Chapter 194
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“It’s been a few months, and you guys have both been promoted to B-level. Not bad, not bad. When I first saw you two, I thought you would at least spend three to five years in C-level.”
As for Zhong Chengshuo, who was “sacrificed”, it was kept confidential according to regulations, and poor Liang Shan was left in the dark. He patted the shoulders of the two vigorously.
Seeing the arrival of the investigation team, Mr. Liang Shan quickly dropped the line, “It’s great. I know them well. I’ll be responsible for communication,” and then abandoned his laptop with a face filled with relief. At noon, he generously booked a private room in the hospital cafeteria, claiming it was a reunion banquet.
It was just that most of the dishes served were from the hospital cafeteria, and Liang Shan only went out to buy some beverages.
On the makeshift “banquet” made of a stack of metal trays, Liang Shan distributed the beverages to everyone. Yin Ren’s hands instinctively reached for the cola, but midway through, he changed his mind and grabbed two bottles of sugar-free sparkling water.
“Things have been restless in Haigu lately. It’s been a long time since we got together… Oh, Lu Jie, you’re a rear commander. Why did you come to the front line?” Liang Shan took a seat and twisted open a bottle of lemon tea for himself.
“The case is quite special.” Lu Xiaohe tried to force a smile.
Mentioning the matter, a hint of bitterness instantly mixed into Liang Shan’s previously cheerful expression. “Don’t talk about it. We’re having troubles on our end too… Those kids are under fourteen, there are multiple participants, and the victim isn’t dead. Thinking about how to handle the aftermath gives me a headache. Now, it seems like Haigu’s secondary schools is a revolving stage where I’ll end up dying in this position sooner or later.”
He took a bite of an egg, chewing in frustration.
“Now I don’t understand what Shian’s intentions are. The Emergency Management Department is suppressing us with rules and regulations and not giving us additional manpower. Yet, they sent a B-level team. I really don’t know whether they value us or not.”
“There have been many incidents like this recently.” Zhong Chengshuo accurately summarized the key points.
“No kidding, this one is particularly heinous. Just talking about fights and brawls, we have more than a dozen cases every day.” Liang Shan glanced at him. “Just a few days ago, there was a bloody incident. Let me count… Four male high school students got into a conflict because they supported different basketball teams. The craziest one stabbed someone with a pen. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.”
“Then there’s the incident at the affiliated elementary school, where a girl was collectively insulted on an anonymous wall and attempted suicide. Just after her suspension, it turned out to be related to idol fandom. A male student in her class pushed a girl from the neighboring class down the stairs, resulting in a fracture. The parents claimed that he had a crush on the girl and wanted to get her attention.”
Liang Shan counted on his fingers.
“The most troublesome case regarding the middle school is the one involving being buried alive, and the reason is trivial. But now that you guys are here, we can all share the headache together.”
Liang Shan laughed heartily, but the reaction from the Shian team was lukewarm. Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo maintained polite expressions and pleasantries, while Ge Tingting didn’t know how to respond. Lu Xiaohe still had half of her mind concerned about her missing mother, and Huang Jin’s reaction was the most direct—his face glanced at Liang Shan with a complex expression, clearly conveying the message “That’s it”.
Liang Shan’s smile twitched slightly, and he cleared his throat. “Perfect. This afternoon, I was planning to meet the most stubborn person related to the case. How about one of you go in my place? You’re all good-looking guys and girls, which will be more appealing to middle school girls.”
……
Huang Jin originally dismissed this “home visit”.
When he was sneaking around as a Nightwalker, he witnessed more miserable and bizarre things than this. Students in civilized society using such means against each other seemed like child’s play to him.
In previous cases, he could only make use of his spirit smith identity, and most of the time, he didn’t need it, which made him feel frustrated. This time, he finally caught a case with a high bonus and no risk to life. He was so happy about it. Comrade Liang Shan must have soaked in a peaceful atmosphere for too long, which made him think that such trivial matters were troublesome.
Joking aside, he could see people’s thoughts. When facing ordinary people who were unwilling to reveal their true feelings, this ability was truly advantageous. Even if Yin Ren was the respected Great Celestial Master, he might not be better than him in this aspect.
The “most stubborn” person related to the case lived in a medium-high-end residential area. The elevator in the corridor was clean, and there was even aromatherapy in the corners. Perhaps because the community was relatively new, there were no ghosts or strong negative energies around.
After sensing such an environment in the mortal realm, Huang Jin’s mood improved slightly. He didn’t lag behind the team as usual, but instead, he slightly overtook Ge Tingting and stood behind Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo.
A middle-aged woman opened the door.
Her thoughts on the surface were organized and faint, to the extent that Huang Jin could make out her clothing and figure. Most of the information surrounding her was about numbers and schedules, with hardly any emotional fluctuations.
[Not sure if two hours will be enough. If I’m not there, will the meeting materials be messed up?]
[What a hassle. They keep asking about the kids’ nonsense over and over again. They seem impressive. Maybe that family wants to extort money.]
“You’re looking for Chunlei, right? I’m her mother… There are quite a few people. Excuse me, can I check your identification?”
After checking everyone’s identification, the mother took a step back. She concealed her impatience well in her tone. But Huang Jin could see the restless thoughts swirling around her body.
“Chunlei, someone is here to talk to you. Come out.” The woman turned towards the nearby room door and spoke with a tone of indifference and detachment from the matter at hand.
The door was tightly shut, with wallpaper pasted on it. There were faint traces of adhesive and torn pieces of paper stuck around the wallpaper. Inside the room, there was complete silence, as if no one was present.
“Chunlei, I still have a meeting. Don’t waste my time,” the woman raised her voice and called out again.
After a few seconds, the door slowly opened.
Huang Jin instinctively leaned back on the sofa.
The girl was surrounded by swirling characters of “like, like, like, like”, “masterpiece, masterpiece, masterpiece, masterpiece”, “Jiao Jiao is cute, cute”, which were incredibly large and spun crazily around her. Among the gaps in her thoughts, there was more impatience and annoyance than her mother, and even a sense of satisfaction for not having to go to school these days, as if she had accomplished something significant.
Thoughts about Zhang Hejun only appeared once amidst her swirling thoughts.
[Why didn’t that bitch die?] Chunlei thought lightly.
Huang Jin felt a bit uncomfortable and shifted his body.
