Chapter 183
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Lu Xiaohe’s mother loved eating eggplants.
When Lu Xiaohe was young, her mother’s favorite saying was, “Eggplant stir-fry is better than meat.” At that time, her mother’s skill in cooking eggplant fried rice was extraordinary. The tender yet chewy eggplant mixed with the flavorful rice absorbed the juices, creating a wonderful texture and delicious taste. Steamed eggplant with garlic was also flavorful, and her mother called it “chicken leg”.
At that time, the family wasn’t well off. But looking back, Lu Xiaohe never felt that they were poor. Her childhood was frugal yet carefree.
She loved her home.
So Lu Xiaohe studied hard, aiming to get into the top university and pursue the best major, hoping that her parents could have carefree days in their later years.
Unfortunately, the road of scientific research was long, and she had not yet completed her studies when her mother fell ill unexpectedly. For a disabled researcher, Shian was the fastest way for her to obtain a large amount of funding legally… If it weren’t for this, she might have continued her research within the university and directly entered a reputable research institute.
Fate could be so ironic.
Amidst the rumbling sound of the range hood, Lu Xiaohe finished stir-frying the eggplants. “Dad, please serve the rice!”
Her father responded and entered the kitchen. Father and daughter tacitly prepared the meal. Lu Xiaohe carefully arranged the rice next to the stir-fried eggplants and placed it on a tray. She made a “V” shape with red chili peppers, admiring it happily, and poured a cup of grape infused water—her mother disliked drinking plain water, always complaining it tasted bitter.
With just a little bit of sugar, her mother would happily drink it.
“I’ll take it to Mom and keep her company for a while,” Lu Xiaohe said with a smile. “Dad, make sure you don’t finish all the dishes; leave some for me.”
“I can’t promise that.” By now, her father had already sat at the dining table, his face marked with many wrinkles, but filled with a smile.
Lu Xiaohe carried the tray, made a silly face at her father, and then used her shoulder to push open the door to the bedroom.
Her mother’s bedroom was separate, made spacious to bring her comfort. Despite being small, the room was well arranged.
Inside, the table was filled with books and a gaming console, the floor was clean, and the windowsill was adorned with thriving green plants. It was deep autumn, and the leaves outside had a golden-red hue, complemented by the clear blue sky, resembling a beautiful painting. The air in the room was fresh, carrying only the scent of plants, occasionally accompanied by the chirping of birds outside the window. In such an environment, the otherwise old room exuded a charming ambiance.
Lu Xiaohe stepped on the dancing rays of light on the floor and greeted with a smile, “Mom—”
In the next instant, she nearly dropped the tray.
There was no one on the bed.
Trembling, Lu Xiaohe set down the tray. The aroma of the stir-fried eggplants filled the air, but it only churned her insides. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, trying to find any trace of her mother.
There were indents on the bedsheets and pillow, showing where someone had lain. Her mother’s slippers were neatly placed by the bed. The window had only a palm-width gap, impossible for a person to pass through. Not to mention her mother was too weak to move independently, and there was no toilet in this room, only a chamber pot. There was no reason for her mother to suddenly leave.
The bedroom door was the only normal exit, leading directly to the living room… She and her father had been in the living room just now, and the bedroom door was slightly ajar, untouched.
Lu Xiaohe felt a chill run through her body. In that moment, her thoughts nearly froze.
How could this be?
She wanted to call out to her father, but her throat refused to produce a sound. Staggering, Lu Xiaohe rushed to the wardrobe, opened its doors, and frantically searched. The wardrobe, under the bed, behind the curtains.
She wished so much for her mother to suddenly appear from somewhere, smiling and saying, “Did I scare you?” Even if it was a cruel joke… Please, let it be a cruel joke.
But there was no one in the room.
Lu Xiaohe collapsed by the edge of the bed; the scent of her mother still lingering on the bedding and pillow. She fought back the panic-stricken tears, tremblingly took out her phone, and dialed Yin Ren’s number.
“Hello, Xiao Yin.”
She instinctively used the familiar nickname for help, even though she knew the person on the other end of the call stood at the pinnacle of the metaphysics.
“I can’t find my mom.” Her voice choked. “I can’t find my mom.”
The usually composed rear commander couldn’t hold back the tears this time.
……
Half an hour later, Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were already standing in Lu Xiaohe’s home. The stir-fried eggplants in the tray had turned cold, while the police officers came and went, conducting routine investigations.
