Chapter 1 "Alright"

"Alright," Chen Xiaomeng said with a smile, "Leave me the address, and I'll get a membership to try it out. See if it's as good as you say."

"No problem," Jiang Cheng said readily, "Give me your phone number first." He brazenly explained, "After all, I'm in the high-end group. My status is different from ordinary people, so you have to make an appointment in advance."

Chen Xiaomeng shrugged, saying with regret, "Then forget it. I hate trouble the most."

The two walked and chatted along the street. There were many people, but because they had changed their clothes and appearance, no one noticed them.

Walking along the street and turning a few corners, they saw a two-story building.

The building was located in a relatively remote place, surrounded by rammed earth. A wooden sign was hung on the pillar next to the gate, with the words "Town Archives" written on it.

"We're here," Chen Xiaomeng said, looking up.

The door was not closed. After the two stood outside and looked around for a while, they walked in.

The space inside was relatively large, but the layout was very simple. Several long wooden tables were placed at the entrance, and there was a place similar to a lending desk.

Around them were tall wooden shelves, with compartments holding books and materials.

A clerk was sleeping on the dark table, with several thread-bound books scattered on the edge of the table.

Jiang Cheng stepped forward and patted him, saying, "Hey buddy, wake up."

The clerk was a man in his early twenties, looking dazed, his eyes barely open, as if he hadn't slept the night before. "You..."

The clerk just opened his mouth, but Jiang Cheng interrupted him with a very stern look. His voice was even and cold, "Sleeping on the job, is this your work ethic?"

The clerk's drowsiness immediately disappeared. Jiang Cheng gave him the feeling of a leader coming to check on his work, especially since these two looked unfamiliar and didn't seem to be from the town.

Although the man in front of him was dressed plainly, he exuded an air of superiority, especially with the slight curl of his lips.

He had seen big leaders from the county, but none of them had the presence of the man in front of him.

He had gotten this job with difficulty, through connections and a lot of gifts, so he immediately stood up straight, his expression respectful.

"You...no, what do you need?" the clerk asked cautiously, pretending that he hadn't recognized the leaders who had come to inspect in disguise, and that he always treated ordinary people with this good attitude.

"Do you know Xiaoshijian Village?" Jiang Cheng sat down in the clerk's previous seat, which was still warm.

The clerk's expression froze for a moment, and then he came back to his senses after a long time, slowly nodding, "Yes, I know."

"Young man, you have good eyes," Jiang Cheng looked the clerk up and down, his eyes slightly narrowed. "It seems you've already guessed our identity."

"You are leaders from the county who have come to inspect," the clerk said respectfully, but he spoke very softly, as if their identities needed to be kept secret.

He licked his lips. "We received a notice some time ago, but I didn't know you would come so quickly, or..." The clerk smiled ingratiatingly, "or in this form."

Jiang Cheng didn't explain, leaning comfortably against the back of the chair and raising his chin. "Twenty years ago, a vicious case occurred in Xiaoshijian Village. Is there an archive of it here?"

"Yes," the clerk immediately turned around and ran towards the dark corner of the room, then carried out a ladder, set it up on a very inconspicuous shelf in a corner, and took a book from the top layer.

Then he trotted back, carefully handed the book over, and said breathlessly, "Reporting to the leader, it's all here. It might not be very detailed, though. The detailed information is only available at the bureau."

Seeing this scene, Jiang Cheng and Chen Xiaomeng frowned.

*Crap...*

Jiang Cheng still had a smile on his face. He took the book from the clerk with one hand, while the other hand quietly reached into his pocket, took out a polished iron piece, and hid it in his palm.

Chen Xiaomeng flicked her wrist, and something like a hairpin slipped into her palm, which she gripped tightly.

She pretended to look around casually, secretly observing her surroundings.

The abduction case in Xiaoshijian Village happened 20 years ago, a complete cold case. Exaggeratingly speaking, the case was even older than the clerk.

The case file was stored on the top of a very remote shelf, which required a ladder to reach, further indicating that very few people looked at it.

But...this seemingly dull clerk didn't even consult the form showing the location of the files, and directly locked onto the location of the 20-year-old file, and accurately retrieved it...

Jiang Cheng's first reaction was that they had fallen into a trap. The village chief of Xiaoshijian Village had arranged for his own people to keep an eye on this town archives.

Since the enemy was in the open and they were in the dark, and they hadn't revealed their hand yet, Jiang Cheng was happy to delay. Chen Xiaomeng was also just preparing, not immediately acting.

Jiang Cheng smiled and slowly opened the file.

It did indeed record the case from 20 years ago. After briefly browsing the overview, Jiang Cheng flipped to the back. The details of the case were almost the same as what they knew.

The back recorded the names, origins, and abduction locations and methods of the 29 abducted women.

Of course, more importantly, their whereabouts after that.

Jiang Cheng turned the pages one by one, and Chen Xiaomeng stood by his side, ready to respond to emergencies at any time.

The clerk stared wide-eyed, watching the two of them.

When he turned to the last page, Jiang Cheng's finger stopped.

This page recorded a woman named Su Ying.

She was 21 years old, a college student from a big city, majoring in fine arts.

More importantly, according to the records, her face had been ruined and her voice was gone after she was rescued.

Because her family was a prominent family in the local area, the ossified family members were deeply ashamed after this happened, so they refused to accept her back home.

They only sent her a sum of money and told her to make a living on her own.

The following events were vague, only mentioning that she settled down nearby, but without mentioning her specific address or occupation.

This should also be the recorder's protection of this poor woman, unwilling to let her be hurt a second time.

After closing the book, Jiang Cheng re-examined the clerk in front of him.

Although he was young, he was very well disguised, and even Jiang Cheng didn't see any flaws at first glance.

"What are you looking at me for?" Jiang Cheng stared at the clerk and suddenly asked.

The clerk was stunned, not knowing why the man's tone had suddenly changed. "No...nothing, just..." He hesitated, not daring to speak, but his eyes kept glancing at the information.

"Are you interested in this case?" Jiang Cheng picked up the book and shook it.

"No, no," the clerk quickly waved his hand, "I'm not interested, it's just...just curious why so many people have been asking about this case recently?" he said with a puzzled tone.

A light flashed in Chen Xiaomeng's eyes. "Has anyone else come to see this information recently?"