Chapter 180

Zong Yan smiled without warmth and said, "That bastard, not worth mentioning."

The Head of State interrupted him. Although he was smiling, his words were firm: "You don't need to be humble. I've heard of your son; he's a genius. Didn't you cultivate him as your successor back then? If a child is rebellious, just discipline him. How can you let him go on like this without restraint?"

Zong Yan's smile stiffened on his face. It took a second or two before he echoed in agreement.

"Call the child back. It's time for him to settle down."

The Head of State's words sounded like concern, but Zong Yan was already breaking out in a cold sweat. This was an order for him to have Zongfang take over the research on the rampage agent.

Zong Yan was still thinking quickly about how to maneuver out of this when he heard the Head of State continue: "Is he very close to that ancient human?"

Zong Yan's jaw tightened, and he immediately distanced himself: "It's just a fleeting romance."

The Head of State gave a sinister laugh. "Oh? A fleeting romance? And he could kill a family for that ancient human? Zong Yan, the release order you specially approved by pulling strings a while ago was for your son, right?"

Zong Yan immediately bowed and said, "Please punish me, Head of State."

The Head of State waved his hand dismissively. "What is this for? You have performed meritorious service for me and are my rare right-hand man. It wouldn't be excessive even if your son received special care from the entire Federation, let alone a mere release order. It's just that..."

Zong Yan didn't dare to look up, but even without looking up, he could imagine the masterful expression on the man's face.

The Head of State changed the subject: "It's just that since it's a fleeting romance, the mission to capture the ancient human back to the Federation won't be easy to achieve, right?"

Zong Yan gritted his teeth, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He knew better than anyone that this sentence was not a question, but an order. Between protecting Zongfang and the ancient human, Zong Yan chose the former without hesitation.

"Please rest assured, Head of State. I will formulate a detailed plan as soon as possible and will definitely bring the ancient human back."

The Head of State's eyes narrowed slightly. Hearing him avoid mentioning a single word about his son in his words, he knew he valued and cherished this son extremely highly. Therefore, he also viciously and easily saw through one thing: the rumors of the discord between the Zong father and son were a smokescreen that Zong Yan had deliberately created and allowed to persist for decades.

He evaluated the situation and, thinking that he still needed Zong Yan, he stopped applying pressure to avoid a falling out.

So he said, "Fine, I won't force you. If you can capture the ancient human, your son will still be free." ——Freedom Alliance.

Qiao Suisui asked Sang Yan to take her to the scene where the Archbishop was assassinated.

This was a bungalow behind the church, with very simple furnishings, showing traces of the Archbishop's daily life. The air here was filled with a solemn and desolate atmosphere.

The crime scene was a study in the bungalow, which Sang Yan learned was where the Archbishop spent the most time. Heavy curtains blocked out the light from the outside, making the room dim and eerie. Unorganized books and documents were scattered on the desk, there were clear signs of a struggle on the floor, and the blood-stained carpet symbolized the despair at the time of the murder.

Qiao Suisui wanted to walk in, but Sang Yan reached out to block her first.

"Sui Sui, it's too dirty inside. Are you sure you want to see it?" Sang Yan asked worriedly.

She was pregnant, and coupled with her previous morning sickness, Sang Yan was afraid she would feel unwell from the smell of blood.

Qiao Suisui said, "I have to see it. Don't worry, I'm wearing the evening primrose brooch bracelet you made for me."

Sang Yan's brows didn't relax. He took out a clean handkerchief, thoughtfully scented with the fragrance of evening primrose. He handed the handkerchief to her and said, "Cover your nose and mouth. If you feel unwell, you must tell me."

Qiao Suisui nodded and covered her nose and mouth with the handkerchief. As soon as she entered the room, even with the fragrance of evening primrose, it couldn't cover the thick, fishy stench.

She endured the churning in her throat and began to carefully observe the surroundings of the room.

She walked closer to the desk and found an overturned ink bottle, the ink spilling onto the documents and forming a chaotic pattern.

