The next morning, when the dawn first appeared, Zhou Yunzhen had no time to take care of the warmth of the morning light, and his eager mood was like a dry land looking forward to the moisture of the rain.

When it was time to go to work, he came to a secluded place, and couldn't wait to take out his mobile phone from his pocket, his fingertips fluttering on Dong Jinshan's name, and the familiar number came into view, as if carrying all his expectations and worries.

Without hesitation, he dialed the phone in Dong Jinshan's office, and when the phone was dialed out, the ringtone echoed in his ears, however, only the cold beeps and endless silence echoed him, and the phone was connected, but no one answered.

What is left is endless silence and suspense.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment, leaving him more and more panicked in the silent response. Zhou Yunzhen was like sitting on pins and needles, his heart hanging in the air, unable to calm down.

Beads of sweat slipped down his tightly locked forehead and rolled down his resolute face silently, reflecting his incomparable nervousness and panic at the moment.

Zhou Yunzhen had to come to the office to work, but fortunately, the director Cai Qichang and the secretary Lu Shanping both went on a business trip.

Throughout the day, although Zhou Yunzhen was at work, his eyes never left the door, looking forward to Zhu Xiongbiao's familiar figure.

However, from the dawn to the waning sun, Zhu Xiongbiao still did not return. The long wait was like torture, and every minute and every second intensified the anxiety and worry in his heart.

His eyes wandered around the room, trying for a clue or comfort, but to no avail.

At this time, his thoughts were flying, constantly imagining various possibilities, and one of the most frightening speculations gradually occupied his mind: Could it be that Dong Jinshan and Zhu Xiongbiao encountered an accident at the same time? Are they already in some unknown crisis?

These speculations hung over him like a haze, making it even more difficult to calm down the already anxious emotions.

Could it be that Dong Jinshan and Zhu Xiongbiao, two crucial figures, encountered an unknown crisis at the same time? Have they both been caught in some unpredictable predicament, facing uncertain perils of life and death?

The night fell like thick ink, but Zhu Xiongbiao was still nowhere to be found, as if swallowed by darkness and disappeared somewhere in this world.

Zhou Yunzhen spent a long waiting time in anxiety, his nerves were like a tight bowstring, his heart was burning, and he was always ready to meet the worst news.

This tension and worry grabbed his throat like an invisible hand, and finally, under the pressure of exhaustion, his barely supported body could no longer resist the onslaught of sleepiness, and he fell into a groggy sleep.

However, the dream did not bring him the slightest peace.

On this deep night, Zhou Yunzhen was suddenly awakened from his dream by a rapid and violent knock on the door, the sound was like a thunderbolt, piercing people's hearts through the silent night.

His heart froze, and he instantly bounced up from the bed, and the panic in his heart was surging like a violent wind and waves, as if there was a cold air rushing from the soles of his feet to the heavenly spirit cover, and he subconsciously blurted out: "What happened?" ”

He muttered to himself, full of doubt and vigilance, and got out of bed and hurried towards the door.

Zhou Yunzhen came to the door, and he whispered: "Who are you?" Why did the third watch knock on the door in the middle of the night? ”

The voice echoed through the empty room, a little nervous and uneasy.

A familiar and anxious voice came from outside the door, and the words of answer were like pebbles thrown into the lake, breaking the silence of the night: "It's me! ”

Zhou Yunzhen heard that it was Zhu Xiongbiao's unique voice, which made Zhou Yunzhen's expression change from surprise to surprise.

"Why did you come back at this time? Is there something urgent going on? ”

"It's hard to say, you open the door, I'll say it in detail." Zhu Xiongbiao's answer was concise and firm, and the sound of heavy breathing passed through the wooden door, indicating his exhaustion and nervousness.

"Good!" Zhou Yunzhen responded without hesitation, he turned on the light in the room, and then quickly walked to the door, holding the doorknob, and opened the door cautiously.

With a soft "squeak", under the moonlight, Zhu Xiongbiao, who was dusty and tired outside the door, appeared in front of him.

Seeing this, Zhou Yunzhen quickly pulled him into the room, and then turned around and walked to the wooden coffee table, on which was a set of simple and elegant purple sand tea sets.

He skillfully boiled water in an electric kettle to make tea, and the steaming water vapor with the fragrance of tea instantly filled the entire room.

A moment later, a cup of piping hot fragrant tea was held firmly in his hand, and the heat on it was as vivid as an ink painting.

"Sit down, Lao Zhu, take a sip of tea first, things will come slowly, don't be in a hurry." Zhou Yunzhen's words were full of gentleness and patience, and he handed the hot tea in his hand to Zhu Xiongbiao, his eyes full of trust in his friend.

However, Zhu Xiongbiao was so anxious that before the tea cooled, he poured the whole cup of hot tea into his mouth in one go, and the hot water made him can't help but scream, and his face instantly turned red.

This scene made Zhou Yunzhen smile bitterly, feeling sorry for his impulsiveness, but also helpless about his upright character.

So, Zhou Yunzhen couldn't help but feel a burst of pity in his heart, he got up again, and thoughtfully poured a cup of warm water with a moderate temperature for Zhu Xiongbiao.

This time, Zhu Xiongbiao learned to be obedient, although he still drank it all, he was no longer scalded and grinned, but savored the sweetness and warmth that flowed between his lips and teeth.

After this moment of silent buffering, Zhu Xiongbiao finally slowly opened the chatterbox, as if revealing a dusty memory. He said in a deep voice: "With the crucial letter you entrusted to me, I rode a motorcycle to the detachment headquarters, and under the guidance of others, I went straight to the supervision room to find Director Dong. ”

"However, fate played a small joke on me, and the receptionist told me that Director Dong was summoned to the provincial bureau for urgent official business to attend an important meeting of the department, and he would not be able to return until tomorrow."

"In desperation, I had to put aside my anxiety for the time being, find a guest house nearby to settle down, and wait patiently for the next day."

"Early the next morning, I came to the detachment's monitoring room early and waited religiously like a believer, however, the hour hand turned round and round until the sun was slanting in the west, until the bell rang for the end of work in the afternoon, and the people in the office were scattered, and I never saw Director Dong."

"Faced with such a situation, I did not choose to give up, but decided to take the initiative. When night fell, I resolutely went to visit Director Dong's home. ”

"The moment I knocked on his door, Director Dong's wife told me the unexpected news - he had gone to Hengling City to meet an old classmate he hadn't seen for many years, and he was expected to return late at night."