Girl, you form the head.

Chapter 28 Dead Father (4K)

"The special agents sent by the General Bureau are on their way." In a conference room at the hospital, Director Lei Hu was holding an impromptu meeting with the arriving agents. His face was grim. "They want us to provide sufficient information on the criminals, but unfortunately, we don't have that kind of information either, even though that damned guy has already killed two of our colleagues on our turf."

The officers present could all feel Lei Hu's anger. After all, the fact that two police officers were killed in such a way in the police station was an absolutely heinous incident. Otherwise, the headquarters would not have sent reinforcements in such a short time.

“Of course, it’s not like we have absolutely nothing to hide,” Lei Hu said. “Based on Officer Xia’s report, we can basically confirm that the perpetrator is a special individual, and that he is the same person who murdered a family of three in the Binhai residential area during the day. But we still can’t determine exactly what his special ability is, because the methods he used to kill that family of three are different from those used by our two colleagues.”

As he spoke, Lei Hu posted photos of the two crime scenes on the whiteboard behind him.

The officers could clearly see the difference between the two crime scenes. One was a near-accidental death from shock, while the other was a bloody murder scene.

Combined with Xia Tian's description of the criminal's ability to transform into a vengeful ghost, the police officers really couldn't determine what the criminal's special abilities were.

“Of course, we can’t definitively conclude that the two cases were committed by the same person,” Lei Hu said. “After all, there was another strange person at the crime scene, and his special abilities are also unknown.”

Upon hearing that two criminals with special abilities existed at the same time, the police officers present frowned.

Only Bai Chi remained unmoved; after all, he was another oddball the bureau chief had mentioned.

The police still haven't been able to determine the specific characteristics of that vengeful spirit. This isn't because they lack ability, but because they have far too little information—only the little provided by Xia Tian. Furthermore, the spirit's characteristics are somewhat complex, and the presence of this interfering factor makes it strange that the police could directly determine its unique features.

But here's the problem: with it unclear whether Ruri is still able to fight, and whether Yanle will accept his invitation, Bai Chi really needs the help of his colleagues, at least to prevent that guy from killing people indiscriminately anymore.

However, Bai Chi had no way to share the information he possessed, as that would be tantamount to telling others that he was another weirdo.

“Therefore, without knowing the specific culprit, we must put both of them on the wanted list,” Lei Hu said in a deep voice.

This time it was Bai Chi's turn to frown.

Bai Chi wasn't afraid of being caught by his colleagues, but he didn't want the already limited police force of the Hanguang Precinct to be divided in two. After all, that guy was already troublesome enough, and if they couldn't concentrate all their forces to deal with him, it would only make things easier for him.

But how could he offer his opinion to the bureau chief without arousing suspicion?

Bai Chi was pondering, but before he could come up with an answer, the office door was pushed open, and Xia Tian, ​​whose face was still pale, walked in.

"Chief, I think the killer is just that vengeful ghost," Xia Tian said. "The other one isn't."

Lei Hu was quite surprised by the sudden arrival of summer: "Summer? What brings you here? Your injuries haven't healed yet."

"The doctor said I'm fine and just need to rest for a few days," Xia Tian said softly. "Director, at a time like this, I really can't just stand by and watch. At least let me participate in the meeting. After all, I'm the only one who survived that monster."

Lei Hu was indeed very worried about Xia Tian's physical condition, but as Xia Tian said, she was the only survivor, so her opinion was naturally crucial.

So Lei Hu agreed: "Alright, we appreciate your insistence, but if you're not feeling well, you should go back and rest immediately."

"Thank you, Director."

Xia Tian nodded gratefully, looked around, and sat down in the only empty seat—the seat next to Bai Chi.

Before she could even greet Bai Chi, Lei Hu spoke up: "So, Officer Xia Tian, ​​what was the basis for your judgment just now? Why do you think the murderer is just that vengeful ghost, and has nothing to do with the other strange person?"

Summer sat up straight and said seriously, "Because I'm still alive."

