Ghost Detective Records

Chapter 7

"Not yet, but I'm on my way now!" Cao Ying answered readily.

"Miss, please don't cause me any more trouble, okay?" I groaned. What sins did I commit in my past life?

"Sure." Cao Ying answered more decisively this time, which made me feel a sense of dread, like a small prey being watched by a hunter.

"Unless you agree to help me investigate." The girl immediately set her conditions; it seemed I'd been tricked again.

"Don't worry, I will investigate Lao Cao's death thoroughly," I replied.

“Not just this, there’s more,” Cao Ying’s voice suddenly lowered, “there are also my biological parents.”

Looking at Cao Ying, I felt that she had suddenly become very vulnerable. She was no longer the proud and cold girl she had been just moments before. Instead, she seemed like a lost and helpless girl, a delicate little princess who made me want to protect her.

“I just got back from the United States today. I’m studying criminal psychology at Columbia University.” Cao Ying paused and continued, “He keeps mentioning you on the phone, saying you’re practically his apprentice.”

"Really?" I replied softly; "Old Cao has never mentioned you."

“I can guess. I haven’t spoken a single word to him since I went to the United States.” Cao Ying’s words surprised me a bit. How did they manage to talk on the phone?

“I never answer his calls; he always leaves messages on the answering machine.” She immediately answered my question: “I’ll tell you the details tonight; I won’t disturb you at work now.”

"Where can I find you?" I asked.

"Garden Hotel, Room 702, around 8 PM!" Cao Ying pushed open the door and walked out. "See you there."

"See you there." I touched my eyelids, which had suddenly started twitching again, and an ominous premonition rose once more. I just hoped that this time, no one would get hurt.

Volume 1, Chapter 15: Real or Fake?

Volume 1, Chapter 15: Real or Fake?

I glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already 6 o'clock. I took off my gloves and prepared to leave work. After all, working overtime for too long doesn't do any good, and I also wanted to go home for dinner. If I was lucky, I might run into my older sister. It had been so long since I'd seen her. I wondered where she'd gone off to this time!

"Lin Xiao?" Fang Lei's familiar voice came from outside the door. Was he back? I felt a surge of joy, but then I stopped at the door. I didn't know how to face her. Colleague, friend, or... lover?

However, there wasn't much time to think about it. The door had already opened, and Fang Lei was standing in the doorway. She had the same beautiful face, but she looked a little haggard, and there was a faint tenderness in her eyes. I wondered if the object of her tenderness could be me.

I still remember the passion in the car that night. I don't know if it was a hallucination or if my brain had gone haywire, or if I mistook her for Yin Xue. All I know is that after she asked me to tell her about my past with Yin Xue, I don't know where I got the courage to hug her. All the desire came quickly and intensely. I think I must have been as wild as a wild beast at that moment, and our heroine didn't resist at all, letting me do whatever I wanted. If it weren't for Chen Kai's phone call, I probably could have stripped even more clothes off this beautiful Emei heroine.

"What are you thinking about?" Fang Lei gave me a push, went into the room, and closed the door behind her.

"No, I wasn't thinking about anything!" I swallowed hard. Of course, I wouldn't tell her that I was actually thinking about her seductive demeanor that night after my impulsive act: the flush on her face, her alluring eyes, her half-exposed breasts. No man could resist such allure. Her panting after the long kiss made me understand why women always say men are animals who think with their lower bodies.

"I haven't been here these past few days because I had to attend a magic gathering." Fang Lei kept her head down and didn't look at me.

"Huh?" I didn't expect that such a thing still exists in the 20th century.

“This kind of gathering happens every three years, and the winner receives a very valuable prize. The prize is usually provided by the Magic Association, and this year’s prize is…” Fang Lei looked up at me and said, word by word, “The Seven Star Heavenly Dragon Pendant.”

"Huh?" I was stunned. Could it be that there is more than one Seven Star Heavenly Dragon Pendant in this world?

“I know you’re confused, and so am I.” Fang Lei brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, clearly puzzled as well.

"I know, that piece is fake," I exclaimed in sudden realization.

“Impossible.” Fang Lei replied seriously, “Prizes awarded by the Spell Association cannot be fake. Each prize is authenticated by the elders, so it is absolutely impossible for them to be counterfeit.”

"You never know!" I muttered to myself. These days, there's nothing fake that isn't there. Even beautiful women can be fake. It's not surprising that a small jade pendant could be fake too!

"If it's not fake, it's impossible. I'm starting to doubt if yours is even real!" Fang Lei rolled her eyes at me and said irritably.

"Whether it's real or fake doesn't matter to me." I shrugged. As long as it was given by Yin Xue, that's fine.

Fang Lei looked at me for a long time before saying, "Someone will come to see you tomorrow. He obtained the Seven Star Heavenly Dragon Pendant. I hope you won't be too surprised when you see him!"

I looked at Fang Lei, who was smiling radiantly, her pink face seemingly glowing. She was a beautiful woman, though I had known that for a long time.

"Who is so powerful that they could defeat our heroine Fang?" I teased.

"You'll see when you get here." Fang Lei smiled at me and walked out of the room.

※※※

It was already 7:45 PM when I stood in the lobby of the Garden Hotel, a four-star hotel. Its magnificent decorations gave me the feeling of a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden.

"Excuse me, sir, do you need any help?" a waiter asked me as he approached.

"Oh, I'm here to find someone."

"Would you please go to the front desk to confirm?"

"Oh, okay." I followed the waiter to the front desk, and after confirming that I did have an appointment, I headed towards the elevator.

