"Take a closer look at this," Zhang Jiewei said, handing me the two documents he'd retrieved from Ouyang Min's briefcase.

"What is it? Is there a problem?" I accepted the files, feeling a bit confused. I'd glanced at them earlier; they were just materials for two real estate companies. I knew Ouyang Min had investments in real estate, so finding these documents wasn't surprising on its own.

"Ouyang Min was supposed to be on a business trip to Liutaihe City, right?" Zhang Jiewei asked rhetorically.

"Yeah," I nodded, then began scrutinizing the documents again. If these files had prompted the usually taciturn Zhang Jiewei to speak so much, they must hold some significant clue or anomaly.

"Judging by the contents of these two documents, Ouyang Min was definitely planning to negotiate a partnership with these two real estate firms. But look closely at their addresses," Zhang Jiewei prompted, breaking off his analysis.

Hearing that, I focused my attention on the basic information for the two property developers. At first glance, nothing stood out, but a closer inspection revealed the inconsistency.

"Both of these real estate companies are based in Anyang City?" Even though the answer was plainly visible on the paperwork, I couldn't help but ask.

"Exactly," Zhang Jiewei confirmed with a nod. "And as far as I know, the operational scope for both companies is primarily within Anyang City limits. They haven't ventured into Liutaihe City yet."

"I don't understand what you guys are talking about..." Xiao Cuo mumbled, sounding both helpless and aggrieved, as if we had somehow pushed him into another dimension.

"Let me put it this way: Ouyang Min travels to Liutaihe City for business, but he only carries documents for real estate firms based in Anyang City. If you were Ouyang Min, would you do that?" I explained the situation to Xiao Cuo.

"I certainly wouldn't want to end up as miserably as he did," Xiao Cuo paled at the mere thought of Ouyang Min’s corpse.

I managed a wry smile, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted by the erratic nature of Xiao Cuo’s mind.

"It’s just a hypothesis," I added quickly.

"Maybe they felt the feng shui in Liutaihe City was better, suggesting a higher success rate for negotiations here, which is why they came?" Xiao Cuo offered a speculative counterpoint.

"Ha. If they were that superstitious, a wealthy man like Ouyang Min would have already moved to Liutaihe City instead of spending a fortune renovating his villa in Anyang," I retorted, silencing Xiao Cuo completely.

"We’ll know for sure once we question those two real estate companies," Zhang Jiewei stated calmly.

"If we’ve thought of it, we act. This task is yours," I said, handing the documents back to Zhang Jiewei. I trusted he wouldn't disappoint me with something this straightforward.

Zhang Jiewei offered no verbal reply, but his actions answered me. Watching him pull out his phone to make a call, I shifted my focus back to the pale purple handkerchief.

That faint scent still lingered in my mind. It wasn't jasmine, but it possessed a similar aromatic quality. At that moment, other than the jacaranda, I couldn't think of any other flower.

Wait! The scent. I remembered when we were investigating Wang Dong’s case; his wife, Xie Liying, had mentioned smelling a peculiar, jasmine-like odor on the night of Wang Dong’s death. I glanced again at the light purple cloth in my hand and suddenly felt certain this couldn't be mere coincidence.

Setting the handkerchief aside, I picked up Ouyang Min's wallet. It looked ordinary at first glance, but the feel of it in my hand was anything but. The cash and cards were all present, showing no signs of tampering. Opening the innermost, more concealed compartment, a five-inch photograph immediately caught my eye. The person in the picture sent a significant jolt through me. I had suspected she might be involved, but I hadn't anticipated the even more convoluted relationship concealed within.

"Handsome, phone call! Handsome, phone call!" My cell suddenly rang, drawing the attention of everyone nearby. Especially Xiao Cuo, whose lewd face was currently fixed on me with extreme contempt.

Seeing the caller ID, I answered the phone, utterly ignoring the surrounding scrutiny.

"You're quite the one, aren't you? You won't report anything unless I track you down?" Supervisor Jiang started off gruffly, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"I was just preparing the report, sir. I knew you'd call," I replied. Having grown accustomed to lax interactions with superiors at Liyuan Police Station, and due to Supervisor Jiang's 'unpredictable appearances,' I hadn't yet adjusted to having a new boss, and defaulted to my old conversational style.

"Not bad, saving on phone bills now, are we? Want to save on your salary too?" Supervisor Jiang's tone wasn't great, but he must not have been in a terrible mood today, or he wouldn't have the patience for jokes.

"Are you planning to cover my living expenses? Just to be clear, my sexual orientation is completely normal!" I shot back with a laugh. Cracking jokes with others always helped me relax and ease the pressure—though, perhaps I’d just aimed that one at the wrong target...

