American Zombie Detective

The Dodge's engine roared low on the highway, the blue light of the instrument panel reflecting off Qin Jin's expressionless face. Alessa took off her shoes and curled up in the passenger seat, Yuanxiao under her feet making a soft snoring sound.

Around 1 a.m., my phone rang abruptly.

"Qin! Something's happened!" Frank's voice was filled with tension:

"The girl has been attacked!"

"Who did it? A monster, or..." Qin Jin's voice was as calm as ice.

"Hermann from Group One! That madman just broke into the hospital, killed the guards outside, and then—"

Frank's voice trembled, and he seemed to take a couple of rapid breaths: "He cut off Sarah's left ear, Lina's right ear, and Nicole and Nancy each had one eye gouged out... The scene was covered in blood! Everyone was in so much pain they fainted... This..."

Hermann?

When they searched the lair of the sorcerer Zhan Mapeng, they were in charge of one group, and Herman was among them. He even greeted them. So it seems—

Did Zhan Mapeng have a backup plan among the things she left behind?

These thoughts flashed through Qin Jin's mind, and he realized that Nicole and Nancy were probably two of the three unfamiliar girls. He then pressed for more information:

"How's Amy doing? And who's the other one?"

"Amy isn't here! Congressman Michael has her at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and there's another one... yes, Sophia, whose uncle is a doctor at St. John's Health Center, isn't here either..."

"Where are the Hermans now? Have they been captured?"

"Disappeared! Vanished right after the attack! Like a ghost! We're searching for him! Qin, what the hell is going on?"

Frank's fear almost spilled out of the receiver.

"Herman should be under control. This sorcerer might... have more to come!" Qin Jin made his judgment:

"According to my investigation, she needs organs from seven people to descend, so—Director Frank, protect Amy and Sophia! Wait for me to return."

After making the call, Qin Jin used the walkie-talkie to inform Constantin and Catherine from Chevrolet about the situation, and then gave his assessment:

"Now we can basically confirm Zhan Mapeng's plan! She has late-stage uremia and doesn't have much time left, so she set up a ritual to harvest these seven girls, but an accident happened—it's possible that Zhan Mapeng's condition suddenly worsened and she can't wait any longer and must descend immediately; or, it's possible that Amy and the others' trip was temporary and disrupted Zhan Mapeng's plan."

"Regardless of the situation, Zhan Mapeng could only control the remaining three girls, Nicole, Nancy, and Sophia, and rushed to the town of Linhai, intending to land there! However, when they arrived, they discovered that the number of people was incorrect; Amy and the others had a girl with whom they had their hair done who did not go as planned."

"That night, Zhan Mapeng brought the girl to the holiday home to attack Catherine. It's possible he wanted to capture her as a substitute, or it's possible he just wanted to show his face and use us to send the girl back to Los Angeles, so that they could put the seven of them back together..."

"Now, she's controlled Herman. I'm not entirely sure how she did it, but the goal is clear—to remove the corresponding seven orifices from seven targets to complete the curse. Amy, Sophia, and the seventh girl are still waiting to be removed; this is our chance!"

There was a moment of silence on the walkie-talkie, then Catherine suddenly asked a question:

"Qin, there's a place I don't quite understand..."

She pursed her lips, seemingly confused:

"Seven girls had their organs harvested, and then those organs are to be implanted into their bodies. Wouldn't that mean the body Zhan Mapeng is resurrected in is incomplete?"

"Could there be an eighth person?" came Constanze's voice from the side.

"Is this person the vessel in which her soul was born?"

"No, it's incomplete!" Qin Jin knew these things too well and gave the answer on the spot:

"Soul reincarnation is inherently an act against the will of Heaven. If the reincarnated body is too complete, it will be detected by the underworld. Therefore, choosing a disabled person makes it easier to hide—that's why many people who practice evil magic, black magic, and voodoo are disabled!"

Although Qin Jin's tone was languid, his analysis was logical and thorough, instantly dissecting the chaotic clues to reveal the bloody yet logically consistent core. Constantine and Catherine on the other end of the radio felt a chill run down their spines.

Just then, Qin Jin's phone rang again.

Qin Jin pressed the speakerphone button.

"Detective Qin?"

Congressman Michael's voice came through, trying his best to remain calm, but the anxiety was still clearly discernible through the airwaves:

"This is Michael! Supervisor Frank just called and told me what happened at the hospital! God! What on earth happened? What did Amy and the others get into?"

"Mr. Congressman," Qin Jin's voice was calm and composed:

"The matter is still under investigation. It has nothing to do with Amy herself. It was some evil sorcerer from Southeast Asia who chose them as targets. We've just started to get a clue about the situation... Uh, things are a bit complicated."

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

Qin Jin could even imagine how senator Michael's well-maintained face must be contorted with fear, anger, and a sense of threat to his immense power.

A shrewd politician doesn't need much explanation to understand the core issue—

The danger is not over; in fact, it is imminent.

Sure enough, when Congressman Michael spoke again, his tone was completely different:

"I understand. Detective Qin, you've done a great job finding Amy, thank you very much. The reward will be deposited into the police station tomorrow. Now, let's talk about this new threat... I hope you can protect my daughter's safety and eliminate this problem. Of course, I will also pay a reward for your bravery and dedication. One million, how about that?"

Inside the spacious cabin of the Dodge Ram, the dim light from the dashboard illuminated Qin Jin's face, but his eyes, which had witnessed a century of vicissitudes, showed no excitement.

His lips curved upwards in a very slow, slight arc, his voice remaining steady:

"Your generosity and support for our police officers is admirable! Rest assured, I will do everything I can to ensure Amy's safety, now—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the outlines of lights on the horizon, his voice radiating powerful confidence:

"As long as you can ensure Amy's safety until we return, you can completely leave the rest to me!"

"Good! Amy is at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; the people Director Edward sent have already gone there!"

The call was abruptly ended.

The car returned to its previous calm, with only the low growl of the engine.

The smile on Qin Jin's face quickly vanished, replaced by his usual lazy indifference. He casually picked up the walkie-talkie:

"Jack!"

Qin Jin instructed:

"Contact Bruce, the team leader of the next group, and tell him that if he wants to reduce Herman's influence on him, he needs to take action—give him Ryan's address and let him go and find out about the seventh person!"

"You've helped him!" Constanze's voice came through the walkie-talkie. "OK! I'll contact him right away."

As they drew closer to Los Angeles, the two cars began to accelerate. Facing the sorcerer lurking in the shadows, Qin Jin began to feel somewhat uneasy.

It should be noted that this kind of soul magic also poses a huge threat to Qin Jin himself.

Not to mention the group of rats from the Tong family who sneaked in.