C19 Let Me See Her

It was clear that something had smashed into the ground, though the impact wasn't very large. Chen Fan hesitated briefly before raising his hands to brace himself on the windowsill and leaping out, crashing onto the ground below. As he hit the earth, a large crater formed, compressing the soil beneath him. Standing up, Chen Fan stepped back to examine the difference between the two indentations. If the first was left by the killer, it suggested they were even more slight than him. The first crater was noticeably smaller than the second, after all. But Chen Fan was already quite lean; if someone were skinnier than him, what would they look like? Perhaps it was a woman.

Chen Fan stroked his chin thoughtfully before turning to Lu Xuanxin. "You mentioned his wife was the first to find the body. May I speak with her?"

Xu Hui had been the first to discover the body and likely knew more than the rest. Lu Xuanxin frowned slightly at Chen Fan's request, as if a realization had dawned on her.

"You suspect..."

"No," Chen Fan interjected, "I merely wish to confirm my hypothesis. If I'm right, we can resolve this case. If I'm wrong, there's no harm done. So, consider what the best course of action might be."

After pondering for a moment, Lu Xuanxin gave a nod of agreement. She was about to respond when a uniformed man entered, nodding respectfully to her. "Officer Lu, there's a man named Zhou Qianlong outside asking for you. He insists on speaking with you."

Hearing the name Zhou Qianlong, Chen Fan inhaled deeply, a trace of resignation on his face. They had been assured they could leave after completing their mission, but despite finishing it, they were stuck because of Faang Liude's unexpected complications. He was eager to get to the bottom of the situation and had no desire to get entangled with Zhou Qianlong's antics.

Lu Xuanxin glanced at Chen Fan, catching the look of frustration that had settled on his features.

Lu Xuanxin arched an eyebrow, giving Chen Fan a quizzical look.

"Do you know him?"

"Well, it's not exactly knowing him. It's not just me; you've seen him too."

She had seen him before?

She couldn't recall ever meeting someone named Zhou Qianlong.

Lu Xuanxin paused, seemingly deep in thought, before she decisively headed out.

Watching Lu Xuanxin's retreating figure, Chen Fan quickly followed her out of the room.

As expected, they encountered Zhou Qianlong just outside.

Upon seeing Zhou Qianlong, Lu Xuanxin's brow creased, her face betraying a mix of emotions.

She had been curious about Lu Xuanxin's identity before, but now she was starting to have her doubts.

Zhou Qianlong was the one who had intervened with Feng Yuxiu. She had wondered why Zhou Qianlong was so determined to stop Feng Yuxiu. But since Zhou Qianlong had left abruptly, she had pushed the incident from her mind. She hadn't expected Zhou Qianlong to come to her so directly.

Lu Xuanxin took a couple of steps forward, narrowing the gap between them, and stopped right in front of Zhou Qianlong.

She stared at Zhou Qianlong, her eyes probing, her face expressionless.

Seeing her demeanor, Zhou Qianlong curved his lips into a smile and said, "What's the matter? Don't you recognize me?"

"We've only just met recently. Officer Lu, there's something I need to discuss with you in private. Please give me a chance. What I have to say is definitely of interest to you!"

Zhou Qianlong's face was etched with seriousness as he spoke, showing no hint of levity.

They stood there, eyes locked, neither one breaking the silence first.

After a moment, Lu Xuanxin nodded in agreement.

"If that's the case, then follow me."

With that, Lu Xuanxin turned and walked away.

Zhou Qianlong glanced back at Chen Fan before trailing after Lu Xuanxin.

Once they had gone, Chen Fan let out a sigh, his thoughts unclear.

He was about to enter when he was stopped by someone.

"Sorry, but without Officer Lu accompanying you, you're not allowed inside!"

Chen Fan wasn't responsible for this situation, and it really had nothing to do with him.

Upon hearing those words, Chen Fan was neither surprised nor inclined to say much more. He simply turned and walked away.

...

Chen Fan halted just before reaching his doorstep. He glanced around, his gaze finally resting on the nearby corner as he spoke in a cold tone, "You've been tailing me for quite some time. Isn't it about time you showed yourself?"

A minute passed after Chen Fan's words before the figure emerged.

Seeing the familiar face, Chen Fan couldn't help but break into a smile.

He knew this man well; it was Chi Feng, Zhou Qianlong's crony, the first to bow to Zhou, effectively his half-ally.

Though they were here on a joint mission, they were far from friends.

His name seemed to be Chi Feng.

Chi Feng eyed Chen Fan with a narrowed gaze and said coldly, "Shadow, I don't care who you really are, but you've crossed Mr. Zhou. If you value your life, you'll either drop out of the game or join us. If not, I'm prepared to end you right here, right now!"

Chen Fan was at a loss for words.

He had crossed Zhou Qianlong simply because he hadn't shared with them, and for that, they wanted him dead?

Throughout the mission, Zhou Qianlong had been nothing but a hindrance. Frankly, Chen Fan was curious to know where Chi Feng got the audacity to make such demands.

Why should he share the fruits of his labor with them?

And if being targeted was the price for completing the mission, wasn't that laughably absurd?

Chen Fan looked down at his hands, lost in thought. After a moment, he lifted his head, locking eyes with Chi Feng.

Chi Feng's heart skipped a beat under Chen Fan's stare. He couldn't explain it, but Chen Fan's presence always unsettled him.

The sensation irked him to no end!

After all, Chen Fan was just an ordinary man. What was so extraordinary about him?

Chi Feng balled his hands into fists, quelling the anxiety within. He fixed his gaze on Chen Fan and continued, "I've said my piece. It's clear what you need to do. Surely, I don't need to spell it out for you, do I?"

"I don't understand!"

Chen Fan's response cut through before Chi Feng could even finish.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's response, Chi Feng's expression soured even further.