift deletion of the videos and account suspensions only fueled the public's interest, causing a surge in attention on other platforms.
He Chuan Zhou quickly searched for keywords to confirm that no one had yet identified the masked person’s identity. She multitasked, updating her team on the current information and asking a colleague to calm Jiang Zhaolin and wait for further instructions.
Brother Huang rushed in, already shouting before fully entering, "Everyone gather! We’re having a meeting!"
He placed his materials down and spoke rapidly, "We’ve traced the account’s IP to an internet café in City A. I’ve dispatched officers to check the surveillance there to see if they can find any trace of Wang Yifei. Have you seen the video yet?”
Xu Yu replied, “Not yet.”
“Let’s watch it together first. The tech team will be here later, and I’ve already sent them the video.”
Brother Huang motioned for the young man holding the laptop to step forward, signaling Shao Zhixin to close the curtains. He then turned to He Chuan Zhou, “I listened to part of it on the way… Captain He, this case involves you directly.”
Shao Zhixin hesitated, “Should Captain He…”
Brother Huang, with a calm expression, said, “Jiang Zhaolin insists that you handle the case, and Director Feng asked for your opinion.”
He Chuan Zhou had already positioned her chair directly in front of the screen and said without a change in expression, “Play it.”
The video began with a segment of background noise.
He Chuan Zhou held her breath, discerning what sounded like wind.
The background showed a plain white-painted wall with some patches of grime, footprints, and scratches. There was also a spot where the plaster had fallen off, exposing gray clay beneath, indicating either a hastily renovated or an old building.
No windows were visible, but judging by the light, the source was to the left of the camera.
The wooden floor was spotless, with no takeout trash or other clues.
In the first segment, both individuals seemed relatively calm.
Wang Yifei’s knife was close to Tao Siyue’s neck, but the blade wasn’t touching her skin, indicating no immediate intent to harm.
He tore off the tape from Tao Siyue’s mouth, reciting what seemed like a rehearsed script, “What’s your name?”
Tao Siyue, head down, replied softly and indistinctly, their volume turned up to max, but they still couldn’t hear clearly.
Wang Yifei didn’t seem to mind and continued, “Who is your father?”
“…Tao Xianyong.”
Wang Yifei: “Do you know why I brought you here today?”
Tao Siyue, clearly terrified of the camera, avoided eye contact and let her gaze wander.
Wang Yifei asked, “Do you remember He Xu?”
Tao Siyue remained silent, instinctively resistant and uncooperative.
Wang Yifei stepped closer, adjusting the filming device—a horizontally positioned phone—placing it nearer, then used his right hand to grab her chin, forcing her to face the camera.
Tao Siyue swallowed, closed her eyes, and finally said, “I remember.”
“He was an officer who died with a tainted record,” Wang Yifei added, then asked, “Do you know how he died?”
Tao Siyue barely nodded, and Wang Yifei shouted, “Speak up! Are you too afraid to say anything?”
Tao Siyue’s lips trembled, and she whispered, “It has nothing to do with me.”
Wang Yifei tightened his grip, adjusting the knife to press the tip against her jaw, seething, “Nothing to do with you? Say that again!”
Tao Siyue, trying to avoid the blade, leaned her head back, her skeletal neck straining as she gasped for air.
“Is this Wang Yifei?” Brother Huang pointed at the screen, unable to hold back, “This young man… seems a bit intense, doesn’t he?”
He meant to say he seemed unhinged.
Although they hadn't met him in person, from the short videos and He Chuan Zhou’s descriptions, they subconsciously believed Wang Yifei to be a straightforward and gentle person. However, the masked kidnapper in the video seemed violent and ruthless.
Just when everyone thought Tao Siyue might pass out, Wang Yifei let go and moved behind her.
Tao Siyue's pale skin quickly showed several red marks on her chin where Wang Yifei had gripped her. She turned her face away, her expression frantic as she began to struggle. Wang Yifei pressed a hand on her shoulder and coldly whispered in her ear, “Do you remember this place?”
Tao Siyue's entire body trembled.
This detail was too real—an almost instinctive fear reaction, confirming to He Chuan Zhou that this wasn’t mere acting. Tao Siyue had a deep-seated dread of this place.
“I know everything! You can’t fool me!” Wang Yifei growled softly. “You’ll get your retribution, Tao Siyue! He Xu was so good to you, yet you used him and drove him to his death! You’re a murderer too!”
Tao Siyue responded emotionally, “I didn’t! I’m not!”
Wang Yifei bent down and roared, “Tao Xianyong and Han Songshan conspired together! You’re just like them! You knew the truth but helped them slander He Xu, accusing him of assaulting you. Your father made a fortune off public donations and sympathy. How can you say this has nothing to do with you!”
Tears welled up in Tao Siyue’s eyes as she repeated, “I didn’t…”
Wang Yifei demanded, “In your senior year, was anyone really threatening you?”
Tao Siyue gasped in pain and, after being shaken by him, nodded with a dazed expression.
“Who was it?” Wang Yifei pressed. “Tell me, who was it!”
The first video abruptly ended at this point. He Chuan Zhou tapped the keyboard to play the second segment. Brother Huang glanced at her, hesitating and rubbing the back of his neck as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.
In the second segment, the atmosphere grew even tenser.
The video began with Tao Siyue, her eyes red and swollen, seemingly crying for a while. Wang Yifei was pacing behind her, his frustration palpable.
“You think you can just cry your way out of this?” Wang Yifei sneered. “Tears won’t wash away your sins.”
Tao Siyue, sobbing, tried to speak, “I was… I was scared… They said they’d kill me…”
Wang Yifei abruptly stopped pacing and turned to her, “Who? Who said that? Give me a name!”
Tao Siyue hesitated, her voice barely a whisper, “Han Songshan…”
Wang Yifei’s eyes widened in fury, “Han Songshan? He was the one who threatened you?”
Tao Siyue nodded weakly, tears streaming down her face.
Wang Yifei turned back to the camera, his voice trembling with rage, “You hear that? Han Songshan! The man everyone thought was innocent! And she helped cover it up!”
He moved closer to Tao Siyue, lowering his voice, “You could have saved He Xu. You could have told the truth.”
Tao Siyue looked up at him, her face a mask of despair, “I couldn’t… They would have killed me too…”
The video cut off again, leaving the room in stunned silence.
He Chuan Zhou’s mind raced, piecing together the fragments of the past. She knew this case was complex, but seeing Tao Siyue’s raw fear and Wang Yifei’s rage made it even more evident that there were layers of deception and pain yet to be uncovered.
Brother Huang finally broke the silence, “We need to find them before this escalates further. Every second counts.”
He Chuan Zhou nodded, determination set in her eyes. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. Let’s move.”