"Bao Qiang, isn't that right? If we had treated this case as a regular criminal investigation from the start, he wouldn't have been spending all his time buried in the archives, and wouldn't have been so easily taken advantage of." Fu Zhen’s words offered no quarter.

Although Fu Zhen’s assertion felt strained, it held a kernel of truth. If the 'Grim Reaper' case had been handled as a standard criminal matter, it certainly wouldn't have fallen to Xiao Cuo, and he wouldn't be dead.

But what about anyone else?

The 'Grim Reaper' case had already led to the murder of the church priest, and now Xiao Cuo was dead because of it. I suspected that no matter who else took the case, the same result would occur—they would be hunted down by the 'Grim Reaper.'

A chilling thought suddenly struck me: Could Xiao Cuo really have been killed by the 'Grim Reaper'?

Since the source of the ignition device has yet to be confirmed, if Wang Xuyang isn't the arsonist either, then the origin of the fire source is deeply mysterious—precisely the kind of thing the 'Grim Reaper' excels at.

Thinking this through, I couldn't discern right from wrong; the shadow of the 'Grim Reaper' enveloped me completely, stealing my breath.

A black shadow slowly crept out, settling soundlessly onto the ceiling, watching everyone below. The moment anyone became isolated, it would immediately pounce, killing them in increasingly bizarre ways.

I felt a bone-deep chill, so I quickly took a few sips of the tea I had prepared for Lord Jiang, which was the only thing that made me feel tethered to the real world.

Just then, Fu Zhen suddenly said, "You don't seriously believe the archives arson case was a supernatural event, do you?"

Lord Jiang shot him a fierce glare, just as Hong Yang interjected, "Uncle Jiang, I know you rarely understand me, but I still have to say this: there are no gods or ghosts in this world."

Lord Jiang paused, then let out a long sigh before saying, "If that's the case, I will file the report immediately and hand all these cases over to your department."

Just as Fu Zhen was about to speak, Lord Jiang suddenly added, "However, I know your petty schemes, don't think you can fool me. When you climb up the ladder, feel free to seek revenge against me—I'll be waiting anytime!"

Fu Zhen made a peculiar face, glanced at me, and lowered his voice, "What are you talking about? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Lord Jiang snorted, neither confirming nor denying it.

I thought Lord Jiang, having known Fu Zhen for decades, should understand him, but Fu Zhen certainly didn't look like the type to stab someone in the back.

Still, you can never truly know a person. There’s an old saying: 'It's easy to draw a tiger’s skin but hard to draw its bones; you can know a man’s face but not his heart.' It rings true.

Shifting back to the issue at hand, Lord Jiang handing over the 'Grim Reaper' and related cases made me uneasy. I worried that if the 'Grim Reaper' was truly active, Criminal Investigation Team Four would be in grave danger.

I have absolutely no fondness for Team Four, but they are still colleagues. I couldn't just watch them jump into a fire pit. So, I said, "Gentlemen, the cases are at a critical juncture. A last-minute change in command is not a good thing."

Both men turned to look at me simultaneously, as did Hong Yang, as if I had spontaneously materialized from the earth. Considering I had been sitting right here, listening to every word they said, how could they suddenly pretend not to know me? Were they planning to silence me next?

Ignoring their reaction, I continued, "The situation is complex, escalating, and intricately linked. I personally believe we shouldn't make any adjustments now; it’s better to wait until we have some clearer direction."

Fu Zhen suddenly chuckled. "I didn't realize you kids wanted power more than I do."

I pursed my lips. "I’m doing everything I can to avoid office, but official luck keeps chasing me. How can I refuse it when it’s thrust upon me?"

This remark was a bit jarring; I intended it partly to give Lord Jiang some support. Seeing his dispirited state, I could hardly believe this was the same decisive Lord Jiang from before. Honestly, it made me feel terrible.

Fu Zhen was indeed momentarily stunned by my words, and Lord Jiang’s complexion improved slightly. He gave me a look heavy with unspoken meaning. I immediately understood it as encouragement, so I adopted an air of confidence, ready for a head-to-head clash with Fu Zhen.

"Good, very good, you have guts," Fu Zhen praised me repeatedly, which made me uneasy. I knew this man was not easy to deal with; he could easily set a trap for me, just like during the 'Great Debate' last time, where I died without even knowing I was dead.

Seeing that he looked ready to debate again, I immediately conceded gracefully. "Of course, this is just my personal suggestion; whether you adopt it is entirely up to you two leaders."

"Adopt it? You said it so well, why wouldn't we adopt it?"

Fu Zhen’s reply left me utterly bewildered and suddenly quite frightened. I truly couldn't see what I had said that was so good, other than outright contrarianism. Was he simply going along with the flow, or had he figured something out and intended to throw me directly into the 'Grim Reaper's' jaws?

Indeed, Fu Zhen opened his mouth: "As you suggest, we'll split the work. The cases concerning Changqing Road and the church go to you, and we'll take the other two."

