By some stroke of luck, I was suddenly transferred to the Municipal Bureau, assigned to a mysterious department without official staffing, dedicated solely to handling bizarre cases.

Right after Chief Jiang took a call, he slipped out mysteriously. It was lunchtime, and as soon as Chief Jiang left, Zhang Jiewei followed suit.

“Brother Lei, why don’t the rest of us grab lunch together? There’s a Sichuan place outside—the flavor is absolutely killer!” Xiao Cuo sidled up to me, his face ingratiating, yet his eyes still made me feel strangely uneasy.

“Heh heh, I already have plans with someone. You all go ahead,” Lan Jinxuan said with a smile.

“Boyfriend?” Gao Jianning immediately chimed in.

“Girlfriend,” Lan Jinxuan replied with an enigmatic smile before gracefully departing, leaving the three of us remaining men staring dumbfounded at each other.

“I won’t go then. Just bring me back a boxed lunch,” since the beautiful Lan had already left, it was better to let Gao Jianning and Xiao Cuo enjoy their time together.

“So, Brother Lei, do you want the pork chop rice or the curry chicken rice? Or maybe…” Xiao Cuo began counting on his fingers.

“Let’s go, let’s go! So much nonsense! I’m starving,” Gao Jianning burst out, grabbing Xiao Cuo and pulling him toward the door, clearly eager to avoid being alone with me.

From the moment Gao Jianning dragged him until they were gone, Xiao Cuo’s eyes remained fixed on me, sharp and piercing. The saccharine smile he previously wore was gone, replaced by an expression that, especially in his final glare, radiated such a strange aura that I couldn't help but shiver.

Glancing around the office, I found myself utterly alone. A sudden, inexplicable sense of insecurity washed over me, as if mysterious elements were slowly infiltrating my very pores. That feeling could only be described as bone-chilling.

“It’s broad daylight, stop scaring yourself!” I slapped my head and muttered, finding my own cowardice laughable, though my voice lacked conviction. I should find something to do—perhaps…

Action is better than intention. Since this Special Investigation Office was so secretive, and Chief Jiang was so tight-lipped, I couldn’t blame myself for seeking answers. Chief Jiang’s desk held little, so I immediately began rooting through his drawers.

I casually pulled open one drawer and found a stack of personnel files. Upon closer inspection, the very first one was my own.

Wang Lei, 25 years old; Specialties: Exceptional eyesight and hearing, strong analytical skills; Flaw: Emotional; Served at the Liyuan Police Station in Huaibei County, Anyin, after graduating from the Police Academy, with no significant accomplishments.

The first page was my file; the rest detailed various physical metrics, which held no interest for me, so I moved on.

Lan Jinxuan, 23 years old; Specialties: Dual-wielding shooting, Latin dance; Flaw: Beautiful; Served in Unit X after graduation.

Bao Qiang, 24 years old; Specialties: Photographic memory, deeply researched paranormal events; Flaws: Long-winded, too many secrets. Graduated from an unofficial police academy, worked in the City Bureau Archives for two years.

Gao Jianning, 25 years old; Specialties: Extensive computer knowledge, masterful operation skills; Flaw: Gossipy; Previously worked for the Ministry of State Security as a 'Red Guest' (elite hacker).

Zhang Jiewei, 27 years old; Specialties: Eavesdropping, tailing, investigation; Flaw: Overly silent. Worked for the Control Division of the Criminal Investigation Brigade after graduation.

Flipping further, I reached the back cover. I closed the file and returned it to its spot, feeling an inexpressible sensation. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the Special Investigation Office hid many secrets I didn't know. For instance, I couldn't fathom why Chief Jiang chose me among these file holders; the others seemed like logical picks. To gather such a disparate group, Chief Jiang must have expended considerable effort, and only he knew the reason behind it.

I continued searching the drawers but found nothing valuable. Next to them was a smaller drawer, about half the size. I reached out to pull it open, only to find it locked. In a department established just yesterday, what could be so important that our Chief Jiang felt the need to lock it away? I had an intuition that whatever was inside held the answers to my questions, but for now, it seemed I needed to learn how to pick a lock.

I pulled over a chair to sit and rest my head for a moment, but looking up, I caught a fleeting shadow behind the small glass window of the door. My drowsiness vanished instantly. I jumped up and rushed out to check, but when I flung the door open, the hallway was completely empty. The unease in my gut intensified. I was certain that the shadow had darted away precisely because it saw me see it. This office was at the end of the hall; no one wandered down here during lunch break only to flee rapidly upon discovery.

