American Zombie Detective

Chapter 134 Tiger Poison Eats Seeds

Qin Jin's heart skipped a beat. He immediately put down his spoon and whispered to Carter and David, "Let's go! There's something going on outside!" At the same time, he quickly told Alessa, "You and Yuanxiao stay here."

As they were talking, Qin Jin got up and walked outside. Carter and David didn't understand why, but their professional instincts made them immediately drop their food, grab their coats and put them on, leaving only Alessa and Yuanxiao behind.

The three followed Chen Anni down a quiet side street and soon entered a private clinic with a sign that read "Family Health Care Center".

"It's her, Chen Anni." Carter recognized her too, and lowered his voice.

The three of them did not go in immediately, but waited diagonally across from the clinic. About thirty minutes later, Chen Anni came out of the clinic, her face even paler and more haggard than when she went in. She lowered her head and quickly disappeared around the corner.

Qin Jin and the other two immediately went into the clinic.

The receptionist nurse, somewhat wary of the three men who clearly weren't patients, asked, "Gentlemen, do you have an appointment?"

Carter flashed his badge: "Sacramento Police Department. We'd like to know about Ms. Annie Chen, who just left."

The nurse paused, glanced at the police badge, hesitated for a moment, then picked up the internal phone and said a few words. Soon, a doctor in a white coat with gray hair came out.

"Officer, I'm Dr. White, the person in charge here." The doctor adjusted his glasses. "Regarding Ms. Chen Annie—"

Her case is a matter of patient privacy —

"We are investigating a case that may involve public safety, Dr. White."

Detective Carter's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable, penetrating force: "I hope you understand the seriousness of this, OK?!"

Dr. White felt the pressure and sighed, "Well—Ms. Chen is indeed one of our patients. Her case—is very special and very difficult." He chose his words carefully, his face showing confusion and a hint of worry, "She has recently developed severe neurotic symptoms, mainly persistent auditory hallucinations. She keeps hearing all sorts of baby sounds, crying, playing, everything, which makes it impossible for her to fall asleep and is almost driving her to a mental breakdown."

"Audio hallucination? The voice of a baby?" Detective Carter seemed to realize something, giving Qin Jin a strange look. Qin Jin nodded slightly, indicating—

Yes! Just like you guessed!

Detective Carter couldn't help but shudder, and Agent David grinned, his face filled with horror.

Dr. White, oblivious to Carter's expression, continued, "What's even stranger is her skin condition. Her skin used to be so well-maintained, making her look like a twenty-year-old girl, but now it's aging rapidly, as if subcutaneous fat and moisture have been drained away—however, she didn't come here to ask about her skin, she's just concerned about her auditory hallucinations."

Qin Jin listened quietly, understanding dawning on him. This was the backlash from stopping the beauty-enhancing soup. Like a drug, stopping it would cause you to age rapidly, even exceeding your natural aging potential; but if you continued to drink it, you would gradually become stiff and lifeless, eventually beginning to rot.

As for auditory hallucinations, it's even simpler. Without Wang Po's deliberate suppression, all those restless infant ghosts come out and naturally seek out certain people to harass!

Now that things were clear, Qin Jin didn't ask any more questions. It was Chen Anni's own choice, so let her bear the consequences herself. Qin Jin was too lazy to cause trouble.

The three left the clinic and returned to the restaurant.

As Carter and David pushed open the restaurant door, they instinctively looked at their seats and froze.

Aresa remained sitting there quietly, sipping the last bit of water from her cup. The bowls and plates in front of her were all empty and clean, as if they had been licked clean.

The bear cub Yuanxiao was lying sprawled out next to Alessa, contentedly hugging its round belly, its little head nodding as if it were about to fall asleep at any moment, its fur around its mouth wet, as if it had licked itself countless times.

Aresa looked up at Qin Jin and explained in her habitually flat tone, "I was too hungry, I've finished eating."

You're really treating us like dirt! This is such an obvious way of feeding a bear, and you're telling me it's all eaten?

Qin Jin was speechless for a moment.

Carter and David stared at the empty plates and the obviously overfed bear cubs, speechless and with very interesting expressions.

