Free Web NovelChapter 37: Chapter 37: News of the Disappearance Spreads
A Teleportation Spaceship was faster than a public one. Shi Lan fell silent, gazing out at the vast universe. ’Over an hour must have passed,’ she mused. ’I wonder if the crew back on the spaceship has discovered I’m missing.’
Meanwhile, back on Red Flame Star, the spaceship crew had, of course, noticed immediately.
As soon as the spaceship received its energy supply, the attendants began contacting the passengers who had disembarked temporarily to conduct a headcount. freewebnovёl.ƈom
They started with the female-exclusive cabin as usual. Upon discovering Shi Lan was missing, an attendant immediately tried to contact her using her passenger information.
At first, they just assumed she hadn’t made it back in time. But after waiting for over fifteen minutes with no response and discovering that a passenger from the male cabin was also missing, they knew something was wrong.
The crew members were like ants on a hot pan. A female’s disappearance was a major incident, especially since it was closely related to their interstellar airline’s unscheduled stop.
They immediately contacted the Space-Time Battleship’s communications channel to report the situation. Upon learning that a female and a male had disappeared simultaneously, the personnel on the Space-Time Battleship went on high alert.
In recent months, there had been numerous cases of missing females. The covert trading operations that the Eldest Prince had previously cracked down on were showing signs of resurgence, and it was likely the same group was responsible.
Regardless, the search for the missing female was of the utmost urgency. The Space-Time Battleship crew prepared for immediate deployment.
Meanwhile, the spaceship’s crew were still pacifying the other passengers and vigilantly guarding the female cabin to prevent any further incidents. At the same time, an attendant contacted Shi Lan’s emergency contact.
Shi Lan had listed Jiang Yan as her emergency contact. Based on what she knew from both the novel and her real-life interactions, she considered Jiang Yan to be a very reliable person.
And sure enough, when Jiang Yan heard the news that Shi Lan had suddenly disappeared during her return trip, she couldn’t help but angrily berate the spaceship crew. "How could you let this happen? You lost a female? If anything happens to my friend, I’ll hold you responsible!"
After chewing them out, she wasted no time in rushing to find her mother.
Along the way, Jiang Yan tried to contact Shi Lan multiple times, only to find her unreachable. The anxiety in her eyes deepened, and she quickened her pace.
The females of Capital Star had complicated backgrounds. After all, most females had several Beast Husbands, and some of those husbands were extraordinary individuals. Furthermore, since most females graduated from the Imperial Capital School, they largely knew one another, their relationships varying in depth.
As it happened, Jiang Yan’s mother was good friends with Mu Tangfeng’s mother. The two families had even considered setting up a match between Jiang Yan and Mu Tangfeng, but unfortunately, neither was interested in the other.
The Mu Family, one of the Four Great Families of the Empire, could be considered the foremost among them. This was because they primarily specialized in manufacturing weapons and Mechas, with the military as their main client, giving them an excellent relationship with the armed forces.
It was precisely this connection that Jiang Yan wanted to leverage, which was why she asked her mother to seek help from Mu Tangfeng’s mother.
Although Mrs. Jiang had never approved of her daughter being friends with a "waste female," she didn’t refuse upon learning of the situation and immediately contacted Mu Tangfeng’s mother.
After hearing about the matter, Mrs. Mu nodded. "Alright. I’ll have my primary husband go to the military to find people to help."
"By the way, what’s the name of the missing female?"
Mrs. Jiang replied, "Shi Lan."
Shi Lan?
Hearing those two words, a flicker of recognition crossed Mrs. Mu’s eyes. ’Why does that name sound so familiar?’
’I think my son mentioned their new Prison Director was named Shi Lan...’
Mrs. Mu had a vague impression of the name because she had never heard her son praise anyone other than He Hanshi.
’I always thought it was a male. So it’s a female?’
Of course, it was possible they just shared the same name. But for now, the priority was to find the missing female.
