The task force was shrouded in smoke. This was already the third murder case related to ether. Qin Feng leaned back in his chair, cigarette dangling from his lips, as he looked through the photos in his hand.

"On March 12th, a male corpse was found at the Changning Road garbage station. Residual ether was found in the victim's mouth and nose."

"On October 6th, a male child's body was discovered at the East Station, with residual ether found in the mouth and nose. The oral skin was damaged."

"On April 4th, a female corpse was found at the West Liuh River. According to the autopsy, the time of death was the night of April 3rd. The victim was suffocated with ether covering her mouth and nose, and thrown into the water to drown. The perpetrator wore gloves and had anti-investigation capabilities. The key point is ether, which is a controlled substance with limited access. How's the investigation into its source going?"

"The scope is too wide. We've been investigating since the second case occurred, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Besides, making ether isn't difficult," Xiao Wang said. "There are tutorials for everything online now, and the modus operandi of the March 12th case was heavily imitated. We can't rule out this possibility."

"Sulfuric acid isn't something you can easily buy on the street either. We need to follow this line of inquiry."

"Then we can apply for the cases to be combined for investigation."

Yesterday at noon, sanitation workers found a down jacket floating on the surface of the West Liuh River. When they pulled it up, they were scared out of their wits to find a body.

The deceased, Wang Mei, was fifty-seven years old. On the night of April 3rd, after having dinner at her daughter's house, she returned to her own home around nine o'clock and was killed while passing by the West Liuhu.

"Tomorrow morning, Xiao Wang and Xu Wen will investigate the source of ether. Let's adjourn and go off duty." Qin Feng walked out of the task force office, and Liu Juan said, "That girl is in your office, I have to go. Working overtime every day, I'll die of overwork sooner or later."

Qin Feng held a folder. "Okay, you go ahead."

"Don't overwork yourself too. Take care of your health."

Qin Feng entered the office, and Lin Fan was dozing off in his chair, nodding off slowly.

Qin Feng poured two glasses of water and brought them over, pulling out a chair with a squeak.

Lin Fan immediately opened his eyes when he saw the person opposite him and quickly sat up straight.

"Do you know why I called you over?"

"Because my aunt was killed on April 3rd."

Qin Feng set down the cups. "Where were you on the night of April 3rd?"

"I was at home, I just saw her soul. She was at my place crying all night. This morning, I saw the news, and I guessed it was her."

"Did you kill her?"

Lin Fan shook her head. "I went home and slept that day, where would I get the energy?"

"She insulted you and even hit you. From the video, it seems she was being unreasonable. Aren't you angry at her?"

"Plenty of people have insulted me and bullied me. Can I hate them all?" Lin Fan smiled and shook her head. "I didn't kill anyone, and I wouldn't. It really wasn't me."

Qin Feng lowered his gaze. "Many people bully you?"

Lin Fan didn't know why she was isolated. She hadn't done anything wrong, but she had been treated like a monster since she was little. The most severe incident was when she was in the first year of junior high, and her books were thrown into the cesspool. She fought back, and her grandmother had to take her home from town.

The long mountain road, only herself and her grandmother, she said that using violence to combat violence would make her become the person she hated the most.

Her grandmother lost a lot of money, so she could go back to school again.

People encounter a lot of injustice, there isn't that much fairness, and she can't change others.

"If you still can't find the killer, will she have to stay with me forever?"

Qin Feng glanced at her, "Were there any suspicious people on the car that night besides you?"

"I don't know, I didn't pay attention."

"Where do you live?"

Lin Fan stated her home address, and Qin Feng wrote down the address and phone number.

"That night she had a conflict with you, so you're a reasonable suspect."

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"I know."

Qin Feng handed her the transcript, "Sign it."

Lin Fan glanced at his handwriting, which was very beautiful and powerful, and signed her name below.

"Can I go now?"

"There's one more thing." Qin Feng took out a piece of evidence bag from the drawer and handed it to Lin Fan, "The black powder is too heavily carbonized to identify specifically, but it matches someone's recognition. It's a kind of exorcism symbol, as you said, written in human blood."

"Human blood?"

"The last time you saw this kind of symbol was where? When?"

"In my hometown, but the grandmother who knew how to draw symbols has passed away. My grandmother said those were all superstitions, and I didn't pay attention."

After a moment of thought, Qin Feng put the things back and stood up, "Let's go, I'll take you back."

Saving taxi fare, Lin Fan thought to herself, smiling, "Thank you."

Lin Fan waited at the door for five minutes, and the jeep drove up. Lin Fan went around to the passenger seat.

"Where do you live?"

"Zhongming Road."

He was wearing a black jacket, unbuttoned, with a light gray sweater inside, his whole demeanor cold and hard.

Lin Fan withdrew her gaze.

"What are you relying on for your livelihood now?" Qin Feng suddenly spoke, his voice deep.

"I sold a piece of jade before, saving some money to spend until I finish high school."

"What about university tuition?"

"Applying for a loan."

She was only eighteen and had become a complete orphan.

An hour later, the car arrived at Zhongming Road. The car couldn't enter the community, so he stopped and examined the buildings in the neighborhood. "How did you find this place?"

"The rent is cheap."

