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墨書 Inktalez
"My Tenant is a Female Ghost" is about a female ghost.
"What... what? Paranormal consultant? My master?"
"Yes, Mr. Bai, Elder Ge is our City Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division paranormal consultant. Many strange cases have been solved with Elder Ge's help!" The officer replied while driving. "I haven't seen Elder Ge in a long time. I didn't expect him to take on an apprentice. I've heard that Elder Ge has high standards for choosing apprentices, so if he chose you, Mr. Bai, you must have some unique skills."
"Well, I'm just average," Bai Zhuo said, not thinking he had any extraordinary abilities. He casually asked, "You are a national agency, so you should believe in the power of science. Can you police officers tolerate us yin-yang masters intervening in your investigations?"
The officer waved his hand and shook his head. "Hey—don't mention it. Do you really think those high-ranking officials are all atheists? In fact, when they reach that level, they may not say it out loud, but deep down, they still hold onto these beliefs. Without faith, a person has no bottom line. How can someone without a bottom line be any good? Besides, borrowing Grandpa Deng's words—whether it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat! Don't you think?"
Bai Zhuo nodded in agreement. "That's true. As long as we can catch the bad guys, it doesn't matter who or what methods we use. As long as we don't harm the innocent and achieve tangible results, the higher-ups will just turn a blind eye and let it pass."
"Hey! Mr. Bai, you're right! By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Huang Ruixi, Third-Class Inspector at the City Public Security Bureau!"
"Oh? Third-Class Inspector? That sounds impressive! Are you an important official?"
Huang Ruixi chuckled bitterly. "Not at all, Mr. Bai. I'm just a Third-Class Inspector; I have ten titles above me commanding me around. To put it bluntly, I'm just running errands..."
"Officer Huang, you're being modest. At least you're a civil servant serving the country; that's much better than me as an unemployed drifter. Who knows? You might have an unexpected opportunity and get promoted!"
"Ah... that's just wishful thinking. In this profession of mine, unless something special happens, sitting here for ten or twenty years means reaching the rank of First-Class Inspector is already the limit. Life—how many twenty-year spans do we have?" Huang Ruixi shook his head. "But thanks to Mr. Bai for the kind words! Who knows? Maybe I'll be the next First-Class Inspector!"
"Haha, exactly! As young people, we need to have ambition! Since you've chosen this path, don't give up halfway; keep working hard and there will be rewards!"
"Yes, yes! We're almost there; it's just ahead."
At the entrance of the City Public Security Bureau, police cars were coming and going. Even in the rain, they were busy; young people like Huang Ruixi were everywhere, contributing to a better society.
"Mr. Bai, let's get out and follow me."
"Sure, just call me Bai Zhuo." Bai Zhuo patted the officer who looked to be about his age and said, "Huang Ruixi, you know that in our line of work, fortune-telling is quite normal. I usually deal with ghosts and exorcisms rather than fortune-telling. It's rare for me to feel inspired today; I see you radiating positive energy with full temples and a kind face. If you seize your opportunities, you'll definitely achieve great things in the future!"
Huang Ruixi laughed. "Haha, Bai... Mr. Bai Zhuo! My dad often tells me not to believe in fortune-telling; if it's wrong, it makes people feel bad; if it's right, it takes away their motivation. But today I'll believe you! I, Huang Ruixi, might just surprise you one day!"
"Hey! Huang Ruixi, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't park the car at the entrance; it's blocking the way!" A young police officer came out from the doorway, scolding Huang Ruixi.
Huang Ruixi turned around, her expression shifting slightly, but she forced a smile and nodded. Braving the rain, she got back into the car and moved it to another spot.
The young officer walked over to Bai Zhuo, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "It's you!"
Bai Zhuo looked back in confusion. "Oh, it's you, you crazy person!" This was none other than Cai Wenbin, the officer who had been tricked by Bai Zhuo before.
Cai Wenbin's face darkened as he glared at Bai Zhuo. "I know it was you behind that. Although that case was wrapped up hastily, I will find out the truth sooner or later!"
Bai Zhuo teased him with a smirk. "Shelly! Who's Shelly?" Upon hearing this, the officer's face went pale, and he huffed before walking away.
Huang Ruixi returned after parking the car and asked, "Huh? Where did that guy go?"
"He left. What's his deal? He seemed a bit upset with you," Bai Zhuo asked curiously.
