Thriller Zone: From the Mental Hospital to the Ghostly World

"How can this be?"

Kelly Chen looked astonished. "You mean Ah Heung's death was related to ghosts?"

Tian Qinghe nodded.

Officer Zhong didn't say anything, his gaze fixed on the village house, deep in thought.

Kelly Chen shook her head, clearly not accepting such speculation. She was highly educated, firmly believed in materialism, and thought that talk of ghosts and gods was just superstition.

This can be seen from the fact that she wasn't particularly afraid when she faced the red wedding dress before.

"I think your investigation is going in the wrong direction."

Kelly Chen said directly, "This ghost story about the wedding dress is too common. I've heard many versions of it."

"This is clearly just a coincidence."

Before Chen Ji and the others could say anything, she showed a thoughtful expression and continued to reason:

"I'm more inclined to believe that the book inspired the killer, or that he deliberately left it in the room."

"The purpose was to deliberately mislead the police and prevent the investigation from focusing on him."

Kelly Chen was speaking very quickly, but was suddenly interrupted by a voice.

"Oh?"

Xu Yuanshuang smiled slightly, tossed her hair, and said:

"Officer Chen, from what you're saying, you already have a clue who the murderer is?"

Kelly Chen nodded without hesitation.

"I think we should still focus our investigation on Zheng Zhongshan."

“Data from abroad shows that in nearly one-third of cases where women are murdered, the perpetrators are their spouses.”

Liu Zi clicked his tongue, his tone very impatient:

"Didn't he disappear hundreds of years ago?"

"If you can't even find the person, what kind of investigation can you possibly conduct?"

Kelly Chen wasn't angry at Liu Zi's unpleasant words. She simply looked at Officer Zhong beside her and said very seriously:

"Senior, I'll go back to the police station right now and retrieve Ah Xiang's police report."

"I'd appreciate it if you could accompany Mr. Tian and the others to see if they could find any other clues."

Officer Zhong nodded and pondered for a moment:

"Let me know as soon as you have any news."

He patted Kelly Chen on the shoulder and watched the policewoman leave.

"It's good to investigate from both directions simultaneously."

Officer Zhong muttered something to himself, cleared his throat, and then turned to look at Chen Ji and the others:

"Everyone, according to the rules, we really shouldn't steer this case toward the supernatural."

"but....."

He said with a wry smile, "I have more seniority than Huiling, and I have actually handled quite a few similar cases."

He didn't elaborate, but the apprehension in his expression spoke volumes...

Officer Zhong may have seen ghosts with his own eyes.

Tian Qinghe nodded in understanding. In the last century, many strange things had happened in Xianggang.

Even more than 20 years later, many of these strange tales are still famous and have even boosted the development of the feng shui industry in Hunan and Hong Kong.

"well, let's get back to business."

Officer Zhong returned to the main topic and asked Chen Ji:

"Assistant Chen, where did you see that newsboy?"

"What does he look like?"

Chen briefly described the characteristics of the newsboy, and then said:

"It's right on the street next door, very close to here."

After a while.

The nine people returned to the bustling street, this time with Officer Zhong among them.

As the leader of the detective team, Tian Qinghe walked at the front of the group with Officer Zhong.

The two men would occasionally approach the roadside vendors and ask if they had seen the newsboy.

Out of respect for the police, the group quickly gathered some information.

According to the vendors, the newsboys would sell newspapers and magazines on this street almost every morning, take a break at noon, and then come out in the afternoon to play marbles with other children.

It's already noon, and most of the newsboys have already gone home. They won't appear until after 2 p.m.

"Hold on."

Officer Zhong said that he led a few people into the tea restaurant and ordered lunch for everyone.

He and Tian Qinghe sat at a table alone, while the others were scattered around.

The young monk Huici politely declined Officer Zhong's offer and went out alone to find a vegetarian restaurant.

Chen Ji, Du Tingfeng, and Fei'er sat at a table in the corner, looking at Tian Qinghe with thoughtful expressions.

"Is there something wrong with him?"

Du Tingfeng keenly caught Chen Ji's gaze.

Chen Ji shook his head.

He picked up a rice noodle and said in a low voice, "Tian Qinghe is definitely not a welder."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Ji added:

"I suspect he's an official."

Fei'er was drinking Hong Kong-style milk tea when she heard Chen Ji's words and was taken aback: "You mean, Tian Qinghe is a member of that bureau?"

"The thirteenth inning."

Du Tingfeng said, looking at Chen Ji, "He is indeed very confident in his attitude towards the police."

This was noticed not only by Chen Ji, but also by Du Tingfeng.

"Ah."

Chen Ji continued, "Even if he is naturally calm and composed, he couldn't have done this much just because he is a welder."

"This is likely due to long-term contact with public officials, or even because he himself is one of them."

That conversation with Xu Sandao in the movie theater that day resurfaced in Chen Ji's mind...

Just after the two finished discussing the "company," Chen Ji raised a question that had been on his mind for a long time.

Since domains have existed for so long, are there no other organizations besides "companies"?

Are the authorities completely unaware of this?

"Of course."

Xu Sandao immediately gave an answer.

"Aside from the company, the authorities noticed that the domain was recruiting people many years ago."

"They set up a special department for this purpose, called the 'Thirteenth Bureau,' to handle these kinds of incidents in a special way."

According to Xu Sandao, the "Thirteenth Bureau" is large in scale, but due to the limitation that the real world cannot directly interfere with the domain, its number of people is slightly smaller than that of the "Company".

Of course, many newcomers have also formed small groups.

However, only a minority of people are willing to join the organization. Some are unwilling to be restricted, some feel they will become cannon fodder, and others feel that they will not gain any benefits even if they join the organization.

In short, in low- to mid-level domains, most people still choose to enter the domain alone.

The reason why the "company" can attract so many people is because it has gathered a large number of strange objects, which can be lent to its internal employees.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Chen Ji glanced again at the several tables of people who had dispersed but were now forming groups.

He, Du Tingfeng, and Fei'er sat at the same table.

Xu Yuanshuang and Li Bo are at the same table.

Liu Zi and Xue Ran sat together; while Hui Ci went out alone.

Chen Ji pondered for a moment and then said.

"Among these people, there might be employees of the 'company'."

"You two should be careful when using the strange objects."

The last time the domain was dealt him a severe lesson.

Du Tingfeng nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

Fei'er patted the little bear bag on her body, her voice calm.

"What are you afraid of?"

Bang!

She stabbed the fork in her hand into the char siu pork with such force that the table shook.

"There are three of us. It's hard to say whose strange object was stolen."