Storm of Gods

Chapter 162 The Viscera Harvester

In the end, Li Xin decided to give up on the food manuscript, which had a very low cost-performance ratio, and instead focus on writing more about his Duke of Utopia. While concentrating, Li Xin saw the owl again, impatiently tapping on the window with a letter in its beak.

Li Xin opened the window, took the letter, and said, "Could you be a little gentler next time? You'll have to pay for it if you damage it."

The owl, its eyes filled with mockery, flapped its wings a few times and flew away, leaving behind a pile of bird droppings, completely ignoring Li Xin.

It was a call to arms for the night patrol. Li Xin put down his typewriter, changed his clothes, and ran into Daenerys Targaryen as he went downstairs. "Young Master Xin, are you on your way to the bird report?"

"Yes, Daenerys, Daenerys looks radiant today."

“Of all the carp, you have the best eyesight. Be careful when you go out. That 'internal organ harvester' thing is causing panic. You can’t let your guard down even in broad daylight, especially a strong young man like you,” the dragon mother said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

Li Xin arrived at the door, waiting for his convertible. It was most likely about the Viscera Harvesters. The Herdan Daily was thrilled, its sales soared to record highs, and it captured the market in one fell swoop. But the pressure was directly applied to the council halls and funeral processions in various districts, and even the Vatican felt the pressure. People's insecurity can spread and be contagious.

There have been countless major disasters caused by secret incidents, many more terrifying than this, but none have achieved the same effect as newspaper reports. Coupled with casual conversations over tea and meals, these incidents have been embellished, and various versions have been circulating wildly. At this point, the Herdan Daily itself realized that the problem had become quite serious. However, they also had their own methods. They reported the incidents, but the newspaper was not responsible for solving the cases.

If it's a public security case, the council hall city guards are in charge; if it's a secret matter, the funeral procession is responsible. The responsibilities are clearly defined. This is the just Herdan, and no one can interfere.

The pressure on the funeral procession is immense, and everyone is in a difficult situation. They are demanding information from reporters and for some departments to work together. The matter has alarmed the King, who has given the funeral procession a strict order to find the real culprit within a week.

This clearly falls directly into the category of clandestine events.

In the Night Watchers' meeting room, President Ma Zhe and Christie were both present. Christie was also responsible for liaising with the Funeral Directors, and everyone knew her true identity. However, after so many years of working together and getting along well, no one was foolish enough to point it out.

"Gentlemen, the King has issued a strict order to solve the case within a week. If we solve the case, or provide important clues, Hexbird News will obtain the highest publishing authority. This is an opportunity for Hexbird News to gain a foothold. I think the plans you all came up with earlier are feasible. Let's deploy our manpower and not rest for the next week. If we solve this case, everyone will have made a great contribution!" Christie said.

Ma Zhe coughed a few times. "It's time to prove our strength and prepare for the future development of the Night Watchers. We have two important vacancies in the Bird Society and the Night Watchers: the editor-in-chief of the Bird Society and the captain of the Night Watchers' action team. If the Bird Society performs well in this case, the position of editor-in-chief will be called upon. The position of captain of the action team was not previously filled because it was inconvenient for us in Heldan, to avoid misunderstandings among our friends. Now, at the request of the Funeral Director, our action team can be established. This is a challenge, but also an opportunity. Whoever can solve this case will be the captain of the action team!"

Everyone's eyes lit up. This was a promotion. The salary that came with the position was nothing compared to the power and future career advancement. After all, Ma Zhe couldn't possibly never return to Longjing to report for duty. So, who would take his place was a question. This position as the captain of the action team was highly prestigious.

"President, you're not joking, are you? If an ordinary member makes a great contribution, won't it just be ignored, or someone else steal the credit?" The speaker was Lao Wu, the captain of the third team, who was also a veteran and had been with Heldan even longer than Ma Zhe.

His real intention wasn't what it seemed. How to divide the credit, and who to assign it to? If it's unclear, shouldn't it go to the president, or even be directly assigned to Christie?

This is also something that the other core members of the Night Patrol are worried about.

Ma Zhe swept his sharp eyes over everyone, then slammed his hand on the table. "The action team leader position is filled by the most capable person. Whoever makes the first contribution will be the leader. It doesn't matter who among you is, even a newcomer like Li Xin. Night Patrolmen have always judged heroes by their abilities!"

Li Xin rubbed his nose. He had just walked in and everyone was talking about him. Was that damned owl always the last one to deliver things to him? It was always late.