"Two years ago, there was a fire in this neighborhood. After that, people gradually moved out or passed away. Six months ago, the neighborhood was designated for demolition. The developer brought people over, and two went crazy in one day, and one died. It's a well-known haunted building nearby." Qin Feng glanced meaningfully at Lin Fan. "You're good at finding places."

Lin Fan's raised foot fell back down, sending shivers down her spine. "No way?"

"You've never been to Jiangcheng before? Never been here before?"

"No."

Qin Feng got back into the car. "Let's go."

Lin Fan didn't have the means to commit murder, and her home was too far from Xiliu River. Moreover, she didn't have a motive for murder.

Entering the corridor, Lin Fan collided with a woman with a pale face, nearly suffocating. "What are you doing?"

"Who is that person? So scary."

Lin Fan turned around. "You mean Qin Feng? He's a police officer."

"He has a strong aura." She shivered, her face full of fear.

Lin Fan: "..."

Who has a stronger aura than you?

Lin Fan went upstairs, moving quickly. "What did you go for?"

"The police said I killed you and asked me to make a statement."

"It's not you."

Lin Fan suddenly came to her senses as she reached the fifth floor, quickly turning around. "Who is the killer?"

She was also startled. "I don't know, but it's not you."

Lin Fan stared at her for a few seconds, then took out her keys, opened the door, and collapsed on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

"How come you don't pay attention to anything? Look at your clothes and backpack scattered all over. Are you still holding a grudge against me? Hey, are you listening?" Lin Fan drooped her eyes. "You quickly figure out who killed you. I won't have peace if the killer isn't found." Qin Feng said this house was haunted. What exactly was Ouyang Yu?

The next morning, Lin Fan rushed out the door as usual and bumped into Xu Zhou, who flashed an electronic watch. "Get in, we're almost late."

Lin Fan didn't have time to hesitate, so she got into the car and rushed to school, barely making it to the assembly on time.

Lin Fan was extremely tired, barely able to keep her eyes open as she ran, luckily, the class was over soon.

She was so tired from thinking too much last night that she was in a daze all morning, doing the test mechanically, and going to the cafeteria for lunch after school.

The food tasted bland, and when she got up, she bumped into someone, spilling a bowl of soup on them. Lin Fan quickly apologized, "I'm sorry."

A sharp female voice echoed through the entire cafeteria, leaving Lin Fan stunned. "What's wrong with you?" The male student rushed over like a gust of wind, pushing Lin Fan away and causing her to fall onto a table, barely holding onto her chair.

"What's wrong with you?" The boy hugged the crying girl and scolded Lin Fan, "Are you blind?"

"I'm sorry--"

"Don't give me excuses. If anything happens to her, you'll be in trouble."

With that, he walked away with the crying girl. Lin Fan was completely dumbfounded, accidentally hitting the leftover rice with her elbow, making a mess. She carried her tray back to the collection area, seeming to hear whispers behind her.

"That hillbilly is finished."

Lin Fan turned around to see her tablemate.

Her knees and elbows stung painfully. She washed the stains off her sleeves under the faucet, couldn't find any paper, and walked back to the classroom with wet clothes.

She could have fought back, but what would fighting back change?

Perhaps her academic career was ruined, and Lin Fan just wanted to quietly get through these few months.

As footsteps approached, Lin Fan looked up, and a pack of tissues was handed to her. "Thank you."

"Don't mind them, let's go back to the classroom." Under the sunlight, his gaze softened, carrying warmth.

Lin Fan's eyes suddenly welled up. "Okay."

Xu Zhou seemed like he wanted to pat Lin Fan's shoulder, but his hand didn't move, dropping to his side and rubbing against his pants. "The college entrance examination is a watershed. It will filter out those people. And your life is a new beginning."

Lin Fan nodded.

Someone looked over from afar, and Xu Zhou's voice was soft. "I'll go first."

The girl who was splashed with soup by Lin Fan was in the same class as her, and the boy was from the adjacent class. They were a couple.

The girl didn't come to class in the afternoon, and Lin Fan looked at the empty seat, feeling uneasy.

The next morning, the teacher called her to the office and scrutinized Lin Fan for a while. "Did you have a conflict with Dong Mai yesterday?"

"No conflict, I accidentally bumped into her. Is she okay?"

"She got burned and is in the hospital. Her mother just left."

Lin Fan was surprised. "Is it serious?"

"Her mother is asking for compensation for medical expenses and mental damages."

Lin Fan pinched her palm. "How much?"

"Here's the bill."

Lin Fan glanced at it roughly. It was about fifteen hundred yuan.

The money wasn't a lot, but it was beyond what she could afford.

"I don't have that much money right now." Lin Fan squeezed her fingers and looked at the homeroom teacher. "Can you negotiate with the other party's parents? I'll compensate, but can it wait for a while? I only have a few hundred yuan for living expenses right now."

"What about your mother?"

Lin Fan felt embarrassed. "She's also deceased."

"Anyone else in your family?"

"...No one."

The teacher was also in a dilemma. Dong Mai's parents were not easy to deal with, and Lin Fan was in a tough situation.

"You can't come up with over a thousand?"

Lin Fan felt despair, realizing she really didn't have any money.

After a long silence, the teacher said, "You can go back now."