[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-chasing-the-criminal-case":3,"chapter-chasing-the-criminal-case-chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-47":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Chasing the Criminal Case",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328815,4554,"Chapter 47","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-47",47,"\u003Cp>Volume Two: Prologue — The Shadow of Evil Approaches\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The winter in Zizhen City arrived with startling suddenness; autumn seemed merely a concept lingering in people’s memories, a fleeting transition between summer and winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuema Street in Jiangdong District was part of Zizhen’s old town, once a renowned commercial hub. Originally crowded with merchants and a diverse population, it rapidly became the busiest and most prosperous market in Jiangdong and even all of Zizhen after the rise of private businesses in the 1980s, leveraging its strong commercial foundation and prime location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By day, the street teemed with crowds; by night, neon lights flickered to life behind the facades of clothing shops, hair salons, and leather stores — seven or eight such dance halls lined the 300-meter stretch. From afar, the scene shimmered with dazzling brilliance, a spectacle of prosperity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luhua Dance Hall was universally recognized as the largest and oldest dance hall on Yuema Street. Its owner, Chang Huaqiang, had originally built his fortune selling glasses from a small stall on Yuema Street. Later, seeing the profits in dance halls, he entered the business — and his family held three records in Jiangdong District: the biggest dance hall, the cheapest dance hall, and the one with the most beauties!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How Chang Huaqiang managed to attract the greatest number of beauties at the lowest prices remained his secret, but later accounts claimed he didn’t profit from admission fees at all — his real earnings were beyond the reach of ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Zizhen City in 1995. Lu Haoxuan, head of the Jiangdong Criminal Investigation Unit, was still in his prime; he would turn 47 on January 10. That evening, in his small living room, several officers, his wife Wei Jie, and his 15-year-old daughter Lu Yuxi sat around a small round table. At its center sat an eight-inch cream cake, accompanied by a few simple yet beautifully prepared dishes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Haoxuan’s two long-time apprentices, Gu Changzheng and Hu Jinquan, were busy lighting candles and pouring drinks into everyone’s cups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple, lively birthday celebration unfolded in cheerful spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the red landline phone in the living room rang shrilly! Seeing everyone immersed in merriment, Wei Jie rose to answer it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jie said “Hello,” then, after hearing something on the other end, glanced at her husband surrounded by young officers, hung up, and walked over: “Lao Lu, Deputy Director Zhao’s call — there’s an emergency!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Haoxuan, still smiling, said: “Eat, I’ll take this call.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the phone, Zhao Xiaodong, director of Jiangdong Branch’s Criminal Investigation Division, spoke in a low, grave tone: “Lao Lu, a major case has broken out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Haoxuan took less than a minute on the call. After hanging up, he raised his voice: “Comrades! We can’t finish this cake! A major case has occurred in Jiangdong — we need to get to the scene immediately!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone sprang to their feet at once. Gu Changzheng said: “Master, what about your birthday…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jie quickly replied: “Go, go quickly! I’ll clean up with Yuxi — don’t worry about home!” She added with a smile: “Hu, Fang, wait a moment — I’ll pack you some boiled dumplings. You won’t know how long this will take, and you haven’t even eaten dinner yet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spoke cheerfully to the officers, but inside, her heart ached — those who chose to be family to a police officer must be ready to give everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The team sped in their sidecar motorcycle to a patch of scrub forest at the border between Jiangdong District and Qinghe County, where several police cars with flashing lights were already parked. Lu Haoxuan recognized the lone Santana as Zhao Xiaodong’s vehicle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He parked the motorcycle and hurried toward the gathered crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was barely seven o’clock, but winter nights arrived early — the sky was already dark. Lu Haoxuan, accompanied by Gu Changzheng and Hu Jinquan, pushed past the crime tape and approached a stern man of similar age: “Director Zhao!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiaodong, seeing Lu Haoxuan arrive, immediately pulled him into the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before them appeared a foul-smelling pit in the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>",685,"2026-06-20T19:35:30.807Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","89882cf945e7c28ced319d7887baa270b713584a7f4ebd0a2872e544eeee2e4b","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-48","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-46",276,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchasing-the-criminal-case-cover.jpg"]