Animal Detective

Inside the cramped surveillance van.

The moment Zou Cong saw him, Sergeant vanished in a flash.

He was hidden in the shadows. The camera feed went dark, but they could still hear Zou Cong’s frantic muttering.

He was saying things like, "This has nothing to do with me," and "It wasn’t me who hurt you."

The lights came on, but they clearly brought Zou Cong no sense of security.

Guan Wenkang, thrilled by the successful prank, gave Shen Xin a thumbs-up. He said Shen Xin’s decision to have Sergeant reveal himself was brilliant.

After Shen Xin explained his idea, someone had raised an objection.

They had argued that fear comes from the unseen.

Once you see it and know it’s just a cat, you naturally stop being afraid.

How could a grown man be scared of a cat?

Shen Xin agreed with their logic.

But what if, he had countered, this cat could teleport?

One moment, you see it at your company thirty kilometers away. The next, you see it in your own home.

What would you think then?

A cat crossing thirty kilometers of cityscape to appear in your house.

It’s impossible.

Besides, Shen Xin’s plan was for Sergeant to be like a ghost, always popping up in a corner when you weren’t looking, only to vanish just as suddenly.

Even if you know it’s just a cat, having it constantly revolve around you is inherently illogical.

Not to mention, it was a black cat—a traditional symbol of bad luck.

So with Zou Cong already paranoid and suspicious, how could he not be terrified?

Most importantly, the man had his own demons.

On the camera feed, they heard panicked footsteps. Moments later, the garage door opened, and Zou Cong’s car sped away as he fled the villa once again.

Someone was sent to follow, but the main team didn’t move.

That was enough of a scare for one day.

Shen Xin’s idea was to take it slow, constantly planting psychological suggestions to deepen Zou Cong’s fear.

Qin Chunyi gave a look, and everyone instantly filed out of the van.

Gao Siyu quickly followed, listening in on the discussion.

Only Shen Xin and Guan Wenkang remained.

It was obvious that, just like before, they all knew who this Director Chen was.

The group stood far off, and Shen Xin couldn’t hear what they were saying. Through the window, however, he could see their discussion was quite intense.

Qin Chunyi, in particular, looked extremely grim and serious.

Guan Wenkang hesitated for a moment, then started gossiping to Shen Xin about this Director Chen.

"I don’t think there’s a ’Director’ title at Shenghai Bank," Guan Wenkang muttered.

The moment he said that, Shen Xin understood immediately.

’This guy seems like he doesn’t care about anything but getting the work done,’ Shen Xin thought, ’but he’s definitely been digging up information on the side. How else would he know there’s no Director Chen at Shenghai Bank? People are curious, after all. And as a tech guy, he’s more than capable of it.’

"You’ve figured out who it is, haven’t you?" Shen Xin asked in return.

A flash of panic in Guan Wenkang’s eyes confirmed Shen Xin’s suspicion.

And it was clear that his guess was a bombshell.

Unable to hold it in, Guan Wenkang lowered his voice. "I think this case has something to do with the Dingjiang High-tech Development Zone from a few years back."

His voice dropped even lower. "Do you know the surname of the director of our Songpu Office?"

Shen Xin gasped internally.

’So it’s *that* director. No wonder everyone’s being so secretive and cautious. Sometimes, even Captain Zhang Songhao seems to be completely out of the loop.’

Looking at the group in the distance, Shen Xin said, "In that case, it’s better not to know anything."

Guan Wenkang nodded in profound agreement.

Just then, the group seemed to have reached a conclusion.

The conclusion was to go home and rest.

"Xiaoshen, nice work." A faint worry creased Qin Chunyi’s brow, but he still offered Shen Xin a smiling compliment before hurrying away.

That was fine with Shen Xin. He could get off his shift early and catch up on some sleep.

He wasn’t on the official task force, so no one would call for him.

He slept until he woke up naturally. It was already ten in the morning.

He had also received a message from Ding Yuwei.

She said the paperwork had gone through, and the three of them were now officially transferred to the municipal bureau. She asked when Shen Xin’s current assignment would be over.

