Afterlife Department

Yi Bing's and Huo Ling's faces are covered in dark lines as they searched around Gu Xingfeng's office… with an addition ghost with them loitering inside the empty room.

Yes – a ghost. And it was none other than Hao Baiyun whom they met earlier and saw left with his unknowing elder brother Hao Ming after Hao Ming left his designing company – Haoming Company. They didn't expect for him to suddenly appear behind their backs earlier, giving them a fright.

Fortunately, he helped them open the door from the inside, or else Yi Bing would have definitely snapped on the spot and froze his soul.

"Why are you here again?" Huo Ling asked. "We thought you went home earlier?" he said.

"Ai. I wanted to, but then I was sick of seeing my brother's face, as well as my family." Hao Baiyun answered as he floated around Gu Xingfeng's office.

Huo Ling coughed when he saw Yi Bing's face darkened further. "I mean, why are you here in the police station?" he asked.

"Well, I have seen you two leave earlier and decided to follow you instead of my brother." Hao Baiyun answered.

"… then, what about this morning?" Huo Ling asked when he remembered that Hao Baiyun was here in the police station when he met him.

"Here?" Hao Baiyun tilted his head as he looked around. "This place looks familiar…" he answered.

Yi Bing and Huo Ling fell silent.

"Can I ask… how did you die?" Huo Ling slowly spoke. "And for how long?" he added. Hao Baiyun looked fairly young in this life, between seventeen or eighteen. Well, his soul looks like it, since he died in around this age.

Hao Baiyun nodded, since he already felt familiar with the two grim reapers. He doesn't feel that they are lying to him, since he already proved that it was only him that can see them. They don't have the reason to lie, either. "Hmm… I died when I was in college." He answered.

"That long?" Yi Bing was surprised.

Hao Baiyun nodded. "Yes. Our school was conducting a field trip when our bus overturned after it avoided an incoming car that was driving fast." He spoke. "After the investigation, that car actually has two patients: one was a pregnant woman about to give birth while the other was a sick child that has a serious illness that relapsed. Although we felt that death was unfair, but the driver of the car, the father of that family, was also guilty. Furthermore, since the woman has successfully given birth and the sick child was saved, we felt that death wasn't that bad since we have saved two lives." He explained and smiled. "Our merits will definitely not be overlooked in the underworld! We will definitely live better in our next lives!" he said.

Yi Bing and Huo Ling. "…" although the story is very touching, unfortunately there is no underworld anymore. They thought and looked at Hao Baiyun with sympathetic gazes.

But, if Hao Baiyun felt at peace with his death, why is his soul still lingering in this world? He also said that he already felt tired of seeing his family. So… it really has got to do with Gu Xingfeng, that is why his soul is still here in this world as a ghost? Yi Bing thought.

"Found it!" Huo Ling exclaimed when he finally found the folder with You Ri's name.

Yi Bing came over to look while Hao Baiyun… floated over to take a look.

"You Ri lost control of her car and hit the island. But, instead of saving her, the airbag instead hit her the wrong way and her head hit the wall of her car hard, causing it to bleed." Huo Ling read. "After the investigation, it was not only the brake but also the airbag that was messed with. And when the airbag hit her and her head hit the wall of her car, her neck was snapped due to the force of the airbag. There was also a brain injury, and so she died on the spot." He finished.

A heavy atmosphere enveloped them three.

"They are really insidious." Hao Baiyun spoke. "After making the brake malfunction, You Ri might hit another car, or vice versa. But, she also could avoid the accident and hit the island, like what she did. Yet, she might still be able to live. So, the one responsible for the crime also did something to the airbag, causing it to inflate quickly, causing great force. She will definitely be dead." He explained.

Yi Bing and Huo Ling agree. You Ri's murderer is really insidious. They really want to guarantee that You Ri will die, so they made a double insurance.

Huo Ling took a deep breath when he felt his chest was stuffy. "Who was it?" he asked as he clenched his fists. "Not his colleague, not his family, either, and not even his clients…" he released a breath, as if releasing his anger.

Yi Bing patted Huo Ling's shoulder to comfort him, and assure him. "We'll definitely find out who it is." He told him.

Even though You Ri's attachment might not be due to her death, but they still wanted to investigate the cause, even now that they have found out that it was intentional.

"There are three suspects whom Song Mingan interrogated." Yi Bing spoke. "Li Yan, Shi Nana and Li Li. Li Yan is the manager of her, Shi Nana and Li Li who are her fellow designers." He said and pointed the three names on the paper.

"Li Yan, male and single. Age, 27." Huo Ling spoke as he read Li Yan's profile. "Li Li, female, single. Age, 26. They have the same surnames…" he muttered. "Strange, but she wasn't listed as his family member." He said as he looked at the family section on the paper.

"'Li' is a common surname, after all." Yi Bing said.

"And they just happened to go in the same company, and have the same department?" Hao Baiyun piped up.

Yi Bing and Huo Ling looked at him.

Hao Baiyun raised his hands. "I happened to hear a rumor when I once visited my brother in his company." He spoke. "Li Yan and Li Li are stepsiblings, and Li Li's mother is the mistress." He told them.

Their mouths became 'O'-shaped when they heard that.

"So, the mistress shamelessly used the man's surname." Huo Ling shook his head. "The remaining one is Shi Nana, female, married. Age, 25." He said after he flipped the page and looked at Li Nana's profile. "So they are the prime suspects and have perfect alibis." He sighed.

"What are their motives?" Yi Bing asked.

"Li Yan seems to be a suitor of You Ri and has been refusing his advances, so…" Huo Ling didn't continue since they can already guess.

"Out of 'love', huh?" Hao Baiyun rubbed his chin.

"What about Li Li?" Yi Bing asked.

"It can be said that she and Shi Nana have the same motive. Out of envy." Huo Ling answered as he read.

"Well, You Ri is the most talented designer in the company. Li Li and Shi Nana are her competitors, but actually realized that they can't hold a candle to You Ri." Hao Baiyun exclaimed.

"Inferiority." Yi Bing spoke.

Huo Ling nodded in agreement. "They feel inferior, so they might want to kill her to eliminate her as a competitor, and also so they can rise higher without You Ri in the designing world." He explained.

"Well said." Hao Baiyun spoke. "The nail that sticks out is the first to be hammered down, after all." He said.

"Conformity is better than individuality." Yi Bing added.

"Yes." Huo Ling agreed. "A pity that You Ri didn't realize it and continued to shine. And her light, instead of illuminating the others, actually became an eyesore to them. So, she was…" his voice trailed off.

"Her light was extinguished." Yi Bing continued. "As for who extinguished it, we have yet to know." He said.

"Yeah." Huo Ling nodded. "Let's copy the list of her clients, and also the names of her family and classmates during her college. Let's include the ones in high school, too." He said.

"Go ahead." Yi Bing told him.

Huo Ling then placed his communicator beside the computer and a light came out of his communicator. The light scanned the computer before it blinked fast, indicating that it was done copying the data inside the computer.

"Are you going to leave now?" Hao Baiyun asked.

"Yes. We are going back." Huo Ling nodded as they locked the door.

"Can I go with you?" Hao Baiyun asked.

…

"… why did you bring a soul back?" Bai Liu asked Yi Bing and Huo Ling.

"Well, he can be called an acquaintance…" Huo Ling answered as he guiltily scratched his cheek.

"'acquaintance'?" Bai Liu's brow raised.

"He is an NPC." Wu Yi told them with a smile.

"Shut up, you gaming nerd." Bai Liu snapped at him.

Yi Bing and Huo Ling. "…" we're gone for a whole day but you are still not finished with playing house?