Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 99 - 96 caught on the spot

Chapter 99: 96 caught on the spot

Changan has disappeared?

My nerves immediately tensed up.

The one speaking with Zhu Shi right now should be someone from the Zhu family’s side.

To avoid another attack from the Shadow Swapping Monster, Changan should be under protection at Zhu’s mansion right now. Yet, just as we were pinpointing the location of the Shadow Swapping Monster, the news of Changan’s disappearance suddenly emerged. How should I interpret this situation?

Mazao saw that Zhu Shi and I had odd expressions and quietly asked, "Who is Zhu Shi’s brother?"

"The person who came to look for me at my house on the first day you awoke, he’s named Zhu Changan."

I then briefly explained to Mazao the connection between Changan and this incident, while a slew of bad thoughts surged in my mind.

Had Changan disappeared at this time because he was kidnapped again by a duplicate of the Shadow Swapping Monster? But Zhu’s mansion should have quite sophisticated alert and defense systems in place, even what is known as a Barrier. According to Zhu Shi’s assurance, not to mention a duplicate of the Shadow Swapping Monster, even if several real Shadow Swapping Monsters personally took the field, they shouldn’t be able to abduct Changan from inside.

Thinking more about this now is pointless. Since Changan has disappeared, it’s necessary to find him. First, I need to patiently wait for Zhu Shi to finish her call, see what exactly has happened, and then consider the next step.

During the call, Zhu Shi just had a grim face, listening to the person on the other line, occasionally responding with a few "Hmm" or "I see." After a while, the call ended, and she put away her phone with a demeanor as still as water.

"What exactly happened?" I immediately asked, "Was Zhu’s mansion attacked by the Shadow Swapping Monster?"

She replied with complexity, "No, no enemies have attacked or infiltrated our house."

"But you just said that Changan has disappeared?" I asked.

"Yes, my brother vanished from our house," she sighed, "Along with him, his keys, phone, power bank, Bluetooth headset, his shoulder bag, and thermos – of course, his shoes too."

Hearing her list these seemingly trivial items that had also disappeared, I quickly grasped a possibility: "Are you suggesting that he wasn’t kidnapped, but left on his own?"

Those are all items one would take before going out; if the Shadow Swapping Monster had kidnapped Changan, it certainly wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of taking all those items along.

"Our security systems and Barrier at home are designed against external threats, basically, there’s nothing targeting the internal personnel. So if my brother wished to leave on his own, there would indeed be no way to prevent it," Zhu Shi explained.

"Doesn’t your house have internal surveillance?" I asked.

"We do have surveillance, but that’s my home, not a prison or a fortress; how can we have someone watching the movements of internal personnel twenty-four hours a day?" she said.

"That’s a valid point..." Mazao agreed, "Even in the Doomsday Era’s survival outposts, most of the security measures are used to ward off invasions from external threats. It’s really hard to maintain comprehensive surveillance on internal personnel. The human element is a factor too, no one can stand to live in a place where every action and word are under total scrutiny. Maybe some can accept it, but definitely not me."

Zhu Shi nodded repeatedly: "Exactly, like privacy and... huh? Zhuang Cheng, why do you look a bit strange?"

"...Because I’m very worried about Changan right now." I said earnestly, "Even though he wasn’t kidnapped, he’s still in a state where his personal safety is at risk; what if he’s attacked by a duplicate of the Shadow Swapping Monster while he’s out..."

Zhu Shi’s attention was diverted: "Right. We must find him first..."

"Didn’t you just say he took his phone?" Mazao seemed to be offering suggestions based on her recent experience with modern society, "Why not just call him directly, ask where he is right now?"

"They’ve called him many times from my place, he never picked up." Zhu Shi pondered, "But as long as the phone isn’t turned off, we should be able to lock onto his location through the carrier. Let’s ask Lu Chan for help first, see if he has any connections..."

Before she could finish, the "Fireflies," which were searching throughout the nightclub, relayed a scene to me that made me doubt my own eyes.

Seeing this, I interrupted her: "That won’t be necessary anymore."

Zhu Shi was taken aback: "Why not?"

I struggled to suppress my incredulous emotion and pointed across the street: "Look over there..."

Zhu Shi and Mazao followed my finger across the street, only to see the nightclub’s door opening again, and a young man clad in brand-name attire, with a handsome appearance and a beaming smile, walked out.

A woman in a black dress, looking to be college age, beautiful with fair skin, and an attractive figure, was by his side. She was hooked by his arm and looked resistant, elbowing his belly, but he nonchalantly laughed it off. The whole scene looked like a tyrannical young bully harassing a good family’s daughter.

