Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

He deliberately suppressed the news of Jiang Hu's arrest. Apart from a few core members of the team, even other departments in the bureau knew very little about it, so it should have been impossible for the news to leak out. But even so, someone still managed to sneak in and quietly take care of Jiang Hu, with clean and efficient methods, leaving not even a trace of struggle.

This can only mean one thing: Jiang Hu knows far too much, enough to threaten those hiding in the shadows, enough to make them risk exposure to kill him at this critical juncture. He Feng took a deep breath, his chest feeling tight and suffocating. To have such power, to dare to tamper with things within the police station, the other party's level is probably higher than he anticipated.

He recalled Jiang Hu's fearless demeanor when he was arrested, and the hesitant look in Jiang Hu's eyes during interrogation. It turned out that it wasn't bluffing; Jiang Hu truly held leverage over certain people. Now that Jiang Hu was dead, all the clues were severed, as if cleanly cut off by a sharp knife, leaving only a mess and an impenetrable fog.

The wind outside the window swirled fallen leaves against the glass, making a soft, rustling sound. He Feng felt as if the sound was striking his heart, a constant reminder that this battle was far more dangerous than he had imagined. Since those people dared to touch Jiang Hu, they wouldn't easily back down. Who would be their next target? He didn't know, but a fine layer of cold sweat had already seeped down his back.

He Feng pinched his throbbing temples, pressed his fingertips against his throbbing temples, and let out a long sigh. The sigh seemed to be squeezed from the depths of his lungs, carrying an indescribable heaviness. His heart felt like it was being weighed down by a giant millstone, so heavy that even breathing felt difficult, and his chest felt suffocating.

The Jiang Hu case has become an intricate web of people and events, spreading far beyond his authority as the branch bureau chief. Further investigation risks venturing into uncharted territory, potentially backfiring on him and dragging those around him into the mess. It's not that he lacks tenacity; he's cracked countless tough cases in the past, relying on his indomitable spirit. But now he realizes that some things are truly beyond the control of a branch bureau chief—the waters above are too deep, fraught with hidden dangers, and he can no longer navigate these murky waters. Further in, and it's a bottomless abyss.

He picked up the red telephone on the table; its cold plastic casing exuded a serious air. His fingers hovered over the dial pad for a moment, his fingertips trembling slightly. He weighed his words carefully in his mind, but finally took a deep breath and dialed the number he knew by heart.

"Beep...beep..." The sound of the phone connecting felt like it was hitting my heart, each beep seemed to last forever.

After the call connected, he composed himself and meticulously reported the details of Jiang Hu's confession, the list of involved personnel, and the evidence of the flow of funds, leaving no detail overlooked, even the punctuation. Finally, his voice carried a hint of hesitation and a barely perceptible weariness: "...I originally wanted to investigate this matter thoroughly and give the people an explanation. But now, some points seem to have exceeded my authority; further investigation might..."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, with only a slight static coming through the receiver. He Feng's heart was in his throat until that steady and powerful voice rang out: "I understand. You just need to organize the evidence against Jiang Hu and send it up along with the case file. You don't need to worry about anything else; the higher-ups will take care of it."

The weight that had been hanging over He Feng's heart for so long finally lifted with a thud, and he instantly felt a sense of relief. Even his tense nerves relaxed, and his tone became lighter: "Yes, I understand, I'll get on it right away!"

After hanging up the phone, he gently placed the receiver back in its place, leaned back, and sank into his large office chair, his tense shoulders finally relaxing. No longer burdened by this immense responsibility, no longer sleepless nights staring at case files, he finally enjoyed some peace and quiet. The cicadas outside had stopped chirping sometime earlier, and the office was so quiet he could hear his own breathing.

The afternoon sun slanted in through the window, filtering through the dust and casting dappled shadows on the floor like a flowing painting. He Feng was busy organizing Jiang Hu's case file, categorizing the confession, bank transfer records, and witness testimonies, and securing them with paperclips.

"Knock knock knock—" The door was gently knocked on.

"Enter."

Ma Xin walked in carrying a thin yet heavy report. Her dark blue police uniform was perfectly pressed without a single wrinkle, and the epaulets gleamed calmly under the fluorescent lights, making her figure appear exceptionally capable. However, her brows were slightly furrowed, as if someone had twisted them into a small knot, and the seriousness on her face was lingering. Even her steps were heavier than usual. "He Feng, regarding Jiang Hu's case, I just got some new findings from the technical department." She paused, her fingertips unconsciously tapping on the report's cover. "The situation might be more complicated than we thought. I need to discuss it with you properly; it's a bit tricky."

He Feng put down the case file in his hand; the two characters "Jiang Hu" on the cover were worn white from being rubbed between his fingertips. He looked up at Ma Xin, the most senior forensic doctor in the bureau, always composed. For her to show this expression, things were probably not simple. He asked in a deep voice, "What's wrong? Have you found any crucial clues?"

Ma Xin sat down in the chair opposite him, spreading the report out on the table. The pages smelled faintly of disinfectant as she turned them. Pointing to several pages of lab data circled in red pen, she said in a low voice, "We conducted a detailed autopsy on Jiang Hu's body. Apart from the fatal stab wound to his chest—which was indeed caused by a sharp weapon, and the angle and force were consistent with a close-range attack—our colleagues in the technical department also detected a rare virus in his blood sample."

She paused, picked up the microscope slide next to her, and looked at it against the light: "This virus is extremely latent, like a venomous snake hiding in the dark. It doesn't seem fatal yet, but it will slowly destroy the human immune system like termites eating away at a dam. Once the time is right, all the organs in the body will fail in a short period of time, and then even a miracle won't save you."

He Feng's brows furrowed, his knuckles tapping lightly on the table, producing a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound. He stared at the virus structure diagram on the report, the twisted protein chains resembling an invisible net: "You mean to say that even if that beggar hadn't made a move, Jiang Hu would still have died at the hands of this virus?"

“That’s right.” Ma Xin nodded, her fingertip tapping on the words “three-month incubation period,” her tone puzzled. “Judging from the virus’s incubation period, he was already infected before he was imprisoned. But what’s strange is that since someone had already set a trap for him with the virus, they could have just waited patiently for him to rot away. Why go through all that trouble and have that beggar finish him off? That’s just superfluous and makes it easier to leave loopholes.”