The emotions of young people were delicate and light, like white foam shimmering with colorful fragments. The thoughts of the people on the street seemed impressive to some extent. However, the thoughts of this twelve-year-old girl made him feel an indescribable discomfort.
“Hello, brothers and sisters, my name is Luo Chunlei. You can ask me anything, and I will cooperate.”
Despite her chaotic and frenzied thoughts, her tone was very obedient and cute, sounding like a normal child.
“You all look so good—much better looking than the police officers yesterday.”
Huang Jin sighed and tapped the screen of his phone.
[Ten Thousand Taels: She’s not thinking much about the case, and I’m not sure about the details. But she has no remorse and harbors strong hostility towards Zhang Hejun.]
[Ten Thousand Taels: Don’t be fooled by this girl’s attitude.]
Yin Ren lowered his head and sent an [OK] in the group.
“When it comes to burying Zhang Hejun alive, they all say that you were the one in charge. When did you come up with this idea?” Yin Ren smiled and asked.
“Mr. Yin, if you continue to use such inappropriate words, I might have to request a lawyer be present.” Chunlei’s mother maintained her businesslike tone.
“I already told the police yesterday that it was just kids fooling around, and it was Zhang something who was not careful. ‘Being in charge of the burying’ sounds too harsh. In a society based on the rule of law, people should pay attention to evidence when speaking.”
“It’s alright, Mom. I don’t feel anything about it anyway. If I didn’t do it, then I didn’t do it,” the girl added with a cheerful smile, then turned to Yin Ren, showing no signs of nervousness in her expression.
“I had an argument with Zhang Hejun, and we didn’t get along. That day…”
“That day, she invited you to the mountain behind school, and she fell into a pit herself. You just threw a couple of handfuls of soil at her to tease her and then left early,” Zhong Chengshuo recited from the files word by word. “That’s the statement you gave to the police.”
This girl’s mental resilience was indeed impressive. The other girls who were involved in the burial were terrified when the police came knocking, and they confessed everything after a few rounds of questioning.
They were all fans of and had previously attended the same primary school. Among them, Luo Chunlei came from a wealthy family and was generous with her spending. She could be considered the leader of their small group. Ever since Zhang Hejun made “insulting” remarks about their beloved “Jiao Jiao”, Luo Chunlei had been demanding that they harass Zhang Hejun for revenge.
[Initially, we wanted to criticize Zhang Hejun online, but she wasn’t in any group, didn’t have any social media accounts, and didn’t play on any platforms.]
Zhong Chengshuo had watched the video recordings of the girls’ interviews. The girls, aged around eleven or twelve, were on the verge of tears during their confessions, and it took them a while to calm down.
[Susu suggested using the anonymous wall on campus to insult Zhang Hejun, but Da Chun was worried that she wouldn’t see it, so she said she wanted to teach her a lesson in real life. At that time… when we found the pit, Da Chun suggested pushing the bitch… Zhang Hejun down and letting her stay there overnight…]
[But then, when we pushed her down, Da Chun found a shovel and asked us to fill the pit! At that moment, we… our minds went blank, and we took turns filling the pit… She was crying down there, and Da Chun said she deserved it. We just felt extremely excited and didn’t… didn’t think much about it…]
Unfortunately, there were no surveillance cameras in the mountain behind the school, and these young girls didn’t know what evidence to leave behind. The shovel they used to dig the soil was found at the scene, with only the fingerprints of the other girls on it. According to their statements, Luo Chunlei found the shovel dirty and used a handkerchief to cover the handle.
With only the testimonies of a few children, there was no concrete “evidence”.
Zhong Chengshuo pushed up his glasses while Luo Chunlei observed Yin Ren’s face and long hair with great interest, showing no signs of guilt.
“Yes, I already told the police officer. Do you have any other questions?” she said, looking at the others.
If Huang Jin hadn’t mentioned it, based on her performance alone, this little girl could easily pass for an innocent bystander.
“Brother is only doing a routine inquiry. Of course, we believe you,” Yin Ren said with a smile, then turned to Zhong Chengshuo.
“Zhong Ge, isn’t this like I said? It’s impossible for such a young child to commit a crime. It must be a misunderstanding.”
Luo Chunlei’s mother’s complexion improved slightly.
Yin Ren smiled faintly. “Our main task is to conduct an assessment. Someone buried prohibited pollutants in the mountain behind the school. The previous incident was just a joke involving your daughter. Now, we’ll test for contamination in her room, and our part will be done.”
The WeChat group of Unit 9 exploded.
[Ten Thousand Tales: This girl must be suspicious. Why didn’t you question her?]
[Milky Way: This is different from the agreed plan.]
[Fruit Knife: Mm.]
[Fruit Knife: Xiaohe Jie, later you, Zhong Ge and I will search the room. Huang Jin and Ge Tingting, keep an eye on Luo Chunlei.]
[Fruit Knife: I have my own plan.]
Yin Ren put his phone back in his pocket. His fingers tapped on the screen to finish typing, then he voluntarily locked it.
“Zhong Ge, Xiaohe Jie, let’s do a quick inspection together. It will only take three to five minutes, no problem… We have to enter your room and search. The detection equipment emits radiation, so please accompany your mother outside, little sister.”
Luo Chunlei’s expression stiffened for a moment. “Uh, okay!”
Huang Jin narrowed his eyes at her.
“Don’t worry, we’ll keep the door open during the inspection, and we won’t damage your things,” Yin Ren reassured cheerfully.
However, the moment he stepped into Luo Chunlei’s room, he immediately pinched Yellow Millet hanging from his phone. Yellow Millet emitted an excited “puff” sound, and in an instant, an illusion blocked the door.
This room was completely different from their impression of a “middle school student’s room”. All the walls, including the ceiling, were covered in posters of . Even the bed covers and pillowcases were themed with related colors. Various merchandise occupied an entire wall. This girl must have bought numerous sets.
Every object was meticulously arranged in an organized and systematic manner, but they were packed so densely that it made it hard to breathe.
Even the experienced Lord Ghost King and King Yama were stunned for a moment by this sight.
Lu Xiaohe was the first to react. “Yin Ren, what did you just…”
“It’s fine even if you speak a little louder. They can only see illusions when they look into the room” Yin Ren exhaled, while he opened the workgroup chat and continued typing: [Is Luo Chunlei worried about anything? @Ten Thousand Taels]
[Ten Thousand Taels: …You are so ruthless.]