Of course, they just took it as a little joke between siblings.

"Ahem," Carter tried to steer the conversation back on track, "Detective Qin, look at this—how about I order you another one?"

"No."

Qin Jin waved his hand, signaling the waiter to pack him a hamburger, then said to the two men, "It's getting late! You two go to Hellfire first, I'll catch up with you after I get the hamburger."

Detective Carter thought it over and agreed. He quickly paid the bill, gave a tip, and left with David first.

After watching them leave, Alessa looked at Qin Jin and said in Chinese, "Qin, what do you think of my trick?"

"Not bad, that's a good idea!" Qin Jin praised, then rubbed his nose and deliberately made a face: "But I think you should call it a plan or a method; the word 'trick' is not quite right."

"Oh!" Alessa replied nonchalantly and began petting the bear.

The two cars were parked one after the other opposite the Hellfire Bar.

Pushing open the door, a wave of sweltering heat, a mixture of cheap perfume, sweat, cigarette smoke, and alcohol, hit me, while deafening electronic music pounded on my eardrums like invisible fists.

Flashing laser lights cut through the billowing smoke, and the figures on the dance floor swayed like twisted ghosts.

The four men and one bear went straight to the bar and sat down. The bartender, wearing a black tight-fitting vest and with tattooed arms, was casually wiping the glasses.

Qin Jin slapped a ten-dollar bill onto the smooth wooden bar counter, his voice not loud: "Hey bro! I heard you guys have a pretty hot female DJ here named Lily, who's she?"

The bartender glanced at the banknotes, then looked up at Qin Jin and the group behind him who clearly didn't look like they were there for fun. With a playful smile, he put the banknotes away: "They're not out yet, you'll have to wait a bit."

Qin Jin slapped out another banknote: "Help us call them out, OK?"

The bartender grinned and said decisively, "No problem, bro! I'll go check it out for you." He turned around, lifted the curtain behind the bar, and disappeared into the dimly lit passageway leading to the backstage area.

The wait wasn't long; soon, the curtain was lifted again, and a figure walked out.

This woman looks to be in her thirties, which is considered old in the DJ world where youth is an asset, but time has not taken away her charm; instead, it has given her a mature and wild allure.

Her long, dark brown hair was highlighted with a few strands of burgundy, casually tied back, revealing her beautifully shaped neck and a pair of sparkling silver earrings.

Her makeup was exquisite, with a touch of languid smokiness. Under the psychedelic lighting, her features appeared exceptionally three-dimensional and refined; she was truly stunning.

She wore a black tank top covered in sequins and low-waisted cargo pants, revealing her toned waist and the colorful tattoos on her arms. She walked to the bar, her gaze sweeping over Qin Jin and his group with a professional scrutiny: "Hey, I heard you guys were looking for me? Want to talk about something? But my time isn't cheap. See what price you're willing to pay."

She leaned against the bar, relaxed, but her eyes were like searchlights.

Detective Carter flashed his badge and said in a low but clear voice, "Sacramento Police Department, Special Investigations Unit. I'd like to talk to you about Lin Hao."

"Lin Hao?"

The languid look on Lily's face vanished instantly, her body tensed slightly, her lips tightened, and she remained silent for a few seconds.

The music in the bar was still blaring, but the atmosphere in the bar area suddenly froze.

"—Okay!" She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. "I don't usually like getting involved in these things, but that little guy has been pretty good to me, and I don't want to watch him die in vain—" She pointed to the side. "Come with me, let's go outside. It's too noisy here."

Pushing open the heavy fire door, outside was a narrow alley filled with empty wine crates and smelling of steamed buns. The clamor of hellfire was shut out behind the door, leaving only the hum of distant traffic.

A cold wind blew past, and Lily shivered, instinctively hugging her arms tighter. She looked at Carter: "Any cigarettes?"

Carter took out his cigarette case, handed her one, and lit it for her.

Lily took a deep breath, the smoke rising in the dim alley lights. Her eyes seemed unfocused through the smoke. Lily exhaled a long puff of smoke and said with certainty, "Lin Hao must have been killed by his parents!"

",