Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 973: Chapter 17: Lost (7)

“The phone can’t be reached, I don’t know what’s going on.”

In the hotel room, Song Ying frowned as she looked at Song Haoran—she had just tried calling Luo Qiu three times in a row, but each time the call didn’t go through.

“Should we notify Grandpa?” Song Ying anxiously asked Song Haoran.

Song Haoran seemed lost in thought and only looked up when he heard Song Ying’s question, saying, “No need, let’s go look for him ourselves. He might just be unable to sleep and wandering around outside. Dad is already asleep, so there’s no need to wake him up.”

“Then I’ll have Uncle Wu send someone to search.” Song Ying nodded, agreeing with Song Haoran’s suggestion.

However, Song Haoran shook his head and said, “Probably Uncle Wu wouldn’t dare keep anything from Dad now, so let’s not notify him… I’m more suited to finding people.”

Song Ying was taken aback, suddenly recalling Song Haoran’s uncanny intuition that seemed blessed by the goddess of luck—indeed, Song Haoran had always been mysteriously convincing with his terrifying intuition.

Song Haoran patted Song Ying’s head and smiled, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely find Luo Qiu for you, no need to panic.”

“What do you mean find him for me!?”

Song Haoran just chuckled, “Let’s hurry, if he goes too far, even I won’t find him.”

“Though you say so, how exactly do we search?” Song Ying sighed in frustration, “We have no leads.”

“First, let’s ask around in places like the security room.” Song Haoran suddenly suggested, “That kid didn’t he have a child’s backpack when he came back?”

“Backpack?” Song Ying froze, realizing, “Paul’s?

Song Haoran nodded, “That backpack isn’t in the room, so Luo Qiu probably took it out. Maybe he planned to return it to its owner, or he brought it to the security room or someplace similar.”

Actually, he’s quite reliable, Song Ying nodded… if he were more serious, he’d be perfect.

…

…

It was probably in a small eatery known as ‘Xiao Long Tang’ which had already closed for the night. Qiao An was lying on a soft seat inside the restaurant.

She gradually came back to her senses and looked around the room—she was evidently perplexed by her surroundings, even showing fear.

At the same time, she felt extremely weak, with no strength at all—suddenly, it seemed as if she remembered something and reached to touch her body.

Her clothes were gone, replaced by a large coat, a men’s style—and clearly not Agumos’s.

But she was only wearing underwear underneath… surely any woman would feel uneasy in such a situation.

“You’re awake.”

Suddenly, a man’s voice emerged from behind her.

Qiao An turned around in fright, seeing a young man walking over with a bag in hand. This made Qiao An incredibly nervous and scared, “You… what do you want? What did you do to me? Don’t, don’t come closer…”

“Uh… why not put some clothes on first?” The young man… Luo Qiu at this moment put the bag down, “Maybe first put on some clothes, I’ll wait outside.”

“You…” Qiao An opened her mouth.

“Oh, by the way, I already paid for the clothes.” Luo Qiu pointed to a fashion shop downstairs that had already closed, then left leisurely to wait outside the restaurant.

Despite still feeling uneasy, Qiao An was more troubled by the almost lack of clothes on her. She had no choice but to pick up the bag, and squatting beneath the seat, she quickly put on the clothes while keeping an eye on the young man standing outside the restaurant, with his back turned to her.

Well, the style was average, but not objectionable.

Qiao An, somewhat surprised, looked at herself now clothed again; it was a checkered shirt with dark blue jeans.

“How did you…” After changing, Qiao An anxiously came over to Luo Qiu, “How did you end up here? Weren’t you with your girlfriend at the security room?”

Luo Qiu turned back to gaze at Qiao An for a while, then suddenly said, “Judging by your words, the one with us at the security room was you just now?”

“With you just now?” Qiao An frowned, “What are you talking about?”

Luo Qiu shook his head, then abruptly asked, “Nothing… When I found you, you were abandoned in the restroom, without clothes even… I planned to alert the airport security, but they seem pretty busy now. You might not know, but while you were passed out, there was an explosion here, reportedly killing a woman. It’s said her death was horrific; the perpetrator cruelly stripped her of her face.”

