Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

Hongxing Police Station.

A sense of exhaustion and oppression enveloped the entire police station.

The case of Jia Zhangshi's bizarre dismemberment is still unsolved, Lin Tian and his sister have gone missing, Sha Zhu has escaped from prison, and Yang Ruihua has perished in a fire...

One problem after another left everyone overwhelmed and on edge.

"Oh no! Oh no! Captain Qin! Chief Li! Something terrible has happened again!"

Officer Xiao Wang's voice, tinged with familiar panic, once again broke the brief silence in the police station lobby.

Qin Ming, rubbing his temples and deep in thought while staring at the messy files on the table, and Director Li, who looked equally exhausted, both looked up at the same time, their hearts skipping a beat.

"What is it now? Speak slowly!"

Qin Ming's heart sank, his voice filled with suppressed frustration.

Xiao Wang, panting heavily, pointed towards the detention cell: "Liu... Liu Haizhong, Liu Haizhong... he escaped too! He's gone!"

"What?"

Qin Ming suddenly stood up. "When did this happen? What are you all doing? Sha Zhu ran away, and now Liu Haizhong has run away too?"

Is our police station a vegetable market? You can come and go as you please?

The pressure and bizarre events of the past few days caused even the usually calm Qin Ming to erupt in anger.

Xiao Wang shrank back after being yelled at, but still forced himself to explain: "Captain Qin, it's not that we didn't guard them properly, it's just... they 'disappeared into thin air' again."

When I went to check, the small dark room was empty, the door was locked properly, and the window hadn't been moved.

But...she's gone, just like...just like when Jia Zhangshi disappeared."

Once again... vanished into thin air!

Qin Ming's anger was extinguished as if doused with a bucket of ice water, leaving him with a deep sense of powerlessness and chill.

He slowly sat back in his chair, rubbed his face vigorously with his hands, and after a long while, waved his hand wearily: "Alright, I understand, you guys go and look for it."

Go look around the neighborhood...see if there's a body. If you find one, bring it back.

"A corpse?"

Xiao Wang was stunned and didn't react. "Captain Qin, you mean... Liu Haizhong might already be..."

Old Wang, who had been silent the whole time, nudged him with his elbow and muttered, "Are you scared out of your wits by what's happened these past two days?"

Use your pig brain to think! Which of those who "disappeared into thin air" actually lived a good life afterward? What happened to Jia Zhangshi again?

"Ah... Ohhh!"

Xiao Wang suddenly realized what was happening, slapped his forehead, and his face showed a mixture of fear and understanding.

"Yes...yes, Jia Zhangshi disappeared, and then the watermelon head was hanging on a tree, and the body...is in our little dark room. I...I'll take people to look for her right away."

He then understood what Qin Ming meant by "finding the body" and felt annoyed at his own slowness.

No wonder I can only do odd jobs here and there; my brain just can't compare to those veteran detectives.

Director Li, who had remained silent until now, narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the ashamed Xiao Wang from head to toe, and spoke in a low voice:

"Xiao Wang, I've noticed there's a bit of 'mystical' about you, isn't there?"

"Huh?" Xiao Wang looked up blankly.

Director Li stroked his chin and said slowly, "Look, when Yan Jiecheng hanged himself, you were the first to discover it and shout 'Oh no!'"

Jia Zhangshi died in the dark room, it was you; Sha Zhu escaped from prison, it was you; now Liu Haizhong has disappeared, and it was you who discovered it again...

Every time something happens, you're the first to see it, and then you yell "Oh no!"

"Isn't your constitution a bit too 'special'? Does it easily attract... you know?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming and Wang Gang couldn't help but focus their gazes on Xiao Wang, their eyes filled with inquiry and a hint of barely perceptible... curiosity.

To be honest, after Director Li mentioned it, and thinking about it carefully, it seems to make a lot of sense.

Xiao Wang felt uneasy under the gazes of the three leaders. He subconsciously took a half step back and stammered, "Director Li... Director Li, don't scare me."

I...I don't know either, maybe it was just...just a coincidence?"

He didn't want to be labeled as having a "naturally evil-attracting constitution".

Looking at Xiao Wang's pale face with dark circles under his eyes, Qin Ming had a sudden thought and said:

"Alright, stop scaring yourself. Xiao Wang, you've been exhausted these past few days. Here's what we'll do: you take two people and go on patrol."

The key area is from Nanluoguxiang to Dongcheng. We'll be back before dawn for breakfast, and then... you're allowed to take a nap.

"Really? Captain Qin?"

Xiao Wang's tired eyes lit up instantly; he could hardly believe his ears.

He hasn't slept more than four hours in the past two days. He feels that if he keeps going like this, he will die suddenly before everyone in the No. 95 courtyard is dead.

"Really, go ahead. Be careful, and report any unusual activity immediately. Don't act on your own." Qin Ming nodded.

"Thank you, Captain Qin! Thank you, Chief Li!"

Overjoyed, Xiao Wang quickly saluted and excitedly pulled his two equally exhausted young colleagues out of the police station.

The streets were quiet and deserted at 3:30 a.m. Although the patrol mission was not easy, I thought that I could get a good night's sleep after three or four hours of hard work.

Xiao Wang and his two companions felt their steps become much lighter.

Watching the three of them leave, Wang Gang leaned close to Qin Ming, lowered his voice, and asked, half-jokingly and half-seriously:

"Captain Qin, you actually believe in these feudal superstitions? Sending Xiao Wang out for a 'stroll,' what kind of results can he possibly uncover?"

Qin Ming glanced at him, his gaze deep, and his tone calm: "Old Wang, you can't just say things like that. What do you mean by feudal superstition?"

I asked them to increase nighttime patrols. Lately, criminals have become too brazen, even daring to break into police stations. We must be more vigilant and send our most alert officers on patrol. Any problems?"

Wang Gang was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, Captain Qin is wise. We should strengthen patrols. I spoke too much, I spoke too much."

He understood Qin Ming's meaning. Regardless of whether it was a coincidence or not, letting Xiao Wang, who seemed "prone to stumbling upon things," go out for a stroll might actually lead to him discovering something.

This has nothing to do with superstition; it's just a... strategic attempt.

As police officers, it is indeed forbidden for them to utter words that promote feudal superstition.

No wonder he became the head of the criminal investigation team.

……

at the same time.

On the other side, on the way to Third Master's residence.

Sha Zhu and Yan Bugui stumbled and stumbled towards a secluded corner of the eastern city.

The two remained silent the entire way, the atmosphere heavy.

Sha Zhu was still immersed in the grief of his sister's tragic death and his deep-seated hatred for evil spirits, his fists clenched tightly.

Yan Bugui, on the other hand, looked absent-minded, his eyes behind his glasses flickering and his brows furrowed.

After walking for a while, Yan Bugui finally couldn't help but ask, as if to Shazhu, or perhaps to himself:

"Silly Zhu, do you think... we can really destroy that evil spirit? Does Third Master really have that ability?"

"Definitely!"

……