"Probably a few more days."

Shen Xin replied to the message. Although Zou Cong had revealed quite a bit in his panic, Shen Xin didn’t know how far the task force had gotten or, more importantly, whether they could obtain any tangible evidence.

So, everything still hinged on Zou Cong.

For example, his secret room.

Qin Chunyi and the others speculated that the secret room contained key evidence.

Shen Xin had been skeptical before, but now, he thought it was a real possibility.

Given the crimes Zou Cong had committed and the people he’d dealt with, he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if he didn’t have some dirt on them as leverage.

But since he wasn’t officially part of the task force, Shen Xin didn’t want to get too involved in a case like this.

He just needed to do his part and be done with it.

Shen Xin told Ding Yuwei to start preparations, like going to the various sub-bureaus to review case files.

He also told her to have Zhao Tianxing get acquainted with the people in the detachment.

Three people definitely weren’t enough. They were one person short of even forming two separate action teams.

Zhao Hongjie’s idea was to give him his own people, who could be transferred from the sub-bureaus.

But just because you request a transfer, does that mean they’ll willingly let them go?

They have so few workhorses as it is; every single one is treated like a precious treasure.

So it would be best to get people from the detachment.

He was on pretty good terms with Zhang Hancheng from the previous special case, and he had helped him close it on schedule.

That counted as a favor, big or small.

Wouldn’t Zhang Hancheng have to show some support?

Besides, at the end of the day, his Cold Case Office was under Zhang Hancheng’s command.

If he was expected to get work done, how could he do it without any manpower?

After giving out his work instructions, Shen Xin idled for a while before actively contacting Zhang Songhao to ask about the day’s plan.

Zhang Songhao said he was on his way back and would come pick him up shortly.

Today, Sergeant would have to take the stage again.

On the outskirts of the villa, Shen Xin hid in the surveillance van, watching Zou Cong drive up.

"Who’s that in the passenger seat?"

Shen Xin saw someone in the passenger seat.

It was still afternoon, so Hu Mingchuan’s team hadn’t pulled out yet. He chuckled and said, "A ’master.’"

A master?

Shen Xin was taken aback and quickly asked for the details.

He also thought that after such a huge scare yesterday, Zou Cong wouldn’t dare to come home today.

Honestly, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Zou Cong had run off to a real estate agent to put the house up for sale.

After asking, he learned that Zou Cong had indeed spent the night in a hotel.

Then, at noon today, he had run off to meet someone.

The very master who was here now.

His name was Su Xuanqing, and his Daoist title was Master Xuanzhen.

Shen Xin said in surprise, "He believes in that stuff?"

Zou Cong had graduated with an economics degree from a top university twenty years ago. A true top-tier student.

Hu Mingchuan said, "It’s not really a question of belief. This Su Xuanqing fellow has completely figured out his line of work."

"For the super-rich, he knows what they want. He’s great at cultivating this sort of..."

Hu Mingchuan searched for the right word. "You know, that ’I’m different from the others’ kind of vibe. Do you get what I mean?"

Shen Xin nodded.

’Isn’t that just like buying luxury goods? It’s all about being distinctive.’

Hu Mingchuan continued, "Of course, the most important thing is the circle."

"For the ordinarily wealthy, he has a different strategy. He’ll ’point them to the right path.’ It’s not just about mysticism; he has a high-level enough circle."

"Honestly, if he gets a little inside information and gives you a tip, aren’t you going to make money?"

"Once you make money, you’ll naturally buy into his whole act. By the time you’re rich enough and truly understand how it works, you’ve already entered the top circle."

"At that point, the circle itself is more important. Whether you believe in him or not is irrelevant."

"Then newcomers follow the same path, creating a closed loop. That’s how he succeeded and became the ’master’ of this circle."

"Oh, right. Do you guys know what his name was before he changed it?"

Hu Mingchuan asked with an amused look, remembering something else.

Seeing everyone shake their heads, Hu Mingchuan said, "Before he changed it, his name was Zhao Youcai. Apparently, he used to be a migrant worker in Jiaozhou and came into contact with this stuff there."

