I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Zhang Wanqing stood beneath the old locust tree at the village entrance, gazing at the tranquil little village before her, a feeling of unease welled up in her heart. The village was small, with only a few dozen households, and surrounded by rolling green hills, seemingly isolated from the world. However, a disturbing development had recently occurred: the village's dogs had been disappearing one after another.

"Wanqing, look at this. Isn't it too strange?" Fu Siyuan stood beside her, holding a notebook filled with the villagers' statements. "It's been almost a month, and more than a dozen dogs have disappeared, but there's not even a trace of a stranger in the village."

Zhang Wanqing nodded, her eyes solemn. She knew that behind this seemingly trivial matter might be a larger issue. As an investigative reporter, she keenly sensed that this was more than just a simple case of lost dog.

"Let's go ask Old Li again," Zhang Wanqing said, and walked deeper into the village. Old Li was an old man in the village and knew everything about the village. Perhaps we could get some clues from him.

The two walked through the narrow village road and came to Old Li's home. Old Li was sitting in the yard basking in the sun, and when he saw them coming, a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

"Wanqing, Siyuan, you're here again." Old Li greeted them with a smile, "Come in and sit down."

"Old Li, you see dogs are getting lost one after another in this village. Have you noticed anything wrong?" Fu Siyuan asked straight to the point.

Old Li's expression instantly grew serious. He sighed and said, "I also find what you're talking about very strange. Most people in this village make a living by farming, and dogs are like family to them. Losing this dog is even more heartbreaking than losing chickens and ducks."

"Have you seen any suspicious people or heard any strange noises?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

Old Li shook his head and said, "I haven't seen anyone suspicious, but I have heard some strange noises in the past few days. Every night, there are bursts of low whimpering sounds, like a dog howling."

"Whining?" Fu Siyuan frowned. "Are you sure it's a dog?"

"I've raised dogs all my life, how could I not recognize it?" Old Li said confidently, "That sound is like the sound made by a dog being taken away."

Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan exchanged a glance, feeling somewhat uneasy. If what Old Li said was true, then the dogs were most likely taken away by someone. But who would do such a thing?

"Old Li, think about it again, have you seen any unfamiliar vehicles or heard any strange noises?" Zhang Wanqing continued to ask.

Old Li thought for a moment and said, "I didn't see any vehicles, but a few days ago I saw a few figures moving in the woods at the entrance of the village.

It was already dark, so I couldn't see clearly, but those figures looked furtive."

"In the woods?" Zhang Wanqing's mind moved. "Let's go and take a look there."

Fu Siyuan nodded, and the two of them immediately stood up and walked towards the woods at the entrance of the village. Although Old Li was a little worried, he still insisted on going with them.

The woods were pitch black, with only the moonlight filtering through the leaves, casting dappled shadows. Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan cautiously walked into the woods, taking every step with extreme caution.

"Look, there are footprints there." Fu Siyuan suddenly pointed at the ground and said.

Zhang Wanqing looked down and saw a row of shallow footprints on the ground. It looked like someone had deliberately erased part of them, but they could still be distinguished.

"This footprint is very fresh, it must have been left recently." Zhang Wanqing squatted down and carefully observed the shape of the footprint. "Judging from the size, it should be the footprint of an adult man."

"Wanqing, look!" Fu Siyuan suddenly shouted, with a hint of surprise in his voice.

Zhang Wanqing looked up and saw Fu Siyuan standing under a big tree, holding a piece of tattered paper in his hand.

"What's this?" Zhang Wanqing took the piece of paper and saw a line of blurry handwriting on it: "Tonight, the same place, the goods are ready."

"The old place? The goods are ready?" Zhang Wanqing frowned. "What does this mean?"

"I think this might have been left by dog ​​dealers," Fu Siyuan said. "They might have used this place as a trading location."

"Dog dealers?" Zhang Wanqing was shocked. "If that's the case, then these dogs may have been taken away by them."

"We have to notify Li Wei quickly," Fu Siyuan said. "Although he's no longer a police officer, his insight is still very strong. Maybe he can help us find clues."

Zhang Wanqing nodded and immediately called Li Wei. On the other end of the phone, Li Wei's voice was still steady and powerful.

"Wanqing, what did you find?" Li Wei asked.

"Li Wei, we found some clues that might have been left by the dog dealers." Zhang Wanqing told Li Wei what had happened in detail.

"Dog dealer?" Li Wei was silent for a moment, then said, "Don't act rashly. I'll be right there."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan looked at each other, feeling a little nervous.

Night enveloped the entire village, with only the outline of the old locust tree at the entrance faintly discernible in the moonlight. Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan stood beneath the tree, waiting for Li Wei's arrival. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, as if telling a secret.

"Wanqing, what news do you think Li Wei will bring?" Fu Siyuan asked in a low voice, with a hint of anticipation in his tone.

Zhang Wanqing smiled slightly, her eyes firm: "Li Wei has always been methodical in his work. Since he is here, he must have his reasons."

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps came from the distance, and Li Wei's figure gradually became clear in the night. He was wearing a black windbreaker, his steps were steady and powerful, and there was a hint of seriousness on his face.

"Li Wei, you're here!" Zhang Wanqing went to greet him.

Li Wei nodded, glanced at the two of them, and said, "Let's go find a quiet place to talk."

The three of them walked along the village road towards the end of the village, eventually arriving at an abandoned warehouse. The door was dilapidated, but the interior was still quite spacious. Li Wei picked up a stone and propped the door shut, then turned to look at Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan.

"Tell me what you found." Li Wei's voice was low and powerful.

Zhang Wanqing handed over the slip of paper and described in detail what they had discovered in the woods. Li Wei listened carefully, nodding from time to time, a trace of thought flashing in his eyes.

"You did a good job." Li Wei put the paper away and said, "But this is just the beginning. The dog dealers' actions are very covert. If we want to catch them, we need more clues."