Old Zhao owned a restaurant near Star City Second Hospital.
He served dinner and late-night meals.
The restaurant's location next to Star City Second Hospital made late-night business especially profitable, and over the years, Old Zhao had made quite a bit of money.
He worked until two or three in the morning every day. Though he was exhausted, his net profit of two or three thousand a day was an income many office workers could only dream of.
Recently, it seemed like Star City Second Hospital had been especially busy, and his business had picked up even more. His daily net profit had actually topped three thousand, making Old Zhao more motivated than ever.
Even in his sleep, he dreamed of taking over the two shops next door and expanding his business.
Just as he was happily counting money in his dream, the bedroom door burst open with a bang.
Two people charged in like wolves and tigers and pinned him to the bed, paying no mind to his wife, who lay naked beside him.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Old Zhao was still groggy with sleep. Even after the cold handcuffs were snapped onto his wrists, he hadn't come to his senses. They dragged him straight downstairs and into a police car.
"Officer, I'm just a small-time restaurant owner. I've always run an honest business, with all my permits in order and my place up to health code. I only make a little hard-earned money. This really isn't right, treating me like this." Old Zhao put on a pitiful face.
Smack!
Officer Han slapped the table. "Playing dumb, are you?"
He pointed at the large screen on the wall, and a surveillance video began to play.
In the video, Old Zhao carried a portable electric hydraulic cutter to the morgue at Star City Second Hospital. In a few quick snips, he cut through the chain, tore off the seal, and tossed it aside.
The footage then switched to inside the morgue.
Old Zhao used the hydraulic cutter to snap the lock, pulled open a body storage compartment, turned the corpse inside over, then pushed the compartment shut again.
Only after finishing all this did he stroll out of the morgue.
The two videos together lasted less than ten minutes. Old Zhao looked rather clumsy in the footage and never once raised his head, but the video still clearly identified him. The facial recognition system had identified him, too.
"Tell me. Who sent you to do something so vile?" Officer Han's face darkened. A life had been lost because of Old Zhao's bizarre actions!
Old Zhao raised his cuffed hands and tried to bang them against his forehead, but they were secured in place, and he couldn't reach.
He kept shaking his head, trying to clear it. Even now, he still felt like he was dreaming.
"Cut the act!" Officer Han snapped.
Old Zhao looked miserable. "Officer, I didn't do this. I'm not possessed. Why would I do something so vile?"
"The evidence is right in front of you, and you're still denying it?"
"It really wasn't me! I swear, that wasn't me! Please investigate further! I closed up yesterday and went straight home to bed! My wife can vouch for me! And after I got home, I took a shower, then my wife and I got intimate. You can go to my house and check!"
"Officer, you can't frame an innocent man!"
"I make money because the hospital brings me business. Why would I sabotage the hospital? Our family would never do something so vile and heartless!"
Officer Han sneered. "The surveillance footage is right here, and you still won't admit it? Fine. We also found fingerprints and other trace evidence at the scene. Technology is advanced these days. If you won't confess, science will speak for itself and leave you with nothing to say!"
"Then I want a forensic examination! Right now! I've been framed, and I'm not afraid. I want the tests done right now! I didn't get home until three last night. I showered, had sex, and didn't fall asleep until after four. Don't you dare frame me!" Old Zhao was worked up, his words pouring out like a rapid-fire burst.
But Officer Han remained unmoved.
He'd seen plenty of people putting on this kind of act. There had been one just yesterday, hadn't there?
That one had been a teacher at Yangfan Middle School, a prestigious school, and the homeroom teacher of its top class. He looked like a refined, respectable man. Who would've thought he was a wolf in sheep's clothing?
Once the DNA comparison results came in, the facts would speak for themselves. There'd be no room for argument.
Of course, those vicious criminals would keep crying innocence even when faced with conclusive test results. They were utterly incorrigible.
After leaving the interrogation room, Officer Han returned to his office.
Jiang Yue was gone, but Director Luo had appeared in his place.
"Where's Little Jiang?"
"He's still a student," Director Luo reminded him.
