They promised that once the matter had been thoroughly investigated, they would see to it that everyone involved got promotions and pay raises.
The men didn't waste any time. They set out early the next morning and rushed straight there, reaching the mass grave outside the city before noon. With directions from someone in the know, they quickly found where the unidentified charred corpse had been buried.
With the sun shining high overhead, everyone felt a little braver. They grabbed their tools and took turns digging. Before long, they had unearthed a charred corpse.
The body was pitch-black. Just looking at it sent a chill down their spines.
At first, no one dared touch it. After discussing it, they decided to toss a rope around the corpse's head. Working together, they dragged it out of the pit.
But as they dragged the body, something unexpected happened: it snapped apart at the neck. Stranger still, its scorched, bald head seemed to lock onto a target. It rolled straight toward the officer leading the group, going rumble, rumble.
The officer was terrified. He sprang up and stumbled out of the way.
But another officer who had come along stared at the head, his pupils constricting uncontrollably as if he'd witnessed something horrifying. The next second, he shrieked, "Th-this isn't Guo Tian, is it? How did he end up like this?!"
Everyone froze. Guo Tian was the officer rumored to have been taken away by a ghost. His whole family had disappeared, and the case had caused a huge stir locally. There was no way they hadn't heard about it.
"Don't go talking nonsense!" the lead officer barked.
"I-I'm telling the truth! Look, inside the mouth, on the right—isn't it missing two teeth?" The officer looked ready to cry, his voice trembling.
Everyone