Gong Ye looked at her red-rimmed eyes and tired expression, and his heart ached.
"Still no news?"
Gong Zhi Jing nodded and asked with concern, "Dad, why aren't you sleeping yet?"
"Can't sleep."
Gong Ye paused and said, "I'll contact someone to help look. Don't worry."
As he spoke, he took out his phone and directly dialed the number of the Kyoto Chief of Police.
It was around three in the morning, a time when most people were fast asleep.
The phone rang for a while before it was answered, and a respectful voice from the headquarters director came through.
His voice was still hoarse with the lingering sleepiness.
"Hello, Director Gong. Is there anything I can help you with?"
At this late hour, it was unusual for him to call without a reason, so he asked directly.
Gong Ye got straight to the point. "My daughter's mother-in-law is missing. She has Alzheimer's. I hope you can deploy all police resources to help find her."
The director agreed without hesitation.
"Alright, Director. Please send me the elderly lady's information and a photo."
Gong Ye grunted and hung up, then said to Gong Zhi Jing, "Go to bed quickly. Don't worry, I will definitely find your grandmother."
Gong Zhi Jing remained silent for a long time. There was nothing she could do now.
"Then you should go and come back soon. Take care of yourself."
"Mm."
Gong Ye responded and turned to leave, his tall figure gradually receding into the darkness.
Gong Zhi Jing stood at the doorway for a while before going inside.
Qiao Xin Yue saw her approach and said, "Don't worry too much. The old lady is blessed, she will be fine."
Gong Zhi Jing forced a smile and then lay down on the bed.
"Let's sleep. We'll see if we can help tomorrow."
Everyone had stayed up all night. She, who had done nothing, should rest well.
Otherwise, she wouldn't even be able to take care of the child tomorrow.
"Sigh, I'll turn off the lights then."
Qiao Xin Yue sighed again, reached out and flipped the switch, then lay down as well.
The room was dim, with only streaks of pale moonlight spilling in through the window, making it exceptionally cold.
...
The deserted streets late at night.
An aged figure wandered aimlessly, like a lost soul in the dead of night.
She didn't know where she came from or where she was going. Everything around her was unfamiliar, and she couldn't even see a single person.
"What was I supposed to do?"
Ling Lao Furen's clouded pupils were filled with confusion. Her steps faltered as she stood still, unable to recall anything.
It was as if an eraser had wiped away every image from her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to hold on, it slipped away.
Looking around, darkness was all-encompassing, and the dim streetlights couldn't dispel it all.
Her mind was blank, filling her with unease, powerlessness, and fear, leaving her bewildered.
"Cheng Feng, where are you? Wuwuwu... I'm scared..."
She cried like a child, her aged voice echoing in the dark night, a desolate sound.
The place she was in was secluded, far from any bustle.
After leaving the old residence, she had wandered into the labyrinthine alleyways.
Emerging from one of them, she found herself on a main street with cars and people constantly passing by.
A night bus stopped, and without a second thought, she got on.
The bus traveled through the night, stopping at one stop after another. Midway, Ling Lao Furen got off.
The surroundings were empty, and there were far fewer streetlights. She began to feel scared, but the more scared she became, the more chaotic her mind grew.
The only person she could remember now was Elder Ling, Ling Cheng Feng.
The night was boundless, long and arduous.
There was no destination ahead, but Ling Lao Furen still headed towards a residential area with lights.
Alas, she was old. Soon, she was exhausted and collapsed by the roadside, too tired to move.
Despairingly, she looked up at the dark sky, utterly broken.
"Ling Cheng Feng, where are you! I'm so scared..."
Perhaps her memories had regressed to many years ago, making her demeanor as childish as it once was.
...
Dawn broke across the sky, and the darkness gradually receded. The morning sun was exceptionally bright.
The entire Ling family remained shrouded in gloom, everyone having stayed up all night.
Elder Ling sat on the sofa in the living room with his cane all night, his ashen face indicating that his emotions were on the verge of exploding.
Ling Jun Ye and Ling Yu Yu had not returned all night, and there was still no good news.
"Dad, please eat something."
Zhu Yun Fei's eyes were red, whether from exhaustion or crying, she held a bowl of noodles and offered it to Elder Ling.
Elder Ling couldn't eat anything. He clutched his chest and trembled, "I can't eat. I can hear your mother calling me, saying she's scared."
Zhu Yun Fei couldn't hold back her tears, which flowed freely.
"Dad, Mom is missing. You must take care of yourself. Please, eat something, I beg you."
Elder Ling waved his hand, completely ignoring Zhu Yun Fei, stubbornly refusing to eat.
Zhu Yun Fei could only suppress her sobs, turn around with the bowl, and leave.
The sun climbed higher and higher, becoming more scorching, making people dizzy.
A whole night had passed, and if they couldn't find her, the risk of danger was immense.
For an almost eighty-year-old person, hunger combined with heatstroke could be fatal.
Ling Jun Ye and Ling Yu Chen dared not rest for a moment.
After investigating surveillance footage with no success, they were largely certain that Ling Lao Furen was not in the vicinity.
The search area had to be expanded infinitely.
They considered many possibilities. In today's society with advanced transportation, if she had taken a vehicle, it would be very difficult to track her.
But besides advanced transportation, the internet was even more developed.
Once the police intervened, they immediately issued a missing person alert.
Ling Yu Chen mobilized all his resources, using the highest possible online visibility, hoping people would help find her, and offered a substantial reward.
Along with this came a necessary public disclosure: Ling Lao Furen had Alzheimer's.
But finding her was the priority; everything else was secondary.
Ling Lao Furen's photo went viral online. Besides the Ling family and the police, many enthusiastic netizens were also helping.
However, a person, whether big or small, is ultimately insignificant in the vast sea of humanity.
For someone with Alzheimer's, every moment of delay in finding them could be life-threatening.
When her condition flared up, she had no awareness or ability to care for herself.
Crossing the road could be dangerous, being near water could be dangerous, and she didn't even know to seek shelter from the scorching sun during this hot weather.
Her safety now concerned many people.
Even a stranger would feel pity for such an elderly lady.