Volume Twelve: An Invitation from Hell Chapter Seven: The Fourth Invitation

Phoenix, what are you thinking? Xuan Chen asked when he saw Yaoguang lost in thought.

I am trying to figure out what exactly the magnetic field on these invitations is. It is a kind of sinister energy I have never seen before, not a malevolent ghost, not a ghost immortal, not a seductive spirit. I had Qiongxian investigate it, but not only could we not trace it, we could not even identify what it was. What we do know now is that this Hell Invitation case is truly bizarre. But what exactly the killer is, human or ghost, is the real headache, Yaoguang said.

Phoenix, the fourth invitation has appeared. Chu Tianyou came in and said. Captain Song received a report, but when he went to the scene, he ran into obstruction. Go take a look.

Obstruction? What obstruction? Yaoguang asked.

The victim is the general manager of Haiyun Foreign Trade Company. The report came from his secretary, but when Captain Song got there, he was blocked by the company’s upper management. They have been deadlocked for quite a while, Tianyou said.

This is getting interesting. Someone actually dares to interfere with the police. Fine, then. I want to see who in Ye City can stop me, Yaoguang said with a cold smile.

Yaoguang’s RV was parked downstairs at the Haiyun Group building. She led her people inside, but security stopped them. Yaoguang sneered. You dare to block the police while they are investigating? Do you want to go in and stay a few days yourself? Your boss pays you a hundred thousand a month and this is how devoted you are?

The guard looked at Yaoguang, but for some reason he did not dare answer back. While he was still frozen in place, Yaoguang had already walked past him.

The general manager’s office was on the top floor, the twenty-seventh. As Yaoguang and the others took the elevator up, they saw a man in a suit with several black-clad bodyguards blocking Captain Song, the two sides arguing heatedly.

Yaoguang strode over and pulled Song away at once. Am I late? she said with a grin, not even glancing at the man in the suit.

Oh, heavens, you finally came. I have been stuck here for nearly half an hour and still have not even gotten through the front door, Song complained dramatically.

Why panic? I am here now, aren’t I? It is fine, it is fine. Big sister has your back, Yaoguang said, smiling as she patted Song on the shoulder.

Who are you people? Who let you come up here? What are the security guards downstairs doing? the man in the suit barked.

Why are you shouting? Are you the only one with a voice in this whole hallway? Yaoguang turned and gave him a look.

What, can’t take it? the man snapped.

Xuan Chen, we really should have checked the almanac before leaving today. Did you know you were going to get bitten by a dog? Yaoguang said, symbolically covering her ears.

Who are you calling a dog? the man roared.

Whoever answers, I am calling them a dog, Yaoguang replied, lifting her eyes toward him. Police are conducting an investigation and you are still blocking the way. You have quite the nerve. What, do you think no one in Ye City can control Haiyun Group?

That is exactly what I think. What about it? the man shouted. Haiyun Group has money and power. Why should I listen to you? Who do you think you are? So what if you are police?

Heh. Bold words, Yaoguang said, clapping. Fine, then. Today I will not speak to you as a police officer. I will speak to you as an ordinary person, and I would like to see how long you can keep acting so mighty. What did you just say? Money and power, right? In your mind, whoever has money and power is the boss, yes?

So what if it is? the man yelled. If you have the ability, use it.

I have been alive for many years, and this is the first time I have heard such childish nonsense. Fine, then let me show you what real money and power look like today, Yaoguang said with a smile as she took out her phone. Hello, Yitian. Notify the board of Yilanxuan and terminate all cooperation with Haiyun Group. Also acquire Haiyun Group in full. I want Haiyun Group to vanish from the capital market within four hours. I am at Haiyun Group right now. Come over and get the authorization from me. Yaoguang hung up and looked at the man in the suit. Little brother, no need to rush. Four hours is not that long. We will wait here.

Then she sat down on a resting bench and started looking at her phone.

Do not stand there. Sit and wait. Yitian works fast; it will not take four hours. Before long, Haiyun Group will belong to Yilanxuan International, and then we can investigate at our leisure. We could even turn this whole building upside down, Yaoguang said with a smile as she took a puff from her e-cigarette. In the haze, her face looked even more inscrutable.

Who are you trying to fool? If I believed you, I would be an idiot, the man in the suit sneered. He did not believe for a second that this fair, delicate little girl in front of him was some great figure. He had seen plenty of empty bluster before.

I did not ask you to believe me. We will let the result speak, Yaoguang said with a laugh. I dare you, you will not last half an hour before calling me big sister. Believe it or not, we will see.