Since finding Zhong Chengshuo, Yin Ren’s expression had never been this grim.
He circled around the bright bedroom, his gaze incredibly focused. Zhong Chengshuo looked at Lu Xiaohe whose eyes were red from crying. After a few seconds of hesitation, he gathered his courage and expressed his opinion.
“We will find her,” he said. “I understand that you must be very worried.”
Just like when he was trapped in the underground morgue, the fear of “never knowing Yin Ren’s situation”. Whenever he recalled that feeling, Zhong Chengshuo felt his chest filled with sour, bitter soil.
Lu Xiaohe sniffed and forced a smile. “Just because you said that, I believe that you’re a real flesh puppet.”
Zhong Chengshuo: “……”
Zhong Chengshuo decided to change the subject. “Since it involves a Shian employee, Shian will directly intervene in this case without the need for police contact or scrutiny of liaison personnel. Yin Ren has already reported it to the higher-ups, and the investigation team will officially start the investigation today.”
The dazed look on Lu Xiaohe’s face instantly vanished, as if she had been abruptly awakened from a dream. “I want to be involved!”
After speaking, she seemed to remember something, and her expression dimmed slightly. “But only a B-level investigation team has the authority to investigate missing cases directly related to Shian personnel…”
“Our Unit 9 is at the B-level.”
Yin Ren finally finished investigating the entire room, his tone unusually serious.
“And this time, this case will have higher-level backup support from Shian… Xiaohe Jie, there are faint traces of Evil Force in this room, and the aura is still fresh.”
“Impossible!” Lu Xiaohe immediately refuted. “Things in my mom’s room haven’t been moved for a long time, and she hasn’t bought anything new recently. Absolutely—”
She stopped halfway, and a few traces of ferocity suddenly appeared on her face. Before Yin Ren could speak, Lu Xiaohe rushed out of the bedroom and pounced on her father.
She grabbed her father’s lapels tightly. “Dad, what did you say you sought from your friend?! Get the clothes or bag you used for it, quickly!”
The incident had just occurred, and Father Lu’s clothes were in the living room. In a matter of minutes, Yin Ren got the answer.
“It’s the ‘silk pouch charm’ you mentioned, no doubt about it.” He fumbled with Lu Xiaohe’s father’s coat pocket; his expression solemn. “There’s a very faint smell of Evil Force. It can corrupt people if in close contact, but it wouldn’t trigger Shian’s alarm.”
Father Lu clenched his hands in his hair, his expression half blank, half agonized. As an ordinary person who had no exposure to metaphysics, he didn’t have much understanding of these things, but he could vaguely sense his responsibility.
“It’s my fault,” he murmured, his lips dry and thin, tightly pursed. “My daughter is clearly involved in this, and I still brought things home without thinking. It’s my fault, all my fault. Daughter, blame me.”
Lu Xiaohe just looked at the cold food on the table silently, her face devoid of expression. She seemed to want to stop herself from crying, but she had to repeatedly wipe away the tears with the back of her hand.
“I… I should have told you earlier…” Her voice was hoarse, barely audible, and her body continued to tremble slightly.
“It’s like this, Mr. Lu.”
Yin Ren interrupted Lu Xiaohe’s murmurs and looked sincerely at Mr. Lu.
“I am Xiaohe Jie’s colleague at Shian. She helped me a lot before, and we made an agreement that I would help her with her mother’s illness. I have some ancestral remedies that are very effective.”
Yin Ren’s tone was serious and calm, carrying a convincing power. At this moment, he didn’t have his usual ease on his face; instead, he had a bit of an aura of the rumored Great Celestial Master.
“Later, due to personal matters, I kept delaying it. If I had fulfilled my promise earlier, Mrs. Lu wouldn’t have encountered such a situation. I will take responsibility and absolutely find her.”
Yin Ren emphasized the word “absolutely,” and Lu Xiaohe looked at him with a complex gaze.
“You…”
“I should be responsible for this matter, and I will take responsibility for it,” Yin Ren declared firmly.
The pain on Mr. Lu’s face eased a bit, and he tightly held his knee, nodding vigorously.
……
In the afternoon, at the Special Investigation Unit 9’s office in Shian Campus.
The news of the “Competition Victory Award” arrived slower than the equipment. However, Lu Xiaohe was distracted this time, and even the shiny new equipment couldn’t make her smile.
