Qiao An didn't know anything about investigating cases. She just tagged along cluelessly behind Mu Zimo and Xie Shan. After navigating the potholed paths of the old district, they finally met up with the rest of the team.
Seeing everyone's exhausted yet incredibly serious expressions, Qiao An just kept pulling all sorts of little snacks from her pocket, crushing them, and sprinkling them for the little critters that were constantly poking their heads out to watch the excitement.
Mu Zimo, who was discussing the case, caught a glimpse of Qiao An squatting in a corner out of the corner of his eye. He saw her extend a fair finger to flick a little mouse's head and give it a few peanuts before pretending like nothing had happened as she stood up.
Mu Zimo subconsciously wanted to stop her. The old district was filthy and chaotic, and crawling with rats. Who knew how many germs those creatures carried.
But when he saw Qiao An expertly pull a disinfectant wipe from her pocket and clean her fingers, he swallowed the words he was about to say.
"Alright, that's enough for today. It's getting late, and it's not a good time to disturb the other residents. Let's pull back. I'm treating everyone to dinner tonight."
The captain was offering to treat! Everyone cheered quietly, rubbing their hands together in anticipation of a big feast, when suddenly, the walkie-talkie on Mu Zimo's hip crackled with static.
"Captain, Captain, we've got something..."
Just a moment ago, a faint smile had been playing on Mu Zimo's lips as he leaned lazily against the wall. Now, his entire body tensed in an instant as he quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie.
"Copy that. What's your location? Don't make any rash moves. Wait for us to arrive."
At this moment, Mu Zimo had no time to worry about Qiao An. Holding the walkie-talkie, he turned and plunged back into the tangled, complex alleyways of the Urban Village.
"Captain, following a lead, we found a hidden, abandoned garbage dump in the deepest part of the Urban Village. It's not allowed to process recycled trash anymore because it failed to meet regulations, but the nearby residents can't be bothered to take the long way around to throw their garbage out, so they still just toss everything directly over the wall."
"We didn't pay it much mind when our patrol passed through here, but while I was gathering intel in the building across the way, I happened to notice a dilapidated two-story building inside the mountain of garbage. There was a light on!"
All sorts of garbage was constantly rotting here, creating an overpowering stench. At first, their team had also chosen to take a detour to avoid it.
Who in their right mind would live in a mountain of garbage? The stench was enough to kill you.
But he just had a strange feeling. According to the clues, the killer might have a strong, foul odor, so he decided to take a closer look. That's when he happened to see that faint glimmer of light.
At that moment, all the clues clicked into place, sending a shiver down his spine. He immediately grabbed his walkie-talkie and contacted the captain.
The streets in the old district were a chaotic maze, and it was easy to turn into a dead end. With no other choice, Qiao An had to lead the way, and only then did they manage to reach the vicinity of the abandoned garbage dump hidden deep inside.
As soon as they got close, Xie Shan clamped a hand over his nose and mouth in disgust. "Holy shit, what is that smell? People actually live near here?"
Qiao An didn't like the stench either, but she was long used to living with the various members of the Beast Clan. Most of them had heavy body odor, yet she could still throw an arm around those lovable folks and drink and chat happily. This was nothing to her.
"I have a mask here. You should wear it."
'As a dedicated sanitation worker, it's perfectly normal for me to have these things on hand, right?'
Mu Zimo was a bit of a neat freak, but in the middle of an investigation, he never let it show on his face. He did, however, glance at Qiao An and give her a slight nod of thanks as he took the mask and put it on.
"Contact the logistics department. This place is too filthy. We need to put on hazmat suits before we go in, or we risk getting sick."
Having already experienced it firsthand, Qiao An nodded in agreement. It was indeed filthy. This was the kind of place even a rat wouldn't want to enter.
While they waited, Qiao An cautiously backed away, pretending to be overwhelmed by the stench. Feeling a bit sorry for her, Mu Zimo said, "Looks like the dinner is off for tonight. You should go home. It might be dangerous inside."
Not wanting to be a burden, Qiao An left at once. Watching her back as she ran off as if for her life, Mu Zimo narrowed his long eyes in suspicion once again.
When she had come to the police station to provide the clue before, Qiao An had been extremely worried about that stray cat named Ao Bai. But now, she just turned and left without a care in the world. It was strange, but Mu Zimo had no time to dwell on it. He could only continue arranging his men to surround the garbage dump.
Once everyone was fully suited up, Mu Zimo led his team and began to climb, bit by bit, into the heap of trash.
Xie Shan was the one having the hardest time. It wasn't that he was a neat freak, but as a pampered young master, the slimy feeling on the outside of his protective suit made his skin crawl. The occasional bug crawling over him didn't help either, making him feel completely awful.
Any other scent would be completely overwhelmed by this stench. It wasn't until they had with great difficulty leaped into the dilapidated two-story building that they were stunned by the scene before them.
In a room where the walls were so filthy their original surface was hidden, countless skeletons of varying sizes were hanging. They appeared to be the remains of various animals.
"Is this... is this fucking Purgatory?"
Xie Shan leaned against the wall, wanting to vomit, but he didn't want to soil his hazmat suit, so he could only force it down.
In the dim light, Mu Zimo didn't want to alert the enemy by turning on his flashlight. He moved bit by bit, cautiously approaching the light source.
Once Mu Zimo was completely hidden in the darkness, he saw someone from a distance around a corner. The person seemed to be leaning against a wall, clutching something and muttering curses.
"No one has ever shown me any kindness. Why should I be gentle with this world? Why? Why?!"
The misshapen doll, patched together from various scraps of cloth, was incredibly ugly, yet he cradled it carefully in his arms.
"Why? Why? Why couldn't you love me the same..."
Mu Zimo noticed the man was bleeding. Countless wounds were exposed on his body—long, deep gashes. The torn flesh was caked with filth, seeming to rot bit by bit, just like the man himself.
Hearing footsteps, the man slowly raised his head. Even such a simple motion seemed to cost him immense effort.
"You're finally here? Heh heh. I'm injured. That woman is a monster. She actually attacked me, a poor scavenger. Ugly, despicable, lowly women should all be killed by me! They're not innocent. They get what they deserve! They never respected me!"
The garbage was the man's best cover, so he never bothered to conceal his killings here. Evidence was scattered everywhere, including the personal belongings of his past female victims, which were tossed carelessly around the room.
Mu Zimo waved his hand, and someone immediately moved forward with handcuffs, ready to take the man away.
Just then, the man's eyes flew wide open as if he'd seen a ghost. He whipped out a long syringe from behind his back.