[GL Mystery] Lost Tracks - Chapter 6

The two hurriedly opened the email, which contained only a few lines: “You’ll soon receive a GPS navigation device with the route. Depart tomorrow, arrive before midnight the day after, or face the consequences. Do not notify the police, or your sister’s life is at risk. Trust me.”

“Can you track the email’s IP?” Dingdang asked.

“No, I can’t install monitoring software on their computer.”

“So we just do what she says?” Dingdang looked reluctant.

“Not necessarily. She said no police, but we can tell others, right?” Ximo glanced at Dingdang meaningfully, a slight smile curling one corner of her lips.

“Right!” Dingdang’s eyes lit up. “I’ll call my dad to arrange it!”

“Hold on. Wait until the GPS arrives, then make the call,” Ximo said, looking at Dingdang.

She kept mulling over the email’s last line, “Trust me.”

It felt odd.

Normally, someone would warn against police involvement to avoid interference, but “Trust me” sounded like sincere advice. Was there something more to it? Ximo’s brows furrowed slightly.

Dingdang didn’t miss the subtle change in Ximo’s expression and was about to ask when the doorbell rang.

It must be the GPS delivery. Dingdang turned and rushed to open the door.

But the visitor was a man in a police uniform, of average build.

Recognizing Ximo from photos seen at the station, he greeted Dingdang politely and smiled slightly at Ximo.

“Hello, are you Miss Mu Ximo?”

Ximo’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be…? She stayed silent, watching the man in the police uniform.

Seeing her suspicion, the man handed his badge to Dingdang, who was still at the door, to prove he was a police officer.

Dingdang examined it carefully and said to Ximo, “It’s a real badge, no mistake.”

Ximo gave the man a slight smile.

“Hello, I am. Please sit.”

The three went to the living room. The man sat across from Ximo, while Dingdang brewed tea nearby, asking politely, “Officer Xu, what brings you here?”

The man nodded courteously.

“First, let me introduce myself. I’m the head of the Serious Crimes Unit in L City. You can call me Officer Xu or Xiao Xu. I’m in charge of your sister’s disappearance case. The higher-ups assigned it to me with priority handling, likely due to your connections with the bureau. I’m here to discuss the case with Miss Ximo.”

Ximo’s large, beautiful eyes blinked as her mind raced.

What a coincidence—he came right after the email. He wasn’t the original investigator.

If the lead changed, Old Li (her government contact from years of project collaboration) should have informed her.

His identity was real, but she had no way to confirm if he was truly assigned to the case.

Thinking this, Ximo decided to stall. She gave Dingdang a subtle glance, then smiled at Officer Xu.

“Thank you for coming to discuss the case. I’m not feeling well—maybe my stomach issues are acting up. Could you wait a moment while I take some medicine? I’ll be right back.”

She feigned discomfort.

“No problem, I’ll wait. Take care of yourself,” the man said politely. Ximo stood, went to her room, leaving Dingdang to chat idly with Officer Xu in the living room.

In the room, Ximo closed the door and quickly called Old Li. After talking, she learned the case’s lead had indeed changed.

The previous officer was suspended for suspected bribery, and this new officer, recently transferred, volunteered for the case.

It was assigned to him yesterday, so Old Li had just found out.

Hanging up, Ximo analyzed the situation.

They didn’t know Officer Xu, and the email hinted at unreliable elements within the police.

True or not, they had to be cautious. His visit at nearly eight in the evening was odd for a case discussion.

If he came tomorrow, they might already be gone. So, they couldn’t mention the email. Deciding this, Ximo stepped out.

As she was about to sit, the doorbell rang again. Ximo changed direction and opened the door.

A boy, about seventeen or eighteen, said he was delivering a package and handed it to Ximo. She took it and closed the door. Officer Xu’s eyes flickered. “A delivery? This late?”

Ximo set the package down, sat across from him, and smiled. “Yes, I needed it urgently, so I asked for it today.”

