Chapter 111: Search and Screening

A knock sounded at the door. Zuo Rou took a deep breath to steady her nerves, put on a look of alarm, and stepped forward to open the courtyard gate.

Several police officers were surprised to find a delicate, beautiful woman opening the door. The lead officer’s expression softened, and he asked, "Are you the owner of this house?"

Zuo Rou felt a surge of relief; this meant the officer did not know the owner personally. Since the owner was about her age, she could likely pass herself off as her.

With a shy smile, Zuo Rou replied, "Yes, I am the owner. May I ask what you officers need?"

Seeing her fearful demeanor, the lead officer smiled kindly. "Don't worry, miss! It’s just a census to check for any fugitives who might have slipped into our jurisdiction. You know how our district has the best public order, so we conduct these checks on transient populations periodically. It’s for your own safety."

This was the first time the officer had explained the operation so gently that day. Naturally, it was because Zuo Rou’s gentle and endearing appearance made him unable to harbor any suspicion. He could never have imagined that the delicate woman before him was the very culprit they were hunting.

"Please state your name, age, and whether you have any rooms for rent on your property," the officer said, pulling out a registration book to verify her information.

"Guo Ruxue, twenty-four years old! I only own this one property. I live here alone—how could I possibly rent out rooms? What if I encountered a bad person?" Zuo Rou replied timidly. The implication was that the officer was asking a redundant question; how could a respectable woman ever let a stranger live in her home?

The officer checked the name in the register. The age and name matched, though the photo in the file was slightly different from the woman before him. The woman in the photo had permed hair, while the woman in front of him had her long hair coiled up. The photo was not very clear, and with different makeup and styling, the discrepancy seemed negligible.

"Alright, sorry to bother you, miss!" The officer closed the ledger, ready to move on to the next house.

Watching the police depart, Zuo Rou finally felt the heavy stone in her chest lift. She had survived the ordeal unscathed and gently latched the courtyard gate.

Zuo Gang and Zuo Qiang, who had been observing from inside, emerged cautiously now that the crisis had passed. Zuo Qiang gave a thumbs-up and praised, "You’re really something, Xiao Rou—so calm and collected under pressure. We owe it all to you today!"

Zuo Qiang also chimed in, flattering his second sister, "Our second sister is a heroine; she doesn't even blink at such small matters."

Zuo Rou rolled her eyes at them and hissed, "Save the pleasantries. The search isn't over yet. We must stay cautious. Looking at the scale of this, they won't give up so easily!"

The two brothers nodded, remaining on high alert.

Ning Zhiheng and Liu Datong were growing anxious. As time ticked by, the screening process neared its end.

Finally, Gong Ji'an and Wen Xingsheng arrived before Ning Zhiheng with a squad of police and field agents, escorting a dozen individuals.

"Report, Officer Ning! These twelve people are the tenants who have rented homes on these streets over the last fourteen days!"

Seeing that there were finally results, Ning Zhiheng stood up and walked over to the group, observing them carefully one by one.

Among the twelve, there were three women who looked like family members—perhaps mother and daughters. The others were men of varying ages, all looking terrified, unaware of why these armed officers had brought them here. Seeing these fierce-looking police officers saluting and reporting to the young man, they knew he was the big shot who held their fate in his hands.

"Officer, we are all good people! Please investigate carefully; don't wrong us!" the youngest girl among the three women said loudly in a high, childish voice.

Her mother and sister were startled by her sudden outburst, and the mother quickly covered her mouth, fearing that her reckless words might offend the stern-faced young man.

The others dared not speak, looking at Ning Zhiheng with fear, completely oblivious to why they had been rounded up or what he intended to do with them. In these chaotic times, the weak had almost no control over their own destinies; those in power could break their peaceful lives or decide their fates with a single word or even a glance.

Ning Zhiheng’s mind was clear. He had always been rational and calm, rarely swayed by others. Moreover, he had no time to empathize with these commoners. His cold eyes swept over each face, scrutinizing every subtle expression.

But he was disappointed. The expressions of everyone present matched their current emotional state—there was fear, helplessness, pleading, and even anger. But there was no evasiveness, guilt, or guardedness.

He looked at the four physically robust men and ordered loudly, "Raise your hands high, level with your shoulders!"

The twelve did not understand why he wanted this, but they dared not hesitate and raised their hands.

Ning Zhiheng did this because a martial artist’s hands differed from those of an ordinary person. Those who practiced combat for years had thicker knuckles, and the tendons on the back of their hands were more prominent from constant exertion. If they were skilled with blades, they would have calluses on specific fingers, and their wrist joints would be stronger and thicker—details that required careful observation.

He ordered them to raise their hands because it was the position where one was least capable of using explosive force, preventing the culprit from suddenly attacking while he inspected their palms.

Ning Zhiheng stepped forward to inspect them one by one. Sun Jiacheng approached and stood close to his right side, ready to intervene if anyone attacked. However, Ning Zhiheng was a master of combat himself, and with his full attention focused, the chance of a successful ambush was minimal.

He checked each palm, even squeezing their muscles to gauge their elasticity and strength. Yet, he was disappointed; everyone’s hands were no different from an ordinary person’s—no abnormalities in joints, tendons, or skin.

When he reached the three women, he clearly saw their resistance, but Ning Zhiheng did not stop. He put on a pair of gloves, apologized, and checked them thoroughly, only to find nothing.

With a neutral expression, showing no sign of disappointment, he turned to Liu Datong and said, "The person I’m looking for isn't among them. Let them go."

The moment these words were spoken, the twelve people relaxed, their faces filled with joy. It seemed this young officer was reasonable and had not wronged any innocents.

Liu Datong nodded and signaled for Wen Xingsheng and the others to lead them away, then asked, "Officer Ning, what shall we do next?"

Ning Zhiheng was extremely patient. He was not swayed by the current setback; he firmly believed in his judgment, which was based on solid logic without major loopholes.

The fact that he hadn't found the target suggested that the execution might have had flaws. He couldn't do everything himself, but he could minimize the risks.

"Pass the word: conduct another search. Perhaps my judgment was slightly off," Ning Zhiheng said calmly.

He had previously assumed the culprit was an outsider without a permanent residence, likely living in a temporary rental. But with no findings, his premise might be wrong.

There was another possibility: the culprit already owned a home in this area and had thus evaded the initial search. Or, if the culprit were even more cunning, they might have infiltrated a household, held the owners captive, and threatened them into compliance. If they were even more ruthless, they might have killed the owners and assumed their identities.

Ning Zhiheng felt this was plausible. Besides, having already mobilized such a large force, calling it off now would be a blow to his prestige and his men's morale. They had to achieve a result today; the work had to be more meticulous.

"This time, focus on the larger properties where only a single family lives. To perform interrogations and torture, the culprit would need a large environment to muffle the noise—a large private residence that isn't shared with others. If there were too many people, they would surely be alerted. I suspect the culprit considered this when choosing their location," Ning Zhiheng said, pacing back and forth with his hand on his forehead, laying out his reasoning point by point.