Chapter 143: The Search

Song Qingyou stood up, and the blanket draped over her shoulders fell to the ground. Fu Bei leaned down to retrieve it.

Her expression was unnervingly cold. "Find one hundred strong, able-bodied locals. Offer a heavy bounty and tell them they are to enter the Yamaha Forest to search for someone. Regardless of the outcome, as long as they go in, they will be paid five thousand dollars a day."

Fu Bei looked at Song Qingyou in silence for a long moment before replying, "Understood."

Money talks, especially in a country like Y, where the economy is underdeveloped and the territory is small. By the next day, over seven hundred people had signed up.

Song Qingyou selected one hundred from the group to enter the forest. She did not send the others away but had them camp on-site, paying them one hundred dollars a day to wait.

They were in an endless wilderness, with no houses in sight, save for a single path carved out by countless explorers. The wind and sand were fierce; Song Qingyou wrapped herself in a veil, leaving only her cold, clear eyes exposed. Standing before the vehicle, she watched Fu Bei coordinate with the group. Over twenty kilometers ahead lay the "Fog Forest" that Gu Bai had described.

Vehicles could not enter that terrain; it had to be traversed on foot. The locals were familiar with the landscape, and by having a hundred people travel together, the risk of wild animal attacks was significantly reduced. After giving his instructions, Fu Bei handed out a positioning tracker to each person, allowing for real-time monitoring of their locations and vital signs. If any danger arose, a helicopter could be dispatched to extract them.

Once everything was arranged, he returned to Song Qingyou's side. "Madam, they have departed."

"Mm." Song Qingyou replied faintly and turned to get into the car. "Return to the hotel first. Keep a few people here to keep watch."

"Very well," Fu Bei said.

In the car, Fu Bei gripped the steering wheel. Despite the bumpy road, his driving remained steady. "Madam, will the local government intervene?"

"This place is plagued by constant warfare. Our embassy has just evacuated, and war is on the verge of breaking out. Do you think they have the time to care about this?" Song Qingyou’s voice was chilling, raspy—whether from the wind or something else.

Fu Bei was silent for a few seconds, then, for the first time ever, offered a word of comfort. "Madam, there is no need to worry too much. Didn't Young Master Fu purchase firearms?"

Song Qingyou closed her eyes, a flash of agony crossing her face, but it vanished the moment she opened them again. "Mm."

Back at the hotel, Song Qingyou held a remote conference, called Song Chang to instruct him to act as interim lead for all Song Corporation matters, and then processed several urgent documents. By the time she finished, it was two in the morning.

Out of habit, she dialed Fu Wenzhou’s number, but it was met with the same busy signal. Her brows were heavy with exhaustion, her face pale. As she lowered her gaze, her shoulders began to tremble slightly.

At that moment, she loathed this frail body of hers.

*Why am I not dead? It would be better if I were simply dead.*

*What is the point of hanging on like this, barely alive, surviving for so many years? Sending the Song Yuan family to prison—what does that matter? Reclaiming the Song Corporation—what does that change?*

She couldn't even fulfill the simple wish of spending the rest of her life with the person she loved. She had even caused the only person in this world who loved her and treated her well to potentially pay with his life.

Song Qingyou could not imagine what would happen if Fu Wenzhou did not return. She only knew that she was in so much pain she felt she was dying; her flesh and bone were aching with sharp, rhythmic stabs, as if someone were draining her of blood and marrow.

*If I had died sooner, would Fu Wenzhou never have met me?*

*He would have found a healthy, cheerful, and sunny girl to be with. Someone like him belongs under the bright sun, living amidst the vibrancy of life.*

Song Qingyou’s shoulders shook more violently, as if she had reached her limit. Finally, she broke. She dialed Fu Wenzhou’s number again, ignoring the busy signal, and sobbed, "You dared to go in alone—are you insane?"

In the dead of night, Song Qingyou wept uncontrollably.

The next day, Song Qingyou put on her sunglasses and proceeded to organize the search with methodical precision, as if the fragility and terror of the previous night had been nothing but a dream. She stood in the wind and sand; the cold gusts disheveled her hair, and her dark glasses masked the emotions in her eyes.

Fu Bei stood beside her to report, "Six people have been brought back. Their injuries are not severe, and they have been properly settled. Additionally, sixteen people have given up the search and were brought back as well. There are seventy-eight people remaining."

Song Qingyou replied, "Have the people stationed here fill the gaps. Also, tell them that starting today, the daily pay will double."

Fu Bei frowned, wanting to speak, but ultimately held his tongue. "Understood."

Song Qingyou kept her gaze fixed ahead. "Can the helicopter still not see anything below?"

