48: Orange cat missing

[Consciousness Space]

Looking at the horrific "slaughterhouse" before him, the vague suspicion in Han Chengyu's heart became clearer and clearer. He immediately called out to the System in his mind.

"System, does this 'overkill' behavior match the characteristics of felines?" Han Chengyu asked urgently, the bloody scene before him making him even more certain of his deduction.

[Comparing with the feline behavior database of this world... Comparison complete. Confirmed: Toying with prey and exhibiting 'overkill' behavior under certain conditions are typical behavioral patterns of some felines, especially when food sources are unstable or when practicing or venting instincts. Combined with the previously recorded 'high concentration of evo factor' and the characteristics of 'high speed, invisibility, and sharp weapon attacks' shown in last night's attack, the matching degree between current intelligence and the target individual (Orange Cat) has increased to 71.3%.]

"The probability is over seventy percent!" Han Chengyu's spirits lifted. "I must warn him immediately!" He immediately had the System draft a message.

.: New intelligence analysis: The 'overkill' behavior found at the scene highly matches feline habits.

.: Combined with last night's attack and energy requirements, it is preliminarily suspected that the target is the Orange Cat on campus, which has evolved after suffering extreme treatment.

.**: Suggestion: Go to the school immediately to confirm the cat's current status. If it is missing, the target can basically be locked in.

In the outside world, Lu Jianchuan felt his phone vibrate. He walked to the side calmly to check it. Seeing the message from "The Forger," his eyes sharpened. Just as he thought!

He put away his phone and walked over to the solemn-looking Wang Qiang, speaking in a cautious tone befitting his police identity: "Brother Wang, I've thought of an investigative direction. Those three punks caused trouble at school yesterday and had a conflict with a student. Any point of contention could be a motive for revenge. I want to go to the school to get a deeper understanding of the details of yesterday's conflict and see if there are any clues we missed, or if there are other possible associated persons."

Wang Qiang was already nursing a headache from this bizarre series of events. Hearing this school-related clue, he immediately nodded: "Right, we can't let any clue slip by! They just finished causing trouble at school yesterday and had an accident that same night; it's too much of a coincidence. I'll go with you!"

The two left other colleagues to protect the scene and contact the sanitation department for professional cleanup, then immediately drove to the school.

The police car stopped at the school gate again. When the security guard saw Lu Jianchuan returning with another serious-looking veteran officer, his heart skipped a beat. Not daring to delay, he quickly opened the gate and notified the school leadership.

A few minutes later, Principal Zhou Zhihong and Director Wang of the Ethics Department hurried out to meet them. Principal Zhou's face was plastered with his usual warm smile, but deep in his eyes was a hidden trace of imperceptible panic and wariness. "Officer Lu, Officer Wang, welcome, welcome! I wonder why you two are here this time...?" As he spoke, he gave Lu Jianchuan a meaningful look, as if reminding him of their last "agreement."

Wang Qiang stepped forward and stated their purpose in a serious tone: "Principal Zhou, Director Wang. We are here because those three tenth-grade students from yesterday—Zhang Tao, Liu Zhuang, and Zhao Gang—suffered a severe violent attack after leaving school last night. They are currently in the hospital being resuscitated, and their condition is critical."

"What?! An attack?!" Director Wang cried out in shock, his face turning pale instantly.

Principal Zhou was also shaken, his smile freezing on his face. His voice was a bit dry: "This... how could such a thing happen?"

"We are investigating with all our might," Wang Qiang continued. "Given that they just had a serious conflict with others at school yesterday, it is necessary for us to come back and further verify the situation, screening all possible clues and risks. Please cooperate with us. We need to access more detailed records of yesterday's conflict, as well as surveillance footage from around and inside the school before and after school hours, to look for any suspicious persons or circumstances."

Lu Jianchuan added from the side, his tone calm yet pressuring: "Specifically, we need to find out if there were any other targets they bullied or held grudges against besides the known student, Li Zhe. Whether it was a person, or... any other factor that might trigger extreme retaliation." His last sentence was somewhat vague, but his gaze was sharp, as if it could pierce through human hearts.

