"Don't tell me… your brother-in-law has gone missing too?"
"No way. When I went to the police station earlier, she said she was going to look for my sister." He Ru frowned slightly.
"What's his phone number?"
"138xxxxxxxx."
Han Bin took out his phone and dialed.
A moment later, the automated message came: "Sorry, the number you have dialed is powered off."
Li Hui shook his head. "At a time like this, he's still got his phone turned off? Your brother-in-law's nerves must be made of steel."
"Yeah, that's not normal."
"Your sister's been missing for a whole day, and now you can't reach her husband either. What do you think we should do?" Li Hui spread his hands.
"Officer Han, Officer Li… I don't have any ideas right now. Maybe you can think of something?"
Han Bin hesitated for a moment. "Yuanyuan, have you eaten yet?"
"Yes, I ate with Grandma."
"Alright then, why don't you go back home and keep Grandma company? Otherwise, she'll be lonely, okay?"
"Okay." Yuanyuan agreed, said a few more words to He Ru, and then went home.
After watching her leave, Han Bin asked, "How's your sister's relationship with her child?"
"Very good."
"Do you think she could just walk away from her kid?"
"My sister's always cared deeply for Yuanyuan. She's never left her alone, let alone stayed away for a whole day and night." He Ru sighed, then asked:
"Officer Han, where do we go to look now?"
"Let's eat first, then check out your brother-in-law's workplace." Han Bin sounded helpless too.
He still couldn't figure out the nature of the case — whether it was really something serious — so there wasn't much they could do yet.
If they went all out with a large-scale investigation and it turned out to just be a marital dispute and a voluntary disappearance, they'd waste police resources and taxpayers' money.
The three of them went to a nearby restaurant.
Han Bin ordered a pork rib rice set, Li Hui got seafood noodles, and since both of them had big appetites, they also ordered potstickers and a cold side dish. He Ru, preoccupied with worry, only got a bowl of wontons.
After the meal, He Ru tried to pay, but Han Bin refused.
He wasn't short on money, and there was no need for a complainant to treat them.
Then He Ru took them to her brother-in-law's workplace.
Her sister's husband, Chen Zili, worked at Huafei Express Company.
The company's manager, surnamed Li, was a short man with a buzz cut.
"Officers, what can I do for you?" Manager Li asked.
"Does Chen Zili work here?" Li Hui asked.
"He used to, as a sorter. But he quit."
Han Bin looked surprised. "When did he quit?"
"Just a few days ago."
"Why?"
"This kid didn't do his job properly. Every time I looked away, he disappeared. Work got delayed, so I fired him." Manager Li snorted.
"My brother-in-law's not the kind of guy to slack off. Could there be some misunderstanding?" He Ru interjected.
"When he first came, he was diligent — always ready to work, always on task." Manager Li smirked. "But later… not so much."
"Stop keeping us in suspense. What happened later?" Li Hui pressed.
"Well, look over there." Manager Li pointed across the street. "About a hundred meters that way, there's a lottery shop. Nine times out of ten, you'll find him there."
"You mean he got hooked on buying lottery tickets and it affected his work?"
"Exactly." Manager Li gave a thumbs-up. "A little hobby is fine — everyone needs something to look forward to. But once you get lost in it… you're done."
"Alright, thanks. We'll go have a look." Han Bin said.
"Take care." Manager Li waved and went back inside humming a tune.
Han Bin turned to He Ru. "Did you know about your brother-in-law's lottery habit?"
"My sister mentioned it a few times, but I didn't think much of it. Lottery tickets aren't worth much — just a bit of fun for ten or twenty yuan."
"From the sound of it, it's not 'just for fun' anymore," Li Hui said. Once you get obsessed, you stop playing — and start being played.
They headed to the lottery shop. Inside, there were seven or eight men, cigarette smoke hanging thick in the air. A woman in her thirties sat at a computer, helping people pick numbers.
"You the owner?" Han Bin asked.
She glanced at him. "Wait your turn, you're next."
Li Hui pulled out his badge. "Police."
The customers nearby stepped aside, glancing at Han Bin and then at the owner.
The owner paused her work and stood up. "Officers, what's the matter?"
"Go ahead and finish his ticket first," Han Bin said.
"Thanks," the man buying tickets replied.
The owner quickly printed the ticket and handed it over. "So, what brings you here?"
"Do you know Chen Zili?"
"My shop may be small, but dozens of people come through each day. I only remember the regulars' names — I don't ask the others."
He Ru pulled out her phone and showed a photo. "This is Chen Zili."
"Oh, him. Yeah, he comes often."
"Has he been here today?"
"No, but…" She trailed off.
"But what?"
She glanced around and lowered her voice. "A few people came looking for him today."
"What kind of people?"
"Not sure."
"When was this?"
"Around noon, while I was eating."
Han Bin looked around and pointed at the CCTV camera by the counter. "Copy the footage for me."
"Uh… Officer, I just run a business here. I don't want trouble." The owner hesitated.
"Don't worry. We'll keep the footage confidential — no one will bother you." Han Bin reassured her.
She thought for a moment, then agreed and copied the video.
Outside, Li Hui spat. "Damn it, how did a missing person case turn into such a mess?"
"Officer Han, do you think my sister's disappearance has something to do with my brother-in-law?" He Ru asked, frowning.
"You know them better. What do you think?" Han Bin countered.
"It shouldn't… no, it shouldn't." She muttered the words as if trying to convince herself.
Just then, a text message alert sounded.
He Ru quickly checked her phone. "It's from my sister."
"What does it say?"
She opened the message and read aloud: "Sister, I'm going to work out of town. Send me six thousand yuan — I'll consider it a loan from you."
"Call her back."
He Ru dialed, but the call was hung up immediately.
Han Bin glanced at the message. "Does it sound like something your sister would write?"
He Ru thought for a moment, puzzled. "Our family's not well-off, and my sister knows that. She wouldn't ask me for money."
"So it's likely someone else sent it from her phone?" Han Bin guessed.
"I just remembered — no wonder it felt off. My sister never calls me 'Sister.' She always calls me 'Xiao Ru.'"
(End of Chapter)