Spellcasting Gods

"Damn! Sometimes I really envy your good appetite. Here, this is a case assigned by the chief. Take a look, it's made me not even want to eat lunch." With that, a capable woman in her early thirties threw the documents in her hand onto the table.

“A new case? Don’t we already have six murder cases on our hands that are still unsolved?” Clive frowned, stuffed the hot dog into his mouth in a few bites, and then opened the folder and quickly flipped through it.

In just a few seconds, he was stunned by the horrific images and couldn't help but cry out, "My God! This is absolutely insane! Could there be a madman in our jurisdiction? Are there any eyewitnesses? What did the forensic doctor say?"

The woman called Elena shook her head and replied, "There are no eyewitnesses yet. As for the forensic report, the three bodies belong to two young white men and one young white woman, all between sixteen and twenty years old. The latter died from asphyxiation caused by her trachea being bitten through. The former had severe burns and frostbite, but the cause of death was a sharp weapon piercing her heart. In addition, our forensic team also found muscle tissue from the female victim between the teeth of the two men."

"You mean... the two male victims bit the female victim to death, and then were killed by another pervert?" Clive asked, dumbfounded.

"Shit! Don't ask me! How would I know the answer! Anyway, according to the forensic examination of the wounds, the thing that tore at the female victim's throat could not have been a human, but rather some kind of large canine." Elena rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Clive sighed helplessly, "Well, this case is getting more and more bizarre. How about we go to the crime scene and investigate?"

Just as Elena was about to say something, a police officer rushed over with a printed photo, shouting, "Hey guys! Guess what I found in the nearby surveillance footage?"

"Stop talking nonsense! Let me see!" Clive snatched the printed photo without saying a word and found that it showed two very blurry black figures chasing an Asian youth.

Due to the dim lighting and the considerable distance, it was impossible to clearly discern facial features and physical characteristics; only a rough estimate of height and clothing could be made.

"The sky in this photo is blurry. Can't your technical department make it clearer?" Elena complained, quite dissatisfied.

"This has already been processed. In the original footage, you couldn't even make out the figures, let alone their clothing," the officer explained innocently.

“Alright, compared to being completely clueless before, at least we now know there’s one living eyewitness, right? Let’s go, let’s go ask around the area near the crime scene. Anyway, there can’t be too many people who meet both the criteria of working late at night and being a young Asian. We can find him with a little screening.”

The experienced Clive immediately found a breakthrough in the blurry photo.

At his suggestion, the two quickly drove a police car and began asking around the streets. In just two or three hours, they located their target.

The target was none other than Zhang Cheng, who was still fast asleep in bed. He was completely unaware that a major problem had already arrived at his doorstep.

boom! boom! boom!

With a loud banging on the door, Zhang Cheng suddenly opened his eyes and woke up.

Because of a recently formed habit, he did not immediately ask any questions, nor did he unlock the door. Instead, he carefully observed the outside movements through the peephole.

You won't believe it until you see it, and what you find will shock you.

Although Elena and Clive were dressed in plainclothes, the bulging holsters on their waists and the cooperative attitude of the apartment manager were enough to prove their identities—police officers!

"Oh no—this is not good!"

Zhang Cheng's lips twitched as he muttered something under his breath. He then turned around and, with incredible speed, stuffed all the luggage in the corner into the wardrobe.

After all, once the police break down the door, his troubles will not be limited to being involved in a murder case, but will also include being an unregistered resident, hiding a large amount of gold and jewelry of unknown origin, and so on.

After he finished everything, he took a deep breath, pretended to be half asleep, and asked loudly, "Who is it?"

“Hello, sir, we are detectives from the New York Police Department. We would like to ask you a few questions.” Elena stated her identity directly.

"Police? What happened?" Zhang Cheng opened the door, feigning surprise.

“Last night, a murder occurred in an alley about 300 meters from the apartment. We hope you can cooperate with the investigation to find the murderer as soon as possible.”

As Clive spoke, he looked the young man up and down, comparing him to the blurry photo in his mind, and immediately confirmed that this was the eyewitness he was looking for.

However, he did not immediately expose Zhang Cheng's performance; instead, he exchanged a glance with his partner.

Elena understood immediately, took out a pen and paper she always carried, and asked expressionlessly, "Now answer me, where were you around midnight yesterday..."

Chapter 0053 The Power of the Underground World (Part 1)

"Hmm—around midnight last night, I think I went back to my room and went to sleep." Zhang Cheng was unaware that he had been recognized and pretended to recall for a long time.

