Chapter 51: Long Night, or Perhaps Dawn

In the café, the mellow jazz music distorted into a harsh noise in Qin Zhixia's ears.

The world was muted.

Everything around faded, leaving only Chu Che's gentle, handsome face and the phone that had fallen to the floor on the table as the sole image in her vision.

In her buzzing mind, only Xiao Zhang's terrified shout and Chu Che's recent heart‑cutting words remained, like two poisonous snakes frantically gnawing at her nerves.

Father...... covering up...... murder......

Being taken away for investigation......

Each word felt like an invisible hammer, shattering her whole world into pieces.

Chu Che said nothing.

He simply bent down calmly, his long fingers picking up the phone still vibrating on the ground, his motion as graceful as picking up a fallen leaf.

He handed the phone to her, his gaze behind the lenses calm and waveless, devoid of any sympathy or mockery, only perfect composure and elegance.

"Your phone."

These three words were like a needle, piercing Qin Zhixia's tottering reality.

She snapped back to reality, snatched the phone without glancing at Chu Che, and fled the café in a daze.

The night wind was icy, stinging her cheeks.

She flung herself into her car, gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white.

The engine roared, and her car shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, merging into the city's river of brilliant light.

Outside the window, neon signs streaked backward, pulling twisted ribbons of light across her bloodshot eyes.

Her world spun.

When Qin Zhixia rushed back to the City Bureau building like a madwoman, what greeted her was unprecedented chaos.

The air was thick with tension, agitation, and gossip.

In the corridor, colleagues who usually snapped to attention and shouted "Qin Team" when they saw her now looked at her with extremely complex expressions.

There was sympathy, pity, and shock.

But more prevalent were avoidance, distance, and schadenfreude whispered in low voices.

The surname she was proud of, the "Qin" that had given her countless honors and confidence, overnight turned from a medal into a brand.

A brand of shame.

"Little Qin, you've finally come back."

A sarcastic voice rang out.

Wang, the Deputy Bureau Chief in charge of public safety, strolled out of the office with his hands behind his back, his face openly smug. Looking at Qin Zhixia, he deliberately changed his address from "Team Leader Qin" to "Little Qin."

"The Qin Bureau has been taken away for investigation on suspicion of covering up and abuse of power."

"With such a big thing happening in the bureau, as a family member, sigh, we can understand." He sighed hypocritically, "But the case still needs to be handled."

He said this, walking straight to Qin Zhixia's desk, where the files of the "Ghost Wall" fall‑case were piled.

Under everyone's gaze, Deputy Bureau Chief Wang extended his plump hand and gathered all the stacks of files.

"Just leave these cases alone for now."

Holding the files, he looked down at the pallid Qin Zhixia, his smirk threatening to spill over.

"Your position is too sensitive now to touch core cases. First, take care of...... family matters."

Around her, some colleagues lowered their heads and pretended to be busy; others stood far away, whispering, their gazes like needles pricking her back.

That feeling of being completely sidelined and publicly humiliated hurt more than any blade.

Qin Zhixia bit her lip hard, tasting a metallic tang.

She wanted to retort, to yell, but not a sound could escape her throat.

Just then.

"Chief Wang, should these files be archived? I'll do it."

Xiao Zhang and Detachment Chief Zhou Weiguo approached; Zhou Weiguo took the files from Deputy Bureau Chief Wang's hand without changing expression, while Xiao Zhang stepped in front of Qin Zhixia to shield her from hostile looks.

Deputy Bureau Chief Wang snorted, said nothing more, and left, satisfied.

"Qin Team......" Xiao Zhang's voice carried worry.

"Close the door and speak."

Qin Zhixia tossed out those words, turned, and walked toward the seat that once symbolized her power and glory, now like a cage.

Xiao Zhang closed the door, and Qin Zhixia sat down just then.

"What on earth is going on?" Her voice was hoarse.

Zhou Weiguo sighed, handed her a document: "Have a look yourself."

The document detailed how Qin Yongchang, in order to protect Qin Yu, had proactively contacted the Ninth Division, confessed everything, and used it as a "pledge" to secure a chance for Qin Yu not to be slaughtered on the spot by that vengeful Weird.

Qin Zhixia's heart was a mix of emotions.

Anger, humiliation, and a hint of unspeakable sorrow.

This lingering warmth only made her feel more clearly the cold of being abandoned by the world.

Chu Che's words, like a curse, roared wildly in her mind.

"Your integrity, your purity—rather than saying they're your character, it's more like...... a privilege bestowed by your family background."

"You enjoy the convenience this privilege brings to carry out the justice in your heart, and you might even develop a sense of superiority—'I can do it, why can't they?'......"

"Yeah."

"Privilege."

"Now, the privilege is gone."

"She is nothing now."

At the same time.

In the suburbs of Jiang Hai City, the meeting room of the Ninth Division's temporary action team was heavy and icy.

On the holographic projection were Ling Xinyu's personal records, as well as on-site photos of the grisly deaths of Huang Mao and Zhang Shao.

