Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

The two were pondering the oddities—was it to speed up the process? Or was there another plan? —The office door was pushed open again, and Zhao Lei strode in, sweat still on his forehead, the folder in his hand clenched so tightly it was deformed, his face showing undisguised anxiety and helplessness: "Director, I have something to report."

Seeing this, Ma Xin got up to leave, wanting to make room for them. He Feng waved his hand, "It's alright, it's all about Jiang Hu's case, let's listen to it together. Zhao Lei, you just say it."

Zhao Lei composed himself, wiped his sweat, and said with a bitter face, "Chief, we've searched through all the household registration files in the city, reviewed nearly five years of migrant population registrations, and even contacted police stations in surrounding cities and counties for assistance, but we haven't found a single clue. This person seems to have appeared out of thin air; there's no identity information, no criminal record, and we can't even find a match in the fingerprint database."

He paused, his voice tinged with frustration: "We checked everyone around the prison. From the moment he appeared on the street corner until he was 'received' by the guards, he kept his head down the whole time, his hat brim pulled very low, or his face was blocked by buildings. We couldn't find a clear image of his face at all. To put it bluntly, he was like a person without a 'past,' like a blank sheet of paper, and we couldn't find out his background at all."

The office fell silent instantly, even the sounds of cars outside seemed to be shut out. Sunlight streamed through the window onto the open report, making the dense text and data suddenly seem particularly glaring, like countless question marks dancing before your eyes. A killer with an enigmatic identity, a long-dormant virus—two threads that seemed to run parallel, yet were subtly intertwined.

He Feng picked up the report, his fingertips tracing the words "virus origin unknown." He knew in his heart that what was hidden behind this case was obviously deeper than they had imagined, like a bottomless well where stones thrown in could not even be heard echoing.

Seeing the fleeting understanding in Zhao Lei's eyes, He Feng knew that Zhao Lei had followed his train of thought. He nodded slightly and his tone unconsciously deepened: "Alright, no need to investigate any further. These are assassins; they don't have any legitimate identities. The people behind them have already wiped out all traces."

These people are trained from childhood to be tools for their masters. Their identities are fabricated, their pasts are meticulously woven, and even their accents and habits are the result of deliberate training. Once something goes wrong, they will vanish like dust without a trace, leaving no clues to trace back to their origins—this is their purpose, and also their most troublesome aspect.

Zhao Lei nodded heavily, his fingers unconsciously clenching the dossier in his hand, his brow still furrowed. The appearance of these assassins was no small matter. It meant that the opposing side's power was far deeper than they had initially anticipated, and their actions were far more ruthless and decisive, even daring to use such costly pawns. The waters hidden behind this were likely much deeper than imagined, so deep that they were unfathomable.

Ma Xin, standing to the side, pushed up her black-rimmed glasses. Her gaze behind the lenses revealed a professional rigor. She looked at He Feng and asked in a calm tone, "Director, shall I continue my investigation? There are still some details about the deceased's social network and recent whereabouts that I haven't fully sorted out. For example, there is still a gap of one hour in his whereabouts last Wednesday afternoon."

He Feng turned to look at her, his gaze sharp and steady, as if it could pierce through the fog: "You don't need to investigate this matter any further. Just organize the investigation results you have and give them to me." He paused, then added, "Also, Jiang Hu's body will be transferred to the higher authorities by special vehicle later. They will take over the subsequent examination and processing. You don't need to follow up on this anymore. Focus your energy back on the routine cases."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xin couldn't help but feel a little doubtful. After all, the case had been abruptly halted at such a crucial point, like having words abruptly swallowed back – it always left a lingering unease. However, she always adhered to discipline and knew that the handling of some cases involved higher-level considerations, so she nodded immediately: "Okay, then I'll go and compile all the materials right away. The autopsy report, the crime scene investigation record, the list of physical evidence, and all the clues we've investigated so far will all be compiled into a complete report, which I'll send to you later."

"Okay." He Feng responded, raised his hand and waved, indicating that she could go about her business.

Ma Xin picked up the black folder on the table, turned around, and quietly slipped out. The office door closed gently with a soft "click," cutting off the faint footsteps in the corridor outside.

After Ma Xin left, the office fell silent instantly, with only the ticking of the wall clock standing out sharply in the stillness, like a constant tapping on everyone's nerves. He Feng leaned back in his large office chair, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the desk, making soft "tap, tap" sounds, but his gaze was fixed on the deepening twilight outside the window—the sun had long since set, leaving only a faint orange-red hue on the horizon, being swallowed by the increasingly dark night, and his brows furrowed even more tightly.

The appearance of these assassins is like a stone thrown into a deep pool; on the surface, it only creates ripples, but the undercurrents beneath are already raging. Those who can command these assassins are no ordinary people; they must be backed by a complex web of powerful forces. Jiang Hu's death is likely just the tip of the iceberg; the truly dangerous force lies hidden beneath the surface.

He knew in his heart that this matter was far from over. Handing over the investigation results and the body to his superiors was merely a stopgap measure—with their current authority and resources, continuing the investigation would only alert the suspects and might even put more people in danger. But the invisible network of relationships behind it, like an impenetrable net, hanging over the city, was the real breach that needed to be torn open.

Seeing He Feng's solemn expression, Zhao Lei hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Director, the people behind this probably won't let this go. The assassins didn't leave any clues, but Jiang Hu has been the director of the coal mining bureau for so many years, they must have some leverage over him. Maybe... they'll have another move."

“Hmm,” He Feng interrupted him, a hint of coldness in his voice, “So we can’t rush things. Jiang Hu’s case is just the beginning. We need to stay calm and hold onto our cards tightly.” He looked up at Zhao Lei, his gaze sharp as an eagle, “You also need to carefully review the clues you have, especially the project approval process related to the Coal Mine Bureau, the flow of special funds, and the records of safety accidents handled in recent years. See if you can find a breakthrough in these areas. Remember, keep it quiet, peel back the layers like an onion, and don’t alert the enemy.”