After all, the concept of around midnight is very vague; it can be after 11 PM or before 1 AM.

If we interpret it according to the latter, then he definitely did not lie; at most, it could be considered a deliberate misinterpretation of the other party's meaning.

"You went back to your room and went to sleep? Are you sure?" Elena looked up and stared at her with her sharp eyes, demanding an answer.

“Sir, I must remind you that lying during a case investigation is a legal offense,” Clive added, threateningly.

The two worked together, trying to create psychological pressure to force the so-called sole "eyewitness" to confess everything that happened last night.

Unfortunately, their intimidation tactics were clearly misdirected.

After his brief journey through Azeroth, Zhang Cheng underwent a complete transformation in both his strength and mindset, and even experienced fierce battles. He was not easily intimidated by a few words.

He shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "Excuse me, officer, if that's what you're saying, then I'll remain silent from now on. Unless my lawyer is present, I won't answer any questions."

Elena glanced at the sparsely furnished room and curled her lip in disdain: "You can afford a lawyer?"

Obviously, under normal circumstances, people living in such cramped apartments in slums would not be able to afford even basic legal advice, let alone hire a lawyer.

Of course, not everyone living in slums is poor. Drug dealers and gang members are very rich, but they would never work in a restaurant washing dishes.

In fact, she had inquired with the people around her before she arrived and knew very well how poor the young man in front of her was.

"Please wait a moment, I'll make a call, and you'll soon know whether I can afford a lawyer or not." Without saying another word, Zhang Cheng picked up the phone and dialed the restaurant's number.

In just a few seconds, Catherine's languid voice came from the other end: "Good morning, my dear little wizard. Why are you calling me so urgently? Could it be that you've run into some trouble?"

Zhang Cheng looked up at the policeman standing at the door, ready to laugh at him, and said in a low voice, "Unfortunately, you guessed right. There are two policemen standing at the door right now. You'd better send a lawyer over quickly. You should know that I am an illegal immigrant without even a birth certificate."

"Hahaha! Don't be nervous. If I couldn't even handle this little problem, what right would I have to sit in the lord's seat? Just wait, I guarantee your lawyer will be here in five minutes at most." With that, Catherine hung up the phone.

As the busy signal echoed down the corridor, Elena asked with a half-smile, "Sir, how long will it take for your lawyer to arrive?"

Five minutes!

Although Zhang Cheng wasn't sure if the timing was accurate, he still chose to believe the witch's promise.

In addition, the other party's unreasonable attitude really annoyed him, so his tone became harsh.

“Alright, we’ll wait five minutes. But if a lawyer doesn’t arrive in five minutes, you’d better tell me honestly what you saw last night, or I won’t hesitate to arrest you and hand you over to the immigration authorities,” Clive threatened, half-jokingly.

As a veteran police officer, he was well aware of how many illegal immigrants from all over the world were in his jurisdiction. Generally speaking, the police would not interfere unless the immigrants repeatedly participated in criminal activities.

Even the US government doesn't have the resources or money to deport tens of millions of illegal immigrants back to their home countries. Sometimes, many companies even rely on the cheap labor they provide to reduce costs and improve their competitiveness.

Zhang Cheng completely ignored the verbal threats, turned around and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a shower, showing no regard for the other party at all.

Since the other party did not have a search warrant, nor had they received an invitation from the homeowner, if they dared to cross the threshold even half a step, then even if the two found any evidence, it would be impossible to use it as evidence.

Listening to the rushing water in the bathroom, Elena couldn't help but mutter a curse under her breath: "Damn it! This guy seems a bit difficult!"

Clive calmly lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then smiled to reassure his partner: "It doesn't matter. We've already found the person. We can take it slow. If necessary, we can ask the director for a deal, like getting him a green card."

"A green card?" Elena's eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes! Green cards!” Clive nodded seriously. “You don’t know yet, but just forty minutes ago, the director personally called to say that the FBI is coming to take over this case. If we can solve the case before they arrive, it will not only greatly enhance the bureau’s prestige, but also greatly improve our resumes. Once the director’s term ends, you and I may both get promoted.”

"Why is the FBI suddenly focusing on a murder case?" Elena, clearly not concerned about her job prospects, frowned and questioned.

"It's said that in the past month or so, there have been seven or eight similar cases of people being killed by giant canines in New York. They wanted to come and see if they could find any breakthroughs..." Before Clive could finish speaking, he suddenly saw two men in sharp suits walk down the stairs and approach him.

