Chapter 3, shrouded in mist

What are you going to do

Xiatianqi could hardly believe his eyes, for there were simply too many corpses inside this place

However, as he walked, Xia Tianqi's thoughts began to become uncontrollably active, and he suddenly conceived a terrifying hypothesis

The heart began to beat violently, and breathing became increasingly difficult; Xia Tianqi felt as if he was about to suffocate

Zhang Xiaoshun wanted to speak, but Xia Tianqi made a gesture for silence and quietly indicated that

However, this time you will not be alone; there will be new people going to try out for the position. Additionally, I do not recommend that you resign and go home, as that would lead to even greater troubles. Finally, I wish you good luck and hope to see you alive again.

In a while, there will be two probationary employees going over to take their shifts, and I will personally take them there

No," the balding middle-aged man replied with certainty

Meanwhile, a terrifying figure slowly rose from the steps

I am not going anywhere... By the way, why are you so bright?

Staring blankly at the group of police officers for a while, Xia Tianqi suddenly recalled what had happened last night and exclaimed:

Take it away

Change... change, am I leading the way? For... why?

Although Xia Tianqi was not fond of Zhang Xiaoshun before, seeing that Zhang Xiaoshun was fine now made him quite happy. After all, having someone by his side provided him with a sense of security.

Turning off the flashlight, the endless darkness once again enveloped Xia Tianqi's vision

Xiatianqi felt himself in a state of half-consciousness, as he could clearly sense a burning pain emanating from his chest. It was as if something was searing his chest, making him unable to suppress a cry of pain, yet he found himself unable to open his mouth.

Moreover, Zhang Xiaoshun was indeed too quiet, having not spoken a single word from beginning to end

Zhang Xiaoshun? Are you sure this is the name?

Do not make a sound yet, listen to me. There is likely a murderer lurking in this building, and the women's restroom next door is filled with corpses. Did you bring your phone? We need to call the police

... ...

"Otherwise, do you still want to work here?" said the burly police officer with a smile

After the middle-aged man finished speaking, he intended to get in the car and leave, but he was stopped by Xia Tianqi

Zhang Xiaoshun suddenly questioned Xia Tianqi with a cold expression

Thank you

Upon seeing the middle-aged man, Xia Tianqi immediately erupted in fury, cursing repeatedly:

It is better to escape quickly, in case he is still here...

After the burly police officer finished speaking, he inexplicably released Xia Tianqi's handcuffs

I am wrongfully accused. I did not commit murder; what I told you earlier in the bookstore was the truth. In fact, I also know the accomplice of that murderer; I have his phone number. He is a middle-aged man with a crew cut, approximately...

After a moment of contemplation, Xia Tianqi ultimately decided to disregard Zhang Xiaoshun and escape downstairs alone. As long as he could get out of the bookstore, he would be essentially safe, after all, no murderer would dare to commit murder in broad daylight on the street

I absolutely do not have this person here!" the balding middle-aged man reiterated emphatically

It is this old bastard who has framed me; he must be in cahoots with that murderer

At this point, the middle-aged man paused for a moment and added

With such thoughts in mind, Xia Tianqi planned to escape downstairs. However, just as he rushed out of the bathroom, he suddenly saw a figure darting out from the side!

No, this cannot continue; I need to remain calm. I absolutely must not lose my composure!

We suspect that you are a major suspect in the case, please come with us for a while

There is definitely someone; he is wearing the uniform of your bookstore, and I have seen his work ID. His name is Zhang Xiaoshun, he has a crew cut, single eyelids, and is not talkative...

Recalling the scene of searching for Zhang Xiaoshun downstairs, Xia Tianqi couldn't help but feel a wave of fear. However, this incident also roughly indicates that the murderer may have truly left.

One of the burly police officers interrupted Xia Tianqi and asked

However, Zhang Xiaoshun was completely unconvinced by his argument and pointed ahead, saying:

That almost scared me to death

There stood no fewer than ten police officers neatly beside him

Zhang Xiaoshun's voice suddenly came through

Upon hearing Xia Tianqi's words, Zhang Xiaoshun's pupils involuntarily constricted slightly, and he hurriedly shook his head and said

Upon arriving at the local Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Team, Xia Tianqi was temporarily placed in an interrogation room. He had seen such rooms countless times in movies, but this was the first time he actually sat in one; naturally, he hoped it would be the last.

Xiatianqi rubbed his cheeks vigorously, trying hard to calm himself down

What should I do? Is Zhang Xiaoshun really that murderer

"Hmm, understood." The burly police officer nodded in acknowledgment and then signaled to the two officers beside him to handcuff Xia Tianqi

First, he needs to clarify the environment he is in and his subsequent goals. Does he want to find out what is going on, or does he want to find a way to escape the bookstore and call the police

Murder! There are corpses everywhere on the third floor, and the murderer still wants to kill me

This person is none other than Zhang Xiaoshun, who is waiting for him not far away

In the summer, Qi's scalp tingled as he let out a cry; although his body assumed a defensive posture, it trembled uncontrollably.

Xiatianqi's voice trembled, as he felt that his fear was nearing its limit, and he truly could no longer continue to pretend.

You are quite familiar with this place, please take me down

Xia Tianqi expressed some disappointment and muttered under his breath, then quietly reminded Zhang Xiaoshun:

It appears that they have all recently died, as blood continues to flow out through the gaps in the compartment.

"Could you come over here for a moment? Is there someone named Zhang Xiaoshun in your bookstore?" A police officer called over a balding middle-aged man from the crowd behind.

