The True Culprit Appears?

Director Luo's authority was no lower than Old Han's.

His department had extremely high clearance. Even personnel from covert operations, or the relatives of top-ranking officials, could be found in their internal highest-level system.

Anyone who couldn't be found in his system was either terrifyingly high-ranking, or an undocumented person whose information didn't exist at all.

Old Han was often looked down on by Director Luo. Under normal circumstances, he should have thrown out a few sarcastic remarks, but with things this bizarre, he no longer felt like arguing.

Jiang Yue, on the other hand, was fairly calm. He didn't find it strange at all.

"Little Jiang, judging by your reaction, did you see this coming?"

"Actually, you should've been able to guess it too. Think about it. Since he could imitate Teacher Sun, why couldn't he conjure up a face out of thin air? Why would he let you find him so easily?"

Exactly.

Why?

A Year Eater could use the Year Eater Skill to make itself younger and evade surveillance.

So why would this monster let surveillance cameras find him so easily?

Today he could be A, tomorrow B, and the day after that C...

"If that's the case, the surveillance cameras can't lock onto him. Are we really helpless against a monster like this?" Even Old Han, a veteran criminal investigator, was completely baffled.

"That doesn't necessarily follow."

"There are still ways. Look at his two appearances—they had the same form. That means he may not change into a new appearance every time. We could check the live surveillance and see whether he appears again in this form."

"We could also use the cameras to see whether the same person appears in different places around the same time."

"There's another method. We can take the initiative and set a trap. This monster clearly likes targeting young women. We can use that to bait it."

The monitoring room!

Several people arrived at the monitoring room. Old Han revealed his identity, and that worked exceptionally well. They smoothly took control of the monitoring room.

The security guard was happy to have some free time and went outside to smoke.

To Director Luo and Old Han's disappointment, that figure never appeared again on the footage. They didn't know whether it hadn't gone out today or had grown wary and changed its form.

Jiang Yue didn't join them in reviewing the recordings. Instead, he stared at the live surveillance.

"San Gou, can you see anything different about anyone on the surveillance footage?"

San Gou really wanted to show off and prove how incredible his abilities were. But after watching for a long while, he could only honestly shake his head.

"Everyone looks about the same on the cameras. Even the same two people look no different."

"Then how did you make your judgment that day?"

"After close contact, I noticed that its aura was a little different. The second time I saw that person, his aura was colder and more sinister. It also seemed like there was a faint mist around him. It was dark, so I'm not entirely sure."

"So even if the monster appeared in a video, you wouldn't be able to recognize it?"

"Second Brother, I feel like my Yin Yang Eye is more reliable when looking at wronged ghosts and evil spirits. The Tangtou I saw on Mount Dajin, the people on that bus in town, and the evil spirit that went to Xiao Yi's house to cause trouble—I could see all of them clearly. But a Year Eater like the one you mentioned might be beyond me."

"You've never seen a Year Eater."

"I haven't. But I sat in the seat where a Year Eater had sat, and I didn't notice anything wrong." San Gou was referring to that taxi.

After San Gou's reminder, it really did seem to be the case.

Could monsters be divided into different types?

The two of them chatted intermittently while Jiang Yue's eyes never left the surveillance footage.

"The residential compound's security guard is pretty conscientious. The guard in the monitoring room said he was going out for a smoke, but he actually went on patrol. Look at the entrance to the parking lot. That's him, right?"

Jiang Yue pointed to one of the surveillance screens. The security guard was carrying a flashlight as he entered the Underground Parking Lot.

"Second Brother, what's so strange about that? People die here every day. The property company is worried too, right?"

"It would be strange if they weren't!"

The two stared at the screens. It wasn't very late yet, and plenty of people were still coming and going. However, after several murder cases, the residents had clearly grown more cautious, entering and leaving in groups.

There were practically no lone figures.

The brothers' eyes grew tired from staring, but they gained nothing.

The security guard had probably finished making his rounds and returned to the monitoring room. Seeing that they were still there, he said nothing. He picked up a thick pirated novel from beside him, then grabbed the flashlight from the desk, dragged out a recliner, and lay down in a corner to read.

This was an entirely ordinary action.

Yet Jiang Yue frowned.

He whispered a few words into San Gou's ear. San Gou turned around, studied the security guard for a few moments, then went over with a broad smile and struck up a conversation, asking what novel he was reading.