The man in the suit remained full of disdain and contempt. Beside him, Xuan Chen was nearly holding back laughter. This foolish idiot had really walked straight into the muzzle of a gun. With all these years of knowing the Phoenix, bringing down a Haiyun Group was indeed no more than child’s play for her.

Fifteen minutes later, Yitian appeared before Yaoguang with a briefcase in hand, followed by several board shareholders. Miss, I am here. This is the authorization letter. Please sign.

Yaoguang took the pen Yitian handed her and signed the document.

The face of the man in the suit changed the moment he saw the shareholders behind Yitian. You really are the power behind Yilanxuan International?

Hai Ziren, are you an idiot? The person in front of you is standing right here and you do not even recognize her. What kind of executive CEO are you? And how did this brat offend our young lady? one of the board chairmen behind Yitian asked, his expression dark. Anyone in the circle would know that the eldest daughter of Yilanxuan International was not someone to provoke.

He did not offend me, Uncle Zhou. Their boss just died, and I am here to investigate. They simply would not let me in, Yaoguang said with a smile.

Hai Shengjiang is dead? Chairman Zhou said in surprise.

Hell Invitation, Yaoguang said.

I have heard of that. Hell Invitations are sent to people guilty of monstrous crimes. It seems Hai Shengjiang had something to answer for. Miss, this cooperation really does need reconsideration, Chairman Zhou said.

Uncle Zhou, pass on my word: stop all cooperation projects with Haiyun Group, withdraw all investments at once, and suspend any acquisition or merger plans for now. Yaoguang stood up and looked at Hai Ziren. Little brother, may I go in now?

Oh, yes, please. Hai Ziren stepped aside in a daze.

She cannot be allowed in, said a voice from behind Hai Ziren. Yaoguang looked up at the man and gave a cold smile. She sank her dantian energy and shouted at the fat man in the black suit, Move aside.

Everyone in the room felt as if the speakers in a theater had suddenly blown out. Yaoguang’s voice was not something an ordinary person could endure. The man was the first to take the impact; in an instant he felt dizzy and dazed, and with a thud he sat down on the floor. Everyone present was stunned. Yaoguang swept her hand, and a gust of wind passed through. The crowd instantly came back to its senses, but only the fat man remained sitting on the floor, stupefied.

Phoenix, did you yell him stupid? Xuan Chen asked as he followed Yaoguang inside.

No. He will be fine in five minutes, Yaoguang said as she walked in.

Hai Ziren stared blankly at her back, still dazed. This Miss Phoenix really is just as the rumors say. She is no ordinary person. Have I offended someone I should never have offended?

Miss does not have the time to fuss with you. You should be worrying about yourself. Since Old Hai received a Hell Invitation, it means he did something he should not have done. Your family is in serious trouble now. And let me warn you: whatever the young lady wants to investigate, you cooperate. If you delay her work, you know exactly what the consequences will be. Do not say I did not warn you. Think carefully for yourself. I am leaving now, Chairman Zhou and the others said before turning and leaving, leaving only Hai Ziren, whose legs were already trembling.

The moment Yaoguang entered the room, she froze. What in the world is this? On the back wall of the office stood a huge mirror. The victim had been tied to a wooden cross and faced toward the mirror, on which some kind of red pigment had been used to paint a giant demon.

Yaoguang walked over and saw a black invitation card clamped in the victim’s hand, bearing a skull. She removed it and opened it. The printed red text read:

Invitee: Hai Shengjiang

Do you like overseas trade? Do you like to use your own goods to exchange for foreign currency? But do you prefer using black goods that are not yours to obtain black foreign currency? You think you have done everything flawlessly, and you even praise yourself for your despicable deeds. But do you know that there is a saying: if you want others not to know, you must not do it yourself? Are you still a descendant of the Chinese people? Does your filthy soul, without any bottom line, deserve the noble bloodline of the descendants of China? It does not matter. I will help purify you. Bring your filthy soul and come with me to Hell as a guest. I have already prepared your purification.

Signed: The Envoy of Hell

Master, is this the Mirror of Retribution Hell? Huo Mingkun asked, looking at the giant mirror.

