Chapter 305: Too Far

Chapter 305: Chapter 305: Too Far

In the evening, Feng Ling went to the Inspection Bureau as usual to meet up with the twin sisters. Huangfu Miaomiao was thrilled, as it meant she could go shopping and eat snacks again.

Feng Ling took the opportunity to pack up the odds and ends she had left in room 520, and she brought the case file along as well. Although she felt she had no real talent for investigation, she still wanted to look the part.

"Alright, let’s head out," Feng Ling said, grabbing her backpack.

Huangfu Miaomiao excitedly threw open the door and rushed out—

THUD! She ran right into the arms of Bai Lu, who was just passing by.

When Feng Ling came out and saw the scene, she greeted her. "Captain Bai, you live here too?"

Bai Lu smiled and replied, "I’m in the room at the very end. There’s a folding bed in the office, too, so sometimes I just sleep there."

She squatted down, patted Huangfu Miaomiao’s head, and then pinched her cheek. She seemed to really like children, but her touch made Huangfu Miaomiao squirm with discomfort.

"Is this the little Alien Species who’s always with you? She’s so tiny." Bai Lu’s eyes curved as she sized up Huangfu Miaomiao. She squeezed her arm, from her elbow down to her wrist. "Such little arms and legs. She’s like a doll, just adorable."

Huangfu Miaomiao: "..."

Feng Ling commented from the side, "Cute, sure, but with those skinny arms and legs, she’s got no muscle. Can’t do any heavy lifting."

Holding Huangfu Miaomiao’s hand, Bai Lu asked Feng Ling, "Where are you two off to? Patrol?"

"Mhm," Feng Ling nodded. "We’re going with the patrol team. It’s a good chance to get familiar with the area. I still haven’t seen all the streets and intersections in Jinnan City."

Huangfu Miaomiao silently pulled her hand back and hid behind Feng Ling.

Bai Lu straightened up and said in a gentle tone, "That’s good. Yue Ning and Xingluo are new recruits and lack combat experience. With you accompanying them, I can rest a little easier."

Feng Ling replied bluntly, "The two of them are quite formidable when they team up. They don’t need my help."

"Twins certainly have a major advantage in combat coordination. Headquarters probably transferred them here because they knew I have experience and skills in that regard. A pity my sister is no longer with me... what I can teach them is very limited."

Just as Bai Lu finished speaking, He Yue Ning and He Xingluo walked out of their room together.

"Captain Bai."

"Captain Bai."

The twins spoke in unison.

"I’m heading back to the office. You all should get going. Be safe." Bai Lu smiled, gave the twins a slight nod, and then turned and walked away.

The moment Bai Lu was out of earshot, Huangfu Miaomiao tugged on Feng Ling’s hand, holding up her arm to show her the goosebumps.

"She kept touching me! All the hairs on my arm stood up!" Huangfu Miaomiao whispered.

Feng Ling mocked her ruthlessly. "To a ’player’ like you, she’s at least an elite mob. You were that close, and you even threw yourself right into her arms. Of course your hair stood on end. That’s a completely normal reaction."

Huangfu Miaomiao puffed out her cheeks and grumbled, "I didn’t see her *because* I was too close!"

Feng Ling sighed. "You can’t see when you’re too far, you can’t see when you’re too close, and you can’t see when something’s in the way. *Sigh*. Maybe I should just take the Daoist on patrol next time."

"The Daoist isn’t as fast as me! And he fasts, so he can’t go out to eat with you..." Huangfu Miaomiao reminded Feng Ling of her advantages, her lips pursed in a pout.

The twins chuckled at their exchange.

Today’s patrol route began, as usual, in the most bustling commercial district before spiraling outward like a mosquito coil. This time, it also included several new neighborhoods Feng Ling hadn’t visited before.

After sunset, the traffic on the roads began to thin out. Everything was business as usual.

In the car, He Yue Ning brought up yesterday’s case. "It’s such a shame. Jinnan City had been free of Alien Species cases for nearly a month. But then that one suddenly appeared yesterday. I guess the curfew time probably can’t be pushed back now."

