Chapter Six: Told a Lie

According to the information provided by Fang Da, although Fang Wan was only a fourth grader, his parents had enrolled him in numerous extracurricular classes.

"Children these days really do have it tough. The schools try to lighten the load, but the parents pile it right back on. Fang Wan is just in fourth grade, and he's already attending English prep classes meant for first-year middle school students!" When they arrived at the tutoring center where Fang Wan attended classes, they happened to encounter a crowd of parents dropping off their children. The sidewalk and the roadside in front of the center, already not very spacious, were packed with cars and people. An Changpu had no choice but to park temporarily across the street, glancing diagonally at the bustling entrance and feeling a sense of disbelief.

"They all say they're afraid their child will lose at the starting line, but in the end, that's just some parents being naïve," Qin Ruonan shook her head. "Whether for people or animals, true fairness never exists. From the moment a child is born, so many factors—innate and acquired—have already curved the starting line before them. No amount of tutoring will ever completely catch them up. Besides, a diligent child will learn well in class, while one who slacks off won't gain much even if you send them to extra lessons—it's just paying for them to while away their time."

"Your view may sound a bit pessimistic, but there's some truth to it," An Changpu said, stroking his chin in agreement with Qin Ruonan.

After a while, the parents who had dropped off their kids gradually left, and the entrance to the tutoring center grew quiet again. Only then did An Changpu and Qin Ruonan get out of the car and cross the street, pushing open the door to the center.

This was a fairly large tutoring center, with programs neatly categorized and spanning a wide range of grade levels. Upon entering, they were greeted by a spacious reception area, where several young people in matching uniforms sat behind the desk. Above the desk was an electronic display showing the start times and teachers for the various classes.

As soon as they walked in, and seeing that the newcomers were both adults, one of the receptionists immediately stood up with a professional smile. After quickly sizing them up, she seemed to suspect they weren’t there to inquire about classes for their own children and tentatively asked, “Hello, how can I help you? Are you here to ask about classes for a relative, or are you applying for a teaching position?” As she spoke, her hand rested near a recruitment flyer for instructors posted on the desk.

“Neither,” An Changpu said, producing his credentials and handing them over. “We’d like some information about a student here named Fang Wan. He’s a boy, ten years old.”

“Fang Wan?” The receptionist glanced at An Changpu’s credentials and politely returned them. She then pulled out several rosters from under the counter and began searching according to the gender and age provided. The others behind the desk, realizing the police were here for an inquiry, watched curiously but refrained from asking questions aloud.

Before long, the receptionist found Fang Wan’s name. She ran her finger down the chart, then looked up and said, “We only handle registration and class placement here. If you need specific details, I’ll help you contact his instructors. Fang Wan is signed up for elementary school Chinese, math, and English, as well as a middle school English prep class. I just checked and two of his teachers are currently teaching. Would you like to speak to the other two now, or wait?”

“Could you check which class Fang Wan was scheduled for on Monday evening, and whether that teacher is available now?” Qin Ruonan requested.

The receptionist nodded in understanding, consulted the timetable, and dialed a few internal numbers. The call was quickly answered.

“Hello, this is the front desk. Is Ms. Xu there? Oh, good, please ask her to wait a moment, there are two people here to see her—they’ll be right up.” She then pointed to the stairs beside the desk. “Fang Wan had math class that evening. Ms. Xu, the teacher, was about to go to dinner, but I asked her to wait. Please go upstairs, take a right, and it’s the third door.”

Qin Ruonan thanked her, and together with An Changpu climbed the stairs, turned right, and found the third door, labeled “Break Room for Grades 1-5.”

An Changpu knocked. At once, there was a response from inside, and they entered. The break room was not large, with a row of lockers along the wall and no desks—just a few sofas and a coffee table. At the moment, there were three people inside: one pacing by the window on the phone, another rummaging through a locker, and a third sitting on a sofa, reading a magazine with reading glasses perched on her nose.

