Chapter 32: Officer Nick Sent from Above

The following afternoon, Lin Xiao, Will, Dustin, Lucas, Nancy, Steve, and Barbara all gathered at Chief Hope’s cabin to discuss how to find Michael.

The area within a three to four kilometer radius had already been searched repeatedly, but there was no trace of Michael. Eleven continuously used her psychic abilities, but still failed to locate him.

Chief Hope continued to lead search parties nearby and found one of Michael’s sneakers, stained with blood, which nearly drove the Wheelers to a mental breakdown.

Eleven was also emotionally unstable, crying incessantly and blaming herself for leaving Michael behind and running back, which led to his mysterious disappearance.

Nancy sobbed quietly, reproaching herself for having always neglected Michael. Now that he was missing, she realized how much she had failed as a sister and hadn’t fulfilled any of her responsibilities.

The mood in the room was heavy with gloom. Lin Xiao frowned, having long sensed that something would happen soon, but he hadn’t expected it to be Michael who was affected. It was beyond his expectations.

The adversary lurking in the shadows was like a predator hiding in the night—striking precisely, then vanishing without a trace, leaving no clues behind, much like a seasoned hunter adept at concealing his tracks.

“Who exactly took Michael?” he wondered, when the sound of a car engine came from outside. Everyone rushed out of the house.

Chief Hope stepped out of the car. The rear door opened, and two young men—one white, one black—emerged from the back seat.

“Let me introduce you: these are Officer Nick Reinhardt from Atlanta, and his assistant, Eddie Griffin.

They specialize in missing children cases and have extensive experience, having recovered dozens of lost children. They came specifically to help search for Michael.”

The Wheelers hurried forward to greet them and explain Michael’s situation. The two responded with practiced professionalism, clearly experts in their field.

Watching the group gather, Lin Xiao was puzzled. Atlanta was the capital of Georgia; it would take at least a day to get here. How did they arrive so quickly?

Moreover, how did they hear about Michael’s disappearance? Was it Chief Hope who called for help? But from the chief’s attitude, he didn’t seem well acquainted with them.

Guided by the Wheelers, the two detectives headed to the site of Michael’s disappearance, accompanied by Eleven, Nancy, and the others.

Unexpectedly, Chief Hope didn’t go with them. After everyone had left, he approached Lin Xiao and said,

“Did you notice anything, Jonathan?”

Lin Xiao was a little surprised. Chief Hope truly lived up to his reputation as an experienced officer, immediately noticing his doubts. Lin Xiao didn’t hide anything and voiced his concerns.

Chief Hope watched the departing group, then lowered his voice.

“I received orders from above to pick up these two from the airport. They didn’t come specifically to find Michael; they just happened to arrive during his disappearance and offered to help.

I heard they’re on a special assignment, though I don’t know the details. The state instructed me to fully cooperate and follow their directives. They’re probably not ordinary police officers.”

As expected, Lin Xiao thought. When the two got out of the car earlier, he’d sensed a subtle fluctuation of magic—similar to what he’d felt when meeting Stefan. He was certain these two were not ordinary people.

“These are turbulent times,” Lin Xiao sighed. He had thought that, after driving away the Mind Flayer, the affairs of the Upside Down had come to an end. But reality in Hawkins had only grown more shrouded in mystery, as if a thick fog now enveloped the whole town.

Shortly after, the searchers returned to the cabin. The Wheelers came back as well, wiping away tears.

Chief Hope called the two detectives aside to confer. Lin Xiao quietly moved closer, hoping to overhear their opinions.

“Did you find any clues? Last night, I led a search party through a three-kilometer radius but found nothing,” Chief Hope said.

Eddie, the black detective, shrugged. “Of course. Some clues aren’t visible to the naked eye—even if they’re right in front of you, you’ll walk right past them. Like a five-million-dollar lottery ticket slipping through your fingers.”

Chief Hope laughed awkwardly, not quite grasping his meaning. Officer Nick frowned and said,

“Don’t joke around, Eddie. We’re here on business. Chief Hope, could you get me a copy of the town’s recent population movement records? Many missing persons cases are caused by outsiders.”

Chief Hope nodded. As a police officer, he kept such records routinely. Although many strangers had come to Hawkins recently, most had registered and were on file.

“Hey, kid, what are you eavesdropping for? Grown-ups are working here—go on, scram,” Eddie said bluntly when he noticed Lin Xiao standing nearby, waving him away.

“He’s a friend’s son and an important witness in Michael’s disappearance. He might be helpful to the case; let him stay,” Chief Hope explained.

Lin Xiao smiled slightly, and Nick nodded in acknowledgment, but Eddie was clearly displeased.

“I told you in the car: this case is our responsibility alone. No outsiders allowed. Besides, look at him—he’s so frail, he might go missing himself,” Eddie said, half joking, half serious. He stepped forward and slapped Lin Xiao hard on the shoulder—a heavy blow that would have floored the old Jonathan.

Not wanting to appear unusual, Lin Xiao feigned pain, grimacing and sucking in his breath, then quickly moved away from the group.

Eddie shrugged with a “didn’t I tell you” expression. Nick glanced at Lin Xiao but paid him no further attention, continuing to discuss search plans with Chief Hope.

“This guy is strong—he actually managed to hurt me. My body has been tempered three times by extraordinary power and is much stronger than an ordinary person. For him to make me wince… You’re definitely not just regular people,” Lin Xiao thought, rubbing his shoulder and continuing to play along. Eddie grinned, making a shooing gesture, his attitude rather arrogant.

The three quickly finished their discussion. Chief Hope took them back to the station to review records. The Wheelers left for home with their daughter. Dustin and the others were persuaded to go home as well—Joey didn’t want them out after dark.

Soon everyone had left, leaving only Joey, Will, Eleven, and Lin Xiao standing outside the cabin, watching the sun sink toward the horizon.

At dinner, Eleven was still deeply distressed, unable to eat a single bite.

Will had lost his appetite too; he’d been close to Michael, and remembered how, when he had gone missing, Michael had led their friends in a relentless search. Now it was Michael who was gone, and it was their turn to do whatever they could to find him.

Lin Xiao was preoccupied as well—one part of his mind on Michael’s disappearance, the other on the identity of the two new detectives. He felt there was something he was overlooking, something just out of reach.

That night, Lin Xiao lay in his room, still pondering. Will, sharing the room with him, tossed and turned, repeatedly asking if Michael would be in danger.

Lin Xiao couldn’t promise for certain that Michael was safe. All he could do was pray for his safe return.