A swift and decisive victory in the early stages, a post-apocalyptic survival story in America!

Red and blue police lights flashed, and walkie-talkie voices could be heard from the police officers coming in and out from time to time.

Rosalie Sinclair stood outside the police line, dumbfounded.

"Officer, officer! What's going on here?" Rosalie raised her hand to signal.

A uniformed police officer approached and asked sternly, "There was a murder in the house. Do you know this family?"

Rosalie quickly explained, "I work as a caregiver here, specifically looking after Mrs. Brant. Is she...is she alright?"

The uniformed officer glanced back: "She's still alive, but her son was killed."

Rosalie breathed a sigh of relief, but then her expression turned somewhat grim.

Seeing her turn to leave, the uniformed officer stopped her: "Madam, please don't go yet, we have some questions to ask you."

Rosalie nodded blankly, somewhat saddened.

The job pays well, and Mrs. Brant has been in a coma for a long time, so taking care of her is very easy. I was just worried that Mrs. Brant would be killed, but now that she is alive, her son Harry has been killed. Wouldn't that be more troublesome?

The salary for the past week hasn't been paid yet, which isn't a big deal, but where am I going to find a suitable job next?

Invited to the police cordon, two uniformed officers came over and began questioning Rosalie and Harry about their family.

A white Toyota SUV stopped outside the police line, and a tall, beautiful woman and a middle-aged man got out and walked over.

The two men showed their badges to the officers on duty at the cordon. Prior to this, the uniformed officers on duty had already lifted the cordon to welcome the two men inside.

"Hey Martin, is it your shift today? Didn't sleep all night again? Look at you, you're not as handsome as before."

"Hello, Diana, have you lost weight again? Oh my god, you really need to eat more!"

Julie Grace, dressed in plain black, chatted with uniformed officers with a friendly smile.

Hugo, standing to the side, was quite serious. Now that he was middle-aged, he didn't have many ideas anymore and didn't value interpersonal relationships as much. He was too lazy to be kind to everyone like Julie was.

But Julie's kindness wasn't fake; she genuinely remembered everyone's name and details, a skill that Hugo admired from the bottom of his heart.

Intelligence alone is not enough; this trait is difficult to cultivate without having a father who has held a high-ranking official position.

The two entered the room just as forensic pathologist Lilith Blanchard finished her examination.

"Honey, did you find anything?" Julie looked around at her surroundings but didn't find anything unusual.

"One shot to the head, baby." Lilith was in her early forties, with brown skin and a slightly plump figure. She rarely smiled, except when she looked at Julie, when she would show a warm smile.

"No bullets?" Julie immediately realized the key issue.

"If there were no bullets, the wound would have been caused by a 9mm bullet."

Hugo asked, "What about the others?"

Lilith pretended not to hear and remained silent.

Julie smiled and hugged her: "Alright, alright, why can't you let this go? Hugo didn't mean anything by what he said last time, so don't hold a grudge against him."

Lilith then said, "There are traces of hidden money in the basement, gunpowder residue in the safe, and signs of ransacking in the master bedroom upstairs. All things considered, it looks like a robbery."

Julie nodded, walked to the bedside, and asked, "Is this the deceased's mother? She's been in a coma?"

Lilith nodded.

A uniformed police officer walked in: "Julie, the deceased's mother's caregiver is outside. Would you like to speak to her?"

Julie nodded, put her hands on her hips, and said to Hugo, "Take a look at the room. I'll go out and talk to the caregiver."

Leaving the house, Julie met Rosalie Sinclair, the caregiver, and after a few pleasantries, asked, "Is Harry paying his wages on time?"

"Very timely, he's a very nice person, and he never delays payment..."

Julie nodded: "Is his mother still in a coma? Is there any possibility that she might wake up?"

Rosalie was still reeling from the pain of unemployment when Julie asked again. She finally snapped out of her daze and replied, "She won't wake up. She suffered a severe stroke. A normal person would have euthanized her long ago, but Harry loves his mother and didn't want to do that, so..."

Julie nodded, offered Rosalie a few words of comfort, and went back into the house.

"It doesn't look like a robbery," Hugo said, looking at Julie.

Julie sighed: "If it were a robbery, they would definitely have killed Harry's mother, even knowing he wouldn't wake up. Our killer was still too kind."

He then added, "Check Harry's social circle to see if there are any clues."

Hugo shrugged: "The room and car have been searched, but the phone and wallet are nowhere to be found. The hard drive from the home computer has been removed. I must say, our killer is, apart from being kind, very professional."

Julie smiled slightly, concealing the pride in her eyes, took out her phone, went to the kitchen, and dialed Li Qi's number.

"Honey, what are you busy with?"

She was so gentle that Li Qi was somewhat flattered.

"Lola and I are on our way. Based on the videos and clues from the dark web accounts, we've identified six possible locations and are currently on our way to the third one. What's wrong, honey? Is something the matter?"

"It's nothing, just a murder scene. The victim's name is Harry Brant..." Julie glanced back at Hugo by the guest room door, smiled slightly at her partner, and whispered, "Nick's Secret is too dangerous. You and Lola must be careful!"

On the other end of the phone, Li Qi patted the round thing in his shirt pocket and said with a laugh, "Don't worry, I'm extremely careful when I go out now, and you should too, be careful!"

After he hung up the phone, Lola asked, "What is Julie going to do?"

Li Qi waved his phone. "It's a bit inexplicable. I don't know what to say."

That's what he said, but he already had a deduction in his mind.

Harry Brandt and Wyatt Morris are cousins ​​and both work for the same security company; this relationship is not difficult to ascertain.

Because Julie was close to him, it was easy for him to connect their deaths.

It wasn't because she was particularly capable; it was simply that she had the advantage of being so close to the source of the information. This senior police officer was just too close to her.

The beautiful woman's implication was that she knew about the matter and would help cover it up to the best of her ability.

In comparison, Lola is somewhat idealistic, while Julie is clearly much more pragmatic.

It must be said that her ability to reach this position at the age of thirty-five is truly a testament to her talent and ability.

Lola's technical analysis skills are impressive, but if it comes down to choosing a teammate in a life-or-death battle, Richard would choose the decisive Julie without hesitation.

With thoughts swirling in his mind, Li Qi became somewhat distracted.

Suddenly, Lola exclaimed, "Honey, look here! This house looks just like the background in the video!"

Outside the car window, an inconspicuous single-story house with a sloping roof sits on the south side of the street, while the San Gabriel Mission is located on the north side.

In front of the house stands a large tree and a small tree, the mini lawn is neatly trimmed, and the inside of the window is fitted with a sturdy steel railing. At this moment, the curtains are drawn, so the interior cannot be seen.

The texture of the railings, the material of the window screens, and the subway gate of the cemetery opposite... With his mind sharpened by 9 o'clock, Li Qi almost instantly confirmed that this was Nick's stronghold.

After setbacks at Nick's house, his private storage facility, and the mansion under construction, Richie was filled with anticipation to find some clues here.