Locking the door, burdened by confusion, I sat in Gao Jianning’s chair, all thoughts of napping gone. This world, it seemed, never allowed one a peaceful existence.

After a long period of doing nothing in the office, Gao Jianning and Xiao Cuo finally returned with my boxed lunch. The pork chop rice wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't repulsive—barely edible.

Just as Gao Jianning dove back into his pile of computers and I was swallowing a piece of pork chop, Xiao Cuo drifted silently toward me. I looked up and nearly choked.

“What are you doing? Your expression is weird,” I asked Xiao Cuo after taking a bite.

Xiao Cuo didn’t speak. A strange smile crept onto his face, and he leaned close to my ear, whispering, “Brother Lei, have you encountered any unclean things these past couple of days?”

I blinked, then rolled my eyes at him. “I’m meticulously clean. If I touched anything, I’d have washed it off long ago.”

“You can’t wash it off. It’s already attached itself to you,” Xiao Cuo’s voice suddenly sounded like a woman’s, instantly putting me on high alert.

I looked up at him seriously. “I know you deal with the paranormal, but stop talking about ‘unclean things’ all the time. I don't believe in that stuff; stop messing with me.”

“It…” Xiao Cuo swallowed hard, then clamped his mouth shut, only glancing up above my head before returning to his seat.

I looked up too, seeing nothing but the ceiling. When I looked back at Xiao Cuo, he had regained his signature sleazy grin, but something still felt off. My scalp tingled, and I rubbed it twice—nothing there. The term unclean thing still carried an unsettling taboo.

Not long after, Lan Jinxuan and Zhang Jiewei trickled back in. The last to enter the office was undoubtedly our current superior, Chief Jiang Haitao.

“You’re in luck; you’ve got a case right off the bat. Solve it within a week, or you can look forward to losing your jobs!” Chief Jiang declared as he entered, tossing a file onto my boxed lunch.

I looked up. He still wore that leisurely, landowner-like expression. What luck? This was clearly rotten luck. I swallowed two bites of rice and immediately grabbed the file to look it over.

“A man died bizarrely in his home, fluid oozing from all seven orifices. The autopsy report claims his entire brain matter was sucked out, with no other obvious wounds! How is that possible?” I was highly skeptical of the validity of this strange file. The others, upon hearing my description, all wore expressions of astonishment.

“How is it impossible? Since it happened, it’s fact. Turning the impossible into the possible is what you’re here to investigate! That’s that. This time, you’re the team leader. Lead them and make sure you close this case!” Chief Jiang gave me a sharp look before turning away.

What kind of luck is this? Why do I always get such an unscrupulous superior? Are all superiors like this?

The deceased was Wang Dong, male, thirty-one years old. Time of death was around 1 AM today; discovered by his wife, Xie Liying, this morning. Xie Liying called the police at 9:10 AM. Cause of death: entire cranial cavity’s brain matter completely drained by an unknown object, with no injuries from head to toe.

This was all the information available from the newly established file. Chief Jiang had started dozing off the moment he sat down, likely having missed his own lunch break rest. The rest of the group stared blankly at each other after absorbing the file’s contents, before their gazes collectively swung toward me.

“Why are you all staring at me?” Despite developing a thick skin over time, it wasn't meant for them to scrutinize me like this.

“The boss told us to follow your lead. If we don't look at you, who should we look at?” Enough said; the only one who sparred with me like this was Gao Jianning.

“Fine. Xiao Cuo and Jiewei, go check things out at the deceased’s company. Jinxuan and I will go see the body. As for you, kid, stay here and thoroughly investigate the victim's background data, and dig through those old archives too—see if any similar cases have ever occurred,” I said, trying to sound seasoned.

Although I couldn't truly believe something like having one’s brain matter sucked out—a scenario ripped straight from sci-fi or horror films—all I could do now was investigate thoroughly. As for the assignments, they were mostly tossed out randomly. Except for Gao Jianning, I didn't know the others well yet, so this arrangement would have to do. Of course, little Miss Lan Jinxuan naturally had to accompany me.

“Something this basic, Brother Lei, isn’t that beneath you?” Gao Jianning clearly looked displeased, pursing his lips, but he quickly buried himself back in his computer.

“Xiao Cuo?” The ‘Cuo Man’ muttered to himself.

