Feng Tian took it, took a swig, smacked his lips, and said, "The gas station where Luo Jingjing worked is right on the adjacent street to that intersection."

Kuang Feifan nodded thoughtfully, "Meaning Luo Jingjing died near that gas station that's rumored to be haunted."

Feng Tian raised his beer can, "Exactly. So, her death is very likely connected to the impending haunting. What do you think?"

Kuang Feifan nodded noncommittally, "You're the expert on this stuff. Asking me won't be much use."

Feng Tian drained the can, tossed the empty aluminum, rubbed his hands together, and said, "I really wish I could see the traffic surveillance footage."

Kuang Feifan frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and replied, "I doubt we'd find anything on it. Otherwise, those two cops wouldn't still be here today. It means the leads ran dry, and they only came back to question witnesses to uncover anything they might have missed."

Feng Tian couldn't help but stare out at the heavy rain and sighed, "It would be great if we had a car right now. We could drive over to the gas station, maybe turn up something."

Kuang Feifan smiled, suddenly curious, "Why are you so interested in this? Usually, you wouldn't get involved unless someone specifically hired you to catch a ghost or something. You don't have a client now."

Feng Tian paused, shook his head, and sighed, "You don't get it. It’s like a good detective encountering a baffling case—more like a challenge. If it were something ordinary, I wouldn't give it a second thought. But consider this: someone got into trouble investigating an online rumor about a haunting. That strongly suggests the rumor might not be a rumor at all, but real."

Kuang Feifan gave a dry laugh, "Is that so rare?"

Feng Tian waved his hand, giving Kuang Feifan an incredulous look, "Don't you understand? There are countless rumors like that online, but almost none of them are true. How rare is that? And this one involves a phantom car—something people have only heard whispers about, very few claim to have actually seen."

Kuang Feifan found it hard to believe. Feng Tian’s cheeks were flushed scarlet, his eyes gleaming. He estimated that even if a beautiful woman were dancing scantily clad right in front of him now, he wouldn't give her a second glance.

Unfortunately, as they say, different fields require different expertise. Kuang Feifan couldn't muster any interest in the appearance of a phantom car. He even felt a faint sense of worry. Someone had already died. Although they still didn't know if the death of that 'undercover' female reporter was connected to the phantom car, it happened precisely while she was investigating the matter.

He hesitated, then asked Feng Tian again, "Is that all? There aren't many leads to follow up on. Besides, this isn't our jurisdiction; we have no way to investigate it anyway."

Feng Tian scratched his head, fidgeted for a long moment, and finally slumped onto the sofa with a heavy sigh, sounding quite dejected, "You're right. And with the police involved, without them, we can't do anything. Forget it, let's stop thinking about it."

Just as he spoke, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Kuang Feifan was closer to the door, so he got up, walked over, and pulled it open. Standing outside was Miss Zhang, the receptionist from the lobby downstairs.

Miss Zhang had seen both of them when they checked in soaking wet earlier. Seeing him open the door now, she smiled faintly and nodded in greeting. Then she tilted her head, peering into the room, and immediately spotted Feng Tian sitting on the sofa, whereupon she quickly raised her hand and waved at him.

Although she hadn't said a word, Kuang Feifan understood. Miss Zhang's visit must be related to the conversation she had just shared with Feng Tian, and perhaps her arrival was intrinsically linked to Luo Jingjing’s death.

Kuang Feifan stepped aside, inviting Miss Zhang inside.

Once in the room, Miss Zhang walked straight up to Feng Tian and asked in a soft, gentle voice, "Mr. Feng, I still need to trouble you with a few questions. Regarding what you mentioned earlier about things I should be cautious about these next few days—should my boyfriend also be mindful of anything?"

Feng Tian glanced at Kuang Feifan, then gestured for Miss Zhang to sit nearby. After thinking for a moment, he said, "It's really nothing major, but if possible, you two could visit a local Daoist temple in town and ask for an amulet to keep in your boyfriend's car. It’s mainly to ward off bad luck sticking to him if he encounters something like that, which could lead to all sorts of mishaps."

Miss Zhang clapped her hands, "Isn't that the truth! Today I miscalculated four transactions—that has never happened before. I must have picked up some bad luck."

As she spoke, she unconsciously patted her shoulder and instinctively wrapped her arms around herself.

Kuang Feifan didn't know if she had picked up bad luck, but encountering something like that would certainly make anyone flustered, and worrying on top of it—miscalculating the accounts wasn't exactly novel.

Just then, he noticed Feng Tian’s eyes darting around constantly and was instantly startled—this guy was probably cooking up some new scheme.

As expected, before Kuang Feifan could figure out how to stop him, Feng Tian deliberately lowered his voice and said to Miss Zhang, "If you’re worried, you can have your boyfriend come by. I can take a look myself; that might be safer."

"Really?" Miss Zhang’s face instantly lit up with surprise and joy; it was clear she had already been hoping for this.

"That’s wonderful! I’ll call him right now and ask him to come over tonight. He can bring Mr. Feng along when he comes to pick me up."

She hesitated, then suddenly looked somewhat embarrassed, glancing first at Feng Tian, then at Kuang Feifan, and whispered, "I don't know what time you two usually retire. Will it disturb you if he comes a bit later...?"

Kuang Feifan swore he noticed a peculiar look in Miss Zhang's eyes and expression when she said this. Moreover, he felt she seemed to be speaking with hidden meaning, hinting at something—could it be...?

He truly didn't want to think any further, and an involuntary shiver ran down his spine. He quickly interjected, "It’s fine, no matter how late. Mr. Feng is always happy to help resolve strange and unusual matters."

Miss Zhang didn't seem to notice Kuang Feifan’s odd reaction. Hearing his reassurance, she left their room looking extremely pleased.

As soon as she was gone, Kuang Feifan immediately grilled Feng Tian, "What are you scheming now? Spill it!"

Feng Tian curled his lip, defending himself with a hint of indignation, "What do you mean 'scheming'? Am I that kind of person? I’m genuinely looking out for Miss Zhang and her boyfriend. Can you bear to see such a sweet couple run into trouble?"

Kuang Feifan fought down the urge to strangle him and stared him down intently.

"Uh... alright, alright. Truthfully, I just wanted to ask her boyfriend about that gas station. Don't forget he’s a taxi driver, and this town isn't huge but it isn't tiny either. He probably knows the gas station well, maybe he even knows both people involved."

Darkness fell as the day waned. Because they had eaten their last meal late, neither bothered with dinner. The rain outside began to lessen, but neither planned to go out; they waited calmly for Miss Zhang and her boyfriend to show up.

It wasn't until past ten o'clock that Miss Zhang knocked on their door again. This time, a burly man stood behind her, nearly a head taller than her, built like a barrel—a fellow who radiated the kind of solid, reassuring strength that makes you feel safe.

Upon meeting them, the big man extended a hand as broad as a cattail fan toward Feng Tian, saying, "You must be Mr. Feng. Hello, my name is Wang Hai. I hear you’re a Daoist master? Do you know magic?"