“Oh, I see,” Officer Xu didn’t press further. He asked routine case questions, probing for new developments, like whether Xiyan had contacted them.

Around nine, Ximo deliberately glanced at the wall clock, sipped her tea, and feigned fatigue. Seeing this, Officer Xu stood, bid them farewell, and left.

As soon as he was gone, Dingdang grabbed Ximo’s hand, tense. “He’s suspicious!”

“Why?” Ximo raised an eyebrow, sensing Dingdang felt the same.

“Not just the timing of his visit, but when you went for medicine, I tested him. I asked how long he’s been on the force. He said not long. I asked how he got this case; he said the leadership assigned it. But I remember Old Li handpicked the original lead for this case—not him. Why the sudden change? Then I asked about police procedures, and he was vague, less knowledgeable than me, an outsider. How’s he even a cop?”

“I feel the same. I’ll tell Old Li about this; he’ll know how to handle it. Let’s check the route first and plan,” Ximo said, patting Dingdang’s shoulder.

They went to the room, opened the GPS, and studied the travel route.

Wang Jie’s email gave them two days. The GPS showed a 1,500-kilometer journey to a province with a less developed economy, targeting a location in a forest—a national protected primitive forest, rarely visited, and a first-class reserve.

The highway reached a nearby city, followed by secondary roads to the foot of Maple Mountain, where the forest was located.

From there, a thirty-kilometer mountain path required hiking. If driving went smoothly, the highway and secondary roads would take about twenty hours.

They’d leave at seven tomorrow morning. Excluding rest stops, they’d finish the highway by nine at night, staying in C City en route.

The next day, they’d take secondary roads, reaching the mountain’s base by eleven in the morning. The thirty-kilometer hike, with their stamina, would get them to the destination early.

After planning, Dingdang called her father to arrange things, while Ximo prepared for the trip, checking local weather and packing clothes.

Since Dingdang brought little, Ximo picked out some of her jackets.

Dingdang, slimmer and about three or four centimeters shorter at 168 cm, could wear them, though they’d be slightly long.

This reminded Ximo of Xiyan. After starting university, whenever Xiyan traveled, Ximo helped pack, noticing Xiyan loved wearing her clothes.

Besides her own, Xiyan always took one or two of Ximo’s.

Xiyan would say, “Your clothes fit me anyway, save money!”

Ximo, having no choice, would tease, touching Xiyan’s head, “Wear my clothes if you want, but don’t talk about saving money. We’re not short on cash. But my underwear? Can you even wear it?” Ximo raised an eyebrow playfully, glancing at Xiyan’s developing figure—not quite full but nicely shaped.

Xiyan’s face would flush, glaring at Ximo. “What’s wrong with a C cup? In a couple of years, I’ll wear it! Don’t look!” Ximo, seeing Xiyan’s flustered pout, laughed—she was still such a kid.

Those sweet memories were vivid. Ximo shook her head, sighed, and continued packing, switching to an outdoor backpack for hiking.

Instant noodles, compressed food, and water could be bought en route.

She also packed her usual government security system gear—mini surveillance and decryption devices.

Now they’d serve her. Ximo gave a bitter smile, hoping she’d never need them.

After packing, Dingdang finished talking to her father and grabbed Ximo’s wrist urgently. “Two things. First, the trip—send the route to my dad. He’ll bring skilled men from town tomorrow, following our path.”

“Thanks, Uncle’s working hard. We don’t know how dangerous this will be,” Ximo said, eyes full of gratitude. Dingdang’s family treated them like kin, and she didn’t know how to repay them. But Dingdang always said, “You’re my real sister, Xiyan’s my real sister. Your problems are mine.”

“What’s the second thing?” Ximo asked, not forgetting the matter at hand.

“The second thing—Gu Yue’s making moves!” Dingdang’s voice rose, her expression excited.