Chapter 235: Framed

The sound hit me like a punch straight to the chest, my heart skipping a beat before pounding wildly. I ran as fast as I could, not knowing what had just happened. That figure in the distance was gone, and I had no idea who it was.

The beam from my flashlight jerked up and down with every stride. Up ahead, I finally caught sight of someone lying motionless on the ground. The flashlight revealed a person sprawled face-down, not moving an inch. No one else was around, yet a faint warmth still seemed to linger in the air.

The closer I got, the slower my steps became.

Alert now, I scanned the area with my flashlight. There was no sign of anyone else. Looking around, I realized the place was completely sealed off—no way in or out except the way I’d come. Seeing there was no immediate danger, I rushed over and rolled the body over.

What I saw made my blood run cold. The man’s face was drenched in blood. There was a hole in his temple.

There was no saving him. He was clearly dead.

But this space was completely sealed off. I checked again—nowhere for anyone to hide. The only entrance was the one I’d used. How did he die? Was it suicide?

I searched his clothes and fished out his ID from a pocket. I checked it. I’d never seen him before.

I shouted a few times, but no one answered. I was at a dead end—and no matter what, I’d have to move the body out of here.

Suddenly, several beams of light swept over me, so bright I had to shield my eyes. The next thing I heard was the click of handcuffs.

“Don’t move!” someone barked.

Their flashlight was blinding; I couldn’t make out any faces.

I called out, “I’m Captain Wu of the Special Investigation Team! Did Team Leader Shao send you?”

No one responded. Someone grabbed my arm hard, twisting me around, and slapped a pair of cuffs on my wrists.

I shouted, “My ID’s in my pocket!”

After I was restrained, the flashlight finally moved away from my face. I finally got a good look at them and their uniforms.

One of them didn’t waste words. “We followed the route here and only found you—and that guy at your feet.”

The grip on me was strong. I tried to wriggle free but it was useless, so I said stiffly, “You think I killed him? He worked in my department—why would I kill him?”

He waved a hand and said, “Who knows? Take him away. Carry the body out. Remember to wear gloves when handling evidence, just like him. That way, you won’t leave any traces.”

He emphasized the word ‘traces’ like I’d cleaned up a murder.

“It wasn’t me,” I said steadily.

He gave a chuckle. “You don’t know me and I don’t know you. I’m just here to arrest people—no need for chatter.”

Two others lifted the body and started hauling it out while the one behind me marched me forward.

A heavy sense of foreboding settled in my chest. Something deeper was at play here.

We’d barely left the corridor when, up ahead in another section, we ran into another group.

“Gu Chen? Has it been over a year since I last saw you, since your transfer?” the lead man called out.

“Duan Jingliang?” came Gu Chen’s voice.

Then Gu Chen added, “Wu Meng, you’re here too? And Duan Jingliang, what’s this about? Why is he in cuffs?”

Duan Jingliang glanced at me, then at Gu Chen. “I’m guessing you heard the noise and found your way here. My team was first to arrive. We didn’t see anyone else, just him by the body.”

I saw Gu Chen’s brow knit. He clearly didn’t think I was the killer.

Duan Jingliang continued, “Go check the other end—it’s a sealed room. If he’s not the killer, the guy must’ve killed himself. That’s an option too. In your words, he’s the most suspicious, isn’t he?”

“You were sent here to catch the killer, not to arrest our own,” Gu Chen said, voice low and steady.

Duan Jingliang shrugged. “You’ve barely been here any time and you’re already taking their side? I’m here to search for the killer and make arrests, not to take your orders. Technically, I outrank—or at least match—your Captain. You can’t tell me what to do.”

“I’m done talking,” Gu Chen said bluntly. “We’ll handle this ourselves. Hand him over to me.”

Duan Jingliang fired back, “You know protocol. You’re too close to this. Step aside and let us do our job.”

But Gu Chen refused to budge. “You don’t need to trouble yourselves with the investigation, do you?”

Given the circumstances, stuck in that tense scene with only me and a corpse and the real killer nowhere to be found, anyone would have suspected me—especially a group of strangers. But there was no way that was all there was to it. Something else was tying these events together.

I took a deep breath and said, “Fine. Let me explain, since I’m the one involved. First, Gu Chen—did you find Guan Zengbin?”

Gu Chen shook his head. “No. I tracked down the background from the photo and found that iron bed, but no trace of Guan Zengbin. I did find her clothes and her phone, which is still working, but there’s no signal down here.”

I pressed, “Was there any blood?”

Gu Chen shook his head again. “No blood anywhere. Neither on the ground nor the bed. And there were no signs of a struggle or fight, either. The iron chain in the photo wasn’t actual metal—it’s a plastic one that just looks like iron. If you used a small knife, you could probably cut through it in about ten minutes.”

Grabbing my hair with one hand, I muttered, “Then Guan Zengbin must be alive.”

“But where did Guan Zengbin go?” Gu Chen asked, confused. “We’ve searched this whole underground area and found nothing.”

I answered, “Someone must’ve taken her. If she’d escaped on her own, she’d have taken her clothes and phone with her.”