Yin Xi was surprised. “What? Impossible.”

Ling Lie asked, “Why do you think it’s impossible?”

“Because…” Yin Xi sighed. “Forget it.”

Ling Lie: “Because you are just the lowest class of common people, not worthy of the police’s attention?”

Yin Xi laughed self-deprecatingly. “Isn’t that so?”

Ling Lie squatted down, his eyes level with Yin Xi’s. “No. You pursued the murderer because Yang Xiao was your lover, the closest person to you in this world. And that police officer, he has no blood relation to Yang Xiao. He is just fulfilling the responsibility of a police officer, not letting down any of the masses under his jurisdiction.”

Ji Chenjiao received definite news from Tai Lu—Huangming City would set up a special task force to re-investigate the series of migrant worker cases. Two of the cases similar to Yang Xiao’s assault would be heavily investigated, striving to give a result as soon as possible.

Ling Lie handed Yin Xi over to the detachment and came to find Ji Chenjiao. Ji Chenjiao had just finished talking with Huangming City. After glancing at Ling Lie, he frowned. “What’s wrong with your face?”

Ling Lie didn’t react. “Is there something wrong with my face?”

Ji Chenjiao opened the mirror app on his phone. “See for yourself.”

Ling Lie had just been sunbathing on the beach for a while. His skin was frighteningly red, as if it had been boiled. He looked at it for a long time, not caring at all whether he was white or red, but instead became interested in Ji Chenjiao’s phone.

Ji Chenjiao wanted to take it back. Ling Lie dodged, smiling like a fox. Ji Chenjiao knew from his expression that he was up to no good. “Give it back.”

“Little Ji, Little Ji, I didn’t expect you to be so vain.” Ling Lie grinned. “To actually install this kind of app.”

Ji Chenjiao’s face darkened. “Cut the crap.”

“Only beautiful women are always looking in the mirror.” Ling Lie fiddled with his own phone. “We handsome guys don’t have mirrors on our phones.”

Ji Chenjiao was angered by him. What’s wrong with installing a mirror? Don’t you care about your appearance when you’re on duty?

“Some people are not qualified to say such things.” Ji Chenjiao retorted, “Who’s the one who looks in the mirror for half a day in the morning? Who’s the one who has to stare at the mirror when brushing their teeth?”

Ling Lie: “But I don’t have a mirror on my phone.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Some people even look in the mirror when they take a shower.”

Ling Lie: “But I don’t have a mirror on my phone.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Are you a repeating machine?”

Ling Lie: “But I don’t…”

Ji Chenjiao was furious and covered his mouth with his hand. What’s the point of reasoning with this thing? Hasn’t long-term combat experience proven that physically covering the mouth is the most effective?

After enough fooling around, Ling Lie said, “Yin Xi doesn’t have evidence of Lu Dongyue’s crime, but her deduction is very close to the truth. Lu Dongyue’s psychology is not sound. He very likely has a criminal personality and is very easily influenced and stimulated by the outside world. The cases in Huangming City at that time ‘encouraged’ him.”

Ji Chenjiao: “He was already preparing when he was delivering water to the workers? The decline in his grades stimulated him to commit the crime. After harming Yang Xiao, he found pleasure in it and couldn’t stop.”

Many crimes are like this. The first time is full of anxiety, and then it gradually becomes addictive, more and more unrestrained.

Ling Lie scribbled on Ji Chenjiao’s notebook—this notebook was now his, just like a cat occupying a cushion in the house. You say it’s yours? No, no, once the cat has lain on it, it’s the cat’s property.

“Now we know that both Yin Xi and Weng Keqiu came to investigate the migrant worker cases. Yin Xi’s revenge was unsuccessful, and she has no time for the crime. Weng Keqiu disappeared while following Lu Dongyue. As long as he’s not a rogue cop, he can’t be the murderer.” Ling Lie threw down his pen. “Then what was the reason for Lu Dongyue’s murder?”

Ji Chenjiao walked a few steps. “We must change our line of thinking.”

“This island.”

“This island.”

The two said in unison, then looked at each other.

Lu Dongyue died at Fengchao Island’s biggest annual event, and it was on the morning of his own wedding. The murderer’s motive is unknown, but the consequences of his death are very clear—the “Ten Thousand Ghosts Patrol the Island” event was called off, and a large number of police suddenly flooded the island of dancing demons.

