"Since that's the case, why are we still sending people to surveil that hardware store?"

"Don't forget Hong Lian was also involved over a decade ago. I can't overlook any possibilities." Xiao Lin played with the lighter, suddenly realizing something. "By the way, investigate that Director Zhao. I have a feeling he's not as simple as he seems."

Another police car sped by, its flashing lights brightening briefly. Xiao Lin once again walked to the window, where the distant lights illuminated half the sky. "That should be the police station we passed earlier."

Director Zhao had just opened a bottle of alcohol and some dishes on his desk, planning to enjoy a drink on such a rainy night when he received a call. He hadn't even had a chance to lift the glass before setting it down, grabbing a few young colleagues from the dormitory, and rushing to Anfa.

Someone reported finding a female corpse in Central Park, a place that divides Xuefu Road from the northern district. It's usually busy with people. How could there be a corpse? Director Zhao thought gloomily. If it hadn't been for the continuous heavy rain in recent days, it might not have been discovered. The rain had washed away the soil, exposing the body. A passersby on their way home after work found it by the riverbank.

By the time Director Zhao arrived at the scene, the person who reported it had calmed down somewhat and was giving a statement to the police. The body was being excavated by specialists. The heavy rain made the digging process slow, and there was a risk of accidentally falling into the lake.

The female corpse had already started to smell. Even without forensic identification, it was clear she had been dead for some time. Director Zhao was shielded by a few people due to his unusual appearance. His face turned pale instantly, his bulging eyes wide open.

"Director Zhao, are you okay?" A young policeman pulled him out from the police line, worriedly asking as he saw his dazed expression.

"Oh, I'm fine, fine. Continue, be careful." Director Zhao fanned himself, standing under a tree. Could this woman be the one Ah San mentioned? He remembered Ah San saying that a woman had died on the day he was killed, claiming he wasn't the murderer. After running out to find a knife, he never returned.

The rain dropped into the lake from the sky, scattering ripples across the surface. Suddenly, there was a commotion. Director Zhao immediately ran over. It turned out two people had slipped and fallen into the water, creating chaos. Half of the girl in the mud had been uncovered, some parts already starting to decompose, looking extremely terrifying.

Director Zhao stepped back as the excavation work halted. People along the sides began to jump into the water to save the others. As Director Zhao pondered what to do, a shadow suddenly dashed past him, running towards the side. This figure grabbed onto a rope tied to the railing with one hand and slid down into the mud with both feet. The person already in the water struggled frantically, drifting further from the shore. The center of the lake was the deepest part, making it difficult to see anyone in the dark.

Director Zhao followed to the railing. The figure had already let go of the rope, diving into the lake. Only one of the two who fell had been rescued; the other was nowhere to be seen on the surface.

"Where's the other one?" he shouted to the people below. They just waved their hands at him, indicating they didn't know. Director Zhao wanted to go down but was held back by someone. He turned around to see the handsome young man he saw in the hotel earlier.

"Going down won't help; it'll just cause more trouble." Hua Qingyi didn't look directly at Director Zhao. They had been observing him from the start and, curious, ran over. Seeing the man's pale face, they both believed Director Zhao was hiding something, at least a guilty conscience.

The lake surface was stirred into large waves. Someone emerged from the water, one hand paddling through the water, the other dragging a person, swimming toward the shore. "Throw a rope over here, quickly!" he shouted to the people on the riverbank. In the darkness, it was always possible to slip back into the water again due to the wet and slippery shore. This wasn't something he could afford to risk.

The workers didn't know where this person had come from, but they still threw a rope toward the people in the river, pulling them up.

"There's still a breath left; call for an ambulance!" Xiao Lin laid the person flat on the ground, lifting his eyelid. The pupils were dilated, and if they didn't act now, it would be too late. The mud and sand from the lake entered the nasal cavity to the throat, causing an obstruction. "Who has a knife?" Xiao Lin shouted to the people coming up.

"Who are you, and why do you need a knife?" someone asked, seeing an unfamiliar face demanding a knife, becoming guarded.

"This is a matter of life and death. It's not the time for questions." Xiao Lin's demeanor stunned the person who asked, but who would carry a knife at such a time?

"Wait a moment, I'll fetch one from a nearby house." Director Zhao had a sudden idea and ran off.

