Zhou Huan and Xiao He hurried down the mountain, found a supermarket, bought a case of Erguotou, and rushed back. When the two returned to the woods, the acrid smell of alcohol was gone, and the thunderous snoring had vanished.

"Brother Huan, where is the old Daoist?" Xiao He searched everywhere but could not find a trace of him.

Zhou Huan sighed deeply, "Ah, a true master, a genuine master. Even after two lifetimes of having teachers, I have never achieved such cultivation." Afterward, Zhou Huan and Xiao He delivered the case of Erguotou to the entrance of the Ziyun Temple. After conferring with the young Daoist acolyte inside the temple, the two began their descent. On the way down, their relationship returned to how it was before, full of laughter and cheerful conversation.

Before Zhou Huan and Xiao He reached the entrance of Mount Luoling, Xiao He's phone rang. The screen displayed two characters: "Director Wu."

This Director Wu was the Chief of the Public Security Bureau in Andong City, Xiao He's direct superior. Generally, if there were important matters or major arrangements from above, Director Wu would call Xiao He personally; otherwise, notices were usually delivered by administrative secretaries in the bureau.

"Director!" Xiao He replied with considerable respect.

A strong, resonant voice came from the other end of the line: "Xiao He, I heard you are in Wenchang County, Shandong?"

"Yes, Director, what are your instructions?" At this moment, Xiao He stood as straight as a soldier when answering.

"I only call you for important matters. A cooperative document arrived from above today, and one section pertains to cooperation with the Shandong Provincial Public Security Department. It specifically mentions the police personnel in Wenchang County..." Director Wu spoke for quite a while, taking nearly twenty minutes to explain the situation clearly.

Upon hearing this, Xiao He's expression seemed somewhat surprised and tense. After hanging up, Xiao He stared blankly at the ground, seemingly lost in a thousand thoughts.

Zhou Huan tentatively asked, "What's wrong? What did the Director say to you just now?"

Xiao He slowly turned her head to look at Zhou Huan, and suddenly her eyes lit up: "Bad news, Brother Huan, we need to hurry back! Dongzi and Xiaoling might be in danger!"

"What?" Zhou Huan couldn't help but ask. Then, Zhou Huan and Xiao He flew down the mountain, hailed a taxi, and sped toward the hotel.

The two rushed upstairs. As they pushed open the door, Zhou Huan and Xiao He froze. Then, Zhou Huan pushed open Yang Xiaoling's room—it was empty.

"Dongzi, wake up for me!" Zhou Huan shouted. Dongzi lay motionless on the rug in Xiaoling's room, curled up, completely unresponsive.

Sensing something was wrong, Zhou Huan quickly rushed to Dongzi's side, placed his index finger near Dongzi's nose—there was still breath. Zhou Huan then looked at Dongzi's face, which was completely devoid of color. Immediately, Zhou Huan brought his palm down hard on Dongzi's chest.

"Ugh! Cough, cough!" Dongzi gasped for air, struggling to breathe, "Brother, Miss Yang, she... she was taken away!"

"Who took her?" Zhou Huan asked urgently.

Dongzi took a few deep breaths to regain composure and slowly stood up, "Brother, my head... ow! It hurts!" Dongzi clutched his head and said, "Two police officers just entered the room, saying they needed to take Miss Yang to the station for questioning. I said I'd go with her, but unexpectedly, that old man I messed with earlier—that 'Director' fellow—hit the back of my head with his gun without a word. That’s when I passed out. Miss Yang must have been taken by them."

Hearing this, Zhou Huan turned to rush out, but Xiao He stopped him, "Brother Huan, let's consider this carefully. Director Wu’s call just now was to tell us to stay put. These people will face justice eventually. We just need to investigate the evidence regarding the deceased, and when we circle back, we must ensure their safety—they cannot die. Since you said they were in your photo, it means vengeful spirits are definitely watching them."

Zhou Huan calmed down, his mind working through the intricate details. He turned back and said lightly, "Alright, it seems these people really have issues, otherwise they wouldn't have been so impulsive as to grab Xiaoling. But why did they invite us here? Were we targeted by them too?"

