I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 358 Mysterious Commission

Zhang Wanqing sat on the sofa, her hands tightly wrapped around her knees, her face buried in her arms. Her heart was filled with struggle and conflict. She had loved Fu Siyuan for so many years, and this feeling had long been deeply rooted in her heart, unable to be separated. She had imagined them together countless times, but reality was so cruel that even a hug seemed like a luxury.

She looked up at the night sky outside the window. The stars were faintly visible among the clouds, as if they too were sighing for her fate. She murmured softly, "Why does fate play such a trick on us? Why do we have to face separation before we even have a beginning?"

Zhang Wanqing's heart was filled with resentment. She knew Fu Siyuan's hesitation and understood his fear, but what she couldn't accept even more was that they didn't even have a proper farewell. After Fu Siyuan handed her the letter, he hurried away, without a hug or a kiss. He simply used that letter to pour out his love and guilt to her, and then endured the pain alone.

An urge surged in her heart, wanting to chase him out immediately, find Fu Siyuan, and tell him she was willing to wait for him, no matter how long it took. But she knew she couldn't do that. She couldn't let Fu Siyuan bear more guilt and pressure because of her feelings. She had to give him time, just as he had given her time.

Meanwhile, Fu Siyuan walked home alone, the night wind sharp and sharp, stinging his cheeks. His heart was filled with pain and self-blame. He knew he was wrong, wrong for being indecisive, wrong for not having the courage to take that step. Now, Zhang Wanqing was about to leave, and he hadn't even given her a proper goodbye.

He stopped, leaned against the railing by the road, held his head in his hands, and murmured softly: "Wanqing, I'm sorry..."

His heart was filled with regret. He knew he had been running away, running from his feelings, running from the changes they might bring. He was afraid of losing her, afraid that this relationship would change their lives, afraid that he wasn't good enough, that he wasn't worthy of her sincerity. But now, facing the possibility of losing her, he realized that he had long been unable to leave her.

Tears welled up in Fu Siyuan's eyes, but he fought hard to hold them back. He knew he had to be strong and not let this pain affect Zhang Wanqing. She was about to embark on an unknown journey, and he couldn't let her leave with regrets.

He took a deep breath, raised his head, and looked at the stars in the night sky...

As night fell and the lights came on, the city's hustle and bustle didn't diminish in the slightest. Zhang Wanqing, on vacation, was relaxing at home, eating, watching TV, and enjoying this rare break. Just then, Li Wei's phone call shattered the night's tranquility.

"Wanqing, don't even think about taking a rest! There is a case now that requires the help of our Iron Triangle." Li Wei's low voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Okay! No problem!" Zhang Wanqing jumped up from the sofa excitedly when she heard that the case was solved.

"You, you're about to go home, and you're still like this! Hahaha..." Li Wei laughed.

"Tell me, what case is it?" Zhang Wanqing's curiosity was aroused.

"Recently, there have been a series of bizarre disappearances in the city. The missing people vanished without any warning, and there seems to be no connection between them. The police have launched an investigation, but have no clues. I suspect there may be a dark secret behind this."

The next morning, Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan arrived at Li Wei's residence. Li Wei had already prepared all the information, including photos of the missing person, surveillance video of the missing location, and the police's preliminary investigation report.

"Look, these missing persons all disappeared at night, and all in the same area." Li Wei said, pointing to a mark on the map.

"Is there anything special about this area?" Fu Siyuan asked with a frown.

"There is an abandoned factory in this area, which is said to have closed down decades ago. But recently, there seems to be some strange movements there." A trace of worry flashed in Li Wei's eyes.

"Strange noises? Like what?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

"Some people saw lights flickering there at night, and there were strange noises coming out. But every time the police went to investigate, there was nothing there." Li Wei sighed, "I think there might be a bigger conspiracy behind this."

"Then let's go there and take a look." A hint of excitement flashed in Zhang Wanqing's eyes.

Fu Siyuan nodded. Although he was usually calm, this mysterious case also made him curious.

As night fell again, Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei arrived at the abandoned factory. The factory's iron gates were rusty, and the surrounding weeds were overgrown, making it look particularly desolate.

"Is there really anyone here?" Zhang Wanqing asked uneasily.

"Let's go in and take a look." Li Wei turned on the flashlight and walked in first.

The factory was completely dark, with only the beams of flashlights flickering around. They carefully walked through the dilapidated factory building when suddenly a strange sound reached their ears.

"Did you hear that?" Fu Siyuan stopped and listened carefully.

"It sounds like someone is talking." Zhang Wanqing also heard it, and the voice seemed to come from the basement.

They followed the direction of the sound and found a hidden basement entrance. Li Wei went down first, followed by Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan.

The basement was filled with a damp smell and was filled with debris. They walked forward cautiously, and suddenly, a dazzling light shone from the front, forcing them to squint.

"Who is there?" Li Wei asked loudly.

The light gradually dimmed, and a figure walked out from the darkness. It was a man wearing a black robe, a pair of black glasses on his face, and a strange look in his eyes.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" the man asked coldly.

"We are reporters investigating a recent disappearance. What are you doing here?" Zhang Wanqing asked, mustering up the courage.

The man sneered: "You shouldn't come here. Things here are not for you to interfere."

"Do you know where the missing person is?" Fu Siyuan asked in a deep voice.

The man did not answer, but slowly raised his hand, and a black light shot out from his hand and headed straight towards them.

"Be careful!" Li Wei shouted and pushed Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan away.

The light brushed past their bodies and hit the wall behind them with a loud bang. A huge crack appeared on the wall, as if something had been released.

"Hurry up and leave, it's too dangerous here!" Li Wei said loudly.

"No, we have to find out the truth!" Zhang Wanqing said stubbornly.