Chapter 24: Special Incident Handling Plan

In the high‑grade ward, sunlight filtered through the slats of the louvered window, carving bright beams that fell on Xiao Zhang's face, which was so pale it lacked any hue.

After Qin Zhixia finished presenting that astonishing conclusion, the whole room fell silent.

The only sound in the air was the monitor's steady "beep‑beep".

Qin Zhixia's gaze fell on the deep blue sky outside the window, her eyes slightly unfocused.

She felt the materialist worldview she had built over the years, stacked with countless cases and cold evidence, was cracking inch by inch, emitting a strained wail.

That night, she did not see the manifestation of "that thing" with her own eyes.

But through her earpiece, she heard the entire process of her colleagues' panic to collapse, heard the rapid gunfire, heard the trembling phrase, "Target… confirmed dead."

At the hillside villa, she saw those colleagues whose souls had been taken.

She saw Professor Chen's face, written with defeat and bewilderment.

Reason told her this was unscientific.

But reality dealt her the loudest slap.

"This is a ghost, Qin Team."

Xiao Zhang suddenly, weakly and half‑jokingly, opened his mouth:

"Isn't this just the standard Hollywood horror movie setup?"

"Fear is an all‑you‑can‑eat buffet for Evil Spirit… the more we fear, the more it eats, the stronger it becomes."

He tried to ease the oppressive atmosphere with his own twisted reasoning.

He himself, however, forced a laugh.

Normally, Qin Zhixia would have thrown a sharp glance and shut him up.

But today.

She merely listened in silence.

Her lips moved, as if to speak, but she couldn't utter a single word.

She slowly turned her head back, looking at Xiao Zhang.

In those Crimson Phoenix Eyes, always as sharp as knives, a trace of inescapable bewilderment now lingered.

Xiao Zhang's smile froze on his face.

He read far too much from Qin Zhixia's gaze.

He would rather Qin Team scold him now than see her like this.

It was a kind of… helplessness after a faith's collapse.

At that moment.

Buzz—buzz—

Qin Zhixia's phone in her pocket vibrated violently, breaking the room's heaviness.

She took out the phone, saw the three flashing characters "Zhou Weiguo" on the screen, and immediately pressed the answer button.

"Zhixia."

On the other end, Zhou Weiguo spoke without preamble, brief and urgent.

"Return to the City Bureau immediately! Right now! There's an emergency meeting!"

The seriousness and weight in his tone made Qin Zhixia's heart drop sharply.

"I'll be there right away."

She hung up, stood, and said to Xiao Zhang, "Take good care of your recovery."

After speaking, she walked out of the ward without looking back.

When Qin Zhixia pushed open the City Bureau's main doors, an unusually oppressive aura hit her.

The entire criminal police brigade's large office area was terrifyingly quiet.

No one talked, no one moved, only occasional keyboard clicks and the low hum of server racks.

Everyone kept their heads down, faces heavy, eyes averted.

The air was thick with the heavy, fatigue‑laden smell that follows an all‑night vigil.

Qin Zhixia's inner unease grew ever stronger.

She walked straight to the largest conference room.

The conference room door was ajar; she pushed it open, and the scene inside made her pupils contract slightly.

The huge electronic screen glowed, scrolling shocking case reports.

The long conference table was filled with people.

Not only core members of the "Seeing Evil" Project Team, but also heads of various sub‑bureaus.

Zhou Weiguo sat at the head seat, his face ashen.

Seated beside him was the City Bureau's top leader, Director Qin.

Everyone's gaze converged on the big screen.

Qin Zhixia found an empty seat, sat down, and looked up.

On the screen were the files of several falling‑from‑building cases.

Deceased: Mad Dog Qiang, an external staff member of Han De Development Company.

Deceased: Zou Lixian, project manager of Han De Development Company.

Deceased: Wu Cheng, a Senior Executive of Han De Development Company.

The three cases, three victims, shared one commonality: each was intricately linked to the unfinished development in West City.

The strangest part was the surveillance footage.

In the footage, they each only entered the building's Stairwell and never emerged.

Afterwards, they appeared at the edge of the rooftop and leapt.

Qin Zhixia's heart sank bit by bit.

"Everyone's here, Lao Zhou, let's start the meeting."

Chief Qin's gaze swept over everyone, pausing briefly on Qin Zhixia, then he spoke in a low voice.

