Guiying's hands shook as he dialed Liuxian, the news headline still glowing on his screen.
"He's missing?" His voice came out sharp the moment the call connected. "How did he escape? What's happening?"
"He hasn't escaped anything." Liuxian's tone stayed calm, measured. "It's a controlled story, a ruse. We're keeping him in our custody for now, off the official record, before handing him over to the police properly. The public narrative just needed to move faster than the truth could."
Guiying exhaled slowly, some of the panic in his chest easing, though something colder took its place almost immediately.
"I want to see him." His voice hardened. "I want to see the bastard, one last time, before this is all over."
Silence stretched on the other end.
"Guiying, I don't think that's—"
"I need this." He cut him off, his resolve steady despite the tremor still running beneath it. "Please."
