American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

Kate laughed heartily and said cheerfully, "Don't worry, Lynn. I'll be careful. Besides, with you, the 'Inspector of Justice' here, what can't be handled?"

Lynn shook his head and gave a helpless smile, but he had already decided in his heart that if Kate really insisted on going, he must accompany her in person to ensure that she would not cause any trouble.

The next morning, just as Lin En arrived at the police station, he received a text message from Kate: "Lynn, I'm going to the East Suburbs Forest today. Don't worry, I'll be careful. I'll tell you when I have a clue." The smiling face after the text message made Lin En frown instantly.

"This woman won't listen at all." Lynn muttered softly, picked up the phone and dialed Mark's number.

"Detective, what's the matter?" Mark's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Kate has decided to go to the East Suburban Forest on her own to investigate the 'Hunter's Lodge'." Lin En's tone was filled with helplessness and a hint of uneasiness. "I have a case today and can't get away. You go in my place. Don't let her know you're following her. Protect her in secret."

Mark chuckled. "Inspector, this is unlike you. When did you become so cautious?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Lin En said angrily, "Kate is not an ordinary person. Once she gets interested, she can turn the world upside down. Not to mention that place is not safe. You must watch her, understand?"

"I understand, I understand." Mark agreed readily, "Don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on her."

After hanging up the phone, Lin En turned his attention back to the task at hand, but he still felt a little uneasy. He knew Kate's character well; her persistence sometimes bordered on recklessness, and the East Suburban Forest was far more complex and dangerous than she had imagined.

Meanwhile, Kate was already driving on the road to the eastern forests. On the passenger seat was a detailed map, a small recording device, a bottle of water, and some snacks. She was in a relaxed mood, even humming a song, full of anticipation for the adventure ahead.

When Kate arrived at the forest entrance, Mark was already driving a low-profile car far behind. He stopped the car, put on sunglasses, made sure Kate was completely unaware of his presence, and then carefully followed her into the forest.

Kate recorded her observations on her phone as she walked. "The East Suburbs Forest is quieter and more desolate than I imagined. This environment is indeed suitable for the spread of mysterious rumors, especially that hunter's cabin..."

Mark followed her from a few dozen meters away, keeping a comfortable distance. He watched Kate looking around and taking pictures with her phone, a helpless smile on his face: "What a stubborn woman."

As Kate went deeper into the forest, the air grew increasingly damp and cold, and the trees grew denser. She soon found the "hunter's cabin" marked on the map. It was a dilapidated wooden house, most of the windows broken, and the door half-open, revealing a dim interior.

Kate stood at the door, hesitated for a moment, took out her phone and started filming: "This place looks like it has been abandoned for a long time...but why do some people say it is haunted? Maybe there are some clues inside."

She pushed open the door and stepped into the small room, her feet making a creaking sound. The room smelled old and musty, and the corners were filled with broken furniture and dust. Kate looked around with a flashlight, but found nothing special.

"That's it?" Kate muttered softly, "It doesn't look like a haunted place at all. It looks more like an abandoned house that has been forgotten."

Just as she turned to leave, a faint noise came from outside the house. Kate immediately became alert, quickly turned off the flashlight, and leaned against the wall, holding her breath.

Mark also noticed the unusual noise at this time. He hid in the bushes next to the cabin and stared at the direction not far away. There seemed to be several figures swaying there, but they were too far away for him to see clearly.

Kate held her breath, gripped the phone tightly, and moved cautiously toward the window. Through the broken window, she saw several men in dirty clothes approaching the cabin, carrying toolboxes in their hands. They didn't look like ordinary tourists.

"Looks like I found something unusual." Kate muttered to herself, took out her phone and started recording.

Mark frowned, cursing inwardly, "This woman is really causing trouble." He quickly took out his walkie-talkie and contacted Lynn: "Inspector, Kate might be in trouble. There are several people in the forest approaching the hunter's cabin. They don't look right."

When Lin En received Mark's message, his brows furrowed instantly. He quickly flipped through the documents in his hand, pushed them aside, and stood up, grabbing his coat. "Tell me the exact location, and I'll be there right away." His tone was cold and hard, almost unquestionable.

"Outside the hunter's cabin, west of the center of the East Suburbs Forest." Mark's voice came from the intercom. "Those people don't look like ordinary hikers. They seem more like... they came with a purpose."

"Protect Kate and don't let her find you. Wait until I arrive before taking any action." Lynn quickly ended the call and walked out of the office.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere outside the cabin grew tense. Kate, hunkered down by the window, stared intently at the strangers. Their actions seemed suspicious: one was using a crowbar to pry open the floorboards at the back of the cabin, while another stood guard. Kate raised her phone, trying to record the entire scene, her heart racing uncontrollably.

"Is there something hidden under the floor?" she muttered softly, her palms sweating with nervousness.

Suddenly, one of the men turned and glanced into the cabin. Kate quickly crouched down, hiding under the windowsill and holding her breath. Her mind raced—what were these people looking for? Should she risk staying here?

Mark, who was outside the house, also noticed something was wrong. He lowered his voice and said into the intercom, "Inspector, they seem to be searching for something and have begun to damage the floor of the cabin. If Kate doesn't retreat, she will be exposed."

Lin En's voice came from the intercom: "Try to stay calm and don't act rashly. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Mark gritted his teeth and continued to lurk in the bushes, but his hand was already tightly gripping the gun at his waist, ready to deal with any emergency at any time.

Kate then noticed that the group seemed to have pried open the floor, and an old wooden board was turned up, revealing a secret space underneath. A man squatted down and shone a flashlight down. After a moment, he whispered, "Found it!"

Several other people immediately gathered around, and one of them pulled out a heavy-looking metal box from the hidden space. Kate's curiosity was instantly piqued, and she couldn't help but look up and quietly record everything on her phone.