The two chatted and laughed, even discussing the plot of the novel.

A moment later, San Gou returned to Jiang Yue's side and said quietly, "Brother, I didn't see anything wrong with him. He's a normal person. He doesn't have that cold, sinister aura, so he definitely isn't the monster."

Jiang Yue had only been making a guess and had no solid evidence. After the security guard came in, he had simply felt that something was off.

That was why he had sent San Gou to test him.

San Gou's test showed that there was no problem.

But Jiang Yue's sense that something was wrong didn't disappear.

There had to be something else!

Jiang Yue had always trusted his instincts. Whenever he felt this way, it usually meant that something had gone unnoticed.

What exactly was wrong?

Jiang Yue's mind replayed everything like a recording. He reorganized the timeline from when the security guard went out until he returned.

Right!

Jiang Yue's heart jolted. He had found the subtle problem!

The flashlight!

On the surveillance footage, the security guard had clearly carried a flashlight into the Underground Parking Lot.

Why had he returned empty-handed?

The security guard had obviously picked up the novel first, then taken the flashlight from the desk.

In other words, the flashlight had been there all along!

"Master, how many flashlights do you security guards usually carry when patrolling at night?"

"How many? You're overthinking it. There's only one." The security guard was absorbed in the novel and didn't even raise his head.

"Then when you went to the Underground Parking Lot just now, did you borrow someone else's flashlight?"

"You mean me?" The security guard froze, put down the book in his hand, and looked at Jiang Yue blankly.

"If not you, then who?"

"I didn't go to the Underground Parking Lot. I just went outside for a smoke. I ran into a few residents and stood outside listening to them chat. Someone said our compound had been haunted these past few days!"

Jiang Yue's heart stirred.

"Then did you run into anyone strange just now? Someone you didn't know, for example, or someone who didn't say a word?"

"Now that you mention it, there really was someone. He walked neither quickly nor slowly. I don't think I've seen him in the compound before."

"Was there surveillance where you saw him?"

"The cameras can't cover every place."

Director Luo and Old Han also stopped what they were doing and looked at Jiang Yue, confused.

"Go! The Underground Parking Lot!"

If the security guard hadn't gone to the Underground Parking Lot earlier, then who had? Who had appeared on the surveillance footage?

It had appeared!

It had appeared again!

This time, it had imitated the security guard!

It seemed that the monster's targets were most likely random!

Old Luo pulled out his phone and issued an order: "Seal every exit from the Underground Parking Lot. If you see anyone wearing a security guard's uniform, restrain them first and ask questions later."

Han Yiming issued a few orders as well.

Sure enough, they couldn't possibly handle a chain of murders like this alone. They had secretly arranged a considerable number of people.

Guarding only the pedestrian exits was definitely not enough.

The passages beneath the parking lot extended in all directions and could lead directly to the elevator entrances of every building and unit.

"Director Luo, Old Han, tell your people to act naturally. Don't alert the monster."

Whether it was a Year Eater or this monster that committed crimes by imitating others, they both possessed an instinctively powerful ability to counter surveillance.

If the people watching them exposed any flaws, they could easily alert the monster.

What use was there in watching only people wearing security uniforms? This monster could clearly change into other people's appearances.

"Leave one of you here to watch the surveillance and keep track of its exact location at all times."

"Little Jiang, why don't you stay here and watch the cameras?" Old Han asked tentatively.

"Are you sure you have more confidence dealing with these monsters than I do?" Jiang Yue rolled his eyes.

"Stop wasting time, Old Han. You stay here. Or call someone to replace you." Director Luo directly crushed Han Yiming with his authority.

Although Old Han was unwilling, he had no choice.

He could only watch as Director Luo took Jiang Yue and San Gou by a shortcut toward the Underground Parking Lot.

He quickly pulled out his phone. "Send someone to the monitoring room to replace me. There's been a new development in the case. They must be in place within three minutes!"

Old Han had personally participated in the Year Eater case and handled it exceptionally well, earning enormous praise from his superiors and considerable recognition.

Then this monster had gone on to commit so many murders in succession. Not only had it completely stripped away the glory Old Han had gained before, but it had also trampled all over him, leaving him under immense pressure.

That was why Old Han didn't want to fall behind in this case at all.

He couldn't let the Special Department take all the benefits.

Once Director Luo succeeded, given the Special Department's style, they wouldn't leave him so much as a sip of soup.