[Ten Thousand Taels: She’s worried if you will find the hidden phone in the closet under the clothes.]
[Fruit Knife: Just as expected.]
He went straight to the closet that occupied the opposite wall. Numerous strands of hair extended from his hand and slipped into the gaps of the closet. Within five seconds, a small phone was flipped out.
“Liang Shan and the others checked her phone, and it was clean,” Lu Xiaohe said, slightly surprised. “How did you know…”
“That kid has strong psychological resilience, and theoretically, she has been exposed to electronic devices longer than me. I will never underestimate any senior,” Yin Ren stated seriously. “Xiaohe Jie, can you install surveillance software on this in five minutes?”
……
Five minutes later, Yin Ren walked out of the room with a smile on his face. “We’re done searching, there’s nothing here. Sorry for the disturbance, we’ll go back now—”
“Go back? Just like that? What a letdown.”
A male voice sounded.
A drunken man leaned against the door frame. His face and neck were flushed from alcohol. It seemed like he had just entered, still holding an empty white wine bottle in his hand.
Huang Jin protected Ge Tingting and stood at a safe distance. Luo Chunlei’s mother was fully engrossed in a phone call, and her words were interspersed with excited laughter. Luo Chunlei smiled obediently and introduced with ease, “Brothers, sisters, this is my dad.”
“My wife is quite spirited, huh? Called so many people, spent quite a lot, huh?”
The man exhaled the smell of alcohol. His bloodshot eyes scanned the members of Unit 9, without any regard for his words.
The members of Unit 9 exchanged surprised glances—Luo Chunlei was right there in the living room, and even with his young daughter present, this gentleman clearly had no reservations.
“Sir, we are working in collaboration with the police.” Lu Xiaohe frowned and took the lead in stepping forward. “Please watch your words…”
Bang!!!
The man knocked the white wine bottle against the door frame, causing shards to splinter and leaving a small cut on his face.
“What… what… what kind of workers are you? My wife brought you here…” The man gestured with the sharp bottle while slurring his words. “A bunch of filthy scum…”
“Hahaha, Mr. Zhao, look at what you’re saying.”
Luo Chunlei’s mother seemed as if she hadn’t heard anything, laughing even more heartily. She stood in the middle of the living room, facing her husband’s outburst, but her gaze seemed to pass through thin air.
“I’m going to work soon. I promise it won’t delay—”
Despite being in the same room, the atmosphere among the family was even less harmonious than that with a stranger, creating an indescribable sense of discordance.
With cheerful and lively game music playing in the background, the man’s gaze swept across the living room, chuckling inexplicably. He tossed the bottle aside and staggered into the kitchen. Passing by Luo Chunlei’s mother as if they were two strangers.
Lu Xiaohe had just breathed a sigh of relief when the man emerged again.
This time, he had a bucket of disinfectant alcohol in his hand, along with a lighter.
“Boring.” He walked past his own wife and started splashing alcohol onto the wooden furniture.
The floor quickly became covered in puddles, but Luo Chunlei’s mother, who was still on the phone, simply glanced at it and walked to a clean spot without ever interrupting her laughter.
“Boring.” The strong-smelling alcohol was poured onto the sofa. Luo Chunlei wrinkled her nose and moved a bit farther away.
Huang Jin couldn’t bear it any longer. “You fucking—”
“Hmm?” The man played with the lighter as his bloodshot eyes turned towards Huang Jin. “What do you want to do? This is my house!”
“It wouldn’t be bad if we all died in my house, hehe…” In a daze, he seemed to remember something. “Right, the door. The door needs to be closed…”
In the next instant, he casually pressed the lighter.
Amidst the game sounds and laughter, the sound of the lighter “clicking” was barely audible. However, despite pressing the lighter, no flame emerged. The man shook the lighter in confusion and then began frantically pressing it.
Yin Ren relaxed his hand, having manipulated the lighter. The moment the man pressed the lighter, he had swapped out the gasoline with water.
“There’s a meeting at 7 o’clock tonight? I got it, mmhmm, no problem at all…” Luo Chunlei’s mother witnessed the entire scene but maintained steady breathing.
“It’s been a really unlucky day…” Luo Chunlei’s father continued pressing the lighter, click by click.
“Goodbye, big brothers and sisters!”
Luo Chunlei pointed to the slightly open anti-theft door with an extremely sweet smile. Half of her clothes were soaked in alcohol, emitting a strong alcoholic scent.
“You’re welcome to come and play again!”
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“It’s been a few months, and you guys have both been promoted to B-level. Not bad, not bad. When I first saw you two, I thought you would at least spend three to five years in C-level.”
As for Zhong Chengshuo, who was “sacrificed”, it was kept confidential according to regulations, and poor Liang Shan was left in the dark. He patted the shoulders of the two vigorously.
Seeing the arrival of the investigation team, Mr. Liang Shan quickly dropped the line, “It’s great. I know them well. I’ll be responsible for communication,” and then abandoned his laptop with a face filled with relief. At noon, he generously booked a private room in the hospital cafeteria, claiming it was a reunion banquet.
It was just that most of the dishes served were from the hospital cafeteria, and Liang Shan only went out to buy some beverages.
On the makeshift “banquet” made of a stack of metal trays, Liang Shan distributed the beverages to everyone. Yin Ren’s hands instinctively reached for the cola, but midway through, he changed his mind and grabbed two bottles of sugar-free sparkling water.
“Things have been restless in Haigu lately. It’s been a long time since we got together… Oh, Lu Jie, you’re a rear commander. Why did you come to the front line?” Liang Shan took a seat and twisted open a bottle of lemon tea for himself.
“The case is quite special.” Lu Xiaohe tried to force a smile.
Mentioning the matter, a hint of bitterness instantly mixed into Liang Shan’s previously cheerful expression. “Don’t talk about it. We’re having troubles on our end too… Those kids are under fourteen, there are multiple participants, and the victim isn’t dead. Thinking about how to handle the aftermath gives me a headache. Now, it seems like Haigu’s secondary schools is a revolving stage where I’ll end up dying in this position sooner or later.”
He took a bite of an egg, chewing in frustration.
