I sat before the screen, watching the ceaseless flashing dots of light, my mind unable to escape the nightmare, filled with dread. Half of my dream was real, and though I desperately tried to push it into the realm of fantasy, that was not mine to command. I feared that when reality finally confronted me, I would be unable to bear it, just as I had trapped myself in the dream.

In the early morning, while I was still exhausted and preparing to lie down on the sofa for a short rest, a message suddenly came through from Gao Jianning: he had found Lan Jinxuan in the surveillance footage from Gu Hengming’s modeling agency!

Now, events had escalated beyond my wildest imagining. My sleepiness vanished. I woke Zhang Jiewei, threw on my coat, and we raced toward the police station.

Arriving at the station, I saw that Gao Jianning’s eyes were swollen; it seemed he had also been awake all night. I clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ve worked hard.”

Gao Jianning pointed to the screen. “This is the footage I pulled last night after hacking into the modeling agency’s system. Look, there’s Lan Jinxuan!”

The screen was not perfectly clear, but Xiao Xuan’s figure was already deeply etched into my memory. I recognized her at a glance. She looked as if she were drunk, moving forward blankly.

I checked the time—it was 4:31 PM yesterday!

What in the world was going on?

At that exact time, we were searching the entire city for her, yet she had ended up at Gu Hengming’s modeling agency. It was like an alien craft entering Earth while we were the interstellar search party.

But this was no time for rambling speculation. Zhang Jiewei and I immediately rushed to the modeling agency. On the way over, I had already decided: I would dig three feet into the earth if necessary to find Xiao Xuan, even if it meant literally doing so.

Gu Hengming was dead, but the modeling agency continued to operate normally because he wasn't the sole investor. After his death, another investor, Shen Ming, had taken over completely.

Entering the office, I spoke no pleasantries. I went straight to the current boss, Shen Ming, inserted the USB drive, and displayed the footage, asking sternly, “Where is this?”

Shen Ming was a middle-aged man, short, with unnervingly shiny hair. His face suggested a man habitually indulging in pleasures, puffy and worn. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He wiped it away. “I only officially took over today; Hengming managed everything before. You’ll have to ask the security chief about this.” With that, he made a call.

A moment later, a large, overweight man walked in. Judging by his look, he carried a distinct air of menace.

“Kang Jiayou, take a look. What place in the company is this?”

Kang Jiayou was the modeling agency’s head of security. He stepped up to the computer, glanced at the screen, and spoke with a Shandong accent in Mandarin, “This is the corridor leading to the underground warehouse. Is there a problem?”

I was about to speak, but Zhang Jiewei cut in, “Look closely. This female officer on the screen—did you see her with your own eyes yesterday?”

Kang Jiayou leaned closer, then shook his head. “No memory of her. If I had seen her, I would certainly remember. We don’t see many female officers here.”

At this point, Zhang Jiewei brought up a question that had been bothering us: “Why can’t we see her in any of the other surveillance feeds? How did she get there?”

We expected this question to give the respondent pause, but Kang Jiayou was clearly a competent security chief. He answered immediately, “Because there is a side door there that allows direct access.”

Zhang Jiewei glanced at me, then said, “Take us there.”

We passed a crowd of wildly dressed men and women, and Kang Jiayou led us down a staircase that descended into a straight passageway. I recognized it instantly as the corridor where Xiao Xuan had appeared. A strange nervousness began to build in my chest. Would Xiao Xuan suddenly appear at the end of this passage?

Was my dream truly just a dream?

After walking several meters forward, Kang Jiayou pushed aside a covering, and a strong shaft of light flooded in.

“This doorway was installed for easier access when moving items in and out of the warehouse,” Kang Jiayou announced with a booming voice.

I looked outside. People were bustling everywhere, traffic flowed heavily—it was a busy side street, yet vehicles seemed to pass through without issue.

Xiao Xuan walked in here. Did she arrive by car, or on foot?

Kang Jiayou continued, “This door is normally kept locked; it can’t be opened from the outside. There’s a deadbolt inside. If items are being moved, perhaps the door was forgotten when it was closed. I imagine that female officer must have entered that way.”

As he spoke, he pulled the door shut again. The light dimmed, and a sudden wave of panic washed over me.

At the end of the corridor was a sheet-metal door—and it wasn’t even locked. I lunged forward and shoved the warehouse door open. The space was about seventy square meters, cluttered with all sorts of disorganized items, much of it obscured from view.

I practically sprinted to the center, shouting, “Xiao Xuan! Xiao Xuan!” Zhang Jiewei quickly circled the entire perimeter of the warehouse.

No one!

I immediately turned to Zhang Jiewei. “Let’s get back fast. We need to check the surveillance on this area; we might find a clue.” I threw a business card to the security chief. “Call me if you find anything.”

We rushed back to the station. As the car passed through the main gate, Old Chen in the guardhouse suddenly called out, “Officer Wang, there’s a letter for you.”

After parking, Zhang Jiewei went straight up. I went to the guardhouse, where Old Chen handed me a white envelope with blue trim. I found it odd. We were deep into the digital age; very few people sent letters anymore, except for formal documents or contracts. Yet, I held a genuine piece of mail.

