By the time Xu Nian finished explaining the chain of events that had recently unfolded, the sky had darkened from sunset to night.
Guan Xia sat on the sofa across from him, absentmindedly turning a cup in her hands. At first, she had been shocked, but the feeling lasted only briefly—she quickly reminded herself that the world she lived in now was far from ordinary. In such a peculiar place, anything could happen.
Once she calmed down, Guan Xia swiftly checked on Xu Nian’s injuries before turning her thoughts to her own situation.
The sheer scale and brutality of the organization exceeded her expectations, but what was done was done. Her first priority now was ensuring her own safety.
After some deliberation, Guan Xia couldn’t help but ask Xu Nian a question: "Will that organization… find out about me?"
This was her greatest fear. They had dared to ambush a police convoy, silence witnesses in front of armed officers, and even seize firearms—all before vanishing without a trace. If they so much as suspected her involvement, she could disappear without a sound.
Xu Nian had clearly considered this. Instead of answering immediately, he asked, "When you were investigating the case earlier, did your leads point to Lu Manqing?"
Guan Xia thought carefully before shaking her head with certainty. "No. I remember clearly—Sister Ji said she didn’t want to alert the suspect, so she only did a basic check on Feng Xingping. Once we traced the suspect’s movements from the surveillance footage, we immediately passed the information to you. After that, we dropped the matter entirely."
Xu Nian exhaled in relief. "Based on this attack, we suspect Feng Xingping was a peripheral figure. Lu Manqing, however, might be significant—not necessarily part of the core, but he likely knew something critical about the organization. That’s why they took such a huge risk to eliminate him. As long as you never looked into Lu Manqing, you should be safe."
Though reassured by Xu Nian’s reasoning, Guan Xia meticulously reviewed her recent activities, confirming she had never investigated Lu Manqing. Only then did she relax, shifting into a more comfortable position. Sitting stiffly for so long had left her shoulders aching.
Leaning against the back of the sofa, she asked, "You were attacked in Lian City—does that mean the organization mainly operates there?"
Silently, she resolved to stay as far away from Lian City as possible—and Jianyang City too. She’d avoid them at all costs.
Xu Nian shook his head. "It’s unclear. But judging by how the Tong’an District Bureau in Jianyang reacted after we apprehended the suspect, they might have uncovered something."
Guan Xia rubbed her temples. "So both Jianyang and Lian City are within their territory?"
She couldn’t help but wonder—was it sheer bad luck, or was the world just this dangerous? A random case she’d stumbled into had dragged her into the orbit of this monstrous organization.
Thinking of her current residence in Yongquan City’s farthest district from Lian City, bordering Yuanshan City before leading out of the province, she felt a sliver of security return.
"Hard to say for now," Xu Nian admitted. "We’re still speculating, but the provincial bureau has formed a task force. Now that this organization has surfaced, they won’t be able to hide like before. Sooner or later, they’ll be rooted out."
Guan Xia didn’t doubt it. In crime stories, evil never triumphed over justice—the villains always fell in the end.
The thought made her suspect Xu Nian might be one of the male leads—or at least a major supporting character. But if someone as remarkable as him was just a side character, who could the protagonist be? Her mind wandered briefly before she refocused.
Noticing the wound on Xu Nian’s forehead, she hesitated before asking, "How long can you rest with this injury?"
The last case had ended; the next one needed to begin immediately so the "halo recharge" could proceed seamlessly.
Catching her gaze, Xu Nian instinctively touched his bandage and smiled. "Don’t worry, it’s minor. The bureau gave me three days off—no on-call duty. I can rest properly before returning."
Guan Xia quickly calculated: today was June 10th. She’d arranged to meet Ji An on the 13th. If all went smoothly, the next case would trigger around the time Xu Nian returned to work—no guilt about disturbing his leave.
Pleased with the plan, she smiled and reminded him, "Your stitches need care—avoid irritants and keep the wound dry to prevent infection. Will you change the dressing yourself or go to the clinic? If it’s inconvenient, I can help anytime."
Xu Nian seemed surprised by her concern. After a pause, he replied earnestly, "The doctor already warned me. I’ll follow instructions and get the dressing changed at the community clinic. I’ll take good care of myself."