Was this the goal the murderer wanted to achieve? Lu Dongyue was not the key point; this island was.

Ji Chenjiao said, “Let’s re-sort through the abnormalities on Fengchao Island. First, Tan Fabin, who was murdered seventeen years ago, is being worshipped as a master of funeral rites, but the paper sculptures made of him are crude and ugly, not like a god, but like a dead person. The people who worship him don’t truly respect him.”

“Second, Shen Wei clearly knows about this matter, but denies it. Why doesn’t he dare to speak?”

“Third, Cao Xinxin came from this island and was murdered in Feng City. He may have been involved in some illegal activities. His mother, who depended on him, was not brought to the city by him, and her reaction to his death was abnormal.”

“Also, every household on the island has an advertisement for ‘Guiyong Hall’. Is ‘Guiyong Hall’s’ influence that great?”

“Adding Lu Dongyue’s strange death, that makes five points.” Ji Chenjiao thought for a moment and added, “And Weng Keqiu’s disappearance. The island is like a locked room. To be able to make an experienced criminal police officer disappear, this person, or these people, must be very familiar with the island. Are they people from the island?”

Ling Lie: “One person dead, one person missing, life or death unknown. Is it because they both discovered the island’s secret? What is hidden on the island?”

Ji Chenjiao suddenly thought of the fragmented feeling he had when he first learned about the “Ten Thousand Ghosts Patrol the Island.”

Fengchao Island values the traditional funeral and ghost culture and wants to use its natural tourism resources to promote it. This idea is undoubtedly a good one. But the way the island does it seems very insincere, or rather, eager for quick success, transplanting those internet-famous activities and customs from surrounding countries, creating a mishmash. At the time, he couldn’t understand the fragmented logic, but now he had some clues.

The so-called development of funeral and ghost culture was actually just a cover. Certain people on the island were using this huge smokescreen to cover up something on the island that couldn’t see the light of day.

Why choose the niche and easily targeted project of funeral and ghost culture? Precisely because it was so easily targeted. The police and other departments would inspect it every year. The focus of the inspection was not to promote superstitious ideas and not to excessively spread ghosts and gods. And some things were hidden in the shadows of ghosts and gods. When the police paid high attention to the island’s culture, they would naturally neglect other things.

As the saying goes, hide evil in the brightest place, and you will never see it.

“That’s not right.” Ji Chenjiao’s brow furrowed deeply. The logic just now was not wrong, but another logical chain seemed to have a problem, and that was the causal relationship of “Lu Dongyue and Weng Keqiu discovered the secret – were silenced.”

“If getting rid of Lu and Weng was to hide the secret, then they chose the wrong time and method. Someone died at such a grand event, the police would inevitably appear, and upon further investigation, they would dig up the island’s secret—just like we are doing now.” Ling Lie touched his chin. “Making Weng Keqiu disappear was a good method. A missing person case wouldn’t attract as much attention as a murder case.”

Ji Chenjiao recalled the scene. “Lu Dongyue was beheaded, and his head was left at the wedding scene. This is too high-profile, as if they were afraid others wouldn’t know. Could it be that the people who killed Lu Dongyue and made Weng Keqiu disappear are two different groups? Their goals are different.”

Ling Lie thought for a long time this time. “Are they using the police’s power to play a game?”

In Feng City, after entrusting the investigation on Fengchao Island to Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao, Huang Yi devoted himself to the investigation of Cao Xinxin. During this period, Ji Chenjiao had contacted him once, asking him to use the power of technical investigation and economic investigation to investigate “Guiyong Hall.”

For two days, Huang Yi had barely closed his eyes and finally uncovered an unknown side of Cao Xinxin. On the surface, he was a student and a doctor at a community hospital, but he used his identity to go to various nursing homes and hospice care centers multiple times to promote drugs for serious illnesses. And all the drugs the police obtained from these patients were counterfeit.

Cao Xinxin also had contact with “Guiyong Hall” and often recommended “Guiyong Hall” to families who had lost a loved one.

“Guiyong Hall” on the surface was a chain organization that had spread to Feng City from other places, but for this kind of organization to take root in a new place, it almost always needed to find a capable local manager. Currently, the actual controller of “Guiyong Hall” in Feng City was named Xiao Yishun. He was a native of Fengchao Island and had opened many car repair shops in Feng City.