Am I really able to leave

This sentence should be said by me to you

Zhang Xiaoshun also seemed quite frightened, his face pale as he clutched his heart

Did you say you saw the murderer

Having said this, Xia Tianqi suddenly turned around and fled to one side without a care for anything else

Who is it

Although he did not know what was going on, being able to leave the police station was a good thing, so Xia Tianqi stopped talking and simply said thank you before leaving the room, and the middle-aged man also walked out with him

After the burly police officer finished speaking, a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes walked in

Moreover, there are many staff members in white coats who are lifting...! ... corpses!

Damn! Then we can only escape first!

There is likely a murderer in this bookstore building, and he has just left the women's restroom on the third floor. No, that can't be right. Since he has the ability to kill so many people, and I made such obvious noise earlier, he shouldn't be indifferent. Could it be that my previous assumption was wrong, and that the murderer was not in the women's restroom before?

So what? The result is that you are still alive and well. You have not yet passed the probation period, so you still have to go back there to work

Xiatianqi was immediately anxious upon seeing this

You take the lead

It was he who told me that his name is Zhang Xiaoshun

The surveillance footage from both sides of the street has been reviewed, and only he has entered.

This feeling has been ongoing ... ... continuing ... ...

At this moment, Zhang Xiaoshun appeared to possess an indescribable eeriness. Although he had no light source to illuminate himself, he seemed to be bathed in moonlight, exuding a chilling aura all around him

I ... ... I also did not bring my phone

I saw it, the murderer is the librarian here, his name is Zhang Xiaoshun

Just as Xia Tianqi was about to escape from the stairway, the door at the stairway entrance suddenly slammed shut

I... my shoelace came undone, I will tie my shoelace and then leave

Who exactly are you? What kind of company is this? Someone died in the bookstore yesterday, do you know that? Many people died! I almost died too, and now you still want me to go back!

At the same time, it also left Xia Tianqi with more mysteries.

Is there anything you would like to say to me

Just as Xia Tianqi was arguing with the bald middle-aged man, a police officer suddenly ran over and said

Seeing the path ahead blocked, Xia Tianqi, in a state of panic, slipped and then tumbled down the steps, screaming, and lost consciousness.

Hello, wake up...

After the middle-aged man finished speaking, he made a sharp left turn and drove away in his luxury car

Desperately fleeing a distance, when Xia Tianqi shone his flashlight behind him, he found that Zhang Xiaoshun had disappeared. However, he did not take it lightly. Who knows if Zhang Xiaoshun is waiting for him at the bookstore entrance.

Sitting on a somewhat cold chair, Xia Tianqi recalled the entire incident and felt that there were indeed numerous points of suspicion.

He subconsciously grasped Zhang Xiaoshun's clothing, carefully following behind him.

Xiatianqi's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, cold sweat continuously streaming down his cheeks, and he no longer knew what to do.

Perhaps that murderer is no longer here

The flashlight continued to flicker, but with the brief illumination, Xia Tianqi was able to see the face of that figure clearly

Moreover, Zhang Xiaoshun is indeed very suspicious. He had shouted so loudly downstairs before, yet there was no response from Zhang Xiaoshun, and it was only outside the restroom on the 3rd floor that he happened to encounter him. Furthermore, he had neither a mobile phone nor a flashlight in his hand, so how could he be so certain that he himself, coming out of the restroom, was definitely a good person

Or rather... good people and bad people are of no importance to him, because in his eyes... they are all essentially dead!

Seeing Zhang Xiaoshun nod, Xia Tianqi simply turned off the flashlight, as the flickering light made him anxious and also made it easier to be discovered

Why did it suddenly stop

Xiatian Qi stared blankly at the burly police officer and the middle-aged man standing silently by the door for quite a while before finally regaining his composure and standing up from the chair

Just as Qiyi was reminiscing about this matter in the summer, the burly police officer from before suddenly opened the door and walked in, sitting down heavily across from him

He did not see the appearance of the murderer; in other words, the murderer could be anyone other than himself, which naturally includes Zhang Xiaoshun

Is it him

Xiatianqi gritted his teeth and finished speaking, then deliberately changed the subject to divert attention

In the past, I often heard people say that heaven and hell are only a thin line apart, but at that time, I did not pay much attention to it. However, now Xia Tianqi truly believes in it.

Shh ... ...

After making a significant turn, Xia Tianqi has already rushed to the stairway entrance, and by continuing downward, he can reach the 1st floor

He suspected that the middle-aged man might be in cahoots with Zhang Xiaoshun, and the reason for offering him such a high salary was to make him a scapegoat. With this in mind, the generous compensation suddenly made sense; they were essentially buying his life!

Yesterday, he was still rejoicing at having found a job with a satisfactory salary, but in the blink of an eye, he became a suspect in a crime, and one must admit that it is indeed too dramatic

Saying this, without giving Xia Tianqi a chance to retort, he waved his hand grandly and said

After leaving the police station, Xia Tianqi had a belly full of questions he wanted to ask the middle-aged man, but he did not get the opportunity to inquire

Having made up his mind, Xia Tianqi planned to accelerate and overtake Zhang Xiaoshun, who was walking in front. However, just as he was about to do so, a figure suddenly appeared in his line of sight, which had been engulfed in darkness.

That was exactly the Zhang Xiaoshun he had been searching for all along

There is no doubt that if he had a choice, he would certainly choose the latter

In the summer, Qi struggled to open his eyes, and then he was startled by the scene in front of him.

Until someone woke him up

Of course, during the process, he did not forget to turn on the flashlight; otherwise, with his vision in the dark, he would absolutely be unable to find the way down the stairs

Xiatianqi felt that it was very likely to be this way; otherwise, he would not have made such a commotion just now, shouting and yelling. If a murderer were truly here, how could they possibly let him go without any consequences

Xiatianqi replied calmly, trying to make himself appear less obvious

Well, I understand everything now. You can leave now.

Well.