[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner":3,"chapter-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-42":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I'm Not Crazy—This Is the Emperor's Banner",{"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},2291382,4480,"Chapter 42","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-42",42,"\u003Cp>“Let’s go.” Lin Guoliang put away his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did the little girl specify an exact location?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She said it was a curved building—I think it must be the commercial tower in the northeast corner,” Jiang Xiyue said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a police officer, she was quite familiar with her surroundings, even knowing the layout of abandoned buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang walked forward, carefully observing both sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, what’s wrong?” Jiang Xiyue asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If this really is a murder, the killer may have escaped this way too—there’s only one exit here. Keep an eye out; see if you find anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiyue’s eyes lit up at once. “Master, you always think ahead—I never thought of that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just experience. With time, you’ll learn these things too,” Lin Guoliang said dismissively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Jiang Xiyue had studied these in police academy, not everyone is a natural detective, nor can everyone apply what they’ve learned to their work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked forward, they found traces of footsteps on the path, but nothing unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If a murder really happened, did the little girl discover it herself, or did someone else find it and send her to report it?” Lin Guoliang asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think someone else found it and sent her to report—this place is too remote. I don’t believe a little girl would come here alone,” Jiang Xiyue said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How old is the little girl? What are her features?” Lin Guoliang asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About twelve or thirteen, frail-looking, very wary…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiyue recalled and described Yin Xingyue’s features one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, they finally reached the commercial building. Due to long abandonment, it was filled with trash and overgrown with weeds; in summer, it emitted a foul stench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be careful,” Lin Guoliang warned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They turned on their body cameras and cautiously ascended the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Lin Guoliang seemed to notice something and crouched down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiyue remained alert beside him, yet curious about what he had found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few glances, she realized it was just a few cigarette butts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang glanced up the steps a few more times, then said: “Someone sat here smoking—recently, within the last few days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said this because the cigarette butts looked clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang did not touch them—if a murder had occurred upstairs, forensic technicians would collect them later and might find clues to the killer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he warned Jiang Xiyue to watch her step, and they continued upward, soon reaching the fifth floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it was a commercial building, the entire fifth floor was very large.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, should we split up to search?” Jiang Xiyue asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Split up? Better to move slowly than put yourself in danger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang drew his extendable baton; Jiang Xiyue pulled out her pepper spray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They each covered one side, cautiously scanning forward, and soon truly discovered a woman tied to a chair at a corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang stepped forward carefully, checked the woman’s breath, then met Jiang Xiyue’s questioning gaze and nodded—she was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang retracted his baton, pulled out his phone, and began taking detailed photos, while Jiang Xiyue stood guard nearby, curiously scanning the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, they suddenly heard police sirens from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hurried to the building’s side; since it was an abandoned structure with no cover and they stood high up, everything below was clearly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several police cars were parked by the road, and six or seven officers stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang thought he spotted a familiar figure among them, standing straight in the sunset’s glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like the city criminal investigation team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did they also get the alarm?” Jiang Xiyue asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, they were here for the corpse—someone must have reported it to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go down,” Lin Guoliang said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two descended the stairs and walked toward the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Xia Baokun, captain of the first squad of the criminal investigation team, was leading his men into the building from the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they saw Lin Guoliang and Jiang Xiyue approaching, both sides showed surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Baokun was astonished that two police officers were here—clearly, someone had given them a tip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang was surprised they’d brought a forensic doctor—clearly, they had already confirmed a murder had occurred, not just received a general alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain Xia,” Lin Guoliang greeted first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang knew Xia Baokun, but Xia Baokun didn’t recognize him—only felt he looked somewhat familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang introduced himself and Jiang Xiyue: “Captain Xia, I’m Lin Guoliang from the Yuxiu Police Station. This is Jiang Xiyue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, your station chief is Guan Xueming,” Xia Baokun vaguely recalled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang smiled and nodded. “Yes, Captain Xia, you’ve got a good memory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With over a hundred police stations in Haibin City, it wasn’t easy for Xia Baokun to remember their station chief’s name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you here?” Xia Baokun asked with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, several detectives remained silent, watching them closely with a hint of caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Guoliang explained to Xia Baokun everything about their arrival—the cigarette butts on the stairs, the discovery of the female corpse—all in detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the events were simple, he finished quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added: “Our body cameras have been recording the whole time. If you want to see the footage, I’ll send it to you when we get back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Baokun nodded, but his expression grew serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said a little girl reported it. Do you remember what she looked like?” Xia Baokun asked Jiang Xiyue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I remember.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then describe her later—I’ll have someone sketch her likeness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, no need—it’s easier. I saw her at the police station entrance. There’s surveillance there; we can just check the footage when we return.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Baokun chuckled. “Right, I forgot about that. By the way, you’re Jiang Xiyue—what’s your relation to Jiang Haitao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s my father,” Jiang Xiyue said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Xia Baokun’s gaze softened slightly. “You two go back. I’ll visit your station chief later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood, Captain Xia. We won’t delay you,” Lin Guoliang said, pulling Jiang Xiyue away quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the clues provided by Lin Guoliang and Jiang Xiyue, Xia Baokun’s team moved much faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cigarette butts found on the stairs were collected and sent to the evidence unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they reached the fifth floor, they finally saw the female corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forensic doctor stepped forward—taking photos, searching for clues—and everyone became busy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xia Baokun had nothing to do—he walked to a nearby window, lit a cigarette, and watched the retreating backs of Lin Guoliang and Jiang Xiyue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at their backs, Xia Baokun fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had come here today with full manpower because someone had given them reliable information confirming a murder had occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this wasn’t the first—this was the third this month, with nearly identical methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in this third case, the body had been discovered early—was that really just coincidence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place was so remote, even vagrants avoided it—how had the person who reported it even found out?\u003C\u002Fp>",1152,"2026-06-20T03:53:08.657Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","69259b73b74af8e5c686893f5facc6e680a476ee417b36be3cb7325af53f554d","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-43","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-41",623,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-cover.jpg"]