I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Zhang Wanqing stood in the newspaper office, her eyes fixed on an anonymous email on her computer screen. The content of the email was brief and cryptic: "Fu Siyuan, Li Wei, Zhang Wanqing, your next target is 'Ghost'. He is planning an unprecedented crime, and you are the only ones who can stop him."

Zhang Wanqing's heartbeat quickened involuntarily. She immediately called Fu Siyuan and Li Wei and told them the contents of the email. Fu Siyuan's voice came from the other end of the line, with a hint of excitement: "Wanqing, this may be the most difficult case we've ever encountered. Who is 'Ghost'? What is he planning?"

Li Wei's voice was more serious. "We must be careful. Criminals with such high intelligence usually leave very few clues. We must act quickly."

The three of them quickly gathered in the newspaper's conference room to discuss this mysterious "ghost." Zhang Wanqing projected the contents of the email onto the wall, and the three of them sat together to analyze it.

"The name 'Ghost' sounds like a code name, not a real name," Fu Siyuan said with a frown. "He might be a hacker, or a criminal who is proficient in technology."

Li Wei shook his head: "No, I think he might be the leader of an organization. This kind of crime usually requires the cooperation of multiple people. It is difficult for one person to complete it alone."

Zhang Wanqing raised a key question: "Whoever he is, why did he come to us? We are just investigative journalists and former police officers. What reason does he have to think we can stop him?"

Just then, Zhang Wanqing's phone rang. She picked up the call, and a deep, hoarse voice came from the other end: "Zhang Wanqing, you have embarked on a path of no return. If you want to stop me, you must first solve the first puzzle I leave for you."

The call ended, and Zhang Wanqing's face turned pale. Fu Siyuan and Li Wei immediately surrounded her and asked what had happened. Zhang Wanqing told them what had happened on the phone, and the three of them looked at each other, seeing the tension in each other's eyes.

"We must find clues about this 'ghost' as soon as possible," Li Wei said, "otherwise, we may fall into greater danger."

The next day, Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei arrived at a remote warehouse. Following clues left by the "ghost," they found a mysterious package. The package was an ordinary courier box with no sender information, only a QR code.

Fu Siyuan carefully opened the package, revealing a small electronic device and a note. The note read, "This is the key to the first puzzle. You must solve it to find the next clue."

Li Wei picked up the electronic device and examined it carefully. It had a screen displaying a string of numbers and letters. Zhang Wanqing picked up the slip of paper and studied the words on it.

"This looks like a code," Fu Siyuan said. "We need to decipher this code before we can find the next clue."

The three of them began to work together. Fu Siyuan was responsible for researching the electronic equipment, Li Wei began to investigate the source of the package, and Zhang Wanqing searched the Internet for similar password cracking methods.

After several hours of effort, Fu Siyuan finally found a way to crack the password. He entered a complex code, and the screen on the device suddenly lit up, displaying an address.

"This is the location of the next clue." Fu Siyuan said, "We must go there immediately."

The three of them quickly arrived at the address, which turned out to be an abandoned factory. The factory gate was closed, and there was silence all around. Zhang Wanqing carefully pushed open the door, and the three of them walked in.

The factory was dim and shabby, with a pungent smell in the air. Fu Siyuan turned on his flashlight, illuminating the path ahead. The three of them walked along the corridor and eventually arrived at a room.

There was a computer in the room, and a video was displayed on the screen. In the video, a "ghost" appeared in front of the camera, wearing a mask on his face and with a low and hoarse voice.

"Welcome to the second puzzle," the Ghost said. "You must solve this puzzle to find the next clue. Otherwise, you will never be able to stop me."

After the video ended, a complex puzzle appeared on the computer screen, and the three began to study the puzzle, trying to find a way to solve it.

After several hours of hard work, the three finally solved the puzzle and found the location of the next clue. It was a luxury hotel in the city center. The three quickly rushed to the hotel and found the room indicated by the clue.

The room was empty except for a note and a small recording device. The note read: "This is the last puzzle. You must solve it to find me."

Fu Siyuan picked up the recording device and pressed play. The ghost's voice resounded in the recording: "You have reached the final step. Now, you must make a choice. Choose A, and you will find me, but you may be in greater danger. Choose B, and you will give up tracking me, but you can leave safely."

The three of them exchanged glances, each seeing the determination in the other's eyes. Zhang Wanqing said, "We can't give up. We must find the Ghost and stop his criminal plans."

Fu Siyuan nodded: "We choose A."

Following the instructions on the note, the three of them descended to the hotel's basement. Inside was a large computer, its screen displaying a complex code. Fu Siyuan began deciphering the code, attempting to locate the "ghost."

At this moment, the basement door suddenly opened and a masked man walked in. He had a gun in his hand and pointed it at the three people.

"Do you really think you can find me so easily?" The Ghost said, "Now, you will pay the price for your choice."

Fu Siyuan reacted quickly, lunging at the Ghost and attempting to wrest his gun away. Li Wei and Zhang Wanqing also leaped into action, attempting to subdue the Ghost. A fierce struggle ensued in the basement.

Eventually, the three successfully subdued the Ghost and found a USB flash drive on him, which contained the Ghost's criminal plans and a huge criminal organization behind him.

After the "ghost" was taken away by the police, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Wanqing looked at Fu Siyuan and Li Wei and said, "We solved another case, but this case made us realize that high-IQ criminals are much more dangerous than we thought."

Fu Siyuan nodded: "Yes, but we won't give up easily. As long as there is still crime, we will continue to investigate."

Li Wei smiled and said, "As long as the three of us are together, there is nothing we can't solve."