On the large screen wall, densely packed information was displayed, covering the entire space. It was even more overwhelming than when they were investigating the case of Zhong Chengfeng.
Despite it being a day off, there was no sign of fatigue from overtime in the room. Ge Tingting sat solemnly at her desk, and even Huang Jin’s expression was serious as he crossed his arms, looking rather unpleasant.
“…This is our first task after being promoted to B-level, a case involving multiple missing people. It’s something we’ve always been good at, right?”
Lu Xiaohe attempted to liven up the atmosphere like before, but her voice was hoarse, making it uncomfortable to listen to.
“These cases have a very obvious commonality: the missing individuals are all females and have come into contact with a certain amount of Evil Force corruption before disappearing. The data characteristics of the Evil Force at the disappearance scenes are highly similar. Other than that, they don’t have many other common points.”
She tapped the keyboard heavily, and three brief summaries appeared on the screen:
[Meng Huai, female, 21 years old at the time of disappearance, former head of the Emergency Management Department at Shian, a promising Ghost General. An excellent cultivator.]
[Zhong Chengfeng, female, 26 years old at the time of disappearance, criminal investigator in the Criminal Investigation Support Division of the Haigu Public Security Bureau. Inclined towards the science post.]
[He Huan, female, 54 years old at the time of disappearance, unemployed. Mother of Lu Xiaohe, who’s an employee at Shian. No apparent inclination.]
“These are the three cases we will be investigating together. Our mission is to uncover the fundamental causes of these cases…”
Lu Xiaohe paused in her tone.
“…and find the whereabouts of the missing individuals.”
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Lu Xiaohe’s mother loved eating eggplants.
When Lu Xiaohe was young, her mother’s favorite saying was, “Eggplant stir-fry is better than meat.” At that time, her mother’s skill in cooking eggplant fried rice was extraordinary. The tender yet chewy eggplant mixed with the flavorful rice absorbed the juices, creating a wonderful texture and delicious taste. Steamed eggplant with garlic was also flavorful, and her mother called it “chicken leg”.
At that time, the family wasn’t well off. But looking back, Lu Xiaohe never felt that they were poor. Her childhood was frugal yet carefree.
She loved her home.
So Lu Xiaohe studied hard, aiming to get into the top university and pursue the best major, hoping that her parents could have carefree days in their later years.
Unfortunately, the road of scientific research was long, and she had not yet completed her studies when her mother fell ill unexpectedly. For a disabled researcher, Shian was the fastest way for her to obtain a large amount of funding legally… If it weren’t for this, she might have continued her research within the university and directly entered a reputable research institute.
Fate could be so ironic.
Amidst the rumbling sound of the range hood, Lu Xiaohe finished stir-frying the eggplants. “Dad, please serve the rice!”
Her father responded and entered the kitchen. Father and daughter tacitly prepared the meal. Lu Xiaohe carefully arranged the rice next to the stir-fried eggplants and placed it on a tray. She made a “V” shape with red chili peppers, admiring it happily, and poured a cup of grape infused water—her mother disliked drinking plain water, always complaining it tasted bitter.
With just a little bit of sugar, her mother would happily drink it.
“I’ll take it to Mom and keep her company for a while,” Lu Xiaohe said with a smile. “Dad, make sure you don’t finish all the dishes; leave some for me.”
“I can’t promise that.” By now, her father had already sat at the dining table, his face marked with many wrinkles, but filled with a smile.
Lu Xiaohe carried the tray, made a silly face at her father, and then used her shoulder to push open the door to the bedroom.
Her mother’s bedroom was separate, made spacious to bring her comfort. Despite being small, the room was well arranged.
Inside, the table was filled with books and a gaming console, the floor was clean, and the windowsill was adorned with thriving green plants. It was deep autumn, and the leaves outside had a golden-red hue, complemented by the clear blue sky, resembling a beautiful painting. The air in the room was fresh, carrying only the scent of plants, occasionally accompanied by the chirping of birds outside the window. In such an environment, the otherwise old room exuded a charming ambiance.
Lu Xiaohe stepped on the dancing rays of light on the floor and greeted with a smile, “Mom—”
In the next instant, she nearly dropped the tray.
There was no one on the bed.
