Seeing Crime Scenes in My Sleep

Jiang Li followed Wu Ming’s gaze. In the corner, a bearded man was smoking, his eyes noticeably crooked and uneven.

Wu Ming wanted to catch him in the act, but Jiang Li pulled her away. ’There’s something off about this KTV,’ she thought. ’We shouldn’t do anything rash.’

The two returned to the sofa. Just as Wu Ming was about to speak, Jiang Li put a hand on her, stopping her. Wu Ming immediately swallowed her words.

Behind the wall, a man with sharp eyes was watching their every move.

’Are these four really just here for a good time?’

Jiang Li had Wu Ming call a few more people into the room. As the room filled, the man’s line of sight was obstructed, and he could no longer see what was happening inside.

Jiang Li took out her phone to contact Zhao Shuo and told him about the situation at the KTV.

Zhao Shuo: [Miss Jiang, find an opportunity to get out. Your safety is the top priority.]

After sending the message, Zhao Shuo looked at the location on his GPS. ’I remember the local police station keeps a close watch on this area.’

The neighborhood had always been rife with trouble. ’It’s a wonder Jiang Li and her group even found this place.’

Jiang Li read Zhao Shuo’s message and thought he had a point. "Wu Ming, it’s getting late. Let’s head back."

Jiang Li sent the bearded man’s room number to Zhao Shuo, then deleted her chat history.

"Alright, let’s go then."

Wu Ming got up and started shooing everyone out. Yu Huannian and Miao Anji were huddled in a corner; if they didn’t leave soon, the cloying atmosphere would seep into their very bones.

"Leaving so soon? You paid for the whole night. It’s only been a little while, what’s the rush?"

Just as Wu Ming reached the door, her path was blocked.

"We’re not asking for a refund. We got bored, so we’re leaving. Is there a problem with that?" Wu Ming said, crossing her arms as she stared at the woman before her.

Chen Li scrutinized the group before her. All they had done since arriving was eat and sing. They were nothing like the regulars; in fact, their newness was suspicious.

"What, are you planning to hold us here against our will?" Jiang Li stepped forward, her expression cold and calm as she faced them.

Jiang Li’s calm demeanor, however, made Chen Li feel a pang of uncertainty. ’What if I’ve provoked someone important?’

After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Li forced a smile. "Ma’am, please don’t be angry. It’s not cheap to spend an evening here, and we were just worried our service wasn’t up to par. That’s why I came to ask."

Jiang Li scoffed. "You’re right. The atmosphere here is terrible. I’m not satisfied, so I’m leaving. Is that a problem?"

Yu Huannian stepped out and shot a displeased glare around the room. The crowd of onlookers was instantly intimidated, instinctively taking a step back.

Seeing a crowd gathering and not wanting to cause a scene, Chen Li had no choice but to step aside and let them pass.

"Let’s go!"

Jiang Li led her group away, taking special note of her surroundings as she left.

"Sister Li," Du Wenhao began, cautiously approaching her. The next second, a sharp sting flared across his cheek.

"Worthless!" she snarled. "I thought your pretty face might actually be good for something, that you could hook this rich client. But you’re just as useless as ever!"

Du Wenhao clutched his face, his voice trembling as he apologized. "Sister Li, I... I’m sorry. I really tried my best, but she just wasn’t interested. There was nothing I could do."

A surge of frustration welled up inside Du Wenhao. ’He wanted to land a rich patron more than anyone.’

Chen Li watched Jiang Li’s group leave, then pulled out her phone to call her boss.

"Boss, they’re gone."

Hearing Chen Li’s report and recalling what he had seen and heard earlier, the man felt a headache coming on.

"Have someone tail them. See if they’re cops. If not, then leave it."

"Right, Boss." After hanging up, Chen Li whispered something to the man beside her.

Jiang Li led Yu Huannian and the others outside. She was about to look around when she sensed they were being followed and immediately abandoned the idea.

Zhao Shuo and his team arrived at that exact moment. He spotted Jiang Li’s group but quickly looked away, leading his officers straight into the building.

Chen Li had just come downstairs when she saw the police storming in. She froze for a second, then rushed forward to stall them.

"Officers, this is a legitimate business."

Zhao Shuo ignored her, leaving two officers behind as he led the rest toward the second floor. They were only halfway up when a sound like an alarm blared.

Zhao Shuo’s expression darkened. "They’ve been warned! Pick up the pace! Xiao Zhang, Liu, you two find out who tipped them off and bring them to the station."

Zhao Shuo sprinted up the stairs.

Hearing the alarm, the people in the private room scrambled to their feet in a panic, ready to flee.

"Hands behind your heads! Nobody move!"

Zhao Shuo burst in, gun drawn. A quick scan of the room revealed no sign of the bearded man. His eyes landed on the bathroom. He kicked the door open, only to find an open window.

Just as Zhao Shuo was about to give chase, he noticed something was off. The dust on the windowsill was perfectly intact, without a single footprint.

Zhao Shuo scanned the room again. ’He has to still be in here,’ he thought. ’That means there’s a hidden mechanism somewhere.’

The people in the room were quickly brought under control. Other officers swiftly searched the remaining private rooms, arresting several more people.

"Zhao Shuo, what’s your status? Did you get him?"

Zhou Tiancheng’s voice crackled over the radio. "Captain Zhou, no. He got away. I suspect there’s a hidden passage here."

"Understood. Stay safe."

Zhao Shuo ran his hand over the bathroom mirror. The sound was off. He went out, found a suitable tool, came back, and shattered the mirror. A one-and-a-half-meter-high passage was revealed behind it.

"These bastards are really good at hiding," Zhao Shuo muttered.

Cursing under his breath, Zhao Shuo led his men inside.

"Relax. They’ll never find this place. I’ve been hiding out here for ages. If they were going to catch me, they would’ve done it by now."

Leaning against the wall, Zhao Shuo peered inside. He saw the bearded man sitting on a sofa with two other people.

’What a shame,’ Zhao Shuo thought. ’Looks like your luck just ran out.’

"Hands behind your heads! Don’t move!"

Zhao Shuo and his team stormed in. The moment the bearded man saw them, he spun around to run, but Zhao Shuo lunged forward, took him down with a shoulder throw, and pinned him to the floor, deftly snapping handcuffs on his wrists.

Zhao Shuo spoke into his radio, "All units, carefully check any area with a mirror. See if there are other passages."

Watching the scene unfold, Chen Li felt her world come crashing down. She tried to slip away, but was caught the next second. Everyone at the KTV was taken to the police station for thorough questioning.

A short while later, Zhao Shuo called for more backup to conduct a thorough search of the KTV.

By the end of the night, the station was packed. Several rounds of interrogations revealed that the KTV was a front for a loan-sharking operation. Most of the employees were people who had taken out loans they couldn’t repay. The operators held this over their heads, forcing them to work to pay off their debt. But the debt only grew larger, until they were trapped with no way out.

The police also found contraband on the premises. On top of that, they arrested three wanted fugitives.

While everyone at the police station was busy beyond belief, Jiang Li and her friends were already home, fast asleep.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK, KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK... DONG! DONG DONG DONG...