*[Haha, my bad, Brother Lu! Wasn't fully awake this morning, please don't mind me. I'll slap myself twice right now!]*
*Lu Ding's name had spread through the 749 Agency like wildfire over two days. Barring those still out on missions, he was practically a household name. After all, they'd never seen a probationary investigator hit the ground running* this *hard.*
*Someone dug up some details about Lu Ding and shared them. Seeing he'd joined the 749 one day and taken the qualifying test the very next? Respect wasn't enough. The only word was: legendary.*
*That terrifying combat strength, that freakish talent? He was a mission beast!*
*Go on a job with him, just do exactly what he says, keep your head down, and contribution points were basically free money.*
*The moment Lu Ding posted his mission queue, dozens of applications flooded in.*
*He clicked through each profile carefully.*
*Finally, he selected a probationary investigator named Yan Feifan.*
*He sent the acceptance notification:*
**"YOU GOT A CAR?"**
*The car was crucial. Lu Ding knew how to drive – from his past life. In this one? No license. And definitely no money for a car.*
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> ≈≈≈
*Car? Yan Feifan blinked. He'd just tossed his name in the hat, hoping for the best but expecting nothing. Brother Lu actually picked him?!*
*He typed back frantically:*
**"YES! YES, I GOT ONE! SOLID JEEP, TOUGH AS NAILS! AND I'M A GREAT DRIVER!"**
*The reply came fast:*
**"GOOD. WAIT AT BASE EXIT A. I'LL BE THERE SHORTLY."**
***"YES!!!"*** *The shout exploded from Yan Feifan in the four-man dorm.*
*A pillow sailed across the room from the next bunk, followed by a roar:*
**"SHUT THE HELL UP!! TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!"**
*Yan Feifan ducked.* **"Sorry! Sorry! Heading out now!"**
***"GET OUT!!!"**
*Shoes and socks on, he slipped out the door, closing it gently behind him. The grin instantly reappeared. His steps down the corridor were practically bouncing.*
*Engine humming, he drove to Exit A, singing softly. There, leaning against a wall, arms crossed, stood a figure. His clothes were plain, unremarkable. But his face? Hard angles, pure handsome. His stance alone screamed: dangerous competence.*
*Yan Feifan pulled up, hopped out, and opened the passenger door.*
**"Brother Lu. Yan Feifan."**
*Lu Ding slid into the passenger seat. Yan Feifan jogged back around to the driver's side, started the engine, and handed Lu Ding a bottle of water.*
**"BROTHER LU, WHAT'S THE PLAN? I GLANCED AT THE MISSION BRIEF ON THE WAY OVER."**
**"IT LISTS THREE MAIN SUSPECTS:"**
*Yan Feifan took a breath, clearly having prepped:*
1. ***"TONG YONG. 21. MALE. COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJOR, YUNHAI VOCATIONAL COLLEGE. HIS FAMILY USED TO BE NEIGHBORS WITH THE VICTIMS IN YANGJIAO'AO VILLAGE. HIS DAD GOT INTO A FIGHT WITH THEM YEARS AGO – LOST. DIED NOT LONG AFTER. SO, SOME MOTIVE THERE."***
2. ***"ZHAO HAICHUAN. 52. EX-HUSBAND OF VICTIM WU DAOXIANG. DID TIME FOR DRUGS. SHE DIVORCED HIM, REMARRIED (ZHOU SHENGHUA). SINCE GETTING OUT, ZHAO'S BEEN HARASSING THE FAMILY, DEMANDING MONEY FROM WU DAOXIANG."***
3. ***"FAN WURUI. 24. EX-BOYFRIEND OF VICTIM ZHOU LIAN. WORKS AT A GARAGE. ZHOU LIAN'S DAD DIDN'T APPROVE, EVEN BEAT HIM UP ONCE."***
***"BEYOND THESE THREE, THE FAMILY SEEMED PRETTY QUIET. NO OTHER KNOWN CONFLICTS."***
*Lu Ding felt a flicker of approval. This was the kind of support investigator he needed. Proactive. Prepared. Smart. He leaned back, took a sip of water.*