"And get a straw, too."

"Got it."

A fruit knife isn't as handy as a scalpel, but Xiao Lin felt for the unconscious person's artery, making a precise and decisive incision. The people around immediately gasped, and a few impulsive ones wanted to grab Xiao Lin, but Hua Qingyi's glare rooted them in place. "I advise you not to move; whether this person lives depends on this moment."

Xiao Lin ignored whatever was happening behind him, focusing on slicing a piece from the straw and inserting it into the freshly cut wound. He then lifted the person from behind, compressing his chest and lungs, forcing the inhaled substance out.

"Did you call the ambulance?" Xiao Lin asked the person behind him.

"We'll arrive soon."

"This person is not in any immediate danger for now, just let him lie flat, don't try to move him." Xiao Lin stood up from the ground and walked over to Director Zhao. He reminded again, "I saw the body over there when I came up, if you dig like this, you might damage it. The body has already begun to decompose, it's better to have professionals handle it."

"May I ask who you are?" Director Zhao followed behind Xiao Lin, asking with curiosity.

"I'm just a doctor." Xiao Lin and Hua Qingyi quickly disappeared into the darkness, leaving Director Zhao staring at their departing figures for a long time. A doctor, huh?

He turned his head to look at the person lying on the ground, and the way of treatment indeed seemed like that of a doctor. "You all come up now, stop digging, wait until the rain stops."

He yelled back to the people on the shore. After receiving the order, people climbed up one after another. At this time, the sound of an ambulance grew closer from far away, and the paramedics who jumped down from it let out cries of surprise at the injured person.

"Did you guys do this?" If it weren't for the insertion of this tube and the timely clearing of debris from the airway, this person might have already died.

"No, a doctor who helped just now did it, there's no issue right?" Director Zhao asked with unease. Seeing the paramedics' expressions of amazement, his heart couldn't help but feel restless.

"Handled just right, otherwise this person wouldn't have been able to wait for our arrival." The two paramedics lifted the injured person onto a stretcher and into the ambulance, then drove away.

Director Zhao walked alone to the railing, looking at the body still partly covered with mud, then withdrew his head. He joined the main group and returned to the police station.

Late at night, the phone placed by the pillow vibrated. Wu Shuang turned on the light, irritably opening her eyes. It felt quite unpleasant being woken right after falling asleep.

"Hello!"

"I'm sorry, is this Captain Wu Shuang speaking?" An older voice came from the other end, Wu Shuang paused, thinking through if there was anyone she knew fitting that description.

"You are...?"

"I'm Director Zhao from the Northern District." This was Director Zhao's first call to Wu Shuang, making him feel extremely tense. "Sorry to bother you so late, it's like this, the female corpse I mentioned to you last time, we may have found it."

"Female corpse?" Wu Shuang sat up in bed, blinking her eyes to wake herself up, then remembered what was going on. "You mean the woman killed on the night Ah San died?"

"I believe so, but I'm not sure if it's her. Due to continuous heavy rain these past few days, it has washed away the riverbank, revealing a female body. So I'd like to ask if you could come over to take a look, and perhaps bring that doctor who came last time, as I was just told the body is severely decomposed, and our excavation might damage evidence."

"Who told you that?" Wu Shuang asked curiously.

"A doctor."

"Got it, you all should stop digging for now and secure the scene. I'll rush over first thing in the morning." Wu Shuang hung up the phone, unsure if this might give her a breakthrough in the clues. If clues couldn't be found from the traffic accident, perhaps something might be revealed from this woman.

With this news, Wu Shuang found it impossible to sleep again. She headed to the bathroom for a quick shower, then sat down in front of her computer. It was now five in the morning, she grabbed her bag and car keys and headed to the police station. Although she was reluctant to call on Mu Rongyun, regarding work, she couldn't avoid collaborating with him. A question lingered in her mind: who could the doctor Director Zhao mentioned be? Would a normal doctor go to such a place in the middle of the night? A fleeting thought crossed her mind—could it be Xiao Lin?

Driving along, she held onto hope, but feared being disappointed.

"Why did you ask me to wait here?" Mu Rongyun asked after receiving Wu Shuang's call, waiting at the City Police Department entrance.

"Come on, we're going to the Northern District."(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

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