"Is everything on the internet cleaned up?" Zhao Boshan put down the watering can and turned to ask.

As long as it didn't involve state secrets, he had always been lenient with online public opinion. This time, however, he took it seriously for once. If it hadn't been for someone above warning him in time, he might have been caught.

"Don't worry, I used someone else's alias to place the order, and the money went through overseas accounts. Even if the police investigate, they would just think it’s a case of rivalry between actresses and not realize we were behind it."

"But..." The middle-aged man glanced cautiously at Zhao Boshan and said with a bit of hesitation, "We have to delay our plans for Lu Shu."

He had just received news that the idiot Mo Baobao had privately collected a lot of information on Lu Shu. This clue was discovered by the police, and now he was under their surveillance, making it difficult to act immediately.

"I understand. You may leave now." Zhao Boshan frowned but said nothing more.

After all, if you trace the problem back, it was his responsibility.

However, Lu Shu seemed to have good luck, managing to escape this time.

But this was as far as it would go. Next time, he wouldn't miss.

...

In front of the Yu Mu Film and Television Company, two cars stopped one after the other. Zhao Jiong got out of the black SUV and immediately met Ling Ji's gaze.

"Ling Ji," Zhao Jiong's surprise was fleeting as he stepped forward to greet her.

Ling Ji nodded. "Are you in charge of Lu Shu as well?"

In the past two days, Xing Miao had explained a lot to her, including that the Special Management Bureau accounted for a third of it.

Zhao Jiong greeted Yu Zhiyan and Ying Ning, who were getting out of the car. "Yes."

"But I don't think Lu Shu has anything to do with this matter." Considering Lu Shu's usual behavior, Zhao Jiong didn't believe he would have any connection with Mo Baobao given his personality and preferences. "I'm here to confirm something with Hu Li." He paused slightly, lowered his voice to a volume only they could hear, "The Mo Baobao case has been handed over to the Special Management Bureau, and I'm the main investigator."

Ling Ji raised her eyebrows, glanced at the two people walking ahead, and also lowered her voice, "So, was she not killed by a human?"

"Uh... You could say yes and no." Zhao Jiong had read all the investigation reports and files on his way here and naturally knew her cause of death. "Her direct cause of death was multiple stab wounds leading to excessive blood loss, but there was also an unknown slow-acting poison in her body."

"To put it this way, even without the final stabbing, Mo Baobao wouldn't have lived much longer."

And the method used was clearly not something an ordinary person could manage.

So, whether Mo Baobao was killed by a human was still uncertain.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

But it was undeniable that she harbored secrets.

"How did you find out about her?" Ling Ji had gained some understanding of the country's operational institutions over the past two days.

Without special reasons or clues, the Special Management Bureau wouldn't intervene in police cases casually.

Zhao Jiong looked at her in surprise, impressed by her acuity. Given her identity, there was nothing he couldn't say. "Do you remember the dragon and snake captured in Fengchuan County?"

Ling Ji nodded, signaling him to continue.

"We suspect that the dragon wasn't naturally grown but was artificially cultivated. And there's a secret organization behind all this." This was confirmed by the large number of black-clad men who chased them later.

Zhou Cen, Ming Ying, and Ling Ji fought at the front, while he and Yi Yang followed the clues. Through their investigation, they had indeed found some clues.

"Recently, many demons have disappeared across various regions, their whereabouts unknown." Some were registered with the Special Management Bureau, while others were wild demons without registration. "Two days ago, we received a case of a demon disappearance. The missing one was a raccoon who had just transformed."

Yucheng, as one of the most prosperous cities in the country, had frequent cases of disappearances, whether humans or demons. Moreover, demons were naturally wild and hard to tame, often roaming around or hiding somewhere to cultivate for years without emerging.

So, previously, he wouldn't have taken it too seriously.

But this investigation made him pay more attention to the missing demons. After a thorough investigation, he found that the raccoon's last known location was at Mo Baobao's residence.

As a policeman, Zhao Jiong's instincts told him this was no coincidence.

So he followed this lead and discovered that Mo Baobao indeed knew the raccoon.

Half a month ago, the raccoon had disappeared. His family initially thought he had gone out to play or hunt in the mountains, not taking it seriously until they realized something was wrong and reported it two days ago.

