It was a bit noisy on Ling Lie’s end, clearly outdoors. “Are you still half-asleep? Ms. Xi and I are going to find the experts to get the appraisal results.”

Ji Chenjiao remembered this detail, but Xie Qing’s words had left him somewhat unsettled, making him unavoidably long-winded. “Come back as soon as you get them. Don’t linger outside.”

Ling Lie replied, “Don’t we still have to chat with the experts? Little Ji, did you take the wrong medicine today?”

Ji Chenjiao was a bit irritable. “Just come back immediately after you’re done. I’m applying for SWAT protection.”

Hearing this, Ling Lie burst out laughing. “Oh my, Captain Ji, what provoked you? Did you actually forget what your boyfriend does in the Special Action Team?”

Of course, Ji Chenjiao knew. The Special Action Team was an all-around unit where criminal investigators, SWAT officers, and information warfare specialists all had their specific roles. However, the squad Ling Lie belonged to was the elite among the elite; they could handle both criminal investigation and SWAT duties. Ling Lie’s combat skills were not inferior to any SWAT officer.

But the organization “Floating Light” was too cunning, and having originated from “Sinking Gold”, he couldn’t ignore the danger Ling Lie faced.

At this moment, Xi Wan spoke up from the side, “Chief, did you forget I’m here too? Don’t worry, I’ll protect Mr. Ling!”

Ji Chenjiao calmed down. He made this call not only to confirm Ling Lie’s safety but also for another important matter. “What are Tu Wang and A’Dan’s phone numbers? I want to ask them to confirm something.”

They were about to arrive at the experts’ hotel, so Ling Lie didn’t ask further questions and sent the numbers to Ji Chenjiao.

A’Dan and Tu Wang, the two foodies, were used to police officers arriving with white-cut chicken. Seeing Ji Chenjiao empty-handed, and with no Ling Lie following behind him, they instantly wilted, greeting him very reluctantly. “Ah, Officer Ji is here.”

Only then did Ji Chenjiao realize he hadn’t brought any payment. “I’ll order takeout for you later. Is spicy rabbit okay?”

Tu Wang looked horrified. “How can you eat bunnies!”

Ji Chenjiao: “…Then spicy bullfrog?”

Once they reached an agreement on the payment, Ji Chenjiao informed Tu Wang and A’Dan of all the collectible data regarding Luo Manchai and Yong Huihao, such as birthdays, blood types, and zodiac signs. Tu Wang was confused. “Are… are we fortune-telling? But this is too much of a hodgepodge!”

Ji Chenjiao said, “I want to know, from the perspective of ‘Feng Shui Fish,’ why were they chosen? Is there any theory to support this?”

Tu Wang didn’t know much about disaster-warding talismans. A’Dan was also very perplexed after reading the data. “They have no fated connection with the person holding the disaster-warding talisman. I feel like the selection was random. Doesn’t the person holding the talisman know that they have no relation to him?”

Ji Chenjiao’s heart sank a little. “He doesn’t even know who the victims are.”

A’Dan said, “That’s strange. There is such sorcery—superstition in the eyes of those who believe in science—but even sorcery has internal logic. If you want someone to ward off disaster for you, there must be a fated connection between you. Otherwise, what are you warding off? You’re warding off loneliness.”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “In other words, he was tricked, and what he got was merely psychological comfort?”

A’Dan mysteriously covered his bases, adding, “It’s also possible that I’m not skilled enough. What if there really is a connection that I failed to see?”

Ji Chenjiao believed the former explanation more because he came to A’Dan and Tu Wang today precisely because he suspected the cases of Luo Manchai and others were murders cloaked in superstition, and the police had not yet grasped the true motive.

After ordering takeout for A’Dan and Tu Wang, Ji Chenjiao prepared to leave. Tu Wang wanted him to stay and eat together, saying this place’s spicy bullfrog was jaw-droppingly delicious. Thinking about the clues, Ji Chenjiao said without thinking, “No need, Ling Lie makes it better than this.”

Tu Wang: “…”

A’Dan: “…”

The spicy bullfrog in front of them suddenly lost its appeal.

Ji Chenjiao looked at their expressions and coughed. “You guys enjoy your meal.”

Listening to the fading footsteps, Tu Wang said, “People from your country are really bad. Are you happy bullying foreigners?”

A’Dan knocked him on the head with chopsticks. “Then why don’t you get out?”

Tu Wang looked teary-eyed. “You bully foreigners too!”

A’Dan asked, “Is it foreigners being bullied?”

