4: investigation

As soon as Li Ming finished speaking, a low engine rumble came from beyond the police tape.

Several unmarked black vans silently parked not far away. Their doors opened, and seven or eight people in dark gray uniforms with stern expressions stepped out.

Their movements were efficient and swift, carrying an undeniable Aura of authority. They immediately began taking over the scene, scanning and sealing it off with what looked like highly advanced equipment.

A woman at the forefront, with uniquely styled epaulets, walked straight toward the highest-ranking officer on-site and presented a document.

"This area is now under the jurisdiction of the 'Special Affairs Investigation Bureau'," she said calmly, yet with the authority of someone in command. "All evidence, records, and subsequent investigations are to be handed over. Please have your personnel withdraw immediately and sign this confidentiality agreement. This case is beyond your jurisdiction."

The police officers on-site exchanged glances, all somewhat stunned, but the other party's procedures and Aura left them with no room for argument.

"Special Affairs Investigation Bureau?" Lu Jianchuan frowned, muttering quietly, "I've never heard of that department..."

He wanted to step forward and argue a few points, but Li Ming grabbed his arm firmly.

"Let's go," Li Ming's voice was low and carried an undeniable tone of command. He shot Lu Jianchuan a stern glare and almost forcibly pulled him away from the scene.

The next day, the atmosphere at the police station was somewhat tense. Throughout the entire morning, Lu Jianchuan seemed distracted, the corpse's bizarre wounds and the mysterious "Special Affairs Investigation Bureau" swirling repeatedly in his mind.

During the lunch break, he finally found an opportunity to approach Li Ming and asked quietly, "Uncle Li, that case yesterday... we just handed it over to them like that? We really can't have any involvement at all?"

Li Ming took a sip of his now-cold tea, his face calm from years of experience, yet tinged with a hint of helplessness.

"Yes, we've received official notification from above. The case has been completely transferred. We have no authority to inquire into any details, and the files have been sealed."

He set down his teacup and looked at his still-idealistic young partner. "Xiao Lu, some cases run too deep. When you encounter one, acknowledge its existence, then hand it over to the appropriate authorities. That's our duty. Don't dwell on it anymore."

Lu Jianchuan opened his mouth to speak but ultimately swallowed his words. However, his eyes clearly showed unwillingness and confusion.

The superiors' ban and his Senior's warning didn't extinguish Lu Jianchuan's thoughts; instead, they were like pouring oil onto the fire in his heart.

"Special Affairs Investigation Bureau? Never heard of it! Just because their procedures are in order doesn't mean there's no problem, right? In TV dramas, those shady dealings always start off looking perfectly legitimate!"

The more he recalled the bizarre wounds at the scene and Li Ming's judgment of "taking away ingredients," the stronger his doubts and the sense of untainted justice belonging to a new police officer grew.

He secretly resolved that even if he couldn't investigate openly, he would use his free time to secretly get to the bottom of this matter!

He thought he was hiding his emotions well, but he couldn't escape Li Ming's experienced eyes.

The veteran officer watched his apprentice's tightly pursed lips, slightly furrowed brow, and occasional moments of distraction during work, understanding everything clearly.

He knew all too well this kind of youthful fearlessness and understood that some lessons had to be learned the hard way. He sighed inwardly but showed no expression on his face, saying nothing.

Meanwhile, in the darkness of Lu Jianchuan's police uniform pocket, the future savior and esteemed armor Designer, Mr. Han Chengyu, was engaged in a desperate struggle with a high school biology textbook.

[Warning: Consciousness model overloaded. Logic core temperature rising. Suggest pausing current learning process.]

"Shut up! Don't disturb me! This 'EVO Particle Transmembrane Transport Conjugate Energy Pump'... I'm determined to figure out how it relates to energy conduction in the armor's elbow today!" Han Chengyu's consciousness was fiercely grappling with a set of biological models infinitely more complex than advanced mathematics.

