AWAKENING THE DAILY INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM

Chapter 796: 339 A Glimmer of Hope_2

Oscar raised both arms, tightly gripping the black pistol, his entire focus fixed on the doorway. His face was etched with vigilance, his eyes radiating determination and resolve, as if ready to fight to the death with any intruder.

Meanwhile, William Wang held a fruit knife in a reverse grip, his body cleverly concealed within the shadows of the doorway. His eyes were locked on the entrance, prepared to launch a ferocious attack from behind, delivering a fatal blow to any enemy who stepped through.

Footsteps echoed, growing clearer as they approached. Each step seemed to stomp on everyone’s hearts, making their pulses race faster. Finally, the footsteps came to a halt right in front of the office door.

Hidden behind the door, William Wang couldn’t see what was outside due to his angle. But when he noticed the four people inside the room—Oscar among them—suddenly freeze as their pupils contracted sharply and their expressions twisted into terror, it was as if they had witnessed something unimaginably horrifying. William Wang felt an invisible hand clutching his heart, leaving him struggling to breathe.

Unwilling to sit and wait for death, William Wang held his breath and cautiously shifted forward, pressing his body tightly against the door, angling his head slightly to get a glimpse of what was outside.

But just then, a shadowy figure suddenly leaned in from the other side of the door. This dark silhouette appeared so abruptly, only a finger’s width away from William Wang’s face.

All William Wang could discern were two blood-red eyes, blazing like scorching flames, full of endless fury and murderous intent. Before he could react, his vision flipped, and he lost consciousness completely, collapsing limply to the floor…

At 11:50 PM, the gates of Bo’ai Orphanage on the west side of Los Angeles City were engulfed in stillness. Emily Lee from the Criminal Investigation Unit One concealed herself in the shadows behind a tree, her eyes sharp and alert like those of a nocturnal predator, focused intently on the orphanage’s tightly shut metal gate. Her gaze conveyed concentration and vigilance.

The surrounding atmosphere was oppressive and stifling, as though forewarning the arrival of something extraordinary. Suddenly, without any prior warning, a shrill gunshot rang out from one of the three-story buildings within the orphanage. The sound shattered the silence of the night, startling birds in the nearby trees which took flight in a flurry of wings.

“You two stay here! The rest of you, follow me inside!” Officer Emily Lee reacted instantly to the gunshot. Her expression was resolute, her tone commanding. Pointing to two nearby officers, she barked orders and then sprinted towards the iron gate without hesitation.

Though the gate was firmly locked, it posed no real challenge to this team of well-trained and agile detectives. Officer Emily Lee dashed towards the gate with a few speedy strides, grabbing one of the iron bars precisely while propelling herself forward with a powerful push of her feet. Her body, resembling a streak of black lightning, nimbly vaulted to the top of the gate before gracefully flipping over and landing securely inside the orphanage.

Behind her, five or six other detectives quickly followed suit. Their movements were swift and clean, leaping over the gate with the grace and ease of leopards, making their way into the orphanage.

Emily Lee soon led the team of officers toward the building where the gunshot resounded. Having previously familiarized themselves with the layout of the orphanage, they bypassed the first and second floors without pause, heading directly for the third floor—with their target being Oscar’s office.

Approaching the office door, Officer Emily Lee noticed it was ajar. Peeking cautiously through the gap, she failed to spot any immediate signs of danger.

“Stay alert, everyone!” Officer Emily Lee advised as she deftly drew her sidearm from its holster at her waist. With her body crouched low, her movements light yet deliberate, she entered the room cautiously ahead of the team.

“Creak…” She reached out and gently pushed the door open. The old wooden door emitted a faint groan, the sound reverberating in the otherwise still air.

As soon as the door was fully opened, her team of detectives swiftly followed her inside, their weapons raised in synchronization and their movements precise—prepared for any sudden danger.

However, to their astonishment, the office was entirely empty. There wasn’t a single soul present, nor a hint of life to be felt. Officer Emily Lee scanned her surroundings, her brows knitting deeply as confusion set in. Just hours earlier, she had personally seen Oscar and his companions drive into the orphanage and enter this very building. How could it now be completely devoid of anyone?

“You three, check the inner room. The rest of you, search outside,” Officer Emily Lee swiftly issued commands, then began to meticulously inspect the office herself, hoping to uncover traces of evidence.

The office’s furniture was impeccably arranged, with no apparent damage. The space lacked any signs of a scuffle—no overturned items or shattered objects. Everything appeared orderly, suggesting no struggle had taken place before Oscar and his group vanished.

Given this, Officer Emily Lee pondered two possibilities. The first, that Oscar and the others had encountered an emergency situation, forcing them to flee abruptly. The second, that someone had used a sedative or a substance inducing unconsciousness, rendering them defenseless before abducting them.

Her gaze involuntarily shifted toward the coffee table. On it sat five white porcelain bowls and an aluminum pot. The bowls showed no signs of cleaning, and inside, remnants of a pinkish liquid lingered—peculiar and unsettling in appearance.

“What on earth is this?” Emily Lee’s curiosity was piqued. She slipped on a pair of white rubber gloves with care, picked up one of the porcelain bowls, and brought it closer to her nose for inspection. A faintly metallic, blood-like scent mixed with a bizarre sweetness wafted into her nostrils. It was unlike anything she had ever encountered, an almost otherworldly aroma.

Oddly enough, after only a few sniffs, Emily Lee felt her stomach churn violently. A wave of intense nausea surged through her, compelling her to set the bowl back down quickly. She then directed her attention to the aluminum pot. The pot contained leftover soup, its surface a milky white, with a congealed layer of white fat floating on top. These fat patches differed starkly from ordinary pork fat—they lacked any yellowish tinge and appeared ghostly pale, as if painted with white varnish—eliciting an eerie sense of dread.

Frowning deeply, Emily Lee stifled her discomfort and nausea. She picked up the large ladle in the pot and slowly scooped up some of the soup. As the ladle emerged from the liquid, something chilling and grotesque became discernible—a severed, tiny hand.

“Ah!” Emily Lee shrieked the moment her eyes locked onto the dismembered hand. Her pupils constricted sharply, and in her panic, the ladle clattered to the floor with a metallic clang. Instinctively staggering backward, her body trembled lightly, her face an amalgamation of horror and fury.

The other detectives rushed out from the adjoining room upon hearing her scream, their expressions tense. They hastily inquired, “Captain Li, what happened?”

At that moment, Emily Lee braced herself against the wall, barely managing to steady her body. Her other hand covered her mouth, her face as pale as a sheet, her whole frame trembling faintly as she fought to suppress the overwhelming fear and a wave of physical revulsion.

“These bastards!” After what felt like an eternity, Emily Lee finally regained some composure. Swallowing her nausea, she clung to the wall for support, her voice seething with indignation and hatred for the perpetrators.

Source: .com, updated on Novlove.com

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!