"It seems that old gentleman might be Walkerbit," Qin Ningyi said, noticing Huo Rou's abnormality.
"Mm," Huo Rou nodded slowly.
The dark clouds rolled, the roadside trees blurred past, and the sun flickered in and out of view. In this silent, deserted city, her heart was a cacophony, all emotions screaming.
Huo Rou closed her eyes, concealing every emotion.
"We're almost there," Qin Ningyi's voice became incredibly gentle. "Rest for a while."
An An said nothing, looking at Huo Rou with concern.
The silence within the car merged with the silence outside.
Qin Ningyi looked at the empty streets, and a dense pain pierced his heart. In the past, every trip to Yizhou was bustling with activity; the people here were simple and honest, and the streets were never short of people. But now, because of that inexplicable virus, Yizhou hadn't enjoyed any liveliness for a long time.
Since the culprit had been located...
A sliver of sunlight broke through the clouds and fell upon them. Yige Villa was just ahead.
This was the old villa district of Yizhou. Most of the residents here were elderly, and every household had a large yard.
As the car approached Yige Villa, a security guard, fully armed, shouted through the glass, "We already delivered someone yesterday!"
The only vehicles that could now travel normally on the roads, besides those from the military district, were from the community or hospitals.
Most of the time, these vehicles came to the neighborhood to pick up newly ill patients, and the security guard naturally assumed this was the case.
The members of the 112th team sitting in the back produced their identification and showed it to the guard, communicating and negotiating with him.
As the security guard opened the gate, he saw Huo Rou inside the car, not fully protected, and called out for them to stop.
"Sis!" The security guard cautiously brought out a set of protective gear from the house and handed it to the car door. "You should protect yourself when you're out and about! If you are well, we will be well!"
These simple, unpretentious words, the preciousness and genuine concern in the security guard's eyes, struck Huo Rou's heart.
"Take it quickly!" The security guard pushed the gear forward. Worried that Huo Rou and the others might have reservations, he specifically explained, "I don't move around, I'll stay here and won't interact with anyone. I can save this protective suit for later use!"
At this moment, she wanted to kill Walkerbit, not for herself.
"Please keep it for yourself." Huo Rou opened the car window and gently pushed the protective suit back to the security guard. "Yizhou will recover soon."
The security guard wanted to say something more, but Huo Rou had already signaled Qin Ningyi to drive in.
"Sis! Be careful!" The security guard remained in place, waving at them.
The roads within the villa district were a bit bumpy. Qin Ningyi searched according to the clues provided by Gu Yan.
Walkerbit's residence would have special arrangements, and ordinary people would generally not approach it. To save his own life, he would surely use all means.
Qin Ningyi went from villa to villa, searching.
Huo Rou looked at the potted plants in front of each house and the large tree branches extending into the yard, falling into thought.
What could this special arrangement be?
Matthew had to find Walkerbit after being targeted, so it must be that there was something special here that could help him avoid pursuit or delay their progress.
Plants, could it be some special kind of plant?
If only Shen Feng were here.
It was the most sensitive in this regard, having helped them solve so many cases and find so many harmful substances…
She wondered how Shen Feng was doing now. Had the people from the 112th team found Shen Feng?
"A Rou," Qin Ningyi suddenly stopped the car. "Look over there."
Huo Rou followed his gaze. Unlike other families, that household did not plant trees in their yard. There were no protruding branches, but rather a trellis covered with vines that snaked over the top and then poked out.
This was very unusual.
Moreover, the plants at the entrance of this house were not ordinary potted plants, but two pots of vine plants that were coiled around the entire gate. They had never seen these vines before.
"Let's get closer?" Huo Rou lowered the car window a bit and looked at the surveillance camera at the yard entrance. "Be careful of the camera."
Qin Ningyi parked the car just outside the surveillance range, and an indescribable odor wafted over.
As they smelled it, they felt stuffy if they stayed any longer.
Huo Rou glanced at the neighboring house by the car window. The potted plants at the entrance looked half-dead.
This smell must be problematic!
"This is it!" Huo Rou and Qin Ningyi exclaimed simultaneously. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with caution.
They still needed to discuss how to get in.
A cunning person like Walkerbit, who could evade the pursuit of so many people, would certainly not be easy to approach!