Taken to the Police Station

Zheng Hai was already in his thirties. He had worked in public security for over a decade and solved countless cases, both big and small. He was undeniably experienced.

The recent string of home-invasion murders in Tianhai City had them at their wits' end.

For the past few days, they had been working overtime almost every day, all to catch the killer as soon as possible and restore peace to Tianhai City.

Just after midnight tonight, while he was working overtime, he suddenly received a message from a dispatcher. Someone in Tongjiang Residential Complex had called to report witnessing a murder, and it might be connected to the recent string of home-invasion murders.

They didn't dare waste a moment after getting the message. Everyone at the Police Station set out, except for a few people who had to stay behind.

And because the killer was so dangerous, they had brought not only the usual riot shields and batons but also guns, so they could catch or kill the vicious murderer at the first opportunity.

They gathered quickly, turned off their sirens, and sped all the way to Tongjiang Residential Complex.

A trip that normally took over ten minutes, they managed to cut down to ten flat.

After Lu Siye had knocked on the door for several minutes, he still hadn't gotten the guy inside to open up. Instead, the public security officers had arrived.

He heard car engines roaring outside the complex, followed by the shrill squeal of brakes.

Lu Siye went to the railing and looked down.

Several patrol cars were parked below. A dozen or so public security officers swiftly got out, each with a riot shield in one hand and the other on their belts, then charged toward his building.

Holy crap, he really called the police?

Lu Siye's heart lurched. He hurried back into his room and glanced down at the living room. The Takeout Ghost had already vanished, leaving only a huge pool of blood and a Black Raincoat on the floor.

Why did the ghost's corpse disappear, but not the blood?!

Lu Siye was about to lose it. He rushed onto the balcony, grabbed the mop, and hurried into the living room, trying to clean up the blood.

Just then, he faintly heard footsteps in the hallway. A moment later, someone knocked on his door.

"Hello! We're from the residential complex's management office. Someone has complained that you're making noise in the middle of the night and seriously disturbing the neighbors' rest. Please cooperate with us."

Outside, a security guard from the complex stood by the door. In the hallway on either side of him, more than a dozen public security officers pressed their backs against the walls under the lead of an experienced team leader, watching the door warily.

They were lying in wait outside the murderer's door. The plan was to have the property manager pretend to mediate a dispute between residents, then rush in and subdue him the moment he let his guard down and opened the door.

A few seconds later, Zheng Hai waved to the security guard, signaling him to move away.

Zheng Hai stepped up to the door, raised his thick leg, and kicked hard.

With a bang, the door swung open. A young man stood before him holding a mop, with a large pool of blood at his feet.

He was trying to destroy the crime scene!

Zheng Hai immediately guessed what the man was up to. He drew the pistol from his belt, flicked off the safety, and took aim in one fluid motion.

"Drop the mop and get down on your knees!"

Lu Siye stared blankly at the seven or eight dark gun barrels pointed at him. He wisely dropped the mop, put his hands over his head, and crouched down.

"Officers, if I told you this was all a misunderstanding, would you believe me?" Lu Siye said sheepishly, hands clasped over his head.

"You can explain yourself at the Police Station!" Zheng Hai pulled out his handcuffs and quickly cuffed him.

Feeling the cold metal around his wrists, Lu Siye knew he really couldn't clear his name now.

After the suspect had been taken away, Zheng Hai crouched down to inspect the blood on the floor.

He dabbed a finger into it and held it under his nose.

Strange. Why didn't it smell like blood?

He looked at the raincoat on the floor, apparently left behind by the victim. He took a pair of gloves from his pocket, put them on, and reached for it.

Jingle~

Just then, the bell-shaped emblem on his uniform gave a strange little shake and rang out clearly.

Zheng Hai's expression changed. He hurriedly pulled out his phone and made a call.

"The bell rang. We found one of those things!" he said in a low voice after the call connected.

"Wait for me!" The person on the other end said only those two words before hanging up.

A few minutes later, a tall man in a black trench coat, built like an iron tower, suddenly appeared in the room.

Zheng Hai's pupils contracted. He instinctively reached for his pistol, but before he could raise it, a large hand pressed it down. A chill shot up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

When had he gotten here?

"Relax. I'm just here to investigate that thing." The man let go of the pistol and walked over to the raincoat as if he owned the place, then picked it up.

He paid no attention to the blood on the floor. When supernatural beings died, they usually left something behind. Sometimes it was blood, sometimes eyes or hair, and sometimes one of their organs.

"It's definitely one of those things." The man sensed the heavy Yin energy and resentment emanating from the raincoat and the blood on the floor. It had indeed been used by a ghost.

"All right, take the man back to the Police Station. Someone will come to take over soon." The man spoke to Zheng Hai, then took the raincoat and jumped off the balcony, vanishing into the night.

Only after the man was gone did Zheng Hai belatedly put away his gun. It was only then that he realized his back had been drenched in cold sweat.

Zheng Hai quickly composed himself, went out, and knocked on the door across the hall.

The door opened soon after. A short, plump, middle-aged man with a beer belly, a bald crown, and a pale face stood behind it.

"We're from the Tianhai City Public Security Bureau. We received a report. Were you the one who called the police earlier?" Zheng Hai glanced at the man, showed him his badge, and asked.

"Yes, officer. The screams came from that kid's place. You have no idea how awful they were..."

"All right, we've caught the suspect. Please come with us to the Police Station so we can take your statement about what happened." Seeing that the man was gearing up to ramble, Zheng Hai immediately cut him off.

"No problem! No problem!" The middle-aged man said with a beaming smile, nodding quickly.

Lu Siye had no idea what happened upstairs after he was shoved into the patrol car. He still thought the guy next door had called the police.

But who had made the call didn't matter right now. What mattered was how he could explain everything clearly.

He was well and truly caught between a rock and a hard place, with the public security officers on either side gripping his shoulders and wrists.