As the head of the bureau, Lei Hu easily understood Xia Tian's subtext: "You mean, that strange man protected you?"

“Yes, in the last moment before I lost consciousness, I saw that strange man kick the vengeful ghost away,” Xia Tian said. “And that vengeful ghost was coming straight for me.”

A mysterious figure protecting the police?

This was indeed surprising news, and the officers present began to ponder it.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s protecting you,” Lei Hu said. “It’s also possible he’s just attacking that vengeful ghost.”

“But I didn’t die after that,” Xia Tian said. “Chief, I heard that when you found me, I was lying in the corridor, is that right?”

Lei Hu nodded.

“But I remember it very clearly. I collapsed in the office, next to the two fallen officers,” Xia Tian said seriously. “That vengeful ghost was determined to kill me, so there’s no reason for it to manipulate my body. It could only be that strange person. I think he was protecting me and preventing me from getting hurt in their fight.”

The officers looked at each other, because they really didn't know this information, and Lei Hu also frowned.

Xia Tian hadn't finished speaking: "There's one more thing, I'm certain that the strange man wasn't the murderer who killed the family of three in Binhai Community."

"Why is this again?"

“Because that power also belongs to the vengeful spirit,” Xia Tian said. “When I looked into the eyes of the vengeful spirit, I could clearly feel the fear welling up from the bottom of my heart… This was not ordinary fear, but fear that could take my life. The doctor can attest to this; he said my body suffered damage far exceeding that of a typical mental attack. So I am certain that even if the vengeful spirit did not kill me directly, but continued to look into my eyes, I would be scared to death by it.”

Having said that, the officers understood what Xia Tian meant.

They were scared to death. Isn't this exactly how a family of three in the Binhai community died?
"Chief, I studied 'Special Studies' at the police academy." Xia Tian hadn't finished speaking when he said, "This course recorded a situation where, when special abilities develop to a certain level, there is a possibility of evolution."

"evolution?"

“Yes, it evolves into a new special ability that seems unrelated to the basic special ability,” Xia Tian said. “But there are patterns to this. Often, the evolved special ability exists to serve the basic special ability. I think this vengeful ghost is a good example. Its basic special ability is to read and amplify the fear in other people’s hearts, to the point of death. And the special ability it evolved is a certain degree of mimicry, which also serves the basic special ability.”

Lei Hu understood: "You mean, he sensed the source of the family's fear in the Binhai community—the film that was playing. So he mimicked the vengeful ghost of the film's protagonist, thus scaring the family to death? If that's the case, doesn't that mean he can transform into more than just a vengeful ghost, but anything else?"

“Yes!” Seeing that Lei Hu understood what he meant, Xia Tian nodded repeatedly. “He reads fear, becomes fear, and ultimately amplifies fear. That’s his logic.”

"But if that's the case, why did he use physical means to kill two forensic officers?" Lei Hu asked. "Wouldn't it have been better to just scare them to death?"

Xia Tian opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say, because she hadn't figured this out yet.

“Because that brings greater fear.” At this moment, Bai Chi, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up, “A vengeful ghost in the mortal world can evoke more fear in people’s hearts than a criminal with special abilities.”

Everyone turned to look at Bai Chi, including Xia Tian, ​​whose eyes held a unique emotion that no one else possessed.

“I think he feeds on fear. The more fear he consumes, the stronger he becomes. And when the whole city is terrified by the appearance of the vengeful ghost, it means that food is everywhere for him.” Bai Chi stated his conjecture. When he noticed that all the police officers were looking at him with shocked eyes, he was silent for a moment and then said, “I also studied Paranormal Research and got a perfect score.”

The officers then realized that the two people in front of them were the first and second highest scorers in the history of the police academy's graduation exam.

In this light, it truly lives up to its reputation.

Lei Hu's expression darkened further, because Bai Chi had mentioned an even more critical factor—growth potential. What was this special individual's motive for committing these killings?
It's all about money, wealth, or even just plain psychological abnormality.

