Chapter 651: Crimson Sea, Wild Surge (1)

"To be honest, you're not seriously in love with that female officer, are you?" Shiler leaned against the bar, holding his glass, staring with Lucifer at Kloyin talking with the Ma Lei officer.

"What do you know? This is what love is…" Lucifer raised his glass, his eyes fixed on Kloyin: "Humans always say love strikes suddenly, without reason…"

Lucifer stood behind the bar, elbows on the counter, leaning forward and lowering his voice: "Help me win her over, and I'll cure your seasickness. How about it?"

"Not interested. I suddenly don't get seasick anymore." Shiler set down his glass and stood up, turning to leave—but Lucifer grabbed him. "Don't be like that. You just ruined my first meeting with her. Give me another chance, at least."

Shiler turned to look at Lucifer, who still stared intently at Kloyin, glass in hand. Shiler tapped the glass with his finger—*clink*. Lucifer startled, snapping back to reality. Shiler sighed: "You're actually smitten with her? Constantine went to extreme lengths to chase a female officer—he summoned demons, set up rituals, staged a whole elaborate show…"

"Now you've taken a fancy to another female officer. What's going on with you two?"

"You don't understand…" Lucifer took a sip, his gaze never leaving Kloyin. "A pure and noble soul of the opposite sex holds a deadly allure for those from Hell."

"Such holy, noble souls draw us in—but they also awaken a desire to destroy them. Purity. Nobility. Kindness…"

As Lucifer's back began to shimmer with phantom wings, Shiler tapped his glass against the counter—*clink*. Lucifer snapped out of it, shook his head, and said: "That's it. I'm in love with her."

Shiler rolled his eyes. "Then go chase your true love. I'm leaving."

He set down his glass and turned away. Lucifer didn't stop him—his attention remained fixed on Kloyin as he stood behind the bar, lost in thought, clearly planning how to insert himself into this case again.

Just as Shiler reached the side door of the bar, Kloyin suddenly caught up, stepping quickly in front of him: "Sorry, Professor, can I borrow a moment of your time?"

Shiler pursed his lips, glancing back at Lucifer, who made exaggerated gestures and a silly face. Shiler sighed: "Fine, Detective Kloyin. What is it?"

At that moment, Lucifer approached and said: "Hey, don't chat out here—it's windy. Let's go inside. All the customers ran off after what just happened. I prepared food I can't finish, and wasting it would be a sin. How about a late-night snack together?"

Kloyin didn't refuse. She looked at Shiler, who nodded. "Alright. One more drink, please."

Lucifer immediately dashed off to mix drinks. A while later, Shiler, Lucifer, Kloyin, and the Ma Lei officer Dan sat on the sofa. Kloyin frowned and said:

"This case isn't as simple as it looks. The killer wore an expensive watch far beyond his means. I suspect there's a darker transaction behind this."

"A watch?" Lucifer frowned, rubbing his chin. He hadn't noticed the killer's attire—he hadn't expected a female officer to show up, so he hadn't paid attention to details.

"I think you're overthinking it," Dan spoke up. "It's probably just a drug deal gone wrong—the seller shot him."

"That doesn't add up, Dan. You know if this were just a random incident—say, the victim bought drugs, refused to pay, and got shot—the moment the dealer killed him, why would his car be hit and he himself die?"

Kloyin brushed her hair back. "The killer's death wasn't an accident. It was an execution—someone wanted to silence him."

Lucifer recalled: after the gunshots, a crash came almost immediately. When he rushed out, the killer's car had been crushed by a truck.

When he examined the body, he saw the killer died from blunt trauma to the forehead—his head had slammed into the steering wheel.

As previously mentioned, Lucifer was also a detective enthusiast—a habit Shiler had cultivated. Now, almost instinctively, he analyzed:

"The intersection outside my bar isn't a perfect crossroads. The truck that hit the killer came from the eastern entrance, forming an obtuse angle with the street my bar sits on."

"Meaning, the driver had an unobstructed view—he could clearly see any vehicles on this road. There's no blind spot that could cause an accident."

"I've run this bar for years. Never seen a single accident here. That proves the road isn't dangerous. So why did a crash happen precisely at this moment? That's suspicious."

Kloyin glanced at Lucifer in surprise. She'd assumed he was just another night-club regular—crude jokes, useless distraction. But when he focused, he offered real insight.

