I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Lin Hao and Lin Wanqing have returned to their normal lives. Su Wan was sent to the hospital for treatment after the warehouse incident. As for where Lin Hao hid the ring, no one knows. Hopefully, after this lesson, he can hide the ring in a safer place.

Since joining the newspaper as an investigative reporter, Zhang Wanqing has not only formed an "iron triangle" with Fu Siyuan and Li Wei to help the police solve case after case, but has also written news reports about their cases. Her popularity has grown, and many people know her as an excellent reporter. Fu Siyuan's recognition of her has been particularly positive, as he feels she has matured considerably and is no longer as naive and superficial as when she first entered the workplace.

Zhang Wanqing thought she could take a few days off to relax and have some fun. However, just as she finished her leave application and took it to her supervisor's office for his signature, his phone rang again. As expected, she and Fu Siyuan had received a new case, ruining their vacation.

In a bustling city, a bizarre serial murder case quietly unfolds. The victims are all young women, whose deaths are bizarre. They have no obvious external injuries, but they have strange smiles on their faces, as if they experienced some unspeakable fear before dying.

At each crime scene, the police found a strange clue: a piece of white paper with a seemingly meaningless symbol written in blood. These symbols seemed unrelated, but they seemed to hide some kind of creepy pattern.

Criminal investigation expert Zhao Mingxuan is the lead investigator on this case. Despite his vast experience, he finds himself bewildered by these bizarre clues. He knows the symbols hold a message from the killer, and deciphering them is key to solving the case.

As night falls, the city lights twinkle like a galaxy of stars, obscuring the true stars in the sky. However, somewhere in this bustling city, an ominous aura is quietly spreading.

Zhao Mingxuan stood in the police station's conference room, a whiteboard covered with case photos and information. This was the most challenging case he had encountered in his career—a serial killer case. The victims were all young women, their deaths bizarre. They had no visible injuries, yet their faces wore eerie smiles, as if they had experienced some unspeakable terror before their deaths.

"Captain Zhao, we've found another victim." Young police officer Xiao Li pushed open the door and said nervously.

Zhao Mingxuan's brow furrowed, knowing full well what this meant. He quickly stood up, picked up his coat, and said to Xiao Li, "Let's go to the scene."

The crime scene was a small apartment. Under dim lighting, a young woman lay in a pool of blood, a familiar, eerie smile on her face. Zhao Mingxuan carefully examined the scene and found a piece of white paper with a strange symbol written in blood. The symbol seemed meaningless, but it filled him with an inexplicable unease.

"What is this?" Zhao Mingxuan whispered to himself. He took a picture of the symbol and prepared to take it back to the police station for research.

Back at the police station, Zhao Mingxuan pieced together all the clues from the case. He discovered that the symbols didn't seem identical, yet they held some inexplicable connection. He tried to decipher them, but no matter how he analyzed them, he couldn't find a reasonable explanation.

"Captain Zhao, these symbols look like some kind of code," Xiao Li said. "Perhaps we can ask a linguistics expert for help."

Zhao Mingxuan nodded. He knew that these symbols must contain some kind of information from the killer. He decided to contact the linguistics professor at the city university, hoping to find some clues.

At the same time, he also found the "Iron Triangle", Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan and Li Wei, and decided to join forces with them to uncover the truth of this serial murder case.

"Wanqing, this case doesn't look simple." Fu Siyuan said, his eyes revealing a hint of excitement, "I think we should investigate it in depth."

Zhang Wanqing nodded. She was well aware of the complexity of the case, but also understood that this could be a rare news opportunity. She decided to start with the victim and look for a breakthrough in the case.

After some investigation, they found an unexpected clue - all the victims had worked in the same bar called "Mist". Located on the edge of the city, this bar has a dark environment and a complex customer base, which seems to be out of tune with the bustling city.

Wen Jing, the proprietress of the "Misty" bar, is a mysterious woman with an elusive smile. Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan decide to observe secretly, hoping to find some clues.

"Wanqing, do you think there is something wrong with Wen Jing?" Fu Siyuan said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on Wen Jing.

"It's hard to say." Zhang Wanqing frowned, "But she doesn't look like an ordinary bar owner."

While they were talking, Wen Jing seemed to notice something. She smiled slightly and walked over.

"My two journalist friends, is there anything I can do for you?" Wen Jing's voice was gentle and pleasant, but Zhang Wanqing saw a hint of vigilance in her eyes.

"You...how do you know we are reporters?" Zhang Wanqing asked in confusion.

"Oh, you two are celebrities, and so is your friend Li Wei. Who doesn't know you two are called the 'Iron Triangle'?" Wen Jing said with a smile.

"Oh, we just want to know about the situation in this bar." Zhang Wanqing said with a smile, "After all, what happened recently has made us a little worried."

Wen Jing nodded, her smile still charming: "Don't worry, it's safe here. Maybe you should pay more attention to some other things."

Li Wei sat in his small apartment, flipping through the newspaper. His eyes fell on the news about the serial killer, and his brow furrowed slightly. As a former police officer, he was well aware of the dangers of such cases and the pressure on the police.

"Li Wei, are you still looking at this?" Li Wei's wife Lin Yue walked over, with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Yes, I want to know more about the case. There must be something hidden behind these cases, and I must find out the truth." Li Wei said.

Before Zhao Mingxuan contacted him, Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan, he had already contacted Zhao Mingxuan to ask him about the case.

Zhao Mingxuan pieced together all the clues from the case and tried to find the connection between the symbols. He discovered that these symbols seemed meaningless, but they actually hid some kind of pattern. He contacted a linguistics professor at the city university, hoping to find some clues.

"Officer Zhao, these symbols look like some kind of ancient code," the professor said, a hint of excitement in his eyes. "But the specific meaning requires further study."

Meanwhile, Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan discovered some strange phenomena during their investigation of the "Mist" bar. They found a mysterious room in the basement of the bar, which contained some strange objects that looked like some kind of sacrificial items.

"Wanqing, I think there's something wrong with this room." Fu Siyuan said in a low voice, a hint of uneasiness in his eyes.

Zhang Wanqing nodded: "I think so too. We have to find a way to go in and take a look."