"It is a shame," He Xingluo said, "but the curfew is for everyone’s safety."

He Yue Ning sighed deeply. "Why do Alien Species insist on coming out at night? Why can’t they operate during the day? Then we wouldn’t have to patrol in the dark."

"There you go with your fantasies again," He Xingluo said. "It’s not that Alien Species care whether it’s day or night. But it’s easier to be spotted during the day, and security cameras get a much clearer shot. Obviously, it’s safer for them to operate at night."

A Human-faced Crow suddenly landed on the windshield.

He Xingluo, who was driving, froze for a second before slowing the car. "...Ah, Ms. Ling, it’s your bird."

Feng Ling hadn’t driven her pickup truck today, instead hitching a ride in the twins’ patrol car.

She opened the car window, and the Human-faced Crow flapped its way inside. It landed on Feng Ling’s shoulder and began to mutter, in a voice that sounded like it was chanting, "I want money, I want money..."

Feng Ling tilted her head slightly, her brow furrowed in concentration as she listened intently.

He Xingluo and He Yue Ning exchanged a baffled look.

After a few seconds, Feng Ling spoke up. "Pull over up ahead. It seems my Old Three has found something. I need to go take a look."

He Yue Ning perked up, turning to say, "What did he find? Let’s go check it out together!"

He Xingluo was curious as well. She pulled the car over and asked Feng Ling, "Where are you headed? If it’s not far, we can drive you."

"It’s pretty far," Feng Ling said as she opened the car door to get out. "You two should continue your patrol. Don’t worry about me, I can just grab one of those shared e-scooters. It’s easy enough."

’The Human-faced Crow just told me it found someone with eyes on their body. I have to go see. This is much more important than the patrol.’

He Yue Ning wanted to go too, and she looked at He Xingluo with pleading eyes.

"Ms. Ling, if you need help, give us a call," He Xingluo said thoughtfully. "We can’t go too far, though. We’re afraid we won’t be able to get back in time if something happens in the city."

—Inspectors were bound by strict regulations. They could not leave their assigned jurisdiction. Even in an emergency, they had to request permission from a superior before crossing the boundary.

Feng Ling nodded slightly. "Got it. I’ll call if anything comes up."

She parted ways with the twins, found a small e-scooter by the road, put a helmet on Huangfu Miaomiao, and then sped off toward the location the Human-faced Crow had given her.

Fortunately, she had spent the last couple of days familiarizing herself with the roads of Jinnan City, so she knew which route would be fastest.

Even so, Feng Ling rode the e-scooter for nearly a full hour.

’It was just too far.’

After passing through a tunnel, she reached an intersection where several Human-faced Crows were perched on a traffic light, cawing noisily. From their jumbled cries, Feng Ling managed to extract a few key pieces of information: man, eyes, corpse, onward...

"Feng Ling, is this scooter running out of battery?" Huangfu Miaomiao asked, her arms wrapped around Feng Ling’s waist. She could feel their speed steadily decreasing.

Feng Ling tsked. She managed to keep going for a few more minutes before the scooter died completely, forcing them to get off and continue on foot.

By now, she had reached the suburbs. The road was flanked by desolate fields. There were no streetlights; only the moon illuminated the pale, stark road before them.

A dim light glowed in the distance, and the main gate of a factory, covered in red rust, stood out starkly against the darkness.

Feng Ling pulled out her phone and checked the map.

According to the map, the place ahead was the Jinnan City Special Waste Incineration Plant.

Feng Ling recalled Fan Ze mentioning that the bodies of Alien Species were sent to the incinerator for disposal.

She suspiciously summoned one of the Human-faced Crows. "The man you saw—was he alive or dead?"

The Human-faced Crow cried out, "So hungry, so hungry~"

Feng Ling grew even more confused. "You’re saying he’s alive? And he crawled in by himself?"

She gazed at the distant incinerator. ’I can’t make sense of this.’ The only thing to do was go inside and see for herself.