Chapter One: Responding to the Call

Drizzle and splatter.

This year, the cold arrived unusually early. Even the robust officers of the criminal investigation unit wrapped themselves in ultra-warm jackets, shivering as they braved the rain to enter the two-story building of the Anlu District Criminal Investigation Team in Anxi City.

The sturdy ones quickly relaxed, while those with less vigor remained huddled inside, blowing on their hands, trying to warm themselves.

They were all old acquaintances, greeting each other in groups of two or three, the atmosphere lively.

“Morning.”

“Morning. This weather is freezing. Pray that today goes smoothly—let’s hope nothing happens.” As soon as the tall young man spoke, his words drew glares from the others.

“Keep your mouth shut!”

The tall young man wasn’t offended by the reaction; in fact, he seemed remorseful.

“Sorry, sorry.”

His apology was swift, clearly a practiced response. His unlucky tongue was notorious—whenever he wished for peace, something troublesome would always happen. No matter how quiet the day seemed, as soon as he uttered his prayer, a case would inevitably arise—usually a particularly thorny and violent one. Whenever his words came true, the team could forget about resting.

Who would want to go out on a day this cold, let alone face gruesome wounds? If it were only injuries, that would be one thing, but if there was a death, the scene was unbearable even for the toughest. Some had seen many corpses, but that didn’t mean they could face them without flinching. They pressed their hands together, fervently hoping nothing would happen.

Yet, as the saying goes, bad luck is always effective. The next moment, the office phone rang with a deadly urgency.

Only one thought raced through their minds.

It’s over!

No one wanted to answer the call. They exchanged looks, hoping to find a scapegoat, but before they could, a clear, vibrant voice rang out.

“Anlu District Criminal Investigation Unit, who’s calling?”

They looked up to see the new young woman, fearless and methodical as she handled the call.

“Da’an Village? All right, we’ll be there soon.”

Though they avoided answering the phone, not knowing the specifics left them anxious. The young woman had only been around for half a month, but her beauty, bright eyes, and sweet smile made her impossible to ignore. Many of the young men in the bureau quietly inquired about her, and through frequent conversations, they learned her name.

As she hung up and headed upstairs, the others crowded around.

“Jiang Jiang, what happened?”

“There’s been a homicide in Da’an Village,” Qiu Jiang replied. The group gasped.

Before they could comment, a middle-aged man hurried downstairs, complaining loudly, “Every single day, there’s never any peace. I’m going to drop dead from stress soon. Xiao Chen, where’s Xiao Chen? Get him back here to take notes!”

“Chief, Xiao Chen is on leave,” someone replied.

The middle-aged man slapped his forehead, looking utterly defeated. He raised his voice in frustration, “Damn it, why now? Who’s coming with me?”

Someone asked, “Is it Da’an Village?”

“How did you know?” Chen Da was suspicious but had no time for explanations. “Who’s coming with me?”

The team exchanged glances. “Chief, we can’t take notes.”

Chen Da was stumped, glaring, his mind buzzing.

He regretted his words immediately. The city leadership had called about this case, and the bureau specifically instructed him to cooperate. Both bureaus in the district were taking it seriously, so he had to be meticulous. Unfortunately, he knew his men’s abilities all too well—asking them to take notes was harder than asking them to risk their lives. He might as well do it himself.

But seeing their self-awareness gave him a headache. He resolved to recruit more literate police academy students next year, though that was a distant matter. Right now, he needed a solution.

Just then, the heavens seemed to answer his desperate call. A clear, resolute voice responded.

“Chief, I can do it—”

Chen Da’s ears perked up. He turned to see the newcomer, Qiu Jiang.

Of course—a police academy student.

His eyes lit up. “Are you afraid of corpses?”

“Not at all.” Qiu Jiang was firm.

“Good girl, come with me.” Chen Da clapped her on the shoulder and dragged along the tall, unlucky-tongued young man to drive.

The three piled into the battered team van. Chen Da placed a police beacon on the roof, the siren wailed, and the car roared to life, tearing out the gates in a cloud of dust.

Inside, Chen Da worried Qiu Jiang might have exaggerated, repeatedly reassuring her not to be nervous, to follow his instructions, not to fear the corpse, and that anyone wanting this job would have to get used to it. Qiu Jiang listened attentively, but her thoughts drifted.