"I don't know about that; we need to investigate. The Director only told me they were suspected of corruption and bribery, that many case files seemed weak, especially the one about an elderly petitioner who died inexplicably, and the file reports the murderer is still at large." Xiao He relayed what Director Wu had said on the phone, which infuriated Dongzi.

"Damn it all! I’m going to grab them right now and beat them senseless," Dongzi was a man of fiery spirit who tolerated no injustice.

Zhou Huan pulled Dongzi back, "Dongzi, remember for me, say less like that in the future, especially when handling a case. One careless word could affect the entire situation." He then lit a cigarette and took two deep drags. "It seems we have two critical tasks now. First, we need to find a way to get Xiaoling out, and we also need to find the case file of that old man from the Public Security Bureau. Second, we must continue investigating the two deceased people and absolutely determine the circumstances of their deaths."

Xiao He immediately offered, "How about this: I'll take Dongzi to the Public Security Bureau to negotiate, and you investigate the situation with the deceased."

"No, I think it’s better to call two of the Tianxiong group over. Dongzi just got beaten up; if he comes with you, he might cause trouble. He stays with me. You handle stalling them at the Public Security Bureau for now; once Tianxiong and the others arrive, they can go with you to deal with them," Zhou Huan was still worried about Xiao He and his brother.

Then Zhou Huan examined the back of Dongzi's head, frowning deeply, "These guys are truly ruthless. What’s the difference between them and the triads? Look at Dongzi's head; the entire side is bruised purple. As long as these social tumors aren't eradicated, there will be no peace."

"En, I think we should leave now. No more delays. If too much time passes, Xiaoling could be in danger." After speaking, Xiao He straightened her clothes, put on the police uniform she had brought, and secured her pistol at her waist. "Let's go."

"Wait a moment. They absolutely cannot see this photo of mine. If they come rummaging after we leave," Zhou Huan considered, then quickly sewed the photo to the underside of the carpet in the room. "Hmph, let’s see who can find that. Let's go!"

The three closed the door, and Zhou Huan drove Xiao He and Dongzi straight to the Public Security Bureau.

Just as Zhou Huan had predicted, as soon as they left, several plainclothes officers followed. They showed their credentials at the hotel, and the receptionist led them upstairs with a ring of keys. The group frantically searched Zhou Huan and Yang Xiaoling's room before finally leaving in dejection.

When Zhou Huan and the others arrived at the Public Security Bureau, the first-floor administrative area was eerily quiet; two officers were slouched over, fast asleep.

"Ahem!" Xiao He deliberately coughed loudly. The two officers startled awake. Seeing Xiao He's shoulder insignia, they immediately sat up straight, pretending to be busy.

Xiao He leaned down and whispered, "Watch your appearance from now on. If you're tired, go back to the dormitory to sleep."

The two officers nodded repeatedly.

Xiao He then asked, "Where is Director Li? Have you seen them return?"

"They're back. They just went into the third-floor conference room with a woman," the officers seemed genuinely unaware of the situation; they answered whatever Xiao He asked.

Xiao He smiled and said, "Good. Watch this area carefully. Don't let anyone else in. I have important matters to discuss with Director Li. If anything goes wrong, be careful I don't get you fired!"

"Don't worry, we'll guard it properly, absolutely."

"Remember, don't let anyone from the bureau in either. I've been sent from the Provincial Public Security Department. If you mess up my business, hmph!" Xiao He adopted a stern look that terrified the two officers into snapping to attention, standing rigidly at the main entrance like guards on duty.

Xiao He glanced at the two, then beckoned Zhou Huan over, "Let's go upstairs. I'll handle them in a moment. You go ahead and get the necessary authorization, take Xiaoling, and go investigate the bodies in the morgue."

Zhou Huan nodded, gave Dongzi a look, and followed Xiao He up to the third floor. As soon as they reached the third floor, Zhou Huan sensed the atmosphere was wrong; the entire corridor was lined with police officers, and two SWAT officers carrying submachine guns guarded the door to the conference room.