Afterlife Department

Chapter 542 – Analyzing

"Oh? Hao Ming seemed to be calm despite having a contact with a ghost." Huo Ling muttered as they watched Hao Ming left after issuing a punishment to Li Yan, Li Li and Shi Nana who looked wretched.

"So they are the braindead ones who provoked the CEO!" the employees said as they pointed at the three who emerged from the corner they are hiding while bathed in their sweat and their faces pale while their eyes are still wide in horror which they have experienced just now.

No matter how delicate-looking Li Li is and charming Shi Nana is, but right now they looked very ugly with their makeup smeared all over their faces and their hairs are also disheveled. Li Yan was no better since his hair was also disheveled and his shirt are wrinkled after the two women pulled him earlier to hide behind his back.

Right now, the three of them looked like what Hao Ming said earlier – doing shameful and lascivious deeds. Who would think that they have encountered a ghost earlier? People would more likely to believe it was that promiscuous activity that they did instead of running away from a ghost despite all the people in this world have already accepted the existence of ghosts.

After all, you won't encounter ghosts every day.

"Anyway, You Ri's resentment suddenly disappeared." Huo Ling spoke as he looked around when he couldn't find You Ri's resentment. "I don't dare assume that it truly has disappeared and wouldn't appear again." He frowned.

Yi Bing nodded in agreement. "There's also the matter of You Ri's soul haunting the three's residences." He added.

"This case isn't really simple." Huo Ling helplessly sighed.

"Let's go to their residences. We might be able to find a clue." Yi Bing spoke.

"Yes." Huo Ling answered and they left.

…

"Li Yan, Li Li and Shi Nana are being haunted by You Ri's ghost." Gu Xingfeng spoke after he summoned Song Mingfan and Xue Liping.

"Yes." Xue Liping agreed. "Could it be that they might have really something to do with You Ri's death?" he asked.

"If they did, You Ri's ghost should have already killed them." Gu Xingfeng answered.

"That's true." Xue Liping nodded.

"Although they might not have something to do with her death, but they definitely have done something that harmed her." Song Mingfan spoke.

"Investigate them three thoroughly again. Also, don't let any person related to You Ri escape." Gu Xingfeng told Song Mingfan.

"Yes." Song Mingfan answered.

"Old Xue." Gu Xingfeng called. "You look up what these exorcists are all about… and that forum you mentioned where Li Yan, Li Li and Shi Nana found an exorcist and hired him to exorcise You Ri's ghost." He said.

"Yes!" Xue Liping answered. Then, he and Song Mingfan left, leaving Gu Xingfeng alone in his office.

Gu Xingfeng pinched the space between his brows. "Ghosts, huh…?" he muttered as he looked at the clip of newspaper that he framed. It was an obituary, and the date it was published was years ago, he stared at the youthful face inside the frame.

"Hao Baiyun…" he muttered his name. "Have you also turned into a ghost?" he asked when he felt the wind suddenly blew around him. Then, he looked out the open window. "As if." He muttered and bitterly laughed before he resumed his tasks, didn't notice that Hao Baiyun's ghost was floating above the window, hiding from his sight.

"This guy… ai." Hao Baiyun sighed.

In fact, he already found about that framed clipping of newspaper before he even met Huo Ling and Yi Bing. Added to the fact of the rumors, he connected Gu Xingfeng to that sickly child in the backseat during the bus accident. After he found out, he didn't feel anger. Instead, he felt relief since he knew that the child has lived. It's such a pity that his other three family members died, leaving him alone in this world.

Thus, he watched him every day, tiring himself out to the point of exhaustion. Then, he saw him exorcise a ghost. It's a lie to say he wasn't scared. Thus, he hid from him. Yet, from Gu Xingfeng's habit of looking at that frame, Hao Baiyun felt that Gu Xingfeng doesn't hate him or fear him thus he won't exorcise him.

