"Originally we thought it was just a failed rape case, but now there's a homicide. We'll need to call for backup."
One of the four police officers, the one leading them, told another officer to call for reinforcents.
After that, the leader said to Jiang Ran and the others:
"Thank you for your cooperation. However, since a homicide has occurred now, we need to seal off the scene and not allow any unauthorized personnel to enter and disturb it."
"Only the manager needs to stay here."
"You can leave for now. If we need anything, we'll call for you."
Manager Wu iling was forced to stay, while Jiang Ran and the other two were effectively shown the door.
Well, being shown the door was fine with them.
The three of them figured there was nothing left for them to do anyway.
So they took the elevator down together.
Inside the bedroom of Room 901.
Manager Wu iling stared at the dead Hua Country woman with a furrowed brow.
Looking at the bruises and wounds all over her body, it wasn't hard to imagine the kind of abuse she had suffered while alive.
If she hadn't encountered those two lab rats back then, her own fate probably wouldn't have been much better than this woman's.
"Are all the police who respond to lab rats' calls here at the apartnt fake cops?" She shifted her attention to the young officer beside her and asked.
The young officer nodded. "Yes."
Clearly, just like the previous tis, these were all fake cops.
"As expected, from now on, any calls from the lab rats at Alice Apartnt will be answered by us impostors. After all, if real police showed up, so situations would require troubleso handling."
Manager Wu iling nodded. "Understood."
...
Inside the descending elevator.
An unusual silence hung in the air.
It felt as if the atmosphere itself had frozen solid.
Until Zeng Yan's voice broke the silence: "So that criminal psychologist Li Shumu was telling the truth after all. This apartnt building really does have that kind of sick serial killer hiding in it! Too bad that criminal psychologist didn't stick around here. He left after just a few days!"
Yang Qi chid in with a nod. "Yeah, I never thought there'd actually be that kind of sicko here either!"
As for Jiang Ran...
The Danger Warning System in his mind kept blaring without pause...
Zeng Yan continued:
"Let tell you guys, around four or five this afternoon, I was coming back from work and saw so guy tossing a suitcase into the trash bin. Guess what was in that suitcase?"
Jiang Ran: "Don't tell it was a body?"
Zeng Yan clapped his hands together. "Bingo!"
"That suitcase looked practically brand new. I thought it'd be a waste to just throw it away, so don't laugh at , but I went and fished it out of the trash, planning to use it myself or sell it."
"But when I opened it... there was a dead man's body inside... ugh! Such bad luck! I was scared half to death! I called the cops right then and there!"
"Too bad they didn't catch the guy! He doesn't seem to live around here!!!"
Yang Qi listened, then turned to ask Jiang Ran: "Jiang Ran, you're the assistant manager here, right?"
"What do you know about this apartnt building? Like, the sick serial killer hiding in it?"
The question caught Jiang Ran off guard.
Should he tell the truth? Or just make sothing up?
"Honestly, it's not that bad. What place doesn't have these kinds of sickos?"
Jiang Ran answered.
Zeng Yan agreed: "Yeah, a lot of people are under so much pressure these days that they end up with psychological issues. The news just doesn't report it!"
"A couple of years ago, wasn't there a driver who ran over dozens of people outside so sports venue?"
"Pure malicious revenge against society!!!"
The group walked out of the elevator and reached the outside of the building.
Jiang Ran was about to head back to Building No. 1 for his shift.
But Yang Qi grabbed his arm and invited him to go eat barbecue with them.
Jiang Ran was about to refuse, but when the other two said they'd buy it and bring it back to eat, he agreed.
There was a night market not far from Alice Apartnt.
The three of them went to the night market to buy barbecue and so other snacks and drinks.
It was Jiang Ran's first ti buying anything at this night market.
He noticed that the stalls here, open past midnight, charged even more than the stores did.
The prices were getting more and more ridiculous.
After buying everything, the three returned to Alice Apartnt.
They settled down inside the managent office of Building No. 1 to eat the barbecue.
The heater in the office was blasting, so the three of them were sweating buckets, each wearing only thin autumn clothes.
They ate and chatted as they went.
As the conversation flowed, Zeng Yan's floodgates opened.
He started talking about how his girlfriend had cheated on him.
After spilling it all, his eyes red as he asked Jiang Ran and Yang Qi what he should do.
How should he handle the situation with his girlfriend?
Yang Qi replied: "I can't give advice on that. I've never had a girlfriend before."
Jiang Ran asked: "Never? Don't you want one? Start a family? You're not exactly young anymore, are you?"
Yang Qi took a sip of beer and smacked his lips: "There's no point hiding it from you guys. I'm an orphan. So the idea of starting a family really scares . Terrifies , actually. I'll probably never try to build a family in this lifeti."
"An orphan..."
Zeng Yan was stunned.
Jiang Ran said: "No wonder you volunteer at the orphanage so often. So that's why..."
Jiang Ran didn't ntion that he was also an orphan...
Neither him nor the original owner of this body.
"Hey, Jiang Ran, since Yang Qi can't give advice, how about you give a suggestion? Don't tell you've never had a girlfriend either?!"
The spotlight suddenly swung onto Jiang Ran.
Jiang Ran gave an awkward smile. Before he crossed over, back on Earth, he had never had one either.
After crossing over, the original owner of this body had a first love, but they broke up long ago.
He closed his eyes and thought about how to handle Zeng Yan's relationship problem.
In the end, he said: "Bring it up with your girlfriend."
"Break up with her directly."
Zeng Yan imdiately asked: "What about the money? I spent so much on her! If I just break up like this, I won't accept it!"
Jiang Ran said: "Then tell her to pay you back."
Zeng Yan lowered his head. "Can you get back what you've already eaten?"
Jiang Ran: "Then just break up. Cut your losses. Dragging it out isn't good for either of you anyway."
"By the way, Zeng Yan, let ask you a private question."
Zeng Yan looked up. "Go ahead."
Jiang Ran: "Have you and your girlfriend ever done... that?"
Zeng Yan froze. "Yeah."
Jiang Ran: "How many tis?"
Zeng Yan: "A lot. I can't even count. Why? Why are you asking that?"
Jiang Ran: "Then you haven't lost out. Just think of the money as paynt for that kind of emotional and physical pleasure. Compare yourself to those pathetic simps, right?"
"They spent their money and still couldn't even get the girl!"
"So you should change your mindset. Think of it as paying to temporarily have her for a while. Once the money stops, it's over."
Zeng Yan was dumbfounded. What Jiang Ran said actually made so sense.
But still... he couldn't let it go...
The three of them kept eating and drinking.
Neither of them knew how much ti had passed.
Manager Wu iling graced them with her presence.
The first words out of her mouth were: "You all need to be careful!"
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