Chapter 347 - 347 231 Missing Population

347: Chapter 231: Missing Population 347: Chapter 231: Missing Population Three days later, in the morning.

In the Third Research Institute on Jiangnan Road, Qionghua City, Jiangnan Province.

In a room on the third floor, a meeting had just concluded, and over a dozen staff members dressed in white lab coats were summarizing the discussion as they walked towards the door.

Two young researchers, who appeared to be on good terms, were walking side by side, still discussing something between them.

“Lately, it seems like the frequency of monster sightings has dropped, hasn’t it?

We haven’t found any abnormal situations in Qionghua City, but I heard that the division in Sanjiao Mei City encountered a tricky one, especially good at hiding, and they still haven’t located it.”

A slightly overweight young man spoke.

“Yes, I heard that it’s like a shadow without a body—wherever it appears, the nearby environment just stinks…

I heard it has already harmed quite a few people, and the folks at that division have been in a complete uproar these past few days.”

Another young man said.

“Yeah, it’s also a good thing we don’t have such monsters here.

I mean, a shadow?

Hard to catch and hard to beat—it’s simply torturous.

It’s just unknown whether sonic and electromagnetic devices could interfere with it, really feel bad for the brothers over there.”

The previously speaking overweight youth patted the other’s shoulder and continued:

“Actually, things aren’t peaceful here either.

It seems like there are some issues again in Sheep Village.

During the meeting, Mr.

Wen asked us to group up and go there for a field investigation this afternoon.

Old Zhang, who do you plan to team up with?”

The one addressed as Old Zhang replied, “Teaming up?

Isn’t that obvious?

You, me, and Guan Liang—we three best buddies together, of course!”

“Haha, absolutely!

By the way, let’s grab lunch on East Crossing Ancient Street next to Jiangnan Road.

I heard there’s a reality show crew filming today, bringing in some big stars.

It’ll be perfect for us to join the fun.”

The slightly overweight youth’s eyes lit up at the mention of the reality show.

“Exactly, I know, it’s the Running Group crew!

There are several guests I really like in there.

It’s just too bad we can only watch the crowd from the outskirts at noon, otherwise I’d definitely go for their autographs.”

The two reached the elevator, intending to go together to the sixth floor.

However, due to the meeting just ending, there were still many other colleagues around, and they missed the elevator, opting to wait there for the next one.

“Speaking of which, Li Ziran, have you seen Guan Liang?

I don’t think I saw him at the meeting just now.

This guy isn’t off today, is he?”

The young man named Zhang inquired.

The slightly overweight one was startled, then said instinctively: “Uh?

Didn’t he come?

I saw him this morning, didn’t I?

If he didn’t come to the meeting, he probably got busy with some other task…”

As soon as he finished speaking, an elderly voice suddenly came from behind.

“Xiao Zhang, Xiao Li, wait a second, I have something to ask you!”

The two turned around and saw an old man in a white lab coat approaching.

“Mr.

Wen.”

They quickly greeted him.

The comer was the vice director of the Third Research Institute, a highly prestigious figure in the industry who had once served as an academician at the national research institution, Wen Songling.

Wen Songling approached quickly, carrying a mobile phone, and began to ask:

“Xiao Zhang, Xiao Li, have you seen Guan Liang?

Director Liu just called saying his family came asking if he’s at the institute.

He hasn’t been home for over a day and isn’t answering his phone.

Have you guys seen him?”

“Hasn’t he been home for a day and a night?”

The two young men were startled; Li Ziran felt a bit baffled, especially since he’d just seen him in the parking garage this morning.

In the morning?

If he was there, what else could he be doing other than coming to work?

Moreover, no one at the office had worked overtime in the last few days, so how could he not have gone home for a day and a night?

Right away, Li Ziran told Mr.

Wen about seeing Guan Liang in the parking garage earlier that morning, which puzzled him even further.

“Did he come, though?

But why didn’t I see him around the institute, Xiao Li, are you sure it was him?

No mistake?”

“No, how could I be mistaken, Mr.

Wen?

You know I’m close with him; I guarantee it was Guan Liang!”

The group looked at each other with confusion, also clueless about what Guan Liang was up to.

“Could it be…

that guy skipped out to watch Running Group?

But that doesn’t make sense either—he wouldn’t just not go home for a day and a night…”

The speculation continued amongst the group, all feeling utterly clueless about Guan Liang’s whereabouts.

However, since his family had come looking at the institute, they couldn’t delay.

The group immediately went down to the basement to check the situation.

“Xiao Li, was this where you saw him?”

In the basement, Mr.

Wen stood by a corner in the parking area and asked.

Li Ziran observed his surroundings carefully, then nodded confidently: “Yes, definitely right here.

There’s a plant growing on the wall here, I clearly remember, he was standing right here facing away from me…”

Saying this, he approached the wall, standing back to the other two, replicating the situation at the time.

From this position, Li Ziran could clearly see the thriving vine in front of him, and his eyes suddenly caught a dilapidated small wooden door behind it, provoking a somewhat absurd idea in his mind.

“Could Guan Liang have not gone to work this morning, staying hidden inside this door?”

This thought barely formed before he dismissed it; it was a storeroom that had been abandoned for years—who would hide there all morning?

The young man surnamed Zhang looked up around and then spoke somewhat dejectedly:

“There’s no surveillance camera here, it’s a blind spot.

Otherwise, we might have seen which direction Guan Liang went.”

Hearing him mention surveillance, Mr.

Wen also immediately snapped back to reality and quickly said:

“Zhang Cheng is right, let’s go to the surveillance room to see if Xiao Guan came today and where he went.”

With that, the three of them hurried to the security department on the second floor to pull up the surveillance records.

The surveillance room was originally manned by a few security guards taking turns, but now, due to the issue with Alien Species and being the institute responsible for related research, the Three Institutes could hardly be manned by just a few guards anymore.

The security level here had greatly increased, now under the charge of Azure Dragon Soldiers from the surrounding area.

As the soldiers heard Mr.

Wen’s request, they immediately turned on the surveillance video, starting from yesterday and going back through each day.