(At this moment, the future invincible armor was still frantically reporting errors on the design blueprints...)

The doubts in Lu Jianchuan's heart didn't fade with time; instead, they weighed on him like a heavy stone, making it hard to breathe. That forcibly taken-over, vaguely described case became the first insurmountable hurdle in his police career.

During the day, this restlessness was impossible to hide, even in seemingly routine police work.

"Xiao Lu, the record book." While handling a minor electric scooter collision, Li Ming reminded him for the third time. Lu Jianchuan snapped back to attention, hurriedly pulling the notebook from his pocket, his pen nearly tearing through the page.

Li Ming watched his flustered state but said nothing. He simply took the notebook and started recording himself, asking in a calm tone, "Didn't sleep well last night?"

"Huh? No, no, I slept fine," Lu Jianchuan instinctively denied, though his eyes flickered slightly.

At lunch in the police station cafeteria, colleagues chatted about the recent rumors of "beast attacks" circulating in the city, which had already spawned three or four versions. Lu Jianchuan immediately perked up, even pausing his chopsticks mid-air while picking up food.

"It's all nonsense. If there really were beasts, the surveillance cameras would've caught them," an older officer waved dismissively. "Probably just stray dogs fighting, rumors spreading from there."

Lu Jianchuan couldn't help but interject, "But Uncle Li... that night we weren't..." Before he could finish, Li Ming gently kicked him under the table. Startled, he turned and saw Li Ming's warning look. He swallowed the rest of his words, burying his head in his bowl of rice, eating without tasting it.

During the afternoon patrol, he became unusually "enthusiastic."

"Uncle Li, the map shows that alley up ahead is pretty deep. It's easy for trouble to hide there. Should we drive in and check?" "Uncle Li, that abandoned construction site—should we get out and see if there are any safety hazards?" "Uncle Li..."

"Lu Jianchuan." Li Ming finally cut him off. The patrol car continued steadily along the main road. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried undeniable weight. "Our patrol routes and duties are clearly defined. Focus on your responsibilities. Don't waste energy on unnecessary matters."

Those words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Lu Jianchuan's head. He pressed his lips together and fell silent, but his gaze still swept unwillingly toward the shadowy corners of the city outside the window.

After work was when his real "investigation" began.

He changed into inconspicuous athletic wear, looking like an idle young man, loitering around the outskirts of that suburban neighborhood. He didn't dare get too close to the crime scene, as people from the mysterious department seemed to still be stationed there. He could only linger on the periphery, trying to strike up conversations with elderly men playing chess or women walking their dogs.

"Auntie, I heard things were a bit unsettled around here recently at night? Did you hear any strange noises?" "Uncle, you've lived here a long time. Have you ever seen any particularly aggressive stray dogs, or... people acting strangely?"

Most of the time, he received wary looks and dismissive "I don't knows." Occasionally, a kind-hearted woman would say a bit more: "Young man, why are you asking about this? Didn't the police already come? I heard it's pretty eerie. Better not come around here at night."

No leads. Real-life investigation was a hundred times harder than in movies and TV shows. There were no clues falling from the sky, no mysterious informants offering information. A sense of failure washed over him like a tide.

And in his pocket, Han Chengyu wasn't faring much better. His consciousness space was filled with floating virtual pages and complex molecular structure diagrams.

[Warning: 37th structural simulation failed. 'Pauldron Energy Circuit' conflicts with 'EVO Particle Activation Peak.' Suggest prioritizing Chapter 3 of 'Advanced Bioenergetics.']

"Shut up! Let me calculate it one more time!" Han Chengyu's consciousness almost roared, forming a comical yet synchronized predicament with Lu Jianchuan's aimless investigation outside.

As night deepened, Lu Jianchuan dragged his tired body and empty notebook of clues back home. The city's neon lights couldn't dispel the fog in his heart, nor could they drive away the predator lurking in the darkness, who had already set its sights on more "efficient" targets.