American Zombie Detective

The next day, Qin Jin did not go to work as usual.

Because Yuanxiao was growing too fast, Qin Jin felt it should be checked out, so he made an appointment at a pet clinic to take it for a full check-up.

The process was a bit confusing and tiring for Yuanxiao, including blood tests, weight measurement, X-rays, and dental checks. Yuanxiao couldn't help but grin several times, but she quieted down after Alessa touched her nose.

The results of the examination were very good.

The veterinarian held the report, his face full of amazement:

"Mr. Qin, this little guy is simply a miracle! His bone density, muscle strength, cardiopulmonary function... far surpasses that of bears of the same age, and even better than many adult bears! He's unbelievably healthy!"

The veterinarian then gave specific advice:

"Its digestive system is very well developed, so its diet can be significantly adjusted. Milk can be gradually reduced, and the proportion of meat can be increased—raw or cooked meat is fine, as long as it is fresh and from a safe source. Fish, moderate amounts of fruit, nuts, vegetables... can all be added slowly. I will give you a detailed diet plan and transition schedule. It now needs plenty of high-quality protein and calcium to support this extraordinary growth."

"Thank you!" Qin Jin nodded in satisfaction.

Yuanxiao seemed to understand the praise. It sat on the ground, rubbed its fluffy head against Alessa's leg, and made satisfied humming noises. Alessa reached out and gently scratched its chin.

In the afternoon, Qin Jin took Yuanxiao, who had just finished her medical check-up, and Alessa back to Qingcao Community. Just as they parked, Catherine called:

"Qin, we received 19 resumes," Catherine's voice was crisp and clear:

"I've shortlisted three or four candidates who seem promising. They'll be coming over for interviews later. Are you coming?"

"It's up to you," Qin Jin said as he opened the car door and got out.

"There are only two requirements: first, be brave enough not to be scared out of your wits when you foresee supernatural phenomena; second, you need to have some background in the paranormal, or be a sharpshooter, skilled in combat, or have some special talent, you can't be mediocre at everything. Once you've been selected, just come and report."

"...I see! Okay, I'll get it done as soon as possible." Catherine's reply was equally straightforward.

"Okay," Qin Jin replied, just about to hang up.

boom--!

A deafening gunshot shattered the afternoon's tranquility without warning!

Almost simultaneously, Qin Jin desperately tried to dodge to the side, but he seemed to be a step too slow, and a tremendous force slammed into Qin Jin's shoulder.

He was thrown backward as if he had been hit by a speeding car!

Bang!

Qin Jin's body slammed heavily against the low garden wall with a thud. His phone flew out and hit the ground, from which came Catherine's scream:

"Qin—!"

The moment the gun went off, Aresa's gray-blue pupils shrank to pinpoints!

She didn't look at Qin Jin, who had been knocked away, but instead abruptly looked up, her gaze instantly locking onto the direction from which the bullet had come—

About a kilometer away, at the edge of the rooftop of a commercial building!

There, a faint glint of light from the reflective lens flashed and disappeared, like a venomous snake retracting its tongue, as if it had never existed.

"call!"

Qin Jin knelt on the ground, looking down at his chest.

There, a sniper bullet was embedded in the center of his sternum, almost completely embedded. The flesh around the bullet was torn and rolled over by the enormous impact, and the bullet was completely stopped by his ribs.

A little dark blood seeped out; this was the spot where Marduk had gouged out flesh a few days ago, and the area had just recovered, so the muscle strength was still low.

The excruciating pain and chilling killing intent instantly shattered the usual languor on Qin Jin's face.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes burning with a furious rage—a kind of violent rage born of utter rage!

"Get in the car! Alessa!" Qin Jin's voice was icy cold:

"Let's go drag that rat out! I want to see if it's that damned bastard!"

The Dodge sped out of the community and headed towards the commercial building. Alessa's phone rang, showing Catherine's voice.

"Give me."

Qin Jin answered the phone and immediately heard Catherine's anxious voice. He calmly told Catherine that he had been assassinated by a sniper, but fortunately he dodged in time.

The Dodge roared to the building's entrance, and the two got out almost simultaneously. Then, Alessa pointed to the side:

"Fresh, with a very faint smell of gunpowder."

Without the slightest hesitation, she grabbed Qin Jin's wrist and walked briskly around to the back of the building.

There was a narrow freight lane there, with poor air circulation, and the lingering smell of gunpowder was almost completely masked by vehicle exhaust and dust.

It appears the gunman has already left.

"Let's go upstairs and check the surveillance footage!"

A few minutes later, Qin Jin and Alessa were already standing in the security monitoring room. Under his invisible pressure, the duty manager cooperated very well.