“Eh? Then what is it?”

“It’s single dogs!”

The two said in unison, “Is having Ling Lie so amazing?!”

Ling Lie sneezed and muttered, “Who’s thinking about me again?”

The experts invited by the Major Crimes Unit included serious tourism and folklore professors, as well as folk masters who traveled across various countries. After several days of rigorous research and investigation, they finally reached a conclusion—the projects in Rongmei and the other three counties were indeed built according to the primitive superstitious altars of Mikeland Island.

Many traditions of primitive tribes were exceptionally cruel and should have been eliminated long ago. But ironically, in increasingly developed modern society, there are quite a few who absorb primitive bad habits. Similar architecture has appeared in many places abroad. People do frantic things under the guise of faith, and young people even believe these niche cultures represent fashion, following blindly.

An old expert sighed endlessly. “Merchants exploit the curiosity of ordinary people, wantonly beautifying cruel and backward cultures, actually making this dross popular on our land. It is truly heartbreaking!”

Ling Lie was held back by the experts and told many angry, unwilling words. He felt this group of people was quite cute; their distinct emotions genuinely infected him. Previously in the Special Action Team, he was like an indifferent machine. sometimes too lazy to even think, because his backing was too powerful; he only needed to execute orders without emotion.

But after arriving in Xiarong City, especially after meeting Ji Chenjiao, the world became different day by day. His Little Ji was cute, so the city Little Ji protected, along with the people in this city, also became cute.

After collecting the materials, with a head full of popular science about domestic and foreign superstitions, Ling Lie returned to the City Bureau with Xi Wan. With this extremely professional appraisal, they could apply for a formal investigation permit for Rongmei. But Ling Lie pondered the old expert’s words—merchants use young people’s curiosity about niche cultures to package these cruel and backward things.

Those who can be used are those who don’t think for themselves, those without brains, those who echo others. The top tier of people, however, cannot be used; instead, they are the ones using others.

Should the Yu Corporation be used? They shouldn’t.

But the Yu Corporation did build those structures.

The contradiction emerged.

Xi Wan had just returned from Xie Qing with the investigation permit. “Mr. Ling, Captain Xie said he wants to chat with you.”

Ling Lie was a bit surprised. If Xie Qing had work to arrange, he usually sought out Ji Chenjiao. Every time he sought Ling Lie, it wasn’t simple. Last time he mentioned Ning Xiechen’s informant issue; what was it this time?

Xie Qing got straight to the point. “Captain Ji mentioned Yin Hanshan to me.”

Ling Lie subconsciously sat up straight. Yin Hanshan was a key figure. According to their deduction, he was the person who replenished the numbers. It was understandable that he would die, but his sudden “appearance” now seemed to have a dense dark cloud behind it. Perhaps that was the core of this series of cases, only they couldn’t touch it yet.

“Captain Huang Yi from Feng City just replied to my question. There is one point you might be interested in.” Xie Qing called Ling Lie to his desk, scrolling his mouse on the screen. “You and Captain Ji both know that Yin Hanshan was unsociable and independent, but did you know he once mysteriously disappeared for half a month?”

Ling Lie said, “He investigated cold cases privately and would occasionally disappear.”

Xie Qing shook his head. “I asked about that. This time was different from his disappearances for case investigations; it remains an unsolved mystery within the Feng City Bureau. At that time, he didn’t have any pending cases on hand, and it was his turn for vacation. He reported to his superiors that he was going to Weiti Town for tourism.”

Xie Qing clicked on the map. He had to zoom in continuously to find that small town located on the northern border. Weiti Town was not a tourist city at all. There were some precipitous mountains, and people living in surrounding cities would go there for outings and hiking, but people from other provinces would almost never travel there.

Feng City and Weiti Town were thousands of miles apart. Yin Hanshan saying he went for tourism seemed like a clumsy excuse. His superiors also knew he had his own plans. Given that he had earned many merits and was a very upright person, they didn’t make things difficult for him.

However, after arriving in Weiti Town, Yin Hanshan lost contact directly and didn’t return when his leave ended. Rumors circulated within the City Bureau about whether Yin Hanshan had met with an accident or smuggled himself out of the country. The latter speculation had absolutely no basis because, given Yin Hanshan’s character, he couldn’t possibly do such a thing.

The City Bureau sent team members to Weiti Town to search for Yin Hanshan alongside the local police, but they couldn’t find him. Just when everyone felt Yin Hanshan must have met with an accident, he suddenly appeared at the City Bureau unharmed.