As they walked, Huang Ruixi replied, "Heh, it's not just me he's upset with; it's our entire public security team!"
"What's going on?"
"Well, it's been this way for years. Most of the people in the Criminal Investigation Division look down on us in public security. They think they're superior because they believe they have more capability. But we're all serving the country; it's just different departments—what's there to be arrogant about..."
"I see. Is his rank higher than yours?"
Huang Ruixi shook her head. "No, no. He's just a Third-Class Inspector like me. Normally, I wouldn't be afraid of someone of his rank, but he's a real troublemaker."
A troublemaker? That description fits well, Bai Zhuo thought and then asked, "Is he particularly difficult to deal with?"
"Yes, he's quite annoying. Even his superiors tend to avoid him because he gives them headaches. But... to be fair, Cai Wenbin is indeed capable; he rose from a low-ranking officer to a Third-Class Inspector in just one year. That's unprecedented in Ningcheng and makes him quite a figure in our department. Once during a drinking session, someone accidentally let slip that he has a cousin in the military who is doing quite well. So now, most people in our department don't dare to provoke him; he gets away with whatever he wants."
Bai Zhuo nodded in understanding. No wonder their captain brought a whole team up here but left only him behind; it turns out he’s an undisciplined officer with such strong backing. Being targeted by this troublemaker means he needs to be cautious moving forward.
"Ha ha, Mr. Bai, this is the place. Several leaders are waiting for you inside, let's go!"
Huang Ruixi knocked on the door, and a steady male voice came from within, "Come in."
As the door opened, Huang Ruixi saluted one of the lean men and pushed Bai Zhuo inside. The room was filled with over twenty people, including Li Tao, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Team who had previously taken Ouyang Shirei for questioning. Upon seeing Bai Zhuo at the door, everyone froze for a moment.
The slightly older, lean man frowned and asked, "Huang, I asked you to bring Master Ge over. Who is this? Why did you bring him?"
"Deputy Chief, this is Master Ge's disciple. Since Master Ge is unavailable, I thought it would be better to bring him than to call those big names from the Onmyoji Association!"
The deputy chief nodded, "Alright, I understand. Huang, you're quite talented. I'll look for an opportunity to transfer you to our Criminal Investigation Division." Huang Ruixi remained indifferent, neither agreeing nor refusing. He gave a stiff salute and stepped back.
The lean man turned to Bai Zhuo, "I am Hu Fei, the deputy chief of the City Public Security Bureau. I suppose I can consider myself a friend of Elder Ge. If I remember correctly, your name is Bai..."
Bai Zhuo nodded. "Officer Hu, my name is Bai Zhuo—Bai as in white and Zhuo as in outstanding. I am Elder Ge's disciple. My master is currently away on business and won't be back anytime soon. I believe if it's just some minor issues, my skills should suffice."
Deputy Chief Hu Fei smiled, "That's right! You are indeed Bai Zhuo! You don't disappoint as Elder Ge's disciple; you have a sense of responsibility! I've heard from Elder Ge about his promising disciple. He rarely praises anyone; it seems you have your own merits. There's an empty seat over there; please take a seat and listen to the case details!"
"Sure thing, Officer Hu."
Hu Fei's explanations were profound and filled with professional jargon from the criminal investigation team that was hard to grasp. Many officers took notes diligently. Suddenly, Bai Zhuo remembered the detective Cai Wenbin and asked a nearby officer, "Excuse me, where is Cai Wenbin from your team?"
"Oh? You know him? He just went out; he doesn't believe in these supernatural matters and went off to follow some leads himself. I've heard he has strong connections; even the chief can't stop him."
Bai Zhuo nodded inwardly thinking: Having connections means being willful and impressive.
"Alright, teams four and five can disperse now; everyone else stay behind. Bai Zhuo, come here." Deputy Chief Hu Fei commanded with authority gained from years of experience in his position. Bai Zhuo admired him silently as he walked over confidently.
"Ha ha, everyone here is one of us; let's welcome our new consultant for paranormal cases—Bai Zhuo!"
A sparse applause followed; it seemed that many were skeptical about this new consultant since Elder Ge's reputation was well-established and not something his disciple could easily overshadow.
Hu Fei felt a bit awkward, but quickly masked it. He turned to Bai Zhuo and said, "This case has been classified as a major serial murder case. Coincidentally, it was reported on September 11th, so we are referring to it as the 911 case. The provincial leaders are taking this very seriously, and the sooner we solve it, the better, to prevent the criminal from harming more innocent people." He gestured towards Li Tao below. "Li Tao, please explain the specifics to everyone."