"Then he came back, repackaged himself, and claimed he went to Zhongnanshan to seek the Dao. Then one day, a ’purple star came from the east,’ and poof, he was enlightened. It’s pretty hilarious."

After saying that, he snorted with laughter. "He was just lucky he went early. If he tried to go to Zhongnanshan now, he probably wouldn’t even find a place to stand."

Shen Xin laughed too, recalling a news story he’d seen online. It said so many people were going to Zhongnanshan to ’seek enlightenment’ that the rent on the mountain was starting to go up.

"Captain Hu, what level would you say our target is at?" Shen Xin asked.

Middle-tier, or the top circle?

Hu Mingchuan glanced toward the villa and shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.

Ordinary people couldn’t get access to that circle.

Guan Wenkang nudged Shen Xin. "What’s the plan? Should we send Sergeant in?"

"We don’t know how this ’master’ plans to exorcise the demons. Let’s send Sergeant in to listen. Once we know his methods, we can counter them," Guan Wenkang said, his face alight with excitement.

The others looked at Shen Xin.

Shen Xin considered it, then shook his head. "No. It’s broad daylight. If he accidentally spots Sergeant, the whole act is over."

"Anyway, let’s just stick to our own rhythm and play it by ear."

’It’ll probably just be some ritual, giving him a protective talisman or something,’ Shen Xin thought.

’As long as Sergeant shows up again, it’ll shatter this master’s spell.’

The men exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Hu Mingchuan said, "I’ll follow your lead. You young guys are full of crafty ideas anyway."

He wasn’t cut out for this kind of scare tactic.

Meanwhile, Zou Cong led Su Xuanqing back into the villa.

The garage door slowly closed. The lights were on, but Zou Cong couldn’t help but glance around nervously. He then whispered, "Master Su, do you feel that? The yin energy feels heavy."

Su Xuanqing was wearing a navy blue, front-fastening jacket. He had long hair tied up in a Daoist topknot.

He also sported a goatee. Being thin with deep-set eyes, the fifty-something-year-old man actually had a hint of an otherworldly, transcendent air about him.

Su Xuanqing was rolling a string of Seven-Star Qiankun Circles made of red sandalwood in his hand. He shot Zou Cong a rather speechless glance and said, "The sun is shining brightly. Where would any yin energy come from?"

With that, he casually stepped out of the car.

He clasped his hands behind his back, and wearing flat cloth shoes, he began to walk with a measured, stately pace. He had perfectly nailed the persona of a master detached from worldly affairs.

Zou Cong followed behind him, his face etched with worry.

When they reached the first floor, everything was just as it had been the day before.

Zou Cong then led Su Xuanqing to the second floor, pointing at the golden Buddha statue that had fallen and which he hadn’t bothered to pick up yet, gesturing for the master to look.

The golden Buddha he had acquired from Jin’an Temple hadn’t even protected him.

"We’re not of the same school," Su Xuanqing sneered contemptuously and turned to enter the master bedroom.

"Are you sure the door opened by itself?" Su Xuanqing scanned the room, silently inspecting the lock. He even reached out and closed it himself.

It was high-quality stuff; it shut with a gentle push.

The doorframe was undamaged, too. It seemed unlikely that it would have opened on its own.

Zou Cong nodded frantically. "That’s why, Master Su! I’m really not just being paranoid! It’s not just the door, it’s the cat, too."

"Just think about it! My company is so far from my house. I saw it at work, and then in the blink of an eye, it shows up at my home! That’s completely impossible! It must be that I’m being haunted by something unclean."

"It’s taking the form of a black cat to harass me."

"And the dream! Now that I think back on it, the shadow pressing down on me... it was a cat."

"Master Su, you have to help me figure out a way to get rid of this damn thing."

Su Xuanqing remained silent. He looked around the bedroom, then went to the first floor, the basement, and inspected every area.

Finally, seeing Zou Cong staring at him with desperate eyes, he hesitated for a moment and said, "How about... you install a security camera?"

Zou Cong was flabbergasted. So even a master of the Mystic Sect needed to rely on the power of technology.