Trembling, Lu Xiaohe set down the tray. The aroma of the stir-fried eggplants filled the air, but it only churned her insides. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, trying to find any trace of her mother.
There were indents on the bedsheets and pillow, showing where someone had lain. Her mother’s slippers were neatly placed by the bed. The window had only a palm-width gap, impossible for a person to pass through. Not to mention her mother was too weak to move independently, and there was no toilet in this room, only a chamber pot. There was no reason for her mother to suddenly leave.
The bedroom door was the only normal exit, leading directly to the living room… She and her father had been in the living room just now, and the bedroom door was slightly ajar, untouched.
Lu Xiaohe felt a chill run through her body. In that moment, her thoughts nearly froze.
How could this be?
She wanted to call out to her father, but her throat refused to produce a sound. Staggering, Lu Xiaohe rushed to the wardrobe, opened its doors, and frantically searched. The wardrobe, under the bed, behind the curtains.
She wished so much for her mother to suddenly appear from somewhere, smiling and saying, “Did I scare you?” Even if it was a cruel joke… Please, let it be a cruel joke.
But there was no one in the room.
Lu Xiaohe collapsed by the edge of the bed; the scent of her mother still lingering on the bedding and pillow. She fought back the panic-stricken tears, tremblingly took out her phone, and dialed Yin Ren’s number.
“Hello, Xiao Yin.”
She instinctively used the familiar nickname for help, even though she knew the person on the other end of the call stood at the pinnacle of the metaphysics.
“I can’t find my mom.” Her voice choked. “I can’t find my mom.”
The usually composed rear commander couldn’t hold back the tears this time.
……
Half an hour later, Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were already standing in Lu Xiaohe’s home. The stir-fried eggplants in the tray had turned cold, while the police officers came and went, conducting routine investigations.
Since finding Zhong Chengshuo, Yin Ren’s expression had never been this grim.
He circled around the bright bedroom, his gaze incredibly focused. Zhong Chengshuo looked at Lu Xiaohe whose eyes were red from crying. After a few seconds of hesitation, he gathered his courage and expressed his opinion.
“We will find her,” he said. “I understand that you must be very worried.”
Just like when he was trapped in the underground morgue, the fear of “never knowing Yin Ren’s situation”. Whenever he recalled that feeling, Zhong Chengshuo felt his chest filled with sour, bitter soil.
Lu Xiaohe sniffed and forced a smile. “Just because you said that, I believe that you’re a real flesh puppet.”
Zhong Chengshuo: “……”
Zhong Chengshuo decided to change the subject. “Since it involves a Shian employee, Shian will directly intervene in this case without the need for police contact or scrutiny of liaison personnel. Yin Ren has already reported it to the higher-ups, and the investigation team will officially start the investigation today.”
The dazed look on Lu Xiaohe’s face instantly vanished, as if she had been abruptly awakened from a dream. “I want to be involved!”
After speaking, she seemed to remember something, and her expression dimmed slightly. “But only a B-level investigation team has the authority to investigate missing cases directly related to Shian personnel…”
“Our Unit 9 is at the B-level.”
Yin Ren finally finished investigating the entire room, his tone unusually serious.
“And this time, this case will have higher-level backup support from Shian… Xiaohe Jie, there are faint traces of Evil Force in this room, and the aura is still fresh.”
“Impossible!” Lu Xiaohe immediately refuted. “Things in my mom’s room haven’t been moved for a long time, and she hasn’t bought anything new recently. Absolutely—”
She stopped halfway, and a few traces of ferocity suddenly appeared on her face. Before Yin Ren could speak, Lu Xiaohe rushed out of the bedroom and pounced on her father.
She grabbed her father’s lapels tightly. “Dad, what did you say you sought from your friend?! Get the clothes or bag you used for it, quickly!”
The incident had just occurred, and Father Lu’s clothes were in the living room. In a matter of minutes, Yin Ren got the answer.
“It’s the ‘silk pouch charm’ you mentioned, no doubt about it.” He fumbled with Lu Xiaohe’s father’s coat pocket; his expression solemn. “There’s a very faint smell of Evil Force. It can corrupt people if in close contact, but it wouldn’t trigger Shian’s alarm.”
Father Lu clenched his hands in his hair, his expression half blank, half agonized. As an ordinary person who had no exposure to metaphysics, he didn’t have much understanding of these things, but he could vaguely sense his responsibility.
