hsntnovel Chapter 7: Rumors
Chapter 7: Rumors
The tent fell silent instantly, and everyone felt a sudden, inexplicable weight lift from their shoulders.
Having just heard the village's old legends, and now with the scouts suddenly going missing, something seems very wrong.
Could there really be a strange place in that valley that can trap people out of thin air?
Everyone looked at Zhou Guoping, waiting for him to make a decision.
"Zhou Guoping, what do we do now?"
Zhou Guoping's expression darkened, and he did not hesitate at all.
"No matter what the situation is inside, save people first. Immediately organize a second team to go in and search. Everyone should be secured with safety harnesses. Advance in sections, and if anything unusual is found, retreat immediately. We cannot afford any more accidents caused by recklessness."
"I'll make the arrangements right now." Wang Lei turned and walked out immediately.
The atmosphere inside the tent was extremely oppressive.
They thought they had found a key shortcut and could smoothly go deep into the heart of the territory to investigate clues, but they didn't expect to lose contact after just taking the first step.
Zhou Guoping stood there, unconsciously recalling Jiang Chen's earlier warning in the detention room, his brows furrowing tightly.
...
A live-streaming vehicle slowly drove into the temporary control area of the investigation team. After the staff showed their official work identification, they were allowed to pass smoothly.
CCTV anchor He Yuting, accompanied by her live broadcast team and led by the police officers on duty, headed straight for Zhou Guoping's survey tent.
"Captain Zhou, hello. I'm He Yuting, a CCTV anchor. We've applied to do a live broadcast on criminal investigation leads, and our superiors have already communicated with you about it." He Yuting's tone was polite and her demeanor was appropriate.
She has a gentle appearance and speaks in a friendly manner, making it easy for people to lower their guard.
Zhou Guoping nodded, his expression still grave: "Okay, as long as it doesn't affect the on-site investigation and search and rescue work, you can continue your live broadcast as usual. Contact Zhao Gang for specific details."
"Okay, thank you, Captain Zhou."
He Yuting turned to Zhao Gang beside her and asked directly, "Officer Zhao, could you briefly describe the current situation at the scene? I received information that a detained person, Jiang Chen, has helped you pinpoint a key search area in the mountains, is that correct?"
Zhao Gang felt very awkward. He had never believed in so-called folk experts. In his eyes, Jiang Chen finding the route was just a coincidence. Bringing this up would only make the investigation team look incompetent.
But faced with the facts, he could only nod reluctantly: "That's right, Jiang Chen did point out the hidden route for us. His observation skills are indeed quite sharp, and it's just that our preliminary reconnaissance wasn't thorough enough..."
"Captain Zhou, something terrible has happened!"
Before Zhao Gang could finish speaking, Wang Lei, the field clerk, rushed over in a panic, his voice full of anxiety.
He Yuting instantly sensed something was wrong and immediately turned to her live-streaming assistant behind her, whispering, "Quick, start the live stream right now!"
The assistant was already prepared, and with rapid finger movements, the live stream started instantly.
He Yuting walked in front of the camera and greeted the audience in a calm tone: "Hello everyone, I am He Yuting. As requested by everyone, we have now arrived at the scene of the criminal investigation and will bring you a live broadcast of the real-time clue investigation."
Zhou Guoping, not paying attention to the live stream, strode forward, stared at Wang Lei, and asked in a deep voice, "What exactly happened?"
"Our second batch of search and rescue team members has also gone missing!" Wang Lei's face was pale and his voice was trembling.
Zhao Gang stepped forward abruptly and asked urgently, "Weren't they all secured with safety harnesses? Pull them out quickly!"
Wang Lei shook his head with a bitter expression, saying, "I pulled, but it was no use. The rope... snapped!"
"It broke? How is that possible!" Zhao Gang exclaimed in disbelief. "That's a professional rescue rope that can withstand a weight of over a thousand kilograms. How could it break? Is there something wrong with the rope's quality?"
"Absolutely not. We examined the cross-section of the rope, and it's clear that it was bitten through by external force!" Wang Lei said in a deep voice.
Everyone present gasped, the tense atmosphere instantly becoming oppressive, and an inexplicable chill enveloped everyone's hearts.
"Let's go, let's go to the scene immediately!"
Ignoring the cold wind outside, Zhou Guoping led the group quickly toward the entrance to the forest.
He Yuting quickly caught up with Lin Xiaoyu, glanced at her name tag, and politely said, "Hello, Lin Xiaoyu, I'm He Yuting. Could you tell the viewers in the live stream what exactly happened? Everyone looks so panicked."
At this moment, the popularity of CCTV's official live broadcast room is soaring.
"CCTV acted so quickly! They started broadcasting right after the petition was signed!"
"It's He Yuting! I love watching her live streams, she's so reliable!"
"Where's Jiang Chen? I'm looking for Jiang Chen! Where is that amazing guy?!"
"Idiot, Jiang Chen is still in the detention room, he definitely wasn't there!"
"What happened? The atmosphere at the scene is terrifying. Has someone been killed?"
"That policewoman is so beautiful, and her demeanor is absolutely stunning!"
"Lin Xiaoyu, what a lovely name and she's beautiful too! I love her!"
The live stream chat was flooded with comments, and the popularity remained high. Lin Xiaoyu looked at the camera with some restraint. When she heard He Yuting's question, she quickly told the whole story about the team members going missing and the rumors circulating among the villagers.
After listening, He Yuting immediately asked, "So, Jiang Chen warned you about the danger in this area before the team even entered the mountains, right?"
Lin Xiaoyu nodded vigorously: "Yes, Jiang Chen had warned us long ago that the terrain here was complex and fraught with danger, and that we must be careful. And sure enough, something bad happened."
Are you a supporter of Jiang Chen?
"I admire him a lot; his reasoning and analytical skills are amazing."
"The outside world says that Jiang Chen is suspected of being involved in the case. Do you think he is a bad person?" He Yuting continued to ask.
Lin Xiaoyu shook her head decisively: "I don't know if he's involved, but I know he's very capable and can see through the dangers here."
"So, do you think only Jiang Chen can resolve this predicament and rescue the missing team members?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Xiaoyu nodded emphatically: "I believe he can do it!"
He Yuting looked at the camera and slowly said, "Okay, let's go to the scene now. If the situation continues to worsen, we'll connect with Jiang Chen live. What do you all think?"
"Okay!" Lin Xiaoyu replied immediately, and the two of them quickly ran towards the entrance of the forest.
The live stream chat exploded instantly:
"Connect with Jiang Chen quickly, don't waste time!"
"This is too eerie! What could be hidden in this place?!"
"I'm worried about the missing police officers; I hope they're safe and sound!"
"Prove you've read Jiang Chen's novels in one sentence: He'll run, he'll chase, he'll have no way to escape!"
"Just a quick fact: the deceased was alive before death, no problem!"
"Guys, we're telling you, Jiang Chen is definitely a hidden master!"
"I can't laugh anymore. Since the deceased refused to reveal any information, solving the case still depends on Jiang Chen!"
"Have you guys noticed that the beginning of Jiang Chen's previous new book is exactly the same as the situation at this event!"
"Surely no one could have guessed so many details out of thin air; it's terrifying to think about!"
"Stop guessing! Contact Jiang Chen immediately, saving lives is the priority!"