Superiors interviewed him multiple times, asking what he had done. He simply downplayed it, saying he went rock climbing and hiking to release long-term stress, got lost midway, and almost died in the mountains, fortunately saved by villagers.

Villagers confirmed his story.

The matter was left unsettled. Yin Hanshan continued to go his own way and continued to solve cases efficiently until he went missing.

Because of the precedent in Weiti Town, the Feng City police didn’t take his disappearance seriously for a time. Later, when he never appeared again, no clues were found either.

Considering the time he met Ning Xiechen, he likely went missing while in Xiarong City, or after leaving Xiarong City.

From the moment he saw the name Weiti Town, Ling Lie’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter. This was a place he could never forget!

North of Weiti Town was where “Sinking Gold” used to be entrenched. The winters were very long, and memories were filled with ceaseless snow. The lofty ridges and towering mountains lying across the national border were like an insurmountable Great Wall. The scrawny children knew that as long as they crossed those mountains, they wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. But they couldn’t cross them.

But that year, he accidentally fell off a cliff. After Wei Zhiyong saved him, he took him to live in Weiti Town for a period.

Wei Zhiyong had said cheerfully, “Look, I have such a fate with this small town. My surname is Wei, and its surname is also Wei. How about you take the surname Wei too? Hahaha!”

He didn’t accept the proposal; he firmly remembered his name was A-Dou.

Later, Wei Zhiyong took him away from Weiti Town, and on a certain road heading south, he got separated from Wei Zhiyong.

Seeing Weiti Town, Ling Lie couldn’t help but think of “Sinking Gold.” Why did Yin Hanshan go there? Was it to investigate “Sinking Gold”? Did he leave the country? Did he meet people from “Sinking Gold”? But why was there absolutely no follow-up action?

Xie Qing said, “I investigated you without authorization. Please forgive me on this point.”

Thinking of other things, Ling Lie remained silent.

“I don’t know the details, but I learned that Officer Wei Zhiyong from Feng City brought you back from Weiti Town.” Xie Qing looked into Ling Lie’s eyes. “So I think this clue should be very useful to you.”

Ling Lie snapped back to reality, not holding it against Xie Qing for investigating him. “It is indeed very important. Many thanks.”

Returning to the Major Crimes Unit office, Ling Lie saw the clue map drawn by Ji Chenjiao. Yin Hanshan, Yu Qin, Bi Jiang, and Rongmei were connected. On another line, Yu Qianming, “Floating Light,” Luo Manchai, and Yong Huihao were connected together. Yu Qin and Yu Qianming were naturally connected as well.

Ling Lie picked up a pen and drew a line under Yin Hanshan’s name, connecting the end to “Floating Light.”

This was a web far larger than he had anticipated. Yin Hanshan’s death—or more accurately, his disappearance—was not only related to the Yu Group but also to “Floating Light.”

Ji Chenjiao went to Beizhi Hospital again. Yu Qianming’s condition was actually better than the last time they met. This wasn’t a signal of physical improvement, but rather spirits rising due to a happy event.

But right now, which encounter of the Yu family could be considered a happy event?

Oh, perhaps the only one was that he, Yu Qianming, as an important witness implicating “Floating Light,” was currently under strict police protection, so at least his life was not at risk.

Ji Chenjiao said, “Regarding Rongmei and the projects in the other three counties, do you have anything you want to say?”

Yu Qianming’s gaze, like last time, made Ji Chenjiao uncomfortable. He assumed a colder expression, though not too obviously.

“I said, the county projects were Yu Qin’s responsibility. I never intervened. Facts over these years have also proven that investing in counties was a wrong move.” Yu Qianming said, “I cannot answer the questions about Rongmei. Since you have the appraisal results, you can find Yu Qin to cooperate with the investigation. What I can tell you is that the collaborator of ‘Floating Light’ within the group is not just me.”

Ji Chenjiao spoke again, “I want to confirm one more thing with you. To use a disaster-warding talisman, both parties’ fates should have some kind of connection. How did ‘Floating Light’ determine that you had a connection with Luo Manchai and Yong Huihao?”

Yu Qianming began to laugh intermittently. “Do the People’s Police believe in these things too?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “I’m just standing in your shoes.”

After a while, Yu Qianming sighed. “I don’t know how they determined it. Dragging a body like this, I believed whatever they said. Otherwise, what else could I do?”

Ji Chenjiao observed his reaction and asked, “Actually, you also know clearly that they were just tricking you?”

Yu Qianming’s sparse eyebrows twitched, and he shook his head. “No, I won’t make such meaningless guesses.”