Though they weren’t close, Guan Xia trusted Xu Nian’s reliability and nodded in relief.
As they chatted, she remembered something. "By the way, can I tell Sister Ji and Pang Le about this? We worked on that case together, and with the organization being this dangerous, they should know."
Xu Nian agreed. "You’re all involved. I checked with Director Ren—you can inform them, but keep it confidential. It’s still an active provincial case."
Guan Xia understood. "Sister Ji used to be a cop, and Pang Le knows how to keep secrets. I just want them to be cautious and aware—nothing will leak."
Seeing her seriousness, Xu Nian smiled. "I trust you."
Leaving his place after nightfall, Guan Xia found it still early. She took out the trash, then strolled to the neighborhood entrance for a walk.
She didn’t wander far, just ambled along the main road outside the residential area, occasionally glancing at the park across the street.
Built against a low hill, the park sprawled under dense foliage. Well-lit paths and narrow trails wove through it, and even from a distance, the hum of insects and birdsong drifted over. As evening deepened, more people crossed the road toward the park. Faint music hinted at a square-dancing group gathering.
Despite the crowd, Guan Xia didn’t dare enter alone at this hour.
After noting the park’s entry points, she headed home leisurely and called Pang Le.
Pang Le answered eagerly, "Done hibernating? Finally joining the living?"
Guan Xia had indeed been holed up at home for nearly a week. Hearing the question, she smiled and said, "Yeah, tomorrow's the weekend. I plan to take a stroll in the park near my place. Wanna come?"
Pang Le sounded disappointed. "What's so fun about a park? If you want excitement, we could go hiking, bungee jumping, or even ride a roller coaster. A park is just too boring—it’s like an activity for retirees."
Guan Xia sighed. "With my luck, those places might turn into a thriller. I just want somewhere quiet to unwind, especially since Sister Ji is coming back soon."
The line went silent for a few seconds before Pang Le gasped excitedly. "Who did you say? Sister Ji? Ji An? She’s finally coming back? Does that mean we’re about to do something big again?"
Amused by Pang Le’s enthusiasm, Guan Xia chuckled. "You and your love for ‘big things.’ Yes, we’ll meet at the usual spot."
"Perfect!" Pang Le cut in eagerly. "When? Tomorrow?"
"The 13th," Guan Xia replied. "Sister Ji has some unfinished business, so she confirmed she’ll be back on the 13th. We’ll meet in the afternoon at the usual place."
"Deal," Pang Le agreed instantly. "Same as always—I’ll pick you up in the morning, we’ll grab lunch, and then head to meet Sister Ji."
Guan Xia hummed in agreement, relieved that Pang Le no longer sounded bored. With a smile, she extended the invitation again. "I’ve lived in my new place for almost two months and haven’t even visited the park across the street. I’m going tomorrow. You in?"
This time, Pang Le didn’t resist as much. "Fine. What are best friends for? If you want to go, I’ll suffer through it for you. See you tomorrow afternoon."
Mission accomplished, Guan Xia stood by the roadside, gazing at the park under the night sky and enjoying the breeze before finally heading home in high spirits.
As usual, she read a bit, washed up, and got ready for bed. Just as she lay down, she noticed an unread message from Xu Nian.
She picked up her phone and opened it, surprised to find Xu Nian asking for her bank account details.
Guan Xia had once wondered if helping the police solve cases came with a reward—turns out, there was indeed a bonus.
Though she knew it wouldn’t be much, something was better than nothing. She got out of bed, retrieved her bank card, and carefully sent the details over.
Xu Nian quickly replied with an "OK" emoji.
Guan Xia didn’t respond further. She turned off her screen, placed the phone on the nightstand, and suddenly reflected on how chaotic yet oddly fulfilling her recent days had been. Against all odds, she felt at peace—even grateful. Another good day had passed.
The next afternoon at three, Guan Xia and Pang Le arrived at the park entrance.
Pang Le had swapped her usual footwear for flats, sporting sunglasses and holding an umbrella while fanning herself with a portable mini-fan. She groaned dramatically, "I must really love you to brave this 30-degree heat for a park stroll. Interview time—why couldn’t we just stay home with the AC and come here at night instead?"
