Cao Zhiming didn't say anything.
Inside the filing cabinets were stacks upon stacks of case files.
"Rainy Night Butcher Case," "Shattered Corpse Talisman Case," "Doll Hiding a Body Case"…
Just reading the names of these cases was enough to make one's scalp tingle.
Jiang Han felt the same.
After all, she was only a sixteen-year-old girl. Even though she had been trained since childhood, seeing such horrifying case titles still made her frown slightly.
When Ma Jun touched the files, prompts naturally appeared before his eyes.
[Rainy Night Butcher Case (Normal)]
[Doll Hiding a Body Case (Normal)]
(Note: You only need to collect clues and identify the killer to complete the mission.)
He thought for a moment. It seemed the game system had already automatically adjusted the difficulty.
For some players, if the killer was too powerful, there was no need to confront them at all. Once the killer was identified and reported, the mission would be completed.
This greatly reduced the risks for new players.
The first three newbie-stage dungeons really were quite friendly.
There was no forced extermination.
However, for Ma Jun, these normal-tier missions held no challenge whatsoever.
Jiang Han stayed quietly behind him the whole time. She was very clear about her own positioning.
Ma Jun's level was far higher than hers.
She was just support.
Maybe not even that.
Choosing the mission was naturally Ma Jun's decision.
He flipped through the pile of files, picking and discarding them.
Finally, he pulled out one folder.
"Let's start with this one," he said. "We'll use it to test the waters and see how deep this dungeon goes."
Jiang Han glanced over. Her pupils constricted slightly.
[Skin Bride (Fiend-Tier)]
Another fiend-tier mission!
Using a fiend-tier case just to test the waters?
Other players were racking their brains just to complete a single normal-tier mission.
If they heard this, they'd definitely feel bitter.
But since it was Ma Jun who said it, somehow it didn't feel inappropriate at all.
"Want to take a look at the file first?" Ma Jun asked. "I skimmed it earlier—pretty interesting."
He handed her the dossier wrapped in kraft paper.
"Oh… okay."
Jiang Han took it and started reading.
The moment she saw the first page, her vision went black, and she nearly threw up.
The first page was a photograph.
In it was a corpse drenched in blood.
Or rather, it could barely be recognized as a human corpse at all—because the entire skin had been flayed off.
Completely. Cleanly peeled away.
After stripping the skin, the killer had dressed a mannequin in it, stitched it together, and then put the mannequin into a wedding dress.
The file even included photos of the mannequin wearing the wedding gown.
The grotesque horror of it made Jiang Han feel that one more glance would give her nightmares.
She quickly pushed the file away, breathing heavily.
"The crime scene is Hengxing Building."
"The killer is a serial murderer. As of now, there are already three victims."
"At first, the police didn't think there was anything supernatural about it and assumed it was the work of some pervert."
"But after further investigation, they discovered that this case had many eyewitnesses."
"Every eyewitness claimed they had seen the killer with their own eyes."
"Except… the killer they saw was someone who had already died half a year ago."
Ma Jun calmly and gently summarized the entire case for her.
Jiang Han felt a surge of gratitude.
She knew he'd noticed her discomfort and was looking out for her.
"You'll get used to it slowly," Ma Jun said softly. "This is just the appetizer."
"The real main course comes after the first three dungeons."
His voice was warm, like winter sunlight.
It made Jiang Han's heart ache.
From childhood to adulthood, she had never experienced this kind of gentleness. Even the little warmth her mother showed her was laced with calculation and benefit.
She bit her lip hard, barely holding back her tears.
"Let's go," Ma Jun said, a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Let's check out Hengxing Building."
He truly wanted to see what Hong Kong Island—overrun with supernatural anomalies—looked like.
...
Screech.
The tires of a luxury sedan skidded violently against the asphalt. After a dramatic fishtail, the car stopped by the roadside.
Pedestrians on both sides muttered complaints, but Ma Jun, stepping out of the car, didn't seem to notice at all.
He really hadn't heard them.
Jiang Han felt extremely embarrassed. She had never done anything this reckless before.
She kept her head lowered as she followed behind Ma Jun, occasionally sneaking curious glances at her surroundings.
Hong Kong Island—every inch of land was worth a fortune.
Before them stood an old building about twelve or thirteen stories tall.
Its exterior carried a strong sense of history; one glance told you it had been there for decades.
At the top hung a signboard with four characters written on it:
Hengxing Building.
On the ground floor were rows of street-front shops, their signs colorful and flashy.
Most were bars, along with some adult novelty stores.
Standing along the street were several women wearing heavy makeup, low-cut tops, and short skirts.
Earlier, when Ma Jun had driven too fast, they had been frowning and cursing.
But the moment he got out of the car, their eyes lit up.
Like demons seeing Tang Monk's flesh, desire gleamed openly in their gazes.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Han frowned.
"They… what are they doing?" she asked hesitantly.
Ma Jun chuckled softly.
"You don't know Hengxing Building?"
"It's one of Hong Kong Island's most famous red-light dens."
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