I’m Really Scared
Chapter 66: Never Returned

The holdout Qin Deguang was the only resident left in the apartment near Zhao Hong's home.

Because he refused to relocate, various Demolitions Office personnel and media constantly harassed him, causing his wife and daughter to be fed up and seek refuge at her parents' home.

Despite this, Qin Deguang remained stubbornly in unit 704, effectively imprisoning himself.

From previous attempts to communicate with him, it was known that he claimed to have stocked several months' worth of food and vowed to fight against the demolition forces to the end.

However, curious onlookers calculated that, based on the average available area of the apartment, he could store at most two months' worth of food.

Moreover, there were no records of him going on a shopping spree before the demolition.

His claims of having several months' worth of food were undoubtedly a bluff.

He did stockpile food, but not as much as he claimed.

Thus, no one had gathered near the apartment recently. They believed that once Qin Deguang ran out of supplies, he would naturally come out, and they could then take measures to prevent him from returning, resolving the issue.

The media also adopted this mindset, waiting for him to come out.

Guan Shan found the situation somewhat amusing as he read the information, "This seems like a character straight out of Don Quixote, with a touch of sadness and humor."

However, Guan Shan couldn't fully laugh because he recalled the unnerving eyes staring from behind the door, which was quite terrifying and not amusing at all.

Upon closer thought, it made sense.

A person who had been in a confined environment for a long time, constantly harassed and even abandoned by loved ones, would inevitably exhibit abnormal behavior.

"This Qin Deguang might have some mental issues," Guan Shan thought.

Recalling the scene at that time, Guan Shan became more convinced that Qin Deguang had been silently watching him from behind the door for a long time.

"Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps!"

Guan Shan felt a chill down his spine.

Fortunately, this time they weren't going to find Qin Deguang but his wife and child.

"Qin Deguang's wife is Han Ying, and her family is in Han Family Village. The place is quite remote. Several media reporters have tried to find it but failed. For some reason, the information on the map is incorrect and hasn't been updated for years. The terrain is also very complicated," Guan Shan explained to Shen Dinghua.

He turned off the navigation and opened the hand-drawn map attached to the documents, "This is the real map."

This map was drawn by a local who had been contacted and paid by Jiang Siyuan, who was out of the hospital.

Jiang Siyuan's natural connections and financial resources allowed him to easily access information beyond the reach of most people, proving his suitability for the deputy editor position.

So, even if he appeared idle in the office, he wouldn't be fired and could even argue with Chief Li.

Of course, Jiang Siyuan being born into a good family and Jiang Siyuan being a fool were not mutually exclusive.

If Jiang Siyuan weren't already hospitalized, Guan Shan would have likely found a way to make him disappear and present a challenge for the forensic pathologists.

Currently, Guan Shan and Shen Dinghua were on a bus heading towards Han Family Village. Through the bus window, they could see fields and hills along the roadside.

After three hours of travel, including metro and bus rides across several districts, they finally arrived.

"Xiao Shan, look, there's a cat over there," Shen Dinghua said, pointing out the window.

On a ridge in the field not far away, a tabby cat with heterochromatic eyes was licking its paws and shaking its ears as it looked their way. One eye was light brown, and the other was black.

Guan Shan was taken aback, "What a cute cat. But it seems to be someone's pet. Its fur looks very glossy."

Shen Dinghua smiled, "Xiao Shan, how about we get a cat in the future?"

Guan Shan casually nodded, "Sure, an orange cat would be nice, like you."

Shen Dinghua pouted and glared at him, "Are you saying I eat too much?"

Guan Shan calmly replied, "I meant that orange cats and you are both equally cute. What were you thinking?"

As they chatted, the bus arrived at their stop.

They got off and, following the hand-drawn map, navigated through the bamboo forest until they found the entrance to Han Family Village.

The village looked somewhat rundown.

The roads were unpaved, a mix of sand and dirt. Most of the houses were single-story brick structures with walls covered in moss and various advertisements.

There were hardly any people on the streets, but they could hear dogs and poultry.

"It doesn't seem completely cut off from the world," Guan Shan observed, noticing the utility poles and electricity, and that their phones had signal.

It was just a remote place, possibly developing agro-tourism but hampered by outdated maps.

"Click."

Shen Dinghua took a photo with her camera.

Guan Shan glanced at the photo and was stunned. In the corner of the house was the tabby cat with heterochromatic eyes!

Guan Shan's pupils constricted, "Isn't that the cat from the ridge?!"

Such a distinct characteristic made it impossible to mistake.

But when he looked up, the corner was empty.

His heart skipped a beat. Han Family Village was at least one or two kilometers from the field. They had come by bus.

How did the cat get here?

"Hey, another cat!" Shen Dinghua noticed, laughing, "Maybe it knows a shortcut. It must belong to someone here."

Guan Shan thought that made sense. Buses had to follow roads, but cats could take shortcuts.

Alright, local cat, very impressive.

He dismissed his concerns and suggested, "Let's find Han Ying's family. We should ask someone in the village."

They soon found an elderly villager.

"Han Ying?" the old man mumbled, then nodded, "Oh, you mean Han Liangjun's daughter. She got married a long time ago."

Guan Shan quickly nodded, "Yes, we are her friends. She moved back with her daughter, so we're here to visit."

"Moved back?" the old man looked puzzled, "When did this happen? I haven't heard anything about it!"

Guan Shan was also confused, "Are you sure? She should have moved back."

The old man shook his head firmly, "Impossible! Han Family Village isn't that big. If someone came back, everyone would know. If I don't know, then no one has come back!"

He pointed in a direction, "If you don't believe me, go check her house."