"Normal my foot! I meant saving the nation money!" A roar came through the receiver. Was it too late to retract my previous statement?

No, it was definitely... too late.

"Hurry up and report your situation! Don't think I can't touch you just because you left Anyang City. You'll end up back under my thumb sooner or later. I’ll send two thugs to make you cry!" Supervisor Jiang’s motivations were truly beyond the comprehension of common folk like us.

"Boss, I was wrong. You can save those two guys for Xiao Cuo; he’s far more desperate," I said with a sheepish grin, glancing at Xiao Cuo, whose face was currently cycling through red, yellow, and green lights like a malfunctioning traffic signal.

"Ahem... Boss, you're calling me now, so you must have gotten some intel from Gao Jianning. I received a mysterious email related to the case, and the sending IP was shielded using extremely sophisticated hacking techniques." Since he demanded a report, I decided to start from the beginning.

"Speak faster!" Supervisor Jiang seemed to be losing his patience.

"The key point is that I suspect Ouyang Min could very well be the next victim. That’s why we rushed to Liutaihe City overnight to find him, but when we did, there was only a corpse left. Furthermore, the hotel where Ouyang Min was staying was reduced to ashes in a raging fire shortly after his death, last night. We are currently at the Liutaihe City Public Security Bureau, preparing to transfer Ouyang Min's bizarre death case to us." While much was omitted, it summarized the events of the previous night reasonably well.

"Any leads?"

"Although Ouyang Min is dead, the trail hasn't gone cold. We’ve uncovered some interesting points and plan to continue the investigation." As I said this, I unconsciously adopted a more serious demeanor.

"That’s good. Get this case wrapped up quickly. Higher-ups are pressing. If another victim appears, you can all expect to be disbanded!" Supervisor Jiang didn't sound like he was joking when he said that. I had absolutely no doubt about the feasibility or likelihood of his threat.

"Understood!" The moment I replied, Supervisor Jiang hung up.

Before I could even pocket my phone, Zhang Jiewei was standing before me.

"Well?" I knew he must have been contacting those two real estate companies in Anyang while I was on the call with Supervisor Jiang. He must have the results by now.

"As expected," Zhang Jiewei’s concise four words conveyed most of what I needed to know.

"What do you mean?" Xiao Cuo asked, perhaps still clinging to his original theory.

"Both construction companies confirmed that Ouyang Min had indeed made contact with them and expressed interest in investing. However, the specific negotiation dates hadn't even been set yet—let alone any mention of a business trip to Liutaihe City," Zhang Jiewei explained coolly, maintaining his detached composure.

"Really?" Xiao Cuo still seemed reluctant to believe it.

"Yes," Zhang Jiewei nodded, continuing, "I also contacted Ouyang Min's company. His assistant confirmed that Ouyang Min was on vacation these past few days and had no scheduled trips."

"That makes it even more suspicious. Ouyang Min must have come to Liutaihe City for another reason." As I said this, my mind drifted to other matters. Wang Dong had also told his wife, Xie Liying, that he was meeting a client before his death, but we proved he had lied. As for Tao Jiahua, his wife was out when he died, leaving us with no way to know whom he met or what he did.

"Alright, you’ve both been up all night. Get some rest now, especially you, Zhang Jiewei. I don't want a tragedy caused by fatigue driving. If Xiao Cuo dies, fine, but I still need to enjoy my youth a bit longer!" I said this partly to ease the tension, and partly to ensure everyone was fresh for the known and unknown challenges ahead.

"Enjoy your youth? You’d be better off enjoying the thugs Supervisor Jiang has lined up for you..." Xiao Cuo muttered under his breath.

"What are you mumbling about?" Setting aside my excellent hearing, even if I were deaf, I could hear what Xiao Cuo said at this close range—though perhaps that’s a slight exaggeration.

"Hehe, I said Brother Lei, may your youth be eternally preserved!" Xiao Cuo chuckled obsequiously.

"That makes no sense," I glared at him. If I had known Xiao Cuo was sneakily substituting 'preserved' () with 'eaten away' (), I would have boiled and eaten him long ago. But I only found out the truth much later by chance.

Still, they were quick to follow my suggestion to rest. Both of them promptly found chairs in Officer Jiang's office and started dozing off. Unfortunately for me, the case handover required me to take on extra work. Officer Jiang was relentless; it wasn't until the sky had fully brightened that I managed to complete half of the paperwork.

Soon after, most of the office staff arrived. Xiao Cuo and Zhang Jiewei had to be summoned from their dreams to take over the remaining handover duties from me.

