"The surveillance footage was deleted. The suspect deliberately set the fire to destroy the scene. How ridiculous—they underestimated modern forensic technology."
Law Enforcement Division Four Agent Nimoting glanced over the crime scene. Years of case-solving experience let her immediately determine the suspect's motive.
The perimeter of the village savings bank in Jianlin County had already been cordoned off. Firefighters and bank personnel moved back and forth through the burned-out site.
Although the fire had been extinguished, determining the value of the damaged property would still take considerable time.
There was nothing particularly difficult about the case itself. A security guard's corpse had been left at the fire scene, while 140,000 yuan in cash stored at the counter had vanished. Two night-shift guards should have been on duty the previous night. Although restoring the surveillance footage and performing an autopsy to determine the cause of death would take time, the prime suspect needed no further explanation—the missing night-shift guard.
Murder for money, bank robbery, then burning the evidence—this kind of clever little stunt was obvious even to the deadweight at the Public Security Bureau.
As a Level Two field agent of Law Enforcement Division Four, Nimoting was dissatisfied with the easy assignment she had been given. She had come to the border to crack major cases, such as rooting out Rose Army traitors—the government's greatest concern—but all she had been involved in were ordinary criminal cases.
To a district or county Public Security Bureau, an arson case at a bank was already extremely serious. But to the Law Enforcement Division Four Agency, which safeguarded the nation's vital security interests, dispatching a Law Enforcement Division Four Agent for such a case was a complete waste of talent.
She had her subordinates pull up the files of the guards who had been on duty that day. After casually scanning them and memorizing the key points, she tossed aside the file of the deceased, "Lanny Johns," and said offhandedly to her subordinates:
"The suspect is definitely Li Aoz from Bountiful Village. Stop him at the checkpoints and highway toll stations. Someone carrying massive debts who commits a robbery and murder like this must be trying to pay them off. Honestly, it's so simple... Detain his relatives, send people to keep a close watch on them, then set up roadblocks and lead the interception team. The county town has a complicated population; just take control of the roads."
Her subordinate curled her lip, equally impatient. "Just leave this sort of thing to the police. There's no need for us to step in. There are plenty of male livestock at the border anyway. Are we really worried about not having enough manpower to surround him?"
Nimoting narrowed her eyes. Her subordinate's wording was somewhat inappropriate, but she more or less thought the same thing.
She was just about to speak, intending to casually criticize the incompetence and stupidity of the Jianlin County police—especially the male officers—as only fit for low-level work, so as to highlight her superiority as a Law Enforcement Division Four Agent.
"Really?"
A cool voice suddenly sounded from nearby.
"Tima, I would not advise saying such things. It makes your understanding seem narrow-minded."
Tap.
Long boots struck the ground. The wind lightly lifted the black-and-white women's single-breasted Special Service Bureau trench coat she wore, every button fastened with meticulous care. She removed the filtered respirator from her face with one hand, revealing features as exquisite as a sculpture. Her golden-green eyes were crystal clear.
Nimoting immediately swallowed the words she had prepared. A trace of displeasure flashed through her eyes as she glanced sideways at the newcomer, then spoke with feigned intimacy.
"You're here, Agent Hesksin. We were just discussing whether to hand this matter over to the local Public Security Bureau—have the spiritual detection results come out?"
"Yes, Team Leader Nimoting."
Yawen gave her a military salute. Her beautiful teal-blue hair stood out like a blue magpie, and paired with her lovely figure, she would have been the center of attention in any crowd no matter how tightly and meticulously she dressed. Quite a few of the onlookers had come specifically for Yawen's beauty.
How annoying... If her father weren't the director of the Special Service Bureau, I wouldn't want to work with a spoiled heiress like her. Nimoting could not help thinking.
Yawen showed no reaction to her own charm. She took out a document and began her report. "The concentration of spiritual residue at the scene exceeds 17%. No active particles from Aoneng activation were detected."
"Oh?" Nimoting raised a brow. "No Aoneng awakening, yet there's spiritual residue at the scene. That means either the victim was attacked by a spiritual creature, or he was killed by some low-grade transcendent."
Though she did not want to admit it, Yawen worked quite diligently.
"That conclusion can be drawn."
Yawen paused, then looked at Tima beside her and said seriously, "Agent Tima, you need to understand that this is a border district and county. The police here clearly do not have that much manpower or organizational capacity. We cannot use the standards and public security conditions of the capital to judge remote regions with extremely underdeveloped economies. Saying they should improve their police force is not objective; it is completely divorced from reality."
"Oh my, the young lady has started lecturing us."
Tima mocked, "They're a bunch of slaves born with Original Sin. Giving them police jobs is already being generous."
"Denied. Male citizens are also indispensable members of human society. Whether male or female, all are builders of the Great Republic." Yawen immediately retorted.
"Heh, you mental man! You have absolutely no idea how women have been persecuted over the past several thousand years, do you?" Tima sneered. "Oh, of course you wouldn't know. After all, Miss Hesksin has never eaten in a public school cafeteria in her life. You've always lived in luxury."
As Tima spoke, she suddenly called out to a male police officer on duty. "You. Come here."
The officer froze, then approached Tima with trepidation. He cautiously saluted and asked, "Hello, may I—"
Smack! Tima lashed out with a kick to the officer's knee. He grunted and instinctively bent down, clutching it.
"You bastard, don't you know how to speak respectfully?"