Zhou Weiguo cleared his throat, picked up the remote, and froze the image on the scene photo of Wu Cheng's fall.

"Comrades, we have urgently summoned everyone today because our Jiang Hai City is facing an unprecedented crisis."

His words were low, yet they reached everyone's ears clearly.

"One week ago, the head of cardiothoracic surgery, Liu Guodong, died suddenly in the hospital. Three days ago, Li Zhenhu's assistant, Zhao Wei, died suddenly at home. One day ago, the wealthy merchant Li Zhenhu died suddenly in his hillside villa. For these three cases, we have formed the 'Seeing Evil' Project Team to investigate."

Zhou Weiguo paused, his gaze sweeping over the entire room.

"Based on the investigation results, everyone here knows the situation. The case we face can no longer be explained by all previous criminal investigation experience."

In the meeting room, there was utter silence.

No one objected.

Because of that night at the hillside villa, everyone's sense of luck has been crushed to powder.

"And now," Zhou Weiguo pressed the remote, the screen switched to the case analysis of "Ghost Hitting the Wall," "we have encountered new trouble."

"Within one week, three high-altitude falls occurred. The victims had no suicidal motive, there were no signs of struggle at the scenes, and surveillance found no suspects. It was as if an invisible hand had brought them onto the rooftop and then pushed them off."

"We have reason to believe that the perpetrator of the 'Seeing Evil' case and the perpetrator of the 'Ghost Hitting the Wall' case, even if not the same person, are connected by countless threads."

Zhou Weiguo's tone was extremely difficult:

"Comrades, all our conventional investigative methods and scientific logic, in the face of these cases, have...... completely failed."

He put down the remote, stood up, faced Chief Qin, and his expression became extremely solemn.

"Chief Qin, I hereby formally propose to the City Bureau."

"Apply to the autonomous region to activate the 'Special Event Handling Plan'!"

"Special Event Handling Plan!"

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly changed!

Everyone present were veteran police officers, and they all understood what these words meant.

This means that the nature of the case has completely departed from the realm of criminal offenses.

It will be reported to the highest level by the autonomous region and handed over to a specialized department that handles abnormal events.

Even according to the results of the senior-level meeting discussions, it is possible that a new department will be specially established for this series of cases.

This means that they, officially, will finally have to admit——

This world has things that they temporarily cannot understand and temporarily cannot resist.

Everyone's gaze focused on Chief Qin.

Chief Qin remained silent, his ten fingers crossed on the table, his expression giving no hint of joy or anger.

After a long while.

Only then did he slowly speak.

"Lao Zhou's proposal, I agree in principle."

He neither said he believed nor said he didn't believe.

"Nowadays, panic spreads through society, yet our Jiang Hai City police cannot give the public an explanation, leaving people anxious."

"I have already communicated with the provincial department's leadership. Tomorrow, I will personally go to the autonomous region for a meeting to report on the severe situation currently facing our Jiang Hai City."

"This is no longer a problem that the City Bureau can solve alone. It concerns the stability of the entire social order."

Chief Qin stood up, his gaze like a torch, sweeping over everyone present.

"But."

"Before the specific orders from above come down, we cannot sit and wait for doom!"

"His gaze finally fell on Qin Zhixia."

"The 'Seeing Evil' case has its leads cut off, temporarily shelved. All police forces are to be fully deployed."

"Comrade Qin Zhixia."

"Present!" Qin Zhixia stood up, her body ramrod straight.

"From now on, these three cases, as well as any future 'Ghost Hitting the Wall' fall cases that may arise, you will be fully responsible for!"

Chief Qin's tone brooked no objection.

"I don't care what methods you use, conventional or...... unconventional."

"I want you to give me a result in the shortest possible time! Stop this panic from continuing to spread!"

Qin Zhixia felt a huge pressure pressing down on her from all sides.

From the 'Seeing Evil' Project Team to the new case.

From a 'Soul-Taking Specter' that had already shattered her worldview, to a more weird and unfathomable 'Ghost Hitting the Wall' rampaging through the city.

She realized that she had already been drawn into the center of a huge and terrifying vortex.

And this vortex is completely overturning everything she knows.

"Yes! Guarantee to complete the mission!"

Qin Zhixia stood at attention, saluted, and her words were resonant and powerful.

But when she lowered her hand, the fingertips hidden at her side, slightly trembling, revealed the immense turmoil within her heart.