Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

At the entrance of the police station, beams of flashlight beams still swept across the night.

The police have been searching for more than two hours, expanding the search area from fifty meters to one hundred meters, and then to two hundred meters around the jeep.

The garbage dump was turned upside down, the roadside vegetation was carefully inspected, and even the manhole covers were lifted up for inspection.

Got nothing.

Zhang Jianguo disappeared without leaving any trace.

There were no signs of struggle, no pieces of clothing, and not even a single hair could be found.

Director Zhao stood beside the jeep, smoking one cigarette after another. His face looked ashen under the streetlights, and his eye bags were so swollen they looked like they might burst at any moment.

"Qin Ming".

Qin Ming's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to walk over.

He is the captain of the task force and has been on the front line since the first murder case three days ago.

He had barely slept for the past three days; his eyes were bloodshot, his uniform was wrinkled, and he had a strange smell of sweat and smoke mixed together.

"Chief."

Qin Ming straightened up, but he couldn't straighten his back no matter what he did. He was too tired; his bones were protesting.

Director Zhao stared at him for a long time, so long that Qin Ming thought the director was going to pull out a gun and shoot him.

"Qin Ming, there are still two days left, but more than ten people have died today, not counting Director Yang, Section Chief Liu, and Secretary Wang."

"Just tonight, there are eight kids in the warehouse and Xiong Da and Xiong Er, Liu Xiaoqiang in the boiler workshop, Bi Yuntao stuck in the tree, Liu Guangqi in the alley, and now Zhang Jianguo who has disappeared..."

He paused, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and the smoke rings rose slowly into the night.

Qin Ming's legs felt a little weak.

He wanted to smoke, but his hands were shaking badly.

It took me three tries to get the cigarette pack out, and two more tries to get it out. When I tried to light it, it took five or six tries for the lighter to catch fire.

He took a deep drag, the glow of his cigarette flickering in the darkness.

"Chief, may I...may I resign?"

The moment he said that, the surrounding police officers were stunned and all turned to look at him.

Resign?

At this critical juncture?

Director Zhao narrowed his eyes.

Instead of getting angry immediately, he smiled.

"Little Qin."

Director Zhao threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with his foot. "Do you think I don't want to?"

Taking a step closer, he lowered his voice so only Qin Ming could hear: "From the moment Director Yang died, I wanted to quit, but now, is it too late to run away?"

Qin Ming's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't.

Director Zhao patted his shoulder, the force neither too light nor too heavy, but it made Qin Ming feel as if his shoulder blade was about to crack.

"However, it's not like there's absolutely no way out."

Qin Ming raised his head, a faint glimmer of hope igniting in his eyes.

"Didn't the special cases investigation team arrive?"

Director Zhao said casually, with a hint of implication in his voice, "The experts sent from above, specializing in handling 'special cases,' are high-ranking, experienced, and well-resourced..."

Qin Ming's eyes lit up.

He understood what the bureau chief meant.

"The bureau chief truly lives up to his reputation."

Qin Ming quickly said, "Don't worry, I will definitely... actively cooperate with the special case investigation team."

I will provide whatever they need; I will answer whatever they ask, and everything will be based on expert advice.

The words were phrased tactfully, but the meaning was clear.

This blame can be shifted to the Special Cases Investigation Team.

They were sent from above, so their responsibilities were naturally greater.

If the case is solved, it's the result of everyone's joint efforts; if it can't be solved, it must be due to the incompetence of the experts.

Director Zhao nodded in satisfaction, then patted Qin Ming on the shoulder again, this time with much less force:

"Xiao Qin, you are in charge of following up on this matter with the special case investigation team. Ask questions if you don't understand, be obedient, and learn humbly."

"Chief, I understand."

Qin Ming gave him a "I completely understand" look. "I will definitely 'learn' and 'cooperate' well."

The two exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.

Just then, a young policeman ran over, panting, and said, "Chief, Captain Qin, those two from the Special Case Investigation Team... stewed the black dog's meat."

"Stewed dog meat?"

Qin Ming frowned. "Wasn't it said that black dog blood would be used for the consecration?"

"They say the black dog's blood is blessed, but the meat can't be wasted..."

The young policeman hesitated for a moment, then said, "They also said that tonight's exertion might be enormous, and we'll need to replenish... replenish our vital energy."

"origin?"

Qin Ming and Director Zhao repeated the word at the same time, looking at each other in bewilderment.

"right."

The young policeman nodded. "That's what Master Yan and Master Wang said. They said that after eating their fill, they would consecrate the bullets to exorcise evil spirits."

Director Zhao's lips twitched.

A ritual to deliver the deceased?

Was a ritual performed at the scene of the murder?

If this gets out, where will the Public Security Bureau put its face?

But he didn't say anything, he just waved.

"Understood. Take two people with you and keep an eye on things at the guesthouse. Report back immediately if anything happens."

"Yes, sir!" The young policeman saluted, turned and ran away.

Qin Ming watched his retreating figure and whispered, "Chief, are those two... reliable?"

Whether it's reliable or not is not important.

Director Zhao lit another cigarette. "The important thing is, they were sent from above, understand?"

Qin Ming suddenly realized: "I understand. If the experts sent from above say they're reliable, then they're reliable."

As long as I can take the blame, that's fine.

The two stood there for a while longer, watching the police continue their futile search.

The night wind blew by, carrying the distant, mournful, and drawn-out barking of wild dogs.

"Let's call it a day."

Director Zhao finally said, "Leave a few people here to keep watch, the rest of you go back and rest, we'll talk about it tomorrow...we'll talk about it tomorrow."

If we don't sleep, everyone will die suddenly.

Better to die than to die, my fellow Daoist.

……

Meanwhile, at the guesthouse.

Although it's called a guesthouse, it's actually just a two-story building used specifically to receive superiors and out-of-town clients.

The conditions were average, but for that era, it was considered quite good.

There is a private room, hot water, and a small kitchen where you can cook your own meals.

At this moment, the small kitchen was brightly lit and filled with delicious aromas.

On the stove, both stoves were lit.

On the left is an earthenware pot, simmering with dog meat, bubbling away, the rich aroma of meat mingling with the scents of Sichuan peppercorns and star anise…

On the right is an iron pot, inside which glutinous rice is being cooked. The aroma of rice and meat mingles together, making one's mouth water.

Master Yan and Master Wang sat around the stove, both with expressions of pure bliss on their faces.

"Old Yan, what do you say...?"

Master Wang swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the meat in the earthenware pot. "Should we just stew those two black dogs the police station prepared?...Wouldn't that offend someone?"

He said that, but his hands didn't stop. He scooped up a little soup with a spoon, blew on it, took a sip, and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

Master Yan stroked his beard, looking unfathomable: "Little Wang, your skills are still too shallow."

He scooped up a spoonful of soup, but didn't drink it; he just smelled it. "The police station needs us to perform a ritual with black dog blood and glutinous rice, that's true. But performing rituals depletes our vital essence, our energy and spirit, understand?"

Master Wang nodded as if he understood but not quite.

"When the source is depleted, it must be replenished."

Master Yan continued, his voice low, as if imparting some closely guarded secret: "How to replenish? What do you rely on? Food! What do you eat?"

"Eating things that possess spirituality—dog meat and glutinous rice—is an excellent way to replenish one's vital essence."

He spoke eloquently and logically, and Master Wang nodded repeatedly in agreement.

……