Li Tao, slightly plump, squeezed past a few colleagues and saluted Hu Fei before turning to activate the projector behind him. The words "911 Major Serial Murder Case" appeared in blood-red letters, glaringly bright.
"This is the most heinous criminal case in the Jiangnan Region this year—nothing compares to the 911 case. Up until yesterday, we have received sixty-eight reports of missing persons..."
At that moment, a short-haired, capable female detective raised her hand. "Li Team, we just received two more reports of missing persons this morning—the bodies have already been found!"
Instantly, the detectives present wore serious expressions, and the atmosphere in the room became heavy.
Captain Li Tao exhaled deeply. "Currently, the number of missing persons has reached seventy. The confirmed death toll is fifty-two, and there are still eighteen individuals unaccounted for. Preliminary assessments indicate that they have all likely been murdered."
Li Tao clicked on a slide in the projector displaying a large, clear photo of a dried corpse, startling Bai Zhuo. However, the officers in the room seemed unfazed; Bai Zhuo secretly admired their psychological resilience—truly worthy of being part of the Criminal Investigation Team!
Upon initial observation, the deceased appeared to be a woman whose clothing was intact and whose expression at death seemed remarkably peaceful.
Li Tao pointed at the photo. "This is the first victim in our serial murder case: Lin Ling, twenty-eight years old, a woman who came from Sichuan Province for work. The time of death was around 1 AM on September 9th. The cause of death was excessive blood loss, and there were no signs of struggle at the time of death. Initially suspected to be homicide by an acquaintance, there were no injuries on her body; she had bled out completely! Therefore, after investigation, we have ruled out her boyfriend as a suspect."
Li Tao clicked his pointer again to reveal an autopsy diagram. Bai Zhuo frowned deeply; fortunately, he had gained some mental fortitude from his previous confrontation with the Nanyang Sorcerer; otherwise, he would have surely embarrassed himself.
Li Tao indicated the diagram. "This is the autopsy report of the deceased—her internal organs were desiccated with not a drop of blood left. But that's not even the strangest part; what's most bizarre is that there were no wounds on her body at all when she died. However, according to the autopsy report, her uterus had mysteriously vanished!"
"But according to our investigation," he continued, "the deceased's health records show that all her bodily functions were normal before her death!"
Everyone present listened intently; no one dared to break the heavy silence in the room.
Li Tao clicked on another photo—another woman with an identical manner of death and an identical autopsy report.
One by one, photos were revealed—each depicting another dried corpse. At this point, Director Hu Fei interjected: "Dried Corpse! Dried Corpse! Another Dried Corpse! This is exactly what you see in movies about zombies!"
A female officer chimed in: "Deputy Chief, that's right! This could even be related to vampires!"
Hu Fei looked at Bai Zhuo and asked, "Brother Bai Zhuo, do you... really believe in vampires?"
Bai Zhuo was taken aback for a moment, pondering the question. He recalled the two blonde foreigners he had encountered earlier, who were carrying large Silver Crosses. He nodded and said, "In this vast world, there are all kinds of wonders. I suppose the existence of vampires wouldn't be too surprising! But how do we explain the fact that they take the uterus from women?"
Li Tao slammed his fist on the table, anger evident in his voice. "Exactly! The deceased had no wounds at all, not even bite marks! If it were a Zombie or a vampire, they would have to use their teeth to puncture a vein!"
Hu Fei patted Li Tao on the shoulder. "Captain Li, calm down."
"Li Team, did those fifty or so victims have anything in common?" Bai Zhuo asked.
"Commonalities? Let me think... Lu, did you find anything?"
The female officer named Lu opened a notebook and replied, "According to our investigation, all the victims were female. Among them, over thirty were sex workers, while the rest were women who worked night shifts—those who are generally easier targets."
Bai Zhuo began to contemplate, his expression changing. "Li Team, flip back a few photos!"
Captain Li Tao glanced at Hu Fei, who nodded slightly. Li Tao reopened the photos. Bai Zhuo stood up. "Not this one; go back further. No, not that one either! Keep going! Forward! Forward!"
As they flipped through the pages of photos, Bai Zhuo suddenly shouted, "Stop! That one in front!" He stared at the photo for a moment before cursing under his breath. "Damn it, why does this look familiar? It’s definitely Li Yue!"
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