Chapter One: The Serial Case

The sun had set, and thick clouds gathered overhead. With a muffled rumble of thunder, rain began to fall in a steady, whispering drizzle.

Standing before an office building, her uniform skirt immaculate, Fangyan Qi cradled a briefcase in one hand. She gazed at the dense curtain of rain before her, checked her phone with her free hand, and a flicker of anxiety crossed her face.

A black car glided up and stopped in front of the building. The window rolled down to reveal a handsome young man with slicked-back hair and a friendly smile. “Fangyan, get in. I’ll take you home.”

Fangyan hesitated for a moment, uncertainty etched on her face. “My brother said he would pick me up. He hasn't arrived yet...”

The young man stepped out, opening an umbrella and approaching her. “How can your brother pick you up? He’s just a student, doesn’t have a car. With this sudden downpour, he might be stuck at a bus or subway station. Come, get in the car and contact him. If needed, we’ll swing by to pick him up, and then I’ll drive you both home.”

Fangyan paused, then slowly nodded.

Just then, the blare of a horn cut through the rain. A white SUV pulled up behind the black sedan, and Lei Lin leaned out of the driver’s window, smiling brightly. “Sister Yan, I’m here.”

Both Fangyan and Manager Zhou were momentarily stunned. Fangyan looked at the white SUV in surprise. “What’s this?”

Lei Lin climbed out, umbrella in hand, and walked over to Fangyan. “I just got my driver’s license and picked up this car today. It’ll be much easier to pick you up from now on!”

He held the umbrella out for her.

“Thank you, Manager Zhou, but I’ll take my brother’s car,” Fangyan said, turning to the young man with the slicked-back hair before stepping under Lei Lin’s umbrella.

Manager Zhou’s smile faltered, the corners of his mouth twitching as he forced a polite nod. He watched helplessly as Fangyan climbed into Lei Lin’s car. Once inside his own vehicle, his smile vanished, replaced by a cold grimace.

“This can’t go on,” he muttered, brow deeply furrowed and eyes flashing with impatience. He picked up his phone. “Second Brother, I need a favor—”

...

The white SUV sped through the rain.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Fangyan couldn't help but ask, “How did a student like you afford a car?”

Lei Lin replied, “I used the money I’d saved up for living expenses as the down payment. Plus, I found a side job that pays well. I'll just pay off the loan bit by bit.”

Fangyan nodded, a hint of envy in her tone. “I’ve been working for years and still can’t afford a car.”

Her family’s circumstances were only average. Though they owned two apartments in Biyang City, the mortgage on the new one wasn’t paid off yet. With a younger brother still in school, there was no extra money for her to buy a car.

After chatting a bit, Lei Lin suddenly shifted the conversation. “Sister Yan, does that Manager Zhou have feelings for you? Every time I come to pick you up, he’s there...”

Fangyan blushed. “I don’t know...”

Lei Lin raised an eyebrow, his suspicion confirmed. “What do you think of him?”

Fangyan grew a little shy. “He was transferred in as our department manager, only three years older than me. I haven’t known him for long, but in this short time, he’s shown himself to be thoughtful and gentle...”

Lei Lin’s eyes narrowed. Judging by her tone and words, Fangyan hadn’t fallen for Manager Zhou yet, but she was clearly fond of him. On the surface, the man’s credentials were impressive. Still, Lei Lin had never liked him. Though their encounters had been few, Lei Lin’s intuition told him this was someone with a deep and calculating nature.

“Sister, as the saying goes, you can know a person’s face but not their heart. If he’s interested in you, he’ll naturally hide his true self... Be careful, don’t get deceived,” Lei Lin cautioned.

Fangyan snorted. “Do you think your sister’s a fool?”

Lei Lin merely arched an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Just then, Lei Lin’s phone began to ring. He raised an eyebrow and tapped the Bluetooth earpiece at his ear.

“Hello? Team Leader, I’m listening.”

Li Xueshu’s voice sounded in his ear. “Lei Lin, I have a task for you. This one you’ll be handling alone...”

An urgent mission? Lei Lin’s heart gave a little leap. Since the mission to eliminate the ghouls, several days had passed—he’d only taken on one investigative assignment since then. It hadn’t been difficult, nor had it yielded much. He’d earned 150 investigation points from his first mission, but after spending two extra days using the Source Energy Radar, 40 points had been deducted. The second mission had yielded less than 50. One more assignment should bring his total to 200—enough to apply for breakthrough materials.

Li Xueshu continued, “The target is a source energy user close to the second realm, with a certain degree of danger. The time is tonight at ten. I’ll send you further details shortly.”

Lei Lin’s eyes flashed, excitement stirring within him. “A source energy user nearly at the second realm—clearly, after seeing me face that second-tier anomaly, Li Xueshu has a lot of confidence in me now.” He glanced at the clock—it was just after six, plenty of time. “No problem,” he replied.

Li Xueshu quickly hung up.

“Lei Lei, do you have something to do?” Fangyan finally asked.

Lei Lin smiled. “I have to go out later, but there’s no rush. Let’s eat first.”

These days, Lei Lin had been picking Fangyan up and having meals with her almost daily. Their relationship had grown closer, though for now, Fangyan still saw him only as a younger brother. Lei Lin wasn’t anxious; having this bond gave him a natural advantage.

...

Night deepened. There was no moon tonight—the sky was pitch black.

In the old city district, Lei Lin walked down a dark alley, phone in hand, reviewing Li Xueshu’s intelligence.

The information was intriguing. The target was the perpetrator of a series of murders that once shook Biyang City. The killer was brutally violent, with no respect for the dead. More than five similar cases had been discovered, all with identical methods—the case became infamous across Qinghe Prefecture. Even in a city as “peace-loving” as Biyang, the uproar had been tremendous.

The murderer was dubbed the “Butcher Demon,” a figure used to frighten children into silence. Yet despite the commotion, the Security Bureau never found the killer. Strangely, the last known crime occurred three years ago. Or rather, the last victim’s body was found three years ago. It was unknown whether the killer continued—no more bodies or evidence had surfaced.

Yet Li Xueshu’s intelligence pinpointed the exact time and place where the killer would strike again tonight...

“Interesting...” Lei Lin recalled Li Xueshu mentioning her special ability. His eyes gleamed as he snapped his phone shut.

In the darkness, he looked up at the nearby street sign.

“Park Number Seven—it should be close by...”