Three Ghosts of the City

Chapter 7

Like his prey.

"Xiao Zhou, have you investigated the entire scene?" I asked Xiao Zhou, trying to hide the myriad thoughts swirling in my mind.

"We've checked everything. It looks like a home invasion robbery followed by murder to cover it up," Xiao Zhou replied.

"Really?" I frowned and looked into the room. It was a complete mess, with everything ransacked. My heart suddenly skipped a beat. Where was the autopsy report left by Master Cao? Could it have been stolen by the bandits? Thinking of this, I ignored Chen Kai beside me and hurried into the room.

At first glance, there was no report at all. I looked at Xiao Zhou and said, "Check it carefully again. Maybe something has been missed!" Xiao Zhou nodded and started calling his colleagues to check again.

"Do you think there's anything else we might have missed?" Chen Kai asked me.

"You're quite the old fox," I said, forcing myself to remain calm. "It's always good to examine things carefully. In court, even the smallest piece of evidence can be used to bring down a murderer."

"Really? If the murderer is also a professional, then it's hard to say!" Chen Kai stared into my eyes, clearly highly suspicious of me. But why? Was it just because I arrived a little early? I glanced at Chen Kai somewhat defiantly. "That's not necessarily true. A murderer is always a murderer; they can't escape legal punishment just because they have some professional knowledge!"

"Haha, good, well said!" Chen Kai laughed and patted my shoulder. "It's good to hear you say that."

I smiled and didn't say anything more, but my gaze suddenly fell on the black notebook in Chen Kai's hand. It was Lao Cao's work notebook, something I saw on Lao Cao's desk almost every day. Chen Kai probably noticed my gaze and generously opened the notebook for me, saying, "Lao Cao has a date with you tonight, right?"

I didn't know whether it would be more advantageous to tell the truth or lie, but in the end I decided to tell the truth. After all, I didn't kill the person, and I had nothing to hide. "Yes, Lao Cao asked me to meet him at his house at eleven o'clock."

"Oh, you're asking me out so late?"

"He probably wants to talk to me about some recent work issues!" I replied casually. Of course, I couldn't tell him the content of the conversation; I just wanted to brush it off.

"Really? Then it must be very important work!" Chen Kai opened his notebook, and on that page, my name was written in ballpoint pen, with a red line drawn under it.

"Old Cao has always had the habit of keeping a work diary." I glanced at the notebook and then looked away. I thought, Old Cao must have had a fierce internal struggle before deciding to give me the autopsy report!

"You, as a half-disciple, seem to know your master quite well!" Chen Kai said to me, closing his notebook.

I smiled and nodded, saying nothing more. I was conflicted. The autopsy report must contain some crucial clue, and I desperately hoped the murderer hadn't taken it. But the thought that if it was still there, it might be taken by the police gave me a headache. Chen Kai, standing beside me, seemed oblivious to the situation, his voice trembling as he spoke. It seemed the case was that the autopsy report had no chance of being found.

"Captain Chen, I'm sorry I'm late." Just as I was figuring out how to get rid of Chen Kai, Fang Lei's voice rang out. "Captain Chen, I'm sorry I'm late."

"Oh, you've come at the right time." Chen Kai waved for Fang Lei to come in.

"It was Old Cao who died! I never expected that!" Fang Lei glanced at me, and I quickly winked at her, signaling her to follow me.

"Fang Lei, come and take a look at the body!" Without waiting for Chen Kai's reaction, I quickly walked out of the room, and Fang Lei followed behind me knowingly. Fortunately, Chen Kai did not follow.

"Could you check if there's a report or something that Lao Cao promised to give me before he died?" I whispered to Fang Lei. Fang Lei nodded and walked with me to the body.

"A swift cut, not something an ordinary thief could pull off," Fang Lei said softly, glancing at the corpse.

"What do you mean?" I suddenly felt my eyelids twitch again. Judging from the current situation, I was hoping that this was just an ordinary case of burglary and murder, but it seems that hope is going to be dashed.

"You sensed it all along, why did you ask me?" Fang Lei stretched her neck like a proud swan, with a strange smile on her face. As for me, the one being mocked, I just wanted to strangle her. I hoped God wouldn't blame me for abusing an animal.

"I'm going in." Fang Lei's face was already serious when she said this. I have to admire how quickly she could change her expression; it was faster than flipping through a book.

I could only stand there blankly beside the corpse, because I knew that as long as I went inside, Chen Kai would definitely follow me. Rather than being watched like this, it was better to stay out of the house.