As Tima spoke, she punched him in the stomach, then rudely grabbed the back of his neck and dragged him before Yawen.
"Hey, this officer says everyone is equally a builder of the Republic. Did you hear that?"
"I-I heard..."
"Hehe—now let me ask you, what do you think?" Tima sneered, gripping his chin and asking viciously, "Do you also think you are a pillar of the Republic? Do you think you are the same as that elegant, respectable lady in front of you?"
"No!"
The male officer immediately bowed and scraped, hurriedly explaining:
"Absolutely not! How could I possibly compare myself to the distinguished people of Law Enforcement Division Four?"
He did not care about his dignity at all. Even with his colleagues watching nearby, not one of them dared say a word for him.
"See that, young lady?"
Tima pressed down on the officer's head and mocked:
"You treat them like people, but they themselves don't even want that."
Yawen said nothing. She merely gazed quietly at the person beneath Tima's feet, her eyes resting on his humble, fearful posture for several seconds.
Then she raised her head and turned to Team Leader Nimoting.
"Ma'am Team Leader, the autopsy report will not be available until tomorrow. Since we cannot rule out the possibility that suspect Li Aoz has become a transcendent, I suggest we begin searching proactively as well."
"Approved." Nimoting was no fool. A crime involving a transcendent—and a male transcendent at that—would be a major achievement.
Law Enforcement Division Four, as an agency that defended women's rights, paid close attention to crimes committed by male transcendents.
After all, as beings akin to superhumans, transcendents were to a great extent a potential threat to both the government and ordinary people.
Their Combat Power was far too great, and ordinary methods could not detect them. Most importantly, compared with presidents and bureaucrats elected by ordinary people, these superhumans held an absolute appeal for voters.
Voters might not remember a candidate's campaign platform, but they would definitely remember a transcendent who could breathe fire, fly through the sky, and shoot lightning from their fingertips.
If it could be proven that male transcendents had a far higher crime rate than female transcendents, then the government would have an excellent reason to act against male transcendents—and even expand the crackdown from there, imposing strict control over all transcendents.
Such a good opportunity was right in front of her. Nimoting had no reason to give up such a promising assignment.
"Tima, stop fooling around. Go cooperate with the police in the search. Agent Hesksin, you worked hard on the detection just now. Rest for a while."
"No. That will not be necessary." Yawen shook her head. "Ma'am Team Leader, this is the border. The suspect may flee the city or even betray the country. Therefore, I believe the border outposts should also be sealed off—"
"What a joke." Tima mocked, "Has the young lady read herself stupid? Running into the Outland is practically a guaranteed death sentence. The suspect has family, massive debts, and committed murder for money. It's obvious he intends to return home."
"As long as something is possible, even if the probability is only one percent, it will eventually happen."
Yawen spoke calmly:
"Ma'am Team Leader, I wish to investigate the smuggling routes and border outposts to prevent the suspect from fleeing the motherland. Please approve my action."
"Mm... You should think this through."
Nimoting hesitated instead.
Investigating smuggling routes and border outposts was no easy task. If things went badly, she might have to enter the Outland.
No matter how much Nimoting disliked Yawen, she was still the daughter of the Special Service Bureau's director. If something really happened to her...
But what if something did happen? Nimoting suddenly realized—this was Yawen's own request.
Besides, the danger of the Outland was obvious to all. Even the Rose Army traitors of the Great Motherland, armed insurgents in the Outland, had to remain in the hemisphere cities just to survive and develop.
No one would be foolish enough to walk into the Outland voluntarily. Judging from the intelligence, Tima's guess was more reasonable.
If Yawen wanted to investigate, then let her investigate. She would probably find nothing anyway, and that would actually serve as a form of protection for her. Besides, once the bookish young lady saw that her deduction had been wrong and returned empty-handed, she would surely feel frustrated and defeated.
At that thought, Nimoting grinned, nodded, and said with a smile:
"Agent Hesksin has considered things very thoroughly. Then I'll leave the investigation to you."
"Tch, coward. Boring."
Tima curled her lip, deeply dissatisfied.
"There's no way that could happen."
The sun was the pillar of life. Where there was no sunlight, life struggled to survive.
Who would be crazy enough to voluntarily run into the Outland?—"Welcome to the Outland, dear infected gentleman."
A cascade of beautiful silver hair fell down her back. The gentle, mature woman in a white lab coat rolled up to Li Aoz in a wheelchair and smiled faintly. "Do not be afraid. We will not harm you."
"Who... are you?"
Li Aoz had been injected with massive doses of sedatives and anesthetics in succession, leaving his muscles completely relaxed. After hesitating for a moment, he asked with a stiff, twisted expression:
"And what did you just say? I'm... infected?"
"To answer your first question: we are doctors, sir. Doctors of the Netherhumanitarian Aid Organization."
The gentle, mature woman adjusted the round-framed glasses on her nose and explained:
"You may call me 'Professor.'"
"Now, to answer your second question."
"Yes. You have been infected with a virus called Malefic Calamity. It comes from the sky above us. It infects through brain tissue and the spine, then penetrates deep into the body's cells. As the infection worsens, it may eventually even alter the chromosomes."
"Malefic Calamity's infected were originally divided into four levels, from mild to severe."
"And you are the only case we have discovered so far who is suspected to be a fifth-level infected... I wonder whether I should say that you are exceedingly rare."
Before you continue