We arrived at the association like that. Collins and the others had already woken up. It seemed they had learned about the explosion at the nearby church. Seeing us arrive, Collins nervously said, "What happened at the church? It couldn't be..."
"Reinal is dead!"
"Ah, how could that be? Someone actually attacked a priest. What kind of people are these? Aren't they afraid of offending Jesus?"
"You are all under police protection now. It's best not to go out for a while, because the killer might target you at any moment!"
I said this deliberately, but Collins looked extremely surprised and tense, not relaxed at all.
If he were the killer, hearing my words of protection at this moment, he should have appeared more relaxed. But he was the opposite.
However, one person's reaction is not necessarily indicative. After all, some people can control their micro-expressions at any time.
I looked at his hands. He was hugging his arms tightly, as if he had no intention of letting go. This gesture indicated he was trying to protect himself. Our men entered the association and conducted a thorough search. More people were dispatched from the police station. If something else happened on this scale, I would truly be speechless.
We did the same for Roy's side, dispatching quite a few people. I also instructed Xia Hou and Xiao Yuan De to remain on standby. Thus, the Punishment Team was divided into two groups for guard duty.
We were busy until the next day, but there was no sign of anything. Everyone planned to take turns resting. Fortunately, the association had rooms, otherwise, we would have been in trouble.
At such a time, even though I was lying in bed, my mind was occupied with the killer, and I had no desire to sleep. Liu Yuning, however, seemed quite carefree. She hugged me tightly and started snoring, which in turn influenced me, and I slowly fell asleep with her.
After an unknown period, we were awakened by a violent knocking at the door. I thought something had happened and immediately rolled out of bed and opened the door. He Xin looked down at me and quickly covered her eyes, saying, "Dad, what are you doing!"
It was then that I realized I was only wearing underwear, and something seemed to be sticking up. But I distinctly remembered wearing my work uniform when I went to sleep. How did I end up like this...
I quickly went back to put on my clothes. By then, Liu Yuning had also woken up. We asked He Xin what was happening, and she said, "Many people came to the association today. Many members seem to be very concerned about Mr. Collins' safety. They held hands and formed a protective circle in the association hall."
"That exaggerated? It seems Collins is quite popular in Sand Sea Town!" I said, and then went downstairs with Liu Yuning and He Xin. When I saw the situation in the association hall, I was shocked again. A row of young men and women, all around twenty years old, were standing side by side, forming a sturdy wall around Collins. They held each other's hands, unwilling to let go for even a moment. Their expressions were exceptionally serious, their facial muscles taut, and their eyes were on high alert, as if ready to act at the slightest sign of anything unusual.
No wonder people used to say, never underestimate the power of fans. Now I understood why so many people liked to be famous. With fame, fans would look after you, and you could be adored by millions, becoming the center of attention wherever you went, showered with praise. Even the slightest gesture would cause fans to go wild. Such honors were beyond the experience of ordinary people.
And Collins was clearly such a person.
Seeing so many daredevils around him, if the killer dared to show up, I would truly have to admit defeat. The police officers were also a bit surprised. They guarded all the entrances and exits of the association, including fire escapes and every narrow passage. Wherever there was an exit, they had men stationed. Forget people, they could spot a fly the moment it appeared.
I asked everyone to keep an eye on the deeply frightened Mr. Collins. Although he saw so many people arrive, due to what happened last night, he became even more anxious. Imagine it, knowing someone wanted to kill you, and several people had already died tragically. No amount of persuasion from others would help when such a thing hadn't happened to you personally. As the saying goes, if you haven't experienced someone's hardship, don't try to preach kindness to them. If you had, perhaps you wouldn't be so kind!
I walked around the association, observing the surroundings. It was a double-check. It was clear that the police station was taking this very seriously. The officers held their guns tightly, ready for anything. I called Director Zhang and asked him to dispatch a special police squadron. Li Fan's voice rang out from nearby. He was probably itching for action.
When the special police arrived in Sand Sea Town, there was still no activity around Collins. However, just when we all thought the killer wouldn't dare to show up, a tremendous surge of impact came from somewhere. I rushed out of the association hall almost immediately, seeing a massive torrent of water rushing down from the mountain not far from Sand Sea Town, heading straight for Roy's house!
"Not good!" I had never imagined that the other party would use such a tactic!
I and the Punishment Team rushed towards Miss Roy's house desperately. But by the time we arrived, the astonishing flood had already turned her home into a dead sea.
Xia Hou and Xiao Yuan De were nearby. I saw them being swept away, struggling in the water. Fortunately, we were on a lifeboat. Seeing them, Liu Yuning and I pulled them aboard with all our might.
As soon as they got on board, Xia Hou said anxiously, "It's over! We were trying to rush into the house to save them, but as soon as we turned, a huge surge swept us here. How could there be a sudden flood on the mountain? Could this be..."
"It's definitely man-made!!" I concluded decisively and ordered sternly, "Li Fan, take us to the mountain!"
"The flood hasn't ended yet. Going up now is too dangerous!"
Although I was anxious, it was indeed not the time to go up the mountain. We had no choice but to use the lifeboat to head towards Roy's house. His house had been completely submerged. The building was not tall to begin with, and how much of it could remain after being hit by such a flood? Fortunately, there weren't many houses nearby, and those that were there were slightly higher than this one, so they were mostly undamaged.
The killer seemed to understand the environment very well. Coupled with the fact that this location was the first area to be hit by the flood, he had clearly observed the potential for floods on the mountain and calculated that this torrent would be enough to destroy the family.