Guan Xia huddled under the umbrella’s shade and quipped, "Because with my luck, a nighttime park visit might turn into a thriller. Safer to go when the sun’s out—more yang energy."
Pang Le rolled her eyes. "Last time we camped, it was daytime. And when you faced that killer in the hallway? Also daytime. Your ‘luck’ doesn’t discriminate between day and night."
Guan Xia paused, realizing she was right. Still, she’d take broad daylight over pitch-black darkness any day.
After some playful bickering, the two finally ventured inside.
Given the scorching afternoon sun, even on a weekend, the park wasn’t crowded. Most visitors were elderly folks with kids, though a handful of young couples dotted the paths, their closeness betraying their relationships.
A few solitary figures stood out—some smoking by trash bins, others napping on the grass, and one guy glued to his phone on a stone bench. As Guan Xia passed, she heard the triumphant "First Blood!" from his game.
Under the shade of trees, the heat became bearable. Guan Xia folded her umbrella and removed her sunglasses, scanning their surroundings. "Your area’s remote, but it’s packed. That said… given my track record, what are the odds we stumble into another case today?"
Pang Le leaned in, lowering her voice. "Wanna bet? I’ve got a hunch this park trip won’t go smoothly."
Guan Xia side-eyed her. "Since when do you rely on intuition? Weren’t you all about hard evidence?"
Pang Le slung an arm around her. "You rub off on people. So? Bet or not?"
Coolly, Guan Xia asked, "What’s the stake?"
Pang Le grinned, ready. "Rock climbing. If I win, you come with me—just to watch, if you’re scared."
Guan Xia knew Pang Le had been itching for something extreme. She hesitated, about to agree, when a shrill, distant scream cut through the air.
Both froze, exchanged glances, and laughed wryly.
"Told you," Pang Le said, patting Guan Xia’s shoulder. "Your luck doesn’t care about time. Step outside, and there’s at least a 50% chance of running into trouble."
Guan Xia grimaced, silently praying that if this was another case, she wouldn’t have to confront the culprit—or at least that she’d spot them first without being noticed.
They quickened their pace toward the scream’s origin. Though it had sounded far, a growing crowd guided them, eliminating any risk of getting lost.
Before even seeing anything, Guan Xia caught the metallic tang of blood in the air.
Pang Le, taller and stronger, muscled their way to the front—where a young man lay in a spreading pool of crimson, body twitching, eyes wide and desperate as they locked onto the onlookers. Given the arterial wound at his neck, even a doctor in the crowd couldn’t save him before an ambulance arrived.
Someone had already tried, pressing a T-shirt to the gash, but blood soaked through the fabric, pooling beneath him.
He was alive, but death was inevitable. Around them, stifled sobs rose from the crowd.
Guan Xia couldn't bear it either, but there was nothing she could do except call for an ambulance. Within just a minute or two, the man's convulsing limbs gradually stilled, and his breathing ceased.
This wasn’t Guan Xia’s first time confronting a criminal, but it was her first time witnessing death firsthand. Her mind went blank for a moment before she snapped back to reality and remembered what needed to be done.
Instinctively, she started to call Xu Nian, but upon hearing someone nearby already dialing the police, she lowered her phone.
What she didn’t expect, however, was that ten minutes later, the first person to arrive at the scene was still Xu Nian.
Xu Nian seemed equally surprised to see her. He directed the arriving officers to cordon off the area and began taking statements from the onlookers before approaching Guan Xia. "What are you doing here? Did you notice anything?"
In Guan Xia’s subconscious, everything seemed normal, but clearly, the system disagreed. The moment Xu Nian finished speaking, the system interface abruptly popped up.
You’ve been questioned by the police. Suddenly, you recall that at 3:32 PM on June 11th, while strolling through the park, you spotted a suspicious-looking man who appeared nervous. The odd bulge in his pants pocket suggested he might be carrying a utility knife, and there were a few stains on the hem of his T-shirt. Your sharp intuition tells you they might be bloodstains. You decide to inform the police.