"No," said Fu Bei. "The forest is covered in thick fog. Without precise coordinates, the helicopter cannot fly through because it is impossible to distinguish directions."

Song Qingyou said nothing more and looked at the time. It was eight o'clock. Another day had passed.

*Fu Wenzhou, where exactly are you?*

Day after day of searching yielded no news. By the seventh day, only about one hundred and twenty locals remained stationed in the wilderness. No one could penetrate deep into the fog; everyone seemed to be walking in circles on the periphery, returning to the starting point no matter which direction they took.

But in a sense, no news was good news. At the very least, they hadn't found Fu Wenzhou’s body or any remains.

On the eighth day, Song Qingyou summoned Fu Bei. "I am going up with you."

The roar of the helicopter was deafening. Fu Bei could barely hear her, but he shouted, "The mission Young Master Fu gave me is to protect your safety. I cannot let you take such risks."

Song Qingyou glared at him, her cold, phoenix-like eyes hidden behind her sunglasses. She reached out to push him aside and headed straight for the helicopter.

Fu Bei pulled her back. This was the first time he had ever defied her orders. "Madam, it is better if you wait here."

Song Qingyou said nothing, shook off his hand, and headed for the aircraft again.

Fu Bei blocked her path once more, his tone resolute. "Madam, please do not make this difficult for me."

Song Qingyou scolded him coldly, "Fu Bei! I am the one who is your employer now!"

Fu Bei remained expressionless. "Give me one more day. If there is still no news today, I will bring you in tomorrow."

Song Qingyou clenched her hands, then finally took a step back.

As the helicopter flew further and further away, Gu Bai, back in the capital, finally sensed that something was wrong.

Fu Wenzhou’s phone wouldn't connect, and Song Qingyou had vanished from the capital without a trace. It had been nearly a month, and neither of them had shown their faces. Gu Bai felt the situation was far too suspicious. He first called Xu Zezhan, then utilized his connections in the black market to investigate, finally discovering the news of Fu Wenzhou’s disappearance in country Y.

That very night, he and Xu Zezhan boarded a flight directly to country Y.

After several twists and turns, when they finally found Song Qingyou, they almost didn't recognize her. She was wearing sunglasses and a heavy, thick black coat, standing amidst the wind and sand of the wilderness. She had lost so much weight she looked like a skeleton, and there wasn't a hint of vitality left in her. It seemed as if a slightly stronger gust of wind could blow her away.

Gu Bai’s heart sank. He rushed over in a few strides. "How... how are things?"

For some reason, his voice was hoarse. Seeing Song Qingyou in such a state, he couldn't bring himself to ask anything else.

Xu Zezhan followed close behind. "Song—"

He stopped mid-sentence because he saw Song Qingyou remove her sunglasses. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot, and her face was as white as a ghost’s. Xu Zezhan’s expression darkened; he instinctively felt that something was wrong with her. Her gaze was too dead, as if she were a shell without a soul.

Even upon seeing them, she showed no reaction. She only said in a very faint voice, "He hasn't been found yet."

Gu Bai was about to say something in a rush, but Xu Zezhan stopped him. He looked at Song Qingyou and said, "I have already asked my friends here to investigate. There will be news soon. The way you are searching won't work; we need to coordinate with the local police."

Gu Bai added, "That's right, there is strength in numbers."

Song Qingyou shook her head. "He bought firearms. We cannot let the local government know."

Since they had managed to find their way here, it meant they already knew about Fu Wenzhou’s situation, so Song Qingyou had nothing left to hide.

Xu Zezhan was silent; Gu Bai hadn't told him about that. After a long moment, he said, "I understand. I will find some retired mercenaries to go in and search. You come back to the hotel with us first."

They were just as anxious as she was about Fu Wenzhou’s accident, but at the moment, Song Qingyou’s condition was even more critical. If things continued like this, Xu Zezhan feared she would collapse before Fu Wenzhou was ever found.

Song Qingyou put her sunglasses back on. She did not reply, nor did she make a move to leave.

Seeing her unmoved, Xu Zezhan took a deep breath and said, "Do you want him to see you like this when he returns? Song Qingyou, you should go look in a mirror and see what kind of ghost you have turned into."

Song Qingyou’s expression finally showed a subtle change; she furrowed her brows.

Gu Bai quickly chimed in, "We are here now. You don't have to carry this alone. Please, trust us, okay? Besides, Wenzhou wouldn't want to see you like this."

Song Qingyou seemed to think for a long time, or perhaps she only hesitated for a few seconds. "Let's go back."

They were right. Fu Wenzhou wouldn't like her like this. She needed to go back and tidy herself up; otherwise, what if he came back and saw she had become ugly and stopped liking her?