The fourth level of Hell: Mirror of Retribution Hell. If someone commits a crime in the mortal world, even if they refuse to confess, or use connections and bribery to cover it up and deceive the world, even if they escape punishment, the fugitive will still report to the underworld after death and be cast into the Mirror of Retribution Hell, where the mirror reveals their crimes. It seems Hai Shengjiang must have done something hidden from the world. Otherwise, why would the killer use the Mirror of Retribution Hell against him? Yaoguang walked up to Hai Shengjiang and was shocked. She discovered that both of his eyes were gone, leaving only two deep bloody sockets. There were ligature marks around the victim’s neck. Yaoguang’s hand went to the top of the victim’s head; there was no soul, not even a trace of consciousness this time. Mirror of Retribution Hell, what on earth did you do to make the killer use you against him?

Phoenix, the preliminary estimate is that the time of death was between one and two in the morning. There are ligature marks on the neck, and the lividity is bluish-purple. We preliminarily judge that he died of mechanical asphyxiation, meaning strangulation. The tissue around the victim’s eye sockets shows living reactions, so whether the eyes were removed first or something else happened, I will need to go back and perform a more detailed autopsy, Lele said after having people remove the body from the cross.

Phoenix, this room shows signs of being wiped down. We could not lift any fingerprints or footprints, and even the bloodstains on the floor have been cleaned away, Captain Song said as he came over.

Phoenix, we checked the surveillance footage. From the first floor to the lobby to the elevator and then to the office door, the only clear footage shows Hai Shengjiang coming in at one o’clock. From 1:30 to 2:00, the footage is all static. Since there was no night security in the building, no one noticed. In the morning, the secretary came to clean and found the door open, only then discovering that Hai Shengjiang was already dead. That is when the police were called. Then they notified Hai Ziren, Hai Shengjiang’s son and the company’s executive CEO, but for some reason Hai Ziren is very afraid of our investigation, Captain Song reported.

Secure the scene. A Kun, A Xu, and Jiang Yun, take my authorization and go investigate this company’s relationship network in Ye City, Yaoguang said, handing a badge to Jiang Yun.

Not long after returning to the precinct, the autopsy results from Chenchen and Lele came back. The victim had his eyes removed while his neck was being constricted. The eyes were taken out with a metal instrument, and the cuts around the sockets were very smooth. Only after the eyes were removed was he strangled to death. There were restraint injuries on the body, and the victim had struggled fiercely during the killing. In other words, he was fully conscious throughout the attack. No drugs or alcohol were found in his system.

The officers who had gone to the scene also returned. The result was no fingerprints, no footprints, and no signs that the lock had been pried open or forced. But when they examined the victim’s phone contacts, they found a very strange unfamiliar number. It had called in at 12:10 a.m., and the call lasted twenty minutes. Because the number was routed through a base station relay, it could not be captured or traced.

Master, we are back. This Hai Shengjiang father and son were arrogant but worldly. There were people who disliked them, but no one we could find who wanted them dead. Hai Shengjiang also loved going to bars and other nightspots, but with those women it was all gentlemanly acquaintanceship, just drinking, singing, and chatting. There was nothing else. Aside from being a bit arrogant, the father and son had a decent reputation overall, and they could be considered fairly clean-living. Hai Shengjiang had no wife; his wife died of cancer several years ago, and he never remarried. He only has one daughter, Hai Meiqing, who is studying overseas. She has already been notified to return for questioning, Huo Mingkun said.

Hai Meiqing is just a formality. That girl cannot even tell carrots from cabbage. Murdering someone? I doubt she has it in her, Yaoguang said with a helpless shake of her head when she heard the name.

How do you know? Huo Mingkun asked.

Half a best friend, I suppose. A pampered young lady who has never so much as dipped a finger into a bowl of spring water, Yaoguang said, shaking her head again.

Master, Hai Shengjiang died by the Mirror of Retribution Hell, which means he himself must have done something unforgivable that no one else knows about, or else his company is running one thing openly while secretly doing another. Which do you think is more likely? Jiang Yun asked.

I do not know Hai Shengjiang well, but over the years his reputation in the circle was passable. As for his son, well, how should I put it? He has ability, but his temper is not much to speak of. Still, he should not be the type to commit murder or arson or other criminal acts. If the Hai family were truly such a household, they would not have raised a daughter as accomplished and virtuous as Hai Meiqing, Yaoguang said, looking at the invitation card. Haiyun Foreign Trade, foreign trade, import and export, imports, exports... she murmured. Exports? Yes, exports. Investigate Haiyun Group’s export trade. Look up the main goods they export, their affiliated ports, and their cash flow accounts. Maritime trade may well involve smuggling. If they have gone all these years without being exposed, it can only mean they have kept it hidden very carefully.

All right, we will act at once. With that, everyone began moving.

Yitian will come to pick me up, Yaoguang said, and went downstairs.