60 SHE HAD NOT FORGOTTEN (1/2)

”Have you seen this man?” Hu Lei discretely passed a printed photo of her father to a motel attendant along with an old note of the local currency.

This mid-class motel was the last location that Kim Han had been able to track her father. She could not help disapproving on sight. While in some countries this type of motel would be discrete, it was not the right option in a small town in Argentina. It was the best hotel around, so it would be the obvious choice for a tourist.

Knowing her father, he had probably had been thinking of something crazy like hiding in plain sight. That would work in movies, but it was unlikely to work in a place where one's appearance was like a beacon. A rundown motel had less security measures, and most of these establishments were located in places which would provide dark routes for escape in case of an emergency.

”Oh, I remember him. We don't get a lot of people like him here.” The middle-aged lady spoke tucking away the note.

”When was he here?” Hu Lei felt relieved at the confirmation, though she also wished that the man was not so easy to track down.

”I would say exactly two weeks ago.” The lady's eyes lit up. ”I remember his departure because some official looking people from the government came to do some checks on the same day.”

Hu Lei thanked the woman and left. It seemed that this was the place where her father had supposedly left whatever he had stolen. If that was two weeks ago and he had called her about eight days ago, then it meant that these people were not serious. It was not like she was hoping for her father to have been taken. But if they were after him, they were at his heels, and they let him go.

This case was looking stranger with every step.

Fortunately, as the person who had guided Hu Ming for years, Hu Lei knew his habits and general thoughts. With this advantage, it would not be too difficult to follow her father's steps and uncover this entire debacle.

In Supreme City

Zhong Feng looked at the numerous outgoing calls that he had made to Hu Lei's phone. He had continued making these calls though he knew that her phone was out of service. When she had failed to respond to him during the week, his assumption had been that she had her own matters.

However, it was on Saturday, and they had made plans for more shopping and moving. The uneasiness that had plagued him through the week seemed to overwhelm him. He could not shake the feeling that something was not right.

Without wasting time, he left his apartment with the intention of finding Hu Lei. As he drove his vehicle out of the parking lot, his phone rang. His heart leapt in anticipation and hope. Perhaps she had not forgotten their appointment after all, he thought with a shadow of a smile.

Unfortunately, it was his mother calling.

”Feng'er, where are you? Mother has missed you.” The woman spoke even before he could get in a word.

He frowned slightly before making some noncommittal sound. His entire mind was filled with crippling disappointment, and his thoughts were focussed on Hu Lei, running through the possibilities.

”This child… Why don't you come to the house today?” She asked, though Zhong Feng knew it was more of a statement.

”I have a few errands to run.” He responded.