Upon hearing Ma Zhe's frankness, everyone applauded. Clearly, Ma Zhe's understanding of the Night Patrol members differed from Luo Jin's; the environment also played a role. Compared to the Night Patrol members, this place resembled a cutthroat, backstabbing gang. Li Xin's meeting ended shortly after he arrived, ignored by everyone. If he weren't a registered Night Patrol member, they wouldn't even bother to call him. Ma Zhe was also in a bad mood. In the past, when the Bird Society was doing well, these people were relatively obedient; now, they'd all grown up and started harboring wicked intentions.

Older men are unreliable; older sisters are much better. After the meeting, Li Xin was led to Christie's office amidst the ambiguous glances of the crowd, but Li Xin didn't care about that.

"The King has given a death order to find the murderer within a week. The Funeral Director is under immense pressure and knows that we Night Patrolmen are very capable in this area, especially at night. He needs our help, and if we succeed, it will turn around the Bird Society's unfavorable situation." Christie still made tea for Li Xin as usual. "I heard that you are very good at solving cases. I copied a file from the Funeral Director. It may not be very detailed, but you can take a look at it first."

Li Xin smiled and said, "I've learned a few things from Uncle Luo. Most of these secret cases still require a bit of luck."

Li Xin picked up the file and began to look through it. Christine smiled and said, "Luo Jin is an outlier among the Night Patrolmen. What a pity."

"Does your sister know Uncle Luo very well?"

“I’ve heard the president mention it,” Christie said. “The first similar case occurred five years ago, and the funeral home has records of it. Then it was quiet for more than three years, but it reappeared last year. The initial methods were the same as those five years ago, but the cases that have occurred in the last six months have been more chaotic.”

Christine said that Li Xin did not respond, but focused on reading the case file. It took him more than an hour to finish reading it, and he drank two pots of tea. The case file that Christine received was not the first-hand, detailed file. A lot of information was missing. It is likely that the Undertaker would not really give the first-hand information to outsiders. He just wanted to use the Moon Goddess power of the Night Watchers to provide more help at night. If the Night Watchers really solved the case, it would not look good for them.

Based on the information before him, Li Xin quickly formed an image in his mind: a master criminal's modus operandi is quite distinctive, and he might even take pride in this style, perhaps even displaying a certain provocation towards the funeral procession—this is what the perpetrator enjoys.

The method used five years ago was consistent with some of the recent incidents; the technique was highly skilled, and the level of organ removal was comparable to surgical procedures. Li Xin was unsure whether the medical level here was sufficient for this, so he asked Christine.

Christie thought for a moment, "The Undertaker had similar suspicions. They investigated famous doctors, even some skilled in dissection, but they couldn't do it so cleanly. So they speculated that it was more likely done by a secret organization. It wouldn't be possible without certain capabilities."

Li Xin nodded. In fact, these people who handle secret cases are not stupid. On the contrary, they understand secretive abilities better and have relevant experience. The fact that this case has dragged on until now shows that the other party's strength is extraordinary.

However, the cases that have occurred in the last six months or so are different from the recent cases. The methods are very crude. There are cases of people ripping out the heart, and the heart is ripped out haphazardly. The main purpose is probably rape, and the victim is a girl. It is probably to cover up the real purpose. There have been several such cases. The methods are cruel, and the perpetrator has a strong sadistic tendency. The heart was ripped out only after the perpetrator had completed the purpose and killed the target.

The missing hearts from six months ago bear the marks of the Fallen. The Fallen of the Abyss commit crimes under the guise of the Organ Harvesters. Since the Tianjing incident, Li Xin felt that such things were inevitable. The Church was using it, and the secret organizations would certainly not let it go. Enduring the addiction to bloodlust is extremely painful and difficult. All addictions are long-term torment, and breaking the vow is inevitable.

In addition, there are some cases that are completely unregulated, seeming to be temporary or even imitations.

"Currently, there are four types of people committing crimes. The first type is the early real culprits of the viscera harvesters. The second type is addicts who have fallen into the abyss. The third type is perverted rapists and murderers who are just taking advantage of the chaos. The fourth type is some low-level criminals who are crudely disguised as viscera harvesters."

“Is it possible that the culprit created the latter three types to cover up their actions?” Christie asked. “This is quite common.”

Li Xin shook his head. "The possibility is extremely low. Judging from the photos and descriptions in the first type of crime file, the perpetrator was extremely meticulous, and the autopsy techniques were top-notch. Most technically skilled, pretentious murderers are paranoid and proud, and would never stoop to using such messy methods to insult technology. Moreover, look at the later photos. A person whose skills are ingrained in their muscles cannot fake such chaotic cutting; it's full of panic and disarray."

(End of this chapter)