"Hurry up and load the truck! Don't dawdle!" a man whispered. However, at that moment, Kate's phone screen lit up unexpectedly as her finger slid open, and a faint light flashed across the cabin.

"Who's inside?" The man outside immediately became alert and rushed towards the cabin.

Kate's heart tightened, and she cursed herself for her carelessness. She quickly stood up and looked around, searching for an exit. But the hut had only one door, and it was already blocked. She gritted her teeth, stashed her phone in her pocket, grabbed a broken stick, and stood against the wall, ready to resist.

The moment the man pushed open the door, Mark finally couldn't help himself. He stood up from the bushes, pulled out his gun, and shouted, "FBI, put down what you're holding and put your hands on your head!"

The men were stunned for a moment, but they reacted quickly. One of them quickly pulled out a knife, and another threw down the metal box and tried to escape. Mark fired a shot without hesitation, and the bullet hit the ground, shocking them.

Kate heard the gunshot and saw Mark through the crack in the door. She immediately understood: "This guy has been following me!" She was surprised and angry, but more relieved.

At this moment, Lin En's car sped up. He jumped out and quickly joined the situation. He walked towards the men and said in a cold voice, "If anyone dares to move again, I guarantee you will fall here in the next second."

Seeing this, the group completely lost the courage to resist and squatted down obediently with their heads in their hands. Lin En glanced at the metal box on the ground and asked coldly, "What is this?"

No one answered. Lin En's eyes grew even colder. "Don't want to tell me? Very good. Go back to the police station and tell me slowly."

Mark quickly stepped forward and handcuffed several people. Lynn then turned to Kate and said in a complicated tone: "Should I be glad that you are okay? Or should I give you a good scolding?"

Kate curled her lips, but there was a hint of gratitude in her eyes: "You knew I would come here a long time ago, right? So you sent Mark to follow."

Lynn sighed, "I know that once you make up your mind, no one can stop you. But Kate, this is not a game. You almost got into big trouble."

Kate nodded, rarely arguing back. "Okay, I was too impulsive this time. Thank you, Lynn." There was a hint of sincerity in her tone.

Lin En nodded and turned his gaze back to the metal box: "But now we need to figure out what secrets this thing holds."

Lin En walked over to the metal box and squatted down to examine it carefully. The box was covered in rust, but its weight and structure showed that it had been specially designed to protect the contents. He put on gloves and carefully opened the box.

The inside of the box was covered with a thick protective cloth, underneath which lay a stack of old documents and some strange small objects - a rusty pocket watch, a seemingly ordinary ring engraved with intricate patterns, and several yellowed black-and-white photos.

Kate couldn't help but move closer, her eyes full of curiosity: "These things... look like a private collection, maybe from that hunter?"

Lin En nodded, but his eyes fell on the documents. After flipping through one of them, his expression instantly became serious: "These are not ordinary private collections. These documents involve land transactions, and some look like undisclosed deed records."

Mark also came over and took a look with a frown: "These contracts seem to be related to this forest? They look like they were signed decades ago, but why are they hidden here?"

Kate whispered, "Perhaps this is why those people came here. They didn't find this place by chance, but knew that this box contained what they needed."

Lin En placed the documents and items back into the box, carefully closed the lid, and stood up to look at the cuffed suspects. His eyes were cold and his tone was low. "Now tell me, what is the importance of these things to you? Why did you risk coming here to dig them up?"

Several men lowered their heads, clearly unwilling to speak. But Lin En's aura finally made one of them unable to hold back. He raised his head and whispered, "We're just doing this for money. Someone hired us to find these things. We don't know what they are, but they said they're worth a fortune."

Lin En sneered, "Valuable things? That looks more like a secret. It's okay if you don't want to tell me. I have plenty of ways to make you talk."

He gestured to Mark to take the men to the police car and arranged for the cabin to be cordoned off as a scene for the investigation. He turned to look at Kate, his eyes filled with a complex expression. "Do you understand now? This matter is far more complicated than you imagined. This isn't something you can figure out on your own."

Kate bit her lip, her tone revealing reluctance: "I know, I was wrong this time. But Lin En, you can't deny that this matter is indeed very important. These documents may be involved in a larger conspiracy."

Lynn sighed and said slowly, "Kate, you're an excellent reporter, but some things can't be solved by taking risks alone. You need to know when to step back and let us handle it."

Kate was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to you. This time, I'll cooperate with you."

Lin En smiled slightly. Although there was still resentment in her tone, this was the biggest concession he could get from Kate. He patted her shoulder and said, "Let's go back to the police station. We need to study these things carefully to see what secrets are hidden behind them."

Back at the police station, Lynn carefully placed the metal box on the evidence table. Several investigators were already standing by, ready to analyze the documents and items. Kate followed closely behind. Although she wasn't a member of the police force, she stood firmly by, her eyes fixed on the items on the table, clearly unwilling to miss any details.

Lin En opened the box, took out the top document, and handed it to Mark: "Let's take a look at the contents of this contract first. I suspect it is directly related to the ownership of the forest."

Mark took the document, flipped through it carefully, and whispered, "Inspector, you guessed right. This is a land ownership transfer deed. It states that this forest originally belonged to a private estate called the Blackwood Family, but was later sold to a company at a low price for some reason."

Kate couldn't help but interrupt, "The Blackwood family? I've heard of that name! Decades ago, they were one of the wealthiest families in this area, but then they suddenly went bankrupt, and almost all of their property was auctioned off. I saw a report about it when I was looking through newspaper archives."

Lin En nodded and turned his attention to the other items in the box. He picked up the ring with intricate carvings and handed it to a forensic expert: "See if there are any inscriptions or special marks on it. Maybe it can provide some clues." (End of this chapter)