The Major Crimes Unit and Criminal Investigation Team 2 jointly investigated important members of the Yu family. During a home search, they obtained Yu Qin’s DNA sample. Ling Lie secretly took a portion, not going through formal channels but finding a gray-area testing agency to send it along with Ji Chenjiao’s.

This was the result of his discussion with Ji Chenjiao. Whether Ji Chenjiao was indeed Yu Ge seemed like a private matter, but as the captain of the Major Crimes Unit and the core of the investigation, the test result would directly affect the direction of the subsequent investigation.

Ling Lie rarely felt uneasy. If Ji Chenjiao really had a blood relationship with Yu Qin, this web of sin would become even larger, so large that even he couldn’t imagine it.

The test results weren’t out yet. Ji Chenjiao was calmer than Ling Lie, investigating Yu Qianming from his youth all the way to his later power struggle with Yu Qin.

“Although Yu Qianming inherited the family business, the Yu Group developed anew in his hands. He must be a very shrewd person, skilled at calculation.” Ji Chenjiao said, “In the internal strife of the Yu family, Yu Qin was his important ally and also his opponent. Now that he’s pushing all of Rongmei’s problems onto Yu Qin, their relationship has likely broken down.”

Ling Lie listened absentmindedly. Speaking of familiarity with the Yu family, he was naturally deeper than Ji Chenjiao. In the Yu family, there was no brotherly or sisterly affection, only a superficial alliance maintained.

“‘Floating Light’ finding Luo Manchai and Yong Huihao to be ‘Feng Shui Fish’ makes absolutely no sense. They are just using this opportunity to eliminate people who must be eliminated. They are using Yu Qianming.” Ji Chenjiao changed the subject. “But Yu Qianming isn’t someone easily manipulated. He handed the talisman to Yu Yesheng, intentionally passing a clue to the police, and then easily revealed ‘Floating Light.’ I guess we have become tools for them to stab each other.”

Only then did Ling Lie perk up. “Yu Qianming had long seen the problem with the Yu Group’s cooperation with ‘Floating Light,’ but under deep binding, the Yu Group could no longer detach from ‘Floating Light.’ With himself riddled with serious illness and having to guard against Yu Qin, he could only risk choosing the worst strategy—pushing ‘Floating Light’ to the police?”

Ji Chenjiao’s brows knitted tight. “Correct. Yu Qianming wants to use the police’s hand to completely sever the connection between ‘Floating Light’ and the Yu Group. The question is, what exactly went wrong with the cooperation between ‘Floating Light’ and the Yu Group? Since Yu Qianming noticed something, shouldn’t Yu Qin have noticed something too? What are Yu Qin’s countermeasures? Also, ‘Floating Light’ wanted to use superstition to eliminate Luo Manchai and Yong Huihao; what secret of ‘Floating Light’ did these two possess?”

Ling Lie shifted his gaze to the clue map. in the vast majority of cases, the police acted as decoders. But this time, the police had become a chess piece in the puzzle.

In the North District’s internet-famous cultural block, there were strange and rare exhibitions all year round, along with an endless stream of artists and tourists. Bo Lingxue leisurely arrived at one of the shops selling decorative art, “Autumn Pool,” and walked up to the works signed by “Mou Ying.”

It was evident they had been moved, from the most conspicuous place in the shop to this corner, crowded with many poorly selling works, marked down and sold in bundles. Yet, the last few times he came here, Mou Ying’s works were still the cash cow of “Autumn Pool.”

Bo Lingxue sneered at this kind of self-intoxicated, self-proclaimed lofty design. Designers thought it was supernatural workmanship, but it was actually just branches and twigs thrown together randomly to fleece suckers who loved to pose.

After looking for a moment, Bo Lingxue walked forward. At this time, a man with wheat-colored skin approached. Bo Lingxue raised his chin toward the drink area diagonally ahead, so the man went to order two orange-flavored sparkling waters.

Bo Lingxue took a seat, looking like any ordinary tourist tired from strolling. The man also sat down holding the sparkling water. It was precisely “Nasheng”.

“Yu Qianming sold us out. The City Bureau is investigating us.” “Na Sheng” was somewhat angry. “Yu Qianming has quite a bit of evidence of contact with us over there. Mr. Bo, should we retreat immediately?”

Bo Lingxue took a sip of orange sparkling water, composed and leisurely. “Why panic? The big show hasn’t started yet.”

“Na Sheng” was puzzled. “But the police will find us sooner or later.”

