The air was thick with choking smoke, and the searing light of the flames painted our faces, the merciless heat pressing against my skin.

Though I knew getting out of the car at a time like this was perilous, I couldn't remain seated. The sight of the burning building before us made me completely forget the mission at hand. Firefighters were swarming at the base of the structure. The people, lightly clad, seemed to have been evacuated in time and appeared unharmed, yet I couldn't shake the worry about everyone else inside the building.

"Brother Lei, what are you doing?" Xiao Cuo's voice snapped me out of my trance focused on the blaze.

"Oh, nothing, it’s just that the fire is burning so fiercely. I wonder if anyone is still trapped inside," I muttered, unable to keep the thought back. Such a massive fire—surely there would be casualties.

"If I died in there, that would be awful. Even as a ghost, I'd be charred black," Xiao Cuo shivered instantly at the thought. "Just thinking about it is too much; a disfigured ghost wouldn't even get a second look from a female spirit."

"You rascal, perhaps you'd only attract a female spirit after you’re disfigured," I chuckled, ignoring Xiao Cuo's lewd expression. I turned back to Zhang Jiewei in the car, knowing we couldn't waste time here. "See if there's any way around this. We need to get to Jingfeng Road urgently."

"There's no way around. This is Jingfeng Road," Zhang Jiewei replied, his gaze fixed on the sea of flames. "And the building on fire is number 153 Jingfeng Road—the Mor Ted Hotel, where Ouyang Min is staying."

"What!"

Xiao Cuo and I both gasped simultaneously. Zhang Jiewei always delivered the unexpected. The Mor Ted Hotel was right in the middle of this inferno! Where was Ouyang Min now? Was he inside the fire, or outside of it?

My heart hammered against my ribs. I burst from the car again and plunged into the crowd ahead, frantically searching for a familiar face matching Ouyang Min's.

I weaved through the throng but couldn't catch sight of that specific face. Firefighters were busy directing the public, and my sudden appearance seemed to disrupt their work.

"Sir, please follow the staff to a safe area," someone resembling an aid worker grabbed my arm.

"Excuse me, have all the occupants been evacuated?" I was desperate for an answer. Ouyang Min was the only person I currently knew who could help me solve this case, and beyond that... I truly didn't want him to become the next victim.

"Sir, please don't rush. Could you move to our temporary reception point? We will confirm the headcount as soon as possible." While the worker showed a flicker of understanding for my distress, ensuring I didn't interfere with their operations was clearly his priority.

"Fine," I relented, deciding not to press further. Now, all I could do was pray that Ouyang Min was alright. If he had escaped, I might find him at the temporary site.

With that thought, I returned to the car. Xiao Cuo and Zhang Jiewei had already stepped out. Seeing their questioning looks, I offered no explanation, only stating anxiously, "Let's follow them to the temporary reception area. It will be easier to find Ouyang Min once we get there."

Xiao Cuo and Zhang Jiewei both nodded, and we joined the main flow of people heading toward the reception point.

Parking our vehicle outside the designated area, the three of us located a hotel employee.

"Hello, we are investigators from the Special Investigation Division of the Anyang City Public Security Bureau. We need to locate someone here, so we require your cooperation," Despite the chaos of this unexpected fire, my mood was sour, but considering the staff member was an incredibly attractive woman, my tone remained as gentle as ever.

"Certainly, who are you looking for?" The beautiful hotel staff member was remarkably calm.

"Ouyang Min. He was staying at your hotel tonight." Saying the name filled me with immediate dread.

"Ouyang Min?" The woman’s expression shifted to one of surprise, as if the name was familiar.

"Do you know him?" Her reaction made me suspect there was more to the story, perhaps something connected to my investigation—though it was only a gut feeling.

"He is not here now," the hotel staff member confirmed decisively, though her demeanor was anything but relaxed.

"Not here?" Had Ouyang Min truly perished in the blaze? If so, fate was cruelly toying with me. "Was he inside the hotel and didn't escape?"

"No, no... he's not in there either," seeing my agitation, the woman hastily clarified.

