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"Shi Boren, you take Gan Yizu to investigate the Nine Dragons Slaughterhouse. Check which markets they supply and also look into private pork sellers," instructed Zhou Fengxu.

"Affirmative, sir!" Luo Qizhong promptly replied, setting down his coffee.

Everyone set off together.

The landline rang.

Gan Yizu picked up the call, listened, then turned to Zhou Fengxu with a troubled expression. "Brother Xu, a male corpse was found in Kai Tak River, and the case has been assigned to Team D."

Doesn't this mean we won't have time to investigate the lard lead?

"The human skin case has the entire Hong Kong on high alert! What's the deal? Another assignment?" Shi Boren grumbled.

"Head to Kai Tak River first," Zhou Fengxu said, grabbing the ID badge on the table. "Let's go."

Kai Tak River was one of Hong Kong's main open channels, stretching about 2.4 kilometers eastward. Its banks were piled high with garbage.

By the time the Serious Crime Unit arrived, the crime scene was already cordoned off, with local residents kept at bay by the police line.

Zhou Fengxu raised the caution tape and stooped to enter, followed closely by Shi Boren, Gan Yizu, and Luo Qizhong. The forensic team had also arrived on the scene.

The body had been retrieved and laid on the roadside, covered with a cloth.

Taking a handkerchief offered by Shi Boren, Zhou Fengxu covered his mouth and nose before lifting the cloth.

The male corpse wore a red T-shirt with black stripes, marred by numerous wounds. The fabric of the striped T-shirt was slashed open, revealing gory flesh, while a few small holes on the chest oozed dark blood.

"It's from bullets."

The young man stood behind Zhou Fengxu, his gaze fixed on the male corpse's chest as he held a metal box. Extending his hand, he said, "Detective Zhou."

They shook hands.

"Stab wounds and gunshot injuries?" Gan Yizu whispered. "A deep-seated grudge, perhaps?"

"It's hard to say about the grudge, but such brazenness is likely connected to a criminal organization," Shi Boren replied. He then asked Dr. Song, "With so many injuries, which one was the most fatal?"

"Only an examination can determine that," Dr. Song said as he put on gloves, nodding at Zhou Fengxu. Zhou stepped back, allowing the autopsy to begin.

Thirty minutes later.

Forensic expert Song removed his gloves. "The fatal wound was a bullet close to the heart. Further analysis is needed for other injuries. There are slight purplish-blue lividity marks, and the body isn't completely rigid yet. The preliminary estimation of the time of death is around five hours."

"Thank you." Zhou Fengxu, having received the information, turned around to make arrangements. "Boren, take Yizhu to question the neighbors in the surrounding area. Were there any unusual activities between one and three in the morning?"

Outside the police tape, an energetic uncle was telling his companion, "At two o'clock yesterday midnight, I was woken up by noise when I went to the toilet. I heard people fighting downstairs. Many people were surrounding a guy and beating him up. They were swinging pork cleavers, and the guy was begging for mercy. I was so scared that I couldn't sleep all night."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Fengxu prepared to call Shi Boren back to ask the uncle to come to the police station for a statement.

Suddenly,

he noticed a short man outside the police tape glaring at the uncle with hatred. Sensing something was amiss, he exchanged a glance with Shi Boren before rushing out.

The man realized he had been spotted by the police and took off running down the alley, glancing back and then dashing towards a building's rooftop.

"Stop!"

The Serious Crime Unit officers immediately gave chase.

In Hong Kong, the buildings were closely packed together. The man frantically jumped from one rooftop to another, and Zhou Fengxu followed, stepping nimbly across the terraces.

Shi Boren was right behind him, panting heavily as he struggled to keep up. When he finally caught up to the man, he pounced, pinning him to the ground and slapping his head.

"Why run? Did you kill him?!"

The man rolled his eyes and argued while lying on the ground, "Officer, it's you who chased after me. Don't think you can just frame an innocent person because you're a cop."

"I'm chasing you? Why would you run if you're not guilty?" Shi Boren held the man down. "We'll take you back to the station to get some answers!"

At the mention of being taken to the police station, the man grew agitated and started to struggle. Zhou Fengxu stepped in to help, but suddenly, something caught his eye. His gaze narrowed, and he yanked at Shi Boren's collar, pulling him back while drawing his gun with his left hand.

Shi Boren reacted swiftly, drawing his own gun with his right hand.

With a gunshot, a bullet was fired, striking Zhou Fengxu square in the chest.

Shi Boren came to an abrupt halt, his heart pounding in horror as if it had stopped altogether. "Brother Xu!"

Zhou Fengxu kicked the man's pistol away. Taking advantage of the man's momentary distraction from the pain in his wrist, he raised his gun to the man's temple. "Hands up!"

Both Gan Yizu and Luo Qizhong had witnessed the incident, their faces tense with concern. "Quick, call an ambulance!"

Shi Boren, even more alarmed, rushed over. "How is he? Did it hit his heart?"

"No problem," Zhou Fengxu's icy expression remained largely unchanged.

"Don't be foolish," Shi Boren said, reaching out to touch him. "With such a large bullet extracted, how can there be no issue?"

Zhou Fengxu stopped his gesture, pulling out a yellow talisman from his breast pocket.

The once creased and tattered yellow talisman now had an indentation in its center, before it spontaneously ignited in mid-air. The moment it was discarded, it turned to ashes, gently cascading down.

Those watching the scene were deeply astonished.

Zhou Fengxu fixated on the ashes, remaining silent.

Shi Boren's forehead glistened with cold sweat. His usually fearless and audacious voice trembled as he spoke.

"Brother Xu, that thousand-dollar talisman truly saved your life!"

In broad daylight.

He had actually witnessed a yellow talisman block a bullet right before his eyes!

---

At the Smooth Fortune Fengshui Shop, Boss Huang was enjoying gongfu tea with a red-haired youth dressed in a Taoist robe.

The aroma of the tea filled the air and drifted throughout the room.

From time to time, Boss Huang would glance at the young man's red hair, repeatedly expressing his incomprehension of the current fashion trends among the youth.

"Good fortune on top, even mysticism has to keep up with the times, right? Otherwise, how can one establish oneself in the world of mysticism? That's so outdated," Wei Yanlin said, running his fingers through his red hair before raising his teacup to clink it against Boss Huang's.

"That's truly terrible," Boss Huang sighed, stroking his thinning hair. "Back in my prime, I was a big shot in Kowloon Tong. Now, I can't even keep up with the times. Tell me to dye my hair red, and you might as well just kill me with a single blow."