“Now I don’t understand what Shian’s intentions are. The Emergency Management Department is suppressing us with rules and regulations and not giving us additional manpower. Yet, they sent a B-level team. I really don’t know whether they value us or not.”
“There have been many incidents like this recently.” Zhong Chengshuo accurately summarized the key points.
“No kidding, this one is particularly heinous. Just talking about fights and brawls, we have more than a dozen cases every day.” Liang Shan glanced at him. “Just a few days ago, there was a bloody incident. Let me count… Four male high school students got into a conflict because they supported different basketball teams. The craziest one stabbed someone with a pen. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.”
“Then there’s the incident at the affiliated elementary school, where a girl was collectively insulted on an anonymous wall and attempted suicide. Just after her suspension, it turned out to be related to idol fandom. A male student in her class pushed a girl from the neighboring class down the stairs, resulting in a fracture. The parents claimed that he had a crush on the girl and wanted to get her attention.”
Liang Shan counted on his fingers.
“The most troublesome case regarding the middle school is the one involving being buried alive, and the reason is trivial. But now that you guys are here, we can all share the headache together.”
Liang Shan laughed heartily, but the reaction from the Shian team was lukewarm. Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo maintained polite expressions and pleasantries, while Ge Tingting didn’t know how to respond. Lu Xiaohe still had half of her mind concerned about her missing mother, and Huang Jin’s reaction was the most direct—his face glanced at Liang Shan with a complex expression, clearly conveying the message “That’s it”.
Liang Shan’s smile twitched slightly, and he cleared his throat. “Perfect. This afternoon, I was planning to meet the most stubborn person related to the case. How about one of you go in my place? You’re all good-looking guys and girls, which will be more appealing to middle school girls.”
……
Huang Jin originally dismissed this “home visit”.
When he was sneaking around as a Nightwalker, he witnessed more miserable and bizarre things than this. Students in civilized society using such means against each other seemed like child’s play to him.
In previous cases, he could only make use of his spirit smith identity, and most of the time, he didn’t need it, which made him feel frustrated. This time, he finally caught a case with a high bonus and no risk to life. He was so happy about it. Comrade Liang Shan must have soaked in a peaceful atmosphere for too long, which made him think that such trivial matters were troublesome.
Joking aside, he could see people’s thoughts. When facing ordinary people who were unwilling to reveal their true feelings, this ability was truly advantageous. Even if Yin Ren was the respected Great Celestial Master, he might not be better than him in this aspect.
The “most stubborn” person related to the case lived in a medium-high-end residential area. The elevator in the corridor was clean, and there was even aromatherapy in the corners. Perhaps because the community was relatively new, there were no ghosts or strong negative energies around.
After sensing such an environment in the mortal realm, Huang Jin’s mood improved slightly. He didn’t lag behind the team as usual, but instead, he slightly overtook Ge Tingting and stood behind Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo.
A middle-aged woman opened the door.
Her thoughts on the surface were organized and faint, to the extent that Huang Jin could make out her clothing and figure. Most of the information surrounding her was about numbers and schedules, with hardly any emotional fluctuations.
[Not sure if two hours will be enough. If I’m not there, will the meeting materials be messed up?]
[What a hassle. They keep asking about the kids’ nonsense over and over again. They seem impressive. Maybe that family wants to extort money.]
“You’re looking for Chunlei, right? I’m her mother… There are quite a few people. Excuse me, can I check your identification?”
After checking everyone’s identification, the mother took a step back. She concealed her impatience well in her tone. But Huang Jin could see the restless thoughts swirling around her body.
“Chunlei, someone is here to talk to you. Come out.” The woman turned towards the nearby room door and spoke with a tone of indifference and detachment from the matter at hand.
The door was tightly shut, with wallpaper pasted on it. There were faint traces of adhesive and torn pieces of paper stuck around the wallpaper. Inside the room, there was complete silence, as if no one was present.
“Chunlei, I still have a meeting. Don’t waste my time,” the woman raised her voice and called out again.
After a few seconds, the door slowly opened.
Huang Jin instinctively leaned back on the sofa.
The girl was surrounded by swirling characters of “like, like, like, like”, “masterpiece, masterpiece, masterpiece, masterpiece”, “Jiao Jiao is cute, cute”, which were incredibly large and spun crazily around her. Among the gaps in her thoughts, there was more impatience and annoyance than her mother, and even a sense of satisfaction for not having to go to school these days, as if she had accomplished something significant.
Thoughts about Zhang Hejun only appeared once amidst her swirling thoughts.
[Why didn’t that bitch die?] Chunlei thought lightly.
Huang Jin felt a bit uncomfortable and shifted his body.
The emotions of young people were delicate and light, like white foam shimmering with colorful fragments. The thoughts of the people on the street seemed impressive to some extent. However, the thoughts of this twelve-year-old girl made him feel an indescribable discomfort.
“Hello, brothers and sisters, my name is Luo Chunlei. You can ask me anything, and I will cooperate.”
Despite her chaotic and frenzied thoughts, her tone was very obedient and cute, sounding like a normal child.
“You all look so good—much better looking than the police officers yesterday.”
Huang Jin sighed and tapped the screen of his phone.
[Ten Thousand Taels: She’s not thinking much about the case, and I’m not sure about the details. But she has no remorse and harbors strong hostility towards Zhang Hejun.]
[Ten Thousand Taels: Don’t be fooled by this girl’s attitude.]
Yin Ren lowered his head and sent an [OK] in the group.
“When it comes to burying Zhang Hejun alive, they all say that you were the one in charge. When did you come up with this idea?” Yin Ren smiled and asked.
“Mr. Yin, if you continue to use such inappropriate words, I might have to request a lawyer be present.” Chunlei’s mother maintained her businesslike tone.
“I already told the police yesterday that it was just kids fooling around, and it was Zhang something who was not careful. ‘Being in charge of the burying’ sounds too harsh. In a society based on the rule of law, people should pay attention to evidence when speaking.”
“It’s alright, Mom. I don’t feel anything about it anyway. If I didn’t do it, then I didn’t do it,” the girl added with a cheerful smile, then turned to Yin Ren, showing no signs of nervousness in her expression.
“I had an argument with Zhang Hejun, and we didn’t get along. That day…”
“That day, she invited you to the mountain behind school, and she fell into a pit herself. You just threw a couple of handfuls of soil at her to tease her and then left early,” Zhong Chengshuo recited from the files word by word. “That’s the statement you gave to the police.”
