Chapter 109: The Vanishing Corpse

In the West City Branch building, a mournful howl tore through the heavy air.

A middle-aged man in a designer suit, his hair slicked and shining, was now grabbing a young officer's collar like a madman, spitting saliva all over his face.

"We can't locate the killer—what does 'can't locate' mean?! Aren't you police?!"

He turned his head, his scarlet eyes fixed on Liu Jianjun, who had just arrived not long ago.

"Fuck your mother, Liu Jianjun! Aren't you the deputy detachment chief of the Criminal Investigation Team?! Speak!"

This man was none other than the juvenile offender who killed Gao Zhiyuan's wife, Zhao Lei's father, a wealthy businessman who made his fortune through gray-market industries.

Soon, Zhao Lei's father howled, being dragged away by two other officers.

Nearby, two other couples also wailed heartbrokenly, collapsing to the ground, repeatedly calling their children's names.

They were the parents of the two other girls who bullied Gao Siwen.

Four cases.

Four victims.

Zhao Lei, Wang Qianqian, Sun Li, plus Liu Ya.

Neither more nor less, exactly the four people who had driven Gao Siwen to desperation back then.

The manner of death was identical down to the last detail.

The scene investigation results were exactly the same.

Doors and windows were intact, no signs of forced entry, no evidence of homicide.

The victims were all in their own rooms, asleep, literally frightened to death.

This was no longer a coincidence.

West City Branch, in the large conference room on the third floor.

A group of police sat here, the electronic case intelligence report displayed on the big screen, the atmosphere heavy as water.

Zhang Yi looked at Liu Jianjun, "Old Liu, what do you think?"

"Gao Zhiyuan..."

Liu Jianjun suddenly squeezed out these three words from his mouth.

"It's him! It must be him!"

In Liu Jianjun's mind, over and over replayed the scene at the parents' meeting when Gao Zhiyuan collapsed, those eyes full of extreme resentment.

That gaze, he would never forget it for the rest of his life!

"He has accomplices! Or he used some unknown method to fake his death and escape!"

Liu Jianjun was like a trapped beast thoroughly enraged, his fists clenched until they cracked.

"Investigate! We must investigate! Dig up every ancestor of that bastard Gao Zhiyuan!"

Soon, the entire Criminal Investigation Team was stirred up by Liu Jianjun's frenzy.

No one dared to dissuade him.

Anyone could see that Liu Jianjun now was a bomb ready to explode at any moment.

However, less than half an hour later, a piece of news that sent chills down everyone's spine came through the internal phone line.

A young officer answered the internal phone.

On the other end of the phone was Lao Zhang, in charge of managing the mortuary, his voice trembling uncontrollably:

"Gao Zhiyuan... Gao Zhiyuan's corpse... is missing!"

"What did you say?!" Liu Jianjun snatched the phone and roared into the receiver, "What do you mean 'missing'?! Can a corpse just grow legs and run away?!"

"It... it's really gone!" Lao Zhang almost cried, "It's been gone since two days ago! The mortuary door has a triple-lock code, the cameras show no one entering or leaving, but... but that corpse just vanished into thin air!"

Beep... beep... beep...

The phone slipped from Liu Jianjun's hand and fell to the ground.

The entire office fell dead silent.

Corpse... vanished into thin air?

"Hehe... hehehehe..."

He suddenly began to chuckle softly, his laughter growing louder and more unhinged.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

He slammed his hand on the table, his eyes bloodshot as he scanned his colleagues around him.

"Gao Zhiyuan never died! He faked his death and fooled all of us!"

"Then, in a way we cannot comprehend, he killed my child one by one, as well as the children of the other three victim families!"

"He is the killer!"

"He is that devil hiding in the darkness, watching us suffer!"

The veteran officers present all felt waves of chill.

But for now, this seems to be the only explanation that can account for all the strange phenomena.

"Captain Zhang!"

Liu Jianjun had gone completely mad, his gaze blazing as he stared at Zhang Yi:

"I request sealing off all city exits and entrances! Airports, train stations, highway exits—none may be let through!"