But, it doesn't mean that he will loiter in front of him! And so, he secretly watched him every day from outside the window.

…

"You Ri." Hao Ming called as soon as he sat on his swivel chair.

A black figure appeared out of thin air and floated in front of Hao Ming's desk.

"When will you move on?" Hao Ming asked.

"As soon as I find out who killed me." You Ri answered.

"Your family, your colleagues… they are all clean." Hao Ming spoke. "I have investigated all of them so none of them should have killed you." He told her. "Also, we have investigated the CCTV cameras in your community and saw that none of your family and colleagues had the opportunity to kill you." He added.

"So, you are telling that I have been killed on a whim by a passerby?" You Ri coldly asked.

"Of course, you weren't. Our and the police's investigation coincides. It was intentional. It is murder." Hao Ming answered. "Also… I do not owe you anything. What I am doing is just sympathy. Don't overstep the boundaries. I don't care even if you are a ghost. We can just perish together if you harm me." He smiled.

"Hmph." You Ri scoffed before her figure disappeared.

The lights inside Hao Ming's office have returned to normal, as well as the temperature. "Women are really hard to deal with, no matter in life or afterlife." He heaved a sigh when he felt his head ached again. "Now, I suddenly missed my cute and obedient little brother… when will he visit me again? I am sick of looking at that woman's face!" he exclaimed before he leaned on his chair and closed his eyes to take a nap.

…

"The CCTV cameras should be working normally. Based from their records, none could have rigged You Ri's car before she has left her apartment." Huo Ling muttered as they looked at the time on the screen.

"She also didn't drop by a carwash…" Jiu Ye muttered. "So, the people in the carwash service couldn't have rigged her car." He said.

Bai Liu nodded. "She directly went to the company from her home. She also had breakfast in her apartment." He said.

"Did he order takeout for breakfast?" Bai Wu asked.

"She could have gone to drive thru on her way to the company. Why bother with ordering for takeout?" Wu Yi smiled as he patted Bai Wu's head.

"… you know." Huo Ling suddenly spoke. "If this goes by my logic, I would have thought that she rigged her car herself." He said.

They all fell silent.

"But of course, she doesn't have a mental illness or has no sign of it, either." Huo Ling continued. "There's also her resentment. So, her resentment should have come from others and not herself, right?" he asked.

"Yeah." They nodded.

"If it wasn't here in this community, how about her apartment which isn't in this community?" Yi Bing asked.

"… oh." They muttered. Their faces looked blank when they realized it.

Yi Bing saw that they have realized their blind spot. But, he didn't say anything about. "Of course, if I could think of this, then the police should have also thought of this." He said.

"No." Huo Ling spoke. "There must be something that we can't do that the police can't. We will go to You Ri's apartment." He decided.

"Sure." Yi Bing shrugged.

"But – " Bai Liu muttered. " – if her family is good, why would we move out?" he asked.

Hearing his question, they all fell silent. That's right… the You family looked like an ordinary family. So, why should a single maiden that was confirmed to never had any romantic relationship before would move out of her home? She also isn't adopted.

So, why is it?

…

"The residents don't know, either?" Song Mingfan asked Xiao Xie as he entered the inconspicuous car parked on the side of the street.

Xiao Xie nodded. "I have bribed a person but they really do not know anything. All they know that the You family is easy to get along with, especially You Ri." He answered. "They are also surprised and puzzled why would You Ri move out since she has a good relationship with her family. But, they didn't ask the You family in case the You family would think that they are prying too much into their family life and relationship with each other." He explained. "Thus, this question was left unanswered." He finished.

Song Mingfan remained silent, and Xiao Xie noticed that his expression remained unchanged.

"You noticed something?" Xiao Xie asked as he rested his chin on the steering wheel while he looked at Song Mingfan.

Song Mingfan nodded. "Her relationship with her family… is it really good?" he asked.. "If it is, then… how good it is? To which extent?" he added.