It seemed to take Zhu Shi several seconds to finally make out the young man’s face, and then she managed a speechless exclamation: "He, he... he he he..."

The youth walking out of the nightclub was none other than my friend Changan.

Even Zhu Shi didn’t know what to say, let alone me. What the hell was this? As we were worrying about each other’s whereabouts and safety, the guy casually strolled out of that den of iniquity with a woman without a shred of shame!

Now, I might somewhat understand the feelings of those parents who, frantic with worry after their child doesn’t come home for the night, eventually find them, safe and sound, having played video games all night long in an Internet cafe.

Zhu Shi and I exchanged glances before heading across the street, both of us with faces dark as thunder, and made our way behind Changan.

Changan apparently didn’t notice us immediately and said to the woman beside him with an irrepressible smile, "See, I told you I could take you out. Next, we’ll go across the street for a meal and discuss what to do next."

"I’ve told you not to meddle in my affairs, I’m not going to follow you," the woman’s voice was quite reluctant. "Just go back now; it’s not too late to stop this. And don’t come looking for a dirty woman like me again; getting involved with me will do you no good."

Changan responded with a jesting laugh, "You being so cold isn’t very nice, you know. After all, we’ve spent quite a few nights together; you should at least have some consideration for me..."

Before Changan, who was walking ahead, could finish his sentence, a vein popped out on Zhu Shi’s forehead, and with a cold chuckle, she spoke up first, "Looks like you’re a regular at that nightclub, huh!"

"Of course, I’ve been there for at least... over two months," Changan replied reflexively, then suddenly stiffened as if struck by lightning, his whole body frozen in place, "Been there..."

"Been there doing what? Go on, speak up; we’re all ears." I spoke now. "You must have many captivating tales of your escapades there to brag about, so share them with us."

Hearing my voice, Changan turned to stone. The woman by his side took the opportunity to wriggle free from his arm and then turned around to look at us, a mix of shock and uncertainty on her face.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I’m Changan’s friend, and this is his sister, Zhu Shi." I observed her as well.

She came out of the nightclub harboring the Shadow Swapping Monster, and she was with Changan, who had been threatened by the Shadow Swapping Monster... Could she possibly be the Shadow Swapping Monster?

Probably not. I recalled the severed hand of the Shadow Swapping Monster from last night; it was a rough, male hand. Looking at the woman before me, her hands were pale and slender, a stark contrast to the rough, male hand.

Unfortunately, the number of suspects that could be eliminated by comparing hands was limited. There were still many males in the nightclub with hands similar in shape. Some men were soaking in the bathing facilities, their hands turned red from the hot water. I had no way to identify the Shadow Swapping Monster among them.

Zhu Shi seemed to be suspicious of the woman as well and must have already confirmed it with "Buzhou Mountain," then shook her head at me.

"May I ask who you are?" I inquired of the woman.

"You can call me ’Jinyu,’ I’m an... employee of the wine tasting club," she said vaguely.

The implication was clear, her job there was probably to provide special services.

Changan, as if forcing himself to confront a reality he was unwilling to face, jerkily turned his head towards us and finally included us in his line of sight.

"Hello, you guys..." he said with an awkward laugh, "Nice weather we’re having today, what brings you here..."

"Cut the crap," Zhu Shi said mercilessly. "Explain to us why you ran away from home. Do you know how worried we were about you? It’s bad enough that you ran away... no, that’s not okay either, but leaving home to go to a place like that? Have you forgotten that your personal safety is still being threatened?"

Mazao also joined us, and upon hearing Zhu Shi’s interrogation, she pondered for a moment and then repeated, "Maybe it’s the immense pressure of survival that’s driving him towards a desire for a soft place to fall..."

Hearing this, Zhu Shi had an epiphany and then looked at Changan with even greater contempt.

"That’s not it!" Changan protested, clearly flustered.

Seeing him in such a disarray under our questioning reminded me inexplicably of myself the night before, somehow feeling both pity and schadenfreude.

Changan’s misfortune tasted surprisingly sweet. Changan, you truly are a good friend of mine.

"Weren’t you out to play with women?" I asked plainly.

"No, I wasn’t playing... No, yes, that’s exactly what I was doing!" He contradicted himself.

Confused by his reaction, I turned to Jinyu, the woman standing by his side.

And Jinyu turned her head to Changan and said, "Just tell them the truth. If you won’t, I will."

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