We asked you to solve cases, and here you are sharing your criminal experiences?

Song Qianxia realized that she had almost blurted out the words "archives".

She bit her tongue and swallowed the words that were in her throat.

The stench from the drain was so strong it was hard to smell.

Gu Tingchen stood in the mud, his sharp gaze instantly locking onto Song Qianxia.

"Are you familiar with this method of murder?"

Zhong Qinian also stopped what he was doing and shone his flashlight on her.

"You're an intern, have you ever seen wounds caused by this kind of special metal wire?"

Song Qianxia broke out in a layer of white sweat on her back.

He casually patted the mud off his trousers, feigning composure, and pretended to be reminiscing.

"I've seen foreign case files."

"Back when I was slacking off at the police academy—no, when I was researching in the library—someone specifically discussed the bizarre killing methods of assassin groups."

"Wrap an alloy wire around your neck from behind and tighten it by crossing your arms."

As Song Qianxia spoke, she gestured a strangulation motion with her hand.

"This is called a throat-cutting ceremony in other countries."

"The method was clean, the bleeding was significant, and the killer did not need to make close contact with the victim's face."

Zhong Qinian stood up and took off his mud-covered latex gloves.

"Theoretically, this is indeed possible, but this special metal wire is simply not available on the market."

"A very special process is required to ensure that the wire does not break when cutting bone and ligaments."

Song Qianxia quickly went along with it.

"So, this was definitely not done by an ordinary assassin."

She looked at Gu Tingchen and said, "Maybe Night Owl and his team have hired outside help this time."

Gu Tingchen didn't say anything, but stared at her for a full half minute.

Song Qianxia felt uneasy under his gaze and could only pretend to be nonchalant as she looked away.

He knew perfectly well that this was not an outside help that Night Owl had hired.

This is the archive cleaner.

Only they would use such a ritualistic method to get rid of people who shouldn't exist.

What inappropriate things did the cleaning lady see?

Could it be that she took a bullet for the missing cashier, Meng Xiaoqing?

Song Qianxia's mind was in complete chaos.

A night owl criminal organization, an archive murder group.

If they all come to Jiangcheng, things will completely go off track.

The on-site investigation is still ongoing.

Old Zheng directed the police officers to expand the search area in an attempt to find the deceased's personal belongings.

Got nothing.

There is nothing that can prove the identity of the deceased.

Gu Tingchen trudged through the mud up the slope of the drainage ditch, took off his coat, and threw it into the trunk.

"Fall back."

Turning to Song Qianxia, ​​he said, "Come back to the station with me and write a report detailing everything you saw on that forum, word for word."

Song Qianxia let out a wail.

"Captain Gu, I already told you that I watched that several years ago, and my memory of it is hazy!"

"Your memory is hazy? You were quite fluid when you demonstrated the throat-slitting gesture just now."

Gu Tingchen opened the car door, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Song Qianxia could only dejectedly climb into the passenger seat.

On the way back to the police station, the carriage was eerily quiet.

Song Qianxia leaned against the car window, watching the streetlights rushing past outside.

She had to find a way to divert the police's attention away from the archives.

Archives staff never harm law enforcement officers; that's their guiding principle.

But if the police recklessly investigate them, the outcome will definitely not be good.

Gu Tingchen's system of rules might be effective against Night Owl.

But dealing with those unreasonable ghosts in the archives is a complete waste of time.

She couldn't let the people from the Major Crimes Unit go to their deaths.

It was already four in the morning when I got back to the municipal bureau.

Song Qianxia sat in front of the computer, staring blankly at the document.

I typed a few words on the keyboard, then deleted them in frustration.

Lin Wan brought over two cups of instant noodles and placed them on her table.

"Have something hot to eat. You must have felt unwell at the scene earlier, right?"

Song Qianxia looked at the bowl of braised beef noodles, and her stomach growled in agreement.

"Thank you, Sister Wan. You're like a real sister to me."

She eagerly lifted the lid of the instant noodles and began to eat them in large bites.

After drinking the hot soup, my icy hands and feet finally warmed up a bit.

"Where's Captain Gu?" Song Qianxia asked vaguely.

"They went to the forensic center."

Lin Wan sat down next to her and lowered her voice.

"Old Zheng found out; Aunt Liu has indeed gone missing."

"Moreover, it was supposed to be Meng Xiaoqing who went to the finance office on the top floor to organize the old documents."

"Meng Xiaoqing took sick leave, and Aunt Liu cleaned the finance office."

Song Qianxia's hand, which was holding the noodles, stopped in mid-air.

it is as expected.

The archives' original target was Meng Xiaoqing.

Because Meng Xiaoqing knew that those destroyed accounts contained some secrets that could not be recorded.

Aunt Liu just became a scapegoat by mistake.

But this further illustrates a terrible fact.

Night Owl is looking for Meng Xiaoqing, and the archives are also looking for Meng Xiaoqing.

The water in Jiangcheng has long been so murky that you can't see the bottom.

Song Qianxia finished the noodles in a few bites, even drinking the soup clean.

She threw the paper bowl into the trash can and put her hands back on the keyboard.

We need to make the report look presentable so we can get past Gu Tingchen first.

As she was writing, she suddenly stopped.

Her face was reflected in the glare of the screen.

She was pretty, young, and harmless.

She is no longer the legendary hacker known for her incredible skills.

She is currently an intern in the Major Crimes Unit of Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau, named Song Qianxia.

If you can't avoid it, then you'll have no choice but to confront it head-on.

Let's finish this damn report first.

Song Qianxia sighed and began to make up nonsense on the keyboard.

Early the next morning.

The large office of the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division was filled with the strong smell of coffee.

Old Zheng, sporting two enormous dark circles under his eyes, was assigning out visiting tasks to his team members.

Gu Tingchen walked out of the director's office, holding an official document in his hand.

"Everyone, stop for a moment."

He walked up to the whiteboard and slammed the document on the table.

"The DNA comparison results from the forensic team are in, and the deceased has been confirmed as Liu Lan, a cleaner at the Xinghai Foundation."

A collective gasp filled the large office.

"You guessed right." Lin Wan leaned closer to Song Qianxia and whispered.

Gu Tingchen's gaze swept across the entire room.

"The Xinghai Foundation is a very complex organization. Meng Xiaoqing is currently missing, and the original ledgers in her possession are the key to breaking this deadlock."

"Old Zheng, you take your men and continue to investigate Meng Xiaoqing's social connections. Turn over every place she might be hiding."

"Lin Wan, go to the traffic police station and bring back all the surveillance footage from before and after Meng Xiaoqing's disappearance."

After assigning tasks, Gu Tingchen picked up the car keys.

"Song Qianxia, ​​come with me to the Xinghai Foundation."

Song Qianxia was catching up on sleep at the table when she heard her name called, and she immediately jumped up.

"What are we going there for? Haven't we already been kicked out?"

"Yesterday, the economic crime investigation team went to check the accounts. Today, we're going to a murder scene."

Gu Tingchen strode out.