The gunman was quickly identified.

Shortly after the gunshot, a man dressed in a mechanic's uniform and wearing a mask rushed into the elevator carrying a toolbox, left through a side door on the first floor, and then got into a gray Ford parked in the freight aisle, quickly driving out of the building's surveillance range...

"Qin!" Constanze's voice came from outside the door, followed by Catherine and him quickly entering. "How is it?"

"He won't die!" Qin Jin said succinctly, pointing to the gray Ford in the frozen frame of the surveillance footage:

"This is the car. The gunman was wearing a mask, so we couldn't see his face, but we can confirm that he was six feet tall, strong, and an experienced gunman."

"I'll go check with the Ministry of Transportation right away," Catherine said, pulling out her phone. "Jack, come with me."

"I'm helping Qin look for people," Constantin frowned, pulling out a cigarette. "Why did you call me to check the surveillance footage?"

"I have to see the sieve in a bit," Catherine said, pulling Constantine out of the room. Her voice continued down the corridor.

"Go keep an eye on the security cameras, I need to go back for the interview, hurry! We're running out of time..."

Watching the two leave, Qin Jin glanced at Alessa: "Shall we go back and follow the scent... and try?"

Alessa nodded silently, then took Qin Jin's hand and walked out.

Tracking it was extremely difficult. The smell of gunpowder sealed inside the car became very hard to find amidst the mixture of exhaust fumes, perfumes, food, and garbage. Although Alessa's sense of smell was far superior to that of ordinary people, she still lost track of it repeatedly.

Time slipped away with each wrong turn, and as the setting sun painted the sky orange-red, finally sinking below the horizon, they caught up with them at a desolate riverbank.

Far from the city center, surrounded by abandoned shacks and overgrown weeds, the gray Ford remains in the riverside shack.

Qin Jin walked around the car, his gaze falling on the riverbank not far away. A narrow wooden boardwalk stretched into the murky water, with wooden stakes at the end for ropes to be tied.

"They left in a speedboat," Qin Jin said coldly.

This guy is incredibly experienced; he calculated his escape route for every step. There are no surveillance cameras on the river, making it almost impossible to continue tracking him.

Just then, Constantin called: "Qin! We've found the surveillance footage! The last place that car disappeared... was right by the river on the east side of the River Bend Industrial Zone!"

"We found it too. The car is here, but the people escaped by boat."

"Fuck!" Constantin cursed into the phone, then continued:

"We've identified this guy; his nickname is 'Ghost,' and he's a master on the dark web... What's next?"

He suggested, "How about I go to a midnight bar tonight and find a tarot reader?"

"A ghost?" Qin Jin suddenly realized that it was this guy all along.

It seems he already knows about how I impersonated a ghost to lure the Tong family to Los Angeles, so he wants to get rid of me. The key question now is—

Did the Tong family know that the ghost they saw back then was actually an imposter?

Qin Jin thought for a moment and then temporarily declined Dante's suggestion: "Let's not rush, let me think about it first."

"Okay, I'll let you know when I've decided."

After returning home, Qin Jin did not rush to follow up on the ghost's whereabouts, but waited at home.

According to the information Johnny provided, Ghost would immediately follow up with a shot after a failed attack, and there was a high probability that he would attack again at night!

But then, something strange happened!

That night, the ghost didn't come at all, which was completely different from what was known. No one knew what had happened until the next morning when Catherine's phone call revealed the answer:

"Qin! This is unbelievable! You'd never guess what happened!"

"Speak," Qin Jin said, his voice low and husky from just waking up.

"Ghost! That sniper 'Ghost'! He's been caught! Just last night!"

Qin Jin's sleepiness vanished instantly, his eyes sharpening: "Who arrested him? The FBI? The police? Or did Jack hire someone?"

"None of them!" Catherine's voice rose eight octaves. "It's someone you'd never guess! It's that new team member we decided on yesterday! That girl!"

Qin Jin's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped his phone.

"Her? How were you caught?"

"She said that after the interview, she went out to run some errands and happened to see a speedboat on the river. She remembered the sniper I mentioned and went to check it out. As a result, she found that the guy was actually asleep in an abandoned fishing hut on the riverbank! And then, she caught him."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

A top-tier dark web assassin, known for his caution and cunning, Ghost, after meticulously planning his escape route, falls asleep on the run and is captured by a newly recruited police officer.

You wouldn't dare write a wish-fulfillment novel like this!

If it's just luck, then it's just too good!

After a long pause, Qin Jin spoke calmly into the microphone:

"Understood. Tell her to wait in the office. I'll be right there."

He put down the phone and looked out the window at the rising sun. Was this incredibly lucky newcomer a blessing or a curse?