Chapter 297: I’ve Done My Best

Chapter 297: Chapter 297: I’ve Done My Best

’Does this even need an investigation? The killer has to be an Alien Species.’

Feng Ling’s first reaction was that an Alien Species was responsible.

When normal people kill, they just kill. Who would have the time to wash all the blood away before dumping the body? It was most likely due to the special ability of a certain Card, which would explain why the body was in such a bizarre state.

But if the conclusion was so obvious, why hadn’t the Inspection Bureau taken the case? Why were they just passing the buck back and forth with the police’s criminal investigation department?

Feng Ling put the photos down and rummaged around in the file folder, pulling out a stack of documents.

She casually flipped through them. It was all personal information on the deceased—a full 32 pages.

victims.

Feng Ling found it incredible. ’Thirty-two murders, and they still haven’t caught the culprit? With the standards and efficiency of modern investigative techniques, that shouldn’t be possible...’

Continuing to flip through, she came to the suspect’s file.

Feng Ling immediately perked up, her eyes scanning down the page—male, 26, unmarried, Jinnan City native, deceased...

What?

Feng Ling took another, closer look.

He was indeed dead. Had been for four months.

According to the file, the man had two accomplices. A roadside camera had captured them dumping a body, but only this man’s face was clearly visible. He immediately became a wanted suspect. However, two days after the bulletin was issued, a sanitation worker reported finding the man’s dismembered corpse in a garbage heap.

The police reasonably suspected infighting within the criminal group. They subsequently identified another suspect, but the same thing happened again—

When the criminal investigators arrived at the suspect’s home, they found his dismembered body.

The investigation fell into a vicious cycle: find a suspect, the suspect turns up dead. Find another suspect, that suspect turns up dead...

All identified suspects were now dead, leaving no one to question. The surveillance footage always showed two or three people in the criminal group, and there was no telling how many others were never caught on camera.

Furthermore, the suspects in the surveillance videos never displayed any special abilities. This was the main reason the case couldn’t definitively be attributed to Alien Species.

Feng Ling saw an official opinion issued by the Inspection Bureau, signed by Bai Lu.

Bai Lu argued that the Inspection Bureau was already short-staffed. Moreover, the Inspectors’ strength lay in combat, not investigation. Therefore, without confirmation that the perpetrators were Alien Species, the Inspection Bureau could not spare the personnel to assist with the investigative work.

Feng Ling had to admit that Bai Lu had a point.

All told, the Jinnan City inspection team consisted of only two Inspectors, Bai Lu and Bai Shuang, plus five members of the Special Attack Team. That was a total of seven people. They had to conduct patrols, maintain public order, and be ready for emergency dispatch at a moment’s notice. They really didn’t have the manpower to spare for an investigation.

The criminal investigation team was in a tough spot, too. Every suspect they investigated turned up dead. It was like they were just running in circles.

"This is so hard..." Feng Ling sighed, looking at the piles of files in front of her. ’I don’t think I’m cut out for this.’

Huangfu Miaomiao, who had been asleep in her bed, heard Feng Ling muttering to herself. She sat up groggily and asked, "Feng Ling, aren’t you going to sleep?"

"I can’t sleep. I’m looking at the files on the dismemberment case." Feng Ling sighed. "The killer murdered 32 people, even their own accomplices. That’s 32 people in four months, an average of at least two a week, and in between all that they were busy dismembering and dumping the bodies. No wonder the citizens of Jinnan City hate Alien Species so much."

"Was it really an Alien Species... How strange..." Huangfu Miaomiao flopped back onto the bed, mumbling half-asleep, "Why would an Alien Species kill a normal person? There are no points in it..."

"Yeah, why kill a normal person..." Feng Ling murmured, flipping through the files, completely at a loss.

’Killing one or two could be to vent frustration, but why kill more than thirty?’

"These thirty-some victims... they were all young men, all over 1.8 meters tall, and well-built..." Feng Ling said, carefully comparing the files. "That means the killer is being selective. As for the motive... could the killer be short? Do they just hate tall men?"

No one answered her. The only sound in the room was Huangfu Miaomiao’s light snoring.

"Alright, that’s enough analysis for tonight," Feng Ling said, putting the files away. "My brain has done all it can."

She got up to go to bed, but then she heard the faint sound of footsteps in the hallway.

Feng Ling glanced instinctively at the clock on the wall.

The hands had just passed 2:00 AM.

’Who would be going out at this hour? Is there an emergency mission?’

Curious, Feng Ling walked to the door. The footsteps had already passed her room and were headed toward the elevators. They sounded steady. ’If there were an emergency, shouldn’t they be more hurried?’ she thought.

Feng Ling couldn’t resist opening the door.

The person outside heard the door open and whipped their head around in an instant. Their gaze was piercing, and their right hand simultaneously went to the sidearm at their waist, on full alert.

Feng Ling froze.

It was Fan Ze, the captain of the Special Attack Team, whom she had just met earlier that day.

After recognizing Feng Ling, Fan Ze relaxed slightly and asked calmly, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I heard footsteps and thought there might be an emergency operation. I was wondering if you needed any help." Feng Ling glanced around. Fan Ze was alone in the hall. ’If it were an emergency, he would have brought the other team members,’ she thought.

Fan Ze replied, "I was feeling a bit unwell and was heading to the medical wing upstairs. Sorry for waking you."

"It’s nothing," Feng Ling said politely. "If you’re not feeling well, you should go."

Fan Ze turned and left.

Feng Ling closed her door.

She stood in the room, thinking for a moment. Then she walked over to the bed, pulled Huangfu Miaomiao up, and shook her. "Wake up, wake up! Don’t sleep, something’s up!"

Huangfu Miaomiao was shaken awake, struggling painfully against her drowsiness. "What is it? I want to sleep..."

"Quick, follow him. See if that Special Attack Team captain really goes to the medical wing," Feng Ling said, clearly perplexed. "Why would he be going there in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Only nurses are on duty at this hour, right? What kind of illness can’t wait until morning? He didn’t look like he was having an emergency. It’s just too weird. Quick, go check it out."

Urged on by Feng Ling, Huangfu Miaomiao forced her eyes open, managing to become slightly more awake.

"Be careful. Don’t let him see you," Feng Ling whispered.

"Okay..." Huangfu Miaomiao yawned, shifted into her Ghost Shadow form, and slipped out of the room.

By the time she reached the elevators, Fan Ze had already gone up. The LCD screen showed the elevator was on the seventh floor.

Huangfu Miaomiao suddenly remembered that the medical wing was on the ninth floor and above.

’Fan Ze clearly went to the seventh floor. Why did he lie to Feng Ling and say he was going to the ninth?’

’Feng Ling’s suspicion was right on the money. There’s definitely something wrong with this Fan Ze!’

Huangfu Miaomiao suddenly felt wide awake. She looked around, quickly found a window, and climbed onto the outer wall of the Supervision Building, sticking close to the surface as she moved upward.

All the windows on the seventh floor were dark, except for a few faint slivers of light leaking from a gap in the curtains of Bai Lu’s office.