"That’s a relief,"

Hearing that answer, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. As long as Ouyang Min was safe, that was what mattered. But the information Gao Jianning gave me should have been accurate. Could it be that Ouyang Min left the hotel after our call and thus avoided this fire?

"Did he tell you where he was going? We must find him quickly." I pressed, realizing that if Ouyang Min was alone outside, his danger level had significantly increased. We knew nothing about what 'that thing' behind this case intended to do or what its goal was.

"Well..." The staff member grew tense, as if discussing a topic she dreaded. "I think you won't be seeing him."

"How is that possible? Isn't he outside the burning hotel building?" I didn't grasp her meaning, and my anxiety spiked again.

"His body was collected by the police this evening. I'm afraid you'll need to visit the Liutaihe City Public Security Bureau." The woman said this with noticeable hesitation.

"Body! How can he be a body? I spoke with him just a few hours ago!" The word 'body' grated on my ears. I had just spoken to Ouyang Min, and now he was a corpse?

"I truly am not lying to you. This evening, the hotel suddenly sounded the fire alarm, and it turned out Mr. Ouyang Min had caught fire in the hallway. The fire was intense; by the time we reached him, he was just a charred corpse. I still feel terrified thinking about it!" The staff member looked genuinely frightened, even panicked. "Although the fire was only in the hallway and had been put out, we never expected this massive fire tonight. If we hadn't evacuated in time, many of us would have burned alive."

Hearing her account, I turned back to Xiao Cuo and Zhang Jiewei in disbelief; they looked equally stunned. This sequence of events was simply incredible. If these things weren't connected, I'd eat my hat!

"We kept quiet about what happened in the hotel; thankfully, Mr. Ouyang Min died in the hallway where few people pass, so no guests knew. We called the police, and they took his body away. The room he was staying in has also been sealed by the police," the staff member continued. It seemed that after everything she’d witnessed today, she felt comfortable confiding only in us.

"Do you still have surveillance footage of when Ouyang Min died? Has the cause been determined? What is the police currently saying? How could this fire happen?" My mind was reeling from the sudden shock, and I hadn't stopped to consider the woman's current state.

"Sir, I apologize, you asked too many questions at once; I didn't know how to react," the staff member replied sheepishly.

"Oh, right, sorry. Take your time answering. Let's start with the surveillance footage." My head was already throbbing.

"The hallway surveillance footage was taken by our Liutaihe City police. As for the rest, it’s likely destroyed by the fire now. None of us at the hotel know why Mr. Ouyang Min caught fire." The staff member paused, waiting for my next inquiry.

"And the cause of this accident? Has it been investigated?" I had no time left for contemplation; it felt like everything had spun off its original track.

"Sir, the fire isn't even out yet! How could we investigate the cause? Besides, that's a police matter. How would I, a simple hotel worker, know?" The staff member sounded slightly irritated. Being interrogated like a suspect by me continuously must have been unpleasant for anyone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't consider that. With a fire this large, weren't there any early warnings? Someone must have noticed! And the fire alarm—didn't it work when Ouyang Min died?" Though I hated pushing her so hard, my emotions were spiraling beyond my control.

"The blaze in the main building started at night. We don't know why the fire alarm didn't sound then. It must have broken down, otherwise, the flames wouldn't have spread to this extent," the staff member mused, realizing the strangeness of the situation herself. The fire was too peculiar.

Unusual. First, a fire this massive couldn't start without reason. Second, the alarm system was working perfectly when Ouyang Min died, yet shortly after, it inexplicably failed. The inferno consumed the entire structure, and any evidence related to the case was likely reduced to ash. Connecting everything I'd experienced these last few days, I had every reason to believe there was an extremely tight link between these events, and someone was orchestrating it all from the shadows.

"I see. Thank you. What is your name? Could I have your contact information? If there are further questions, I hope you can assist us," I needed clarification. Right now, the case was the only thing on my mind; I certainly wasn't going to use this as an opportunity to get a pretty girl's number!

"Sun Xiaomeng. Here is my number." As she spoke, the staff member picked up the pen she used for the ledger and jotted down the details on a slip of paper, which she handed to me.

"Thanks!" I took the slip, glanced at it, and tucked it into my pocket.