This girl’s mental resilience was indeed impressive. The other girls who were involved in the burial were terrified when the police came knocking, and they confessed everything after a few rounds of questioning.
They were all fans of and had previously attended the same primary school. Among them, Luo Chunlei came from a wealthy family and was generous with her spending. She could be considered the leader of their small group. Ever since Zhang Hejun made “insulting” remarks about their beloved “Jiao Jiao”, Luo Chunlei had been demanding that they harass Zhang Hejun for revenge.
[Initially, we wanted to criticize Zhang Hejun online, but she wasn’t in any group, didn’t have any social media accounts, and didn’t play on any platforms.]
Zhong Chengshuo had watched the video recordings of the girls’ interviews. The girls, aged around eleven or twelve, were on the verge of tears during their confessions, and it took them a while to calm down.
[Susu suggested using the anonymous wall on campus to insult Zhang Hejun, but Da Chun was worried that she wouldn’t see it, so she said she wanted to teach her a lesson in real life. At that time… when we found the pit, Da Chun suggested pushing the bitch… Zhang Hejun down and letting her stay there overnight…]
[But then, when we pushed her down, Da Chun found a shovel and asked us to fill the pit! At that moment, we… our minds went blank, and we took turns filling the pit… She was crying down there, and Da Chun said she deserved it. We just felt extremely excited and didn’t… didn’t think much about it…]
Unfortunately, there were no surveillance cameras in the mountain behind the school, and these young girls didn’t know what evidence to leave behind. The shovel they used to dig the soil was found at the scene, with only the fingerprints of the other girls on it. According to their statements, Luo Chunlei found the shovel dirty and used a handkerchief to cover the handle.
With only the testimonies of a few children, there was no concrete “evidence”.
Zhong Chengshuo pushed up his glasses while Luo Chunlei observed Yin Ren’s face and long hair with great interest, showing no signs of guilt.
“Yes, I already told the police officer. Do you have any other questions?” she said, looking at the others.
If Huang Jin hadn’t mentioned it, based on her performance alone, this little girl could easily pass for an innocent bystander.
“Brother is only doing a routine inquiry. Of course, we believe you,” Yin Ren said with a smile, then turned to Zhong Chengshuo.
“Zhong Ge, isn’t this like I said? It’s impossible for such a young child to commit a crime. It must be a misunderstanding.”
Luo Chunlei’s mother’s complexion improved slightly.
Yin Ren smiled faintly. “Our main task is to conduct an assessment. Someone buried prohibited pollutants in the mountain behind the school. The previous incident was just a joke involving your daughter. Now, we’ll test for contamination in her room, and our part will be done.”
The WeChat group of Unit 9 exploded.
[Ten Thousand Tales: This girl must be suspicious. Why didn’t you question her?]
[Milky Way: This is different from the agreed plan.]
[Fruit Knife: Mm.]
[Fruit Knife: Xiaohe Jie, later you, Zhong Ge and I will search the room. Huang Jin and Ge Tingting, keep an eye on Luo Chunlei.]
[Fruit Knife: I have my own plan.]
Yin Ren put his phone back in his pocket. His fingers tapped on the screen to finish typing, then he voluntarily locked it.
“Zhong Ge, Xiaohe Jie, let’s do a quick inspection together. It will only take three to five minutes, no problem… We have to enter your room and search. The detection equipment emits radiation, so please accompany your mother outside, little sister.”
Luo Chunlei’s expression stiffened for a moment. “Uh, okay!”
Huang Jin narrowed his eyes at her.
“Don’t worry, we’ll keep the door open during the inspection, and we won’t damage your things,” Yin Ren reassured cheerfully.
However, the moment he stepped into Luo Chunlei’s room, he immediately pinched Yellow Millet hanging from his phone. Yellow Millet emitted an excited “puff” sound, and in an instant, an illusion blocked the door.
This room was completely different from their impression of a “middle school student’s room”. All the walls, including the ceiling, were covered in posters of . Even the bed covers and pillowcases were themed with related colors. Various merchandise occupied an entire wall. This girl must have bought numerous sets.
Every object was meticulously arranged in an organized and systematic manner, but they were packed so densely that it made it hard to breathe.
Even the experienced Lord Ghost King and King Yama were stunned for a moment by this sight.
Lu Xiaohe was the first to react. “Yin Ren, what did you just…”
“It’s fine even if you speak a little louder. They can only see illusions when they look into the room” Yin Ren exhaled, while he opened the workgroup chat and continued typing: [Is Luo Chunlei worried about anything? @Ten Thousand Taels]
[Ten Thousand Taels: …You are so ruthless.]
[Ten Thousand Taels: She’s worried if you will find the hidden phone in the closet under the clothes.]
[Fruit Knife: Just as expected.]
He went straight to the closet that occupied the opposite wall. Numerous strands of hair extended from his hand and slipped into the gaps of the closet. Within five seconds, a small phone was flipped out.
“Liang Shan and the others checked her phone, and it was clean,” Lu Xiaohe said, slightly surprised. “How did you know…”
“That kid has strong psychological resilience, and theoretically, she has been exposed to electronic devices longer than me. I will never underestimate any senior,” Yin Ren stated seriously. “Xiaohe Jie, can you install surveillance software on this in five minutes?”
……
Five minutes later, Yin Ren walked out of the room with a smile on his face. “We’re done searching, there’s nothing here. Sorry for the disturbance, we’ll go back now—”
“Go back? Just like that? What a letdown.”
A male voice sounded.
A drunken man leaned against the door frame. His face and neck were flushed from alcohol. It seemed like he had just entered, still holding an empty white wine bottle in his hand.
Huang Jin protected Ge Tingting and stood at a safe distance. Luo Chunlei’s mother was fully engrossed in a phone call, and her words were interspersed with excited laughter. Luo Chunlei smiled obediently and introduced with ease, “Brothers, sisters, this is my dad.”
“My wife is quite spirited, huh? Called so many people, spent quite a lot, huh?”
The man exhaled the smell of alcohol. His bloodshot eyes scanned the members of Unit 9, without any regard for his words.
The members of Unit 9 exchanged surprised glances—Luo Chunlei was right there in the living room, and even with his young daughter present, this gentleman clearly had no reservations.
