Chasing the Mist

1 month 1 day.

Baicheng is full of snow, flakes of snow fall from the endless sky, like flying feathers, scattered randomly, streets, pedestrians, vehicles, houses...all stained with white, the whole city is like wearing a white cloak.

It snowed all night, and the road area was covered with a thick layer of snow. The snow plows worked all night, but they still couldn't clean it all. Even more congested, white-collar workers in a hurry got out of the car and walked instead.

Car horns sounded one after another, the door of the car opened, and a burly man stepped out from inside and shouted at the SUV behind the horn: "Don't press it, drive over the roof of my car if you can."

The owner of the SUV stopped, the big man spat, got in the car, and slammed the door.

The big man roared, waking up Gu Xun who was in the car beside him with eyelids battling. He pushed down the window, and the cold wind came in, and he woke up immediately.

Rows of vehicles moved forward slowly like snails. The 10-minute journey took half an hour today. Bored, he lit a cigarette and took two puffs. He inadvertently saw a piece of white paper scattered by the co-pilot.

New Year's personnel change list, I was busy last night with the year-end summary, I threw the list in the car and forgot to read it, Gu Xun took two puffs of a cigarette, pressed it out and threw away the cigarette butt, picked up the list and quickly glanced at it, the team members did not change, so they threw it away Go back to the passenger seat.

After passing the scene of the car accident, the speed increased slightly, and he didn't go far. When he reached the red light again, the car turned into a snail again. Gu Xun tapped the steering wheel lightly with his fingers, and the word Lin Yiran suddenly flashed in front of his eyes. He remembered something and suddenly Pick up the list on the co-pilot and read it again.

Lin Yiran was imprinted on the team list. Gu Xunshu frowned slightly, stopped his fingers tapping the steering wheel, and pressed the car horn vigorously. The red light seemed to see his anxiety and turned green in perfect cooperation.

Gu Xun changed lanes temporarily, turned left on the side road, turned right, and arrived at the police station 10 minutes later. He parked the car, picked up the list on the co-pilot, and went straight to the deputy chief's office against the cold wind.

Meng Jia was walking towards the second floor with steamed stuffed buns and soy milk. She suddenly felt a chill behind her. She turned her head and saw Gu Xun's serious expression, striding upstairs like a gust of wind, "Captain Gu..."

After she finished saying "morning", Gu Xun's figure had disappeared in the corridor.

Deputy Chief's Office.

Due to the traffic congestion, Zhang Ju arrived later than usual. He had just made a cup of new tea and the stool was not hot yet. Gu Xun knocked on the door in a hurry and came in. He put the personnel list on the table and pointed to Lin Yiran's name, "Zhang Ju, he Not suitable for a criminal police officer."

Anticipating Gu Xun's reaction, Zhang Ju slowly unscrewed the thermos, blew on it, and drank some tea before saying, "Lin Yiran has always been at the top of the police academy, and this exam is also the first in the province. Such an outstanding young man , there is no reason not to be admitted.”

Gu Xun took a deep breath and lowered his voice, "You know all about him. It's dangerous to let a surly, indifferent, mentally unhealthy person investigate the case."

Zhang Ju looked up at him, opened the drawer under the desk, found out a new box of cigarettes, tore open the package, and handed one to Gu Xun, "Sit down first."

Gu Xun was not polite, took the cigarette, sat down opposite Zhang Ju, and smoked dully.

"He passed the psychological test of this exam. At that time, I was as skeptical as you were, so I asked someone from the Institute of Psychology to conduct a separate interview with him. The results showed that he has no mental illness." Bureau Zhang flicked the ash , turned his head and looked out the window, "I was against him when he called the police to the school, but we have already embarked on this path, we should trust him, it has been 12 years, nothing is unjustified by time."

Gu Xun said nothing, the burnt soot between his fingers was long and was about to fall off, Zhang Ju pushed the ashtray forward, and said: "Lin Yiran is good at criminal psychology, a rare compound talent, the bureau needs such young people."

"No matter what, I won't accept it. Please Zhang Ju transfer him to another team." Gu Xun put out the smoke, the determination in his eyes was harder than the ice in the cold winter.

Zhang Ju smiled: "This is your uncle's decision. He hopes that the two of you brothers will work together to solve the case, and you can take care of you when you are in danger."

"No, yes, yes." Gu Xun's words were firm and forceful, holding the phone in his pocket, and stood up: "I'll go back first, Director Zhang."

After leaving the deputy bureau's office, Gu Xun immediately dialed his uncle's phone number and said bluntly, "If uncle thinks that Lin Yiran is suitable to be a criminal police officer, then please ask someone else, I won't take him."

"Xiao Xun, don't be like this, he is also your younger brother."

"Brother?" Gu Xun said in a more serious tone, "In the past six or seven years, he has become more and more eccentric. A younger brother? You used to say that you were rebellious in adolescence, and told me not to be as knowledgeable as him. I listened, but his rebellious period is too long... Uncle, Lin Yiran has a temper, and he can't be a criminal policeman. "

The words that had been squeezed for a long time poured out all at once, and Gu Xun's breathing became smoother.

