If Yin Hanshan had not been killed by Shaman, Bai Lingxue would have become Yin Hanshan’s informant. After going through life and death for Yin Hanshan, he could walk openly and honestly on this peaceful land.

However, Yin Hanshan died, and Bai Lingxue was pulled back to that dark nest by evil, losing the chance for his dream to come true forever.

But did Bai Lingxue give up dreaming because of this?

No!

He still wanted to walk freely on this land one day in the future.

As long as this land was dyed with the same evil color as him, wouldn’t he be able to be open and honest?

“Correct. On the premise that ‘Floating Light’ cannot be fundamentally eradicated, dealing directly with its leader is the only feasible way.” Shen Xun said, “However, there is a premise here—the elusive ‘Black Peacock’ is indeed the ‘Gray Peacock’ Bai Lingxue. If not, if ‘Black Peacock’ always hides in Country E, we cannot bypass Country E to carry out operations.”

Ling Lie believed in his own judgment, “Currently there is no definite news that ‘Gray Peacock’, ‘Nasheng’, and Xu Jiajia have left the country. They may still be in the territory. As long as we grab ‘Gray Peacock’s neck, this matter will basically be resolved.”

Xie Qing was a little worried, “Since ‘Floating Light’ originated from ‘Sinking Gold’, even if ‘Floating Light’ temporarily dies down because the leader is captured, over time, another organization will inevitably inherit ‘Floating Light’.”

Ling Lie said: “Captain Xie, you are thinking too far ahead. Evil has no end forever. We can only eliminate as much as we can. Besides, our purpose is not really to destroy ‘Floating Light’, but just to drive it back to where it came from. As long as it rolls back to Country E, Country L, or whatever country because the leader is captured this time, we will be considered successful.”

“In addition, Ah Xue is the soul of ‘Floating Light’. I feel that there are still many differences between ‘Floating Light’ and ‘Sinking Gold’. ‘Sinking Gold’ had many high-level officials, while ‘Floating Light’ relies on Ah Xue’s own will to operate. If Ah Xue is gone, there is a high probability that ‘Floating Light’ will not have the possibility of starting over.”

Xie Qing sighed, “Yes, I was overly anxious.”

The video conference ended, and Shen Xun and Xie Qing communicated alone. When Ling Lie turned around, he inadvertently found that Ji Chenjiao was actually distracted. Ling Lie raised his eyebrows, remembering that Ji Chenjiao hadn’t said much just now.

What is this Xia Chengshi thinking?

Ji Chenjiao came back to his senses, picked up the notebook and stood up. The two said goodbye to Xie Qing. When leaving, Ji Chenjiao forgot to close the door, and Ling Lie went back to close the door.

Previously, it was always Ji Chenjiao who closed the door. Captain Ji was very attentive to these small details. Ling Lie looked at his back and thought, what’s wrong today?

The Serious Case Squad had some daily affairs that needed to be handled by the captain. Ji Chenjiao went in and out of the office. Every time he appeared, Ling Lie stared at him. He seemed normal again at this moment, communicating work clearly and properly with Xi Wan and Liang Wenxian.

Ling Lie arched the pen on his mouth, tilting his head to look at Ji Chenjiao. Soon, the pen fell on the table. He picked it up and turned it twice, looked at the time, it was almost time to get off work.

The team members packed up and left one after another. Ji Chenjiao finally signed the last document and came to Ling Lie, “Let’s go. What do we eat tonight?”

Ling Lie: “Let’s eat grass (salad/light food).”

Ji Chenjiao paused, “Grass?”

Ling Lie smiled and said: “Xiao Ji, have you consumed too much carbohydrates every day and forgotten that you loved eating grass back then?”

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

No, not loved, that was just a manifestation of self-discipline.

Ling Lie patted his shoulder, “How about we reminisce about the fleeting years today and eat grass together?”

Ji Chenjiao frowned slightly, rejecting it very much in his heart.

But as a self-disciplined person, when his partner proposed to eat grass, it was hard for him to say he wanted to eat braised pork rice.

“Hmm, okay. But there are no ingredients at home, have to buy them fresh.”

Ling Lie: “Tsk tsk tsk, decided to eat grass, and you still want me to cook? Of course, go to your favorite light food restaurant.”

“Oh.” Ji Chenjiao sighed secretly, slightly disappointed.

The two came to the light food restaurant. It was the peak dining time, and the restaurant was full of white-collar workers who were somewhat anxious about their figures.

Ling Lie looked at the menu with great interest, but Ji Chenjiao had an urge to rush out of here. He didn’t want to eat grass, nor did he want to consider his figure. He was already depressed today. Even eating a bowl of noodles on the roadside was better than eating grass here.

