The eerie smiles on the three faces in the photograph sent a chill down my spine, as if they were portraits taken just before their deaths.

Death portraits!

The thought flashed through my mind, causing me to spring to my feet instantly. I quickly sent the email to Gao Jianning while simultaneously dialing his number.

“Brother Lei? Middle of the night, what is it now?” Gao Jianning’s thoroughly annoyed voice came through the receiver.

“What’s the matter in the middle of the night? I’ve sent you an email. I need you to dig up every piece of information about the sender of that email, and also, find out the identity of the man in the last photograph in that email.” Even as I rattled off the list of demands, I could feel my own heart hammering fiercely. Who was that man in the final picture of the email?

“Alright, alright, but my big brother, you have to give me some time, right? I just managed to doze off.” Gao Jianning complained with a touch of grievance.

“No problem. I’ll give you half an hour. Don't dawdle any longer.” Though I knew Gao Jianning had been swamped with work lately, the urgency in my chest wouldn't allow me to wait. A profound sense of foreboding hung over me; this was getting complicated.

“Big brother, you might as well just rob a bank…” Gao Jianning muttered darkly, but he hung up just as I was about to start scolding him.

Putting down the phone, my gaze locked back onto the computer screen: Wang Dong, Tao Jiahao, and finally, that stranger. Their three pictures stared back at me. I dragged the progress bar back and forth, flipping through the three photos repeatedly. Each viewing brought forth an indescribable, bizarre sensation. The three people in the pictures seemed to be smiling, yet it felt like more than just a smile; the intensity of their grins varied. Their lips were slightly parted, the last man’s smile the stiffest. Despite the appearance of a smile, their vacant eyes sent a cold wave from the top of my head straight to my core.

What I desperately needed to know now was: Who? Who sent me this email, and what secrets lay hidden behind it? Who was the person in that third photograph? And what was the sender's ultimate goal? A continuous stream of questions flashed through my mind, tugging at every nerve. Yet, I felt as if I were bewitched, unable to escape these interrogations, the suffocating sense of being bound growing stronger until a splitting headache provided momentary relief, only to be followed quickly by a descent back into frantic struggle.

“Handsome guy, pick up! Handsome guy, pick up!”

Just as I was emerging from that painful state, the phone rang, jarringly loud. Though the jingle was pleasant enough, my attention was elsewhere. I snatched up the phone immediately and, seeing Gao Jianning’s name flash on the screen, answered quickly.

“Well? Did you find anything?” I was almost too impatient, desperate to untangle the knots in my mind.

There was no response from the other end.

“Why aren’t you talking? I asked how the search is going?” I pressed on.

Still, absolute silence.

Sensing something was off, I stopped asking questions and instead listened intently, straining to catch any sound coming from the line.

But what awaited me was only a profound, dead silence.

A silence that seemed to creep from the receiver and envelop my entire home...

Thump! Thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump-thump… My heart hammered at a pace I couldn't control. Just as I felt I was about to suffocate, the call abruptly disconnected, replaced by the flat tone of a dial tone in my ear.

“Handsome guy, pick up! Handsome guy, pick up!”

Before I could even lower the phone, it rang again. A glance confirmed it was Gao Jianning calling once more. I hesitated slightly before preparing to answer—a hesitation born perhaps of panic, or maybe a premonition. But ultimately, I slid the screen to answer.

“Brother Lei, what gives? Weren’t you in such a hurry, yet you answer the phone so slowly!” Gao Jianning’s complaining voice poured through the speaker, and half my anxiety immediately eased.

“You little brat, I ask you to do something and you drag your feet, and now you dare lecture me?” I unconsciously raised my voice.

“Hehe, well, Brother Lei, you’re used to it, aren't you?” Apparently, the kid had some self-awareness after all.

“Stop wasting time and tell me the results! Did you find anything out?” The thought of that email and the case brought back my seriousness instantly.

“Ahem! This… well, this…”

“Cut the nonsense, don’t beat around the bush like that.” I hate it when people keep others in suspense.

“Actually, this whole thing is quite strange. I used all my tricks, every one of my eighteen skills, but I couldn’t trace the sender’s information. I even hacked into every server that email passed through, but I was blocked at the very last step.” Gao Jianning sounded considerably more serious now.

“What do you mean?” I couldn't fathom anything capable of stopping my prodigy Gao Jianning in the realm of computing.