Officer Han slapped his forehead. "Right, he has school today."
"Director Luo, this case is strange. Our department's at a loss. I'm guessing your people will have to take over."
"Heh." Director Luo's smug chuckle made it clear he'd seen this coming.
"Don't get cocky. You handled the first half of this, and you didn't do a thorough job either." Officer Han couldn't stand Director Luo's attitude, as if he were saying, "I'm not singling anyone out; everyone here is garbage."
Director Luo shrugged. "I handled my part just fine. The police didn't take over, and the criminals got a head start. So, did he confess? Who sent him?"
"He's keeping his mouth shut and denying everything. We'll wait for the test results."
"Wait? That's exactly how incompetent you people are. Keep waiting, and it'll be too late to do anything." Director Luo's voice was cold.
"Got a better idea?"
"If you want him to talk, why not use a little pressure?" Director Luo said darkly.
"Absolutely not!" Officer Han had been in the force for years and had never resorted to torture.
"I don't have time for your nonsense. We're taking over the case. Let's handle the transfer. Hand over today's corpse from New Moon Bay to our people." Director Luo tossed over a transfer form. "Sign it."
After signing, Officer Han looked up. "Director Luo."
"What?"
"When you're not conducting the autopsy, make sure the body is face down, back up." All these bizarre incidents had taught Officer Han to be cautious.
His once-firm convictions had clearly begun to waver.
Director Luo paused, then finally managed to say, "Understood."
Director Luo had just reached the door when he heard Officer Han's phone ring.
After answering, Officer Han's expression changed again after only a few words.
"What did you say? Another rape and murder?" Officer Han sounded on the verge of a breakdown. What was going on?
Star City was huge, but having rape and murder cases occur in the same jurisdiction two days in a row was simply too outrageous.
Director Luo had been about to leave, but he turned back and reminded him:
"Send me the case files as soon as you can."
An isolated case usually didn't invite much speculation.
But if multiple cases kept happening, things were bound to get complicated.
Now, the case wasn't just getting complicated. It was also taking on a mysterious, unsettling edge.
Only two-thirds of the students were in the classroom. Another third had been scheduled for physical exams that morning, and the remaining third would go that afternoon.
In other words, everyone in their class had to finish their physical exam by the end of the day.
Since not everyone was present, most of the class was set aside for independent study. The teachers of each subject took turns supervising, and anyone who had questions could go up and ask.
Jiang Yue sat in the classroom, but his mind was elsewhere.
The college entrance exams were only a few months away. He'd already mastered everything he needed to learn, and then some. Even if he took the exam now, he could pass with ease, perhaps even come out top of the country.
So what?
Get into the best university and graduate with a perfect job offer?
Under normal circumstances, that would naturally be ideal.
But was anything normal anymore?
Year Eater, vengeful spirits...
There had to be countless other undiscovered mysterious forces and creatures lurking in the dark, ready to bare their fangs at any moment!
And yesterday's physical exams had hinted at something else: humanity might really have reached a turning point.
The old way of thinking, the old social order—amid this turbulent upheaval, they might soon be worth nothing!
Jiang Yue scribbled on a sheet of A4 paper, going over the events of the past few days and putting them in order again.
His deskmate, Li Yue, was as quiet as ever, never making trouble or getting involved in it. Every now and then, she would pause her writing and glance silently in Jiang Yue's direction.
No matter what Jiang Yue was doing, she never asked and never interrupted. Even if he were jerking off under the desk, Li Yue probably wouldn't react all that strongly.
She really was the class's invisible girl.
In Li Yue's eyes, it seemed perfectly natural for a top student like Jiang Yue to do whatever he wanted.
Top students got to be that carefree.
Han Jingjing sat a whole block of desks away from Jiang Yue, three or four rows ahead of him.
The downside was that every time she wanted to sneak a look at Jiang Yue, she had to make a big movement. She had to turn around and twist sideways, peering past all those annoying heads in the way just to see her handsome top-student big brother.
And even then, she could only see half his face.
Of course, Han Jingjing could stare at that half of his face for half a class without getting tired.
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