“It’s my fault,” he murmured, his lips dry and thin, tightly pursed. “My daughter is clearly involved in this, and I still brought things home without thinking. It’s my fault, all my fault. Daughter, blame me.”
Lu Xiaohe just looked at the cold food on the table silently, her face devoid of expression. She seemed to want to stop herself from crying, but she had to repeatedly wipe away the tears with the back of her hand.
“I… I should have told you earlier…” Her voice was hoarse, barely audible, and her body continued to tremble slightly.
“It’s like this, Mr. Lu.”
Yin Ren interrupted Lu Xiaohe’s murmurs and looked sincerely at Mr. Lu.
“I am Xiaohe Jie’s colleague at Shian. She helped me a lot before, and we made an agreement that I would help her with her mother’s illness. I have some ancestral remedies that are very effective.”
Yin Ren’s tone was serious and calm, carrying a convincing power. At this moment, he didn’t have his usual ease on his face; instead, he had a bit of an aura of the rumored Great Celestial Master.
“Later, due to personal matters, I kept delaying it. If I had fulfilled my promise earlier, Mrs. Lu wouldn’t have encountered such a situation. I will take responsibility and absolutely find her.”
Yin Ren emphasized the word “absolutely,” and Lu Xiaohe looked at him with a complex gaze.
“You…”
“I should be responsible for this matter, and I will take responsibility for it,” Yin Ren declared firmly.
The pain on Mr. Lu’s face eased a bit, and he tightly held his knee, nodding vigorously.
……
In the afternoon, at the Special Investigation Unit 9’s office in Shian Campus.
The news of the “Competition Victory Award” arrived slower than the equipment. However, Lu Xiaohe was distracted this time, and even the shiny new equipment couldn’t make her smile.
On the large screen wall, densely packed information was displayed, covering the entire space. It was even more overwhelming than when they were investigating the case of Zhong Chengfeng.
Despite it being a day off, there was no sign of fatigue from overtime in the room. Ge Tingting sat solemnly at her desk, and even Huang Jin’s expression was serious as he crossed his arms, looking rather unpleasant.
“…This is our first task after being promoted to B-level, a case involving multiple missing people. It’s something we’ve always been good at, right?”
Lu Xiaohe attempted to liven up the atmosphere like before, but her voice was hoarse, making it uncomfortable to listen to.
“These cases have a very obvious commonality: the missing individuals are all females and have come into contact with a certain amount of Evil Force corruption before disappearing. The data characteristics of the Evil Force at the disappearance scenes are highly similar. Other than that, they don’t have many other common points.”
She tapped the keyboard heavily, and three brief summaries appeared on the screen:
[Meng Huai, female, 21 years old at the time of disappearance, former head of the Emergency Management Department at Shian, a promising Ghost General. An excellent cultivator.]
[Zhong Chengfeng, female, 26 years old at the time of disappearance, criminal investigator in the Criminal Investigation Support Division of the Haigu Public Security Bureau. Inclined towards the science post.]
[He Huan, female, 54 years old at the time of disappearance, unemployed. Mother of Lu Xiaohe, who’s an employee at Shian. No apparent inclination.]
“These are the three cases we will be investigating together. Our mission is to uncover the fundamental causes of these cases…”
Lu Xiaohe paused in her tone.
“…and find the whereabouts of the missing individuals.”
