That afternoon, in another part of Imperial, the search for Liu Peng had finally produced another lead.
A traffic camera had captured the stolen van entering a narrow street in the heart of the city. It was the first confirmed sighting of the vehicle since it disappeared from surveillance after the night Red Militant was eradicated.
Liu Shan had wasted no time.
Together with Lin Hui and Qi Li, he followed the lead to an abandoned commercial building tucked between two occupied properties.
Despite the other buildings still in business, this building had been vacant for years. Its windows were dark, and the faded advertisements on its exterior had long since begun peeling away.
The van was parked inside an old loading bay.
Its doors were unlocked.
And it was empty.
Liu Shan stood beside the driver's door, examining the interior.
"Anything?"
Qi Li emerged from the rear compartment.
"Nothing."
Lin Hui checked the passenger side.
"Same here."