The man at the head of the group was a slightly overweight middle-aged man in his fifties. Without any pleasantries, he handed over his business card and introduced himself in a very formulaic tone: "My name is Polman, and I am the legal counsel for Catherine's Kiss Restaurant. From now on, I will be responsible for protecting Mr. Zhang's legal rights."

Clive stared in disbelief as he took the business card, only to discover that the other party was not joking, but a real professional lawyer.

My God!

A poor wretch living in a slum can actually afford a lawyer!

For a moment, the two detectives looked as if they had seen a ghost.

It's important to understand that even middle-class individuals have to carefully consider hiring a lawyer for a lawsuit, otherwise they could be driven into bankruptcy by a protracted legal battle and exorbitant legal fees.

At the same time, Zhang Cheng, who had just finished showering, came out of the bathroom. While drying his wet hair with a towel, he sneered and said, "Well, officers, now you believe I can afford a lawyer, right?"

"Good morning, Mr. Zhang, it is a great honor to meet you." The lawyer placed one hand on his chest and bowed respectfully.

"Oh, you know me?" Zhang Cheng raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.

“No, I don’t know you, but I know your true identity.” Polman took two steps forward and whispered something in Zhang Cheng’s ear…

Chapter 0054 The Power of the Underground World (Part 2)

Although the lawyer's voice was very soft, it was like a bolt from the blue for Zhang Cheng, leaving him stunned on the spot.

He simply couldn't believe that Catherine had so casually revealed her magical powers to a stranger.

Polman noticed this and explained with a smile, "Please don't worry, I'm the same kind of person as you. It's not convenient to talk right now, please allow me to deal with these two policemen first and then explain slowly."

The words had barely left his mouth!

He quickly pulled a folder from his briefcase and shoved it at Clive at the door: "Here you go, officer. This is my client, Mr. Zhang's, birth certificate, driver's license, and insurance account. As a citizen of the United States of America, he has the constitutional right to remain silent. If you continue to harass my client, I will file a complaint against you and, if necessary, bring you to trial."

"Wh...what?!" Clive's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in surprise.

Of course, what surprised him was not the lawyer's threatening tone, but the detailed information in his hand.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense would find it hard to believe that a person who was suspected of being unregistered just minutes ago could suddenly have a complete set of identity documents, and even have a continuous record of credit card transactions.

Moreover, the two had just arrived when this document was delivered, clearly indicating that someone had tampered with it.

Always suspicious, Elena quickly pulled out her phone and asked her colleagues at the police station to help verify. Just a few minutes later, they gave a positive reply: all the information was true...

Even the mother of this so-called "Mr. Zhang" lives in the famous Upper East Side of New York and is a well-known wealthy Chinese businesswoman...

For a moment, not only the two detectives, but even Zhang Cheng himself showed an expression of disbelief.

He knew all too well that he had no relatives in this world, let alone any legal status.

It's obvious that the lawyer's identity information is 100% fake, but for some reason, even the judicial system can't find any problems with it.

Undoubtedly, everyone present knew in their hearts that the information could not be real, but the police could not produce evidence to prove that it was fake, and the lawyer and Zhang Cheng would not take the initiative to admit it, so the two sides were stuck in a stalemate.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly awkward, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the end of the corridor. About ten seconds later, two men in black suits appeared at the corner.

The leader of the group strode up to Clive, pulled an ID from his suit pocket, and said without any politeness, "Good morning, Detective. I'm FBI Field Agent Jason. I believe you've already been notified that from now on, we'll be in charge of this case."

"Fuck! Elena, let's go." After checking the other person's identification, Clive cursed under his breath, grabbed his partner, and prepared to leave.

Although the latter was somewhat unwilling, he still obediently turned around and left the dilapidated apartment.

Watching them walk away through the grimy glass window, the man who called himself Jason's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible mockery. Then, unexpectedly, he turned around, opened his arms wide, and gave the lawyer a warm hug, laughing heartily: "Hahahaha! Long time no see, Polman, how have you been lately?"

"Not bad, just gained weight a bit too fast. Also, what brings you guys here? Were you worried I couldn't handle those two detectives?" After the hug, Polman teased with a smile.

“No, it has nothing to do with those two detectives. It was the werewolves who went a bit too far, and the council sent us to handle it.” Jason explained while scrutinizing Zhang Cheng, who was standing not far away.

“Oh? Is Parliament going to take action?” Polman raised an eyebrow.