Lu Chusheng retreated again and shoved the door with his shoulder. The door immediately sprang open, and we rushed in. The first thing that hit us was a dense cloud of dust. It seemed no one had entered this place for a long time.
We searched everywhere. Suddenly, we noticed the wall behind the water dispenser had a different color. However, when we pried it open with force, we found nothing inside.
Lu Chusheng remarked, "It seems the pattern only works once! So, each bone must be discovered in a different way!"
"Indeed, after all, an undertaker's facility isn't just the morgue!"
As I spoke, I couldn't help but sit down on a seat. To my surprise, it was precisely because I sat down that I noticed a drawer nearby. Its handle was very clean, with some fingerprints left on it, indicating it had been opened recently.
I immediately realized something and quickly pulled the drawer open. Inside, as expected, was a gray bone. This was the right clavicle, near the liver. We had found the bone associated with the wood element.
Lu Chusheng gave me a thumbs up and said, "That's amazing! How did you know the bone was in the drawer? Ah, is it these fingerprints?"
"Yes." I put away the second bone and left the office to continue our search. There shouldn't be another bone here. We went up to the fifth floor, the last one. The fifth floor was called Wang En Lou, or Spirit Hall. However, it had been emptied out. There were no urns, only an old wooden cabinet placed in the desolate room. Looking at the shelves inside, one could still see the marks left from where urns had been stored.
We searched row after row, feeling as though these cabinets held some secret, or perhaps a detail that we would easily overlook if we weren't careful.
At this point, Lu Chusheng suddenly approached a cabinet on the left, near the wall. He cautiously pushed it, and a book fell from the top. He picked up the book and inserted it into a crack in the wall. Immediately, we heard the click of a mechanism opening.
I glanced at Lu Chusheng with surprise and admiration. The next second, a small box opened in the middle of the wall, containing something wrapped inside.
Lu Chusheng immediately took it out and removed the outer packaging. Indeed, it was another bone.
Lu Chusheng cleverly stated, "This bone is the soft rib. This position is also known as the fibrous skeletal heart, a high-density single structure of connective tissue. The heart corresponds to fire, so we've found the bone of the fire element!"
"Well done. It seems you truly have the qualifications to join the Punishing Sin Squad!"
"I'd like that. Are there any requirements?"
"I'll speak to Director Zhang. He trusts my judgment implicitly."
"Oh, it seems you're quite capable, even Director Zhang trusts you so much!"
"It's alright. Let's stop chatting and quickly find the other two bones!"
At this moment, Liu Yuning messaged me saying she had found the bone of the metal element. That left only the bone of the earth element.
We found nothing else on the fifth floor. After some effort, I checked the time; less than 3 minutes remained. I thought, if it's not on the other floors, could it be on the rooftop?
We went up to the rooftop. It was quite spacious. Not long after we arrived, Liu Yuning and her team also found their way there.
When asked about the earth element bone, we all said we hadn't found it yet. I noticed some footprints on the ground. Judging by their size, they belonged to a tall, burly fellow, likely a man, who had headed towards a building across the way.
The main building of the old undertaker's facility had several other structures nearby, likely staff dormitories, a security booth, and so on. Following the footprints, we arrived at the building opposite. Liu Yuning said, "This is the dormitory. With so many rooms, we don't have time!"
I understood this perfectly. Who knew that at this moment, Lu Chusheng, as if injected with adrenaline, suddenly discovered something in an attic on the roof and rushed in. We all followed. Lu Chusheng fiercely grabbed someone!
"You scoundrel! You dare to hide here, thinking we wouldn't find you?"
"It's not me! Really! I don't know you!" The person was disheveled, with a full beard. His build matched the footprints, but this guy was completely different from what I had imagined. Seeing Lu Chusheng's agitation, I quickly pulled him back and said, "Don't be rash!"
"What are you doing here? Why are you here?"
As I took out my police ID, I noticed the man holding a bone in his hand. I quickly snatched it away and yelled, "Are you the security guard here?"
"Ah, how did you know? But the undertaker's facility has relocated, so I'm not getting paid anymore!"
As the man answered, he seemed deranged, chuckling foolishly a few times. I knew instantly that there was something wrong with his mind.
I handed the bone to Liu Yuning. "This is the earth element bone!"
"Alright, we'll install it immediately!"
With that, everyone returned to the building opposite and inserted the bones one by one into the central grooves. At the moment the last bone was placed, less than 2 seconds remained. Fortunately, we completed the task ahead of time.
"Haha, it seems you've succeeded. Alright then, now head to the building on the other side, yes, the place where that crazy security guard was just now."
"Come out immediately! Do you think we'll continue playing your games?" I said angrily.
"Haha, why wouldn't we? Detective He, haven't you noticed? He Zhming is gone!"
"What?"
If he hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have noticed my uncle. I looked around, and indeed, he wasn't there. Liu Yuning and Lu Chusheng also grew tense.
Liu Yuning said, "I was sure I saw him just now! Did any of you see him?"
"No, wasn't he with you? Xiao Tong!"
"We were together at first, but later when I was searching the morgue, he was gone when I came out. I don't know what happened."
"Then why didn't you say so earlier?" I questioned.
Officer Xiao Tong nervously replied, "I thought he had come back!"
"Stop arguing. Haha, if you don't want him to be harmed, then go to the building opposite. This used to be the dormitory for the undertaker's facility employees. Once you get there, I'll tell you what to do!"
"Do you think you can do whatever you please?" I retorted.
The voice responded dismissively, "Why not? Unless you don't care about your uncle's life and death. But I know you're not that kind of person!"
This guy was deliberately using my uncle to threaten me, but he was right. I truly had no choice.