Then came the very routine procedures: waiting for the vehicle to come and take away the body, giving an oral statement, and so on. After everything was done, I looked at Fang Lei, only to see her gently shake her head at me. It seemed that the autopsy report was destined to be out of my reach.

On the way back to the police station, I sat next to Fang Lei. She was indeed a beautiful woman; even the way she held the steering wheel was stunning. It was just Fang Lei and me in the car, as it was her private vehicle. When she invited me to ride with her earlier, I could clearly feel the envious glances from my colleagues behind us, but only I knew that this beautiful woman was not someone to be trifled with. Therefore...

I was very direct and immediately told her about my date with Lao Cao and the reasons for the date, giving off a feeling of being honest and forgiving.

"It seems you're not the only one who wants that autopsy report." Fang Lei frowned.

"Yeah!" I rubbed my temples, my head spinning. Old Cao's corpse seemed to still be right in front of me. "What's worse, Chen Kai seems to be very suspicious of me now."

"But you really should be grateful for that car accident, otherwise you might have arrived at the scene even before Chen Kai and the others. At that point, you'd probably be in deep trouble no matter what!"

"I guess I can't clear my name in Chen Kai's eyes now!" I slapped the car window in frustration. I've been having the worst luck lately. When bad luck strikes, it's unstoppable!

"Don't worry, no matter what, there needs to be a motive for murder. You didn't have a reason to kill him," Fang Lei comforted me.

"Yes!" I sighed, looking out the window. The moon was long hidden by dark clouds, and there were few cars on the highway under the dim streetlights. It was quiet all around, with only the roar of engines and my own breathing mingling. That long highway seemed like an endless, terrible nightmare that hadn't disappeared for years, taking me back to that night when I was running alone to Yin Xue's house.

On the road, it was the same moonless night, the same dim streetlights, the same silence broken only by the panting of my breath as I ran, the same long road that seemed to have no end. A sharp pain shot through my head, and Lao Cao's face and Yin Xue's face overlapped and appeared before my eyes. Gradually, Lao Cao's face grew increasingly ashen, dark red blood flowing from his bulging eyes, and I could even smell a putrid odor.

The stench of the corpse filled the air. Yin Xue's face gradually blurred; I couldn't even make out her features. The two faces kept overlapping and twisting, and I felt a sharp pain in my head, as if something was about to explode from within. What terrified me even more was that I realized Yin Xue's face was gradually becoming clearer, but it wasn't Yin Xue's appearance anymore; it was the face of that mysterious woman, only no longer...

It wasn't beautiful, but a withered, bluish-gray dead face, and from her yellowish eyes flowed a murky, reddish-yellow liquid of blood mixed with adipocere.

"Lin Xiao, Lin Xiao! What's wrong?" Fang Lei's voice seemed to come from a very distant place. I shook my head vigorously, hoping to shake away the hallucination I had just experienced. Looking up, I saw that the car had already stopped in the zebra crossing area, and Fang Lei was looking at me with a nervous expression.

"No, it's nothing, I'm probably just tired!" I sat up straight, only to find that my whole body ached, as if I had just run several kilometers.

"You looked terrifying just now!" Fang Lei stared at me, and I could see the concern in her eyes. If something really happened to me, it would be worth it to have such a beautiful woman worry about me!

"The jade pendant was glowing just now." Fang Lei's words startled me. I didn't know whether it was Fang Lei's call or the jade pendant that woke me from my hallucination. I touched the jade pendant on my chest, and a warm current flowed into my fingers, just like Yin Xue's embrace.

"Do you love her very much?" Fang Lei suddenly asked.

"Huh?" I clutched the jade pendant tightly, unsure how to answer.

"The person who gave you the jade pendant must have been a girl!"

"How did you know?" I asked Fang Lei stupidly. Fang Lei winked at me mischievously, and I wondered if I was still in the hallucination I had just experienced.

"That's a woman's intuition!"

"Oh, yes!" I nodded, feeling a pang of sadness. If Yin Xue hadn't run into me, would she still be alive and well in this world right now?

"Tell me about her!" Fang Lei shifted her position in her seat, but it seemed she had no intention of continuing to drive for the time being.

"Huh?" My mind was clearly not fully clear yet, so my reaction was a bit slow.

"Just tell me her name, what she looks like, how you two got together, and where she is now, things like that!"

Where is she now? I smiled bitterly. If people are reincarnated, she must have already been reincarnated! I leaned back in my chair and looked at Fang Lei's beautiful face. I suddenly had a strange feeling, as if the person sitting next to me was not Fang Lei, but Yin Xue, looking at me with her gentle eyes as always, forever.