I walked into the elevator alone. The interior was decorated with glass walls, so it felt like several versions of myself were in the same space at the same time.

The elevator doors slowly closed, but my eyes suddenly twitched again. An ominous feeling washed over me, accompanied by a strange nausea and dizziness. I immediately grabbed the left side of the elevator, fighting off the urge to vomit. Glancing inadvertently at the glass wall, I saw my reflection: deathly pale, lips bloodless, eyes sunken, small red spots gradually appearing on my dry, wrinkled skin, and a thick, reddish-yellow liquid oozing from my orifices. A familiar stench of decay assaulted my nostrils, and the source of this smell was myself. Overwhelmed by fear, I stepped back and turned. On the other glass wall, I saw my own corpse grinning at me, a grotesque smile spreading across its face. Many white, translucent worms—maggots—writhed slowly on my tongue, insects I often found on rotting corpses. Suddenly, I felt the elevator begin to descend, faster and faster, as if plummeting from a great height. The rapid descent created a sense of gravity, and I felt the image in front of me blur. It was as if it was no longer myself, but rather Yin Xue and Lao Cao's faces overlapping each other. My stomach churned violently, and the intense urge to vomit made me feel extremely uncomfortable, but I had no strength at all. It felt as if the strength to even open my mouth had been drained from my body.

Many past events were rewound like a movie. I seemed to see myself when I first entered the police station, and the tears of everyone when I graduated from university. Then came scenes from university that I remembered and those that I didn't, and then the college entrance examination... If people recall the past before they die, then this must be it!

Every important moment in my life was relived. I returned to the night Yin Xue killed someone, and all the memories of that moment were so clear. I could still clearly see everything in Yin Xue's room, her legs floating in the air. But why couldn't I see her face? It was as if a thick fog was covering her face, while the surrounding scenery became clearer and clearer, but Yin Xue's face remained indistinct.

Suddenly, a sharp pain spread from my chest. The heat emanating from the jade pendant was enough to burn my skin, and I could even smell the pungent, burnt odor of charred skin.

Perhaps the intense pain stimulated my optic nerve, for I noticed the mist on Yin Xue's face was rapidly dissipating. Then, I saw a face that chilled me to the bone—not the face of Yin Xue I remembered, but the face of my sister, Lin Yao. This was what I saw before losing consciousness.

Volume One: The Three Ghosts of the City, Chapter Sixteen: The Victims of the Heart Lake Murder Case

Volume One: The Three Ghosts of the City, Chapter Sixteen: The Victims of the Heart Lake Murder Case

My whole body was burning with pain. I slowly opened my eyes, feeling as if my body had just been taken apart and put back together.

"Are you alright?" A pleasant female voice came from behind me. I looked up and saw Cao Ying.

"How did I get here?" I struggled to sit up and found myself lying on a large bed, probably in a hotel room.

"The waiter found you unconscious in the elevator. I happened to be passing by, so I carried you back to my room first." Cao Ying handed me a glass of water. "Have some, you don't look well."

It's normal to look pale. After all, who could remain normal after seeing their own corpse? I sighed. Could it be that I've been having mental problems lately? How could I suddenly have such hallucinations? Especially that last scene, it still gives me chills.

"Are you alright? Should we go to the hospital to get checked out?" Cao Ying asked kindly, noticing my hand still trembling as I held the cup.

"No, no need." I gave a wry smile. Going to the hospital would definitely not help. Should I tell the doctor what happened in the elevator? I'd probably end up being sent to the psychiatric ward.

Cao Ying didn't insist. She silently pulled up a chair and sat down on the edge of the bed, staring intently at me.

"Miss, haven't you ever seen a handsome man before?" I felt uneasy under her gaze, so I had no choice but to tease her a little.

"Your eyes hold a lot of things," Cao Ying said calmly, her tone revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"I know you studied criminal psychology, but please don't use your methods for dealing with criminals on me, okay? Do I look like a criminal?" I finished the water in my glass in one gulp, and the cold water temporarily relieved the burning pain in my body.

“The less a person seems like a criminal, the more likely they are to commit horrific crimes. I think you should be well aware of that!” Cao Ying took a thick stack of papers out of the drawer and threw them at me. “This is some information I’ve collected about the Xinhu murder case.”

I opened the bag and saw a large title written in red pen on a piece of paper: List of the Dead of Xinhu Lake.

The first victim: a woman.

Identity: Unknown.

Cause of death: unknown.

Time of death: unknown.

The second victim: Yu Zhongguo.

Gender: Male.

Identity: Member of the Second Red Guard Team at the time.

Cause of death: drowning.

Date of death: September 1967.

The third victim: Mao Aijun.

Gender: Male.

Identity: Member of the cultural troupe.

Cause of death: drowning.

Date of death: March 1968.

The fourth victim: Gu Zhaodi.

Gender: Female.

Identity: Member of the cultural troupe, girlfriend of Mao Aijun, the third victim.

Cause of death: hanged (on a tree by the Heart Lake).

Date of death: May 1969.

The fifth victim: Wu Dayong.

Gender: Male.

Identity: Ordinary farmer.

Cause of death: drowning (two words were written in blood on the ground on the shore: "There is a ghost.").

Date of death: March 1972.

The sixth victim: Cheng Ming.

Gender: Male.

Identity: Ordinary farmer (neighbor of the fifth victim, Wu Dayong)

Cause of death: drowning.

Date of death: April 1983.

The seventh victim: Zhou Zhifeng.

Gender: Male.

Identity: Forensic doctor at the Municipal Public Security Bureau, apprentice of Liu Fugen.

Cause of death: drowning.