Qiao An was shocked upon hearing this.

Luo Qiu continued, “Since you’re awake, you should go make a report. By the way, do you know why you passed out? Do you remember who knocked you out?”

“I don’t know who,”

Qiao An swiftly shook her head, “I intended to avoid those two security guards and went out, but in the restroom, someone suddenly covered my mouth and nose with something from behind, and then… I don’t recall. Agumos, where is Agumos!?”

“Probably at XX Airlines’ temporary workstation.”

Luo Qiu replied casually, “I heard the broadcast say Miss Joanne was to head there after hearing it. If you go missing, your male friend would probably be concerned too. Hearing the broadcast might prompt him to head over… Want to go?”

“Why would the broadcast be looking for me?” Qiao An asked puzzledly, keeping her distance from Luo Qiu—having only met him briefly at the security room, she didn’t know who this young man was.

“Unfortunately, when I found you, all your belongings were gone,” Luo Qiu shook his head, “otherwise, you might have used your phone to contact Mr. Agumos and perhaps learned something.”

“Could you lend me your phone?”

“Of course.”

Qiao An took the phone and immediately dialed—but even though it connected, it rang with no answer.

Qiao An’s expression grew tense with worry.

“No one is answering…” Qiao An looked fearfully at Luo Qiu.

Luo Qiu stated calmly, “Let’s file a report. After all, you were attacked.”

“I’ll first find my friend,” Qiao An shook her head, glanced at Luo Qiu, and suddenly said, “If it’s just some missing belongings, it doesn’t really matter. You’re aware of my status; once reported… I don’t want the media to know.”

While speaking, Qiao An tightly gripped her arm, quivering as she said, “In the past, there have been stars stripped and photographed… you understand, right?”

For a celebrity encountering issues, keeping it under wraps seems an inevitable reality… such is the reason.

“I understand.” Luo Qiu gave a slight smile, then glanced at Qiao An’s feet—she had rushed out, not wearing any shoes, “Not wearing shoes?”

Qiao An was startled, looking at her feet, realizing she indeed hadn’t put on shoes, and felt somewhat embarrassed.

“There’s a pair of shoes in the bag,” Luo Qiu said indifferently, “flat shoes, I believe they should be suitable for you to move around.”

“Thank you…” Qiao An nodded.

…

…

Ring, as long as there are other rings…

She thought this, and the thought gradually corroded some things… The black-clad Qiao An was holding Paul in her arms, her head lowered, sitting on a deserted staircase step.

Is the reason to achieve the life I want by killing myself?

The mysterious young man’s words still echoed… Perhaps others would find it difficult to understand the meaning of these words. But the black-clad Qiao An clearly understood—and also knew the specific method of operation.

The root of everything lies in this emerald green Nameless Ring that I possess.

The Eye of Horus, the name of this ring.

And the day the entire world of the black-clad Qiao An became chaotic was the day that crazy woman appeared before her with the Eye of Horus Ring also on her hand… That woman who had the exact same appearance, surname, and possibly even the same essence as her, but a different life.

Another self.

Yes, it was that day… the day she and Paul parted, in that car accident, she suddenly appeared in a similar world that also had her but was completely different.

According to her own understanding, if she considered the world she was in as World 1, then the world she suddenly transferred to during the car accident would be World 2, and that crazy woman… that crazy self likely came from an unknown World 3.

The self from World 3 directly killed the self from World 2, then made the self from World 1 witness the process.

The black-clad Qiao An also saw how her self from World 3 calmly left after killing her self from World 2—using this Eye of Horus Ring.

She wants to go back, to return to her World 1.

But she cannot freely use the Eye of Horus Ring she possesses. In the limited instances of hopping between different worlds, she has never been able to return to her original World 1.

Until she came here—however, the energy of the Eye of Horus Ring she possesses has been exhausted.

It’s terrifying.

Really terrifying.

