Cuifeng City was a large, economically developed metropolis.
Inside an apartment in the city's west district.
The landlord's hand trembled slightly as he unlocked the door, stepping aside to clear the way.
Three uniformed investigators stepped into the room one after another.
As soon as they entered, all three raised their hands to cover their noses and mouths almost simultaneously.
A heavy scent of blood hung in the air, thick enough to stifle one's breathing.
It was the smell produced by a massive loss of blood.
The landlord, his face pale, explained at a rapid-fire pace.
"Last night, other tenants on this floor reported strange noises coming from this room. Later, they smelled something odd."
"I was so scared I called the police immediately. I really have no idea what's happened inside."
The lead investigator waved his hand to cut the landlord off, his voice cold.
"Wait outside for now. You'll be coming back with us later to give a statement."
The investigator pulled on disposable latex gloves, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.
The apartment's living room was small and sparsely furnished.
A corner of a faded fabric sofa had collapsed, and the legs of the coffee table in front of it were propped up with cardboard.
In the corner, several boxes of instant noodles were stacked together, the top one already opened.
The walls were somewhat yellowed, and the only decoration was a landscape calendar.
It was clear that the person living here had a rather tight budget.
The lead investigator nodded slightly.
The living room floor was clean with no bloodstains. The source of the heavy metallic scent was elsewhere.
The odor was seeping out from the crack beneath the closed bedroom door.
He gestured to a young subordinate beside him.
The subordinate immediately stepped forward, gripped the bedroom doorknob, and slowly pushed it open.
An even denser, more violent stench of blood rushed out.
The young subordinate poked his head in to look, and his face instantly turned deathly pale. His throat bobbed as he took a half-step back.
The lead investigator's brow furrowed deeply. He strode forward and looked into the bedroom.
With just one glance, he understood why his subordinate had lost his composure.
On the bed lay a person.
Or rather, something that used to be a person.
The corpse was pinned there in a spread-eagle position, limbs tied to the four corners of the bed frame with rope.
The chest cavity had been completely splayed open, the ribs broken and peeled back with brute force to reveal the empty cavity within.
The internal organs had been piled into an incomprehensible shape, and large patches of dried blood stained the sheets and bedding.
The deceased's head was tilted toward the door, eyes wide open with pupils dilated, mouth frozen in the shape of a scream.
On the corpse's exposed skin, strange patterns had been carved with some kind of sharp instrument—blasphemous and evil.
Everyone present was an experienced investigator who had seen many crime scenes.
Yet this bloody display, filled with both vengefulness and ritualistic intent, still delivered a powerful visual shock.
"Another brutal homicide."
The lead investigator's voice was low, his brow locked in a tight frown.
"It seems like these kinds of cases have been increasing in the city lately?"
"Is it a serial killer, or is it the work of something supernatural?"
The young subordinate who had first opened the door caught his breath, though his voice was still trembling.
The lead investigator didn't answer, his frown only deepening.
Suppressing the churning in his stomach, he began to direct the work according to standard procedure.
"Seal the scene. Take photos. Gather evidence."
"Notify the forensics and trace identification team."
...
It was late December, and the weather was freezing.
Inside a private residence in Cuifeng City.
While a bitter winter raged outside the window, the interior was warm and cozy.
Yue Shi lay lazily in an armchair, his long legs crossed.
Standing behind him was a beautiful woman with a slender figure.
The woman's expression was stiff, her eyes vacant, and her movements sluggish and unnatural.
She held a comb in her hand, gently running it through Yue Shi's long hair draped over his shoulders.
The teeth of the comb brushed against his scalp, bringing a slight, comfortable tingle.
It should have been a peaceful, quiet scene.
However, when the woman spoke, her voice lacked any emotional fluctuation and had a distinct synthesized quality.
"This damn robot's performance isn't even close to what the advertisements claimed."
"The movements have a lag, and it's half a beat slow in executing commands."
"The texture of the synthetic skin is too fake. It feels like cheap plastic."
"And this face—it's stiff and lifeless. It has a severe uncanny valley effect. It's painful to look at."
"You spent so much money on a custom order, and they sent this piece of junk!"
The Ghost's tone was full of dissatisfaction, yet his movements remained gentle.
Yue Shi kept his eyes closed, enjoying the head massage. His voice was flat.
"That robotics company has been cutting costs and streamlining operations recently."
"They used to have a decent reputation, but now they've started engaging in these dishonest, corner-cutting practices."
It was quite inconvenient to always have the Ghost possess plush dolls or temporary shells.
Since Cuifeng City was famous for its technology and manufacturing, Yue Shi had conveniently ordered a high-end humanoid robot.
He had intended to give the Ghost a respectable body.
As it turned out, the finished product was of poor quality, clunky, slow, and prone to malfunctions.
It wasn't even as useful as a doll.
The Ghost said viciously, "They must be tired of living if they dare to cheat you out of your money."
The corners of Yue Shi's mouth slowly curled into a smirk, carrying a hint of casual malice.
The moment the Ghost saw that look, he knew Yue Shi was cooking up something bad.
No one ever got the better of Yue Shi.
Even if they did, they would suffer the consequences.
...
At night, a heavy snow began to fall over Cuifeng City.
The flakes fell densely, piling up into a thick layer on the ground.
The entire city was covered in pure white.
The streetlights emitted a dim, yellow glow.
A young man in an old coat, carrying discounted vegetables, jogged through the snow.
He should have been home earlier to cook for his sick parents.
But his boss had made him work overtime, dragging it out until now.
He didn't know if his parents were hungry; he only wanted to rush back as quickly as possible.
Given his salary, after deducting medical expenses, the only money left was to buy discounted vegetables at the market when prices dropped.
As he ran to a spot not far from his home, the young man saw a car parked downstairs with its lights off.
Two men in black clothes were standing by the car, chatting and laughing together. Their expressions were improper, and they occasionally let out low, vulgar chuckles.
The young man's heart tightened as a sense of foreboding surged within him.
He quickened his pace, his gaze piercing through the heavy snow as he looked up at the floor where his home was.
Light shone through the window—that was his parents' bedroom.
But the shadow of a stranger was reflected on the curtains!
The young man's expression changed, and he prepared to rush into the stairwell.
The two men in black by the car hurriedly blocked his path.
"Who are you people?" the young man shouted.
One of the men in black patted his shoulder hard.
"Young man, you should know exactly what's going on. Don't play dumb."
"Your mother is still quite charming, and your father is also rather good-looking. Mr. Yin taking a fancy to them is a blessing for your whole family."
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