Chapter 32 [VIP] The Mortuary (1)

Chapter 32 [VIP] The Mortuary (1)

The next morning, Meng Siqi entered the training camp to participate in firearms training.

Under the strict guidance of the instructor, she learned the procedures for disassembling, assembling, and checking guns. Only now did she realize that during the operation to apprehend Xin Tianfei, Captain Han had arranged for her to have a backup Type 54 pistol without any bullets.

At the time, she was so naive that she didn't notice it and appeared very serious throughout the operation. However, when she realized this today, she felt extremely embarrassed.

But indeed, interns were not allowed to carry firearms, and since she hadn't undergone more professional training, there was a possibility of accidentally injuring herself or her teammates. Perhaps Han Changlin had done this to boost her confidence. After this rigorous training, she would certainly be able to demonstrate her true skills during future operations.

After familiarizing herself with gun checks and other preparations, Meng Siqi officially entered the live-fire drills. As she walked towards the outdoor shooting range, she was momentarily stunned.

The instructor was Lu He.

Today, he wore a well-fitted police uniform. Due to his tall stature and long limbs, the uniform emphasized his excellent physique, making him look imposing and righteous. Criminals would likely be intimidated just by looking at him.

Training sessions at the bureau were conducted in batches, usually spaced several months apart due to their high level of professionalism. This time, the training duties fell on Lu He.

Upon seeing Lu He, Meng Siqi felt slightly awkward, recalling their encounter outside the Long City Enterprise Building.

As she joined the seven-person squad on the shooting range, Lu He noticed her. His sharp gaze carried an air of judgment, but after a brief pause on her face, he looked away.

Lu He must have seen the training roster and known she would be here.

"Attention! At ease!" Lu He's voice rang out loudly.

Meng Siqi straightened her posture, and the seven-person squad immediately aligned into a neat row.

Next, Lu He stood straight and began explaining the training details. Meng Siqi maintained a standard stance, her eyes fixed on Lu He's prominent nose, which served as a focal point for her vision.

Then, Lu He detailed the proper procedures for drawing, loading, aiming, firing, and holstering a firearm, demonstrating each step flawlessly.

She and the squad applauded together.

"All right, Meng Siqi, come give it a try!" Lu He pointed at her immediately after finishing his demonstration.

"Me?" Meng Siqi pointed at herself, surprised that she would have to perform the actions herself, thinking it was just a demonstration. She felt that Lu He might be intentionally targeting her.

She took the practice gun from Lu He, her palms sweating slightly.

"Go ahead, follow what I showed you and aim at the target," Lu He said, looking towards the distant target.

So far away, Meng Siqi swallowed nervously and slowly raised the gun.

She loaded, aimed, and squinted one eye at the target.

Suddenly, a firm hand grasped her arm, and the unique scent of his police uniform, with its woody undertones, invaded her senses. The warmth and pressure of his hand made her arm tingle slightly.

After adjusting her stance with his help, she confirmed that Lu He had no further instructions and pulled the trigger.

The gun was empty, and Meng Siqi completed the action perfectly. Silence filled the air as she slowly turned to look at Lu He, who nodded slightly, "Not bad."

Not bad? That meant she passed. Suppressing her inner joy, Meng Siqi returned the gun and rejoined the squad.

Lu He then provided the same initial firearms training to each member, carefully explaining every detail.

During a break, Meng Siqi picked up her cup from the grass and took a sip of water. When she looked up, she saw Lu He also lifting his cup. As he tilted his head back, the prominent Adam's apple beneath his olive-green shirt collar became visible.

Meng Siqi couldn't understand why she paid more attention to Lu He. Perhaps it was because she always associated him with news from her original world.

"You're the female officer who came with me, Meng Siqi, right?"

A man's voice sounded in her ear.

Meng Siqi turned slightly to see a handsome young face, still carrying a hint of youthful innocence. He was in his early twenties, tall, and dressed in a neatly pressed police uniform, smiling warmly at her.

"Do I know you?" Meng Siqi genuinely couldn't recall him.

"Oh, I'm Liang Yunfeng. We met when we both joined the bureau. I was assigned to the first team, and you went to the second team."

Meng Siqi suddenly remembered him. When the original Meng Siqi joined the bureau, there was another intern from a prestigious university who was directly assigned to the first team, while she was pushed to the second team. Now, half a year later, they had both been promoted and were training together.

"I remember now, Officer Liang." Meng Siqi smiled.

"Officer Meng, it's been a pleasure. Can't believe half a year has passed. How are you settling in at the bureau?"

"Fine, how about you?"

"I've worked on a few cases with Captain Lu. It's completely different from school. By the way, you've changed."

"What kind of change?" Meng Siqi could imagine what Liang Yunfeng meant. In Ye Xiuhui's eyes, she used to be shy and quiet, and Liang Yunfeng would probably say she had become more outgoing.