“It means I couldn’t breach the final layer of defense. There are two possibilities: either the sender is a legendary hacker himself, or he hired one to protect his identity from being exposed. In any case, I’m powerless against the firewall he activated.” I could hear the hidden frustration in his tone; after all, he prided himself on being a computer genius, only to hit a wall at this crucial moment.

“Fine, I won’t press you on that. What about the man in the photo? Did you get his details?” I didn't doubt his earlier statement, as he never joked about his reputation as the "Invincible of the East." For now, I had to settle for the next best thing.

“That, of course, I found. But don't disbelieve me: the man in that last photo is Ouyang Min, the man you were planning to meet.”

“What? Are you serious or not?” I couldn't quite believe it.

“Why would I lie to you? I just reviewed Ouyang Min’s file recently. While some minor details differ, it’s clearly the same person. To be sure, I ran a computer comparison, and the result matched my initial assessment.” The fire that Gao Jianning’s failure had momentarily dampened was instantly reignited.

“Ouyang Min…” I murmured the name. An idea sparked in my mind. “Bad! Quickly check where Ouyang Min is on a business trip—find his exact current location. We have to find him immediately!”

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Gao Jianning hadn’t adjusted to my sudden change in demeanor.

“Ouyang Min’s photo appeared right after Wang Dong’s and Tao Jiahao’s, presented to us in the same style and format. Wang Dong and Tao Jiahao both died in the same manner. This is very likely a hint from the killer. I am now more convinced that he is responsible for these murders!” I rapidly analyzed the situation for Gao Jianning. “Regardless, our top priority now is finding Ouyang Min immediately and ensuring his safety!”

“Oh, okay, I’m tracking his phone right now.”

Immediately, I heard the faint sound of keyboard tapping from the phone, and I stayed silent, afraid of interrupting Gao Jianning’s operation. But this waiting only amplified my anxiety. The only thing that offered a sliver of comfort was that I had spoken to Ouyang Min on the phone not long ago, confirming he was still safe for the moment.

“Done!” Gao Jianning let out a breath. “Satellite positioning shows Ouyang Min is currently at 153 Gufeng Road, Taoshan District, Liutaihe City.”

“Good. Contact Bao Qiang and Zhang Jiewei right now and tell them to drive immediately to the Heda Expressway entrance to wait for me.” While I was calling, I gathered essential items, especially the handgun I carried for protection.

“Got it!”

“Oh, and you little rascal, why was there no sound on your earlier call? Go get a working phone.” The memory of that strange, silent call still made me uneasy.

“Brother Lei, are you losing it? You were the one who called me just now, didn’t you ask me to check all this stuff?” Gao Jianning sounded genuinely confused about what I was talking about.

“Don’t play dumb with me, kid. This was just two minutes ago. I clearly saw your name on the incoming call display. Are you trying to deny it?” Though I said this, a sliver of doubt crept in, as I had felt rather disoriented when I answered that first call.

“It’s an injustice! I swear, I’m more wronged than Dou E, and more resentful than Chang’e! You must have seen it wrong, Brother. I’ve only made this one call in total.” From the tone of Gao Jianning’s voice, it didn’t sound like he was pretending, which made me even more puzzled. Did I really misread it?

“Enough, go get to work. No more fooling around with me.”

I hung up hastily and checked the call log. Indeed, the phone showed Gao Jianning had called twice in that interval, and I had answered both. That kid, playing tricks on me. I’d settle the score when I had the chance.

The facts before me somewhat calmed my nerves. Thinking about Ouyang Min, I rushed out the door. After circling downstairs once, I spotted a taxi approaching in the distance. I flagged it down immediately and hopped in without a word.

“Don’t move. Police business, temporary requisition of vehicle. I won’t hurt you, just drive and cooperate with the investigation!” As soon as I shut the door, I pulled out my handgun and pointed it at the driver, not forgetting to flash the Special Investigations Unit badge that I have no idea where Lord Jiang bought it—probably some shoddy market—instantly feeling an aura of (overwhelming dominance).

“Uh, okay, okay! Sir, where to?” This driver looked quite young, perhaps 3 or 4 years younger than me, his inexperience showing as he was clearly flustered by my intimidation.

“Heda Expressway Entrance,” I stated without hesitation. Of course, I couldn't be completely heartless; I should save this young citizen some gas money, right?