**"SO. WHAT'S YOUR TAKE?"**
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> ≈≈≈
*Yan Feifan launched in, eager:*
**"I TRIED AN ELIMINATION PROCESS IN MY HEAD. I THINK TONG YONG IS THE MOST LIKELY."**
***"FIRST, FAN WURUI: LOCAL RECORDS SHOW A STABLE FAMILY, BUT HE WAS REBELLIOUS – SKIPPED UNI, ENDED UP AT HIS UNCLE'S GARAGE. STILL JUST A LOW-LEVEL MECHANIC AFTER YEARS. GUY LACKS THE GUTS FOR MURDER. DEFINITELY NOT FOR WIPING OUT A WHOLE FAMILY. PLUS, HE AND ZHOU LIAN WERE GENUINE. THREE YEARS TOGETHER. ALMOST ZERO SUSPICION. JUST UNREQUITED FEELINGS, MAYBE."***
***"SECOND, ZHAO HAICHUAN: HE HARASSED THEM, SURE, BUT THE FAMILY AVOIDED CONFRONTATION. EVEN PAID HIM OFF SOMETIMES. HE'D JUST COME BACK FOR MORE. HE ONLY WANTS CASH. MURDERING THEM ALL? WAY TOO MUCH RISK FOR HIM."***
***"NOW, TONG YONG: LOCAL INQUIRIES SAY HE'S QUIET AT SCHOOL. A LONER. GOOD GRADES. BUT... HE NEARLY KILLED SOMEONE IN A FIGHT SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. THAT'S WHY HE DIDN'T GET INTO UNIVERSITY. THAT TELLS US SOMETHING: YOUNG, SEEMS MELLOW, BUT UNDERNEATH? DANGEROUSLY VIOLENT."***
***"ADD THE 'BLACK GRANDMA' FACTOR. ZHAO HAICHUAN'S TOO OLD. IF SHE POSSESSED SOMEONE OR USED A HOST, SHE WOULDN'T PICK HIM. BESIDES, WHEN INVESTIGATORS CHECKED? THE OLD BASTARD WAS GETTING BUSTED IN A BROTHEL. HE'S IN HOLDING NOW."***
***"THAT LEAVES FAN WURUI AND TONG YONG – BOTH YOUNG. EVEN IF POSSESSED OR USED AS A HOST BY THE BLACK GRANDMA, LESS CHANCE OF SEVERE AFTEREFFECTS."***
***"POSSESSION MEANS THE SPIRIT CONTROLS MOSTLY, BUT THE HOST KEEPS SOME AWARENESS. FAN WURUI TRULY LOVED ZHOU LIAN. HOW COULD HE HURT HER LIKE THAT? SURE, OTHER SCENARIOS EXIST, BUT ALL THINGS CONSIDERED? TONG YONG IS THE STRONGEST SUSPECT!"***
*Yan Feifan finished his analysis in one breath, took a swig of water, and looked at Lu Ding, hope shining in his eyes.*
> ≈≈≈
*Lu Ding gave a single nod.*
**"LET'S FIND THIS TONG YONG THEN. IF HE'S BEEN POSSESSED BY THAT 'BLACK GRANDMA', OR HAS ANY CONNECTION TO HER... I'LL SMELL IT."**
*Feixiong – the Dire-Bear. A beast that slaughtered other monsters for sport. Tracking down creatures like that? It was practically hardwired into him. Normal human or not, Lu Ding would know with one sniff.*
*His original plan was to hunt down all three suspects. Yan Feifan's sharp analysis might just save him time. Cut straight to the heart of it.*
*Seeing Lu Ding's approval, Yan Feifan hit the gas.*
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> ≈≈≈ ≈ 🚗 ≈ ≈≈≈
*On the road, Yan Feifan kept sneaking glances at Lu Ding. It felt surreal, riding shotgun with someone like this.*
*Lu Ding noticed the looks. He broke the silence.*
**"WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE THIS? YOUR ANALYSIS WAS SOLID."**
*Yan Feifan scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.*
**"JUST A STUDENT. BUT... I LOVE MOVIES. WATCHED TONS OF 'EM. DOCUMENTARIES TOO. SINCE I WAS A KID. ONLY HOBBY I EVER HAD. MOVIES ARE FICTION, SURE, BUT A LOT OF THE STUFF IN THEM? YOU CAN APPLY IT TO REAL LIFE."**
*It sounded flimsy, even to him. But Lu Ding's interest was piqued. He remembered a movie from his past life – "Sheep Without a Shepherd". The protagonist loved films. When his wife and daughter accidentally killed some rich jerk's son, he used his movie knowledge to orchestrate everything perfectly, even bringing down the powerful family. (If not for censorship, he'd have gotten away clean).*
*He hadn't expected a random support recruit to be this sharp.*
**"SO... WHAT'S YOUR ABILITY?"** *Lu Ding asked, genuinely curious.*
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