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The water police officer promptly replied, "Here's what happened. At 7:10 PM today, while on patrol near the ferry terminal, I spotted a suitcase floating in the sea. To prevent any mishaps with the nearby fishing boats, I arranged for it to be retrieved."

"The suitcase was abnormally heavy." The officer, being relatively new and inexperienced with dealing with marine fatalities, decided to open it, feeling a bit uneasy.

Upon discovering the bloated and putrid corpse inside, he was utterly horrified.

"Upon opening it, we found the body."

Zhou Fengxu, donning the white gloves offered by Shi Boren, approached the damp body, holding a handkerchief to his nose. The air was thick with the stench of fish and decay.

The face of the female corpse was concealed by her long hair, and her body had swollen and wrinkled from the water. Unlike a typical corpse, her joints were limp and pressed against the wooden board, with her swollen arm revealing large, discolored bruises.

At a glance, Zhou Fengxu could confirm that the manner of death resembled the one at the World Park incident.

"Brother, was there any other evidence in the suitcase besides the female corpse?"

The water police officer shook his head. "Aside from the body, there was nothing else in the suitcase."

"Thank you." Zhou Fengxu nodded, then stood up, slipping the handkerchief into his trench coat pocket. He turned and walked towards the forensic doctor who had just finished the preliminary autopsy by the dock, removing his gloves as he went.

Although he had his initial assumptions, professional assistance was still required.

"Doctor Song, what can you tell me about the body?"

Song Heng, with a cigarette in hand and a grim expression, replied, "From initial examination, the victim appears to be between 20 to 25 years old, and died from mechanical asphyxiation. Similarly, all their joint bones have been shattered, and judging from the bruising all over the body, the victim must have endured repeated abuse over the past two weeks."

"We'll need further examination back at the lab for more clues."

"I see." Zhou Fengxu stood aside, gazing at the moon's reflection on the sea, then turned to Song Heng. "You've got a tough night ahead. Thanks for staying late."

Serial killings were of a different nature; if they didn't hasten their investigation, there was no guarantee that another victim wouldn't fall, another innocent life lost.

A police officer's duty was to catch the culprit and save lives.

Song Heng chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "No big deal, I'm used to it. Let's hope we can apprehend the perpetrator soon."

In the background.

Chu Yuening sat in the car, flipping through the newspapers she had brought along. Suddenly, the air seemed to grow a few degrees colder. She furrowed her brow, put down the paper, and peered out the window. At the dock, a towering column of black smoke hinted at the emergence of an ominous ghostly presence.

"Click." She got out of the car, closing the door behind her, and approached the scene.

The night sea breeze was chilly, so Chu Yuening pulled her jacket closer.

Zhou Fengxu heard the sound and turned around. "Ning Ning? Why aren't you staying in the car?"

Chu Yuening smiled. "Don't worry about me, I just wanted some fresh air."

As she spoke, she remained outside the police cordon.

Seeing that she had no intention of entering, Zhou Fengxu resumed his discussion with Song Heng about the case.

A female ghost, her body twisted like a pretzel, reached out from the luggage trunk. Her pale face emerged from a mane of black hair, and her lifeless fish-like eyes fixated on the newly arrived Chu Yuening.

It struggled to emit a harsh gurgling sound, its body wriggling on the wooden plank like an insect. Its joints were shattered; even as a ghost, it couldn't stand up.

Chu Yuening's gaze never left it.

Eventually, it realized that Chu Yuening could see it. Panic gradually seeped into its grotesque, terrifying face.

The moment Chu Yuening moved, it slithered away like an octopus, hiding beneath the deck beyond the safety line.

It... was afraid of scaring Chu Yuening.

Chu Yuening sensed its emotions and crouched down, tapping the damp deck with her hand. "Come out."

After a while,

the female ghost slowly poked her head out. Her pale, fish-like eyes glowed with intense resentment, and her mechanical voice echoed in the night air like a tape recorder.

"Vengeance... revenge."

Chu Yuening rubbed her temples and, through the female ghost, witnessed the scene of her brutal murder. Shackled with iron chains, she had been relentlessly beaten and tormented day after day. Her bones were even broken with wooden rods, and it took nearly half a month before she was suffocated to death with a handkerchief.

She sensed the ghost's bone-chilling hatred and closed her eyes.

"Vengeance... Vengeance..."

A briny sea breeze swept in.

Chu Yuening opened her eyes and sat up.

"I'll take your case."

Chapter 118

The pitch-black night was chased away by a warm breeze. The sky gradually turned pale, tinged with golden hues. Hong Kong awoke to another bright morning.

The deserted Temple Street echoed with the clatter of wares being set up early on. Food stalls and all sorts of vendors lined both sides of the road. Shop owners pulled up their shutters and began calling out to attract customers.

A jingling sound rang out.

The stallholders looked up simultaneously. Recognizing the person riding the cart as the Temple Street's renowned fortune teller, they paused their work with smiling faces.

"Ning Ning, your feng shui shop must be done with renovations, right? When are you moving in?"

"Are you not renewing the lease for your fortune-telling stall, then?"

The toy vendor's uncle also chimed in with a smile, "We've all heard that you went to Tsim Sha Tsui for a show. Everyone's eagerly waiting to watch it on TV. When will the program air?"

Chu Yuening pressed the brake, planted her feet on the ground, and stepped off her scooter. She turned around with a bright smile. "Thank you, uncles and aunts, for your concern. The shop has already been renovated. As for when the show will air, I really don't know."

She hadn't thought to ask about such details while filming.

As she spoke, a panting voice interrupted.

"The show Ning Ning participated in is called 'Esoteric Secrets Unveiled,' right? I followed the first three seasons, it airs every Saturday at ten o'clock in the evening. If you... if you want to watch, just tune in then."