"Why aren't you calling me? What if something happens to you? As the forensic investigator of our Sin Punishment team, we can't let you risk your life, do you understand?"
I originally thought the murderer was only targeting the old forensic investigators. It seems their real aim is that serum. But the question is, could Ling Xiaotao also be...
Thinking of this, I looked at Ling Xiaotao in surprise. She had no idea what was going through my mind at the time.
"Ling Xiaotao, think carefully. Have you ever been injected with anything over the years? Think about it seriously!"
"Injected with something?" Ling Xiaotao hesitated, then closed her eyes. Her lips trembled slightly, and her eyebrows furrowed. After a moment, she said, "I was kidnapped when I was a child..."
"I was very young then, and my parents didn't know where I went. I was locked in a cold storage. It seemed like some people in white gowns injected something into my arm. But I was rescued later and didn't think about it again."
"How old were you then?"
"I should have been ten years old. It's been more than ten years."
"Could it be that this plan has been in the making for over a decade?" The thought sent an icy chill down my spine. If that were the case, this plan would present us with unprecedented challenges.
I shared my thoughts with Ling Xiaotao. She said worriedly, "What about me? Will they kill me like those two old forensic investigators?"
"If we were outside, I would definitely have He Xin check if those two old forensic investigators had ever been kidnapped. Alas, there's no way now. Don't worry, Ling Xiaotao, I won't let them touch you!"
"But we're in their territory right now. They might make a move any moment!"
"No, didn't they just capture you? If they wanted to act, they wouldn't have imprisoned you with me."
"That's true. Then let's escape quickly!"
As we spoke, we both started struggling. But after only a few moments, the sound of heavy footsteps approached from outside.
We deliberately closed our eyes and pretended to be dead.
When the door to the room was opened, several tattooed men, the mercenary type, entered. As soon as they untied our restraints, we both launched an attack. However, their strength was overwhelming. We barely touched them before they overpowered us and pinned us to the ground.
"You little brats, still daring to resist? I knew you were faking it. Come on, it's time to show you our new invention!"
"New invention? What exactly are you up to?"
"Ahahaha! Soon, everyone in Guangming City will look as if they're sick, with skin diseases all over!"
"Skin disease?" I didn't understand what the mercenaries were saying at all at that moment, but I was already being lifted up. They handcuffed my hands, and Ling Xiaotao was treated the same way.
They shoved us along and brought us to the back of a workshop in the factory. There was a large fountain there. A strange woman stood in front of the pool, dressed in purple and wearing a mask, exuding a faint, peculiar fragrance.
Her back was to us, and she didn't turn around. Her hands were held out, swaying left and right as if in prayer. Sensing our arrival, she spoke, "Ichthyosis has spread successfully. Look at the people in the fountain, do you see? Their skin has turned into scales! They will soon lose their minds and transform another normal person, turning us all into the same kind!"
"Ichthyosis? Is this the disease you've been researching?"
"That's right, Officer He Sheng. I finally get to meet the legendary genius detective. Oh my! I never imagined it would be under such circumstances. This is beyond my imagination. However, as a small part of this grand plan, I'll use you as an experiment first!"
The woman suddenly turned around. A face covered in scales revealed a sinister and chilling sneer. Her arm transformed into a demonic claw from hell and fiercely gripped my throat. At this moment, the surrounding mercenaries moved aside slightly, creating space for the woman.
The woman, as if lifting a child, actually lifted my entire body. I couldn't see her face clearly. Ling Xiaotao was shouting beside me. Several mercenaries held her back. Seeing her still shouting, they slapped her hard.
Ling Xiaotao's face was bruised and swollen, and she spat blood, but she still glared at them defiantly.
"He Sheng, I didn't expect those around you to be so loyal to you."
"They are my comrades. Don't think we will surrender just because of this!"
"Hahaha! I don't need you to surrender, He Sheng. As long as you become like us, you'll be unable to resist joining us in completing the grand plan!"
"What is this grand plan?"
"That, you are not yet qualified to know. Didn't I just say? As long as you become like us, the grand plan can be completed. Come and try it! My latest research, the ichthyosis serum, take it!"
The woman actually brought her fiery red lips close to mine and kissed me fiercely!
Her lips were strong, forcefully parting mine, and she pushed a pill through my tongue into my mouth. Although I tried my best not to swallow, I was helpless as the woman's tongue blocked me. With a gulp, the pill went down my esophagus.
She quickly released her lips. As soon as I could breathe, I cursed, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing much. Alright, now you can evolve in the water with everyone else. However, this process takes some time!"
Saying that, the woman threw me into the fountain as if I were trash. Fortunately, there wasn't much water. I lay down with countless people covered in scales. I vigorously circulated the qi in my dantian. This wasn't a sudden outburst of power as if I had cultivated martial arts like He Xiaoyu. It was just that our He family's secret technique had a method for blocking the spread of poison – the Qi Dispersion Art.
Circulating my qi, I silently recited the incantation. Soon, the pill was slowly pushed out by me.
As soon as I spat it out, I quickly put it into the evidence bag. I carefully got up from the water, but someone from behind forcefully grabbed my leg.
I looked back and saw those strange people covered in scales. One of them stood up and pulled me from behind, causing the others to seem to resonate and follow suit. More and more people were grabbing my legs. Helplessly, I felt around my waist and found that my service pistol was still there!