Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 676 - 665: An Unexpected Visitor (Part 2)

"What about the situation in the car? Are there any other people? Over!" Whether the person had come alone was indeed very important and directly related to what countermeasures they should take next.

Lin Junfu moved the surveillance camera back to the Toyota Camry hidden behind the camphor tree, but no matter how he adjusted his focus and zoomed in, he couldn’t see inside the car. Feeling somewhat helpless, he reported truthfully, "Old Xu, the car has tinted windows, I can’t see the situation inside. Over!"

Not being able to understand Li Huiru’s purpose for coming, nor the situation inside the car, left Old Xu completely at a loss. He couldn’t give orders without any information; that would be highly irresponsible.

Just when he didn’t know what to do, another voice came through on his hand-held radio.

"Old Lin, see if you can look at the car’s tires. You can roughly judge the number of people inside through the tires. Over!" The voice wasn’t anyone else but Wang Zhongyu, who had done quite a bit of research on cars. Fortunately, Old Xu and Lin Junfu had been talking on the villa’s common fixed frequency; otherwise, Wang Zhongyu wouldn’t have known about the problem they were facing.

Indeed, Wang Zhongyu’s suggestion provided a glimmer of hope for the investigation that had reached a deadlock.

Lin Junfu promptly shifted the camera to focus on the tires of the Toyota Camry.

By continuously zooming in, Lin Junfu managed to somewhat clearly judge the pressure condition on the tires: "Old Xu, judging by the tires, there doesn’t seem to be anyone inside the car, but I can’t be certain. Over!"

"Understood! Over!" Old Xu was understanding of Lin Junfu’s uncertainty.

Let alone him, probably even including Wang Zhongyu, who proposed this method, no one dared to guarantee they could judge the actual number of people in the car using surveillance equipment alone at night.

However, some analysis is better than none at all. At least there was now a clue that it’s likely Li Huiru had indeed come alone.

Even if she wasn’t alone, the number of people accompanying her wouldn’t be many. If any unforeseen situation arose, the numerical advantage of the villa would still suffice to manage it.

While Old Xu was analyzing and judging the information at hand, his hand-held radio went off again, this time it was Hu Xiaodong: "Old Xu, why not go out and communicate with her to find out what’s going on? I think this girl really came seeking help and isn’t faking it! Over!"

Clearly, this stalemate wasn’t a solution. Old Xu thought about it; instead of wasting time with the other party, it would be better to go out and directly confront the situation.

After all, the other party was just a woman, but for safety reasons, Old Xu still made necessary arrangements: "Okay, I’m going out to talk to her now. Everyone must stay vigilant. Over!"

Li Huiru’s hand hurt from knocking, and her throat was hoarse from shouting. But in response, she only heard her own echo, accompanied by the endless silence and the chill of the cold wind.

"Li Huiru, what are you doing at the villa so late?" Old Xu’s sudden voice was like a warm stream in the harsh cold, almost moving the nearly desperate Li Huiru to tears: "Xu... Captain Xu."

Li Huiru’s almost losing control made Old Xu feel somewhat at a loss. He tentatively asked, "What’s wrong? Did something happen at the factory? Also, did you come alone?"

"Captain Xu, please help me. The factory is fine; it’s me, something happened to me, and I assure you, I came alone with no one else," Li Huiru’s incoherent words made Old Xu even more puzzled, but one thing did put him at ease: she did come alone.

"The factory is fine? Then why did you come here by yourself? What about Manager Liu? And your boyfriend? How could they let you come by yourself?" Old Xu, like a nosy old man, kept questioning continuously.

But he didn’t know that his questions had just touched on Li Huiru’s sore spot, coupled with the desolate and cold atmosphere, causing Li Huiru to burst into tears.

Old Xu, having been a soldier most of his life, was most afraid of women’s tears. Li Huiru’s actions left him somewhat at a loss: "Um, Xiao Li, don’t cry, okay? Let’s talk about it slowly. Crying won’t solve the problem, will it?"

"Captain Xu, I’m homeless now. Please, you must take me in, I’m begging you!"

Now Old Xu deeply regretted not letting Lin Junfu handle this negotiation. After all, the latter had worked in traffic control for years and would probably handle such matters much better than himself.

Leaving a woman standing in the cold, crying helplessly, wasn’t something any man should do. At least, that’s what Xu Renjie believed.

Xu Renjie carefully observed the stationary Toyota Camry parked outside the villa. It seemed normal, but he still wasn’t reassured, so he picked up the hand-held radio to confirm with Lin Junfu: "Old Lin, any new developments? Over!"

Lin Junfu was no less tense than Old Xu; he not only had to monitor Li Huiru at the gate but also keep an eye on the Camry’s movements.

Staring at the monitor for too long started to strain his eyes, but given the situation, he had to remain focused and couldn’t afford any relaxation.

"No, Old Xu, I’ve been watching the car, and it seems there’s no one there. Over!"

"Okay, everyone stay alert, I’m going up to open the gate now. Over!"

"Be careful, Old Xu, return immediately if there’s any danger. Over!"

Hu Xiaodong’s concern was genuine, and Xu Renjie’s willingness to approach and let Li Huiru inside was largely due to his trust in his teammates. He believed they would nip any danger to him in the bud.

Emerging from behind the jeep, Old Xu jogged towards the small gate. Li Huiru was still crying uncontrollably, but upon seeing Old Xu approaching, she yelled with the desperation of grasping a lifeline: "Captain Xu, let me in, please help me."

Old Xu felt a shiver down his spine upon hearing this. Not knowing what to say, he opened the gate while reassuring her, "Xiao Li, stop crying. Let’s talk inside."

Perhaps Old Xu’s steady voice gave Li Huiru some strength, or maybe seeing her efforts finally paid off at the brink of despair made her feel the grace of heaven. Li Huiru sobbed twice and gradually stopped crying, replying shyly:

"Thank you, Sergeant Xu, for being willing to take me in. I’m really grateful to you. It’s lucky you guys are here, otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)