Chapter 133: We Must Reject Feudal Superstition

One of the footprints, though not very clear, happened to be right outside the window of the duty room.

Yu Dazhang looked up and, sure enough, spotted some faint marks on the glass.

It was as if someone had pressed their face against the glass, straining to peer inside.

Then that broken, tattered footprint stretched all the way toward the door of the morgue.

It really was just as described in the Xiangan Sect file—after the bodies rose, they walked straight out of the morgue.

Taking in the faint, lingering stench of decay inside the morgue, Yu Dazhang looked all around but found no further abnormalities.

Glancing up at the surveillance cameras overhead, Yu Dazhang asked in a low voice:

"Is the surveillance footage from the time of the incident complete?"

This was important—if the footage had been tampered with, there would be breaks when it played.

No need to delete the whole thing; sometimes a few subtle breaks are enough to erase the key points.

"It's complete." Ji Bin had barely finished speaking when his face changed, as though recalling something unpleasant:

"The surveillance was brought back to the bureau. If you want to look at it, you can do so when we get back."

Yu Dazhang scanned the scene once more but found nothing unusual.

The technical team and the criminal investigators had both examined the site; the existing traces had been collected and were now marked.

Judging from the footprints and the path of movement, the way the bodies had moved was indeed strange—not like a normal person walking.

It looked very stiff, and there were drag marks from the soles on the floor.

"Let's head back and look at the surveillance first."

Seeing is believing. By now Yu Dazhang was certain that everything described in the case file was true.

Back at the Qingpu branch bureau, Yu Dazhang quickly reviewed last night's surveillance footage.

After watching it, he too fell silent.

This case really was bizarre enough—the surveillance video was crystal clear, showing four corpses walking out of the morgue one after another, as if alive.

"This really is like seeing a ghost!"

Li Jun, who had been sitting beside Yu Dazhang watching the footage, couldn't help cursing out loud.

"I'm heading back first." Li Jun then stood up and patted Yu Dazhang on the shoulder:

"Call me if you need anything."

And just like that, he leaves me here? Yu Dazhang stared at him blankly.

He knew Li Jun couldn't stay with him the whole time—after all, the man was a captain and had plenty of other things to handle.

Still, he couldn't just leave him here all on his own.

"Don't worry. As long as you make the request, I think Captain Ji will cooperate with you."

After leaving those words, Li Jun departed.

Yu Dazhang picked up the case file beside him again and pulled out the records of the four bodies.

Luo Zhizhong, male, Tujia ethnicity, born August 1961, ID number: 4331021……

On August 16, 2014, at around 20:00, he hanged himself at Xiangde Psychiatric Hospital; no other external injuries were found.

An on-site examination and investigation were conducted; the deceased was found to match the characteristics of hanging, and the family had no objections to the cause of death.

Liu Shixiong, male, Han ethnicity, born November 26, 1972, ID number: 2107221……

On August 16, 2014, at noon, he had dinner and drinks with colleagues; that evening, feeling seriously unwell from excessive drinking, he was sent for emergency treatment by the 120 hotline but died at 21:00 after resuscitation failed.

Chang Zirou, female……

These four were two men and two women, differing in age, hometown, and cause of death.

Yu Dazhang read through them several times but found no common thread.

Just as he was about to look for other leads, Ji Bin walked in, drenched in sweat, his face anxious as he asked:

"How is it? Any findings?"

Yu Dazhang shook his head: "No."

"Sigh!" Ji Bin let out a breath, rubbing his forehead as he said:

"The families are putting up a huge fuss right now. It's almost been three days and they're in a rush to have the bodies cremated, but we still haven't found them. They're causing a scene at the hospital." "If we can't crack this case, then…"

Ji Bin didn't finish the rest of his sentence, but Yu Dazhang could still feel the pressure he was under.

A normal case would be one thing, but once a bizarre case like this goes unsolved, there's no telling how the rumors will spread.

Ji Bin's reputation for the second half of his career would likely be ruined by this case.

Yu Dazhang pulled himself out of his wandering thoughts.

He didn't believe in any of that supernatural nonsense.

It's 2014—satellites blanket the sky and surveillance cameras cover the ground.

If ghosts really existed, after being a cop for two lifetimes, he ought to have caught at least a few by now.

"Captain Ji, let's set up a special task force. I refuse to believe there's a case in this world that can't be cracked."

Hearing Yu Dazhang's words, Ji Bin quickly perked up as well.

Please... bookmark... 6... 9... book....!

He mustered all the elite officers from his own branch bureau, and soon an eight-person special task force was assembled.

He himself took command as team leader, with Yu Dazhang serving as deputy team leader.

Once everyone had been gathered, Ji Bin got straight to the point, laying out his stance and attitude.

This case would get whatever money and manpower it needed—whatever the cost, they would crack it!

In the specially cleared-out meeting room, Yu Dazhang looked around at every person present, then spoke in a steady, confident voice:

"Our 8.17 Special Task Force is officially established. You should all know the situation of the case by now—let's hear everyone's thoughts."

For him stepping forward to preside over the meeting, no officer present found it strange.

First, an outsider monk knows how to chant the sutras.

As long as it is outside aid invited in, the treatment naturally must be higher than for internal personnel.

Second, a person's name casts a shadow; Yu Dazhang's name has recently spread throughout the system.

At least within the police system of Songhai City, it could already be described as famous.

Besides, if not for the fact that these people of his could not solve this case,

Ji Bin would not have needed to apply to the Municipal Bureau to have Yu Dazhang come over to help.

Now that the person is willing to help, they only have the part of cooperating.

"I think the breakthrough for this case is still that duty officer," one of the team members said:

"Although the surveillance at the scene is complete, he was after all at the scene; perhaps he grasped some clues not visible in the surveillance."

Seeing Yu Dazhang turn his head to look at him, Ji Bin quickly introduced:

"This is Hu Hao, a criminal investigator from our detachment."

"Good, then please continue pursuing this lead, striving to dig out some useful clues." Yu Dazhang directly began assigning tasks.

Hu Hao was slightly stunned for half a second, seemingly unaccustomed to Yu Dazhang's orders.

However, after he reacted, he still opened his mouth and agreed:

"Good, after the meeting adjourns, I will continue interrogating the duty officer."

With Hu Hao's statement, others also successively voiced their viewpoints.

Quickly, someone proposed a relatively novel argument:

"I think, could this be a form of hypnosis?"

"Hypnosis?" Yu Dazhang pondered slightly for half a second, raising his hand to ask:

"Speak in detail."

Seeing this, the team member who proposed hypnosis quickly continued speaking:

"As a means of psychology, hypnosis has developed very rapidly nowadays."

"Among them, some relatively powerful methods can already deceive, alter, and replace a person's consciousness and memory."

"I have previously encountered cases related to hypnosis, made some inquiries about it, and even found some relevant journals to read."

"I think this case is very likely a new criminal method regarding hypnosis."

(End of this chapter)