It was already dark when Lin Fan got home. She cooked instant noodles and started doing her homework, working until 2 AM. Qin Feng still hadn’t returned. With such a big case, if he couldn’t find the culprit, he might be dismissed.
Lin Fan worried for her Uncle Qin, wishing she could transform into Conan and catch the murderer immediately, giving them a good beating. How annoying to trouble her dear Qin.
She was awakened by the sound of the door opening. She opened her eyes groggily and saw Qin Feng walk into the bedroom as the door opened. He was undressing and said to Lin Fan, “Get up.”
Lin Fan grabbed her phone and saw that there were still five minutes left before the alarm went off, so she quickly got up and dressed. Qin Feng took off his clothes and changed into a casual sweater, then started changing his pants.
Last night, Lin Fan had stayed in the master bedroom thinking he would come back. She turned her face away, embarrassed, “You’re so inconsiderate—”
“What?” Qin Feng didn’t hear her clearly, fastened his belt, and said, “Hurry up, there’s still time for breakfast.”
Lin Fan dashed back to her room to change clothes. Qin Feng glanced at her and smiled. He took out a coat, put it on, and quickly washed up. By the time he came out, Lin Fan was already dressed. She wore a pink coat with black shoes, looking very nice in pink. Qin Feng walked over, lifted her chin, and kissed her, “Let’s go.”
Lin Fan held his rough hand, “You didn’t sleep all night?”
“I slept for a few hours.” Qin Feng grabbed the car keys and headed out, “I have to go back to the office soon.”
It was still dark outside. On Monday mornings, Lin Fan had study sessions. They had breakfast at a street stall, and Qin Feng took her to school. Lin Fan yawned and suddenly remembered an unfinished assignment, taking it out to quickly finish.
Seeing her so diligent, Qin Feng asked, “How are your grades?”
“Do you want to see my report card?” Lin Fan smiled, showing her cute teeth. Qin Feng smiled too, “Don’t you need a parent’s signature for your report card?”
“You’re busy, so I always get Auntie to sign it.”
“How is it?”
“No problem getting into Jiangcheng Police University.”
“So confident?”
Lin Fan might be shy in other areas, but her grades were her strength, “Top three in my grade.”
“Are you sure you want to go to Police University?”
“Yes.”
“We already have one police officer in the family. Think it over.”
Lin Fan looked at Qin Feng, “Being protected by you is nice, but I want to stand beside you as equals.” She paused and said, “It may sound childish, but I really want to fight for justice.”
Qin Feng wanted to say something but swallowed his words when he saw Lin Fan’s face. It was just starting to get light when they arrived at the school. Qin Feng put a scarf on Lin Fan and touched her face. “I understand. Go on.”
Lin Fan got out of the car with her bag and remembered something, turning back, “I went to the hospital again yesterday afternoon and saw Mr. Chen.”
Qin Feng’s eyes narrowed, “Mr. Chen?”
“He came out of the inpatient department. I wanted to greet him, but he disappeared when I got downstairs,” Lin Fan said. “You said he saved my life. We should visit him sometime.”
Qin Feng seemed lost in thought, not hearing her. Lin Fan called out to him, “Did you hear me?”
“Alright, we’ll visit him when we have time.” Qin Feng got out of the car, opened the trunk, and took out a bag. “Here are some clothes and snacks. Take them with you. Call me if you need anything or have any problems at school. If your clothes get dirty, just leave them. I’ll wash them when you come home.”
Qin Feng walked Lin Fan to the school gate. Parents weren’t allowed inside. He reminded her, “Remember to eat on time.”
Lin Fan carried a big bag, looking clumsy because of her height. Qin Feng, feeling sorry for her, asked, “Can you manage? If not, I can take it back and bring it to you in batches.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Lin Fan waved her hand, “I can manage. Drive carefully.”
Qin Feng smoked a cigarette at the gate. Lin Fan had already disappeared. He sighed, put out the cigarette, and got in his car.
Why was Mr. Chen at the hospital? What was he doing? Ouyang Yu had disappeared without a trace, and his company was in chaos. His parents couldn’t find him either. Qin Feng wondered if Ouyang Yu had died in the fourth dimension. If Ouyang Yu wasn’t the killer, then who was?
Mr. Chen also knew some metaphysical skills.
Qin Feng’s phone rang. He answered, and the director scolded him, ending with, “Come back for a meeting immediately.”
Five consecutive murders had never happened in Jiangcheng. They didn’t even have a suspect, just running around like headless chickens. The higher-ups were also affected. If they couldn’t solve the case, no one would be spared.
The five victims were laid out in front of them, bloodied cases with no leads. They investigated everyone around Wang Ronghua, ruling out all suspects. The last number called from her phone was from a registered ID. They could only trace it back to the original store where it was activated six months ago. The surveillance footage was long gone, and the sales clerk had changed, not remembering who had registered the number.