Lu Xiaohe's mother loved eating eggplants.When Lu Xiaohe was young, her mother's favorite saying was, Eggplant stir-fry is better than meat. At that time, her mother's skill in cooking eggplant fried rice was extraordinary. The tender yet chewy eggplant mixed with the flavorful rice absorbed the juices, creating a wonderful texture and delicious taste. Steamed eggplant with garlic was also flavorful, and her mother called it chicken leg.At that time, the family wasn't well off. But looking back, Lu Xiaohe never felt that they were poor. Her childhood was frugal yet carefree.She loved her home.So Lu Xiaohe studied hard, aiming to get into the top university and pursue the best major, hoping that her parents could have carefree days in their later years.Unfortunately, the road of scientific research was long, and she had not yet completed her studies when her mother fell ill unexpectedly. For a disabled researcher, Shian was the fastest way for her to obtain a large amount of funding legally If it weren't for this, she might have continued her research within the university and directly entered a reputable research institute.Fate could be so ironic.Amidst the rumbling sound of the range hood, Lu Xiaohe finished stir-frying the eggplants. Dad, please serve the rice!Her father responded and entered the kitchen. Father and daughter tacitly prepared the meal. Lu Xiaohe carefully arranged the rice next to the stir-fried eggplants and placed it on a tray. She made a V shape with red chili peppers, admiring it happily, and poured a cup of grape infused waterher mother disliked drinking plain water, always complaining it tasted bitter.With just a little bit of sugar, her mother would happily drink it.I'll take it to Mom and keep her company for a while, Lu Xiaohe said with a smile. Dad, make sure you don't finish all the dishes; leave some for me.I can't promise that. By now, her father had already sat at the dining table, his face marked with many wrinkles, but filled with a smile.Lu Xiaohe carried the tray, made a silly face at her father, and then used her shoulder to push open the door to the bedroom.Her mother's bedroom was separate, made spacious to bring her comfort. Despite being small, the room was well arranged.Inside, the table was filled with books and a gaming console, the floor was clean, and the windowsill was adorned with thriving green plants. It was deep autumn, and the leaves outside had a golden-red hue, complemented by the clear blue sky, resembling a beautiful painting. The air in the room was fresh, carrying only the scent of plants, occasionally accompanied by the chirping of birds outside the window. In such an environment, the otherwise old room exuded a charming ambiance.Lu Xiaohe stepped on the dancing rays of light on the floor and greeted with a smile, MomIn the next instant, she nearly dropped the tray.There was no one on the bed.Trembling, Lu Xiaohe set down the tray. The aroma of the stir-fried eggplants filled the air, but it only churned her insides. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, trying to find any trace of her mother.There were indents on the bedsheets and pillow, showing where someone had lain. Her mother's slippers were neatly placed by the bed. The window had only a palm-width gap, impossible for a person to pass through. Not to mention her mother was too weak to move independently, and there was no toilet in this room, only a chamber pot. There was no reason for her mother to suddenly leave.The bedroom door was the only normal exit, leading directly to the living room She and her father had been in the living room just now, and the bedroom door was slightly ajar, untouched.Lu Xiaohe felt a chill run through her body. In that moment, her thoughts nearly froze.How could this be?She wanted to call out to her father, but her throat refused to produce a sound. Staggering, Lu Xiaohe rushed to the wardrobe, opened its doors, and frantically searched. The wardrobe, under the bed, behind the curtains.She wished so much for her mother to suddenly appear from somewhere, smiling and saying, Did I scare you? Even if it was a cruel joke Please, let it be a cruel joke.But there was no one in the room.Lu Xiaohe collapsed by the edge of the bed; the scent of her mother still lingering on the bedding and pillow. She fought back the panic-stricken tears, tremblingly took out her phone, and dialed Yin Ren's number.Hello, Xiao Yin.She instinctively used the familiar nickname for help, even though she knew the person on the other end of the call stood at the pinnacle of the metaphysics.I can't find my mom. Her voice choked. I can't find my mom.The usually composed rear commander couldn't hold back the tears this time.Half an hour later, Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were already standing in Lu Xiaohe's home. The stir-fried eggplants in the tray had turned cold, while the police officers came and went, conducting routine investigations.Since finding Zhong Chengshuo, Yin Ren's expression had never been this grim.He circled around the bright bedroom, his gaze incredibly focused. Zhong Chengshuo looked at Lu Xiaohe whose eyes were red from crying. After a few seconds of hesitation, he gathered his courage and expressed his opinion.We will find her, he said. I understand that you must be very worried.Just like when he was trapped in the underground morgue, the fear of never knowing Yin Ren's situation. Whenever he recalled that feeling, Zhong Chengshuo felt his chest filled with sour, bitter soil.Lu Xiaohe sniffed and forced a smile. Just because you said that, I believe that