"Intelligence verification complete, matches Qin Yongchang's statement." L pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, his voice devoid of inflection, "Based on the patterns of the 'Cavity Person' and 'Ghost Wall,' the true identity of the weird target has been confirmed as Ling Xinyu. The Murder Rule is unknown, but preliminarily, its danger level is no less than that of the previous two."

"Hey, interesting."

Mo Zixuan chewed bubble gum, blew a bubble, his face full of excitement.

"What are we waiting for? Lock up all those little brats together, use them as bait, and lure it out!"

"No."

Nie Yang shook his head; on his kind face was a warm smile, yet the words he spoke were utterly cold.

"The abilities of the weird are still unclear; concentrating the target could lead to total annihilation."

"We're fishing, not feeding the fish. Bait must be dropped one by one to see exactly how the fish bites the hook."

He pointed to several points on the map.

"Isolate the remaining three targets—Qin Yu and the other two—completely separated."

Mo Zixuan licked his lips, instantly grasping Nie Yang's meaning.

Using human lives to exchange for intelligence.

"But dispersed protection means insufficient manpower. The on-site commander needs someone with resolute will to resist the weird's fear erosion, and also strong analytical judgment and on-site coordination abilities."

"Such talent is rare among ordinary police," Nie Yang tapped his finger on the table, "ordinary people cannot handle it."

"We need someone with extraordinary willpower, extremely strong analytical judgment, and... who has personally experienced a weird incident, with a high psychological threshold."

Nie Yang said, standing up.

"L, come with me to the City Bureau."

City Bureau, Deputy Director's Office.

Deputy Director Wang was crossing his legs, enjoying the feeling of holding great power, when the office door was knocked.

Nie Yang entered with L, his face bearing his signature warm smile.

"Director Wang, sorry to disturb. According to the 'Special Incident Handling Protocol,' we need to review the files of your elite officers."

Deputy Director Wang froze, then put on a fawning smile: "Section Chief Nie, you say, whoever you want is fine!"

L wasted no words, directly connecting his laptop to the police internal network.

Countless officers' data flashed across the screen at high speed, various data streams pouring down like a waterfall.

Less than ten seconds.

"Screening complete."

L's voice sounded, and on the screen remained only the files of three criminal investigators and one narcotics officer.

One of them, whom both knew well, was Qin Zhixia.

In the photo, she wore a police uniform, spirited and sharp-eyed.

Below was her illustrious résumé, along with a full psychological evaluation report from the 'Seeing Evil' case—her stress resistance and willpower were extremely strong.

Nie Yang's gaze lingered on the file for a moment, then he named her directly.

Setting aside her background, her personal abilities and will are strong, and she has experienced a weird incident, giving her experience.

"Her."

Deputy Director Wang's smile froze instantly.

"Section Chief Nie...... this...... this might not be appropriate?" He looked troubled, "Qin Zhixia...... her father just had an incident, she herself has been suspended, her emotions are very unstable, so......"

Nie Yang turned his head, still looking at him with a warm smile.

"Director Wang, I'm not negotiating with you."

He took out a document from his pocket and gently placed it on the table.

"This is the highest authorization order personally issued by Wei Gong. Now, all personnel and materials related to 'special incidents' in Jiang Hai City are placed under the Ninth Division's control."

"I need her. Any objections?"

Deputy Director Wang's face instantly turned as ugly as pig's liver.

He looked at the bright red seal on the document, then at Nie Yang's unfathomable gaze beneath his gentle smile, and cold sweat gradually seeped from his back.

He finally squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "...... No, no objections."

Qin Zhixia locked herself in the dark office, motionless.

Despair like a tide was about to completely engulf her.

Just then, the phone on the desk suddenly rang.

It was Zhou Weiguo's number.

She numbly answered.

"Zhixia!" On the other end, Zhou Weiguo's voice, suppressed with excitement and disbelief, "The Ninth Division... the Ninth Division has personally summoned you to report for duty immediately and join the operation!"

This call was like a lightning bolt tearing through endless darkness.

Qin Zhixia's pupils contracted sharply.

She was like a drowning person, grasping at a lifesaving straw in the final moment before sinking beneath the water.

Before she could process the news, the office door was pushed open.

Nie Yang entered.

He saw Qin Zhixia sitting in the darkness, her eyes bloodshot, her face gaunt, and offered no comfort.

He simply asked calmly:

"Will your father's situation affect your judgment?"

Qin Zhixia fell silent.

She slowly rose from her seat.

In the darkness, her slumped shoulders were upheld by an unnamed force, gradually straightening.

She lifted her head, and in her Crimson Phoenix Eyes, drowned in despair and humiliation, a keen flame like an eagle's reignited.

"Reporting, Commander!"

Her voice was hoarse, yet it rang out firmly.

"I am first and foremost a police officer!"

"Then, I am Qin Yongchang's daughter!"

At this moment, she urgently wanted to prove her worth.