Checking the hospital’s surveillance, Mr. Chen had indeed visited the inpatient department the day before the incident. What was he doing there? Qin Feng checked the inpatient list and questioned the nurses, quickly finding out that Mr. Chen had an old friend with cancer on the sixth floor of Building 3. Qin Feng found time to visit Mr. Chen’s friend.
It was a private ward in a remote location. Qin Feng never suspected Mr. Chen, who had saved Lin Fan’s life, so he had no reason to doubt him.
Qin Feng knocked on the door, and a caregiver answered, “Who are you?”
“A friend of Mr. Chen’s. I’d like to visit the lady.”
The caregiver looked Qin Feng up and down. He was dressed in casual clothes, not looking like a bad person, and let him in. “Please come in.”
Qin Feng entered, smelling a strong medicinal odor. An old lady lay in bed with an IV drip. She looked very thin, at least eighty years old.
She was very old, with gray hair and skin and bones.
Qin Feng observed her as she suddenly opened her eyes and looked at him. “Who are you?”
“I’m a friend of Mr. Chen. I heard you were in the hospital and came to visit.” Qin Feng placed the fruit he brought down.
“A friend of Mr. Chen’s?” The old lady was puzzled, “A friend of Xiang Hua? He never mentioned you.”
She spoke slowly but clearly, not muddled.
“I came without informing him. How have you been recently?” Qin Feng explained.
The medicinal smell in the room was strong, masking any other scents. Qin Feng observed the room; it was tidy, and the old lady’s clothes were neat.
“I’m fine, thank you.”
As they talked, the door opened. Qin Feng turned to see Mr. Chen enter with a bag. He looked at Qin Feng, “Mr. Qin?”
How did he know Qin Feng? Qin Feng stood up, “Mr. Chen.”
Mr. Chen frowned, rarely showing emotion, but now he looked very displeased. “What do you need?”
“I was here for a case and heard your friend was in the hospital, so I came to visit. I haven’t thanked you for saving Lin Fan.”
“No need.” Mr. Chen walked to the bed, put down the bag, and gently touched the old lady’s face. His voice softened, “Any vomiting today?”
The old lady looked at him with tender eyes, “I’ve told you many times, you don’t need to visit every day.”
The scene was quite odd. Mr. Chen appeared to be around forty, maybe younger. This old lady was eighty-nine, according to the bedside chart. Her tender look was more suitable for a lover, quite inappropriate.
Mr. Chen’s grandmother or mother? The last time Lin Fan was in danger at the hospital entrance, Mr. Chen had intervened. Was he also visiting this lady then? Otherwise, how could there be so many coincidences?
Mr. Chen kissed her hand and gently placed it back under the blanket.
Qin Feng found it even more strange; this wasn’t how one would typically interact with a parent or grandparent.
Mr. Chen opened the box, which likely contained porridge. He started feeding the old lady and turned to Qin Feng, “Could you wait outside?”
“I won’t disturb you then.”
Qin Feng walked out and paced back and forth in the seventh-floor inpatient department twice before Mr. Chen came out. He headed toward the elevator, saying, “Let’s go downstairs.”
Qin Feng followed him down. Outside, the weather wasn’t good; dark clouds loomed. Mr. Chen walked ahead in silence before speaking, “Anything else you need?”
“There’s been another heart-extraction case. What do you think?”
“The murderer is quite vicious and sinister.”
Qin Feng: “It’s already the fifth case. How many more people will he kill?”
“The underworld formation beneath your wife’s old house needed seven corpses. This serial killing might be related. You should investigate in that direction.”
Qin Feng frowned, “So, there will be more victims?”
“It’s just a guess.”
Qin Feng had a bold suspicion, “Do you know the cause of death for those seven corpses?”
“When I went there, I saw those ghosts—eight in total, including Lin Fan’s father.”
“Why was Lin Fan’s father trapped there? He died in Jiangcheng.”
“But he was cursed by the underworld formation. Now that the house is burned down, the curse should be broken. Perhaps someone wants to create a second underworld formation, but I don’t know the purpose yet.”
“Do you know about Lin Fan’s past life? Is Ouyang Yu still alive?”
“I can see part of your wife’s past life. As for Mr. Ouyang, I can’t see him now. In his past life, he was deeply obsessed with your wife, and his soul has lingered till now. As for you and your wife, you’re destined to be entangled over lifetimes.”
“What’s the purpose of the underworld formation?”
“How has Lin Fan lived so peacefully until now?” Mr. Chen stopped and turned back, “That’s the effect of the formation. It harms one’s karma but allows people with special constitutions to survive.”
“Another way to extend life?”
“You could say that.”
Mr. Chen continued walking forward. Qin Feng followed him. After about five minutes, Qin Feng spoke, “Are there other such experts in Jiangcheng besides Ouyang?”
“I don’t know.”
In psychological battles, Qin Feng was no match for Mr. Chen, who could see through people’s minds.
“May I ask, the lady in the ward is your—?”
“My lover.” Mr. Chen’s gaze was calm as he walked forward with his cane. “Any other questions?”