Afterlife Department

Chapter 115 - Ignorance

"Zhang Su?" Gu Xingfeng called.

"I am, chief Gu." Zhang Su answered through Liu Xi's phone. "How is my elder brother?" he asked.

Gu Xingfeng froze. "… he was stabbed." He answered. "He's in a critical condition. I'm sorry." He told him.

"It's fine. My elder brother is strong, or else he won't be a policeman.." Zhang Su said. "The reason why I had spoken just now after all the years is because Shang Mi's father have me and my elder brother his wealth so we can live." He explained. "Ten years of my silence is my gratitude to him." He said.

"How about the Tsuting University students?" Gu Xingfeng asked. "And Huo Ling?" he added.

"I don't know why he killed Huo Ling. But, I know Lu Ming." Zhang Su said. "Lu Ming is sitting across me and had his earphones on. However, he clearly saw those people dragged Shang Mi away to the back of the train." He explained. "Maybe Lu Ming doesn't remember this." He added.

"Thank you." Gu Xingfeng said.

"Gu Xingfeng." Liu Xi called. "I'll protect Zhang Su. You arrest the culprit. He has more targets there than you." He told him before he ended the call.

"Ah Ming is…" Hao Baiyun said after he heard their conversation.

"Xiao Yun…" Gu Xingfeng called. "Ten years ago, Lu Ming is just thirteen or fourteen. With the way he was raised by his parents, he might not know what was happening before." He explained.

Hao Baiyun sighed in guilt. "Just because of his ignorance…" he closed his eyes tight.

Gu Xingfeng hugged him tight to comfort him. "Call Xiao Xie and Song Mingfan to send the others there immediately." He said. Xiao Xie and Song Mingfan were in the same hospital. "Send some of the officers to the hospital and inquire from the doctors what happened. Send the forensic team to check Rong Zhe's corpse. Tell the hospital staff not to move anything in the scene of the crime." He instructed.

"Yes, sir!" the police officers immediately moved.

"Chief." Jiang Xinduo called.

"I thought you're still holding the media?" he asked.

Jiang Xinduo's brows knitted. "This is what I am puzzled." He said. "They just come and go." He told him.

"… a smokescreen?" Gu Xingfeng said as his eyes sharpened.

Jiang Xinduo nodded. "Yes. The media has just left." He said and glanced at the entrance of the station.

"Be alert!" Gu Xingfeng said.

"Xing-ge…" Hao Baiyun called. He held Gu Xingfeng's hands tight when he suddenly felt nervous.

"Tell Xiao Xue not to let Su Lin, Lu Ming and Xu Ke out!" Gu Xingfeng told Jiang Xinduo.

"Yes!" Jiang Xinduo answered and immediately called Xue Liping to relay the order.

"Xiao Ke!" Gu Xingfeng called.

"Chief!" Ke Congyi cried. "Rong Zhe's death was in the news!" he said.

Gu Xingfeng's lips were pressed into a thin line as he held his temper. "Let them feast all they want. They left – " he said before he froze. His eyes widened and he sharply turned to Jiang Xinduo who also had realized it. "Tell Song Mingfan to watch Zhu Min!" he yelled.

"Y-yes!" Ke Congyi answered and immediately called Song Mingfan. "Xiao Song! Go back to where Zhu Min is now! The culprit is – "

BOOM! They heard an explosion from the other line. Hao Baiyun's eyes are wide in shock. "No way…" he muttered as they were enveloped by silence.

Suddenly, the TV screen in the station played a flash news. One is Rong Zhe's death, and the other is – "Just now, the S City General Hospital's inpatient's department has exploded – " the newscaster said.

Their face paled as they stared at the smoking hospital in the screen. Their eyes are bloodshot because of horror. For every step they take, the enemy is already ten steps ahead. "Xiao Jiang!" Gu Xingfeng's voice woke them up.

"Yes!" Jiang Xinduo immediately called Xue Liping. "How're the three students?!" he immediately changed his address.

"We're still inside. We've just seen the news." Xue Liping said. His voice is grave. "Everything is locked. The windows, the doors. There's no access panel in the ceiling for the culprit to go through." He explained and glanced at Su Lin, Xu Ke and Lu Ming who were huddling in the corner. "I'll keep them safe." He told them.

Jiang Xinduo sighed in relief and he ended the call. He looked at Gu Xingfeng. "Chief." He called.