"You've become more beautiful and more spirited."

Her oval face, framed by black hair, exuded a pure beauty, and her ponytail added a touch of youthfulness. Her features were delicate yet strong, giving her a graceful yet powerful presence. Her tall, slender figure, accentuated by the police uniform, radiated a sense of heroism. Liang Yunfeng had noticed her immediately upon entering the training session; she stood out among the group.

He was complimenting her, and Meng Siqi smiled, "Thank you, you're too kind."

Just as Liang Yunfeng was about to speak again, Lu He's deep, commanding voice echoed across the camp, "Gather up!"

After a tense afternoon of training, Meng Siqi was drenched in sweat, her clothes sticking to her body, but she felt incredibly proud. She had learned a lot that day, and Lu He's meticulous instruction had corrected many of her postures.

Finally, the first day of training concluded. Before dismissing them, Lu He stood straight like a pine tree, addressing the squad solemnly, "Tomorrow, we'll have live-fire training. Remember all the procedures you learned today. More importantly, understand that every time you handle a firearm, it relates to your sense of duty. Dismissed."

Though exhausted, Meng Siqi was eager for more. Leaving the shooting range, she saw Lu He's retreating back. She thought about the incident in her original world. When she first saw the news about him, she felt both regret and deep admiration!

In that world, Lu He had sacrificed himself and become a set of bones sealed for thirty years. A faint pain pierced her heart, but in this world, would this man's fate be the same?

The next day, she returned to the shooting range with great confidence. However, the instructor on duty had changed; it was now Deputy Captain Luo Xiaoguo of Team One. Although she didn’t know where Lu He had gone, rotating instructors was a common occurrence.

Liang Yunfeng occasionally walked over and handed her a bottle of water. "Meng Siqi, here's some water."

"Thanks."

"How’s the training going?"

"Painful yet enjoyable." For Meng Siqi, every day brought new knowledge and constant challenges. She had worn out the skin at the base of her palm. The gun was heavy, and by the end of the day, her wrists were sore and aching, but she persisted.

"That’s true, especially for girls like you. It’s not easy."

"So, I need to work even harder."

Liang Yunfeng smiled slightly. "You’re better than my former seniors."

"Haha, you’ve praised me more than once. Anyway, let’s all learn from Lu He."

"Oh, right," Liang Yunfeng’s smile faded slightly. "Captain Lu."

For the next five days, another instructor took over, and Lu He did not reappear. However, Meng Siqi’s training was considered a preliminary success. She could handle a gun competently and no longer felt fear at the sound of gunfire.

She felt she was moving closer to becoming a qualified criminal investigator.

During the training period, Meng Siqi also heard that the Shixin Evening News had been suspended for alleged unfair competition, and Wen Huizhi had been placed on administrative leave.

Winter arrived, and Jinyang City was blanketed in a thin layer of snow.

Meng Siqi walked to the police station entrance, brushing off the snow on her coat. Looking up, she saw Zhao Leiting running towards her through the snow, holding a file folder. He lightly tapped the snow off his head with the folder and turned to her. "Where have you been?"

"I went to the community. What about you?"

"Don’t ask. I found something. Let’s go inside." Zhao Leiting shook the file folder.

Curious, Meng Siqi followed him into the office and approached Han Changlin. Zhao Leiting took something out of the file folder as he said, "Captain Han, take a look at this photo."

Meng Siqi stood beside them, her gaze following Han Changlin’s as it landed on the photo Zhao Leiting placed on the table.

In the photo was a young girl wearing a deep red dress with large white flowers, sitting on a sofa with her hands resting on the armrests and her legs crossed.

Upon closer inspection, her long hair was slightly curled, tied with a beautiful bow, and the butterfly knot on her chest and the wristband were equally attractive, along with her carefully painted red nails.

However, what was incongruous with her attire was her unnaturally pale face, dark gray eye makeup, which was not a color typically favored, and her eyes, which seemed almost lifeless. Her deep red lips added to the eerie appearance.

"Do you see anything wrong?" Han Changlin asked suspiciously.

"Captain Han, doesn’t this seem strange to you?" Zhao Leiting said.

"Where was this taken?"

"I went to an art exhibition called Devil's Art today. They displayed quite a few personal artistic photographs. But I found one that seemed off, so I secretly took a picture of it..."

"So you took a half-day off just for this?" Han Changlin gave him a glare.

Zhao Leiting quickly waved his hands. "Captain Han, you misunderstood. I really was going to the station to pick up my aunt. On my way back, I happened to pass by and saw the advertisement: 'Ten yuan admission, no photography allowed, model art, devil comes.' How could I not be curious?"

Seeing Zhao Leiting rhyme his words, Meng Siqi couldn't help but want to laugh.

"..." Han Changlin pursed his lips, sounding helpless. "Fine, continue..."