you're a real flesh puppet.Zhong Chengshuo: Zhong Chengshuo decided to change the subject. Since it involves a Shian employee, Shian will directly intervene in this case without the need for police contact or scrutiny of liaison personnel. Yin Ren has already reported it to the higher-ups, and the investigation team will officially start the investigation today.The dazed look on Lu Xiaohe's face instantly vanished, as if she had been abruptly awakened from a dream. I want to be involved!After speaking, she seemed to remember something, and her expression dimmed slightly. But only a B-level investigation team has the authority to investigate missing cases directly related to Shian personnelOur Unit 9 is at the B-level.Yin Ren finally finished investigating the entire room, his tone unusually serious.And this time, this case will have higher-level backup support from Shian Xiaohe Jie, there are faint traces of Evil Force in this room, and the aura is still fresh.Impossible! Lu Xiaohe immediately refuted. Things in my mom's room haven't been moved for a long time, and she hasn't bought anything new recently. AbsolutelyShe stopped halfway, and a few traces of ferocity suddenly appeared on her face. Before Yin Ren could speak, Lu Xiaohe rushed out of the bedroom and pounced on her father.She grabbed her father's lapels tightly. Dad, what did you say you sought from your friend?! Get the clothes or bag you used for it, quickly!The incident had just occurred, and Father Lu's clothes were in the living room. In a matter of minutes, Yin Ren got the answer.It's the silk pouch charm' you mentioned, no doubt about it. He fumbled with Lu Xiaohe's father's coat pocket; his expression solemn. There's a very faint smell of Evil Force. It can corrupt people if in close contact, but it wouldn't trigger Shian's alarm.Father Lu clenched his hands in his hair, his expression half blank, half agonized. As an ordinary person who had no exposure to metaphysics, he didn't have much understanding of these things, but he could vaguely sense his responsibility.It's my fault, he murmured, his lips dry and thin, tightly pursed. My daughter is clearly involved in this, and I still brought things home without thinking. It's my fault, all my fault. Daughter, blame me.Lu Xiaohe just looked at the cold food on the table silently, her face devoid of expression. She seemed to want to stop herself from crying, but she had to repeatedly wipe away the tears with the back of her hand.I I should have told you earlier Her voice was hoarse, barely audible, and her body continued to tremble slightly.It's like this, Mr. Lu.Yin Ren interrupted Lu Xiaohe's murmurs and looked sincerely at Mr. Lu.I am Xiaohe Jie's colleague at Shian. She helped me a lot before, and we made an agreement that I would help her with her mother's illness. I have some ancestral remedies that are very effective.Yin Ren's tone was serious and calm, carrying a convincing power. At this moment, he didn't have his usual ease on his face; instead, he had a bit of an aura of the rumored Great Celestial Master.Later, due to personal matters, I kept delaying it. If I had fulfilled my promise earlier, Mrs. Lu wouldn't have encountered such a situation. I will take responsibility andabsolutelyfind her.Yin Ren emphasized the word absolutely, and Lu Xiaohe looked at him with a complex gaze.YouI should be responsible for this matter, and I will take responsibility for it, Yin Ren declared firmly.The pain on Mr. Lu's face eased a bit, and he tightly held his knee, nodding vigorously.In the afternoon, at the Special Investigation Unit 9's office in Shian Campus.The news of the Competition Victory Award arrived slower than the equipment. However, Lu Xiaohe was distracted this time, and even the shiny new equipment couldn't make her smile.On the large screen wall, densely packed information was displayed, covering the entire space. It was even more overwhelming than when they were investigating the case of Zhong Chengfeng.Despite it being a day off, there was no sign of fatigue from overtime in the room. Ge Tingting sat solemnly at her desk, and even Huang Jin's expression was serious as he crossed his arms, looking rather unpleasant.This is our first task after being promoted to B-level, a case involving multiple missing people. It's something we've always been good at, right?Lu Xiaohe attempted to liven up the atmosphere like before, but her voice was hoarse, making it uncomfortable to listen to.These cases have a very obvious commonality: the missing individuals are all females and have come into contact with a certain amount of Evil Force corruption before disappearing. The data characteristics of the Evil Force at the disappearance scenes are highly similar. Other than that, they don't have many other common points.She tapped the keyboard heavily, and three brief summaries appeared on the screen:Meng Huai, female, 21 years old at the time of disappearance, former head of the Emergency Management Department at Shian, a promising Ghost General. An excellent cultivator.Zhong Chengfeng, female, 26 years old at the time of disappearance, criminal investigator in the Criminal Investigation Support Division of the Haigu Public Security Bureau. Inclined towards the science post.He Huan, female, 54 years old at the time of disappearance, unemployed. Mother of Lu Xiaohe, who's an employee at Shian. No apparent inclination.These are the three cases we will be investigating together. Our mission is to uncover the fundamental causes of these casesLu Xiaohe paused in her tone.and find the whereabouts of the missing individuals.