"Xiao Jiang. You go to the hospital and immediately send me a report about everyone's condition." Gu Xingfeng said.

"Yes!" Jiang Xinduo answered and immediately left.

Gu Xingfeng called Liu Xi again. "Did he also use a time bomb?" he asked.

"Yes." Liu Xi answered. "He also used one in the S City General Hospital?" he said.

"Yes." Gu Xingfeng answered.

Liu Xi sighed. "He's a terrorist." He joked, but his voice immediately returned serious. "Rong Zhe is dead. Zhu Min also died. Who do you think will be next?" he asked him before he paused. "I can also be in his target list. After all, I was the first to discredit the witness' allegation." He said and looked at Zhang Su.

"We can die together." Zhang Su told Liu Xi.

Liu Xi doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You heard him." He told Gu Xingfeng.

Gu Xingfeng sighed. "I already told you. Don't flirt when I'm still listening." He told him before he ended the call.

"Xing-ge…" Hao Baiyun called and held Gu Xingfeng's hands tighter. He's afraid.

Gu Xingfeng squeezed his hands to reassure him before he turned to Ke Congyi who's waiting for his next order. "Search Shang Mi's history." He told him.

"Yes, chief!" Ke Congyi answered.

"This Shang Mi… is she…" Hao Baiyun looked at Gu Xingfeng.

"Yes. She's the victim of the train station in X City that closed ten years ago due to lots of complaints and the route being too secluded." Gu Xingfeng said. "Her father is likely the one who did all of these." He explained.

Ke Congyi coldly sweated when he heard Gu Xingfeng's explanation. My god! He exclaimed as he diligently searched about the news together with the technical team. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock by what they found. "Oh, my god!" he exclaimed.

"What is it?" Gu Xingfeng asked.

"Chief…" Ke Congyi called. "Shang Mi is related to Huo Ling!" he said. "They are childhood sweethearts!" he added.

Huo Ling, who had walked out earlier after hearing Yi Bing's accusations of him, was picking the grass in the playground where he went to earlier. "Stupid Yi Bing!" he muttered as he gritted his teeth.

"Stop acting like a child." Yi Bing, who immediately followed him out of worry, said. "Your pride was hurt after I pointed out your mistake since, deeply, you are a proud person despite being described as 'perfect' by the other people." He explained. "You are also stubborn, thus you won't listen to me." he added.

Huo Ling froze before he turned to Yi Bing and glare at him. "Yi! Bing!" he called. "You're very irritating!" he told him.

Yi Bing didn't dare laugh when he saw Huo Ling's angry expression. Even if they're in another world, yet his expressions wouldn't change.

He was about to tease him again when they heard a loud explosion. They turned, only to see the S City's general hospital is burning! "No way... Ah Zhe!" Huo Ling cried and flew towards the direction of the hospital.

Yi Bing immediately caught the tail of Huo Ling's soul. Before Huo Ling could speak, he teleported them to the hospital. "Everything is a mess." He muttered when he saw the inside of the inpatient department hospital is aflame.

"Mingfan! Mingfan!" Xiao Xie called through the flames.

"Officer Xiao!!!" the police officers behind him called. However, Xiao Xie ran through the flames.

Yi Bing saw the ceiling was about to fall on Xiao Xie. He waved his hand and the ceiling stopped. Xiao Xie didn't notice it as he continued to ran through the flames.

"You can be kind." Huo Ling told Yi Bing as they watched Xiao Xie pass by them, trying to find Song Mingfan.

"Their thread of fate cannot end here." Yi Bing said. "Have you found Rong Zhe's soul?" he asked.

Huo Ling shook his head. "We also have to find Ah Ting's." he said as he looked around.

"Huh? Senior Yi!" they heard a voice behind them called. If they can see them, then it must be –

"Jiu Ye." Yi Bing called when he saw his junior in the Afterlife Department. He had met him in the Pathway of the Clouds.

Jiu Ye laughed and shyly scratched the back of his head. "Senior, you still remember me…" he sheepishly grinned.

"Are you here to fetch a soul?" Yi Bing asked.

Jiu Ye nodded. "Yes! I'm going to fetch someone named 'Rong Zhe'." He said. "My fellow junior fetched Zhu Min's soul just now…" his voice trailed off when he saw Huo Ling. "Aren't you senior's assignment whom he had sent off in the Pathway of the Clouds?" he said.

"Huh?"