Chapter 382

Zhou Hu couldn't stay in the Patrol Bureau for another moment; he left in a towering rage.

Sitting back in the car, Zhou Hu leaned against the seatback, anxiously rubbing his brow, then fished a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

The flame jumped between his fingers; he took a deep drag, the thick tobacco scent spreading rapidly, filling his chest cavity, yet utterly unable to suppress the strangeness surging in his heart.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt that just now, when he uttered the name "Feng Mu," the air in the morgue seemed to freeze in an instant.

Those few people looked at him with a bizarre glint in their eyes, making his heart secretly prickle with unease.

"Damn it, I didn't say it was Prison Warden Qian Huan? I only mentioned Feng Mu, so why did it feel like their reaction was that huge?"

Zhou Hu muttered to himself as he stubbed out the cigarette butt.

His sixth sense wasn't wrong.

Forensic Doctor Bai Ye's look at him was expressing — someone wants to frame my friend again?

Chang Erbing's look at him was expressing — Captain Li's newly made good friend might drive the corpse cart to find you tonight.

That reception constable didn't count as Feng Mu's friend; he simply saw Chen Yang's charred remains on Zhou Hu's face.

Zhou Hu shook his head, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, and dialed Lou Duan.

The moment the call connected, Zhou Hu reported in rapid-fire speech:

"Station Chief Lou, Zhao Xing is dead, died miserably! Absolutely not an accident, I guarantee it, this thing was Qian Huan making Feng Mu do it!"

He paused for a moment, collected his thoughts, and continued:

"I just asked, last night Feng Mu took a batch of prison guards out of Second Prison to 'handle business,' the time matches up perfectly with Zhao Xing's time of death."

On the other end of the phone, Lou Duan listened indifferently, but his gaze fell on the TV news.

The screen froze on a horrifying scene — a headless corpse lay prone on the window, blood slowly trickling down the glass, the picture possessing a bizarre, evil beauty.

And on his desk lay another thing — a staff attendance sheet.

Amidst a sea of red checkmarks, Han Zheng's name sat alone at the very bottom row, the "X" behind it indicating unauthorized absence appearing exceptionally calm and glaring.

Han Zheng's death was too ordinary, not eye-catching enough, obviously lacking the qualifications to be exposed on TV.

Zhou Hu: "Station Chief Lou, Qian Huan and them are too unscrupulous! Last night it was Zhao Xing who died, today the one who dies might be me... Station Chief Lou, you have to think of a way!"

Zhou Hu was still saying something on the phone, his tone urgent, mixed with a few parts anger and certainty, but Lou Duan just listened quietly, occasionally letting out a low "mm" or two, like cooperation, yet also like perfunctoriness.

Finally, Lou Duan let out a deep sigh, his tone unhurried, just like yesterday when he placated Zhao Xing:

"Zhou Hu, don't be afraid. The crazier they act, the more it proves they're already at their wit's end, with no other means. In this situation, they won't be jumping around for much longer."

Zhou Hu gripped the steering wheel tightly, his brow twitching involuntarily; he accepted Lou Duan's analysis, but the unease in his heart didn't settle because of it.

On the contrary, he increasingly felt just how crazy Feng Mu, or rather the Feng Mu acting on Qian Huan's orders, truly was.

This kind of madness made his back turn cold, a chill rising in his heart that couldn't be stopped.

He leaned against the car seat, muttering softly:

"Station Chief Lou's words make sense, but what I'm afraid of now is that before I survive until they stop jumping, I'll be jumped to death by them first."

The other end of the phone fell silent for a moment, Lou Duan's voice came again, steady with a trace of hard-to-detect coldness:

"There's a meeting upstairs in a bit, they'll probably discuss the handling result for Second Prison. Alright, what are you panicking for? Looking like this, once Qian Huan is removed, how would I have the face to recommend and promote you to take the Prison Warden position?"

This sentence was like a shot of cardiotonic, instantly striking Zhou Hu's heart.

His pupils dilated slightly, his breathing also becoming rapid.

He took a deep breath, the haze between his brows gradually dispersing, replaced by a scorching gleam; the chill seemed completely driven away in this instant.

Ambition plus authority is the world's most unique wonder-drug formula; it can cure cowardice, dispel weakness, even delay the aging of a worn-down will.

For some people, merely smelling the scent of this medicine already works wonders.

Zhou Hu clenched his fists, his tone becoming excited, as if he had regained his confidence: "Thank you Station Chief Lou, I understand what I should do."

After hanging up, Zhou Hu's gaze passed through the car window, looking at the "rain over, sky clear," "sunshine everywhere" sky; his mood was completely different from when he entered the Patrol Bureau.

"The pitch-black rainy night will eventually pass, the glorious dawn will surely arrive..."

Zhou Hu muttered to himself, as if he had already seen himself sitting in the Warden's Office, the heroic bearing of holding great power.

Not long after, Zhou Hu's mobile phone screen suddenly lit up; it was a text message:

— Don't show your face these two days, I have a property management place, location concealed, you can go stay there for two days, wait for the storm to pass then come back to assume the Prison Warden post.

Address XXXXXXXXXX

The text message number was very unfamiliar, a string of completely patternless numbers, like it was sent from some virtual number.

But Zhou Hu almost without any hesitation immediately determined this was sent by Station Chief Lou.

As for why not use his own phone number? The answer was obvious — this residence definitely has an improper origin, probably evidence of corruption.

Sending this kind of message with a private number, wouldn't that be leaving a handle?

A person as wise as Station Chief Lou wouldn't commit such a low-level mistake.

Zhou Hu stared at the text message, a hard-to-describe emotion surging in his heart.

He seemed to see Station Chief Lou's face, the one always wearing an unfathomable smile, at this moment watching him with a kind of elder-like benevolent gaze.

He couldn't help muttering: "Station Chief Lou, really too considerate of subordinates... he really, I'm crying to death..."

He firmly memorized the address on the text message in his heart; however, he did not immediately turn the car around to head for that "safe house."

Zhao Xing's headless corpse in the morgue cabinet surfaced in his mind, as if silently warning him: places with few people aren't necessarily safe.

"Heh, Station Chief Lou's consideration is thorough, can be used as a final hiding place, but..."

Zhou Hu had a flash of inspiration, thinking of an even safer place; compared to Station Chief Lou's "thoughtful arrangement," this place might let him feel more at ease.

However, before going to that place, Zhou Hu took out his phone and dialed another number.

This time, his tone was completely different from when he just spoke with Lou Duan; not a shred of the respect and obedience from before, instead carrying a domineering irritability, even faintly revealing a few parts threat.

"Hello!"

The moment the call connected, he opened with a barrage, speech rapid like a machine gun,

"How many days has it been? What's going on? Not a peep! Do you even still want to get your brother out of prison or not?"

………

End of Chapter