Mrs. Mu summoned her primary husband and had him arrange for more people to help with the search.
After coordinating with her mother, Jiang Yan still felt uneasy. She suddenly remembered that Levito worked for Major General He, and her eyes lit up. She told him about Shi Lan’s disappearance as well.
The moment Levito heard the news, his eyes filled with worry and urgency. His face was a mask of regret. "I promised the Major General I would protect her. If I had known this would happen, I would have personally escorted her back to Black Star."
But Levito had never imagined that something would actually happen to Shi Lan.
He immediately said, "I’m going to look for her now."
"Are you taking a Teleportation Spaceship?"
A Teleportation Spaceship was different from a Hovercar; you needed real connections to have the authority to use one. Jiang Yan couldn’t get one even with all her money. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Levito nodded. Jiang Yan made a snap decision. "Alright then. Take me with you."
"No, it’s not safe."
Before Levito could agree, one of Jiang Yan’s Beast Husbands stopped her and volunteered, "I’ll go. I’ll keep you updated on everything."
Jiang Yan retorted, "She’s my sister. Of course I have to be the one to go."
Levito cut off their argument. "A Teleportation Spaceship is safest with a maximum of two people. If I find Miss Shi Lan, I’ll need to bring her back. Neither of you should come. I will find her."
With that, Levito ended the call and immediately launched the Teleportation Spaceship.
En route, he also reported the matter to He Hanshi.
"Who did you say? Shi Lan is missing?"
The ever-composed and imposing He Hanshi’s expression changed drastically for once. A dark gloom filled his eyes as he spoke in a harsh tone, "Didn’t I tell you to protect her?"
"I’m sorry, Major General. I never expected Miss Shi Lan to run into trouble on the return spaceship. I’ve already contacted the military. It seems the Mu Family has also sent people to join the search, along with the Space-Time Battleship Patrol Soldiers. We will definitely find Miss Shi Lan."
Levito felt even more guilty and remorseful. He had failed the Major General’s trust.
He Hanshi struggled to suppress the anger in his voice. He said immediately, "First, get the details from the spaceship crew. Then report back to me immediately."
"Yes, sir."
Levito followed his orders and contacted the spaceship at once. After gathering a good deal of information, he promptly relayed it to He Hanshi.
He Hanshi answered his call immediately. After listening to the report, he finally understood why Shi Lan had been delayed on Red Flame Star.
He did his best to remain calm, issuing commands with composure. "First, have the spaceship crew investigate why the Energy Stone malfunctioned. Second, focus on checking Red Flame Star for any other Teleportation Spaceships and determine if they’ve left the planet. Third, investigate the other missing male..."
Even though he was on the distant Black Star, temporarily confined to a prison due to the collapse of his spiritual power, He Hanshi was still the same convincing Major General from the battlefield. His every word and action still commanded subconscious obedience.
With a clear direction for the search, some of the panic and helplessness in Levito’s eyes faded. He said firmly, "Yes, sir. I will find Miss Shi Lan."
"Mm. I’m counting on you..."
It was the first time this man, who had always established his authority as a Major General in the military with strict training and an unyielding will, had spoken with a hint of pleading.
Levito froze for a moment. He seemed to understand something deep down and replied softly, "Understood."
The call between them ended. News of Shi Lan’s disappearance had also reached everyone in the prison. They were all frantic with worry but, being confined, could do nothing but contact their personal networks for help.
Mu Tangfeng frantically told his parents what had happened. After listening, Mrs. Mu finally confirmed that the Shi Lan her son had mentioned before was indeed the missing female, and it was obvious that her son’s feelings for this female were anything but ordinary.
She gathered her thoughts and comforted him, "It’s alright. Your father and third uncle have already gone. They will definitely find that female."
"Mom, you have to find her."
Ever since He Hanshi’s words to him last time, Mu Tangfeng had also wondered what exactly he felt for Shi Lan.
He had never liked any female before, but he knew Shi Lan was different. He was worried about her...
