Zhuo Hao, while driving, remarked, "The cars are borrowed from the Martial Arts Association. There aren't many, and we hadn't anticipated such prolonged snow, so we hadn't considered the transportation issue."

"Was the car Shao Qi drove yesterday one of these?"

"Yes. I noticed one car was missing from the garage. This type of vehicle is more suitable for the outskirts. It's a military-grade snowmobile. The Jiangnan Base probably didn't expect such heavy snow in previous years. While common in the north, they're expensive."

"Are there civilian versions?"

"Yes, but they're much pricier than regular cars. On snowy days, few people venture out, so there's limited demand for snowmobiles."

Having seen the capabilities of the snowmobile, Zhou You was quite intrigued and considered buying one for himself. It might be invaluable on snowy days when even taxis wouldn't operate.

However, even the best vehicles move slowly in snow. Guided by Long Gan in the lead car, they took almost two hours to reach the orphanage.

Rows of low-rise industrial buildings stretched before them. The orphanage stood out, nestled between them. It was a tall building with a small courtyard, enclosed by a wall and bearing a signboard.

They didn't drive up to the orphanage but stopped a distance away.

"The boss's vehicle is yellow and quite conspicuous. It should be easy to spot."

Zhou You chuckled, "If he came here for an investigation, wouldn't arriving in such a noticeable vehicle blow his cover? As for us, our three cars parked side by side would be easily seen from afar."

Miao Miao tried calling Shao Qi again without success. "Could he have parked elsewhere and walked here?" she wondered.

Zhou You pulled up the electronic map and scanned the surrounding terrain. Shaking his head, he said, "I don't know, but at least you should tell me what he might have been after. What was his purpose in coming to the Jiangnan Base?"

He thought he knew Shao Qi well, assuming that Shao Qi's primary mission to Jiangnan Base was just to assess the situation. He believed Shao Qi stayed only because of the heavy snow, and that he could make the most of even the most mundane days.

But now it seemed that perhaps Shao Qi had a specific goal from the beginning, and he was just unaware of it.

Miao Miao was also in the dark, innocently saying, "We don't know either. We were just brought in as temporary bodyguards. We have no idea why he came here. But if he came here because of something Cheng Zi'ang said, does that mean Cheng Zi'ang knows something?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Cheng Suyan, who, startled, quickly shook her head: "I know nothing. I just relayed a message for my uncle."

Zhou You thought, since we are already here, we might as well look around. "Let's split up and search. It's getting dark. Everyone should meet back here in half an hour."

No one objected. They divided into pairs and began their search. One advantage of the snowfall was that it's hard to hide footprints. The snow-covered terrain was easily readable. As they were in a suburban area, not many people were out, and occasionally they'd see a car or two covered in snow.

Zhou You, using his intuition, found nothing. Walking with Zhuo Hao, he suggested, "Should we check out the orphanage?"

Zhuo Hao nodded, "Sure, didn't you donate a significant amount of money there? We can say we're visiting the children."

"Go in empty-handed?" Zhou You felt it would be awkward.

"There's nothing more concrete than money."

Approaching the orphanage's main entrance, they noticed the door was blocked by snow. It looked impassable without clearing, so they abandoned the idea of entering. "Shao Qi couldn't have climbed over the wall, could he?"

"It's odd. Didn't someone get interviewed here yesterday?" Zhou You closed his eyes and peered inside. The orphanage was quiet. People were mostly in the upper floors, with some children attending classes. Everything seemed normal.

"That was the president of the charity foundation. While their primary project is the orphanage, he's not the head of the orphanage. He visits maybe once a month."

"Do you think the donation was put to good use? Given the significant amount, they should've immediately allocated it here. But look, not even a transport vehicle in sight, and the snow at the entrance suggests it hasn't been cleared in days."

Zhuo Hao was at a loss for words. Corruption has always existed, but since the donation was in Zhou You's name, he had a right to know where the money went.

"You could call and inquire," he suggested. "They should have an initial budget plan and expenses breakdown. If anything seems off, you can ask for evidence."

Zhou You contemplated and decided to send Long Gan to make inquiries. Surely someone in his squad had liaised with the charity.

After another round of searching, they found nothing, especially with the snow covering potential clues. They circled back to the starting point, and the other four had also returned, equally unsuccessful.

"My gut tells me Shao Qi must be around here," Zhou You leaned against the car, looking at a vast factory in front.

"But wouldn't he have reached out by now? Unless he's trapped. His phone isn't off, so he should be free."

"It's likely he's in a signal-dead zone. But this place doesn't seem to have such areas. Could we be searching in the wrong spot?"

Cheng Suyan hesitantly asked, "Should we go back and ask my uncle?"

"It would be a waste of time," scoffed Miao Miao. "Let's head back. Shao Qi can handle himself. We can strategize there." With the city's energy-saving initiatives, the streetlights remained off, leaving the surroundings in darkness.