Chapter 102 - 102 One hundred and two

Words : 1414 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

102: One hundred and two. Pressing step by step 102: One hundred and two. Pressing step by step Wearing the same watch is not surprising, but what if it is a man wearing a woman’s watch? His gaze lingered long on the youth in the photo, and Lu Li stuffed the picture frame into his pocket, buttoned up the gap, and rose to leave the room. His steps were hurried, as if he wanted to confirm something. [“Painting a long straight line towards countless next stops—”] The phone rang at that moment. Lu Li pushed open the stairwell door, taking the stairs down as he answered his cell phone. “Where are you?” Stiff and indifferent, a woman’s voice came from the other end. An indescribable malice suddenly oozed from the phone, emitting a hateful aura that made you want to keep your distance. One thing after another. Just like “the hand” said, when the door comes knocking—it’s distinct. Thump thump thump thump— Lu Li’s descent didn’t slow; he turned the corner, heading to the next floor down. He didn’t hang up but maintained silence to listen to the faint sounds on the other end. Like the sound of flowing water and whispers nearly imperceptible, as if covered up. “Where are you?” This time, it was a man’s voice. Thump— Lu Li paused, feeling that the voice was somehow familiar. “Where are you?” The voice on the other end of the phone changed again, returning to the woman’s indifferent tone. It was... Yang Chunxue’s voice. Lu Li suddenly remembered. Together with the previous two voices, images formed in his mind: Liu Wenwei and Shen Qian. “Where are you?” A hoarse voice as cold as a man’s voice came through, this time it was Kong Nanqing. “Where are you?” “Where are you?” “Where are you?” “Where are you?” The transforming voice kept repeating the same phrase. Some belonged to people he knew. Some voices were very familiar yet he couldn’t recall whom they belonged to. “Where are you?” An incredibly familiar yet simultaneously alien female voice came through the phone. Suddenly, Lu Li’s mind buzzed loudly, and myriad snowflakes appeared before his eyes, standing stupefied, unable to think. All his attention was captured by this voice. “Where are you?” “Where are you?” “Where are you?” The continuous cadence of voices went on, and Lu Li still stood motionless in the middle of the stairs. “Rustling...” The whispering background noise in the phone suddenly amplified at this moment, overshadowing the persistent inquiries. In a daze, blood-red spots emerged from the crevices of the stairwell walls. They grew and spread outwards, their vein-like tendrils climbing along the walls and floor. The blood vessel tendrils covered every spot around Lu Li, except for his body, which remained untouched by dust. On the wall crammed with blood vessels, a crack suddenly sliced through the veins, revealing itself from within the network. “Rustling rustling rustling rustling...” Malice pervaded around Lu Li, whispering in a low voice, bewitching him. Murmuring filled every corner, the crack gradually splitting wider to form an eye that tried to open, taking over the entire wall. Blood vessels acted as eyelids. Beneath the split eyelids, a black and red eyeball, many times larger than a human’s, swiveled chaotically. Perhaps, when this eye opened fully, that would be when it found Lu Li. Suddenly, the cell phone turned into a blur, smashing toward that restlessly moving eyeball, which had only opened a fifth of the way. Crack! The cell phone and the blur shattered together, and with them, the murmurs that filled his ears also disappeared. “Where are you?” But that nightmarish question persisted, echoing through the empty stairwell. “Where are you?” The phone screen was already shattered, and the battery had flown out. But the screen was still lit, showing an ongoing call. It had nothing to do with the sturdiness of the phone; the phone was merely a medium. Lu Li’s expression remained cold, yet a fine layer of sweat beads appeared on his forehead, a rarity for him to be in such a disheveled state. The sound of his heart beating almost overpowered the voice from the phone. Lu Li calmed his emotions, walked down the stairs, and picked up the phone whose back cover and battery had flown off. “Where are you?” “Where are you?” With each question, Lu Li removed the SIM card and casually tossed the phone back onto the ground, carrying Kong Nanqing’s belongings downstairs. The voice gradually faded and disappeared as Lu Li reached the doorway on the first floor. He did not need to deal with the phone. Only Lu Li, who had touched the door, would hear this information; it would not cause harm to an unwitting crowd. However, whether it was just Lu Li’s illusion, the door’s actions seemed even more unbridled and dangerous than a few days ago. If Lu Li had not woken up in time, even if he had not answered the call, he would have been exposed due to the appearance of that eye. Finding the “hand” was urgent. He needed to know what the door was and what lay behind it. And how to avoid it. Leaving the Ziyue Community was uneventful; it seemed that misfortune had temporarily left Lu Li. The police tape was still up, vehicles from the police and hospital had not yet departed, and the onlookers were still enjoying the spectacle. Lu Li got back into his car, took the spare phone from the storage box, and inserted the SIM card. He then started the car, reversed out in front of the gate, and drove onto the street. The murderer had already left; they were bound to find nothing. Lingling City’s list of unsolved cases grew longer. Speaking of which, the three recent unsolved cases in Lingling City were all somewhat related to Lu Li—at least he knew who the murderer was. On the way back, Lu Li was silent. As he neared the community, his phone rang with Officer Wen calling. After hesitating for a few seconds, Lu Li chose to answer the call. “Were you just at Ziyue Community?” the familiar voice asked. Lu Li let out a soft breath and replied, “How did you know?” “A colleague saw your car. There’s only one eight-handed Xiali like yours in our city. I saw your car once when I went out with the chief, who even told me to persuade you to change your car because it’s bringing down the city’s image.” “Get to the point.” “You don’t seem to be in a good mood. Okay, I’ll cut to the chase, do you know about the case in Ziyue Community?” “I’ve heard a few things.” “Do you have any clues?” “I do, but I don’t think you’ll believe me.” Officer Wen pondered, realizing something, “Hmm... what you mean by that... I understand... but isn’t it too coincidental? I’ve been a cop for over a decade and never encountered this, and now three cases happen in less than a week?” “Do you think it’s possible it was done by a person?” Lu Li countered. “You’re right... I have to go back and check the old case files for unsolved cases that could have been done by the Fierce Ghost.” “If you find anything suspicious, contact me.” “You’re going to exorcise them?” “Hmm.” The old Xiali stopped downstairs at the Detective Agency, and Lu Li turned off the engine. “Got it... why is it so quiet on your side?” “I’m downstairs.” “Oh, then I won’t ramble on, hanging up now.” Beep— Putting away the phone, Lu Li picked up the plastic bag on the passenger seat, locked the door, and went upstairs. Creak— Entering the unlocked Detective Agency, the warmth of the room chased away the chill from outside. He handed the plastic bag to Shen Yuqiao, who came to greet him, and Lu Li threw his damp coat onto the mannequin’s shoulder. Looking around the Detective Agency, Shen Yuqiao ran toward Kong Nanqing in the bedroom, who unblinkingly stared at the computer screen. If it weren’t for that relentlessly encroaching door, this might be a cozy scene. Rustle— The coat behind him fell to the ground, thrown off by the mannequin.

Chapter 102 - 102 One hundred and two

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