Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

The two walked deeper into the tunnel, the air thick with the smell of coal dust mixed with a damp, musty odor. The railway tracks stretched far into the depths, and the occasional "drip-drip" of water falling into puddles was particularly clear in the empty tunnel. They carefully examined every fork in the road, their flashlights sweeping over piled minecarts, scattered tools, and even cracks in the walls, but apart from the thick layer of coal dust, they found nothing unusual.

"Chief, could we be overthinking this?" Zhao Lei asked in a low voice, the beam of his flashlight shimmering in the distance. "There's nothing but coal and rocks in this tunnel, not a soul in sight."

He Feng didn't speak, but squatted down and picked up a bit of coal dust from the ground. The cold touch made him frown slightly—the coal dust looked fresh, not accumulated over a long time. He stood up and gestured towards the deeper alleyway: "Go further in and look carefully."

Zhao Lei quickly agreed, gripping his flashlight and following behind. The beam of light cut through the darkness, illuminating the rugged path ahead. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the tunnel, sounding particularly lonely. After walking for almost half an hour, the tunnel gradually narrowed, ending in a pile of collapsed coal. They still hadn't found any clues, as if the previous disappearance and theft were just an illusion that appeared out of thin air.

Zhao Lei wiped the dust off his face, his tone clearly unwilling: "Chief, we've searched the whole place, inside and out, even knocked on the cracks in the walls, but there's really nothing there. How about... we search again? Maybe we missed something." He was still clutching a flashlight in his hand, the beam of light flickering on the dusty corner of the cabinet, clearly not having given up.

He Feng gazed at the gradually brightening sky outside the window. The horizon was already tinged with the pale light of dawn, and the faint sounds of oil being heated at breakfast stalls could be heard from the street corner. He shook his head: "Forget it, it's getting late. If we linger any longer, the nearby residents will be up. It'll be hard to explain if they see us looking like this on their way to work."

He knew in his heart that the search had likely been leaked, and the other side was prepared. He had no choice but to retreat for now and figure out the details before making further plans. He Feng patted Zhao Lei on the shoulder: "Let's go, get out of here first. Next time we come, we'll have to use a different method."

Zhao Lei bit his lip, but finally nodded. He'd been busy for most of the night, climbing over the back wall and lurking in this abandoned old house for almost three hours, only to find not a single suspicious piece of paper. Anyone would be frustrated. But the bureau chief had spoken, so he couldn't insist any longer. He could only reluctantly turn off his flashlight and follow He Feng to the door.

The two had just slipped out through the inconspicuous side door when Zhao Lei looked at He Feng and suddenly burst out laughing. He couldn't stop laughing and eventually squatted down, clutching his stomach.

"What are you laughing at?" He Feng frowned, raised his hand to wipe his face, and a layer of black ash rubbed off his fingertips—he had accidentally gotten some wall ash on his face while searching, and it was probably already smudged.

Zhao Lei pointed at his face, laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight: "Director, you look like a miner who just got off work. Your eyebrows are almost unrecognizable, and there's a clod of ash on your nose. You look just like... just like the Kitchen God in a New Year's painting."

He Feng, taken aback by his words, glanced down at his cuffs. His dark police uniform was covered in dust, and his trousers had a patch of plaster on them. He smiled helplessly. "Alright, stop laughing. The bathhouses around here should be open by now. Go wash up. I can't go to the station looking like this. If those guys see me, they'll laugh until the end of the year." He paused, his tone turning serious. "Also, this whole thing is a secret. Don't tell anyone, not even the guys in the team."

Zhao Lei immediately stopped laughing and patted his chest to assure everyone, "Director, don't worry, my mouth is tighter than a gourd, not a single word will leak out."

The two walked quickly along the quiet alley towards the bathhouse, their dusty figures moving swiftly through the morning mist. Inside, freshly boiled water steamed, and in the misty air, He Feng and Zhao Lei scrubbed away their fatigue and grime, changing into clean clothes. By then, it was already broad daylight. The two men in the mirror had regained their usual sharpness, as if the clandestine search of the early morning had never happened. They exchanged a glance, said nothing more, and headed straight for the police station—a new day had begun, and the work still needed to be done.

He Feng rubbed his throbbing temples, a faint dark circle under his eyes. He hadn't slept a wink all night, his mind filled with the details of the case. Now, drowsiness washed over him like a tide, making it difficult even to lift his eyelids. Just then, the office door was gently pushed open, and Ma Xin walked in, carrying a notebook.

"Director, I have something I'd like to discuss with you." Ma Xin's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable seriousness.

He Feng nodded, forcing himself to stay alert: "Oh? What is it? Tell me."

Ma Xin opened her notebook, pointing to the handwriting filling it: "I just went through the testimonies from the construction site again, and I feel that those claims about 'haunting' are too deliberate, as if someone deliberately spread them to confuse the public. Also, Old Wu, whom Director Jiang mentioned, his reaction was a bit strange; his eyes darted around when he mentioned the foundation pit." She looked up, her eyes shining with certainty. "Director, I think we should go back to the site to investigate again; maybe we can find some clues we missed before."

He Feng pondered for a moment and felt that Ma Xin made sense. He nodded, stood up and picked up his coat: "Okay, let's go again. You're observant and a girl, so you might be able to find something we've overlooked."

The two had just reached the entrance of the construction site when they bumped into Jiang Hu, who was about to leave. He was wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit, the collar of which was neatly buttoned, and he was carrying a briefcase.

"Director He?" Jiang Hu stopped, a polite smile plastered on his face. "You're here again? Have you made some new discovery?"

He Feng shook his head, his tone indifferent: "Director Jiang really thinks too highly of me. This case is tricky, and I was afraid I might have overlooked something, so I specially brought our bureau's 'expert' over to take another look." He turned to point to Ma Xin beside him, "Comrade Ma Xin is meticulous; she might be able to find some flaws that I haven't noticed."

Jiang Hu's gaze swept over Ma Xin, and he nodded with a smile: "I see. Then we should indeed investigate carefully." He changed the subject, revealing a hint of apology, "But I'm really sorry, Director He, I have an urgent meeting to attend, and I have too many things to do. I'm afraid I can't accompany you today."

He turned to look at a young man in gray overalls not far away and called out, "Mo Wen, come here for a second."