Chapter Seven: Murder in the Room

He Qi'an walked toward the police car, ignoring the two men behind him. His mind was occupied by the recorded conversation he had just heard, replaying it over and over.

When Mao Hong first reported the matter, his immediate reaction was that someone was filing a false report. Many people had called the emergency hotline to report fake incidents in the past. Due to legal regulations, the police were required to respond to every report, which had become a source of immense frustration for the station staff. Although those who filed false reports were eventually punished, some individuals remained lawless, showing no regard for the rules and openly provoking public servants.

The three men reached the police car. Zhang Ming darted inside and took the driver’s seat. "I’m driving tonight!"

Li He glanced at the captain, and feeling the chill radiating from him, he immediately turned and sat in the back. When he saw the captain walking toward the passenger seat, Zhang Ming’s face stiffened. He whispered, "Would you rather drive?"

Li He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "No, I won't fight you for it tonight. Just drive carefully!"

*Thud.*

As the door closed, Zhang Ming felt the presence beside him and regretted his decision deeply. He had rushed to the driver's seat precisely to avoid sitting next to the captain. Why was the captain sitting in the passenger seat today?

"Let’s go." He Qi'an stared straight ahead, expressionless.

"Oh, right." Zhang Ming immediately started the engine and drove toward Jinshan Residential Complex.

At that moment, Irene had just finished her bath, washing away the exhaustion of the day. She was chatting with her boyfriend while applying a facial mask. She checked her food delivery order; it would arrive in ten minutes!

"Babe, what are you doing? Why aren't you talking?" Her boyfriend's voice came through the phone.

Irene smoothed the mask and sat down. "I'm applying a mask."

"Oh, are you going to sleep after that?"

"I haven't eaten yet. I ordered spicy hot pot, and it’ll be here in ten minutes." Mentioning this reminded her of what Lin Xiaoyan had said after work, and she suddenly chuckled.

"What's wrong? Are you watching a funny TV show?"

Irene gently patted the mask, stifling her laughter. "No, I just remembered a part-time girl at our company. She wouldn't let me order delivery, saying she was afraid that on a rainy day, the delivery driver might feel resentful and break in to commit murder or something."

"Hahahaha..."

Her boyfriend’s laughter came through the phone. Irene laughed too, though she quickly held the mask in place, afraid it would fall off.

"Still, that girl meant well. It was sweet of her," Irene said with a smile.

"True, but since I'm not home, you do need to be careful. When the delivery arrives in a bit, wait a while before you go get it, okay? Be a good girl."

Hearing her boyfriend’s concern warmed her heart. "Alright, will do. Oh, by the way, there's one more thing..."

Outside the window, thunder roared, and large raindrops lashed violently against the glass.

"Hello, I'm here to deliver food!"

A man on an electric scooter, wearing a yellow delivery uniform, arrived at the residential complex gate. He was drenched from head to toe, looking disheveled. The security guard in the booth was playing on his phone, looked up at the man briefly, and then returned to his game.

The delivery driver, already enraged by the sudden downpour, felt his anger flare up again.

"Hey, could you please open the gate? I'm about to be late!" the driver gritted his teeth and shouted.

The guard ignored him, continuing to stare at his phone. The driver took a deep breath and checked the order time; he was almost out of time!

"Hey! Open the gate! Open it!!!"

Still, the guard didn't look up. The driver gripped the handlebars of his scooter, his rage reaching a breaking point. Simultaneously, a notification popped up on his phone screen—a bad review from his previous delivery.

"Damn it!!!"

The man suddenly looked toward the guard booth. He kicked the scooter's stand aside, preparing to storm inside.

*Beep, beep...*

Suddenly, a white sedan appeared behind him. The guard immediately jumped up, pressed the button, and the gate slowly rose. With a beaming smile, the guard looked at the homeowner entering the complex.

The delivery driver quickly sat back on his scooter and followed the sedan into the complex.

"Bah! What a piece of trash! A bootlicker, damn animal!" As he passed the guard, the driver spat and shouted insults before speeding into the complex.

"What did you say? Stop right there!" The guard’s face turned livid as he watched the driver vanish into the complex. "If you have the guts, don't come back out! I’ll show you!"

The delivery driver, full of unvented rage, stopped at the base of the apartment building. He grabbed the food and his phone, letting his scooter crash to the ground without a glance. Like a wild beast, he headed straight for the elevator.

It was 11:30 PM, and the building was dead silent.

"Damn it, ordering food in the middle of the night? Are they ghosts who starved to death? Ordering in this heavy rain, like I deserve to be punished for delivering it?! You bastards just sit at home enjoying yourselves and then give me a bad review! Dammit, I’m going to go find you right now!..."

Inside the elevator, the delivery driver cursed, his frustration growing with every word.

"Beep, your order is overdue..."

As he stepped out of the elevator, his phone rang. He was late! The driver stood still, clutching his phone so tightly he wanted to crush it. He breathed heavily and strode toward apartment 1302.

*Ding-dong... ding-dong...*

"My delivery is here. I have to go; I'll sleep after I eat." Hearing the doorbell, Irene got up quickly and told her boyfriend.

"Alright, get some sleep after you eat. Don't stay up too late."

"Okay, okay!" Irene hung up.

*Ding-dong... ding-dong...*

The doorbell continued to ring, sounding like a death knell. Irene frowned as she listened to the persistent ringing. "Coming! Just leave the delivery on the floor, thank you."

The doorbell stopped. Irene looked at the door and, suddenly feeling the urge, went to the bathroom first. Upon returning, she peeled off her mask and walked toward the door, patting her cheeks.

"Finally here. I'm starving..."

*Click.* The door opened.

Irene opened the door and saw the food sitting on the floor. A smile appeared on her face. She bent down to pick it up and turned to close the door.

However, a sudden resistance blocked the door. Irene turned her head and saw a tall figure...

"Ah!"

A scream rang out, followed by silence a second later. Then, the door slammed shut.

"Boss, we're at the Jinshan Residential Complex," Zhang Ming said, tilting his head toward the complex ahead.

He Qi'an opened his eyes and checked the time. It was 11:37 PM. He looked up at the complex with a solemn expression. If what that girl said was true, then right now...

Li He had already opened the door and stepped out. He ran toward the security booth to explain the situation. The guard quickly raised the gate, and the three men drove into the complex, speeding toward the second unit according to the guard's directions.