98: Chapter 98 Lei Dapao, who was easily toyed with!

"Bastard!"

Lei Dapao kicked a plastic mannequin, and its head rolled away quite a distance. Those painted eyes stared fixedly at him, as if smiling.

Just then.

A sudden, abrupt ringtone echoed through the empty factory building.

"Two little tigers, two little tigers, running fast..."

A nursery rhyme.

So cheerful that it made one's skin crawl.

Everyone's gun barrels instantly aimed at the source of the sound.

It was an old table in the middle of the factory.

An old Nokia phone sat on it, its screen glowing with blue light.

Lei Dapao gritted his back teeth and strode over.

The screen displayed "In Call".

Clearly, the other party had been listening to the commotion here the whole time.

Lei Dapao picked up the phone and pressed speakerphone.

"Who is it?"

A harsh, grating laugh came from the other end of the line.

It was a voice processed through a voice changer, sounding like a shrill old woman, yet also like a broken bellows.

"Captain Lei, good evening."

"Going to such great lengths just to visit a few plastic mannequins, you really worked hard."

The veins on the back of Lei Dapao's hand, which was gripping the phone, bulged.

"Sister Hong!"

"Don't get cocky! I'll catch you sooner or later and skin you alive!"

"Oh my, I'm so scared."

Sister Hong's voice was full of mockery, "Lei Dapao, you're just like a headless fly, buzzing around everywhere. It's truly pathetic."

"Do you think you've found my lair?"

"That's only because I wanted you to find it."

"Every move you make is under my nose."

At this, Sister Hong paused, her tone turning sinister.

"By the way, Captain Lei, is there a blind person in your police team?"

"How could you not see such an obvious trap?"

"Or is it that... someone intentionally wanted to watch you make a fool of yourself?"

This was truly cruel and malicious!

Not only mocking Lei Dapao's incompetence, but also openly sowing discord within the police force!

Lei Dapao was so angry his lungs felt like they were going to explode.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

"You just wait! I'll dig three feet into the ground if I have to, but I will find you!"

"Heh heh, well then, dig away."

Sister Hong chuckled, "Oh, right, I have a little gift for you. It's under the table."

"Don't mention it."

Beep, beep, beep...

The call ended.

Immediately after, the old Nokia suddenly emitted a puff of white smoke.

"Look out!"

Lei Dapao reacted extremely quickly and threw the phone far away.

Bang!

The phone exploded into a fireball in mid-air. Though the power wasn't great, the insult was immense.

Lei Dapao looked at the wreckage of the phone on the ground, his chest heaving violently.

"Search!"

"Search it!"

"These bastards definitely haven't left long ago! Even if you have to turn this place upside down, find me a clue!"

The SWAT team immediately dispersed and began a carpet search.

Qin Yumo had remained silent the whole time.

She walked over to the old table, crouched down, and looked under it.

There was a piece of paper stuck there.

Qin Yumo tore the paper off, took one look, and her pupils contracted sharply.

"Captain Lei."

Qin Yumo's voice was a bit tight, "You should take a look at this."

Lei Dapao was in a fit of rage and walked over grumpily.

"Look at what? Is it going to bloom into a flower?"

Qin Yumo handed him the paper.

It was a photograph.

A photo printed from a screenshot of a livestream.

The person in the photo was none other than Su Yun.

Su Yun was wearing his signature Taoist robe, a lazy smile on his face.

However.

Someone had used a red marker to draw a large, shocking red cross over Su Yun's face in the photo!

The red cross almost covered Su Yun's entire face, exuding a heavy scent of blood and a death threat.

Below the photo was a line of crooked, small text.

[Meddlesome kid, you're next.]

Lei Dapao was stunned.

He looked at the photo, and his initial rage suddenly felt as if it had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

Sister Hong is... desperate?

Previously, no matter how the police tried to corner them, Sister Hong and her gang would handle it calmly, even turning the tables to play with the police.

But now, they had actually issued a death threat specifically targeting an internet streamer?

What did this mean?

It meant Su Yun had truly hurt them!

Su Yun's previous livestreams, those seemingly nonsensical fortune-telling sessions, had truly touched upon the core interests of Sister Hong's gang, and even made them feel fear!

Lei Dapao's fingers gripped the photo tightly, crumpling the red cross.

He suddenly felt that he was truly ridiculous.

A person he had regarded as a charlatan and a fraud had become the thorn in the side that the criminals feared the most.

And he, the legitimate captain of the criminal investigation team, was here playing house with a pile of plastic mannequins while leading dozens of SWAT officers.

"Captain Lei..."

Qin Yumo watched Lei Dapao's volatile expression and spoke cautiously, "Since Sister Hong has targeted Su Yun, it means Su Yun must possess something they are afraid of."

"Or perhaps, Su Yun's abilities really can suppress them."

"Should we..."

Qin Yumo didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was already very clear.

Ask Su Yun for help.

Lei Dapao didn't speak.

He stared intently at the red cross on the photo and remained silent for a full minute.

If it were before, if anyone dared to suggest asking a fortune teller to solve a case, he would have scolded them into the ground.

But now...

Two failed attempts in a row.

All leads broken.

The opponent was as slippery as a loach and as vicious as a viper.

Most importantly, those seven children were still missing!

Every minute of delay meant more danger for the children.

Lei Dapao shoved the photo into his pocket, turned around, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Team, withdraw."

"Back to hold a meeting."

...

Municipal Bureau, Chief's office.

"Bang!"

A file was slammed hard onto the table in front of Lei Dapao.

The Chief pointed at Lei Dapao's nose, spittle flying everywhere.

"Lei Dapao, oh Lei Dapao!"

"What do you want me to say about you?"

"Twice! Two whole times!"

"With so much manpower and material resources, so many resources allocated to you, you only brought back a pile of plastic mannequins for me?"

"What are you even doing as a criminal investigation captain? Go home and grow sweet potatoes!"

Lei Dapao kept his head down, saying nothing.

He deserved this scolding.

It was indeed his incompetence.

"Chief, it was my command error. I will reflect on it."

"Reflect on it? That's useless!"

The Chief was so angry he undid his collar button and paced back and forth in the office.

"The pressure from above is immense right now! The victims' families are blocking the entrance crying every day!"

"The media is watching too. If we can't solve the case, our Municipal Bureau will lose all face!"

The Chief stopped, pressed his hands on the table, and glared at Lei Dapao.

"I'll give you one last chance."

"12 hours."

"No matter what method you use, no matter who you ask for help."

"I want to see Sister Hong apprehended! I want to see the children return safely!"

"If you can't do it, strip off that uniform yourself and get out!"

Lei Dapao snapped his head up and saluted.

"Yes! I guarantee I will complete the mission!"