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Federal Fleet Investigation Bureau.

Russell Hill paced back and forth in his office like a caged beast, shouting loudly while holding a terminal.

"How is this possible? Why has everyone disappeared? Just a while ago, I investigated them, and they had no reason to vanish for no apparent reason."

The response from the terminal made Russell Hill pause for a moment. "What did you say... Send the files to me to see."

Soon, a holographic screen opened from Hill's terminal.

"The wounded soldiers from the Abrodiya were the first to disappear. They left the Abrodiya and were admitted to fourteen hospitals. Three days later, all major hospitals received notifications to transfer the patients, and soon after, they disappeared without a trace."

"Four days after the soldiers disappeared, other soldiers started vanishing. Most of them left after receiving transfer orders but never returned."

"Hospitals, sanatoriums, and military camps were all notified not to publicize the incident."

"Some individuals were forcibly detained due to their uncertain whereabouts. Fourteen eyewitnesses have been found, confirming at least six arrests made by unidentified individuals in black."

"Damn!" Russell Hill roared angrily. "It must be Reno's doing. The question is, how did he do it?"

"Boss," a detective pushed the door open, "we just found out that Johnny Reno's records were ordered to be destroyed by the Seventh Fleet Command."

"The Seventh Fleet Command? Who issued the order?"

"General Hannibal."

Russell Hill was shocked. "You mean General Hannibal personally ordered the destruction of Johnny Reno's past records? What's his relationship with the general? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, but I found this." The detective handed over a photograph.

The photo showed a young man in a standard military uniform with handsome features, unmistakably Johnny Reno.

Compared to his current slightly weathered appearance, Reno looked younger and more spirited in the photo, with his eyebrows raised in pride and an unmistakable smile on his face. He held a certificate in his hand.

Russell Hill tapped the photo, and it automatically zoomed in on the highlighted part. Then Russell Hill read aloud:

"Honor certificate for the first place in the comprehensive competition of the 846th Fleet Command Simulation Contest... Issuing institution, Alpha Military Academy Fleet Command Department, Issuing person, Hamilton Marshall... My God, he was a top student at the Alpha Military Academy!"

Russell Hill couldn't help but exclaim.

The detective chuckled. "That explains why he could bring back that starship. He wasn't just a student at the Alpha Academy; he was the best."

"Well done," Russell Hill praised. "How did you find out?"

The detective grinned. "Met a hot chick online. When she found out I was a starship investigator, she said she had seen a boy who would definitely become a starship commander in the future because he was outstanding. She even took a picture of him and showed me. When I saw it was Johnny Reno, I was shocked."

"Lucky you." Russell Hill patted his shoulder in encouragement.

Then he paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, muttering, "Soldiers missing, men in black, General Hannibal... Damn, what's going on?"

He turned to the detective and said, "Hank, the Seventh Fleet is stationed in the Central Star Region. Contact the Central Star Investigation Bureau and have them assist in investigating Reno's background."

"No need, my girl can handle it. She's on Central Star," the detective Hank replied with a laugh.

Watching his subordinate leave, Russell Hill looked back at the photo in his hand.

In the photo, Reno smiled brightly and confidently.

"What kind of person are you?" Russell Hill murmured.

Everyone he had known described him as a kind, intelligent, and passionate young man. But the Reno he saw now appeared weathered, desolate, and mysterious. The evidence he knew all pointed to Reno as a cunning murderer.

It left him confused.

Never had he encountered such a perplexing case.

At a moment of hesitation, another detective entered, the same female investigator who had confronted Reno.

She looked flustered, even knocking over the trash can robot beside her when she entered. The robot tumbled on the ground for a moment before regaining its composure and continuing its cleaning duties.

Russell Hill looked at her unkindly. "You should learn to control your emotions!"

The female investigator replied, "Reno's calling."

"What?" Russell Hill jumped up, kicking the robot that had just gotten back up.

...

On the projection wall of the Investigation Bureau, Johnny Reno's face appeared.

He sat on a chair, surrounded by white walls, with no visible surroundings, and even the sound was quiet.

Seeing Russell Hill approach, Reno said, "Hello, Investigator Hill, good to see you again."

"Unexpected. I didn't expect you to come to me voluntarily." Russell Hill stepped forward. "What's the matter? Why did you come to me?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to tell you that I just booked a ticket to leave Earth from the airport and will leave soon. Considering that your investigation seems unfinished, I took the initiative to contact you to see if there is anything else you need." He wore a smug smile, as if saying, I killed Jeram and them, but what can you do? You can't find any evidence! Leaving Earth! This phrase deeply stimulated Russell Hill. He shouted loudly, "The Abrodiya hasn't been repaired yet, you can't leave."

Reno replied, "The fleet has appointed a new captain, and I have been transferred from this starship, so I can leave. You can check if you don't believe me."

Russell Hill turned back, and a detective quickly began retrieving data.

