Chapter 52

Time rewound five minutes. After Liu Zhongyi and the others had walked away for a few minutes, Li Ruidé remained as the person in charge of the aftermath.

He and the other few police officers tidied up the scene, then negotiated with the temporary site manager, securing a day off for the next day. Subsequently, Li Ruidé and a colleague, armed with guns, conducted a final search of the tunnel.

This final search was not in the hope of finding the criminal; the previous searches had already proven that no one else was inside the tunnel. Li Ruidé was hoping to find any clue, no matter how small, that had been overlooked before.

He didn't believe that anyone could commit a crime without leaving any trace. As long as it was a human, it was impossible to be flawless.

Li Ruidé had been a detective for five years and deeply understood this principle.

But this search seemed to be in vain again.

"Old Li, it looks like we're going to be busy again."

The one speaking to Li Ruidé was Huang Tao, a police officer who had been in the profession for four or five years. His expression was a bit disappointed, clearly frustrated by the lack of clues.

"Yes, this case is very complicated. We need to prepare for a long-term battle."

Li Ruidé was very patient and didn't seem too disappointed.

"I'm afraid even a long-term battle won't work!"

Huang Tao lowered his voice, "Old Li, don't you find it strange? The way the victim died is too bizarre. I've never seen anything like it in all my years. How did the murderer steal the heart? There's not a single mark of damage on the body except for the head."

Li Ruidé shook his head slightly. He believed that everyone involved in the case tonight would have this same doubt. Especially the way the victim died, it was so bizarre that it was chilling.

"You think... this might be..."

"Don't talk nonsense! How can we, as police officers, believe in such things!"

Li Ruidé cut off Huang Tao's unfinished words.

"Hehe, I was just joking, don't take it seriously."

Huang Tao didn't mind, but suddenly his expression changed. "Old Li, did you hear something?"

"Sound?"

Li Ruidé was puzzled. "What sound?"

"Listen carefully, there seems to be a sound coming from ahead."

Huang Tao, alert, drew his gun and looked towards the dark tunnel ahead.

Seeing that Huang Tao wasn't joking, Li Ruidé also became cautious, quickly drew his gun, and gave Huang Tao a nod.

Huang Tao understood and nodded slightly. The two of them spread out at an angle to ensure no one could break through from their side. They moved together, shining their flashlights around the edges of the tunnel.

Indeed, there was a sound in the quiet tunnel, like the dripping of water. Once the two of them stopped talking, the sound became very noticeable in the tunnel.

Is it coming from ahead?

Li Ruidé slowed his steps and shone his flashlight towards the source of the sound.

Oh, it's just the sound of a leaking fire hose.

Seeing the cause of the sound, the two of them exchanged a glance, relieved, and secretly laughed at themselves for overreacting.

Of course, after such an incident, the criminal would have long fled. How could they still be at the scene waiting for the police to catch them? There's no such foolish criminal.

"Old Li, it seems we were too nervous..."

Huang Tao relaxed and smiled at Li Ruidé, but the next moment, his expression changed drastically.

A large, dark, and viscous liquid suddenly fell from the tunnel ceiling, landing precisely on Li Ruidé's head, instantly covering his entire head.

"Ugh..."

Stunned by the sudden viscous liquid, Li Ruidé's eyes, nose, and mouth were blocked, and he couldn't even call out. The moment he opened his mouth, the viscous liquid poured in.

"Old Li, Old Li, damn it, what is this?"

Huang Tao quickly took off his clothes to wipe Li Ruidé's face. But the next second, Li Ruidé's change made him feel a chill, his face turning pale with fear.

The liquid covering Li Ruidé's face seemed to come to life, wriggling and entering through the gaps in his nose and mouth. In just a few seconds, the liquid on Li Ruidé's face disappeared completely.

"This, this..."

Huang Tao, terrified, took a step back. The scene was beyond his comprehension, and he couldn't help but point his gun at Li Ruidé.

Li Ruidé was gasping for breath, still not understanding what had happened to him. He forced his eyes open and saw Huang Tao aiming a gun at him, immediately angry. "Huang Tao, why are you pointing a gun at me?"

"You, you..."

Huang Tao didn't know how to explain the scene before him. He had clearly seen the dark, viscous liquid enter Li Ruidé's nose and mouth, and he wasn't hallucinating. What should he do? With no experience in such a situation, Huang Tao could only point his gun at Li Ruidé.

"Old, Old Li, are you okay?"

"I, I'm fine. Put the gun down."

Li Ruidé stood up straight, suddenly feeling a strong urge to vomit.

"Are you really okay?"

Huang Tao still couldn't believe it. How could someone be fine after such a bizarre liquid entered their body?

How is that possible!

"I'm, I'm fine..."

The feeling of nausea in Li Ruidé's stomach grew stronger, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Old Li, Old Li, what's wrong with you?"

Huang Tao shone his flashlight on Li Ruidé and took a few steps back.

What happened next made Huang Tao gasp in horror, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat.

Li Ruidé's body shook uncontrollably like someone having a seizure, his eyes rolled back, and foam came out of his mouth. The gun in his hand fell to the ground.

How can you say you're fine after this?

Huang Tao swallowed hard, his heart filled with tension and fear, and he stared at Li Ruidé. "Old Li, Old Li, don't scare me like this!"

Li Ruidé stood there silently, like a lifeless corpse.

"Old Li, Old Li!"

Huang Tao called out a few times, but got no response. He held his breath, gun in hand, and slowly approached Li Ruidé, intending to pat his shoulder.

But before his hand could touch Li Ruidé's shoulder, Li Ruidé's pupils suddenly contracted, and he looked at Huang Tao.

What kind of eyes are these?

No light, no emotion, completely black—these were not the eyes of a human!

"Old..."

Huang Tao tried to call out, but the next moment, he couldn't speak anymore.

Li Ruidé grabbed Huang Tao by the neck with one hand. Huang Tao only managed to say "Old" before his neck snapped with a crack, his head twisted 360 degrees into an irregular shape, his dead fish eyes filled with disbelief.

"Ahh... you, you... ahh..."

A terrified scream suddenly echoed through the tunnel. A worker who had come in to find the two police officers to discuss something was shocked to see Huang Tao with his neck twisted, his body stiff with fear.

"Crack..."

The worker also couldn't escape the fate of having his neck broken. Paralyzed by fear, he watched as Li Ruidé approached, grabbed him by the neck, and he lost consciousness.

Dropping the worker's body, Li Ruidé, as if stepping on an ant, showed no emotional fluctuation, and his eyes looked outside.

"What's going on? Why is someone screaming inside?"

Outside, only a few workers remained. The others had been taken away for detailed statements or dismissed after being cleared of suspicion. The remaining workers were on duty.

Hearing the terrified scream from the tunnel, the remaining workers exchanged glances, and the few police officers outside quickly drew their guns and rushed into the tunnel.

Unfortunately, the tunnel seemed to have become a gateway to hell. After the police officers entered, they quickly fell silent.

The remaining workers were at a loss, unsure of what had happened inside.

But soon, a police officer slowly walked out of the dark tunnel.