"Carry out a carpet search of all hotels, guesthouses, internet cafes, and rental properties across the city!"

"Issue a wanted notice! We must find Gao Zhiyuan!"

Liu Jianjun was like a mad dog, sleepless and restless, personally leading the team, charging to the front line.

Countless officers were recalled from leave by him, countless families' nights shattered by wailing sirens.

For a time, complaints filled the air.

But Liu Jianjun didn't care at all.

He now has only one thought: to pull Gao Zhiyuan's "lost soul" out from beneath the earth and shred it to pieces!

However, just as his investigation was about to be fully launched, stirring up even greater turmoil, a phone call rang directly on his mobile.

The caller ID showed—City Bureau Director.

Liu Jianjun took a deep breath, suppressed his irritation, and answered.

"Come to my office immediately. Now!"

On the other end, the Director's voice was unprecedentedly solemn, without a hint of emotion.

Liu Jianjun felt a sudden jolt in his heart, but still rushed to the Director's office at top speed.

He pushed open the door and saw the Director standing by the window, his complexion so gloomy it seemed it could drip water.

"Director, you called for me?"

The Director slowly turned, his gaze complex as he looked at him, and sighed.

"Jianjun, I know your daughter is gone; your heart aches."

"But the commotion you caused is too big."

He walked to the desk, picked up a File stamped with a bright red "Top Secret" seal, and handed it over.

"These four cases are of an extremely special nature and have already alarmed the Federation's Senior Executive."

Liu Jianjun was stunned, took the File, glanced at it once, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

The File's heading bore a badge he had never seen before.

A line of large characters beneath it made his heart quake violently.

【Federal Weird Investigation Bureau】

"What is this?" Liu Jianjun's voice sounded a bit hoarse.

"A department you shouldn't know about and can't provoke," the Director said in a deep voice.

"From now on, all dossiers, physical evidence, and investigative authority for these four cases will be taken over by them."

"This is no longer an ordinary criminal case; it is defined as the Highest Priority Order's......"

The Director paused, enunciating each word: "'Special Pollution Incident'."

"What?!" Liu Jianjun shouted as if struck by lightning, "No! Absolutely not! The murderer is Gao Zhiyuan! I'm about to catch him!"

"Silence!" the Director slammed the table hard, shouting sternly.

"Liu Jianjun! I order you to halt all investigative actions immediately and seal and submit all related materials!"

"From this moment on, you are completely excluded from this case! You have no authority to inquire about any details!"

Each word from the Director was like a knife, stabbing fiercely into Liu Jianjun's heart.

Revoking permission?

Excluding from it?

The authority he had taken pride in, the status he earned after a half‑life of struggle, became worthless in that instant.

Even his right to avenge his own daughter was stripped away by a single sentence!

"Why?!"

Liu Jianjun erupted completely, his eyes blood‑red as he rushed to the Director, practically shouting.

"My daughter died! She was my only daughter!"

"I don't give a damn about any damn investigation bureau! Whatever pollution incident! I just want the murderer to pay with his life!"

"I am the victim! I am the only one qualified to avenge my daughter!"

Facing Liu Jianjun's emotional breakdown, the Director's eyes flashed a hint of pity, yet his tone grew even colder.

"Liu Jianjun, this is my final warning to you."

"This is the highest command, coming from the Federation's central hub."

"Defiers, bear the consequences themselves."

"If you still want to keep your police uniform, preserve the second half of your life, then shut your mouth and go back home!"

"Otherwise, no one can save you."

Those words were like a bucket of the most piercing ice water, dousing every flame in Liu Jianjun from head to toe.

He froze in place, his body trembling violently.

He stared at the Director's unquestionable face, at the Top Secret File stamped with the badge.

An unprecedented wave of despair and helplessness instantly engulfed him.

He suddenly understood.

In this world, there exists a power that supersedes every order he knows.

And he, and everything he possesses, are minuscule before that power......

Like dust.

With a thud.

Liu Jianjun's legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees, clutching his head with both hands, emitting a beast‑like, painful, suppressed whimper.

He lost.

He lost utterly.

He lost even the right to resist.