"It's a Devil's Art exhibition. The photos display death-themed performance art. The models are all handsome men and beautiful women, dressed to resemble death to attract attention..."

"Get to the point!" Han Changlin interrupted him.

Zhao Leiting cleared his throat and said seriously, "Captain Han, I think the photo shows a real corpse."

"?" Meng Siqi felt a jolt in her heart. She had found the photo strange earlier, but dismissed it as part of the Devil's Art exhibition. However, Zhao Leiting's statement still left her stunned.

Han Changlin's eyes narrowed as he slowly picked up the photo on the table, his clear eyes fixed on the—person.

Or rather, the "corpse"?

While Han Changlin was examining the photo, Zhao Leiting analyzed, "I have a hobby of photography, especially capturing people's eyes, which can reveal many things..." He paused, then continued, "Although it's a Devil's Art exhibition featuring death-themed art, this particular photo is very unusual."

Han Changlin slowly put down the photo, but the look in his eyes had changed, showing a hint of caution. He asked, "What if the model was simply posing as dead during the photo shoot?"

"Captain Han, a girl posing as dead while maintaining a smile is unnatural."

Han Changlin glanced at the photo again. Meng Siqi followed his gaze and noticed that the girl in the photo was smiling, though subtly. Once pointed out, the smile became more apparent, making the photo even more eerie.

She felt a strange sensation in her chest, struggling to catch her breath.

"Meng, take a look." Han Changlin's voice pulled her from her strange thoughts.

Meng Siqi swallowed and slowly took the photo. This time, she felt it was blurry. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at the face again. Now, after Zhao Leiting's reminder, she saw it as a corpse.

She shook her head and placed the photo back on the table. "Captain Han, I can't tell."

Han Changlin nodded. "Zhao, you and Meng check recent missing person reports, focusing on females aged fifteen to twenty-five."

Zhao Leiting responded promptly, "Captain Han, I'll start right away."

As Meng Siqi walked back, she felt something was odd. Having seen many corpses before, why did a photo that hadn't been confirmed yet make her feel uneasy?

"What are you thinking about?" Zhao Leiting looked at her. "Come, let's investigate together."

"Um." Meng Siqi nodded.

The police station had a 486 computer with the latest case records. With the help of a female clerk, they could easily see recent reports. There were no missing persons matching the age range. However, there was a report of a thirty-year-old woman who had recently gone missing.

The two of them had some doubts and quickly jotted down the information. As they were leaving, Zhao Leiting said, "Should we go to her house to verify the situation?"

"Is this case being investigated by the first team?"

If a missing person case is filed, the police will definitely follow up. If the second team isn't handling it, then it must be the first team. The police station would have a record if they took the case.

Zhao Leiting hurriedly said, "Oh, look at me. Let's ask Captain Lu."

Together, they went to the first team's office. This was Meng Siqi's first time in the first team's office. Overall, it was more crowded inside, perhaps because the first team had more members. In comparison, everyone's workstations were relatively neat, especially one desk that looked unused except for a pen, notebook, and lamp on it.

Luo Xiaoguo was spinning in his chair, seemingly deep in thought, with a pen in his mouth. He immediately noticed the two and gave them a glance, "Zhao, you guys need something?"

"Is Captain Lu not here? Asking Brother Luo works too."

"What can't be done over a phone call that requires a personal visit?" Luo Xiaoguo spoke with a slightly humorous tone.

Zhao Leiting stepped forward, "There's been a recent missing person case. Look!" He handed him the note with the information, "Are you investigating it?"

"Hmm?" Luo Xiaoguo glanced at the note and shook his head, "I don't know."

"So... no one is following this case?" Zhao Leiting asked.

Logically, it shouldn't be possible; every case in the bureau is taken seriously. Luo Xiaoguo said, "Why don't you ask Captain Lu?"

Zhao Leiting pursed his lips and exchanged a glance with Meng Siqi.

At that moment, a tall man walked in with swift steps. Meng Siqi turned her head and saw that it was Lu He.

Lu He approached a few steps and stood straight, "What's the matter?"

Zhao Leiting hurriedly handed him the note and explained the situation of the missing woman.

Lu He said, "We've checked it out."

"Checked it out?" Zhao Leiting's eyes lit up.

Meng Siqi also leaned forward unconsciously, afraid she might miss something.

Lu He's cold gaze met hers, and their eyes locked. Meng Siqi pursed her lips, and he replied, "She's not missing. She has some mental health issues and went out alone. Her family was worried and reported it. We found her on the street."

"Oh, I see." Zhao Leiting nodded repeatedly, "Thanks, Captain Lu."

Lu He nodded slightly and walked directly to the desk with only a pen, notebook, and lamp.

Sure enough, as Meng Siqi had guessed, it matched Lu He.

After they left together, Zhao Leiting suddenly said, "Siqi, looks like we need to meet the person who took this photo!"