“Xiao Ji?” Seeing Ji Chenjiao suddenly stand up, Ling Lie looked up, “Urgent need? Then go quickly, I’ll order for you.”

Ji Chenjiao frowned, “Don’t want to eat.”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t want to eat light food, let’s go somewhere else.”

Ling Lie’s eyes curved, “But I want to eat.”

“I don’t want to eat.” Ji Chenjiao showed a trace of irritability, “Accompany me to eat Chuanchuan (skewers).”

Ling Lie put down the menu pretending to be dissatisfied, stood up leisurely, “You person, just willful. If you wanted to eat Chuanchuan, why didn’t you say so just now? Okay, Chuanchuan it is. Who told me to love you?”

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

Half an hour later, the two were sitting in a popular Chuanchuan shop. The surrounding voices were bustling, and the pot was full of bamboo skewers.

Ji Chenjiao ordered a large portion of egg fried rice as if out of spite, sharing it with Ling Lie.

Ling Lie: “Egg fried rice with Chuanchuan, ouch this oil this calorie.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Then don’t eat?”

Ling Lie ate happier than anyone else, reaching out and grabbing a handful of Houttuynia cordata beef.

Full of food and drink, as soon as they came out of the shed of the Chuanchuan shop, Ling Lie leaned over to sniff Ji Chenjiao.

Ji Chenjiao: “Are you going to apply for the police dog team?”

Ling Lie frowned and said: “Xia Chengshi, you stink.”

Who doesn’t smell like spicy hot pot after eating Chuanchuan? Fortunately, the cold wind was blowing at this time. If they walked back, the smell should dissipate almost completely.

Festive small colored lights hung on the trees on both sides of the road, and some merchants were already playing New Year suites. Ji Chenjiao walked in front with his hands in his coat. Ling Lie followed him for a while, and jumped in front of him for a while.

When jumping to the front again, Ji Chenjiao grabbed his hood.

“Aiyoyo! Robbing a police officer!”

Ji Chenjiao pointed to the old man walking a dog diagonally in front, “Look.”

Ling Lie: “You even look at old men?”

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

That old man walked at a uniform speed, and that dog fell behind for a while and jumped to the front for a while like someone.

Ling Lie: “Not to that extent, not to that extent! You are so young and handsome, why do you insist on saying you are like an old man? What makes you so unable to think it through?”

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

Ling Lie added: “Xia Chengshi, something is wrong with you today.”

Ji Chenjiao stopped, turned his face to look at Ling Lie, “No, right?”

Ling Lie: “You have written unhappiness on your face. And throwing small tantrums.”

Ji Chenjiao’s lips twitched. What small tantrums could he throw?

“Agreed to eat grass, I was about to order, and you suddenly wanted to eat Chuanchuan. Only I am generous and can tolerate your small temper and small roguelike behavior.”

“Stop stop!” Ji Chenjiao couldn’t listen anymore, showing Ling Lie the goosebumps on his arm from being mushy.

Ling Lie laughed loudly, bumping into Ji Chenjiao, “Where are you unhappy? Who bullied you? Tell your Lie Lie?”

The flashing light of the colored lights fell into Ling Lie’s eyes, like ancient stars. Ji Chenjiao looked down at him, and said after a long while: “You are going to say I think wildly again.”

Ling Lie said: “Is it because of Bai Lingxue?”

Ji Chenjiao pursed his lips.

“It must be because of Bai Lingxue. You didn’t say much during the meeting.”

“It’s because of you.”

“Ah?”

Ji Chenjiao sighed softly, raised his hand to touch Ling Lie’s cheek, his thumb groping on his forehead.

“As soon as you proposed to take action against Bai Lingxue, I had a fear that you were going to take risks again. Whether he is in the country or has escaped abroad, you must be the person chasing at the very front.”

Ling Lie said: “Isn’t this as it should be?”

“I know.”

They all knew that some dangers couldn’t be avoided and must be faced and solved by them.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Suddenly, Ling Lie punched Ji Chenjiao in the chest.

Ji Chenjiao: “?”

“Still talking about me?” Ling Lie said: “I think you are the one charging forward. I am worried. I’m so worried that I’m about to cry.”

Saying that, Ling Lie sat on the bench by the street, as if shouting “Ready—go”, he could cry loudly.

Ji Chenjiao had to squat down and hold his hand, “What’s wrong?”

Ling Lie said: “Captain Ning’s life or death is uncertain, in Bai Lingxue’s hands. Tell me, when we grasp Bai Lingxue’s news, do you run fast, or do I run fast?”

“I…” Ji Chenjiao suddenly choked.

Ling Lie’s nose tip was red from the cold, his finger poked on Ji Chenjiao’s shoulder, accusing: “Must be you. You want to catch Bai Lingxue with your own hands, ask him personally why he deceived you, hurt your master, ask him if he had any sincerity back then. Xia Chengshi, you will be faster and easier to encounter danger than me, and you still file a complaint first.”

