"Who told you this? Did the police put you up to saying it?"
"No, Dad, I found all this out myself. You can't keep making the same mistakes. I hope to see you again, even though I know the chances are slim. But if you help the police, there's still a possibility. Please, just for me, okay?" Andrena said, clasping her hands together in a prayerful gesture.
"Anna, I've wronged you all. I shouldn't have joined the organization back then. We were poor, but at least you were still with me. After I got rich, you all drifted away. It's all my fault!"
The usually brutal Pierce couldn't help but cover his face and break down in tears.
I knew his psychological defenses were crumbling. Andrena continued, "In the name of God, He will cleanse you of all your sins. All you have to do now is open the door to Eden. Now, tell me, He Zhiming's location is the key to opening that door!"
"Alright, Anna, you're right!"
Soon, Pierce gave an address. I quickly asked He Xin to confirm it and found out it was another hideout. I turned back to Pierce. "What do you mean by this?"
"I didn't lie to you. There are plenty of basements in these hideouts. The bunker you found earlier was just one of them. This time, head south. There's an underground mansion there. I told your uncle before that if I were caught, you should stay there and hide until things calm down."
"I'll trust you this once. If you dare to deceive me..."
"Don't worry, I swear on Andrena's name, this is absolutely true!"
Pierce looked genuinely pious, and I didn't think he was lying. I turned to ask, "What's your full name?"
"Sherlock Pierce."
"Haha, your name is so similar to Sherlock Holmes."
"Go now, don't mind me. I'm about to be taken to the prosecutor's office."
I left the interrogation room. As I walked Andrena out of the police station, I noticed her drawing a pattern on the glass of a passing bus with her finger.
I didn't get a clear look at it at the time, only noticing her smile back at me.
It was an incredibly pure smile, as if it had washed away all the sins of the world, enveloping me in a warm aura. I felt as if I heard her whisper in my ear, "Thank you, Mr. He Sheng..."
Recently, I've been taking on more scriptwriting assignments, which requires me to interact with people from television stations. I see it as a good way to make money. Although I'm still a police officer, as I've gotten older, I've found that my financial situation isn't as comfortable. With the rising costs of everything, my police salary just isn't enough. So, I've started taking on freelance work writing scripts or novels.
Anything to earn a little extra. Liu Yu Ning is still busy at the police force. Oh, right, we've already left Fuming City and are now in Guangming City. Director Zhang really helped me out last time; he was the one who found Andrena.
After completing a script and sending it out, I received a decent payment. I'm currently busy updating another work. It's a rare moment of rest at the police apartment, and I won't be idle. After writing, I still do some simple chemistry experiments in the lab. I spent the entire morning tinkering, and it wasn't until the afternoon that I had time to relax.
My name is He Sheng. I currently serve as a forensic consultant for the Fuming City Police Bureau. I graduated from the Forensic Medicine department. My grandfather, however, was once a coroner.
One day, I received a letter. Upon opening it, I realized it was from my uncle: "He Sheng, by the time you read this, we will likely be gone. We're going to a place where no one can find us. Don't worry about us; we'll be fine. I remember when Du Yu Ting and I first met... ah, it was a scorching summer. We were on a mission together, and so were your parents."
"He Sheng, I'm sorry. When your parents were dealing with the drug lord back then, I was there. If I hadn't been a coward and fired my weapon, your parents wouldn't have died. While I hesitated, a drug lord shot them. I was knocked unconscious, and I don't know how long passed before backup arrived."
"I'm sorry, He Sheng. I couldn't face you, so I'm leaving you this message. I hope you can live a good life. Also, keep being the team leader you are. Du Yu Ting, Grandpa, and your parents will always be watching you."
"Alright, we have to go now. Do you remember the family motto of the He family coroners?"
Holding the letter, tears welled up in my eyes. "How could I forget?"
"Once a body is examined, no trace remains for ten thousand miles.
Fame and fortune vanish with the body, the spirit of a He family coroner."
In fact, He Shenlong was none other than He Yan, the grandson of He Jin from the Three Kingdoms period. He was a handsome man. Because Cao Cao later married Yin Shi, He Yan's stepfather was Cao Cao. However, his father-in-law was also Cao Cao. He Yan married Cao Cao's daughter, Princess Jinxiang. He Yan was a prodigy and was fond of Laozi and Zhuangzi; he left behind numerous writings (such as "Collected Commentaries on the Analects" and "Laozi's Tao Te Ching") and stories (like "He Lang Who Applied Powder," "The Dream of Associating Flies," and "Sharp Tongues Capsize Nations"). In his later years, He Yan began to study criminal investigation and forensic science. His inventions, such as the bamboo leaf extractor, the shadowless reflection tube, the He family's disguise technique, and the He family's bone steaming technique, had a profound impact on later forensic and autopsy work.
However, the world only knows Song Ci, the "Official Judge of the Great Song Dynasty," and not the He family ancestor, He Shenlong.
This is the origin of our ancestors.
Reflecting, I've returned to the Provincial Department. This is now the new office of our Sin Punishment team, a large office building with an astonishing number of floors, equipped with the best criminal investigation equipment and a very high-class working environment. There are numerous staff members; the criminal investigation team alone has over a thousand people. Notably, my brother, He Qing, has also joined us as a psychological consultant at our Provincial Department.
Adding Lu Chusheng, our Sin Punishment team is truly becoming a gathering of elites.
"Hello, Team Leader He!" As I entered the office, everyone greeted me in unison. I responded a few times and went upstairs to the fifth floor, where I have my own independent office, complete with a bathroom, a room, and even a kitchen, though I never cook here.
Sitting behind my high-end mahogany desk, I opened my laptop and began browsing through some case files, drinking Starbucks coffee. I was focused and engrossed when someone knocked on my office door. I thought it was Liu Yu Ning, but when I looked, it was He Xin.