How did someone in the car repair business suddenly switch to funeral services?

In addition, Huang Yi also indirectly learned of a situation—Shen Wei actually owned a villa in the seaside resort area on the east side of Feng City.

This was too strange.

Before Huang Yi could figure out these problems, news came from Fengchao Island—Lu Dongyue’s body had been found.

A headless, highly decomposed body was washed ashore by the waves. After DNA comparison, it was confirmed to be Lu Dongyue.

The forensic doctor issued an autopsy report. There were very obvious signs of being tied on Lu Dongyue’s body, and he had struggled fiercely. But what caused his death was not mechanical injury, but a large amount of antihypertensive drugs injected in a short period of time. After his death, his head was cut off, and his body was thrown into the sea. No wonder the search had been fruitless these past few days. The specific composition of the antihypertensive drugs still needed further analysis.

Looking at the finally pieced-together body, Ling Lie propped up his chin. “I didn’t expect him to die this way. Why use antihypertensive drugs?”

Before this, Huang Yi had already sent over the clues found in Feng City. Cao Xinxin was secretly selling fake drugs, and Lu Dongyue had died on the island from antihypertensive drugs.

It was all related to drugs, and there was a secret hidden on this island.

Ji Chenjiao: “Are fake drugs the real secret of Fengchao Island?”

Ling Lie: “Then wouldn’t it be even more reason not to use drugs to kill Lu Dongyue?” After a pause, the head in full view of the public flashed through his mind. “We might have thought wrong before.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Which point?”

“Someone is using the police’s power to play a game.” Ling Lie: “It’s not a game. From the beginning to the end, there has only been one side wanting to use the police’s power. They deliberately used drugs to kill Lu Dongyue and then left his head in the most conspicuous place. Such an obvious clue, if the police still can’t catch on, they won’t ‘trust’ the police anymore.”

Countless threads seemed to have finally found a direction, coalescing towards the very core.

Ji Chenjiao’s mind calmed down amidst the clamor. “Fengchao Island has long been engaged in the production of illegal drugs under a tight organization, using funeral and ghost culture as a mask. These drugs bring huge profits, so the vast majority of people on the island remain silent. Outside the island, there is also a well-organized sales team that has developed countless downlines. Cao Xinxin was very likely one of the screws in this machine.”

“His death had nothing to do with Xue Bin or Zeng Shu. It was that he was noticed by the police, which caused panic in his upline. By getting rid of Cao Xinxin, the police could at most find out he was selling drugs, but they couldn’t find out who his upline was from him, let alone get to Fengchao Island.”

Ling Lie: “What they didn’t expect was that the Lu Dongyue case would happen on Fengchao Island.”

So Lu Dongyue’s death might not involve any hatred, but was a “self-rescue” by one, or a group of, informed people who couldn’t speak out?

Having analyzed this far, Ji Chenjiao and Ling Lie could not act immediately. There were many criminal police officers on the island, but to completely unmask Fengchao Island, the participation of a large number of special police was needed. More importantly, there were still many tourists on the island. Acting rashly would not be able to guarantee the safety of the tourists.

Ji Chenjiao had already sensed the tense atmosphere on the island. It seemed a group of beasts were waiting anxiously and vigilantly. When everything became uncontrollable, they would come out in full force.

When Huang Yi received Ji Chenjiao’s call, he was still sweating profusely, investigating at a private hospice care hospital. He didn’t know until he checked, and when he checked, he was shocked. Eighty percent of the drugs used in this hospital were unapproved fake drugs.

The several owners of the hospital were not in Feng City. The person in charge who was temporarily called in couldn’t say anything, constantly emphasizing his ignorance, and that they gave the patients whatever drugs the medical representatives brought.

Huang Yi was furious listening. What Ji Chenjiao said on the phone directly threw him into ice, leaving him stunned for a long time. After digesting it, his two arms broke out in goosebumps in the hot weather. “I, I’ll go and report to my superiors right away!”