“Sir, we are working in collaboration with the police.” Lu Xiaohe frowned and took the lead in stepping forward. “Please watch your words…”
Bang!!!
The man knocked the white wine bottle against the door frame, causing shards to splinter and leaving a small cut on his face.
“What… what… what kind of workers are you? My wife brought you here…” The man gestured with the sharp bottle while slurring his words. “A bunch of filthy scum…”
“Hahaha, Mr. Zhao, look at what you’re saying.”
Luo Chunlei’s mother seemed as if she hadn’t heard anything, laughing even more heartily. She stood in the middle of the living room, facing her husband’s outburst, but her gaze seemed to pass through thin air.
“I’m going to work soon. I promise it won’t delay—”
Despite being in the same room, the atmosphere among the family was even less harmonious than that with a stranger, creating an indescribable sense of discordance.
With cheerful and lively game music playing in the background, the man’s gaze swept across the living room, chuckling inexplicably. He tossed the bottle aside and staggered into the kitchen. Passing by Luo Chunlei’s mother as if they were two strangers.
Lu Xiaohe had just breathed a sigh of relief when the man emerged again.
This time, he had a bucket of disinfectant alcohol in his hand, along with a lighter.
“Boring.” He walked past his own wife and started splashing alcohol onto the wooden furniture.
The floor quickly became covered in puddles, but Luo Chunlei’s mother, who was still on the phone, simply glanced at it and walked to a clean spot without ever interrupting her laughter.
“Boring.” The strong-smelling alcohol was poured onto the sofa. Luo Chunlei wrinkled her nose and moved a bit farther away.
Huang Jin couldn’t bear it any longer. “You fucking—”
“Hmm?” The man played with the lighter as his bloodshot eyes turned towards Huang Jin. “What do you want to do? This is my house!”
“It wouldn’t be bad if we all died in my house, hehe…” In a daze, he seemed to remember something. “Right, the door. The door needs to be closed…”
In the next instant, he casually pressed the lighter.
Amidst the game sounds and laughter, the sound of the lighter “clicking” was barely audible. However, despite pressing the lighter, no flame emerged. The man shook the lighter in confusion and then began frantically pressing it.
Yin Ren relaxed his hand, having manipulated the lighter. The moment the man pressed the lighter, he had swapped out the gasoline with water.
“There’s a meeting at 7 o’clock tonight? I got it, mmhmm, no problem at all…” Luo Chunlei’s mother witnessed the entire scene but maintained steady breathing.
“It’s been a really unlucky day…” Luo Chunlei’s father continued pressing the lighter, click by click.
“Goodbye, big brothers and sisters!”
Luo Chunlei pointed to the slightly open anti-theft door with an extremely sweet smile. Half of her clothes were soaked in alcohol, emitting a strong alcoholic scent.
“You’re welcome to come and play again!”
It's been a few months, and you guys have both been promoted to B-level. Not bad, not bad. When I first saw you two, I thought you would at least spend three to five years in C-level.As for Zhong Chengshuo, who was sacrificed, it was kept confidential according to regulations, and poor Liang Shan was left in the dark. He patted the shoulders of the two vigorously.Seeing the arrival of the investigation team, Mr. Liang Shan quickly dropped the line, It's great. I know them well. I'll be responsible for communication, and then abandoned his laptop with a face filled with relief. At noon, he generously booked a private room in the hospital cafeteria, claiming it was a reunion banquet.It was just that most of the dishes served were from the hospital cafeteria, and Liang Shan only went out to buy some beverages.On the makeshift banquet made of a stack of metal trays, Liang Shan distributed the beverages to everyone. Yin Ren's hands instinctively reached for the cola, but midway through, he changed his mind and grabbed two bottles of sugar-free sparkling water.Things have been restless in Haigu lately. It's been a long time since we got together Oh, Lu Jie, you're a rear commander. Why did you come to the front line? Liang Shan took a seat and twisted open a bottle of lemon tea for himself.The case is quite special. Lu Xiaohe tried to force a smile.Mentioning the matter, a hint of bitterness instantly mixed into Liang Shan's previously cheerful expression. Don't talk about it. We're having troubles on our end too Those kids are under fourteen, there are multiple participants, and the victim isn't dead. Thinking about how to handle the aftermath gives me a headache. Now, it seems like Haigu's secondary schools is a revolving stage where I'll end up dying in this position sooner or later.He took a bite of an egg, chewing in frustration.Now I don't understand what Shian's intentions are. The Emergency Management Department is suppressing us with rules and regulations and not giving us additional manpower. Yet, they sent a B-level team. I really don't know whether they value us or not.There have been many incidents like this recently. Zhong Chengshuo accurately summarized the key points.No kidding, this one is particularly heinous. Just talking about fights and brawls, we have more than a dozen cases every day. Liang Shan glanced at him. Just a few days ago, there was a bloody incident. Let me count Four male high school students got into a conflict because they supported different basketball teams. The craziest one stabbed someone with a pen. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.Then there's the incident at the affiliated elementary school, where a girl was collectively insulted on an anonymous wall and attempted suicide. Just after her suspension, it turned out to be related to idol fandom. A male student in her class pushed a girl from the neighboring class down the stairs, resulting in a fracture. The parents claimed that he had a crush on the girl and wanted to get her attention.Liang Shan counted on his fingers.The most troublesome case regarding the middle school is the one involving being buried alive, and the reason is trivial. But now that you guys are here, we can all share the headache together.Liang Shan laughed heartily, but the reaction from the Shian team was lukewarm. Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo maintained polite expressions and pleasantries, while Ge Tingting didn't know how to respond. Lu Xiaohe still had half of her mind concerned about her missing mother, and Huang Jin's reaction was the most directhis face glanced at Liang Shan with a complex expression, clearly conveying the message That's it.Liang Shan's smile twitched slightly, and he cleared his throat. Perfect. This afternoon, I was planning to meet the most stubborn person related to the case. How about one of you go in my place? You're all good-looking guys and girls, which will be more appealing to middle school girls.Huang Jin originally dismissed this home visit.When he was sneaking around as a Nightwalker, he witnessed more miserable and bizarre things than this. Students in civilized society using such means against each other seemed like child's play to him.In previous cases, he could only make use of his spirit smith identity, and most of the time, he didn't need it, which made him feel frustrated. This time, he finally caught a case with a high bonus and no risk to life. He was so happy about it. Comrade Liang Shan must have soaked in a peaceful atmosphere for too long, which made him think that such trivial matters were troublesome.Joking aside, he could see people's thoughts. When facing ordinary people who were unwilling to reveal their true feelings, this ability was truly advantageous. Even if Yin Ren was the respected Great Celestial Master, he might not be better than him in this aspect.The most stubborn person related to the case lived in a medium-high-end residential area. The elevator in the corridor was clean, and there was even aromatherapy in the corners. Perhaps because the community was relatively new, there were no ghosts or strong negative energies around.After sensing such an environment in the mortal realm, Huang Jin's mood improved slightly. He didn't lag behind the team as usual, but instead, he slightly overtook Ge Tingting and stood behind Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo.A middle-aged woman opened the door.Her thoughts on the surface were organized and faint, to the extent that Huang Jin could make out her clothing and figure. Most of the information surrounding her was about numbers and schedules, with hardly any emotional fluctuations.Not sure if two hours will be enough. If I'm not there, will the meeting materials be messed up?What a hassle. They keep asking about the kids' nonsense over and over again. They seem impressive. Maybe that family wants to extort money.You're looking for Chunlei, right? I'm her mother There are quite a few people. Excuse me, can I check your identification?After checking everyone's identification, the mother took a step back. She concealed her impatience well in her tone. But Huang Jin could see the restless thoughts swirling around her body.Chunlei, someone is here to talk to you. Come out. The woman turned towards the nearby room door and spoke with a tone of indifference and detachment from the matter at hand.The door was tightly shut, with wallpaper pasted on it. There were faint traces of adhesive and torn pieces of paper stuck around the wallpaper. Inside the room, there was complete silence, as if no one was present.Chunlei, I still have a meeting. Don't waste my time, the woman raised her voice and called out again.After a few seconds, the door slowly opened.Huang Jin instinctively leaned back on the sofa.The girl was surrounded by swirling charactersof like, like, like, like,masterpiece, masterpiece, masterpiece, masterpiece, Jiao Jiao is cute, cute,which were incredibly large and spun crazily around her. Among the gaps in her thoughts, there was more impatience and annoyance than her mother, and even a sense of satisfaction for not having to go to school these days, as if she had accomplished something significant.Thoughts about Zhang Hejun only appeared once amidst her swirling thoughts.Why didn't that bitch die? Chunlei thought lightly.Huang Jin felt a bit uncomfortable and shifted his body.The emotions of young people were delicate and light, like white foam shimmering with colorful fragments. The thoughts of the people on the street seemed impressive to some extent. However, the thoughts of this twelve-year-old girl made him feel an indescribable discomfort.Hello, brothers and sisters, my name is Luo Chunlei. You can ask me anything, and I will cooperate.Despite her chaotic and frenzied thoughts, her tone was very obedient and cute, sounding like a normal child.You all look so goodmuch better looking than the police officers yesterday.Huang Jin sighed and tapped the screen of his phone.Ten Thousand Taels: She's not thinking much about the case, and I'm not sure about the details. But she has no remorse and harbors strong hostility towards Zhang Hejun.Ten Thousand Taels: Don't be fooled by this girl's attitude.Yin Ren lowered his head and sent an OK in the group.When it comes to burying Zhang Hejun alive, they all say that you were the one in charge. When did you come up with this idea? Yin Ren smiled and asked.Mr. Yin, if you continue to use such inappropriate words, I might have to request a lawyer be present. Chunlei's mother maintained her businesslike tone.I already told the police yesterday that it was just kids fooling around, and it was Zhang something who was not careful. Being in charge of the burying' sounds too harsh. In a society based on the rule of law, people should pay attention to evidence when speaking.It's alright, Mom. I don't feel anything about it anyway. If I didn't do it, then I didn't do it, the girl added with a cheerful smile, then turned to Yin Ren, showing no signs of nervousness in her expression.I had an argument with Zhang Hejun, and we didn't get along. That dayThat day, she invited you to the mountain behind school, and she fell into a pit herself. You just threw a couple of handfuls of soil at her to tease her and then left early, Zhong Chengshuo recited from the files word by word. That's the statement you gave to the police.This girl's mental resilience was indeed impressive. The other girls who were involved in the burial were terrified when the police came knocking, and they confessed everything after a few rounds of questioning.They were all fans of and had previously attended the same primary school. Among them, Luo Chunlei came from a wealthy family and was generous with her spending. She could be considered the leader of their small group. Ever since Zhang Hejun made insulting remarks about their beloved Jiao Jiao, Luo Chunlei had been demanding that they harass Zhang Hejun for revenge.Initially, we wanted to criticize Zhang Hejun online, but she wasn't in any group, didn't have any social media accounts, and didn't play on any platforms.Zhong Chengshuo had watched the video recordings of the girls' interviews. The girls, aged around eleven or twelve, were on the verge of tears during their confessions, and it took them a while to calm down.Susu suggested using the anonymous wall on campus to insult Zhang Hejun, but Da Chun was worried that she wouldn't see it, so she said she wanted to teach her a lesson in real life. At that time when we found the pit, Da Chun suggested pushing the bitch Zhang Hejun down and letting her stay there overnightBut then, when we pushed her down, Da Chun found a shovel and asked us to fill the pit! At that moment, we our minds went blank, and we took turns filling the pit She was crying down there, and Da Chun said she deserved it. We just felt extremely excited and didn't didn't think much about itUnfortunately, there were no surveillance cameras in the mountain behind the school, and these young girls didn't know what evidence to leave behind. The shovel they used to dig the soil was found at the scene, with only the fingerprints of the other girls on it. According to their statements, Luo Chunlei found the shovel dirty and used a handkerchief to cover the handle.With only the testimonies of a few children, there was no concrete evidence.Zhong Chengshuo pushed up his glasses while Luo Chunlei observed Yin Ren's face and long hair with great interest, showing no signs of guilt.Yes, I already told the police officer. Do you have any other questions? she said, looking at the others.If Huang Jin hadn't mentioned it, based on