There was a sigh on the other end of the phone, "I've worked hard for you these years, Yiran." Before finishing speaking, the voice of the female secretary reminded me of the meeting time, "I'll talk to Yiran when I have time, and I'll go to the meeting first."

Bai worked hard all morning without solving any problems, and Gu Xun's smooth breathing became blocked again.

Pushing open the door of the building, the cold wind gushed in, and went straight into the bones. Gu Xun tightened the zipper of his coat and stepped out against the wind. The snow that had just stopped for a long time fell again. A layer of tulle leaves a row of footprints along the way.

The stone rice in the garbage bin on the left side of the office building is always full of cigarette butts. This small open space has become a gathering place for smokers. However, under the heavy snow, the only person smoking outside is Gu Xun. He leans against the wall, The cigarette between the fingers failed to ignite after being lit several times, and the cigarette was thrown directly into the trash can.

Meng Jia came running out of breath, took off the big hat of the down jacket, bent down, pressed her thighs with both hands, and panted, "Boss, why are you here? Isn't it cold? I've been looking for you a lot, and I'm almost exhausted."

Gu Xun stood up straight, "What's wrong?"

"I just received a call. Ice and Snow World found an ice sculpture...with a female head inside. The sub-bureau asked us to assist in the investigation."

The complex emotions in Gu Xun's eyes disappeared instantly, turning into a ray of light, full of sharpness, "Go." He had long legs and big steps, and walked into the building in two or three steps.

Meng Jia trotted behind him, "Boss, walk slowly, there is still something to say."

Gu Xun paused, "Say."

"A new colleague came to our team today, and I'm still waiting for you to assign a seat. I heard that he just graduated last summer and was an intern at the branch office before." Before he could finish speaking, Gu Xun had already left.

The team hadn't had a newcomer for a long time, and Lin Yiran's joining caused quite a stir. Everyone surrounded him asking questions, but no one saw Gu Xun enter the door, "Everyone follow me immediately."

With a roar, he interrupted everyone's curiosity, and they all put on cotton jackets and followed him downstairs.

After the morning rush hour, the road conditions improved a little. Outside the car, heavy snow fell all over the sky. The female announcer on the FM inside the car broadcast in standard Mandarin: "Three days of heavy snowfall in a row, today is the last day. Friends of Everbright citizens please pay attention to safety when traveling."

We have worked together for a long time, everyone is responsible for the matter, we don't need to look for arrangements, we all know each other well, he kept a cold face the whole time, the others noticed something was wrong, but they didn't dare to say more, the whole way was quiet, the car turned into the world of ice and snow, Meng Jia made a fuss He sleeved his sleeves and asked in a low voice: "Boss, Lin Yiran...has not assigned any tasks yet."

Hearing this, Gu Xun turned his head and glanced at Lin Yiran. There was no movement in his eyes on that cold face, as if they were completely strangers. Gu Xun was angry when he saw this indifferent look, "You will bring Lin Yiran, and the task is yours." Arrange as you please."

"Ah?" Meng Jia opened her mouth wide and pointed at herself, "Me?"

The others had the same expressions as Meng Jia, and they all looked at Gu Xun.

"Yes, it's you."

Meng Jia's big O-shaped mouth slowly returned to normal, and she said "oh" in a low voice. Speaking of which, she is a half newcomer. She has been in the team for a year and has participated in limited cases. She is rarely sent there, and usually does some sorting out reports and visits.

Newcomers lead newcomers, the first gossip of the new year, everyone can't figure out Gu Xun's thoughts, so they can only silently sympathize with Lin Yiran.

Meng Jia pulled the backpack behind her back, took out a brand new notebook, and handed it to Lin Yiran, "In a while, you and I will interrogate the reporter."

Lin Yiran had already prepared for Gu Xun's arrangement. Under the strange eyes of the whole car, he took the notebook calmly and nodded.

The police car came to a stop, and the short episode of the newcomers ended. Everyone lowered their heads to sort out their belongings. The car door opened. The criminal police who jumped out of the car were serious and serious. They quickly passed through the crowd of onlookers and walked into the scene of the crime. A cordon was soon drawn up around them.

The forensic doctor and trace inspection were in place at the same time, and the police officers present were busy, and the scene was orderly.

The human head in the ice sculpture, female, with long hair, combed into a ponytail, tied high behind the head, without a trace of broken hair on the forehead, eyes open, pupils dilated, eyelashes with mascara, long and curly, down The small lips are painted with bright lipstick, like a blooming red rose, with a smile on their lips.

The deceased faced the Lover's Bridge, which was recently caught fire on the Internet. The bridge is not long. In the middle is an ice sculpture of Cowherd and Weaver Girl embracing each other. Next to it stands a round icicle, which is specially for tourists to engrave their names. Couples in love want to leave traces of love, so Attracts a large number of couples to come and play.

The ice sculptures of the twelve zodiac signs are divided into two rows, surrounding the lover's bridge, and the ice sculptures of human heads are placed on the bodies of snakes.