But if the goal is to become stronger, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Lei Hu immediately issued an order: "Block all news tonight, and notify cinemas and video arcades that no horror films are allowed to be shown or any horror DVDs are allowed to be sent out in the near future. Also, report all the conclusions we just reached to the General Administration and the Special Affairs Department, and let them make their judgments. As for the other weirdo, leave him aside for now and deal with that guy first."

"Yes!"

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the police officers immediately began to take action.

Finally, Lei Hu turned his gaze to Bai Chi and Xia Tian, ​​his expression softening considerably: "Bai Chi, take Xia Tian back to her ward first."

……

Back in the ward, Xia Tian couldn't help but ask Bai Chi, "Senior, how did you come up with the idea that the special individual's goal was to evoke greater fear in order to gain power?"

"It just came to mind suddenly," Bai Chi said. "If he kills without any ulterior motive, he's either a complete psychopath or he's after something we can't even imagine."

Bai Chi wasn't lying about this; it really was a sudden thought, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

"You're amazing, senior," Xia Tian said with a smile. "No wonder you scored so much higher than me."

Bai Chi shook his head: "It's only a little over fifty points higher."

summer:"……"

Bai Chi looked at Xia Tian, ​​who seemed somewhat speechless, and pondered something in his mind.

He still had to thank Xia Tian, ​​because Xia Tian's personal account allowed the police to focus on the vengeful ghost, which gave him much more room to maneuver.

This can be said to have been a great help to him.

Bai Chi was a grateful person, so after thinking for a moment, he said to Xia Tian, ​​"You should rest well first. After you recover, I will give you a good gift."

Uh, why are you suddenly giving me a gift?
Xia Tian was a little puzzled, but she didn't ask. She just took it as a friendly greeting between colleagues and nodded with a smile: "Then it's a deal."

"of course."

After they finished speaking, they both fell silent.

Bai Chi was lost in thought, while Xia Tian looked at the empty hospital room with only the two of them and felt the atmosphere was a little awkward.

"Um, senior, would you like some drinks...?"

Just as Xia Tian was about to speak, Bai Chi suddenly answered a phone call: "Okay, wait for me to come back."

The words I wanted to say immediately got stuck in my throat.

"That's all for now, get some rest."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Chi left behind these words and turned to leave, leaving Xia Tian, ​​who was still in shock.

"Okay, alright," Xia Tian said to the empty hospital room. "Goodbye."

……

Upon returning home, Bai Chi immediately spotted Liu Li Hui huddled in a corner.

She didn't turn on the light or do anything; she just hugged her knees and stared blankly ahead until the door opened and the moonlight streaming in from outside shone on her face. It took her a few seconds to come to her senses.

"You, you're back." Ruri-e was a little flustered. "I'm so sorry, I was really scared, so..."

Bai Chi nodded: "I know."

Earlier, when he was in the hospital, it was Ruri who called him to ask if he could come back and stay with her.

The tone was like that of a little girl who was so scared from reading a ghost story in the middle of the night that she was afraid to go to sleep.

Of course, Bai Chi also knew that for Liu Li Hui, the fear tonight was much more serious than those ghost stories.

"Do you remember what happened?" Bai Chi asked.

“I remember something,” Ruri said softly, “I saw that vengeful ghost suddenly transform into… transform into…”

Her expression was one of struggle, as if simply recalling that person's identity caused her immense pain.

“...My father.” But in the end, she said it anyway.

It was actually my father?

On the way back, Bai Chi had already thought about how to comfort Liu Li Hui.

Just like the most direct way to comfort a child who is afraid of ghosts is to tell her that there are no ghosts in the world and that ghosts are all fake.

So Bai Chi said, "Don't worry, it's not true."

"No, it's not true?"

"Yes, he is not your real father, he is just a fake father."

What kind of strange concept is "fake father"?

Ruri said instinctively, "But I saw him right in front of me, alive and well..."

“It’s not alive either,” Bai Chi corrected. “It’s dead. If I had to say, it would only be its dead father.”

Ruri-e: "..."

Although she didn't know what Bai Chi was talking about, at least... she wasn't so scared anymore.

(End of this chapter)