The late night in Anyin City appeared unusually desolate. The taxi sped forward, the surrounding scenery and buildings receding rapidly, flashing past before we plunged into another world.

I pulled out my phone, found Lan Jinxuan’s number, and prepared to dial, but stopped mid-action. She must be exhausted from running around all day; I should let her sleep soundly tonight.

As I got out of the taxi at the expressway entrance, I already saw Zhang Jiewei’s and Xiao Cuo’s car pulled over on the roadside, hazard lights flashing.

I tugged at the collar of my trench coat and walked directly toward their vehicle, knocking twice on the window.

“Brother Lei? Did you find something that made you call us out here?” As soon as I got in, Xiao Cuo’s notoriously gossipy mouth couldn't stop moving. He probably had been bottled up too long with Zhang Jiewei, who was quieter than a mute, and seeing me, he couldn’t resist ‘letting loose.’

“To 153 Gufeng Road, Liutaihe City,” I told Zhang Jiewei, who was in the driver's seat, without immediately answering Xiao Cuo’s question.

Only after our car merged onto the Heda Expressway did I explain to Xiao Cuo, “I received an anonymous email. The contents were strange. Besides a few simple words and a bizarre picture of a rural scene, there were black and white photos of Wang Dong, Tao Jiahao, and another man. They looked exactly like death portraits.”

I paused, turning to look at Xiao Cuo, who seemed to be deep in thought.

“The other person is Ouyang Min?” Xiao Cuo asked, frowning, his usual flippancy replaced by a serious tone, though his vulgar charm hadn't diminished one bit.

“Exactly. I think this is very likely a deliberate hint, the killer challenging us. We have to find Ouyang Min before anything happens to him; we can’t let the killer succeed again.” Although I wouldn’t dare call myself an emissary of justice, I still possessed a basic sense of social responsibility and could not tolerate behavior that treated human lives so casually.

“I understand. We’re going to find Ouyang Min now?” Xiao Cuo said with sudden realization, but I caught the fleeting panic in his eyes.

“Yes.” I nodded.

The drive was supposed to take just over two hours, but it felt infinitely longer. Xiao Cuo’s voice buzzed in my ear the entire way. I truly didn’t know where he found so much to talk about; one moment he was talking about this, the next about that, and three out of every five sentences mentioned "that thing." I suspected he himself was a "that thing."

“Brother Lei, don’t sleep! It’s rare we brothers get a chance to chat and build our relationship.” Xiao Cuo put on a pitiful expression, nearly on the verge of tears. I never realized he possessed such "pitifully charming" skills before.

“Stop being so dramatic, kid. What woman is as vulgar as you are?” I retorted without restraint. Based on my rational assessment, this ‘damsel’ Xiao Cuo would never be affected by my words.

“Brother, just listen to me for a bit.” Xiao Cuo was energized by my response, whining and tugging at my sleeve with a distinctly effeminate tone.

“Fine, fine, I give up. Say what you want to say! But it better pique my interest.” I quickly pulled my arm free from Xiao Cuo’s grasp, bracing myself for his sonic assault.

“I guarantee it! What I’m about to say will definitely interest Brother Lei, or else I’ll change my surname to ‘Xiao’!” Xiao Cuo thumped his chest confidently.

“Isn’t your surname ‘Xiao’ already?” I quipped.

However, Xiao Cuo’s remarkable mental resilience meant my jab had no effect. He continued his eloquent discourse.

“Have you ever heard of that case?” Xiao Cuo asked me with a look of intense mystery.

Sweat. He hadn't even told me which case, how was I supposed to know if I’d heard of it? I naturally gave him a roll of my eyes.

“Alright, here’s the deal. About twenty-three years ago, a mysterious homicide occurred in Anyin City. Two police officers were injured, and one was scared into insanity. But this murder case was never pursued further and never reached a conclusion.” Bao Qiang leaned slightly forward, trying to bore into me with his tiny eyes.

“Are you the Black Cat Detective? Why are your eyes so wide!” I glared back irritably. “I’ve absolutely never heard of such a case happening in Anyin City.”

“This is listed as one of China’s unsolvable paranormal cases over the years,” Xiao Cuo stated solemnly.

“Since the case is so famous, many people must have investigated it. They probably found nothing, otherwise, there wouldn’t be so much fanfare,” I said, though a flicker of interest sparked within me. What kind of case could drive a police officer to madness?