Gu Xun stood in the middle of the Lover's Bridge, with his hands in his pockets, bent over and lowered his eyes, his eyes were facing the eyes of the deceased, his big eyes were full of horror, but there was a faint smile on his lips, which was extremely strange.

Hearing that the report was quite frightened, Gu Xun found the trembling reporter in the crowd at a glance. Meng Jia was comforting him. Behind her was a tall and handsome figure looking at the dead man with an indifferent and focused expression. The book in his hand was not open. The pen on the notebook was tightly capped. It was obvious that Lin Yiran was not thinking about the task he had arranged.

The moment the four eyes met, Gu Xun felt a gaze that was colder than ice, like a sharp knife piercing his heart. He was too familiar with this cold hostility. In the past seven years, he had seen this hostility grow from a small flame to a raging fire. fire.

Gu Xun sneered, turned around and got off the bridge, dialed Meng Jia's phone number, "Don't forget to bring the newcomer."

"Ah? Ah!" Hanging up the phone, Meng Jia was at a loss, and the reporter gradually recovered. She pulled off the cap of her pen, looked up at Lin Yiran, and signaled him to start.

Lin Yiran looked away, nodded in response, opened the notebook, stared at the blank page, thoughtful.

The reporter was emotionally unstable, and the on-site inquiry was quick

At the end, Lin Yiran's notebook was blank. Meng Jia noticed that he was absent-minded, and said, "I came a year earlier than you. Although I haven't been involved in a major case, I understand the basic process. If you have any questions, just ask them. If I can't answer them, I will help you." Go ask the others, our team is all good."

"Thank you."

The thick and deep voice hit her ears, and Meng Jia was slightly taken aback. She didn't expect that this new colleague with handsome features and indifferent temperament had such a pleasant voice, which made people immerse herself in it unconsciously. It’s good to be familiar with it.”

Lin Yiran let out a "hmm." Then he was speechless.

The two, one in front and one behind, one short and one tall, walked into the crowd one after another, and met their colleagues walking towards each other. The other party glanced at Lin Yiran, then at Meng Jia, and joked, "Yo! Master Meng is here."

Meng Jia blushed. When she was in the police academy, she had heard Lin Yiran's name. Such a talented student was taken by a girl like her. She couldn't understand Gu Xun's behavior more and more. She looked up at his straight figure, Muttering: "Boss is really harmful."

Meng Jia went to Gu Xun's side to report the situation: "The reporter's mood is not stable at the moment. I only asked about the general situation. I will go to the bureau to inquire about the specific situation when she is in a stable mood."

Standing beside Meng Jia, Lin Yiran, who is 1 meters tall, is particularly conspicuous, attracting whispers from the surrounding girls.

Without even raising his eyelids, Gu Xun pointed to the increasingly restless crowd outside the cordon, "Go over there and maintain order."

Meng Jia opened her mouth, swallowed the words that came to her lips, stuffed the notebook into her backpack, and walked away dejectedly.

Lin Yiran didn't seem to hear Gu Xun's words, and stood still. After quickly scanning around, his eyes fell on the head of the deceased. His eyes were quick and sharp, like a leopard hunting.

Gu Xun coughed lightly, and said, "Meng Jia took him along."

Only then did Meng Jia realize that she had an extra apprentice, and hurriedly dragged Lin Yiran away.

In winter in Baicheng, the days are short and the nights are long. When the police force finishes work, it is already dark.

After a day of freezing in the ice and snow, the policemen got into the car shivering, and the sound of hand rubbing and breathing continued. The police car drove out of the world of ice and snow. After driving on the main road for a while, the temperature rose, the frost on the car windows gradually melted, and the sound of hand rubbing stopped.

Car taillights are lit up in an orderly row, looking like a long red river from a distance. The police car is in it. Gu Xun leans on the back of the seat and looks up at the snowflakes flying outside the window. Suddenly he frowned, remembering something, Immediately took out the mobile phone, flicked the belly of the finger quickly on the screen, and said while watching: "The case has been trending on Weibo, causing a lot of restlessness, the branch office has limited strength, it is estimated that it will be transferred to us immediately, and the days of overtime work will begin soon. , Go back to rest early today, and say hello to your family in advance."

After the words fell, the elders in the back seat exchanged eye contact, poked and gooed, you pushed me and made small moves, Gu Dui, who was usually ruffian and chattered a lot, suddenly had a stern face and aloofness for a day , everyone could see that something was wrong, and no one dared to rashly mention the wedding banquet. At this time, the only woman was pushed out.

Meng Jia said hesitantly, "Boss... Lin Yiran hasn't introduced himself yet... Do you want to have dinner together tonight, let's get to know each other?"

"Don't eat." Gu Xun's decisive words completely shattered the small thoughts of the rough guys in the back row.

Lin Yiran parachuted into the city bureau. Gu Xun felt a fire in his heart and urgently needed to find an exit to put out the fire. He immediately decided to go home after get off work and talk to him.