With the office bustling and noisy, the best option was clearly to retreat to the car for a proper sleep. If I could have a blissful dream, it would be worth not waking up at all.

The car was parked in the underground garage, and the soft lighting intensified my drowsiness. But just as I opened the door to slide in, I felt something hard pressing firmly against the back of my head. My heart immediately plummeted.

Oh, great heavens! I spoke too soon. I’d only just started making progress with Lan family's youngest sister; I certainly didn't want to die in my sleep now!

"Who are you? What do you want?" I asked, trying to sound composed. Since the person hadn't acted immediately, they must have a more specific objective.

The person remained silent, and the pressure on my skull did not ease in the slightest.

"Hey, buddy, that’s not cool of you. Pressing that thing against me—if it accidentally goes off, you'll spend the rest of your life paying for my worthless life. I doubt anyone in prison will tend to your 'desires,' right?" I spoke with forced casualness, hoping to distract them and find an opening.

It worked. The hard object retreated from the back of my head, but the subsequent elbow strike caught me off guard. However, this was the perfect opportunity. With lightning speed, I turned and struck, my fist whistling through the air. But before I could fully register the face of my assailant and retract my blow, the opponent, with a small, agile frame, deftly evaded my attack.

"It's you!" Seeing Lan Mei Mei's bright, almost innocent smile, I hadn't quite recovered my senses.

"Mhm? What, can't it be me?" Lan Mei Mei seemed unperturbed. "I didn't realize, Senior Brother, you’re quite skilled!"

"I was just bored, playing around with something like that. What if I had actually hurt you?" Although Lan Jinxuan was smiling, I couldn't manage a chuckle. I knew exactly how much force my punch carried; if Lan Jinxuan hadn't dodged in time, she would have been seriously injured.

"Senior Brother, don't forget what I used to do. Do you think I'd be so easily hurt?" Lan Jinxuan kept smiling, acting as if the close call meant nothing. But her fighting skill was certainly better than I had imagined.

"You still shouldn't play around with a gun like that," I grumbled. In my life, I hated nothing more than having a gun pointed at my head; it was no laughing matter.

Lan Jinxuan shrugged with a smile and tossed the object in her hand onto the ground. Damn it, it was just a piece of wood!

Seeing the mischievous little sister, I had nothing more to say, so I just shook my head and turned to get into the car.

"Are you waiting for me to drive?" Lan Jinxuan asked with a hint of coyness when she saw I wasn't opening the driver’s door.

"Why the sudden consideration?" Once inside, I reclined in the back seat, saying contentedly, "The front seat is Zhang Jiewei’s reserved spot. You’ll have to make do and squeeze in with me."

"By the way, where did those two go?" Lan Jinxuan asked, settling into the car and nudging me further inside.

"They naturally disappeared to create a world for just the two of us," I shifted slightly, making sure not to miss the chance to lean against Lan Mei Mei as I settled in for a nap.

"Always talking nonsense. You had action last night and didn't even notify me? Do you not consider me one of your own?" Although Lan Mei Mei complained, she didn't push me away from where I was leaning. She probably realized I’d been busy all night and deserved this brief rest.

"Please note, you are not 'one of ours'; you are... mine," After a night of tension and effort, teasing Lan Mei Mei now felt quite rewarding.

"You!"

Though I couldn't see her face, I was certain she was both embarrassed and annoyed. I knew that kid Gao Jianning's mouth was unreliable, but my only goal was to make sure she got a good sleep. After my teasing, Lan Mei Mei fell silent, likely truly shy. My own eyelids felt incredibly heavy. Finally having a chance to rest properly, I soon drifted into a deep sleep.

I slept soundly, deeply, as if in a very long dream. In it, a woman with a graceful figure stood beneath a tree, her silhouette mesmerizing. Although I couldn't see her face, her serene beauty held me captive. At first, I thought it was Lan Jinxuan, but as I walked closer, I noticed subtle differences in her physique. Even as I approached, her face remained indistinct, always blurry—the only clear features were her faint red lips and a slight smile. Drawn deeper by her beauty, even her breath seemed exquisite. Suddenly, a heavy, rich fragrance enveloped the air. A gust of wind blew, and petals drifted down. Taking one last look at the person before me, in that single glance, we were suddenly miles apart. In that final moment, her smile turned intensely seductive and bizarre. It felt as if I had been instantly hurled into hell, falling endlessly, until a swarm of centipede-like insects rushed toward me, almost submerging me. I gasped for air, my body convulsing, and then woke up.

Still unsettled, I nearly got a nosebleed right then and there...