Chapter Fourteen: The Arrival of the Young Girl Cao Ying

I gazed at Old Cao on the autopsy table. Beneath the white sheet lay a naked corpse. Everyone is the same; they come into this world and leave in the same way, taking nothing with them. At most, they need a small urn. Of course, burial is discouraged now; even a coffin can be omitted. An urn is enough. I smiled unconsciously. God must forgive me.

This isn't meant to mock Lao Cao.

"Knock, knock!" A knocking sound rang out. It was unclear who it was, because Li Yang never liked to knock, and Fang Lei had taken the day off.

"Please come in." I responded weakly. These past few days had been incredibly busy. On one hand, I had to deal with Old Cao's body, and on the other hand, I had to be wary of Chen Kai's gaze, who was treating me like a murderer. And what was worse, Fang Lei had started taking leave after that night. I really didn't know if I had acted too impulsively that day. Li Yang had also been given extended leave; losing two allies was truly unpleasant. I opened...

I began to miss Li Yang endlessly; even his lack of knocking before entering the door became a charming and endearing quality.

The girl who entered through the door was short-haired, with honey-colored skin, chic short black hair, and delicate features that made her look like an angel from an oil painting. I couldn't help but whistle inwardly; she really was stunning.

"Hello, my name is Cao Ying." The girl looked directly into my eyes, which gave me a strange sense of unease. I felt as if her gaze was a knife cutting through my clothes and seeing into my heart.

"Cao Ying? Hello, I'm Lin Xiao." I tried to remain calm and introduced myself. Suddenly, an idea struck me—she also had the surname Cao, so it couldn't be...

I couldn't help but glance at Old Cao on the stage, and my eyelids twitched involuntarily again. Trouble was brewing. Sure enough, what the girl said almost made me faint.

"He is my father in name only," Cao Ying said mechanically, as if the person lying on the stage was merely a corpse, not her relative. Her indifferent tone cast doubt on the credibility of her words.

I think my expression must be incredibly awkward right now. I never imagined Old Cao would have a daughter, nor did I expect a young girl to be so calm in the face of her father's corpse. So calm that I even wondered if I was hearing or seeing things. Shouldn't she be weeping uncontrollably, heartbroken? My mind completely went blank; I didn't even know what to say.

What should I say? Please accept my condolences or stop crying (although she didn't cry).

"You're not the murderer," Cao Ying continued, and I was about to bend over again. Was that all she wanted to say?

"Huh?" I reached out and grabbed the dissection table, hoping I wouldn't fall over on the spot.

"Your eyes held only sorrow, not murderous intent." Cao Ying walked past me, gazing at Old Cao's corpse. "And I believe he wouldn't have chosen the wrong person."

I thought I heard a hint of tenderness in her tone, but looking at her cold face, it seems I was just imagining things.

Cao Ying turned away, and I couldn't see her face. I only felt her entire back tense—an animal instinct that manifests when faced with significant change. Suddenly, I felt a profound sadness and anger, permeating the air. Time seemed to slow down, and I almost suffocated in the oppressive silence. I didn't know how to comfort her.

For this girl in front of me, wouldn't any words of comfort seem too pale?

"Did you get anything? Did he give it to you?" Cao Ying turned to me, her expression still cold. Is this the popular expression for beautiful women these days?

"What is it?" I asked back.

"The autopsy report," Cao Ying replied.

"Oh, no." I don't know how she found out about this, so I can only wait and see.

"He called me that day and said he would give me an autopsy report, and that I could come to you if I wanted to investigate the matter further." Cao Ying said a lot in one breath, but the more I listened, the more confused I became, completely lost.

"Didn't he explain everything to you clearly?" Cao Ying's tone was a little displeased. But, Miss, I'm not a know-it-all; everything needs to be done gradually. Thinking this, I pulled up a chair and sat down. "He can't explain it to me clearly anymore, but maybe you can."

"Since you didn't get that report, I don't think there's any need for us to cooperate anymore." After saying that, Cao Ying coolly tossed her head and walked towards the door without looking back. Ha, what a temper!

I darted to her with the speed of a rabbit and slammed the door that Cao Ying had opened shut.

"You didn't tell Chen Kai about the report, did you?" I had a headache. I really didn't know what this young lady's intentions were.

"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 readily 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, "and my biological parents too."

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 US today. I'm studying criminal psychology at Columbia University." Cao Ying paused, then continued, "He kept mentioning you on the phone, saying you're practically his protégé."

"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 a few years ago." 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 clarified, "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.

Chapter Fifteen: 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. She's 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?