Page 143

The police station was bustling with activity.

Uniformed officers had dragged in a few brawlers.

Amidst the cacophony, under the broad daylight, several bare-chested men shoved each other around, with one even pinning another to the ground in a scuffle.

"Bloody hell, damn your mother! If you dare touch my girl again, I swear I'll beat you senseless!"

"Your girlfriend hasn't even complained. Why are you hitting me?"

"Say one more word!"

"Well, if that's what it takes. Next time, I'll still dare to touch her waist!"

Two men grapple on the ground, each delivering kicks to the other's torso.

In the ranks, uniformed officers wielded batons, striking each one of them.

Only then did the two men become subdued.

Tong Mao took charge of handcuffing the two, counseling them, "Are you still daring to act rashly now that you're at the police station? Keep quiet, one by one, to avoid further trouble."

Chu Yuening pushed the food cart under a large tree near the police station. Glancing over, she noticed Yu Feiyang at the back of the queue, looking dejected and lackluster.

Shi Boren happened to open his window, catching sight of someone beneath the tree. He turned back and said, "Ning Ning seems to be downstairs, doesn't she?"

Gan Yizu put down his documents and rushed to the window, standing up straight. "Indeed, it is."

Zhou Fengxu had just finished analyzing the case when he heard Shi Boren's exclamation. He capped his marker and just made it to the window as Shi Boren was enthusiastically waving his hand.

"Ning Ning!"

Upon hearing her name being called, Chu Yuening lifted her head and looked to the side.

She saw the three familiar faces.

A smile lit up her face as she raised her hand in response.

It was at this moment that an unexpected turn of events occurred.

One person broke free from Tong Mao's grasp and bolted, but Chu Yuening reacted swiftly. Seeing the person charging towards them, she extended her leg.

"Bang!"

Dust flew up.

The fallen person let out a pained cry.

Chu Yuening waved away the dust, coughing softly, then she stealthily took two steps back.

The onlookers upstairs were stunned by the scene.

"So it turns out Ning Ning has some skills too? A heroine in the making!"

"That kick just now required exceptional alertness. Impressive."

"Truly remarkable," Shi Boren exclaimed with theatrical expression. Noticing Chu Yuening and Yu Feiyang conversing, he placed his hand on Gan Yizu's shoulder.

"Hmm, does Ning Ning know them?"

"It's normal for Yu Feiyang to patrol the streets frequently," commented Gan Yizu, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

Luo Qizhong, holding his coffee cup, stroked his beard as he gazed down. Noticing the attention the girl was attracting, he chuckled. "This young lady seems quite popular."

"Turns out CID officers are more interested in gossip than solving crimes, huh?"

Zhou Fengxu withdrew his gaze, a menacing smile curving his lips as he watched the three friends climbing in through the window, their arms around each other.

Shi Boren shivered, rubbing his arms. "That joke was truly chilling."

"Back to work," Zhou Fengxu said, casting another glance downstairs. Chu Yuening had finished her conversation with Tong Mao, and he didn't interrupt like Shi Boren did. After a few more glances, he turned back to his tasks.

Just as he turned, the landline phone in the office rang.

Gan Yizu reached for it and, after ending the call, his expression turned grave.

"A male corpse has been found in Langcheng Bay."

The large tree outside the police station was shedding leaves all over the ground; autumn winds swirled them into miniature tornadoes.

Chu Yuening sat on the vendor's stool and leaped off the moment she saw someone emerge.

Yu Feiyang, already dressed in casual attire, took the initiative to ask, "Master Chu, should we head straight for Dan Dan?"

Dan Dan must have been injured, otherwise, she wouldn't have cried out so tragically.

He had spent the entire day fretting, worried that any harm to Dan Dan's soul might affect her reincarnation.

"Location?" Chu Yuening pondered for a moment, tilting her head. "Is it far?"

She was deciding on the mode of transportation— if it wasn't too far, they could just take the food cart, otherwise, they'd need a taxi.

"The location is at Langcheng Bay. There's a beautiful bay there that usually attracts quite a number of tourists," Yu Feiyang explained promptly.

Just as he finished speaking, rapid footsteps echoed down the stairs.

Chu Yuening turned to see Shi Boren charging down the corridor, his face contorted, with his hair tousled by the wind like a hedgehog's spikes.

Next came Gan Yizu.

Luo Qizhong.

Zhou Fengxu swiftly slipped on his coat as they hurriedly entered the police car. Zhou Fengxu activated the rooftop police lights and tapped the frame, signaling for a prompt departure. With a press of the accelerator, the vehicle took off.

Before the back door could even be closed, the blaring siren startled Gan Yizu, who screamed in alarm. The car raced away, leaving behind only a trail of black, smoking tire marks on the ground.

"CID responding to a call."

Chu Yuening redirected her gaze to Yu Feiyang, who sighed softly. "Another place, another life lost."

Waves Clear Bay.

The sand on the beach was white and strewn with rocks. A covered body lay on the ground, and the area around the bay, extending hundreds of meters outward, had been cordoned off.

Beyond the perimeter, an odd expanse of bamboo forest sprouted abruptly.

Zhou Fengxu's eyes lingered on the bamboo grove before he shifted his focus back to the caution tape.

The other three members of Team D followed behind.

Zhou Fengxu flashed his ID to the staff on site.

The attendant called out, "Inspector Zhou," as a greeting.

Zhou Fengxu surveyed the area. "What's the situation here?"

The attendant in charge of documenting the scene put down his pen and waved over the two tourists. "These two were the first to discover the body."

The two tourists were pale with fright, flustered and speaking in thick Taiwanese accents.

"Officer, it was really terrifying. We were swimming for about ten or so minutes. Then, we saw something floating – at first, we thought it was an adult toy, but upon closer inspection, we realized it was a corpse."

Shi Boren asked from behind, "If you're going to speak Mandarin, speak Mandarin. 'Soc' and 'mei' – what do they mean?"