Seeing the Falterer still standing there, not having registered that I had addressed him, I waved my hand in front of him until he remembered his task. He quickly gathered his things to leave. As for the nickname ‘Xiao Cuo,’ he probably hadn’t even grasped that yet.

“Let’s move out too,” I glanced at Lan Jinxuan, genuinely anticipating seeing her dance Latin—the way those outfits showed so much skin.

“Why do they get to go out and we have to look at the corpse?” The beautiful Miss Lan seemed to have minor objections to my arrangement, but she followed closely behind me toward the morgue.

“No need to rush. Let’s first confirm exactly how Wang Dong died,” I chuckled lightly and stepped through the morgue doors.

The moment I entered, an eerie chill washed over my entire body.

“He’s in here?” The forensic doctor performing the autopsy lifted his gold-rimmed glasses, pointing with one finger toward a cabinet door. His name, I quickly glanced from his ID badge, was You Qiaolin. You Qiaolin then pulled out the refrigerated unit containing Wang Dong’s body, and a wave of frigid air slammed into my face, chilling me from head to spine.

My first instinct wasn't to look at Wang Dong’s body, but to turn and observe the reaction of the beautiful Jinxuan. Not good; she was a major disappointment. She showed no reaction at all, staring at Wang Dong’s corpse with pure curiosity, completely oblivious to my peeking or my slight disappointment.

“I’ve already examined him. The brain matter inside his skull has been completely drained. Besides the pus flowing from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, there is nothing else. Right now, his brain is just this empty skeletal structure,” You Qiaolin explained as I leaned over to examine Wang Dong’s head.

“What about that pus? Did you analyze what it was?” I asked while staring at Wang Dong’s head.

I had to admit, You Qiaolin’s surgical skills were decent; the incision made for the cranial opening was quite neat, and most importantly, he hadn't disfigured the deceased. Wang Dong was actually rather handsome, though, of course, I had the slight edge over him.

“The results won't be ready until tomorrow.” I was not satisfied with You Qiaolin’s answer.

“Could it be poisoning?” I asked casually, still finding the concept of drained brain matter too unbelievable.

A death like this certainly couldn't be natural. If it were man-made, perhaps someone drained the brain matter after death. The specific, clandestine method used would certainly be worth investigating.

“Absolutely impossible. We found no toxic substances in the victim's stomach or intestines, but we did find a considerable amount of alcohol, calculated to have been consumed roughly two hours before his death,” You Qiaolin stated with certainty. He looked to be around my age, perhaps early twenties, but his experience in autopsies seemed substantial, as he spoke with assurance.

“Any signs of injection?” Even without obvious wounds, one or two hidden needle pricks could be difficult to spot.

“None. We checked the blood, and no toxic substances were found either.” You Qiaolin’s words forced me to completely rule out poisoning. Wang Dong’s bizarre death truly presented me with a significant challenge.

“Could it be a ghost?” Lan Jinxuan whispered faintly, lowering her voice.

Honestly, it startled me. A cool sensation brushed past my right ear. I turned to look; it was just a cold storage locker. My heart tightened inexplicably again, as if whatever was inside the unit was staring at me with open eyes.

“Stop thinking nonsense. There are no ghosts in this world,” I said outwardly, but inwardly, I still felt something mysterious was at play.

“I heard there’s a type of female ghost that specializes in sucking out human brain matter, especially the brain matter of those she loves,” Lan Jinxuan said casually, as if joking.

“Don’t listen to those fabricated stories. Be careful one day you’ll be sold off by someone and happily count the money for them,” I teased, though my tone was stiff. I then gestured for You Qiaolin to put Wang Dong’s body away.

“Then I’ll wait and see if the person who buys me has more money than I have bullets,” Lan Jinxuan smiled proudly, a hint of charm mixed with her arrogance. The brightness in her eyes clashed jarringly with the cold, gloomy atmosphere of the morgue.

Seeing me staring at her blankly, Jinxuan turned away, no longer looking at me, and just asked, “What do we do next?”

“Nonsense, we go see Wang Dong’s wife, of course,” I replied with forced ease, glancing at Jinxuan’s profile before turning to leave.

Hearing Lan Jinxuan’s footsteps following behind, I quickened my pace. The morgue, I decided, was a place one should leave as soon as possible.

“Why aren’t you scared even after seeing a corpse?” I casually asked Lan Jinxuan, but after waiting a long moment, I received no reply.

Feeling something was odd, I turned around. The entire hallway behind me was empty of all people….