She truly wasn’t afraid of corpses.

If it had been the old Qiu Jiang, perhaps she would have been. But she wasn’t the original; she had come from several centuries ago.

Growing up on the frontier, corpses were a daily sight. If she were easily scared, she would have died of fright long ago.

Moreover, she was a descendant of the Miao people, often venturing deep into the mountains to collect little creatures for her rituals. Finding corpses in the wilderness was nothing unusual.

So, really, corpses weren’t frightening.

What she feared was not being able to stay.

She had overheard the chief complain more than once about wanting to replace her with a police academy lad, thinking she was too delicate. If she couldn’t prove her worth, she’d be sent back to the academy.

In her previous era, women held low status. Even though her mother was a fierce general with countless military merits, she remained subordinate to lesser men. Burdened by illness and sorrow, her mother passed away early; her father, a stubborn Miao, followed soon after, desolate.

Now, she had finally arrived in an age of gender equality, where a woman could pursue a career openly and fulfill her mother’s ambitions. She couldn’t let this opportunity slip by. Besides, she needed the job to support herself.

She must seize this chance, and she would show her capability.

With newfound resolve, Qiu Jiang’s gaze was steadfast, making her seem reliable. Chen Da, though still deeply furrowed, relaxed a little, his weathered face growing more somber.

They drove in silence for over forty minutes before finally arriving at Da’an Village.

Da’an Village lay on the outskirts of Anxi City. In recent years, the area had been designated a national development zone, with construction booming. The neighboring villages, as beneficiaries, underwent mass relocation, turning rural folk into city dwellers overnight—a source of envy for others.

At the same time, many outsiders flocked in for work, and with the population surge came chaos.

In fact, more cases occurred here in the past two years than in the previous decade.

Because this area was recently split from Anlu District and the new departments weren’t fully established, the cases still fell under their jurisdiction. The team had been here many times to handle incidents, but never before for a homicide—this was unprecedented.

Chen Da’s dark face was grave as he strode out of the car, Qiu Jiang leaping after him.

“Hey?” Deng Xingwang was stunned, calling out, “Wait for me!”

Da’an Village was built against the mountains, and the crime scene was up the hillside. Chen Da had visited a few times, but never ventured into the mountains. Still, as a seasoned detective, he quickly spotted the path up and led Qiu Jiang and Deng Xingwang up the slope.

“Screech—”

A harsh sound of tires skidding and stopping abruptly grated on their ears. The three looked over.

Though Qiu Jiang had seen cars for over a month, this one was different and caught her attention.

Unlike their battered van, this car was spotless, its tires showing no signs of use—a brand new vehicle. Its sleek, streamlined design was unfamiliar to her; if she remembered correctly, it was called a sports car.

The fiery red body and smooth contours screamed high profile.

The occupant disembarked, and sure enough—

A tall, well-proportioned young man, dressed in a crisp white suit, stepped out. The tailored fit accentuated his physique. Large sunglasses concealed his features, though Qiu Jiang’s keen eye judged him handsome.

Most importantly, his attire was utterly out of place compared to theirs—by contrast, they looked hopelessly provincial.

“Damn, rich guy,” Chen Da recognized the car’s worth at a glance, eyeing it twice before snapping at the awestruck Deng Xingwang, “What are you staring at? Drooling like a fool, less composure than the girl here. Pathetic.”

Deng Xingwang, chastised, instinctively wiped his lips, finding nothing amiss, and responded with a sheepish laugh. But seeing Qiu Jiang stride calmly dozens of meters ahead, his face flushed deeply.

Don’t ask—just awkward.

Chen Da glared at him.

“Chief, I see a crowd gathering up ahead. It must be the crime scene. Should we join them?”

Her timely interruption made Chen Da forget his next scolding. He answered with a firm “Let’s go,” and strode forward.

Qiu Jiang fell a step behind, and Deng Xingwang hurried to her side, casting a grateful glance her way.

Qiu Jiang smiled gently, successfully leaving him stunned for a moment.

Ahem, this colleague really was too attractive—especially when she smiled.