For some unknown reason, my hand trembled. A sense of ill foreboding began to spread, creeping over my entire body.

I carefully opened the envelope to find a single sheet of white paper, folded once. I pulled it out and unfolded it. On the clean white surface was a line of stark black, printed text: Stop the investigation, or she dies!

A thunderclap burst directly over my head. I nearly cried out. This was written by the killer himself, directly to me. Xiao Xuan was in his hands, and those few innocent lives had also been destroyed by him!

The person I had been agonizing over for so long had finally revealed himself, making his first intimate contact with me through coercion!

But none of that mattered right now. What mattered most was that Xiao Xuan was not the mole!

The fact that the killer was using her to blackmail me proved her innocence.

In that moment, a strange relief washed over me. I could fight to get the free Xiao Xuan back, but if her honor was lost, no one could help her.

My hands began to shake. Old Chen asked, “Officer Wang, what’s wrong?”

I quickly stuffed the letter into my pocket. “Nothing, nothing,” I mumbled, then fled into the station like a thief.

Zhang Jiewei was already reviewing the surveillance recordings from the back street near the modeling agency. Xiao Cuo, having slept well last night, voluntarily joined our operation, allowing Zhang Jiewei and me to take shifts resting. In that moment, I felt a sliver of warmth. Despite the minor frictions we sometimes had with colleagues, everyone took care of each other when real trouble struck.

I hesitated for a long time whether to tell everyone, but ultimately decided secrecy was best for now. The killer had warned me off, so making it public was unwise. However, I certainly had to report it to Director Jiang so he could mobilize full resources to rescue a loyal officer.

Time ticked by, but our search yielded no progress. The street behind the modeling agency was a maze of intersecting routes, yet the surveillance points were painfully few. If Xiao Xuan had been traveling by car, finding any clue here would be nearly impossible.

Still, I couldn't understand why she would walk alone into the agency’s underground warehouse only to disappear mysteriously afterward. What bizarre, terrifying events had transpired with her?

Before I knew it, it was afternoon. Just as everyone was losing hope, Director Jiang called. He informed me that due to heavy workload at the Special Operations Office, higher-ups had decided to transfer Feng Siyan from Criminal Investigation Unit Four to assist us.

Hearing this news gave me a massive headache. First, Gao Jianning had been mooning over Feng Siyan for ages; now that his goddess was suddenly beside him, how could the boy possibly focus on work? Second, Feng Siyan was from Unit Four. She might turn out to be a mole, and wouldn't all our secrets at the Special Operations Office be spilled to that Hong Yang kid?

This was deliberately adding chaos! Of course, I dared not voice this to Director Jiang; I could only curse him silently thirty million times.

“Handsome guy, answer the phone! Handsome guy, answer the phone!”

The damned phone rang again—an unknown number. I answered to hear a voice speaking Mandarin with a Shandong accent: “I’m looking for Officer Wang Lei.”

I didn’t immediately recall who this was. “This is he. Who is this?”

“This is Kang Jiayou. Do you remember me?”

Ah, the head of security from the modeling agency—I’d only seen him this morning. Did he have news?

“Officer Wang, I remembered something. Yesterday afternoon, when I was walking around outside, I saw a silver-white Citroen parked at the mouth of the side street. Cars usually don't stop there, only ones unfamiliar with the area occasionally do. The time that Citroen was parked perfectly matches the time stamp when that female officer appeared on the surveillance feed. I don’t know if this information is useful to you.”

I was overjoyed! The target had narrowed down to a Citroen sedan. Though many such cars existed on the market, it was still a glimmer of hope.

However, out of professional habit, I asked, “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

Kang Jiayou stammered for a long moment before replying, “I, I just remembered just now, so I told you.”

Suspicion immediately took root in my mind. Was that the truth?

I recalled that he had said the door was bolted from the inside and couldn't be opened from the outside. Why was Xiao Xuan so coincidentally near the door when it was open? If someone had left the door ajar beforehand, the situation would be easily explained. And if there was such a person, Kang Jiayou, as security chief, was undoubtedly the prime suspect.

Perhaps he couldn't bear the pressure of having a police officer kidnapped and decided to confess voluntarily?

My thoughts didn't stop there; I delved deeper: If he was cracking under the pressure of kidnapping an officer, why did his demeanor this morning seem so naturally fluid, showing no signs of tension? Why the sudden change in attitude?

Suddenly, a realization struck me: Perhaps we were close to the truth, and he was acting under orders, deliberately throwing us a smokescreen to distract us? Furthermore, the reason Xiao Xuan went to Gu Hengming’s modeling agency might also be related to this—she could have been blackmailed into appearing there alone, specifically to focus our attention on Gu Hengming...

Once I grasped all this, I suddenly saw a ray of light—the very reason the killer risked sending me a letter as a warning.

Now that the light appeared, I faced a brutal choice: The killer had warned me off. Should I continue the investigation, or heed his warning and drop it?