When Principal Zhou and Director Wang heard "any other factor that might trigger extreme retaliation," their expressions became extremely unnatural. Principal Zhou struggled to maintain his composure: "We will certainly cooperate! Director Wang, go and pull up all relevant surveillance and records! Officers, please follow me to the conference room for a detailed discussion."

When Wang Qiang heard the phrase "any other factor that might trigger extreme retaliation," although he felt Lu Jianchuan's wording was a bit subtle, he didn't look into it deeply due to professional sensitivity and trust in his colleague. Instead, he followed the train of thought and said seriously to the school authorities: "That's right, no detail can be overlooked. Please take us to the security room and arrange for the teachers who were aware of the situation to cooperate with questioning."

"Of course, Officer Wang, this way please." Principal Zhou hurriedly led the way, and Director Wang followed suit. Just then, Lu Jianchuan stopped and said to Wang Qiang: "Brother Wang, you go check the surveillance and records with them first. I want to go to the scene alone to take a look, and also... go see Li Zhe. He's Li Ming's son and was one of the parties involved yesterday. Whether for official or personal reasons, I should go check on his status today and see if he knows anything else."

As soon as Wang Qiang heard "Li Ming's son," his expression softened immediately, a flash of nostalgia and concern for his old colleague appearing in his eyes. He patted Lu Jianchuan's shoulder: "Alright, go ahead. Have a good talk with the kid, but mind your approach. Leave the evidence collection here to me; contact me if you find anything." "Understood," Lu Jianchuan nodded.

Watching Wang Qiang walk toward the Administration Building surrounded by the school leaders, Lu Jianchuan immediately turned and walked quickly toward the Back Playground and the area with the low bushes. The campus under the sunlight was filled with the sound of students reading.

Lu Jianchuan was in no mood to appreciate it. He crossed the passage between the teaching buildings and arrived at the relatively secluded Back Playground. His sharp gaze swept over the edges of the flowerbeds, under the bushes, and that familiar corner where the worn-out plastic cat bowl sat. Nothing.

That chubby orange figure that was always lazily sprawled in the sun, or would come over to act cute upon hearing footsteps, was gone.

Lu Jianchuan's heart sank, but he knew this wasn't enough. The cat might just be hiding. He expanded his search area without showing any emotion, pretending to be taking a casual stroll, while his gaze swept like a searchlight behind trash cans, through the gaps of the abandoned equipment shed, and deep into the holly bushes... Still nothing.

Just as he was about to give up, thinking the cat just happened not to be there, his gaze suddenly locked onto the base of the thickest holly bush behind the flowerbed. The soil there seemed to be a darker color than its surroundings. He immediately crouched down and carefully parted the interlocking branches.

A faint scent of blood that hadn't completely dissipated, mixed with the smell of earth, rushed toward him! In the shadows at the base of the bush, a small patch of soil appeared an unnatural dark brown—the color of blood that had soaked in and dried.

The bloodstains were no longer obvious, but they couldn't escape a trained eye. More importantly, next to that bloodstain, several strands of bright orange fur were stuck to the rough roots and clumps of dirt! The fur looked somewhat messy, and some strands were even broken in the middle, as if they had been violently torn off. Lu Jianchuan's pupils constricted suddenly.

He held his breath and, using his gloved fingertips, extremely carefully pinched a few relatively intact Orange Cat hairs with follicles. He also carefully observed the shape of the bloodstain—it wasn't a drip, but looked more like a mark left when an object was dragged. Confirmed. A violent event had occurred here, and the target was that Orange Cat.

Combining "The Forger's" intelligence with the evidence before him, the cat hadn't just hidden or left; it had been attacked here and... gone missing. He stood up straight, his gaze bone-chillingly cold. He took out his phone, preparing to send a confirmation message to "The Forger."