Whenever she thought of that Qiao An from World 3 constantly killing her other selves in different worlds, the black-clad Qiao An always felt a chill from the bottom of her heart.

That self… no, that woman is a complete madwoman, her inside is a completely rotten soul, she couldn’t possibly be me!!

She leaped through numerous worlds, replacing herself in many worlds, and then suddenly leaped away… what exactly is her purpose?

If it weren’t for that car accident in her original World 1, where she inadvertently hopped into World 2 and peeped into this scene, then one day the self in World 1, without this crazy Qiao An, this unknown Qiao An, would have come knocking, and then…

And then, to kill and replace?

The black-clad Qiao An dared not think much further… she could only instinctively resist.

Not only did she need to smoothly return to World 1, but she also needed to prevent this crazy Qiao An from successfully leaping again—the ring, she must snatch all of the Eye of Horus from the hands of the crazy Qiao An.

Or…

Kill!

Kill!

“No one can separate us, Paul.” The black-clad Qiao An at this moment hugged Paul tightly—the child must have been exhausted all day long and had already fallen asleep.

“Mommy will be back soon.”

The black-clad Qiao An settled Paul comfortably and then removed her coat, covering Paul with it. Wearing only a white sweater, she took out a scarf, wrapped it over her chin and mouth, and quickly left.

Broadcast.

She had already heard the airport broadcast looking for Qiao An.

…

“Aren’t we going to the place mentioned in the broadcast?” Agumos looked somewhat surprised at where they were at the moment.

This was clearly not the route leading to the place mentioned in the broadcast.

“I don’t want to go there anymore.” Qiao An shook her head, “There must be a crowd over there. We’ll call later to ask what’s going on. If it’s something that can be solved verbally, there’s no need to go in person, right?”

Agumos nodded and suggested, “How about we go to the arrivals hall? The checked luggage should be there. Let’s see if we can retrieve it, so it’ll be convenient for us to leave later, without everyone rushing to get their luggage.”

“Mm!” Qiao An nodded happily and sighed, “I really hope I can go home right away, lie on the bed, and not have to think about anything.”

A woman in a white sweater with a scarf wrapped around the lower half of her face passed by Qiao An and Agumos at this moment.

Agumos suddenly stopped, turning back to look at the woman in a white sweater who passed by.

“What’s wrong?” Qiao An looked at Agumos puzzledly, then also looked at the back of the woman in the white sweater, subconsciously frowning.

“Nothing, it feels like I’ve seen her somewhere before.” Agumos shook his head, “Maybe it’s an illusion… never mind, let’s go.”

Qiao An nodded and looked back at the woman in the white sweater, but she had already disappeared at the corner.

But just as the two turned to continue on their way, they were suddenly bumped from behind—both Agumos and Qiao An were knocked to the ground.

Agumos looked up in panic and saw that the woman in the white sweater, who had supposedly passed by, was now straddling Qiao An and strangling her neck.

“What are you doing!”

Agumos, both shocked and angry, immediately rushed forward, pushing the woman in the white sweater off to the ground.

“Qiao An!” Agumos quickly helped Qiao An up.

Qiao An was seen coughing difficultly.

And at this moment, the woman in the white sweater quickly stood up from the ground.

Agumos angrily yelled at this woman, “Are you crazy? We know… Qiao, Qiao An? Why is it…”

As she stood up from the ground, the scarf on her neck loosened, revealing her true face… At this moment, her gaze met directly with Agumos’s.

“…Two Qiao An?” Agumos instinctively looked at the Qiao An he had just shielded behind him.

But in that instant, he felt a terrible pain spreading from his abdominal area—spreading rapidly.

Agumos, in disbelief, looked at his abdominal area.

The Qiao An behind him… the Qiao An who had not long ago said she wanted to get married, now had cold eyes and held a small fork in her hand, stabbing into his abdomen.

“Finally found a very good world, but why… why is it still so difficult?”

Qiao An looked at Agumos with an expressionless face, “Since that’s the case, then let’s destroy it, dear.”

Agumos held his stomach in pain, collapsing to the ground.