"Thank you for checking in on my birds, da-ge. But you know I don't have a bird called Gengi." He was so proud that their system was working, he felt his heart could sing the way his birds did. If Nie Mingjue talked like this, he must be feeling secure in his surroundings himself, so Nie Huaisang was certain they had no one to worry about. "The other hostages have escaped during a-- I don't know. A mission of sorts."

It had all been rather strange. "I assume they might be in hiding still. I'm unharmed myself."