Afterlife Department

Chapter 117 – Rejection

Normal World, S City General Hospital.

Everybody was shocked as they looked at Gu Xingfeng's abdomen being soaked by blood. He was pacifying the angry Rong Si after he heard of his son's death when Ye Tong suddenly appeared from behind and stabbed him. The police officers immediately apprehended her and the doctors and nurses who ran outside earlier after the explosion had treated Gu Xingfeng with first aid before they brought him to the emergency room.

"Chief…? Chief!" Xiao Xie exclaimed when he saw Gu Xingfeng was brought inside. Song Mingfan is in the ward and still unconscious while Zhang Bao is still inside the ICU. "What happened to chief?" he asked the police officer following Gu Xingfeng's stretcher. The other police officers had already taken Ye Tong away while Rong Si continued to grieve.

"Mr. Ye appeared and stabbed chief with a scalpel." The police officer answered. "However, since he's wearing a thick jacket, the wound is not deep.." He explained.

Xiao Xie sighed in relief. First, it was Zhang Bao. Then, there's Song Mingfan. Now, it's Gu Xingfeng himself who had gotten into an accident. He rubbed his face with both his palms to calm himself. "Hasten the investigation of the bombing. We can't have the media delay us again." He told the police officer.

"Yes!" the police officer answered and left.

Xiao Xie sighed and watched the nurses cleaned Gu Xingfeng's wound and then stitched it after.

S City Police Station.

The breath Hao Baiyun has been holding finally was released when he heard a police officer's voice from Ke Congyi's phone explained what happened to Gu Xingfeng just now. "Is Xing-ge really fine?" he anxiously asked Ke Congyi again.

"Yes, madam." Ke Congyi nodded.

Hao Baiyun sighed in relief before he turned to their computer screen. "You said earlier, Shang Mi and Huo Ling knew each other?" he asked.

"Yes." Ke Congyi answered. "Shang Mi studied in the same school with Huo Ling when they were young. Thus, she and her father must be acquainted with the Huo family." He explained and he immediately dialed Huo Zichu's number. "Mrs. Hou." He called when the call finally connected.

"Yes?" Huo Zichu answered.

"I'd like to ask if you know a girl named Shang Mi." Ke Congyi immediately said.

"Shang Mi? Yes. We know her. Why did you ask?" Huo Zichu asked.

"We suspect Shang Mi's father is the suspect for the series of crimes that are happening." Ke Congyi honestly answered.

"What?!" Huo Zichu was shocked. "How can that be!" she said. "He can't do that!" she told him.

Ke Congyi's forehead furrowed. "What do you mean, Mrs. Hou?" he asked.

"Bucui and Ah Mi are in the America. How can he suddenly commit a crime?!" Huo Zichu asked.

"What?!" Ke Congyi was shocked. He and Hao Baiyun looked at each other, wide-eyed.

The technical officers who also heard what Huo Zichu said were also shocked. They suddenly felt a chill ran down their spine and their fingers over their keyboards trembled. One of them even had mistyped a word.

"Mrs. Hou." Ke Congyi called as he calmed himself. "What do you mean, they're in America?" he asked.

"Bucui and Ah Mi had been living in America before after our family moved to the city. It's more than ten years ago." Huo Zichu said. Before Ke Congyi could speak, she added. "We've been in contact with them all these years. So, how can you say Bucui is the one committing the crimes? Why did you say that?" she asked.

Ke Congyi and the others were stunned. What?! They thought. They're also in contact?! Then, what the hell is going on?! They asked themselves. "Mrs. Hou." He called as he cleared his throat when his voice shook. "Please answer my question first. When did you last contact Mr. Shang Bucui?" he asked. "And, Ms. Shang Mi?" he added. He stuttered when he mentioned Shang Mi's name.

"Huh? Just a week ago. Before… before. Ah Ling died." Huo Zichu said and her voice shook in sadness.

Ke Congyi's face paled in horror and he felt his throat became dry and he gulped. "M-Mrs. Hou. I hope you'd remain calm after what I'm going to tell you." He told her.

"Yes? What do you mean it's Bucui who's the murderer?" she asked in confusion.