“Excuse me, which one of you is Ms. Xu?” An Changpu asked.

The woman at the locker, who appeared to be in her early forties, turned around and replied, “I am.”

Having already been notified by the front desk, Ms. Xu was not surprised to have visitors. However, judging by her expression, seeing the age of An Changpu and Qin Ruonan left her with the same doubts as the receptionist.

Qin Ruonan quickly explained their purpose. Ms. Xu was very cooperative, immediately closing her locker and inviting them to sit on the sofas.

“Please don’t mind the setting—this is just how it is here. Since there are no permanent teachers, only part-timers who come and go as needed, the facilities are minimal. Let’s make do and have our talk here,” she said, twisting around in her single armchair to face the two officers seated on the small sofa.

An Changpu and Qin Ruonan assured her they didn’t mind. After they revealed their identities, the teacher who’d been reading on the sofa tactfully slipped out. Now, apart from the person still absorbed in a phone call, only Ms. Xu remained. She asked if they wanted the caller to step out as well, but they declined, since their inquiry was routine and involved nothing confidential.

Upon hearing that one of her students had gone missing, Ms. Xu looked deeply concerned, repeatedly asking whether it was a case of kidnapping or abduction. Her worry was no less than that of Fang Da or Qian Yuling.

“I teach the math class here, but my main job is as a math teacher and homeroom instructor at another elementary school. When you mentioned Fang Wan was missing, I got worried. There are so many news stories these days about missing children—it’s terrifying. If there’s trouble in our city, I’ll need to warn my own students’ parents early,” Ms. Xu said, showing herself to be a meticulous person who quickly connected Fang Wan’s disappearance to broader concerns.

Qin Ruonan had to explain that the nature of the case was still under investigation, and their immediate task was to clarify Fang Wan’s last known movements.

“Normally, he should have come to class that day, but he didn’t,” Ms. Xu replied firmly.

“You don’t need to double-check? Four days have passed, and the time he was last seen is very important to us.” Her quick answer seemed questionable, so An Changpu suggested she confirm.

Ms. Xu got up and fetched the attendance book from her locker, flipping through it as she spoke. “I understand, but I’m certain. I only work here two evenings a week—Monday and Friday. I’ve taught Fang Wan’s class since it started in first grade. He joined in second grade and I’ve taught him ever since—I know him well.”

She found the attendance record for Monday and handed it to them. “See? He definitely didn’t come. I remember correctly.”

An Changpu checked, then passed the book to Qin Ruonan, who flipped back a few pages and asked, “Fang Wan’s absences seem quite frequent?”

“They are. Some people say ‘three days fishing, two days drying nets’—well, he’s more like ‘two days fishing, three days drying nets!’” Ms. Xu shook her head in exasperation. “I’ve hinted to his father before that forcing a child who dislikes these classes does no good, but he insists tutoring is helpful. I can’t say too much—after all, to criticize is to cut into someone’s business, and that could affect me as well.”

“When Fang Wan skips class, do you notify his parents?” An Changpu asked.

Ms. Xu gave a wry smile. “The rules here are that I submit the attendance to the staff, and it’s up to them to contact parents. As a teacher, I only teach; I don’t get involved in other matters. You see, this is just a side job for all of us—we do what’s required and nothing more. I’ve met Fang Wan’s father a few times when he picks up his son. Judging by his manner, he probably has no idea his boy skips class.”

“Have you ever met any other family members? Has his stepmother ever picked him up?”

“Stepmother? Fang Wan comes from a divorced family?” Ms. Xu was surprised at first, then her face cleared. “That explains it! No wonder I’ve only ever seen his father—never any other adults from his family.”

Qin Ruonan frowned, her gaze falling on the blank space beside Fang Wan’s name in Monday’s attendance sheet. She thought to herself, Fang Wan clearly lied about coming to class, but if he wasn’t here, where did he go?