Jixiang Fishing Village was located in the suburbs of Wangcheng, just five kilometers from Guo Xing's home. Ten minutes later, You Mingxu and the others arrived.
However, the road leading there wasn't easy to navigate—a narrow path barely wide enough for one vehicle, covered in yellow dirt. At the entrance of the fishing village, they saw it wasn't an enclosed area. A sign hung at the gate, a few buildings stood inside, and several large ponds lay empty. Not far behind was a forested mountain.
You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan exchanged a glance. This meant that even if something had happened here, finding witnesses would be challenging.
On a weekday afternoon, there wasn't a single angler at the fishing village. Only the owner and his nephew were present. Xu Mengshan called the owner over, showed his badge and Guo Xing's photo, and the owner immediately recognized him, nodding and saying, "Yes, yes, Boss Guo was here the day before yesterday."
"What time did he arrive?"
"Around 2 p.m. I don't remember the exact time."
"How did he get here? By car or taxi?" Guo Xing didn't own a car in Xiangcheng.
The owner thought for a moment and replied, "By taxi. The car dropped him off at the entrance and left."
"How many people were with him?"
"Just him alone."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. Boss Guo always comes alone. Officer, has something happened? Boss Guo is a good man—is he in trouble?"
Xu Mengshan didn't answer. Jing Ping patted the owner's shoulder and said, "It's nothing. Don't ask too much. How many people usually come to fish here?"
You Mingxu glanced at Jing Ping. He noticed, his gaze deepening, but she had already looked away.
The owner replied, "It's okay. More on weekends—a few people. We mainly rely on fish farming. These are wild ponds; we don't use feed, just cabbage and grains. Everything is natural."
In other words, it was indeed a remote, seldom-visited place.
"What time did Guo Xing leave that day?" Xu Mengshan asked again.
The owner paused, thought carefully, and shook his head. "I really didn't notice. Boss Guo is generous—he pays three hundred yuan each time and fishes as much as he wants. I don't know when he left."
The three exchanged looks. Xu Mengshan said, "Besides Guo Xing, who else came that day? Do you have any records?"
The owner nodded. "Yes! I'm in the habit of keeping daily accounts. I'll go get them."
"Wait a moment," You Mingxu said. "Where was he fishing that day?"
The owner thought for a moment and pointed into the distance—toward the farthest pond, surrounded by dense trees that completely obscured the view. From afar, only a shimmer of water was visible behind the foliage.
The owner went to fetch the account book.
The three stood in place, staring at the secluded pond.
It was now confirmed that Guo Xing had indeed been at the fishing pond that afternoon. But his whereabouts after that had become a mystery. Additionally, who else had visited the pond? Were there any suspicious individuals, and were they connected to Guo Xing's disappearance?
You Mingxu gave Xu Mengshan a look. He nodded and stayed behind. Just as You Mingxu and Jing Ping were about to head toward the pond, her phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID, slightly startled, and answered, "Hello?" Her tone was neutral.
On the other end, Yin Feng's voice was equally calm. "Where are you?"
You Mingxu was puzzled. "What's it to you?"
Yin Feng paused for a second before saying, "I need to talk to you about something."
You Mingxu replied, "I'm investigating a case. No time."He acted as if he hadn't heard, saying, "Send me your location. I'll come find you. I won't interfere with your investigation—at most, I'll just lend you a hand."
You Mingxu hung up directly.
Jing Ping had been standing nearby waiting without a word. You Mingxu looked up and said, "Let's go."
Jing Ping raised an eyebrow and followed.
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