“It doesn’t matter. Let them investigate. They will discover more interesting things.” Bo Lingxue smiled. “This old thing has done all sorts of bad deeds in his life and has no love for his pile of pig and dog descendants. Approaching death, he’s actually playing at mercy, wanting to fight for a future for his descendants.”

“Na Sheng” said, “Mr. Bo, I don’t understand.”

“Yu Qianming and ‘Evil Queen,’ these two siblings, have sinister intentions. They are the shrewdest of the shrewd. They have long known that ‘Floating Light’ uses wealthy families and cannibalizes them.” Bo Lingxue said, “But the gap in their abilities is now disparate. Yu Qianming is terminally ill and finds it difficult to take active action, while ‘Evil Queen’ is at her peak and determined to win. So the methods they adopt are also different.”

“Na Sheng” said, “‘Evil Queen,’ I know. She used the pretext of joining ‘Floating Light’ to infiltrate our interior. By then, it won’t be ‘Floating Light’ controlling the Yu Group, but her controlling ‘Floating Light’!”

Bo Lingxue sneered. “She certainly dreams beautifully.”

“Yu Qianming lacks the strength, so he lets the police deal with us?” “Na Sheng” still hadn’t figured it out. “But isn’t this self-destruction? With his confession, the police might not be able to do much to us, but they can directly find evidence of the Yu Group’s hired murders and illegal business competition over the years!”

Bo Lingxue swirled the glass. The ice cubes inside clinked ding-dong, and water vapor slid down the glass wall, landing on his hand. He frowned and used a tissue to wipe the water away.

All along, he liked looking at the layer of mist on the outside of an ice water glass, especially when it held colored ice water. Looking against the light, it was very beautiful. But the mist would turn into water droplets and fall, landing on his hand, and the wet feeling was very uncomfortable.

If only the glass could remain covered in mist forever, and the mist never turned into droplets to fall. Unfortunately, there were no perfect things in the world.

There was once a perfect person, but that person vanished like water mist.

Returning to his senses, Bo Lingxue said, “So, this is the dying struggle of the old thing. After he dies, Yu Qin will inevitably dominate alone. How can his sons and grandsons live a good life under Yu Qin’s hand? Taking ten thousand steps back, even if Yu Qin doesn’t target his faction, can the Yu family escape the fate of being swallowed by ‘Floating Light’?”

“Na Sheng” finally understood. “You mean, he wants to sever the tail to survive?”

Bo Lingxue nodded. “Zhuo Suyi deliberately revealed to the old thing that the ‘Executor’ was his most ‘trusted’ person, right?”

“Na Sheng”: “Yes, Doctor Zhuo said it according to your instructions.”

“Then that’s right. With the old thing’s IQ, he must have known long ago that he hired me for the murder, and I assigned the task to Yu Qin. Yu Qin’s cooperation with our ‘Floating Light’ is already deeper than his. His exposing ‘Floating Light’ amounts to checkmating Yu Qin. With a thorough police investigation, the Yu Group naturally won’t have good results, but the one who loses more will be Yu Qin. His lineage can also be cut off from ‘Floating Light.’ A starving camel is still bigger than a horse; when the Yu Group dies, at least there will be a place left for his descendants to linger on.”

“Na Sheng” was silent for a while after listening. “Yu Qianming and Yu Qin fought for half a lifetime. Looking at it this way, Yu Qianming is still one move ahead.”

“Not necessarily.” Bo Lingxue drank the last sip of sparkling water. “Our protagonist, from beginning to end, is ‘Evil Queen.'”

“Na Sheng” said, “Yu Qin possesses more details of cooperation with us. I’m worried she will tell the police a lot of intelligence unfavorable to us.”

Bo Lingxue, however, said, “Yu Qianming will talk, but she won’t.”

“Why?”

“Because Yu Qianming has no future, while she still has a bright tomorrow. At least, at this stage, she will keep her mouth shut tight.” Bo Lingxue changed the topic. “Go arrange things. Doctor Zhuo’s mission is completed. There’s no meaning in him staying in Xiarong City. Let him leave first.”

“Na Sheng” nodded. “Yes.”

The surroundings were filled with the happy chatter of tourists. No one heard the conversation in this corner. Before “Na Sheng” left, another person appeared at the table. This person looked refined and gentle, wearing a smile. Because he wasn’t too familiar with the roads of Xiarong City, he was half an hour late.

Fu Chixun said, “Mr. ‘Grey Peacock,’ I’m late.”

Bo Lingxue smiled. “It’s okay, sit.”