"We need to head to the Liutaihe City Public Security Bureau immediately and find out the situation from the local police," I turned and said to Xiao Cuo and Zhang Jiewei.

"Okay, let's go now." Xiao Cuo responded, while Zhang Jiewei was already heading out—truly the most capable driver among us.

Xiao Cuo and I followed Zhang Jiewei. After only a few steps, I looked back at the hotel staff member named Sun Xiaomeng. She was sitting calmly at her post, absorbed in her work, as if our conversation had never taken place.

Walking along, I tried to piece together these sudden revelations. First and foremost was the mystery of Ouyang Min spontaneously combusting in the hallway. I pulled out my phone and checked my call log: the record showed my conversation with Ouyang Min concluded at 11:40 PM that night. But according to Sun Xiaomeng, Ouyang Min had died that evening. Which meant... who was the person I spoke to on the phone?

Ouyang Min was dead, yet someone had taken his phone and impersonated him for a call! That person who called me...

Wait!

Something was wrong!

I immediately dialed Gao Jianning, waiting anxiously for him to pick up.

"You brat, didn't I tell you to be on standby? Why are you so slow! Quickly check where Ouyang Min is now—no, check where Ouyang Min's phone is!" I never minced words with Gao Jianning; he always needed a good yelling-at before he'd listen properly.

"Yes!" Startled by my harsh tone, the kid finally stopped dawdling and replied crisply. Then I heard the distinct sound of frantic keyboard tapping over the line.

"Report! Ouyang Min’s—no, Ouyang Min's phone is within a hundred-meter radius of your current location!" Less than a minute later, Gao Jianning’s response crackled through, his voice and volume matching mine perfectly.

"One hundred meters!" I knew the distance couldn't be vast, but I hadn't expected it to be this close.

If nothing was mistaken, the person currently holding Ouyang Min's phone was the mastermind behind all this! Even if not the planner, they were certainly deeply connected to the shadowy figure pulling the strings. One hundred meters. I glanced back at the temporary reception area behind me; the visual estimate confirmed it was almost exactly that distance!

"Keep tracking, report the distance between me and the target constantly!" I said, turning and sprinting back toward the temporary reception point. After a few steps, I stopped and turned to Xiao Cuo and Zhang Jiewei. "You two split up and cover the perimeter of the reception area. Watch for any suspicious individuals entering or leaving."

Then, while walking, I kept the phone pressed to my ear. "Is the direction right? How far?"

"Correct, getting closer! Eighty-five meters!"

Gao Jianning's reply sent a jolt of excitement through me. This felt like the first time since taking on this baffling case that I was this close to the truth.

The direction was correct; the target was almost certainly inside the temporary reception area.

"Now?"

"Sixty meters!"

"Fifty meters!"

"Thirty meters!"

"Ten meters!"

My heart hammered faster. As I walked, my eyes scanned the people milling about the reception area, knowing my target was hidden among them.

"No! The target is moving! Twenty meters now!" Gao Jianning sounded genuinely urgent.

"Which way?" I spun around quickly, observing the interior of the reception area, looking for any suspicious movement.

"Eight o'clock direction."

Following Gao Jianning’s instruction, I quickly identified the bearing. The moment I turned, a fleeting glimpse of a figure swiftly slipping out of the reception area caught my peripheral vision.

"The target is accelerating their movement!" Gao Jianning’s voice pierced my ear.

"Damn it!" I cursed softly and gave chase immediately.

"Left turn!"

"Right turn at the next intersection!"

I had no time to think; I could only follow Gao Jianning’s directions forward. The only thing I was certain of was the distinct sound of high heels. Moving that fast in heels meant the person was not ordinary.

"The target is increasing speed; it looks like they've gotten into a car!" Gao Jianning’s voice grew frantic.

I increased my pace, rounded the corner, and indeed saw a black van speeding away in the distance. The disparity in skill forced me to abandon the chase. I could only say into the phone, "Keep tracking that phone signal and report to me constantly..."

At that exact moment, something struck the back of my head. The moment the pain registered, my vision went black, and I lost consciousness immediately.