★**super popular suspense novel**:The work once topped the Asian Bestseller List! Over 3.6 million fans are still following and reading!

★**Popular Author's New Suspense Novel**:The latest social suspense masterpiece by the author "My Reading Shadow ID" (Weibo blogger with 3.9 million followers) after "Because of Love Time Difference"!

★**Must-Read Recommended by Celebrities**: Recommended by popular suspense novelists Wuge, Guishu (Cai Bigui), Ning Hangyi, and Yue Yong!

★ A heartwarming version of "The Bad Kids", with a tense atmosphere like an American TV drama, as exciting as works by Keigo Higashino!
One heart - rending past, three life outcomes, five deadly games, seven days to uncover the truth!

★ A book that helps you understand what humanity and society are.

Sometimes, a seemingly insignificant event can become the key factor that changes one's fate.

Detective fiction writer Gao Nan was threatened by a bomb at a book signing event, and later his daughter was kidnapped by the kidnapper, who proposed that Gao Nan play five games with him within seven days. If Gao Nan could successfully pass the games, his daughter would be returned to him.

As Gao Nan outwits the kidnapper, a kidnapping case from ten years ago gradually comes to light. The explosion, the kidnapping from ten years ago, and the two recent kidnappings—these cases seem independent, but Gao Nan and his detective friend Mi Feng sense a web of connections between them.

Gao Nan's life also became more and more chaotic due to this series of events. His ex-wife, whom he loved dearly but divorced due to poor communication; his daughter, who suffers from developmental and behavioral disorders; his classmate and good friend, the police captain; the eccentric female fan; the convict he sent to prison ten years ago, who is now released and bankrupt; and the young fan brother who shares his interests and is proficient in computer operations...
These people, these relationships all appeared around him in the kidnapping case of his daughter. Who is an ally and who is an enemy?

The omnipresent eyes, the impeccable traps, the bizarre demands, the brain - power confrontations, and the collisions of intelligence. On one side is the criminal mastermind, and on the other side is the reasoning genius - the showdown between the masters, how can one outdo the other? What will the truth be after peeling back the layers?

But in the end, he found that the culprit was actually his close friend! How should he choose? Gao Nan was deep in thought at the crossroads...

My Reading Shadow ID (Shen Kuang)

Real name: Shen Kuang. Weibo blogger with 3.9 million followers. He operates multiple Weibo marketing accounts, including a reading email box, a reading official website, and My Reading Little Jacket.
A literary youth who graduated from a science and engineering university, he likes to sit quietly in a corner in the afternoon, type out the beautiful stories in his heart, and share them with everyone.
He has published best - selling books such as "Because of Love Time Difference" and essays like "Jingshe on Eating".
His writing is delicate and warm, and his works are deeply loved by readers.

Prologue / 001
Chapter 1: Bomb at the Venue / 004
Chapter 2: Kidnapping Case / 025
Chapter 3: Life - and - Death Pursuit / 048
Chapter 4: Case Reversal / 068
Chapter 5: Gao Man Missing / 088
Chapter 6: Cat and Mouse Game / 107
Chapter 7: Media Intervention / 128
Chapter 8: Betting on Dignity / 150
Chapter 9: Grasping the Pattern / 172
Chapter 10: Clues / 187
Chapter 11: Coming to the Surface / 207
Chapter 12: Clearing the Fog / 227
Epilogue / 246
Mini - Drama / 251

Preface

In the dark, a beam of light shuttles through the steel and concrete. It's Xing Lu running with a flashlight in an abandoned factory area. He is sweating profusely and breathing heavily. It seems that the only sounds in the entire factory area are his footsteps and breathing.
The light in his hand gradually dims. The flashlight is about to run out of power. He doesn't know if it can support him to continue searching.
Just as Xing Lu thought he was going to blend into the darkness here, a sound of closing the circuit breaker suddenly rang out behind him. A strong light lit up behind him, and then the roar of the motor also suddenly rose. The noise was almost deafening. The abandoned steel plant seemed to come to life like an iron - clad giant, suddenly started to operate, and returned to its former hustle and bustle. It even made people feel that workers in overalls would walk around here in the next second.
Xing Lu turned around and ran towards the factory building that was flashing with strong light.
He rushed in and looked around. The roar made him feel anxious.

"Li Chengyu! Come out! Say what you want to say face to face!"
Xing Lu shouted with all his might, trying to have the last chance of negotiation.
"Li Chengyu! Li Chengyu!"
A shrill roar, as if it could pierce the eardrums, sounded in the factory. It covered the roar of the machines running inside the factory.
"Police officer, long time no see," a voice came from the loudspeaker after the shrill noise.

Xing Lu ran to the control room. Only there was the loudspeaker. Li Chengyu must be there!
However, when Xing Lu kicked open the door of the control room, he found no one inside. There was only an old - fashioned tape recorder on the loudspeaker's microphone, playing the recorded sound in a loop.
"Police officer, long time no see... Police officer, hello..."
The control console was at the end of the factory. Xing Lu stood on it and looked around. He was sure that Li Chengyu must be nearby!


Suddenly, a little girl's cry started. Xing Lu was shocked. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Li Chengyu had tied Xing Jiajia to a chair suspended in mid - air. And below the chair was the rolling molten steel.
Li Chengyu looked up at Xing Lu. He was holding a pair of scissors in his hand. As long as the scissors cut the rope on the chair... Xing Lu couldn't bear to think about it!
The molten steel was scorching. If a person fell into it, they would be melted into nothing in an instant.

A drop of sweat slid down Xing Lu's forehead. He told himself to stay calm. If Li Chengyu really wanted to kill Xing Jiajia, he didn't have to go through so much trouble to bring him here.
Xing Lu suppressed his panic and asked, "Li Chengyu, let my daughter go. I can give you whatever you want!"
Li Chengyu slowly ground the rope with the scissors. Xing Lu's heart also seemed to be ground by the scissors.
Li Chengyu said in a playful tone, "Me? I want your life... If you don't want her to go down, you go down!"
Xing Jiajia's crying grew louder and louder.

Xing Lu continued, "Okay, I promise you, but let her down first."
Li Chengyu nodded and actually obediently started to untie the rope. Li Chengyu seemed to be seriously untying the rope, but in fact, once the rope was untied, Xing Jiajia, who had no safety measures, would instantly fall into the molten steel.
Xing Lu shouted, "Stop! Li Chengyu! Don't play tricks!"
Li Chengyu stopped what he was doing and laughed.
"Not stupid! Police officer Xing, you actually found out! Well, let's play rock - paper - scissors seriously. If you win, I'll let her go. If you lose, I'll cut this rope with a pair of scissors. How about that?"
Xing Lu clenched his fists, looked at him, and tried to stay rational, "Are there any other choices?"
Li Chengyu smiled and said, "Yes, I can cut this rope right now."
Xing Lu knew that he had no other choice at the moment. He had to bet everything and play a life - and - death game with Li Chengyu.

Li Chengyu laughed evilly. Against the background of the molten steel, he looked like a demon from hell...
"I'll count down from three to one, and we'll make our moves together."
Xing Lu nodded.
Li Chengyu laughed, as if celebrating his victory in advance.
"Three, two..."
"One!"
...