Moments later, the detective said, "The investigation appointment data requires Level 7 clearance, but we only have Level 4, so we need to find the director to investigate. However, the airport has confirmed that Johnny Reno indeed booked a ticket, scheduled to depart in three days."

Three days!

In other words, Reno would be gone in three days.

Russell Hill's heart sank.

He couldn't contain his emotions any longer and

 shouted, "Reno, you murderer, I won't let you get away!"

"Oh, really?" Reno smirked. "How do you prove that I killed Captain Jeram? With the little evidence you have? You don't even have a single witness."

Russell Hill grasped at a lifeline, shouting, "How do you know those people disappeared? How do you know?"

"Ah, found some leverage?" Reno chuckled. "Don't be so nervous, Investigator Hill. Knowing such things doesn't necessarily require a conspiracy. Don't you use the internet? Well then, goodbye, Investigator."

He waved to Russell Hill and casually closed the connection.

"Internet?" Hill was stunned. What did that mean?

He turned back and said, "Check online for any news."

All the investigators in his team began working at once.

Soon, one of them made a discovery. "Come and see this."

Hill waved his hand, and a beam of light flew to his side, forming a screen.

It was a video, using primitive imaging methods, meaning it couldn't be faked.

The video was shot in a dark room with dim lighting. Despite the faint light, something on the ground could be seen.

It was a head.

A woman's head, without a body, lying alone on the floor, with no blood, only a large amount of lime smeared around the neck.

Her eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief, as if saying, how could it be you?

"That's Nora Jia, my God, she was Reno's subordinate," a detective recognized and shouted.

"And this!"

Another video came. This time, it was in a group of buildings, with a person engulfed in flames stumbling around, seemingly trying to put out the fire but unable to. He ran around in panic, finally falling down, his feet still twitching, showing he wasn't completely dead. His face was facing the camera.

Stark!

The video ended.

"My God," Russell Hill moaned, "he killed them... This bastard is killing to cover up his tracks!"

Just then, the detective called out, "Boss, I found it."

"What?" Russell Hill asked loudly.

Detective Hank ran over. "Reno's background. I know why his past records were destroyed. Look at this!"

Another screen appeared, showing several newspapers.

One of them printed a picture of a naked woman lying dead in a jungle, her face full of horror. The headline read, "Alpha Academy Outstanding Student Suspected of Rape and Murder."

Another newspaper featured a court verdict:

"Earth Year 7250, Phoenix City Supreme Court of the Central Star, unanimously ruled by the jury, the defendant Johnny Reno accused of rape, not guilty; first-degree murder, not guilty; robbery, guilty. Upon unanimous verdict by the judges, the defendant Johnny Reno was sentenced to three months in prison."

Another newspaper was a notice from the Alpha Military Academy.

"Student Johnny Reno, ID 654880, expelled from the academy for robbery."

The last newspaper was a large headline, "Rape and Murderer Acquitted, Criminal's Girlfriend is General's Granddaughter."

Looking at these newspapers, Russell Hill understood immediately.

"My God!" he groaned, "this bastard is a civilized madman, a butcher, a psychopathic killer. I know why Hannibal wanted those records erased; he wanted to protect Johnny Reno. If the military saw these records, it would affect Reno's future. Damn it, we must find those missing soldiers, they are in great danger, no matter how powerful he is, we must find them!"

The entire fleet investigation bureau began to busy itself.

Russell Hill was just a team leader, but he had high credibility within the bureau. Even if they were not his subordinates, they were willing to listen to his opinions, especially when the case involved thousands of soldiers.

When an organization works at full capacity, its power is astonishing.

Especially when it involves the arrest of thousands of people, it is impossible not to leave a trace.

Soon, intelligence from various directions began to converge on Russell Hill.

"Five days ago, four men in black with a suspected missing soldier were spotted heading northwest in the Minchak area..."

"Three days ago, in Bermi City, men in black with suspected missing soldiers were seen leaving the city from the north..."

"Four days ago, several men in black boarded a train bound for Hamilton, also with suspected missing soldiers..."

"Two days ago, a suspected missing soldier appeared in the Berming District and then disappeared..."

One piece of news after another came flying like snowflakes, and soon the map behind Russell Hill's screen was filled with intersecting red and blue lines.

All these lines formed a huge and complex pattern, and Russell Hill stared at it, trying to find useful clues.

Until night fell.

He didn't know that outside this building, in a four-hundred-meter building, someone else was watching him.

Through a small peephole, Reno understood the situation here perfectly, and standing behind him was Stark.

But Nora and Clarice were not here.

"How is it?" Stark asked.

"He's getting close," Reno replied, his lens reflecting Russell Hill's working conditions.

At that moment, Reno saw a fleet of flying cars speeding towards them.

The uniformed vehicles, along with their distinct markings, changed Reno's complexion.

Lowering the binoculars, he shouted loudly, "Get out of here!"