A city having a large number of hospitals using fake drugs was already a major case. And these drugs were very likely from an island under the city’s jurisdiction. The island, under the cover of cultural tourism, had become a den of evil for drugs, and its products had been systematically flowing to the whole country. Huang Yi had never thought that the city he protected would have such a stain. Anger, excitement, and self-blame made him feel as if he were in a raging fire.

The high-level officials of the city bureau were also shocked after listening to Huang Yi’s report. Considering that the case might be very large, and that Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao happened to be members of the special operations team, they immediately contacted the special operations team headquarters.

Shen Xun gave Ling Lie command authority on the scene. Le Ran and other team members who had been temporarily transferred away a while ago were also sent back.

The situation on the island was complex. The first priority was to ensure the safety of the tourists. Before a foolproof plan was formulated, no one could act rashly.

Ling Lie sat in front of the computer, his arms crossed, in a daze. Ji Chenjiao walked over and flicked his upturned hair. “What are you thinking about?”

Ling Lie: “Why did I come to Feng City?”

The question sounded a bit ridiculous, but Ji Chenjiao instantly understood Ling Lie’s meaning. “Wei Liang’s death…”

Ling Lie’s benefactor Wei Zhiyong’s only son was suddenly murdered. Ling Lie became a suspect because he had secretly gone to see Wei Liang that day. Ling Lie lost control of his emotions and rushed to Feng City, and Ji Chenjiao also impulsively followed.

Wei Liang was confirmed to have died from “Snow Child,” a psychoactive drug from abroad. There had been one case in Xiarong City, and the special operations team had been tracking the details of the spread of “Snow Child.”

Although “Snow Child” was a hallucinogen, it was essentially also a drug.

Drugs, Feng City, Fengchao Island, could it be…

Ji Chenjiao frowned. “But ‘Snow Child’ is from abroad.”

Ling Lie stood up, his face more serious than usual. “I know. I just can’t help but think of the connection between these two cases. Have you noticed that the people on the island are much more tense?”

Ji Chenjiao nodded. “The police presence has not been withdrawn. Of course, the criminals are afraid of the day their mask will be torn off.”

Ling Lie: “I was just thinking, what kind of insider would use cutting off a person’s head to give clues to the police? And it has to be someone from the island. They are participants, they can’t escape. But why suddenly betray the organization?”

Ji Chenjiao thought for a while. “Any sudden change is because of a change in the environment and background.”

The words sounded convoluted, but Ling Lie understood and nodded. “What are you doing with the USB drive?”

Ji Chenjiao looked at the small black block in his hand and remembered he had something to check. “The materials for the Tan Fabin case.”

Ling Lie raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

Ji Chenjiao plugged the USB drive into the computer. “Didn’t Huang Yi find out that the actual person in charge of ‘Guiyong Hall’ is named Xiao Yishun?”

A familiar feeling welled up in Ling Lie’s mind. Ji Chenjiao continued, “I always feel like I’ve heard it somewhere, either in the Tan Fabin case or the Bi Jiang case.”

Ji Chenjiao’s words explained Ling Lie’s sense of familiarity well. He leaned his hands on the back of Ji Chenjiao’s chair. “I remember now. It was the Tan Fabin case.”

Ji Chenjiao searched through the materials and found Xiao Yishun’s name.

He was also from Feng’an County, only three years older than Tan Fabin. His family used to make paper wreaths and paper houses for funerals like other families in the county. According to the county’s custom, the sons were to inherit the family business. Xiao Yishun, however, was very rebellious and was unwilling to do this line of work. He insisted on doing other businesses, not learning any skills, and went out to make a living in his teens.

The reason the police had investigated him back then was because he was one of Tan Fabin’s friends. It was said that he and Tan Fabin were very close when they were young. Because he was older than Tan Fabin, he treated Tan Fabin as a younger brother to protect and wanted to take Tan Fabin with him when he went out to make a living. But Tan Fabin loved funeral rites and devoted his life to spreading funeral culture. Of course, he was unwilling to go out with him.

The two probably went their separate ways because of their different life goals. When Tan Fabin was murdered, Xiao Yishun was not in Feng City, but he rushed back from thousands of miles away. The police asked him about Tan Fabin’s social circle, but because he had long been estranged from Tan Fabin, he couldn’t say much.

He had no possibility of committing the crime and couldn’t provide much useful information, so he was mentioned in passing in the records. When Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao were investigating the Tan Fabin case a while ago, they had not paid much attention to him.

