How could someone with fractures all over his body who’s lying on a hospital bed just vanish?
Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng couldn’t help but frown and respond with a question.
"Miss Cui, his fiancée, called just now, asking if Mr. Shijima was in the club."
"The boss also specifically asked about it, insisting that we find Mr. Shijima’s whereabouts as soon as possible."
Manager Li spoke rapidly, explaining the situation.
Then, with a hint of expectation in his eyes, he looked at Fang Cheng.
"I’ve heard that you’ve been visiting Mr. Shijima at the hospital frequently these past few days; you must know some of his personal matters, right?"
Shen Haoming also immediately chimed in:
"Ah Cheng, if you know anything, tell us quickly."
Fang Cheng’s brows furrowed tightly, and he turned around and walked outside.
Leaving just one sentence behind:
"I’ll check the situation at the hospital."
Upon hearing this, Manager Li’s tense face relaxed slightly, and he hastily said:
"Good, go and return quickly, I’ll be waiting for your news!"
Then, he turned to Shen Haoming and instructed:
"Old Shen, go and ask the other colleagues as well, don’t miss any possible information."
Shen Haoming nodded immediately and walked over to a few other coaches and professional players.
Why were these two so eager to act? Fang Cheng glanced at them with curiosity.
Without time to ponder, he swiftly picked up an umbrella by the door and stepped out.
He soon arrived at the curb, hailed a taxi, and headed for Taijiang Hospital in Wenchuan District.
A yellow taxi with its lights on stopped outside the hospital’s main entrance.
After getting out of the car with his umbrella, Fang Cheng quickly entered the inpatient building.
His first stop was to check the VIP ward where Shijima Gorou was staying.
At that moment, there were no bodyguards outside the door.
Pushing the door open, the inside was empty, with no one in sight.
The bed was neatly made, and the bedding was folded impeccably.
As if no patient had ever stayed there.
Fang Cheng’s brows slightly furrowed, he closed the door, and glanced at the nurse’s station.
He saw a slightly overweight nurse on duty, engrossed in writing nursing charts.
So he walked up to her and began to speak:
"Excuse me, nurse, about Mr. Shijima Gorou last night..."
"Ah, you keep asking me repeatedly, and I’ve already told you I’m not clear, how many times do I have to repeat myself this morning, I’m almost too busy with my own work!"
Annoyed at being questioned again, the nurse lifted her head, interrupting him.
But as soon as she saw who was asking, her heart skipped a beat, her complexion flushed slightly, and she stammered:
"Uh... sir, are you asking about Mr. Shijima Gorou?"
Fang Cheng revealed a slight smile and nodded at her.
The plump nurse seemed to take heart and eagerly volunteered:
"I wasn’t there at the time, and the director has issued a gag order, but I heard from colleagues that late last night, our hospital had an unexplained power outage for a while."
"Afterward, the on-duty nurse did her rounds and found the two bodyguards lying on the floor, unconscious, and Mr. Shijima, who should have been in the ward, was nowhere to be found."
"Was Ms. Cui Xiuying, Shijima’s fiancée, not present at the time?" Fang Cheng further inquired.
"Last night she seemed to have some business to attend to and didn’t continue to stay for the night watch; she left the hospital around five in the afternoon."
"Do you know who the others who came to ask about this were?"
Despite Fang Cheng’s probing questions, the plump nurse remained patient, and her tone was gentle as she explained:
"I’m not quite clear, I only know there were plainclothed police among them, as well as others whose identities were not apparent."
"If you are interested, sir, after work, I can try to draw their appearances for you to see..."
Fang Cheng smiled and declined politely, then under the lingering gaze of the nurse, he bid farewell and left.
Walking out of the gates, he looked back.
Taijiang Hospital in the rain seemed particularly drab, as if shrouded in a thick layer of gloom.
Fang Cheng couldn’t help but recall the strange feeling of being subtly surveilled when he had first arrived here.
"Shijima Gorou’s disappearance is probably not a simple criminal case!"
A figure holding a black umbrella stood alone in the rain.
Facing him was a private residence with a small garden attached.
Evergreen Podocarpus trees blocked the view of the courtyard from outsiders.
This was the home of Shijima Gorou.
Fang Cheng looked up from under his umbrella to the two-and-a-half-story house partially visible.
After leaving the hospital, he thought it over and decided to come here.
Although reason told him he wasn’t a police officer and investigating further would be fruitless,
He should go back to the club and wait honestly for Zheng Haokang to arrive.
But there was a desire in his heart that drove him to want to understand more of the truth.
Shijima Gorou himself was already shrouded in many secrets.
His sudden disappearance must also involve some secrets inaccessible to ordinary people.
Perhaps it had something to do with that pharmaceutical company...
Perhaps it was related to something hidden even deeper...
Fang Cheng’s eyes flickered as he looked at the pale blue panel that appeared.
Then, with his mind made up, he put away the umbrella.
He had rang the doorbell earlier and waited a long time, but no one came to answer.
He walked around the perimeter of the wall and, deciding to take the straightforward approach, ran up and vaulted over it.
The door of the house was ajar, and he gently pushed it open to step inside the entrance.
The interior environment was dark and silent.
In the originally spacious hall, neither the master nor the servants were in sight.
Fang Cheng surveyed the surroundings and turned to look at the stairs leading to the second floor.
So he carefully stepped onto the wooden staircase.
Immediately, a grating "creak" sounded.
Arriving on the second floor,
The layout here was compact, with many rooms lining both sides of the corridor, some with closed doors, some ajar.
Similarly, there was no sign of anyone, as if not a breath of life had been present.
The sound of rain outside the window starkly contrasted with the silence in the corridor, broken only by the faint steps.
Suddenly, Fang Cheng stopped moving, feeling an inexplicable tightness in his back.
Someone seems to still be in this house!
With the corner of his eye, he swiftly scanned his surroundings.
Yet he saw no sign of unusual activity.
However, Fang Cheng trusted his intuition.
A high Spirit Attribute of 20 points greatly enhanced his perception ability - he could not be wrong!
Suddenly, a faint whooshing sound came from behind his head.
A baton struck hard against the plaster wall behind him.
As soon as the sound was heard, Fang Cheng crouched and rolled to dodge the attack.
His muscles tensed slightly as he raised his head, staring at the figure that suddenly appeared before him.
A person dressed in a black tight-fitting Combat Suit and a black mask over their face, stood backlit in the narrow corridor.
The opponent seemed slightly surprised by Fang Cheng’s swift reaction, pausing briefly.
The baton in their hand hung loosely.
But in the next second, with a "swoosh," the figure swiftly sprang into action, charging towards Fang Cheng as fast as a bolt of lightning.