"No!" I blurted out. "Xiao Cuo's case must be handled by the Special Agent Office!"

Xiao Cuo? Fu Zhen looked confused. Hong Yang explained, "That's the police officer who died in the archives fire, originally named Bao Qiang."

Fu Zhen's face changed suddenly, and he barked, "Who do you think you are, speaking to me like that? When I was bleeding and dying for this country, you were still drinking milk! Stand aside and keep quiet!"

I froze, surprised that he would explode like that immediately, without any pretense or softening his tone, launching a direct attack.

At that moment, Lord Jiang suddenly spoke up. "Fu Zhen, stop acting like a bully trying to scare someone. Wang Lei is the team leader, the second-in-command, in the Special Agent Office. Why can't he speak?"

It seemed Lord Jiang had been held back by Fu Zhen for some reason, leading to his suppressed frustration earlier. Since my current issue had nothing to do with those old conflicts, he seized the opportunity to strike back at Fu Zhen for my sake.

Fu Zhen’s eyes flickered, and he said, "Does what he says represent your words? Does it count?"

Lord Jiang snorted and declared loudly, "Of course, it counts! Do you think just anyone can join the Special Agent Office? Let me tell you, every single one of them is capable of leading on their own!"

Hearing this, I felt a secret joy. Ever since I joined the Special Agent Office, Lord Jiang had always treated us with shouts and intimidation; he never showed a good face. Now, he was praising us as if we were blossoming flowers. Even knowing it was just talk to save face, I still felt pleased.

Fu Zhen looked between Lord Jiang and me, then smiled slightly. "Fine, we'll do as you say. We'll swap. The rental building and archives cases go to you, and the other two stay with us."

I answered without hesitation, "Deal! It's settled!"

The moment the words left my mouth, I felt a sense of being tricked. This man must have planned this all along—to seize the two cases categorized as 'mysterious.' He must have used a small trick, and I fell right into the trap without thinking.

Lord Jiang’s earlier statement about giving all the cases to Team Four was clearly said out of anger; even if reported to the Bureau Chief, it wouldn't be approved. But now, things were different. By splitting the four cases, with Team One taking two, the Bureau would surely agree as long as the two teams consented internally.

A master strategist, truly a master!

In casual conversation, he secured the lead roles for two cases. The Special Agent Office, which was originally subordinate, was now on equal footing with Team Four. Furthermore, Fu Zhen achieved his personal goal: rendering Lord Jiang's superstitious beliefs baseless and without ground to stand on.

Then, Fu Zhen said, "Xiaoyang, use the computer here and draft the report immediately. Director Jiang and I will sign and seal it right away, then submit it to the Chief for approval."

Everything was being handled methodically, with sharp and practiced skill, leaving the opponent no opening. It seemed I had been thoroughly outmaneuvered this time.

And just like that, two major cases were handed over to Criminal Investigation Team Four for free. Yesterday they were trailing behind us, and today they stood tall, becoming our competitors.

Afterward, I offered Lord Jiang a sincere self-critique. Fortunately, he was a reasonable leader in this regard; he accepted responsibility without shifting blame, though he proceeded to curse Fu Zhen thoroughly and warned all of us never to speak to anyone from Team Four again, especially Fu Zhen—we should cross the street to avoid him.

Wang Xuyang was present when he said this, but Lord Jiang wasn't worried about him relaying the message; perhaps he wanted the message to reach Fu Zhen's ears.

Returning home that evening, I was deeply agitated. I watched television for a while before abruptly shutting it off. Then I noticed the eighteen cards still lying on the table. To unravel the tangled mess in my mind, I began to examine them.

I suddenly noticed that some card edges had a small protruding bump, while others had a small indentation. Upon closer inspection, corresponding sides each had one bump and one groove.

Was this merely a design, or did it signify something else?

A flash of insight hit me—I remembered the foam interlocking floor tiles children play with. Could these things be assembled like that?

What would appear if they were completed?

I recalled receiving a strange email after solving the Qi Wan and Li Shaojing case at the flower shop. That email was signed 'Lan Jinxuan.' I had always suspected there was a deeper, hidden killer in the Brain-Eating series, someone manipulating Qi Wan to orchestrate the murders.

I always believed Qi Wan was an exceptionally clever woman; she couldn't have failed to notice that person's presence, so she must have left some clue. After she and Li Shaojing committed suicide by fire, I thoroughly searched the flower shop for related clues, but found nothing. I remembered turning over almost every item, but I hadn't seen these small cards hanging from the Jacaranda tree. Therefore, if she had left anything behind, it must be among these eighteen cards.

Of course, there was another possibility: first, I was overly suspicious, and no hidden killer existed; second, Qi Wan knew about this person and chose self-immolation to protect 'him.'

Only by fully unlocking the secret of the cards could I know the actual situation. If there was no secret, everything was baseless speculation; if there was one, I would bring the true culprit to justice.