And now he had come into their sight because of “Guiyong Hall.” “Guiyong Hall” had an unusual relationship with Fengchao Island. There was evil on the island, there was the dead-like Tan Fabin paper art on the island, Xiao Yishun and Tan Fabin had been good friends but later drifted apart, Shen Wei had hidden something when he mentioned Fengchao Island… all these seemingly unrelated clues were gradually connecting.

What truth would be pulled out by them?

Ling Lie said, “I need to talk to Shen Wei again.”

At the detention center, under the control of the police, Shen Wei looked at Ling Lie on the display screen with a calm expression, as if he knew why the other had found him again.

Ling Lie: “Do you know Xiao Yishun?”

Shen Wei’s eyebrow moved. After a moment, he nodded. “Yes.”

“Does he have a good relationship with your family?”

“That was a long time ago.”

“How long?”

Shen Wei lowered his head. After a while, “Before my brother took over the family business.”

Ling Lie: “I heard they were good buddies before?”

“I guess so.”

“Then why did they drift apart later?”

“You can easily check this, can’t you?”

“I’d rather hear it from Tan Fabin’s family.”

Shen Wei was stunned, a bitter smile appearing on his lips. The word “family” had touched him. All along, Tan Fabin had been his only family. He had once considered Chen Xiangli as family, only to find out later that it was just a cruel joke.

“When I was little, Xiao Yishun often came to my house to find my brother. They had different personalities. Xiao Yishun was the big brother in any group, but he particularly admired my brother and wanted to take my brother with him when he went out to make a living.”

Adolescence was always full of sweat and endless passion. Xiao Yishun couldn’t stay in the small Feng’an County, and even Feng City couldn’t contain his dreams. The Xiao family was originally a decent workshop in Feng’an County, but he was the only son in the family, and the funeral rite skills had no one to inherit.

As Xiao Yishun grew up, the arguments in the Xiao family became more and more intense. The more Xiao’s father wanted Xiao Yishun to inherit the family business, the more rebellious Xiao Yishun became. When he couldn’t stay at home, he would hide at the Tan family’s house. At that time, although Tan Fabin was still a student, his love for funeral rites was obvious to all, and his skills were getting better and better. Only when Xiao Yishun was hiding at the Tan family’s house would Xiao’s father not catch him and take him back, and even hoped that Tan Fabin could persuade this rebellious son.

Of course, Tan Fabin also disagreed with Xiao Yishun’s idea of giving up the family business and would remind him from time to time, but Xiao Yishun let it go in one ear and out the other, and would even take the opportunity to urge Tan Fabin to go out and conquer the world with him.

“What can’t you make money from now? Why stare at this small piece of land? The country is sweeping away feudal superstitions. This line of work will decline sooner or later. By then, it will be too late for you to make plans. Besides, making paper wreaths all day, don’t you find it unlucky?”

Tan Fabin said calmly, “Everyone has their own pursuits. I don’t belittle yours, and you shouldn’t belittle mine.”

Xiao Yishun was at a loss for words. He simply ignored Tan Fabin and went to play with Shen Wei. At that time, Shen Wei was young, and his ideas changed every day. In the morning, he thought the paper houses his big brother made were amazing and wanted to learn too. In the evening, when Xiao Yishun said this line of work had no future and that it was the right way to go out and make a name for yourself while you’re young, he also deeply agreed.

Xiao Yishun would argue with others whenever they talked about funeral rites. Only when Tan Fabin persuaded him, although he would defend himself, he never got angry.

Later, Xiao Yishun had a complete falling out with his family and was kicked out of the house by his father. That year, Xiao Yishun was twenty, just old enough to leave his hometown and support himself. Shen Wei thought his big brother would dissuade Xiao Yishun, as Xiao Yishun’s behavior was rebellious in this small county town. But his big brother didn’t say anything, only telling Xiao Yishun to take care of himself.

“If you want to go out and make a name for yourself, then go. I’m about to take over the family business. If you don’t do well, you can come back. I can help you.”

Xiao Yishun laughed out loud and patted Tan Fabin’s shoulder. “Forgot who the big brother is? I still need your help? Just wait, I’ll definitely make a name for myself. Then we can compare who makes more money!”