【"Haha, then it's all good, Brother Lu. I wasn't fully awake this morning—please don’t hold it against me. I'll slap myself twice right now as an apology!"】

After two days of buzz, Lu Ding's name was well-known throughout 749 Bureau. Except for those who were out on missions, practically everyone had heard of him. After all, there had never been an intern investigator this ruthless before.

Soon, some people dug up details about Lu Ding’s background and shared them.

When they saw that he had joined 749 Bureau one day and taken the assessment the next, their reaction was a mix of admiration and sheer amazement.

With his terrifying combat power and overwhelming talent, he was undoubtedly a mission powerhouse!

Going on a mission with him? As long as you followed orders and did what you were told, contribution points were basically free money.

The moment Lu Ding posted his mission recruitment, he was flooded with dozens of applications.

He carefully reviewed each one and finally chose an intern investigator named Yan Feifan.

After approving the selection, he sent a message:

【"Do you have a car?"】

A car was crucial. Although Lu Ding could drive, that was in his previous life. In this life, he hadn't even gotten a driver’s license yet—let alone owned a car.

A car?

Yan Feifan froze for a moment. He had applied just for the heck of it, figuring that if he got picked, great; if not, no big deal.

Who would have thought Lu Ding would actually approve his application?

【"Yes! I have a car! It's sturdy as hell—a big Jeep! And I’m a great driver!"】

【"Alright, meet me at Exit A of the base. I’ll be there soon."】

"YES!"

Inside a four-person dorm room, Yan Feifan let out an excited cheer.

A pillow immediately came flying from the adjacent bed.

"Shut the f*** up!!"

"Some of us are trying to sleep!"

Yan Feifan shrank back. "Sorry, sorry! I’m leaving now!"

"Get lost!"

Slipping on his shoes and socks, he hurried out the door, carefully closing it behind him. As soon as he stepped outside, a big grin spread across his face.

His steps felt lighter as he walked.

Starting his car, he hummed a tune all the way to Exit A.

There, standing by the roadside, was a man with his arms crossed. His outfit was plain, but his sharp features gave him a rugged, masculine charm. Just from his posture alone, he exuded the aura of a powerhouse.

Yan Feifan pulled over and got out from the driver’s seat, opening the passenger door.

"Brother Lu, I’m Yan Feifan."

Lu Ding got into the front seat. Yan Feifan circled back to the driver’s side, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, twisted it open, and handed it to Lu Ding.

"Brother Lu, what’s our plan? I looked over the mission details on the way here."

"The report says there are three key suspects."

"First, Tong Yong, 21 years old, male, a junior at Yunhai University’s Computer Science Vocational College. Years ago, he was neighbors with the victims in Yangjia’ao Village. When he was a kid, his father had a fight with the victims' family but lost. A few years later, Tong Yong’s father died, which makes him somewhat suspicious."

"Second, Zhao Haichuan, 52 years old, ex-husband of one of the victims, Wu Daoxiang. He was imprisoned for drug-related offenses years ago, and after his release, Wu Daoxiang had already divorced him and remarried Zhou Shenghua. Ever since, Zhao Haichuan has repeatedly harassed the victims’ family, demanding compensation from Wu Daoxiang."

"Third, Fan Wurui, 24 years old, ex-boyfriend of another victim, Zhou Lian. He worked at a local auto repair shop. Zhou Lian’s father disapproved of their relationship and even beat up Fan Wurui once."

"Besides these three, the victims’ family had no known conflicts with anyone else. They were fairly law-abiding."

Now this—this was exactly the kind of assistant investigator Lu Ding wanted. Proactive, prepared, and smart.

Leaning back in his seat, he took a sip of water. "What’s your take on it?"

"Here’s how I see it, Brother Lu. I used the process of elimination and think Tong Yong is the most suspicious."

"First, Fan Wurui—based on local investigation reports, his family is harmonious, but he was rebellious, which is why he didn’t go to college and ended up working at his uncle’s repair shop. He’s been in the workforce for years and is still just a low-level employee. A guy like that wouldn’t have the guts for mass murder. Even if he did want revenge, he wouldn’t have the nerve to wipe out an entire family. Plus, he and Zhou Lian genuinely loved each other and dated for three years. At most, he’d feel bitter—but not enough to commit a massacre."

"Next, Zhao Haichuan—yeah, he harassed the victims often, but it never escalated into full-blown violence. The victims always avoided him and even gave him some money to get him off their backs. He’s in it for money, and mass murder would be way too risky for him."

"Finally, Tong Yong—local reports describe him as quiet, a loner, and a solid student. But back in high school, he got into a fight and nearly beat someone to death. That’s what cost him his shot at college."

"This tells us something—he may look harmless, but he’s ruthless."

"Now, factor in Black Old Lady."

"Zhao Haichuan is too old. Even if Black Old Lady possessed him or used him as a puppet, he wouldn’t be a suitable vessel. Plus, when investigators showed up, he was alive and kicking. He’s been detained now, but that’s beside the point."

"That leaves only Fan Wurui and Tong Yong—two young men. If either of them were possessed, they wouldn’t have suffered too much physical backlash afterward."

"But possession isn’t full control. The host retains some awareness. Fan Wurui truly loved Zhou Lian—there’s no way he’d butcher her like that."

"Of course, other possibilities exist, but overall, Tong Yong is the prime suspect!!"

After finishing his analysis in one breath, Yan Feifan took a swig of water and looked at Lu Ding with hopeful eyes.

Lu Ding nodded. "Then let’s go find Tong Yong. If Black Old Lady really possessed him or if he’s connected to her, I’ll be able to smell it."

The Flying Bear, after all, was a terrifying beast that slaughtered other supernatural creatures for fun.

Finding monsters? That was its specialty.

Human or not, one sniff and Lu Ding would know.

His original plan was to investigate all three suspects one by one.

But thanks to Yan Feifan’s breakdown, he might be able to skip the extra steps and go straight for the target.

With Lu Ding’s approval, Yan Feifan slammed his foot on the gas.

Yan Feifan kept sneaking glances at Lu Ding, still finding it surreal that he was on a mission with someone like him.

Lu Ding noticed and broke the silence first.

"What did you do before this? Your analysis was spot-on."

"I was just a student," Yan Feifan said sheepishly. "I just really love watching movies. I’ve seen tons of movies and documentaries since I was a kid. It’s my only hobby. Movies might be fiction, but a lot of the logic can be applied to real life."

That did sound a bit far-fetched.

But Lu Ding was intrigued.

In his previous life, he remembered a movie called Sheep Without a Shepherd. The protagonist was a film buff whose wife and daughter accidentally killed a powerful official’s son. Using his movie knowledge, the protagonist meticulously covered up the crime and even took down the corrupt official.

If not for the need to pass censorship, the protagonist wouldn’t have been caught at all.

Lu Ding never expected that his randomly chosen assistant investigator would actually be a hidden gem.

"So, what’s your talent?"