Chapter 118 - 84: Locked On

Here’s a piece of advice from Xu De that will last you a lifetime.

Never joke with a woman whose artistic skills are comparable to Adolf’s!

And at the same time, Lin Yue wasn’t just the Longevity True Monarch.

She was also the Furious Vajra!

Lin Yue had also discovered a secret.

The man really couldn’t keep his mouth shut!

So, Lin Yue silently reached out and gave the soft flesh of Xu De’s waist a vicious, stealthy pinch.

At the front desk, Lele didn’t notice their subtle movements. She looked at Xu De and said,

"If you have a portrait, Lawyer Xu, you could go to the Lianshan County Women’s Federation and ask around... You might find some useful clues."

"Lianshan County isn’t large. Most people know each other, so everyone is well aware of which families have lost a child."

Xu De ignored Lin Yue’s pinching, simply nodding as he asked,

"Roughly where is Lianshan County?"

"Head west for forty kilometers, and just keep going..."

Lele began to explain, pointing in the right direction and describing the route with perfect clarity.

"Alright, thank you for your help."

Xu De nodded, then led the others out.

Watching the three of them leave, Lele felt a surge of emotion.

’To search for the biological parents of someone who was lost and abducted, and on top of that, having to do it by asking around as they go...’

"What a good lawyer," the other female receptionist remarked with feeling.

Lele nodded in solemn agreement.

"He’s a lawyer of truly high moral character!"

...

「Meanwhile.」

The man they called a paragon of morality, Xu De, was already in the car parked out front. Without a moment’s hesitation, he stepped on the gas. The four wheels began to turn, heading toward Lianshan County.

Lianshan County was located in the southwestern part of Yan’an City.

The place had two defining characteristics.

Mountains and poverty!

Of course, you could just omit the latter.

The reason being, an abundance of mountains meant the roads were treacherous and hard to build. Spreading a railway network was exceedingly difficult, and there was no suitable land for development.

Without development, the villagers had nowhere to work and could only remain in their mountain villages.

Over time, this naturally led to economic hardship. The so-called poverty was entirely a result of its geography.

But that didn’t mean poverty itself didn’t exist.

And precisely because this poverty was an objective reality, the local authorities couldn’t maintain complete control. There were always people willing to challenge the law. When laws were broken, the economy struggled to develop, creating a vicious cycle.

Yan’an City, Lianshan County.

Inside the Women’s Federation.

At that moment, only a few middle-aged women were chatting idly in the quiet hall.

"I heard the government is planning to build a new railway. I wonder if it’ll actually go through..."

"Heh, you’re kidding me. I’ve heard about that route. Never mind the bridges—they’d have to tunnel through more than a dozen mountains just for that. How’s that even possible?"

"That’s true..."

The women chatted idly out of boredom.

It was just difficult to develop this area. The cost of laying a single railway line here was two, or even four, times that of other places.

From a capital investment perspective, building a railroad here was a terrible deal.

That was why even the locals thought the news was a load of nonsense.

Until...

TAP, TAP, TAP~

The sound of footsteps rang out.

The women stopped their conversation and looked up.

A moment later, a few young people entered their line of sight. One of the women immediately called out,

"Hello, who are you looking for?"

The newcomers were none other than Xu De and his companions, who had just driven the forty kilometers.

"I’m not looking for anyone in particular."

Xu De took a few steps forward to the counter and asked the women,

"I’d like to learn about the abduction cases in Lianshan County over the past few years."

Sister Zhang was puzzled. Looking at the well-dressed man in his suit, she thought for a moment before asking cautiously,

"And you are...?"

"Here’s the situation. My surname is Xu, and I’m a lawyer. I’m currently searching for the biological parents of a child who went missing."

"Our investigation has led us to believe she went missing right here in Lianshan County."

Xu De looked at them and said slowly,

"I’m trying to reunite a family."

"That’s why I came to the Federation to look for any information about her."

As he finished speaking, everyone in the Federation office was filled with solemn respect.

’So that’s what this is about! He’s a model lawyer, a man of noble character!’

"If possible, you could try checking with the police station..."

Sister Zhang, feeling a deep sense of admiration, nodded and decided to point him in a clearer direction.

’The police station?’

’Wouldn’t going to the police station be a violation?’

’Investigating someone’s files privately, without a prosecutor present or an official request for cooperation, is a hundred percent illegal and a violation of procedure!’

’There’s no way I can investigate at the police station.’

’After all, I’m a stickler for the law.’

Which brought him back to his original plan.

’As long as I investigate here at the Federation, it’s both legal and fully compliant with the rules!’

"Actually, I have more faith in the Federation. There’s more of a human touch here, and you’re likely to have more information about the family of origin. The police, on the other hand, tend to focus more on the criminals."

Xu De said, looking at the women with a completely serious expression.

As he said this, the staff members’ hearts suddenly swelled with an unaccustomed warmth.

"Oh, young man, the way you put it..."

"You’re not wrong, though! The Federation is all about that human touch!"

"Who are you looking for? Do you have any information? I can help you check our records. Maybe I can find something..."

Sister Zhang’s tone was now laced with enthusiasm as she spoke animatedly.

Xu De fell into thought.

’What’s the best angle to approach this investigation from...’

’This is...’

"I have a photo of the missing person. See if this is any help."

With that, Xu De pulled out a photo of Liu Jingqi that had been taken at the orphanage twelve years ago.

"It’s a bit blurry, but could you see if there’s anyone who looks similar in your computer system?" he asked.

’A photo?’

Sister Zhang took it dubiously, squinting at the thumb-sized photograph where the face was barely visible.

Then, she started searching on her computer.

"Do you have a specific name?" Sister Zhang asked.