The moment I recalled the scene of the last two people being consumed by fire, a cold dread ran through me. This woman shared something in common with You Qiaolin: ruthlessness not just toward others, but toward herself as well. It was as if life, for them, was merely a chip in a game, regardless of whose it was.

But I couldn't be like that. I feared even watching a living person die. This had been apparent before, but it became especially pronounced after Xiao Xuan left.

However, I also knew that in my line of work, I often had to face the threat of death head-on.

My current focus was the archives arson-murder case. No matter the cost, I had to avenge Xiao Cuo. Yet, these eighteen cards held a kind of strange magic, deeply attracting me, compelling me to continue down this path.

Composing myself, I began randomly piecing the eighteen cards together, only to find it impossible. Though the bumps and grooves were small, they each had a specific size; if mismatched, the connection would feel too loose or too tight.

This discovery sparked a faint, peculiar sensation within me. My hands moved faster, constantly connecting and disconnecting the eighteen cards until I found the perfect match for each connection.

Finally, a complete card puzzle emerged.

It showed a 'D12,' followed by the four digits '3749.' Because they were all drawn with dashed lines and the gaps between the lines were wide, there was no trace of the separation once they were apart.

What did these two sets of numbers signify?

Following standard procedures for cracking codes, two sets of numbers usually represented an address and a master key.

The term 'address' here is highly versatile. It can mean a specific geographic location, a virtual location, a building, a tree, or even a turtle—anything you can imagine.

And the 'master key' is the spell you recite when you see the turtle, causing it to spit out whatever you were thinking. Otherwise, even if you stewed it for dinner, you wouldn't find it.

Based on this method of decryption, one of the sets, D12 or 3749, represented something tangible on Earth, and the other was the key to unlocking the secret.

But which one represented the object?

If it was D12, a letter plus one (or two) numbers...

After racking my brain for a long time, I sighed and decided to give up.

Cracking riddles was not my specialty, so I forwarded the two sets of numbers to Gao Jianning, asking him to decipher them. For a top-tier hacker like him, this should be a minor task.

However, I maintained a safeguard: I changed 3749 to 3769, just in case he cracked the code and decided to act on his own. While I might not be as good as Gao Jianning at cracking codes, I had never lost a battle of wits against him.

I changed the number because 3749 looked more like a password, while D12 seemed more like a positional code. Therefore, the code itself must remain accurate, but the master key must stay in my hands.

I lay quietly in bed, listening to the sound of the night wind whipping the tree branches outside. Weariness gradually crept in, pulling me toward the edge of another world.

Suddenly, a faint sound came from outside the door. Though extremely soft, it instantly startled me awake from my near-sleep. My heart clenched, and I slid slowly toward the door, feeling like a fish in water.

Peering through the peephole, the hallway was pitch black; I couldn't see anything. I forcefully knocked twice on the door, hoping to trigger the light. Unexpectedly, as my fist struck the door, it swung open—it had only been ajar.

It was too late to stop it; the door flew wide open, exposing me completely to some unknown entity outside. I immediately assumed a fighting stance, anticipating a sudden attack.

But nothing rushed in. Instead, a tall Jacaranda tree stood before me.

The blue petals rained down everywhere, dancing in the air like countless blue butterflies. They sometimes formed a large circle, and at other times clustered together to create massive blue blossoms.

I stared at the scene in utter astonishment, completely unable to process what was happening.

A Jacaranda tree outside my door?

Then, I noticed a dark shadow behind the tree, clearly not belonging to the tree itself. I tiptoed forward, wanting a closer look. As I approached, the dim figure suddenly turned from behind the trunk, startling me into taking several steps back.

"You finally came!"

The person slowly turned around, and it was Qi Wan.

Hadn't she burned to death? How could she be here now?

Qi Wan’s eyes were profoundly resentful, like a vengeful ghost. Her face was stark white, completely devoid of life, as if molded from plaster. I worried that a heavy rain would cause her face to instantly dissolve into mud, revealing the true skull beneath.

I didn't answer her question, keeping my guard up as I stared at her.

Qi Wan continued, "I know you found it. All the answers are inside. I trust they will satisfy you."

I suddenly asked, "What are the answers?"

Qi Wan moved her delicate feet, gliding toward me with the eerie grace of a woman from the Republic era. A shiver ran down my spine, and I instinctively raised my hand to stop her. "Don't come any closer!"

A flash of sorrow crossed Qi Wan’s face. "Didn't you like me once? Why are you acting like this now? Is it because I'm dead?"

I was shocked by this. She knew everything. It seemed I truly had encountered a ghost. Yet, I had never liked her; I was merely initially drawn in by her tranquil, unconventional beauty. To be honest, that beauty was striking, but it certainly didn't amount to affection.

Qi Wan’s face suddenly changed. Her nose twitched, then, with a sloughing sound, it fell off, leaving a black void in the center of her face.