Ji Chenjiao lost his temper being said so, stood up, and hugged Ling Lie. Ling Lie buried his face in his coat, like a cunning cat seeking warmth.

Passers-by looked at them. Ji Chenjiao calmly rubbed Ling Lie’s nape. When Ling Lie had enough of playing rascally, he said: “Let’s go, go home.”

In the following month, traces of “Floating Light” were found in Xiarong City, Dongye City, and more than ten other cities. The police successively arrested a batch of people who used the dark web to engage in crimes or conduct illegal transactions. Most of them were elite groups in public perception.

In “Floating Light’s algorithm, their chance of contacting the dark web is much greater than the people struggling on the poverty line, and once a large number of them fall, they will erode more people downwards.

Local police were extremely busy because of this. Members of the Special Action Team were sent to assist in investigations one after another. No major cases have occurred in Xiarong City recently, but the Criminal Investigation Detachment is even busier than when there were serial murders before, and the Serious Case Squad hasn’t had a holiday for a long time.

People caught need to be interrogated, interpersonal relationships behind them need to be investigated, and all communication equipment needs to be confiscated for investigation. Tiredness is not the most torturous thing, but such work seems endless. You think you caught a criminal, but actually he is just a small shrimp used by crime. You detain him, and there are thousands of him wandering under the cover of “Floating Light”.

A situation no one wants to see has formed. “Floating Light” spreads like a plague in our country, stimulating the darkest impulses in people’s hearts. At the same time, “Snow Child” also began to run rampant in the north, and those caught by the police were all people at the end of the transaction.

“Gray Peacock” has no news, and “Black Peacock” is even more like a cloud of smoke that disperses upon touch.

Some young people and elite groups try every means to contact “Floating Light” and become its loyal and fanatical believers. Ji Chenjiao personally caught a young talent from a technology company. He was only twenty-five years old, returned to the country to start a business, and originally had a bright future, but after contacting “Floating Light”, he felt that this was the ideal he should pursue. He didn’t use “Floating Light” to commit crimes. He was even worse, becoming a volunteer patching “Floating Light” for free.

“You can arrest me if you want. I won’t repent, nor will I apologize. What I did is the truly correct thing. I pity you.”

After interrogating this person, Ji Chenjiao smoked on the terrace. The winter wind was too cold. Standing in such wind, there was a sense of powerlessness wrapped by fate.

Arresting people, interrogating people, closing exploited APPs, they were like spinning tops being whipped every day, unable to stop. But even so, the influence of “Floating Light” was still expanding. Xiarong City was controlled relatively well. At a meeting with the Special Action Team a while ago, Shen Xun said that several cities in the north were simply killing him.

Must find Bai Lingxue as soon as possible.

But where exactly is Bai Lingxue?

In a blink of an eye, the Spring Festival was approaching.

The New Year atmosphere was strong in the streets and alleys. Citizens living ordinary lives didn’t know that the police were facing a hard battle. Ji Chenjiao stayed up all night. It was rare for morning fog to rise in the morning, and it was white outside the window.

Ji Chenjiao remembered that when he first became a criminal police officer, Xiarong City often had morning fog in winter. At that time, he followed Ning Xiechen on missions. Staying up late was common, and they often went to county towns and villages to assist in investigating local homicide cases. The morning fog in the countryside was thicker, plus the breakfast stalls were always filled with white smoke, the whole street was foggy everywhere.

Ning Xiechen always said that when going out to handle cases, you must eat full at mealtime, don’t care what you eat, don’t be picky eaters.

Ning Xiechen liked eating steamed buns the most. The bigger the better, the oilier the meat inside the better. Several steamed buns with porridge and pickles went down the stomach, and he also packed a few to take away. In case there was no next meal, he could make do.

Several times, after handling cases overnight, Ning Xiechen took the team members to the steamed bun shop to fill their stomachs. Although Ji Chenjiao hadn’t started caring about his figure at that time, he didn’t like eating steamed buns very much because steamed buns had a strong smell, and he always felt uncomfortable talking after eating.

But as a newcomer, it wasn’t good for him to go next door to eat rice noodles when seniors were eating steamed buns, so he could only participate and force himself to eat one.

It was fine if Ning Xiechen didn’t notice, but if he noticed, he would definitely ask him to finish a steamer before counting.

He didn’t have a good impression of steamed buns. Later, reunited with Ling Lie, Ling Lie had a special liking for kindergarten soy sauce meat buns. It also took him a long time to understand.

But now, looking at the morning fog in front of him, he suddenly wanted to eat steamed buns a little. Not buying and taking away, but sitting by the set-up table, with a steamer box just taken off the stove in front, a chipped bowl holding not very thick rice porridge, and several small dishes with various pickles.

