"Liu Ma, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading back!"
Su Han offered no further explanation. Let them misunderstand if they wished. After all, he had grown up eating Liu Ma's cooking, so calling her "Mom" was not out of line.
Leaving Luocun!
Su Han immediately received a call from his superior at the Secret Service Bureau, Zhen Ji!
"Hello, Su Han, where have you been, you brat? I haven't seen you all morning," Zhen Ji questioned. After arriving at the Department of Mysterious Affairs that morning, she hadn't seen Su Han anywhere. It had to be said that Zhen Ji was quite invested in Su Han now. Compared to other newcomers, Su Han was clearly a genius. As his temporary mentor, Zhen Ji wanted to teach Su Han more skills.
"What's up, Sister Zhen? You don't miss me, do you?" Su Han teased.
Immediately, a long-lost, melodious laugh came from the other end of the phone. Zhen Ji hummed a tune and said, "You good-for-nothing, I never expected you, at such a young age, to dare tease me. You're truly amusing..."
"Amusing?"
Su Han was stunned. He never expected Zhen Ji to still see him as a child. He remembered Zhen Ji was less than 25 years old, while he, including his past life, was over thirty.
Without further ado, Su Han directly asked, "What's up, Sister Zhen? Is there a mission today?"
Zhen Ji replied, "Yes, yes. Where are you now? I'll come pick you up!"
Su Han glanced at Chen Long beside him and could only apologize as he bid Chen Long farewell. Chen Long had intended to take him to his family's establishments for some fun, but now, Zhen Ji had appeared halfway. Su Han found it difficult to refuse. After all, he was now a member of the Department of Mysterious Affairs, and many things had to take precedence over missions!
"Master, what about tonight?"
"We'll see!"
"Alright!"
After seeing Chen Long off, Su Han soon met Zhen Ji. Today, Zhen Ji was wearing a tight-fitting fitness outfit, which accentuated her figure, making her comparable to Xu Yiran!
Upon closer inspection, she was only a tiny bit inferior to Xu Yiran, which was already an incredibly impressive feat. Among the many beautiful women Su Han had encountered, she ranked second!
"What is it, Sister Zhen? What's the mission today?"
Zhen Ji immediately patted the seat behind her motorcycle and said, "Get on, and I'll tell you. Also, we might have to spend the night outside today. If you have plans tonight, you'll have to postpone them!"
"Uh... I, it's fine!"
Su Han was taken aback. Chen Long had prepared quite a few good things for him tonight, but missions were more important. Su Han could only postpone their plans for now.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
About half an hour later, the two of them arrived at a small town nestled deep in the mountains!
The town was called Meishan Town. There used to be a coal mine here, but after the mine was depleted, many young people left to find work. Those who remained were mostly the elderly and left-behind children.
As for the person who reported the incident today, it was an elderly man living halfway up the mountain. He reported that his granddaughter had gone into the mine and had not been seen since. However, many people who went into the mine could hear the girl's cries, but they couldn't find her, causing the entire Meishan Town to be in a state of panic.
The case was a minor one, but it was one that only the Department of Mysterious Affairs could handle. The local townsfolk had already conducted multiple searches, and one of the townsfolk had even lost his life during a search!
"Brat, you'll handle the case later, and I'll assist you!" Zhen Ji said.
This was Su Han's third day since joining the Department of Mysterious Affairs. Zhen Ji intended to let Su Han take the lead, while she would act as backup, only intervening if absolutely necessary!
Su Han was surprised. He hadn't expected Sister Zhen to be so serious this time. Without any preparation, Su Han didn't even know the basic procedures for handling a case.
However, he soon saw a few familiar faces!
"Hey, isn't this the handsome young man from last time? You've come with Sister Zhen again today!"
The speaker was the old police officer he had met previously. He had a deep impression of Su Han and knew this kid had immense influence. Therefore, they felt much more at ease entrusting such a minor case to Su Han. The procedure was also very simple!
After understanding the case, the rest was to get to work!
Su Han, along with a few others and a local guide, entered Meishan. It had to be said that Meishan was quite dangerous. Many areas had been illegally excavated, and the underground conditions were extremely complex. If one were to fall in carelessly, it would be disastrous.
However, these were not difficult tasks for Su Han!
Soon, the group arrived at a location that had been searched multiple times. A knowledgeable local explained.
"It's right here. At night, you can hear crying and calls for help from here. Alas... it's been a week, and the girl is probably already dead. We just don't know what's causing trouble here!"
Su Han was stunned. It had been a week. If the girl was truly missing, the chances of survival were indeed very slim.
"Alright, let's search again! If we can't find her, we'll wait until night to listen for the source of the sound!" Su Han said. As Zhen Ji had said, this mission might require them to stay overnight.
After a thorough search, they found nothing!
Just like before, Su Han followed the others, searching every possible place, but there were no traces, not even a hint of a clue. If not for the crying heard here at night, Su Han would have suspected the girl wasn't even here.
"It seems we can only wait until night," Su Han sighed, resigned to waiting there.
Zhen Ji shrugged and said, "Then let's wait."
The people from the surrounding villages called out for the two of them to return and have a meal first. Looking at the time, it was only three in the afternoon. Su Han didn't linger and followed the villagers back to town for a meal.
A banquet was laid out in the mayor's courtyard, and it was quite a feast!
Mayor Li Youcai was a typical farmer, with a dark complexion and rough hands, indicating he had done a lot of manual labor. Currently, his brows were deeply furrowed.
"Alas... to be honest, Meishan Town is in a difficult situation now. It was already hard to develop Meishan after the coal mine was depleted, and now with this incident, it's really difficult to be a local official. This matter has caused the town's planned food city to be canceled."
Looking at Su Han and Zhen Ji, Li Youcai said, "If you two can resolve this problem this time, I, Li Youcai, am willing to erect a memorial archway and a bronze statue for you both!"
Upon hearing this, Su Han repeatedly waved his hands. However, he understood that while this case was minor for them, it was a significant matter for the people of Meishan Town! If this strange incident could not be resolved quickly, who would dare invest or do business in Meishan Town? The ordinary people of Meishan would suffer...
Zhen Ji felt the same. Having grown up in a less affluent family, she now looked at Su Han and whispered, "Brat, if you can crack this case, I'll agree to your request!"
Su Han was stunned. He never expected Sister Zhen to be moved by these ordinary mountain folk! Thinking about it, she was beautiful and kind-hearted, so it was normal for her to be moved by such a situation. But could she really agree to his request from last time?
A slight curve formed on Su Han's lips as he fell into thought...