Chapter Fifty-Four: The Car Broke Down

“Ah!?”

The surprised expressions of the three were clearly caught by Lin Xun’s eyes. Instead of backing down, her face grew even more resolute, her tone tinged with displeasure. “What, not welcome? Don’t worry, I’ll cover my own food and lodging on the road—no need for you to fuss over that.”

Cai Kun was the first to react, shaking his head vigorously like a rattle. “Big sister! It’s not about money, we’re not going on a sightseeing trip. This time...” In his haste, he almost let it slip, “...this time, we might even encounter ghosts. It’s more than just a little dangerous, and you’re a girl—it’ll be very inconvenient for you to come along!”

The moment those words left his mouth, Le Dong wanted nothing more than to kick him away!

To say there were dangers and ghosts in front of the police was tantamount to confessing—and it only confirmed that things were far from simple.

Sure enough, the moment Lin Xun heard the words “danger” and “ghost,” her eyes instantly lit up. There was no fear in them; instead, she felt a surge of intense curiosity and eagerness.

“Danger? Ghosts?” Lin Xun’s voice rose slightly. “Then I have even more reason to go! Protecting citizens and assisting with special cases is my duty! Besides...”

She straightened her chest, radiating confidence. “Don’t say it’s you— even the three of you together can be subdued by me in a heartbeat. Don’t underestimate me.” She paused, then added, “Also, I’ve handled quite a few so-called ghost cases with Mr. Chen. I understand some of the nuances and might be able to help.”

Seeing the three’s faces contort with frustration, she grew impatient. “Stop hesitating. Just say yes or no.”

“If you say no, I’ll call Master Fan right now and ask him what exactly is going on. I might as well report your morning exercises while I’m at it.”

That last sentence was a killer move. Ma Wenwen gritted her teeth and nodded slightly to Le Dong.

Le Dong exchanged a resigned glance with Cai Kun, both silently acknowledging the sharpness of this policewoman—she was both firm and flexible, impervious to coaxing or pressure, simply impossible to refuse.

“...Alright then.”

Le Dong sighed helplessly, effectively representing the trio in accepting this “uninvited guest.”

Immediately, the four of them hailed a car and returned to the somewhat cluttered courtyard of the rental house in the suburbs.

Outside the courtyard, Cai Kun’s weathered Wuling minivan sat quietly.

“Wow, this vehicle... has some real vintage charm.” Lin Xun examined the van, her tone ambiguous as to whether it was praise or criticism.

Cai Kun scratched his head sheepishly. “Heh, an old buddy—sturdy and reliable. Good for hauling cargo or people, no problem!” Saying that, he hurriedly opened the rear door and carefully secured the wrapped statue of Zhong Kui inside.

“Let’s get going!” Ma Wenwen urged, sliding into the passenger seat. After Le Dong and Lin Xun settled into the back, Cai Kun started the engine with practiced ease, then turned to Ma Wenwen and asked, “Master Ma, Minzhou is so vast—where exactly should we head?”

At this question, all eyes in the car turned to Ma Wenwen. She furrowed her brows, racking her brain.

“My master never lets me inquire about this big case... but once he argued with Uncle Zhou about Minzhou...” She patted her head. “I don’t know the exact city... how about we start with their provincial capital, Fuzhou? We can ask around once we get there.” Her tone was uncertain.

“What big case?” Lin Xun asked curiously about the “big case” Ma Wenwen mentioned.

“Trade secret—no comment!”

Ma Wenwen responded coldly, still feeling uneasy.

“Could it have something to do with what we found in the treasury yesterday?”

Unexpectedly, Lin Xun’s remark left the three in the car stunned. Cai Kun turned, clearly showing a “How do you know?” expression.

“I just guessed—it actually turned out to be right?”

Lin Xun’s words sounded like a surprised question, but Le Dong sensed it was more a statement.

Still, Le Dong wasn’t surprised. After all, even he had noticed the sudden change in Fan Biao and Zhou Fan’s expressions when they saw the photos—let alone the police. Probably... she had already figured it out, which explained her early morning visit and the later interrogation of Ma Wenwen. It seemed it was all part of her plan.

“Ahem... enough about that. Let’s get the navigation going.”

Le Dong forced a laugh to break the tension and set the route on the navigation system, revealing a journey approaching two thousand kilometers.

“Maybe... we shouldn’t drive.”

Cai Kun looked at the route and gave a wry smile.

“How else are we supposed to carry all this stuff? Especially that statue—if it gets banged around, it’ll be trouble!”

Upon hearing Ma Wenwen’s explanation, Cai Kun gave in. “Alright then, Dongzi, let’s take turns driving.”

With that, he gripped the steering wheel, and the minivan chugged away from the suburbs, merging into the increasingly busy morning traffic.

The ride was silent, the atmosphere somewhat heavy.

Lin Xun’s presence felt like an invisible weight, causing Le Dong and Cai Kun to hold back, even their breathing feeling constrained.

Ma Wenwen kept her head tilted, her bandaged eye fixed on the window, as if trying to sense something, or perhaps worrying about her master’s safety.

Only Lin Xun appeared relatively calm. She took out her phone, seemingly researching, occasionally glancing at the rapidly passing streets outside or observing the three’s expressions.

As the vehicle left the city, the once clear sky darkened abruptly, and soon large raindrops began to patter down.

With the storm, the atmosphere inside grew even heavier. Cai Kun turned on the radio, which played a local opera song in a faint croon, trying to ease the awkwardness. Le Dong leaned against the window, eyelids drooping from exhaustion—he’d barely slept the night before, and fatigue washed over him in waves.

But the calm didn’t last.

Just as they reached Xingtai and prepared to exit the highway to buy some daily necessities and lunch, the unexpected happened!

A figure suddenly emerged in the rain ahead, startling Cai Kun so much he nearly lost control.

“Damn, is that person crazy? Luckily, this is a national highway and we’re not going too fast...”

Before he could finish complaining, the vehicle suddenly shuddered.

“Pff... put-put-put... shhh—!”

A coughing sound burst forth from under the hood, as if the engine was gasping for air!

Then, the front of the car lurched forward sharply, as if being yanked hard, its speed plummeting!

“Shit!”

Cai Kun’s face turned pale. He pressed the accelerator hard, but the engine only let out a weak roar. Black smoke mixed with a burnt smell billowed from the exhaust pipe.

“What’s wrong?”

Le Dong, jolted awake by the sudden turn of events, leaned forward sharply.

“The car... the damn car’s breaking down!” Cai Kun’s tone was agitated. He frantically turned the wheel as the van wobbled drunkenly for several dozen meters. With a few final reluctant clatters, the engine died completely, and the vehicle slumped onto the shoulder.

An unpleasant burnt odor quickly filled the cabin.

The car was broken down.