Kloyin pulled a notebook from her bag and asked Lucifer: "Do you know why the victim came to your bar?"

"Everyone comes to a bar for one reason: fun and relaxation. Delilah was no different. Maybe she wanted to vent to me."

"What was she upset about?" Kloyin caught the detail instantly.

"She didn't say." Lucifer shook his head. "Several times, she started to speak, then stopped. You should ask this psychology professor—he talked to Delilah more deeply."

Kloyin turned to Shiler. Though he already understood Delilah's mental state, he answered cautiously:

"She was in a state of anxiety, with a fear of making choices. This condition has likely persisted for a long time. The cause probably stems from pressure within an intimate relationship…"

"An intimate relationship?" Kloyin thought, then turned and nudged Dan. "Go back to the station. See if you can find Delilah's identity info. If you do, call me."

After Dan left, Lucifer grew increasingly proactive. He watched Dan's retreating back and asked: "Detective, forgive me for asking—but you and your partner seem to have a strained relationship…"

*Rebirth: Riding the Waves of a Great Era*

Kloyin frowned, sensing the question was intrusive. Shiler spoke: "While we wait, why not inspect the scene? Both Lucifer and I are detective enthusiasts. Hands-on experience solving murders is invaluable to us. Working with an experienced officer like you is an honor…"

Hearing this, Kloyin's expression softened slightly. She pushed herself up, steadying her leg. "Fine. I missed checking some surrounding details. If you want to look, don't disturb the scene or touch the body."

"Don't worry. As a psychology professor, I've worked with police before. I know the protocols." Shiler stood as well.

As the three stepped out, Kloyin casually asked: "Professor, which university are you affiliated with?"

"Gotham University."

Kloyin paused, hand on the door. "Then you're likely more experienced than I am."

Shiler smiled but said nothing. After they stepped outside, Kloyin went to examine the crash site.

The female officer confirmed Lucifer's observation: the intersection had clear sightlines, no blind spots like a typical crossroad. The truck's trajectory showed no sign of braking or turning—it had plowed straight into the car.

The killer's corpse showed no unexpected injuries—fatal trauma to the head. But Kloyin noticed odd displacement marks on the body. It didn't look like someone had moved it. It looked as if the body had shifted on its own after death.

Kloyin didn't consider resurrection—she assumed the explosion from the vehicle afterward had jolted the corpse. Such cases weren't unheard of.

As Kloyin deduced the killer's identity, Shiler and Lucifer crouched beside Delilah's body. Shiler whispered: "Why not resurrect her now? Ask her what really happened."

"Do you think I can resurrect anyone I want?"

"Can't you?" Shiler asked.

"Of course not." Lucifer glanced at Kloyin in the distance. "Last time I brought back Angela's sister, I altered the timeline's causality—removed the cause, so she never died. That wasn't resurrection."

"Now, if I want to resurrect Delilah out of thin air, I'd have to go to Hell and retrieve her soul."

"Then why don't you?"

"Remember the female bartender who served you earlier? She kept urging me to return to Hell. Demons from Hell have come looking for me too. I don't want to go back. So I avoid any deep ties to Hell."

Shiler fell silent. He held reservations about resurrection. Behaviorally, death is a foundational cause of human actions. Without the threat of death, no one knows how human behavior would evolve.

Resurrection could profoundly alter human psychology. Worse still, in this world, after death, souls go either to Heaven or Hell. Having witnessed both realms, a person's entire mindset would shift irrevocably.

Shiler didn't know the depth of Delilah and Lucifer's relationship. It seemed they weren't close. In truth, Lucifer had helped Delilah only out of convenience—not out of emotional investment.

Shiler crouched, examining Delilah's gunshot wounds, then checked the ground around her. After finishing, he said: "The shooter was professional. All bullets struck the target. No bullet marks on the ground."

Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "Regardless, Delilah was my friend. And I won't allow violence on my turf. If I don't make the mastermind pay, I won't survive on the West Coast."

"You said if I gave you a chance, you'd help me understand my seasickness. Now, the chance is here."

Shiler stood, facing Lucifer. Lucifer looked back. Shiler said: "Delilah's distress likely came from an intimate relationship—her husband, boyfriend, or family."

"You can suggest to Detective Kloyin that you investigate her family background together. That'll give you plenty of time to court her."

Lucifer glanced at Shiler in surprise, then his gaze fell to the ring on Shiler's hand. He lifted his glass, took a sip, and said nothing.