"Mrs. Hou." Ke Congyi said as he took a deep breath. He glanced at Hao Baiyun and his fellow officers who were holding their breath before he continued to speak. "10 years ago, something happened to Ms. Shang Mi." he said. "At the X City's train station, she was raped. Her case had been closed since the witness is a minor who has an eye problem. No one came up to confirm the witness' claim." He explained.

"WHAT?!" Huo Zichu was shocked. She almost had dropped his phone.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Huo Huainan asked when he heard his wife's voice and he saw her pale face.

"Darling…" Huo Zichu called as her hand holding her phone shook and her tears fell.

Huo Huainan knew something is wrong and he comforted her first before he took over the call. "Who is this? What just happened?" he asked.

"Mr. Hou!" Ke Congyi called. "This is the S City police station. I called if you know of Mr. Shang Bucui's whereabouts?" he asked.

"Why?" Huo Huainan asked and looked at his wife who used his phone to contact Shang Bucui.

"We suspect that in order to avenge Ms. Shang Mi, he's committing crimes." Ke Congyi answered and explained to Huo Huainan about what happened to the X City train station.

"What?!" Huo Huainan exclaimed. "How can that… if that happened, then it's already been 10 years! My friend wouldn't remain silent if Ah Mi was…" he said and fought the urge to curse. "Also, Ah Mi and Bucui is in the America. There's no way he could – " he said and stopped when he heard a loud clatter. He turned and saw the stunned expression on Huo Zichu's face while her phone slipped out of his hand and fell on the floor. "Darling?" he called, then looked at the phone on the floor. There's an ongoing call. "Bucui…?" he called.

He was answered by a laughter. "Huainan." Shang Bucui called. "There's no need for more suspense. I'm the one who killed that CEO, those bastards, Rong Zhe, Zhu Min… and – " he said. " – Huo Ling." He told them.

Their eyes widened in shock before Huo Zichu burst into tears while Huo Huainan loudly cursed. "BUCUI! HOW COULD YOU?!" Huo Huainan exploded as he picked up his wife's phone with his other hand. "Ah Ling is your godson! How could you?!" he asked.

However, Shang Bucui just laughed. "I didn't directly kill him. You've already heard, right?" he said. "He died by poison. I only gave him the poison, and he's the one who took it." He explained.

"BUCUI!!!" Huo Huainan yelled. "Why?! Why would you want for Ah Ling to die?!" he asked as his eyes turned bloodshot while he glared at the phone's screen.

"'Why?' Because he rejected my daughter." Shang Bucui answered.

"What?!"

"The reason we moved to America is because my Ah Mi suggested it." Shang Bucui said. "I didn't know your good son rejected her. However, she regretted leaving the country and immediately came back to persuade him. Who would've thought…" he said. He didn't need to continue, since Huo Huainan and Huo Zichu already heard about it.

Ke Congyi, Hao Baiyun and the other police officers who had been listening from the other phone were shocked. "Just because…" Huo Huainan muttered under his breath.

"'just because my son rejected her, he was killed?', was what you wanted to say, right?" Shang Bucui laughed. "If he didn't reject my daughter, my daughter wouldn't be hurt and suggest for us to move to America, then go back here for him." He said. "It's a butterfly effect. No matter how small your action is, but it can have a big effect. Just like what happened to my daughter." He explained. "If this happened to your son, what would you feel?" he asked them before he ended the call.

Huo Huainan and Huo Zichu hugged and cried at each other. "Ah Ling…" they cried.

Ke Congyi and the others sighed in pity. Just because of a small decision… they thought. "Mr. Hou. Mrs. Hou. May I know where is Mr. Shang currently living?" he asked.

"We thought, all this time, he's in America with Ah Mi. We just knew he's actually in the country. Do you still expect for us to know his whereabouts?!" Huo Huainan asked. His voice filled with anger before he ended the call.

Ke Congyi and the others fell silent before he sighed. "Go call officer Xiao and explain to him the situation. Call office Xue to not let any of Su Lin, Xu Ke and Lu Ming leave the place where they are." He said. "The others, find any information about Shang Bucui and look for him." He added.

"Yes!" the officers answered and moved.