Mo Baobao was killed shortly after the raccoon's disappearance, and there was a slow-acting poison in her body. Zhao Jiong believed there was some connection between the two.

So he filed a request to transfer the case to the Special Management Bureau.

"President Yu, I'm now taking over this case, so Captain Wu and his team won't be coming. I'll have a word with Lu Shu later." After explaining to Ling Ji, Zhao Jiong and his team took the elevator to the 18th floor. "Please stop at the 11th floor, I just have a few questions for them."

"Them?" Ying Ning, after getting Yu Zhiyan's permission, pressed the button for the 11th floor and turned to Zhao Jiong with a frown, "Aren't you here for Lu Shu?"

"I need to ask Hu Li a few more questions." Zhao Jiong responded politely.

The elevator stopped on the 11th floor. The metallic gray doors opened slowly. Ying Ning glanced at Zhao Jiong and was the first to step out.

Zhao Jiong stepped aside, gesturing for Ling Ji to proceed.

Ling Ji sniffed and exited the elevator.

Yu Zhiyan, lost in thought, followed Ling Ji out.

"President Ying, what brings you here?" Hu Li, who came out to get water, straightened up slightly when she saw Ying Ning coming out of the elevator.

"Ling Ji!" The next moment, a familiar figure caught her eye. Hu Li immediately stood straight and walked forward with her cup, "Do you need something from me?"

Ying Ning suddenly felt a headache seeing Hu Li's respectful and upright demeanor.

This person always found excuses to avoid etiquette training, sitting improperly, standing improperly. If it weren't for her good looks, Ying Ning wouldn't have signed her.

"I need to ask you something." Zhao Jiong said as he maintained his usual composure, "Is there an empty room?"

Hu Li glanced at Yu Zhiyan, who nodded slightly. Only then did Hu Li lead them to an empty room. "By the way, please call Lu Shu." Zhao Jiong asked with a smile when they entered the room.

Ying Ning stopped, looking straight at him. The quiet air seemed to spark. Finally, Yu Zhiyan intervened, "Ning, go call Lu Shu."

At the president's words, Ying Ning retracted her gaze and turned toward a singing room at the end of the corridor.

"Ling Ji, come upstairs later. I'll make you a special snack." Seeing Zhao Jiong block the door with a seemingly casual but full "No Entry" vibe, Yu Zhiyan understood his intention.

In fact, she didn't particularly care about listening in. If the other party didn't want her to, she wouldn't.

Ying Ning wanted to go in, concerned about Lu Shu, worried he might be tricked into saying something that could be used against him.

But Yu Zhiyan felt that with Ling Ji there, it wasn't them who should be worried, but the other party.

"Officer Zhao, what do you need from me?"

"Tell me again in detail about the night you met Mo Baobao." Zhao Jiong didn't beat around the bush. "What did you talk about, what did you do, did you notice anything unusual about her? Don't leave out anything you find strange."

Hu Li, surprised that it was still about Mo Baobao, straightened up upon seeing the seriousness of Zhao Jiong's face and began to recall the events of that night.

"That night, I came down from the dance floor, found a quiet corner, and ordered a cocktail. Before I had a few sips, Mo Baobao showed up."

The colorful lights rendered the bar ambiguous. In the dimness, there was a hint of dark fragrance, and the air was filled with intoxicating alcohol.

Mo Baobao stood before her in the flickering lights.

"Oh, I wondered who it was, turns out to be the famous Hu Li."

Hu Li took a sip of her drink, half-closed her eyes, and ignored her.

Mo Baobao, feeling slighted, was infuriated. "What are you so smug about? You may be on top now, but soon I'll replace you. Then, I'll be the adored goddess, and you'll be the rat in the gutter, stepped on by everyone!"

"Oh, maybe not even a rat." Mo Baobao's voice was sharp and full of undisguised malice.

Hu Li lifted her eyelids and replied slowly, "Who are you?"

Mo Baobao: "..."

Suddenly, she felt like punching a pillow.

"Who let the mad dog loose? Don't know if it had its rabies shot."

"You!" Mo Baobao's face turned red and green. She pointed at Hu Li's nose and cursed, "Do you think you're so great? You're just a woman who's been with countless men. How dare you insult me!"

"You'll never find true love! No one will ever love you sincerely!"

---