Chapter 162

"Old Han..." A man's slightly low voice came from the other end of the phone; it was Long Gang. He said: "The person you wanted to check has finally been found! It's just... sigh, the situation isn't good. The person is gone, and the body is now in our bureau's morgue. What do you think we should do..."

Old Han listened to the phone while involuntarily turning his head to look at Gu Changzheng beside him. At this moment, Gu Changzheng's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding welled up in his mind. Relying on the keen intuition he had cultivated over many years of following his master, Lu Haoxuan, on cases, he immediately felt that this call was very likely related to his master!

When Old Han slowly put down the phone, Gu Changzheng could no longer suppress the anxiety in his heart and cautiously probed: "Captain Han, is there any new news about my master?" As he spoke, he stared fixedly at Old Han's eyes, trying to catch some clues from the other's expression.

He saw a complex look of hesitation and grief intertwined in Old Han's eyes. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seemed not to know how to start. Just as he was still thinking about how to phrase it, Gu Changzheng had already keenly sensed the subtle change in his eyes.

"Could it be that... he was found?" Gu Changzheng's voice began to tremble slightly, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

Facing Gu Changzheng's gaze, which was full of expectation yet filled with fear and anxiety, Old Han finally nodded gently and replied: "Mm!" Then he paused slightly and continued: "In Mangshi, right inside their bureau's morgue..."

When he said this, Old Han seemed to have used up all his strength; every word sounded so heavy.

Upon hearing this news, Gu Changzheng was struck as if by lightning, instantly frozen in place, his mouth wide open, unable to say a word for a long time.

Although he had imagined the worst outcome countless times before and tried to prepare himself mentally to endure everything, when this moment truly arrived, he was still completely crushed by the sudden bad news, completely unable to believe the reality before him.

He stared blankly with wide eyes, but his dark pupils were devoid of light! Luo Fei, who was beside him, understood his feelings for Lu Haoxuan and hurriedly called out in a low voice in his ear: "Master..."

This call made Gu Changzheng feel as if he were in another world. Before his eyes, he seemed to see a tall, imposing man in an olive-green uniform walking toward him, then smiling and patting him on the shoulder, saying: "From now on, you'll follow me, and you must call me Master!"

"Master!" Gu Changzheng came back to his senses, and the figure of Lu Haoxuan in his prime disappeared.

He forcibly suppressed the blood surging in his chest and said with a hoarse voice: "How did he pass away?"

Old Han looked at his slightly relaxed face and said: "I'm not clear about that at the moment. Why don't you all take a rest for a while, and then we'll set off?"

He was acting out of kindness, and also worried that the journey to Mangshi was long and that Gu Changzheng's body wouldn't be able to handle such a blow.

Gu Changzheng naturally knew his kindness. He waved his hand and said: "Thank you, Captain Han. Please help me contact the colleagues over there. We'll go there ourselves. After all, it's too far from here, and it's not very convenient!"

Old Han understood that he was telling the truth; it was indeed unrealistic for him to take people over there, but he was still fully prepared to provide the necessary help.

After arriving at Long Gang in Mangshi, Old Han handed them train tickets to Baoshan and told them that Long Gang would drive to meet them before they reached Baoshan, which would also save some time.

After a four-hour drive, Gu Changzheng and Luo Fei finally arrived in Baoshan in the evening. Long Gang, the captain of the Mangshi Criminal Investigation Detachment, and a criminal investigator had been waiting for a long time. After picking up the two, the four drove toward Mangshi. On the road of more than 100 kilometers, Gu Changzheng felt at times that it was short, and at times that it was long. He hoped that this road would never end, so he could continue to hold onto the fantasy that they had made a mistake and not have to face his master's body; he also hoped that this road would pass quickly, so he could see his master again with his own eyes...

However, the road was dead and would not change due to human will. In less than two hours, the car had arrived in Mangshi.

A high-power incandescent lamp emitted a harsh and pale light, as if trying to illuminate the entire room. The cold light shone down mercilessly, making people's eyes ache.

On the cold stainless steel table lay a body, covered tightly from head to toe with a cloth as white as snow. The white cloth was like accumulated snow in the middle of winter, without a trace of temperature or vitality.

Gu Changzheng stood there blankly, only feeling that everything before his eyes had suddenly turned blank, and he could see nothing. The pale light shone straight onto the snow-white cloth, reflecting a chilling light that made one's heart tremble. In this pitch-black night, such a strong contrast made him feel dizzy, as if the whole world had begun to spin.

At this moment, he seemed to have completely forgotten his identity as a criminal investigator. Standing before this old man, he had turned into a slightly reckless and green intern. The white cloth covering the old man's body was like an uncrossable chasm lying before him, making him hesitate to reach out and lift it. Because he was truly afraid to see what that once-familiar, serious, yet kind face had turned into now!

Since setting foot on this road to the crime scene, his spirit had always been in a daze. In his ears, he faintly heard fragments of what Long Gang, who was responsible for meeting them, had mentioned—Master seemed to have died unfortunately after suffering a heavy blow from someone's fist! "Ah! ~~" He let out a roar of uncontrollable rage from the depths of his heart. Who could be so insane and ruthless! Could it be that detestable A Lan? Or was it the work of that insidious and cunning Supreme God Sect? He really could no longer bear the pain and torture of facing the loss of his closest person again!

In fact, he knew very well in his heart that along the way, on the surface, he had appeared calm and composed, as calm and collected as a qualified criminal investigation captain should be. However, who could truly understand how deep the pain in his heart, like a knife cut, really was! Seeing him in such a lost state, Luo Fei, who was beside him, felt pity and walked up, intending to pull him out of this heartbreaking place. Unexpectedly, Gu Changzheng pushed away Luo Fei's hand reaching toward him with a sudden force and said in a firm tone: "Little Luo, lift the cloth!"