"Strange, everyone uses light brains for recording now, and even if they write letters, they are all voice-printed. Very few people use such a traditional and ancient way to write." She picked up a piece of paper with a few lines of scrawled notes, but the handwriting wasn't familiar.

"Did the Archbishop have a habit of writing records?"

Sang Yan shook his head, "I'm not sure. I'll try to ask later, but the Archbishop didn't really associate with people."

Qiao Suisui also noticed a few broken quill pens on the floor, as well as an open notebook. She opened the notebook and found that the last page contained some content that seemed to be an emergency record, but a few letters had been scratched out, clearly destroyed by someone on purpose.

While she was thinking, Sang Yan called her over to look at the scratches on the floor.

"Looking at these marks, there was clearly a fierce struggle here. And the direction and force of these scratches indicate that the attacker should have attacked from the front," Sang Yan analyzed.

"You mean the murderer didn't sneak attack from behind?" Qiao Suisui asked suspiciously, "If, according to Ka'er's statement, it was done by Scavengers, why would the murderer go to such lengths to go around to the Archbishop's front? Wouldn't it be faster to kill him directly from behind?"

Sang Yan nodded and said, "I think the murderer is more like someone imitating the assassination method of the Scavengers, and he inevitably had a conversation with the Archbishop."

Under what circumstances would a killer kill from the front? Qiao Suisui's eyes lit up, and she instantly thought of a possibility—

"Could it be an acquaintance?"

"It is an acquaintance," Sang Yan and she said in unison.

The two looked at each other, and Sang Yan pointed to a photo on the desk. It was a group photo, and a part of the corner of the photo had been torn off.

Qiao Suisui leaned over to look. She didn't recognize the people in the photo, but one face looked somewhat familiar; she couldn't remember where she had seen it. She used her light brain to take a picture of this photo, deciding to find a breakthrough later.

They continued to check around the room, but found no valuable clues. Just as Qiao Suisui stood up to leave, she felt dizzy because she stood up too suddenly, and her body swayed as she lost her footing.

Sang Yan immediately supported her nervously, his hands firmly holding her shoulders. Their breathing intersected in an instant, and an ambiguous atmosphere permeated the air.

Qiao Suisui looked up at Sang Yan, slightly stunned.

And Sang Yan stared at her face nervously, fearing she might have any discomfort.

"Sui Sui, are you okay?" Sang Yan's voice was low and concerned, with a hint of anxiety that couldn't be hidden.

Qiao Suisui nodded gently, "I'm fine, just a little dizzy."

Sang Yan still wasn't at ease. He supported her to the corridor and let her lean against the wall to rest. He took a bottle of water from his carry-on bag, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her: "Drink some water and rest for a while."

Qiao Suisui took the water bottle and looked at his bag curiously. First a handkerchief, then water, she couldn't help but ask: "What else is in there?"

Sang Yan's face turned slightly red. He lowered his head to cover it with the action of zipping the bag and said casually: "Nothing, just some odds and ends."

He was afraid she would be tired from standing, so he went out to find a chair for her. Taking advantage of this time, Qiao Suisui glanced at the carry-on bag on the floor and happened to see a corner of light purple in the bag that wasn't fully zipped.

Qiao Suisui was stunned. Driven by impulse, she walked over, opened the bag, and saw a pair of soft-soled slippers she often wore appearing in Sang Yan's bag.

She looked down at the small leather shoes on her feet. Today, to match this dress, she had specially worn small leather shoes with a little heel. Although her shoes were all custom-made by Laiboli and the soles were very comfortable, she was pregnant now, and her feet would occasionally swell. After walking or standing for a long time, no matter how comfortable the shoes were, they weren't as good as soft slippers.

Feeling Sang Yan's concern, Qiao Suisui felt a warmth in her heart. She had actually discovered for the first time the gentleness and meticulousness of this man, which she had never noticed before, and a strange feeling couldn't help but arise in her heart.

(End of chapter)