Afterlife Department

Chapter 23 – To Lower One’s Guard

However, Gu Xingfeng lowered his hand. He didn't speak and just his face is cold. He silently walked back to his seat. "Please give young master Hao his seat." He said.

A police officer immediately grabbed a seat. The man following Hao Baiyun took the seat and placed it next to Hao Baiyun. Hao Baiyun sat on the chair. He also became silent. Everyone was influenced by the silence and didn't dare breathe loudly.

It was Gu Xingfeng who broke the silence when he coughed. "Mr. Ji Shao is convicted guilty.. Send him back." He said.

Ji Shao's escorting police officer took Ji Shao who didn't even try to struggle because of the fear and shock earlier. When they left, it was only Ji Yubin, his attendant, Hao Baiyun, his attendant, Gu Xingfeng and one other police officer who was at Gu Xingfeng's beck and call.

Ji Yubin spoke. "Thank you, chief inspector Gu, for finding my son's murderers." He said.

Gu Xingfeng smiled. "It is my duty." He answered and saw Hao Baiyun sneered. "There's one kind-hearted citizen who advised me where to start investigating." He explained. "Also – " his smile became wider. " – Mr. Ji doesn't really care of his son. He only cared for his son's left possession." He said.

Ji Yubin's face darkened. "It isn't chief inspector Gu's concern." He said and rose from his seat. "How did you know?" he asked before he left.

Gu Xingfeng smiled brightly. "A kind-hearted citizen told me." He said. "And, oh. Please be careful on your way." He told him.

Ji Yubin frowned and he finally left with his attendant. Now, only Gu Xingfeng and Hao Baiyun were left. "Bring young master Hao snacks." He told his adjutant.

"Yes!"

"I'll choose the snacks for young master." Hao Baiyun's servant said and followed Gu Xingfeng's adjutant. Now, only the two were left.

"You don't think they'll kill each other, right?" Huo Ling whispered to Yi Bing, as if afraid the two living beings in the interrogating room would hear him.

Gu Xingfeng spoke first. "Thank you for lending me your assistance with Ji Fengyu's case." He said. When the S City Police Station received successive anonymous calls, he received a call from his superior telling him of Ji Fengyu's case. Ji Yubin has lost contact of his son Ji Fengyu for more than a decade. Now that he's about to die, Ji Yubin finally remembered he still has a son. However, when he tried to contact his son, he cannot reach him. He thought his son changed his number, so he sent someone to go to the apartment building he gave to his son before they parted ways. However, the person he sent didn't find Ji Fengyu and instead found Ji Shao who was the apartment building's administrator. Ji Shao got a bad personality. He was rude to the person Ji Yubin sent. The person thought it might be just a coincidence Ji Fengyu and Ji Shao's surname sounds the same. When he went to investigate Ji Shao, he was shocked to find they have the same surname. He thought he was might be mistaken. Ji Shao and Ji Fengyu don't look the same at all! And Ji Shao is too old to be Ji Fengyu's son! Thus, the person went back to Ji Yubin and reported. Ji Yubin then told a friend to take care of his son's case.

When Gu Xingfeng heard the address of the apartment building, and saw his subordinates' report about the anonymous calls they received, he thought it was just a coincidence. He didn't expect that Ji Yubin's missing son, his corpse was just lying inside his own apartment building that was stolen from him for more than a decade!

"I hated my son for losing himself to lust. He impregnated a whore. Before they left, I taunted him saying the whore's son isn't his." He remembered Ji Yubin told him when they met.

Hao Baiyun pulled Gu Xingfeng out from his thoughts. "It was Ji Fengyu who killed his wife, along with the unborn child." He said.

Gu Xingfeng looked at him. "Aren't you afraid you'll be punished for telling me this important detail?" he asked.

"Ji Fengyu's case is closed, along with Ji Shao's parents." Hao Baiyun said. "After Ji Fengyu accidentally killed his wife, Ji Shao's parents killed him." He told him. Gu Xingfeng's adjutant along with his servant came back with snacks. However, they only immediately left after leaving the snacks. Hao Baiyun opened the hot chocolate drink his servant brought him. "They left the corpses of the victims they killed, thinking that after they would rob a bank and become rich, they can escape." He continued. "However, the resentments grew stronger the longer they stayed in the earth and the knot in their heart wasn't resolved. They followed Ji Shao's parents and caused their death." He finished. The car Ji Shao's parents brought malfunctioned and they were stuck on the rail track. The train came too fast.

"And Ji Shao?" Gu Xingfeng asked.

"He only killed his wife and stepson." Hao Baiyun answered, then lowered his eyelids. He stared at the drink in his hands. "He's too evil. The mother and son, even in death, only wanted to go far away from him." He said. "He'll get his retribution." He added.

Silence. "Hao Baiyun's so amazing." Huo Ling said.

Yi Bing nodded. "It is unfortunate what happened to his family." He said. "But, even though the cultivator's blood in him is too thin, the talent is there." His eyes fell on Gu Xingfeng. "This man is too powerful." He said.

"The policeman?" Huo Ling said and looked at Gu Xingfeng.

"He's supposed to die along with his family. However, he lived." Yi Bing said.

"How?" Huo Ling asked.

Yi Bing shook his head. "That's how far I can see in his life." He said.

Huo Ling didn't pursue the matter. He turned to Hao Baiyun. Suddenly, he felt sad. "If only I believed what he had told me before…" he said, regret in his voice.

"No one can interfere with life and death matters." Yi Bing said. "He must have told you that since he knows you wouldn't believe him." He explained.

Huo Ling bit his lip as he sulked in the corner to grow mushrooms.

Back in the apartment building, Xu Wenrong was sent home by a police officer. "Thank you." He said and smiled.

The police officer nodded and then left.

Xu Wenrong took his sweet time to climb the stairs to the thirteenth floor. "It has become too quiet." He muttered. "Everyone's now gone. No one can play with this old man…" he sighed.

When he reached the thirteenth floor, he opened the unlocked door and closed it. No one would have an interest with an old man like him. The thought made him depressed and he switched on the lights. All the furniture looked ordinary. He slowly went to the kitchen and drank a glass of water.

"Ah." he exhaled, then placed down the glass. His foot hit the bottom of the refrigerator. "It's been a long time I've touched you." He talked to the refrigerator as if it was his lover. Then, he pulled the refrigerator's door open.

The light inside the refrigerator turned on and casted a gloomy light on various objects with unspeakable functions. "I wonder who will play with me next?" he asked and gently smiled.

Thick dark air surrounded the whole space one cannot see any light.