Chapter 125: The Shadow in the Sewer

Chen Bingfeng and Xu Fan moved slowly through the sewer. This was their first time patrolling such a filthy, foul-smelling route. Both held their noses tightly. Occasionally, they came across the carcasses of rats and the entrails of some unknown animal. This time, it was Chen’s turn to lead. He focused on a direction and counted his steps to gauge the distance.

Suddenly, the two stopped in their tracks. A faint sound echoed from behind them—the noise of something wading through the water. They turned in unison, sweeping their flashlight beams toward the source. Within the light, two fat rats scurried past. Startled by the glare, they moved with incredible speed, leaving two sets of ripples on the water’s surface. Even the bold Chen was startled by the sudden noise, not to mention Xu, who was now clutching his chest and panting heavily. For the rest of the way, Xu swung his flashlight erratically, terrified that something else might jump out.

"Wait... hmm? What is that?" A cry of suspicion escaped him. Following the beam, Chen saw it too. On the opposite bank of the stream lay what appeared to be... a shoe, a child’s shoe. In such a bizarre environment, the sudden appearance of a child’s shoe made the already timid Xu tremble so violently that he nearly dropped his flashlight into the water. Conversely, Chen stepped into the water, walked to the other side, and picked up the shoe to examine it closely.

"The shoe is new, and the size is small," he said with excitement. "I suspect this belongs to Little Egg!"

The two continued forward, the rhythmic sound of their footsteps echoing through the passage. This discovery acted like a shot of adrenaline, boosting the confidence of the pair and quickening their pace. Chen became more certain that Little Egg and the other missing children had used the sewers to vanish right under everyone’s noses. Although he couldn't fathom how children had managed to climb into the sewer, he believed that once they found them, the truth would be revealed.

The sewer was filled with junctions, each leading to different streets above. At first, Chen could estimate their location by counting his steps. But after several twists and turns, his mind became a blur.

The sewer network was like a giant labyrinth. Without a map, it was impossible to keep one’s bearings based on memory alone. Moreover, spending a long time in total darkness easily leads to a loss of orientation. And so, the two found themselves wandering at a crossroads.

"Which way now?" asked a completely disoriented Xu.

Chen, the guide, was speechless; he was lost too. From brimming with confidence to staring blankly, he even suspected they had walked in a circle and returned to a previous junction. If he had known the conditions below were this complex, he should have left markers at the intersections. A grave mistake!

Xu swept his flashlight in three directions, hoping to find a landmark. Just then, he noticed a dark shadow slowly emerging from the wall in the left-hand passage. As the light was about to hit it, the shadow quickly retracted. Eerie, chilling, and horrific—the hair on Xu’s body stood on end.

"D-did you see that? It... it looked like someone was there!" Xu’s lips trembled, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Chen looked in the direction Xu pointed, but saw nothing. Skeptical, he prepared to investigate alone. Regardless of whether it was just a coward’s delusion, in their current aimless state, he couldn't afford to overlook any anomaly. Before he could take many steps, a flurry of rapid footsteps echoed from within the wall, moving from near to far. After a second of stunned silence, he realized what was happening and roared at the cowering Xu: "Someone is there! After them!"

Chen sprinted to where the shadow had vanished. Sure enough, it was a fork in the road. The shadow had peeked out from here, and upon being discovered, had not fled immediately but instead laid an ambush around the corner. Once it realized Chen was heading toward its hiding spot, it decided to bolt.

In the pitch-black sewer, the sound of three sets of footsteps erupted, water splashing everywhere, flashlight beams cutting through the dark and swinging violently. The ground was slick, and dark moss blended into the surroundings. Chen slipped repeatedly. He reached out to grab the wall for support, but felt only slime. With a "thud," he fell hard into the water.

Fortunately, the water was shallow. Before Xu could come to his aid, Chen—soaked and reeking—scrambled up and resumed the chase. But that brief delay meant that the figure he had glimpsed was now swallowed by the darkness of an unknown tunnel. Chen could only run in the direction of the sound, but he had underestimated the complexity of the paths. There were tunnels within tunnels, and after a sprint, he faced yet another intersection. Gradually, the once-audible footsteps grew faint, and after a few breaths, they vanished entirely into the dark, leaving only the sound of their own ragged breathing and the gurgling of dirty water.

They had taken the wrong path, lost their quarry, and were now completely lost themselves.

*We can’t keep wasting time in this sewer. In this cat-and-mouse game, we are the blind cats, and the other party is an agile mouse,* Chen concluded. He tapped the shoulder of Xu, who was leaning on his knees and panting. Though the situation was dire, he couldn't help but quip, "You really should lose some weight. Otherwise, you’ll either die on someone else’s stomach or kick the bucket because of your own."

"Let’s go. Find an exit. We need to relay what we’ve found to Ye Chen."

"But didn't he hand over his communicator?"

Chen hesitated for a moment, then said abruptly, "We’ll go find Jin Yinghui. I think Ye Chen would definitely go to him for help first. Maybe Old Jin has a way to contact him."

When the two finally pried open a manhole cover and climbed back to the surface, they discovered they were in a residential area. It was already night. They had spent the better part of the day in the sewer labyrinth.

"Clang..."

The sound of metal lightly striking the ground echoed in the dark. Not far away, a stray dog rummaging through a trash heap for scraps let out a low growl, looking toward the source of the noise with malice. The manhole cover was pushed up slightly, revealing a pair of eyes filled with vigilance.