her performance alone, this little girl could easily pass for an innocent bystander.Brother is only doing a routine inquiry. Of course, we believe you, Yin Ren said with a smile, then turned to Zhong Chengshuo.Zhong Ge, isn't this like I said? It's impossible for such a young child to commit a crime. It must be a misunderstanding.Luo Chunlei's mother's complexion improved slightly.Yin Ren smiled faintly. Our main task is to conduct an assessment. Someone buried prohibited pollutants in the mountain behind the school. The previous incident was just a joke involving your daughter. Now, we'll test for contamination in her room, and our part will be done.The WeChat group of Unit 9 exploded.Ten Thousand Tales: This girl must be suspicious. Why didn't you question her?Milky Way: This is different from the agreed plan.Fruit Knife: Mm.Fruit Knife: Xiaohe Jie, later you, Zhong Ge and I will search the room. Huang Jin and Ge Tingting, keep an eye on Luo Chunlei.Fruit Knife: I have my own plan.Yin Ren put his phone back in his pocket. His fingers tapped on the screen to finish typing, then he voluntarily locked it.Zhong Ge, Xiaohe Jie, let's do a quick inspection together. It will only take three to five minutes, no problem We have to enter your room and search. The detection equipment emits radiation, so please accompany your mother outside, little sister.Luo Chunlei's expression stiffened for a moment. Uh, okay!Huang Jin narrowed his eyes at her.Don't worry, we'll keep the door open during the inspection, and we won't damage your things, Yin Ren reassured cheerfully.However, the moment he stepped into Luo Chunlei's room, he immediately pinched Yellow Millet hanging from his phone. Yellow Millet emitted an excited puff sound, and in an instant, an illusion blocked the door.This room was completely different from their impression of a middle school student's room. All the walls, including the ceiling, were covered in posters of . Even the bed covers and pillowcases were themed with related colors. Various merchandise occupied an entire wall. This girl must have bought numerous sets.Every object was meticulously arranged in an organized and systematic manner, but they were packed so densely that it made it hard to breathe.Even the experienced Lord Ghost King and King Yama were stunned for a moment by this sight.Lu Xiaohe was the first to react. Yin Ren, what did you justIt's fine even if you speak a little louder. They can only see illusions when they look into the room Yin Ren exhaled, while he opened the workgroup chat and continued typing: Is Luo Chunlei worried about anything? @Ten Thousand TaelsTen Thousand Taels: You are so ruthless.Ten Thousand Taels: She's worried if you will find the hidden phone in the closet under the clothes.Fruit Knife: Just as expected.He went straight to the closet that occupied the opposite wall. Numerous strands of hair extended from his hand and slipped into the gaps of the closet. Within five seconds, a small phone was flipped out.Liang Shan and the others checked her phone, and it was clean, Lu Xiaohe said, slightly surprised. How did you knowThat kid has strong psychological resilience, and theoretically, she has been exposed to electronic devices longer than me. I will never underestimate any senior, Yin Ren stated seriously. Xiaohe Jie, can you install surveillance software on this in five minutes?Five minutes later, Yin Ren walked out of the room with a smile on his face. We're done searching, there's nothing here. Sorry for the disturbance, we'll go back nowGo back? Just like that? What a letdown.A male voice sounded.A drunken man leaned against the door frame. His face and neck were flushed from alcohol. It seemed like he had just entered, still holding an empty white wine bottle in his hand.Huang Jin protected Ge Tingting and stood at a safe distance. Luo Chunlei's mother was fully engrossed in a phone call, and her words were interspersed with excited laughter. Luo Chunlei smiled obediently and introduced with ease, Brothers, sisters, this is my dad.My wife is quite spirited, huh? Called so many people, spent quite a lot, huh?The man exhaled the smell of alcohol. His bloodshot eyes scanned the members of Unit 9, without any regard for his words.The members of Unit 9 exchanged surprised glancesLuo Chunlei was right there in the living room, and even with his young daughter present, this gentleman clearly had no reservations.Sir, we are working in collaboration with the police. Lu Xiaohe frowned and took the lead in stepping forward. Please watch your wordsBang!!!The man knocked the white wine bottle against the door frame, causing shards to splinter and leaving a small cut on his face.What what what kind of workers are you? My wife brought you here The man gestured with the sharp bottle while slurring his words. A bunch of filthy scumHahaha, Mr. Zhao, look at what you're saying.Luo Chunlei's mother seemed as if she hadn't heard anything, laughing even more heartily. She stood in the middle of the living room, facing her husband's outburst, but her gaze seemed to pass through thin air.I'm going to work soon. I promise it won't delayDespite being in the same room, the atmosphere among the family was even less harmonious than that with a stranger, creating an indescribable sense of discordance.With cheerful and lively game music playing in the background, the man's gaze swept across the living room, chuckling inexplicably. He tossed the bottle aside and staggered into the kitchen. Passing by Luo Chunlei's mother as if they were two strangers.Lu Xiaohe had just breathed a sigh of relief when the man emerged again.This time, he had a bucket of disinfectant alcohol in his hand, along with a lighter.Boring. He walked past his own wife and started splashing alcohol onto the wooden furniture.The floor quickly became covered in puddles, but Luo Chunlei's mother, who was still on the phone, simply glanced at it and walked to a clean spot without ever interrupting her laughter.Boring. The strong-smelling alcohol was poured onto the sofa. Luo Chunlei wrinkled her nose and moved a bit farther away.Huang Jin couldn't bear it any longer. You fuckingHmm? The man played with the lighter as his bloodshot eyes turned towards Huang Jin. What do you want to do? This is my house!It wouldn't be bad if we all died in my house, hehe In a daze, he seemed to remember something. Right, the door. The door needs to be closedIn the next instant, he casually pressed the lighter.Amidst the game sounds and laughter, the sound of the lighter clicking was barely audible. However, despite pressing the lighter, no flame emerged. The man shook the lighter in confusion and then began frantically pressing it.Yin Ren relaxed his hand, having manipulated the lighter. The moment the man pressed the lighter, he had swapped out the gasoline with water.There's a meeting at 7 o'clock tonight? I got it, mmhmm, no problem at all Luo Chunlei's mother witnessed the entire scene but maintained steady breathing.It's been a really unlucky day Luo Chunlei's father continued pressing the lighter, click by click.Goodbye, big brothers and sisters!Luo Chunlei pointed to the slightly open anti-theft door with an extremely sweet smile. Half of her clothes were soaked in alcohol, emitting a strong alcoholic scent.You're welcome to come and play again!
