Cthulhu America, I can see the kill line.

It was 6:30 a.m.

In midtown Hills, the morning mist on the windowsill of the Carnation Apartments is slowly melting away as the sun rises.

What woke Kong Jiu even earlier than the morning alarm clock was the loud knocking on the door.

"What are you yelling about so early in the morning...?"

He frowned, muttering under his breath, and gently pushed away the little bat that was biting his chest, then sat up, his body feeling somewhat heavy.

The faint, wispy threads in the sky, originating from humans and connected to the Iron Curtain, were indeed a significant discovery for him.

But that damned rat Squich was busy with something and didn't respond to my calls.

Last night, Mina threw a tantrum because of his cold attitude or because her pregnancy made her mood swings, and she kept trying to torment him.

Finally, it transformed into a bat, biting his neck all the way to his artery, greedily sucking his blood. Kong Jiu still felt a faint stinging sensation on the side of his neck.

"Police! Open the door!"

A cold, harsh female voice pierced through the door, instantly shattering the remaining warmth in the room.

Kong Jiu frowned.

police?

Could it be that the Hills Federation's investigative capabilities ultimately exceeded his expectations?

He quickly calculated in his mind, then feigned confusion and asked, "Who is it?"

Kong Jiu immediately grabbed a coat and draped it over his shoulders, pretending to get up in a hurry and not fully awake, and shuffled towards the door in his slippers.

Mina also woke up, her bat body spun in the air, and she gracefully returned to human form.

Kong Jiu immediately turned around and whispered, "Don't put on your clothes yet, pretend you're still half asleep."

After saying that, he took a deep breath and reached out to unlock the door.

There were two people standing outside the door.

On the left is a tall, Black policewoman in a crisp, tailored uniform, her epaulets gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen in the morning light. Her eyes are sharp as an eagle's, her lips tightly pressed together, devoid of any warmth.

On the right is a slightly younger white male police officer with a solemn expression. His hand is always on the holster at his waist, and his knuckles are slightly white.

"This cop seems a bit nervous?" Kong Jiu noticed the pale fingertips in his lazy gaze.

"Alex Johnny Cone?"

Before Kong Jiu could speak, the policewoman handed him an ID, her voice flat as if she were reading a legal document.

"Hills Police Department, routine security check. A major theft occurred at the underground museum around 6 p.m. last night. The suspect is believed to be a young man in his twenties. We need to confirm your whereabouts."

An underground museum?

Kong Jiu's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained a blank expression as he began to ponder the police's explanation: 'The Federation's publicly acknowledged hero base... so it's actually called an underground museum?'

He lowered his head, seemingly checking his identification, but his gaze swept across the chests of the two policemen like a searchlight.

The name tag is correct; the shoulder insignia match; the police badge and metal badge armband...

[Spiritual Vision] unfolded silently, and all information was displayed in Kong Jiu's eyes.

The documents are complete and the format is correct.

That's right, these people have all the relevant identification documents that the police have, so they are undoubtedly police officers.

only……

Is this too comprehensive?

Kong Jiu was well aware of the true nature of the Hills Federation.

Such standard presentation of identification, such obvious clothing labeling...

Something doesn't seem right!

If it was just a routine police check, it actually gave Kong Jiu a boost of confidence.

This shows that police patrols are simply grassroots officers looking for clues, not actual searches and arrests.

But intuition was subtly tugging at my nerves, telling me that something seemed off.

Kong Jiu squinted, and just as he handed the documents back to the policewoman, a strange thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

The body camera wasn't turned on?

The information transmitted by [Spirit Vision] indicated that the body camera was not turned on.

However, the [Spirit Vision] detected another subtle electrical fluctuation coming from somewhere on the other person's collar.

"A hidden camera...?"

Kong Jiu suddenly realized what was happening and sneered inwardly.

"I have a few questions for you. Would it be convenient for us to come in?"

The policewoman took the badge back, her tone still cold.

"Of course, officer."

Kong Jiu stepped aside, while quickly glancing in the direction of the bedroom.

Mina's figure was half-hidden behind the door, her arms crossed and trembling slightly; her acting was quite convincing.

"But, could you please allow my girlfriend to change her clothes first? It'll be quick."

A moment later, the two "police officers" sat on the living room sofa.

There were still some sticky liquid residues on the sofa surface that hadn't been wiped off, glistening faintly in the morning light.

I guess it's something Impa played yesterday.

That young master was always so unrestrained, playing wildly, recklessly, and having a great time, but he disappeared early in the morning, leaving his roommate Kong Jiu to clean up the mess.

This is no small matter. According to Impa herself, many female celebrities have tried to secretly keep "little umbrellas" in order to get a share of this rich young man's fortune.

To some extent, having Kong Jiu handle these private traces is also proof that Impah trusts Kong Jiu and that their friendship is pure.

"You mean, after it rained last night, you and your girlfriend came home and haven't left the house since, you've been together the whole time, is that right?"

The Black policewoman stared at Kong Jiu, her speech flat yet imposing.

The male police officer next to him was writing something in his notebook, the pen tip making a soft scratching sound as it scribbled across the paper.

"That's right, officer."

Kong Jiu grinned and put his arm around Mina, who was only wrapped in a blanket beside him. "I think the security guard downstairs and my girlfriend can both testify to this."

"But the apartment registration form shows that you entered the building after the incident." The policewoman leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharp as a nail.

"Oh, really?"

Kong Jiu's smile remained unchanged, but his fingers gently pulled out a few green banknotes from his pocket, the movement as natural as adjusting the hem of his clothes, and then quietly pushed them towards the other person.

"That's quite unfortunate... But this 'reason' should be enough to get you two off the hook, right? In an old apartment building like Carnation, registration errors and malfunctioning security cameras are common occurrences, aren't they?"

The two "police officers" exchanged a glance.

The male police officer silently reached out, pressed the banknote down with his fingertips, slowly moved it to his side, and put it into his pocket.

"The Hills Police Department has been getting very generous with its funding lately, hasn't it?"

As he watched the banknotes go into his pocket, Kong Jiu's voice was soft, yet it sounded like an icicle piercing the air.

The living room suddenly fell silent.

The two women froze instantly. The Black policewoman's Adam's apple bobbed, and she said in a deliberately cold voice, "What do you mean by that?"

"It means they have body cameras but don't turn them on, instead using expensive pinhole cameras."

A cold smile tugged at the corner of Kong Jiu's mouth.

"Are you really police officers?"

Meanwhile, downstairs in the apartment building.

A black luxury sedan was parked quietly in the shadows on the side of the street.

Inside the car, Campbell stared intently at the live feed on the in-car screen, his face so dark it looked like it could be wrung out.

The phone call from the leader in Xinxiang yesterday still rings in his ears. He solemnly instructed him: Just keep an eye on this young man named Alex. You don't need to do anything else. Just report information on time.

Especially at the end, the aged voice added with great caution:

"Never be presumptuous. Whether it's flattery or a threat, never disturb the other party. Understand?"

In official circles, however, "don't be presumptuous" was equated with "do it your own way" in Campbell's mind.

Campbell naturally connected this to the intrusion that had occurred the previous night, so he took the opportunity to send agents to impersonate police officers and contact the other party under the guise of an investigation in an attempt to find out the details.

But to his utter surprise, his disguise was exposed in less than three minutes.

The light from the screen reflected on his unpredictable face, and the carriage was deathly silent.