Chapter 34
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Chapter 34: The Profile Master
With Lin Qingliu’s warm invitation, Zhuang Mian, who had just undergone intense metabolic changes, didn’t press further. The three of them found themselves slurping minced meat noodles at the small bedside table in the Clinic, enveloped in an oddly cozy atmosphere at four in the morning.
“Slurp~ Slurp~”
As the tender noodles mingled with minced meat entered her mouth, Zhuang Mian’s brows knitted together:
“Is this beef?”
Though it seemed somewhat absurd, Zhuang Mian suddenly recalled a murder case from two months prior, where nothing was stolen from the scene except for a complete, fresh Beef Leg.
She subtly arched an eyebrow towards Lin Qingliu, who was thoroughly enjoying his meal, sensing his openness and lack of concealment.
“No way?”
Noticing Zhuang Mian’s furrowed brow, Lin Qingliu swallowed his mouthful of noodles and inquired,
“Not to your taste?”
Zhuang Mian shook her head,
“Is there beef in this?”
“Yes, don’t you eat beef?”
“Beef is quite pricey in the inner city. How did you manage to get it?”
“A recovering patient gifted it to me; just a small piece, and it was nearly spoiled.
“How could I afford it? I usually just munch on protein bars.”
Lin Qingliu had perfected the art of deflection, effortlessly spinning tales.
After all, he wasn’t the one who committed that crime—
A preacher is a preacher, a Paster is a Paster, and a deity is a deity; the one who acts must bear the consequences.
In the outer city, installing surveillance didn’t yield the expected benefits, so no matter how puzzled Zhuang Mian was, she couldn’t unravel Lin Qingliu’s lie.
But… a spark of insight flashed through Zhuang Mian’s mind—
It was known that this psychologist occasionally took on tasks from surgeons.
The fugitive known as the “Beef Leg Killer” had a complete Beef Leg in his possession.
So, could it be that the guy got injured during the fight that day, cleaned up the scene meticulously, and then came here to treat his wounds?
Lin Qingliu’s suspicion was cleared, yet not entirely dispelled.
Zhuang Mian recalled that during her investigation two months ago, she had questioned Lin Qingliu on related matters; but from her current vantage point, she realized he had no reason to be truthful then.
After probing with a few more indirect questions, Zhuang Mian continued to eat while mentally sketching a profile of the “Beef Leg Killer”:
Male, middle-aged, tall and robust, taciturn.
Loves meat, has a clear sense of justice and vengeance, adept at resolving issues through violence…
Excellent, she would apprehend someone matching that description later.
Unaware of Zhuang Mian’s thoughts as she posed her disjointed questions, Lin Qingliu only felt that El’s noodles had grown increasingly palatable, echoing the flavors of his homeland.
Fifteen minutes later, sated, the three of them reclined on several Examination Tables.
As dawn began to break, the three of them had stayed up all night and had long since passed their excited state, slipping into a light sleep.
Especially Zhuang Mian, who had been relying on the excitement akin to recovering from a serious illness to keep going, was still very fatigued.
She slept for several hours, and by the time Lin Qingliu opened his eyes again, it was already the familiar morning.
“Now this feels right.”
Stretching lazily, Lin Qingliu observed El, who was still sleeping, and quipped,
“Youth, they need a lot of sleep.”
Meanwhile, Zhuang Mian had already gotten out of bed. Although her face was still pale, she was no longer in any life-threatening danger.
At that moment, she was sitting in a chair at the front desk. When she saw Lin Qingliu walk out of the clinic, she smiled gently and stood up,
“Thank you once again for you and that child inside…”
Thinking of her current identity, Zhuang Mian added,
“Of course, all of this is a great gift from the Lord.”
Seeing Lin Qingliu nod in approval, Zhuang Mian continued,
“The recent Eastern District isn’t safe; there is a serial assassin we internally call the ‘Heart Snatcher’ who is wildly attacking doctors in the Eastern District. I was ambushed by a gang last night while investigating a case he committed at the border of the Southeast District, so you should be careful too.
“The nighttime attacks must have alarmed a lot of people by now; I need to return to the Public Security Team quickly.”
After receiving permission from Lin Qingliu, Zhuang Mian left the mental health clinic, definitely not forgetting to take the eco-friendly cloth bag printed with her discharge and recovery commemoration.
Zhuang Mian vanished at the street corner in front of the clinic, and El poked his head out from the clinic behind Lin Qingliu,
“Did she leave?”
“She did. Why didn’t you go see her off? Just because you’re the ‘Heart Snatcher’?”
El scratched his gray hair,
“This matter is still connected to me, and I’m afraid my expression will give me away.”
“Hahaha.”
Lin Qingliu laughed until he almost couldn’t catch his breath,
“You’re right; if she found out you were the perpetrator of last night’s case, it would make things much more interesting.”
“……”
“Hmm? Why aren’t you talking?”
Lin Qingliu felt quite awkward, being the only one laughing, and quickly resumed his calm and gentle expression.
“What case are you talking about?”
“Just what Zhuang Mian mentioned before she left… that wasn’t you, was it?!”
Lin Qingliu looked at the innocent boy in front of him, questioning him intensely.
El nodded, and a strange silence fell within the mental health clinic.
“When I arrived there last night, Dr. Bard’s residence had already been sealed off.
“I followed the public security captain’s car through a shortcut and found her in the alley.”
Lin Qingliu’s expression became dazed; it turned out that it wasn’t El who killed that doctor. It seemed…
There was a third party involved in the serial murder case in the Eastern District, taking advantage of the chaos.
Lin Qingliu flipped the “Open” sign to the other side and returned to the clinic, sitting across from El.
“Tell me everything that happened last night from beginning to end.”
This kid was still too young. Although he wasn’t exactly a veteran himself, he had read enough literary works in his past life to come up with some ideas.
Moreover, what if someone was watching him?
God forbid, Lin Qingliu was just an ordinary psychologist with three, no, four paths of Growth Potential in superpowers!
His risk tolerance could not be said to be absent, but it was quite weak.
If there was something left uncovered… Mr. Paster would have to return to the scene.
In order to maintain a peaceful life, Lin Qingliu decided to act as a selfless gardener for Hope City.
Everyone who investigated him would either be dealt with or well nurtured.
“Go investigate, and if there’s something you can’t solve, come to me. I will ask the Lord to let ‘Paster’ intervene.”
—
As Zhuang Mian left the clinic, she remained vigilant of her surroundings.
At this moment, her face was still very pale, resembling a sleep-deprived worker who hadn’t rested well for an entire week.
Zhuang Mian’s wallet hadn’t been lost in the chaos.
She had planned to take a taxi back to the security bureau, but she was now experiencing severe post-traumatic stress. Just seeing vehicles passing by on the street made her involuntarily stagger, especially the larger trucks.