The duty of a police officer compelled me to catch the real culprit, but that faint thread of romantic attachment, like fleeting smoke from willow blossoms, muddled my resolve, leaving me torn between advancing and retreating.

Finally, I made a judicious choice: feign compliance while secretly pressing on. Since the adversary knew our movements so well, and Xiao Xuan wasn't the mole, I believed there must be another hidden person who was fully aware of my actions.

I dialed Director Jiang’s number and reported the situation truthfully.

On the other end, Director Jiang was silent for a long while, then said, “Alright, I approve your resignation as team leader. Zhang Jiewei will take over temporarily. I hope you can find Lan Jinxuan quickly.” He added, “But this alone isn’t enough. We need to go all the way. The next steps will depend on what you demonstrate, but don't overdo it, or Zhang Jiewei won't be able to carry out his work.”

I repeatedly assured him, “Understood, don't worry!”

A heavy weight suddenly seemed lifted from my chest, whether from relinquishing a post I never wanted or for some other reason, I wasn't sure.

Soon after, Director Jiang appeared at the Special Operations Office with a somber expression. Xiao Cuo and the others were unaccustomed to seeing him look like he didn't belong there.

But Director Jiang showed no discomfort. He had everyone sit down and then stated gravely, “Lately, this city has suffered a string of murders, public order has severely deteriorated, and citizens are buzzing. But the Special Operations Office, touted as the vanguard of crime solving, has achieved nothing. As the director of this office, I feel deeply ashamed, and as the on-site commander—Wang Lei—you bear undeniable responsibility. After organizational review, I now announce the removal of Comrade Wang Lei as acting team leader. Comrade Zhang Jiewei will assume the role, effective tomorrow. Now, comrades, if you have anything to say, please speak up.”

Everyone found this surprising. They believed that with Xiao Xuan missing, my burden should be heaviest and my injury deepest; to be removed as leader at this juncture seemed particularly insensitive. If they knew I had requested the resignation myself, I’d probably be drowned in public scorn. But I certainly wouldn't reveal it; Director Jiang could take the blame for me for now—after all, they rarely saw him more than twice a week anyway.

Regarding this leadership transition, Zhang Jiewei remained as composed as ever, as if the team leader position had always been his, and I had merely held it for him briefly. Upon taking charge, he immediately made corresponding adjustments to the entire investigation strategy. To me, these changes seemed insignificant, only emphasizing my loss of authority, and my lack of will or strength to pursue the Ou Jinglan murder cases any further.

Gao Jianning, however, seemed displeased. He said, “Director, may I say a few words?”

Director Jiang nodded. “Speak!”

“I believe Comrade Zhang Jiewei is unsuitable as team leader. He is arbitrary and habitually withdrawn, not good at communicating with colleagues. How can such a person lead a team to solve cases and achieve success? Furthermore, I believe the investigation is only now entering a substantive phase; we cannot entirely blame Comrade Wang Lei. We must remember that the people from Criminal Investigation Unit Four are also fully engaged in this case, and they haven't reached a conclusion either. Therefore, I suggest Comrade Wang Lei continue as team leader.”

Under normal circumstances, Gao Jianning’s words would have moved me to tears of gratitude. But now, I genuinely wanted to jump up and slap him twice.

Then, Xiao Cuo, usually the more talkative one, chimed in, “I firmly support the organization's decision, but Comrade Gao Jianning is voicing what I also feel. Personally, I believe changing commanders right as the case reaches its climax is a very ominous sign.” This guy, an expert in paranormal phenomena, actually brought up inauspicious signs in a police meeting. In any other department, that single sentence might have gotten him into serious trouble.

At this point, a wave of emotion washed over me. I hadn't expected colleagues who usually didn't pay much attention to me to defend me at such a crucial moment. Perhaps my tenure as leader wasn't a total failure after all! Conversely, Zhang Jiewei’s expression soured slightly, but he was a man of iron heart; a few sharp words were mere drizzle to him.

Director Jiang listened silently to everyone’s statements, then said, “Comrades, you are still young. Solving cases is not done with smooth talk; it’s done with real ability. Comrade Zhang Jiewei was an experienced criminal investigator before joining the Special Operations Office. You must cooperate fully with his work and absolutely do not cause trouble, or I will not be lenient. Of course, if he fails to produce results later, I will remove him too, and then I’ll let you all take turns as team leader.”

Gao Jianning let out a sharp exclamation. “Director, please spare me! I’d rather die than be team leader. I can barely manage my own affairs, let alone oversee others. Tweaking computers—that’s my specialty.”

Xiao Cuo, with his gossipy mouth, was clearly not the type eager for a promotion, so he quickly raised his hand in surrender and said no more. Feng Siyan, being only temporarily assigned, naturally sat quietly without uttering a word from beginning to end.

Director Jiang looked at his subordinates with satisfaction, then clapped Zhang Jiewei on the shoulder. “Jiewei, do a good job. Don’t disappoint me.”

Zhang Jiewei immediately snapped his heels together and gave a crisp salute, saying in a strong voice, “I will absolutely not betray the organization’s trust!”

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