Era of Magic and Martial Arts

Chapter 398 - 382: The Murderer Must Be...

Zhou Hu could no longer stay there; he stormed out of the Patrol Office in anger.

Sitting back in his car, Zhou Hu leaned against the back of the seat and rubbed his temples anxiously, then fished out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

The flame danced between his fingers, and he took a deep drag, the strong tobacco flavor quickly spreading, filling his chest, but it couldn’t suppress the strange feeling churning inside him.

He wondered if it was an illusion, but when he mentioned the name "Feng Mu" just now, it felt like the air in the morgue had frozen instantly.

The way those people looked at him was eerie, making his skin crawl.

"Damn, I didn’t even mention Prison Director Qian Huan? I just brought up Feng Mu, why did they react so strongly?"

Zhou Hu muttered to himself as he stubbed out the cigarette.

His sixth sense wasn’t wrong.

The look in the forensic expert Bai Ye’s eyes seemed to say, "Is someone trying to frame my friend again?"

Chang Erbing’s look seemed to say, "Captain Li’s new good friend might drive the corpse van to find you tonight."

The constable who received him wasn’t exactly Feng Mu’s friend; he simply saw the charred remains of Chen Yang in Zhou Hu’s face.

Zhou Hu shook his head, suppressing the odd feeling in his heart and dialed Lou Duan’s number.

As soon as the call connected, Zhou Hu began to report quickly:

"Station Chief Lou, Zhao Xing is dead, and it’s a tragic death! It’s definitely not an accident; I can guarantee that Qian Huan ordered Feng Mu to do it!"

He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then continued:

"I just asked around, and last night Feng Mu took a group of prison guards out of the Second Prison ’on business’, and the timing coincides perfectly with Zhao Xing’s death."

On the other end of the line, Lou Duan listened indifferently, his gaze fixed on the TV news.

The screen froze on a horrifying scene—a headless corpse sprawled across a window, blood slowly trickling down the glass, creating a bizarre, sinister aesthetic.

And on his desk lay something else—a staff attendance sheet.

Among a sea of red checkmarks, Feng Baoguang’s name lay alone at the very bottom line, the "X" denoting an unexplained absence standing out starkly and glaringly.

Feng Baoguang’s manner of death was too ordinary, not captivating enough for TV exposure.

Zhou Hu: "Station Chief Lou, Qian Huan and his crew are utterly brazen! Last night it was Zhao Xing who died, and today it could very well be me... Station Chief Lou, you have to think of something!"

Zhou Hu continued to speak on the phone, his tone urgent and filled with a mix of anger and certainty, but Lou Duan just listened quietly, occasionally responding with a low "hmm" or two, as if cooperating, or perhaps brushing him off.

Finally, Lou Duan let out a deep sigh, his tone unhurried, much like when he reassured Zhao Xing the day before:

"Zhou Hu, don’t be afraid. The crazier they act, the more it shows they are at the end of their rope, with no more tricks up their sleeve. In this situation, they won’t be able to jump around for much longer."

Zhou Hu gripped the steering wheel tightly, his brow furrowing slightly. He agreed with Lou Duan’s analysis, but the unease in his heart wasn’t soothed.

On the contrary, he felt more deeply the madness of Feng Mu, or rather, Feng Mu under Qian Huan’s orders.

This madness sent chills down his spine, filling his heart with an unstoppable coldness.

He leaned against the car seat, muttering softly:

"Station Chief Lou makes sense, but right now I’m just afraid that I’ll be taken out by their madness before they run out of steam."

The other end of the line was silent for a moment before Lou Duan’s voice came through again, with a tinge of subtle coldness:

"There’s a meeting up there later, and they’ll probably discuss the handling of the Second Prison. Alright, why are you panicking? With you like this, when Qian Huan gets sacked, how can I recommend you to be promoted to the position of Prison Director?"

This statement hit Zhou Hu’s heart like a shot of adrenaline.

His pupils dilated slightly, and his breath quickened.

He took a deep breath, the gloom between his brows gradually dispersing, replaced by a fervent glow, as if the coldness had been completely driven away.

Ambition and power, the most unique prescription of all, capable of curing timidity, dispelling weakness, and even delaying the withering of will.

For some, even just catching the scent of this medicine already works wonders.

Zhou Hu clenched his fist, his tone became exuberant, as if he had regained his confidence: "Thank you, Station Chief Lou, I understand what to do now."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Hu looked out the car window at the "clear skies" and "sunny" day, his mood completely different from when he entered the Patrol Office.

"The darkness of night will eventually pass, the dawn of light is inevitable..."

Zhou Hu murmured to himself, as if he could already see himself in the director’s office of the prison, holding power with an imposing presence.

After a while, Zhou Hu’s phone screen suddenly lit up with a text message:

——Don’t show yourself these days. I have a property, it’s well-hidden, you can stay there for a couple of days until things calm down and then return to assume the position of Prison Director.

AddressXXXXXXXXXX

The number was unfamiliar, a string of random digits, like it was sent from a virtual number.

But Zhou Hu, without much hesitation, immediately determined that it was from Station Chief Lou.

As for why not use his own phone number? The answer was obvious—the property must have shady origins, likely evidence of corruption.

Using a personal number to send such information would be leaving a handle.

A wise person like Station Chief Lou wouldn’t make such a low-level mistake.

Zhou Hu stared at the text message, feeling an indescribable wave of emotion.

He seemed to see Station Chief Lou’s face, always with a profound smile, now looking at him with a benevolent gaze like an elder.

He couldn’t help but mutter: "Station Chief Lou, really considers his subordinates... He really does, I’m moved to tears..."

He memorized the address on the message, but he didn’t immediately turn the car towards that "safe house."

The headless corpse of Zhao Xing in the morgue flashed in his mind, silently warning him that a place with fewer people isn’t necessarily safe.

"Heh, though Station Chief Lou was thorough, it’s best as a last resort, but..."

Zhou Hu had a sudden inspiration and thought of a safer place. Compared to Station Chief Lou’s "thoughtful arrangement," this place might give him a greater sense of security.

However, before heading to that place, Zhou Hu took out his phone and dialed another number.

This time, his tone was completely different from when he spoke with Lou Duan earlier, lacking any of the previous respect and deference, overflowing instead with a mix of arrogant impatience and a hint of threat.

"Hello!"

When the call connected, he began speaking rapidly, like a machine-gun fire,

"It’s been days, what’s going on? Not a peep! Do you even want to get your brother out?"

......