Footsteps came from behind. Ji Chenjiao turned around and saw Ling Lie yawning leaning against the door. The buzz cut before going to Country L had grown a little longer. It stuck up when dozing off, couldn’t be pressed down even with water, sticking up like an ear.

Ji Chenjiao lowered his head and laughed.

Ling Lie yawned with teary eyes, “Kindly coming to call you to eat together, what are you laughing at?”

Ji Chen walked over, held Ling Lie’s shoulders, and pushed him in front of the mirror, “Like what?”

Ling Lie was stunned, “What like what?”

“One Ear (character from Black Cat Detective).”

“…”

On the way to breakfast, Ling Lie accused Ji Chenjiao incessantly, almost in tears, “You actually said a glorious police officer like me is One Ear. Black Cat Detective won’t forgive you! What do we eat?”

Ji Chenjiao stopped in front of a bun and porridge shop, “Eat soy sauce meat buns or not?”

Wind blew, moving Ling Lie’s sticking-up hair, like “One Ear” stood up.

“Ya, our Xia Chengshi actually wants to eat soy sauce meat buns? Did the sun rise from the west?” Saying that, Ling Lie put his hand over his eyes like a pergola, looking exaggeratedly to the west.

Ji Chenjiao pulled him to sit down, “Boss, a steamer of soy sauce meat, a steamer of fresh meat, eight-treasure porridge, preserved egg and lean meat porridge.”

The boss said: “Scoop yourself ha.”

Ji Chenjiao scooped two bowls, found them a bit hot, so didn’t give them to Ling Lie waiting aside, carrying them to the table together.

Ling Lie: “Why didn’t you order two bowls of eight-treasure porridge.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Which meal can you lack meat?”

Ling Lie grinned, “Indeed. Boss Ji, why suddenly want to eat steamed buns?”

The boss deftly put two steamers of buns on the table, “They used to come here often to eat. Every time it was that captain who paid.”

Ling Lie blinked, “Hmm?”

The boss went to work. Ji Chenjiao separated chopsticks and handed them to Ling Lie, “He meant Captain Ning. Captain Ning used to take us to eat steamed buns often.”

Ling Lie nodded, took a bite of the bun, “Then weren’t you very uncomfortable?”

Ji Chenjiao scooped a spoonful of eight-treasure porridge to feed Ling Lie, “You know again?”

Ling Lie drank the porridge, imitating Ji Chenjiao’s tone, “You know I wanted to drink eight-treasure porridge again?”

Ji Chenjiao said: “Which time don’t you cherish mine.”

The two chatted while eating breakfast. The discomfort back then had disappeared. He sat in the seat where Ning Xiechen once sat, with his partner sitting opposite. He subconsciously asked Ling Lie to eat more. After saying it, he thought for a moment, as if understanding some of Ning Xiechen’s mentality at that time.

Just about to leave after eating, Ji Chenjiao heard someone calling him. Looking back, he was a little surprised, “Teacher… Teacher Wen.”

Ling Lie also turned around, looking at the middle-aged man holding porridge, about to sit down.

Wen Zhengchao, from the superior unit. At the time of Xu Jiajia’s case, a special task force was established above, and Wen Zhengchao was the leader. The Serious Case Squad was also investigated because of Dan Jin’s death.

Wen Zhengchao nodded to the two, his smile a little tired and forced.

Ji Chenjiao felt he seemed to have something to say but stopped, asking: “Teacher Wen, do you have something to do here today?”

Wen Zhengchao said: “I… I’ll go find Xie Qing in a while.”

Ji Chenjiao cared even more, sitting down again, “What case?”

Wen Zhengchao sighed, but talked about something else, “In the past, Captain Ning and I often came here to eat steamed buns. He, this person, always wanted to take advantage of me, asking me to treat every meal.”

Ji Chenjiao was slightly surprised. When he joined the team, Ning Xiechen was very generous, spending money on team members.

Wen Zhengchao’s tone was full of nostalgia, “That’s because he matured and had responsibility. He was a captain, how could he let you spend money? He, just knew to scrape my oil (take advantage).”

Ji Chenjiao suddenly had a premonition that Wen Zhengchao came for Ning Xiechen this time.

Wen Zhengchao’s buns came. Ling Lie listened to their chat while unceremoniously eating two.

Ji Chenjiao only discovered Ling Lie’s stealing behavior after a good while. Wen Zhengchao smiled, “Xiao Ling eat more. I’m getting old, bought the original portion, can’t finish anymore.”

Ji Chenjiao asked: “Teacher Wen, is the matter you want to talk to Captain Xie related to my master?”

Wen Zhengchao’s hand paused, nodded, “I received a distress letter sent to me by Old Ning.”