The grim started cahoots and pushed his luck

Xi tried so many times to get back sleeping safe and sound but she ended up having the same dream. But this time, on her dream, she didn't do anything else except running away from someone whom she could not see. On the same hill and dark woods. But no matter how fast she ran, she kept running on circles. The tall trees and the dark nights without moonlight added the sense of horror of it. The atmosphere from the dream had her so edgy and got her cold sweats in reality. This time, she tried to wake herself up but somehow she couldn't. She seemed paralyzed.

RIIIIING!!!!!!!!

Suddenly, her phone rang so loud. It ended her dream but she didn't want to wake up yet.

"Five minuteees, please!!" she sighed desperately and kicked her pillow, annoyed.

Her eyes were still heavy and it was still hard for her to open it. Then she reluctantly opened her eyes and grabbed her phone.

But right after she looked at the caller ID, she got goosebumps.

It was Mr. Liu!!!!

Dang!

She looked at the clock. It was already 9 A.M. But wait, it was her day-off.

So what the hell made him calling her early in the morning on her day-off.

"Please, please, please, do not make me work on my day-off days." she sighed desperately.

But Xi couldn't do anything except answering his calls. Screening his calls would definitely a golden ticket for him to kick Xi out of XWM. She cleared her throat and answered the call.

"Morning, Mr. Liu."

"Xi Yuan, I already read your articles about the missing coal heiress."

A few words from Mr. Liu and the pause in his talk made her hearts beating faster. She swallowed her spit. She thought for a second that she might screw it.

"I am just wondering, who is it?" Mr.Liu asked her without any hesitation.

She was a bit shocked for a second when her boss asked her for details of her article.

"Hmm.. It was Jen Hui the daughter of Coal Mining Tycoon, Robert Hui, sir. I also got the sound record when I heard the case in the police office. Should I send it to you, sir?"

It was silence between them for a moment as Mr. Liu didn't say anything about it.

"Okay, send it to me. I think about your article and it could be uploaded and published this morning. Thankyou. Keep up the good work!"

The phone call ended.

Xi dropped her jaw. It was a rare for someone like Mr.Liu , The Vicious Tiger Boss, to do something like before. She couldn't believe her ears. Was she still dreaming? It was the first article she successfully made and would be published.

She was so excited for a moment. But then she realized something.

If the article got published, would it cause such a fuss in the internet?

She prayed to the Deities she'd never believed before,

"Please make everything alright."

After finished her flash prayer, she sent the record to Mr.Liu right away.

For a moment, she forgot about her dream.

------

As Xi expected before, the news about the missing coal heiress arose in the internet and got public's attention. It only took around 2 hours and the article was already read by thousands of readers. Due to that sudden popularity, Xin Wei Media got waves of public's responses. It seemed that the public responses divided into two : Protests and Supports. Almost hundreds of calls were received by XWM. The online customer service officers of XWM were devastated to answer every calls that came in. The comment section of the articles also had to be closed for some period. Both the comments or calls which XWM received got everyone overwhelmed. Some of them demanded the news to be taken down, while the others wanted them to disclose the identity of the heiress. It was a chaos, until the board of directors XWM had to intervene. The news itself did not only affect Xin Wei Media but, surprisingly, also all coal mining companies around the country. All of public presumptions made shareholders of almost all coal mining companies got panicked. The stock prices plummeted as they sold their stocks and prepared for the worst scenario due to the article's impact. Overnight, all the coal mining companies' stocks turned bearish. The readers of the article bombarded XWM and strangely, arose XWM popularity.

As a director of quality management and the chief of every journalist and editor, Mr. Liu definitely was the calmest one during that chaotic moment. Mr. Wei already called him right after the waves of protests were received. He explained to Mr. Wei that everything was going to be alright. He already knew the consequences for his decision to publish the article.

From his office, he enjoyed some sips of his morning coffee.

He smirked. He finally knew for sure, for that time, that little brat Junior Journalist, Xi Yuan, had so much potential.

A journalist sometimes had to work more like a cook. A little bit of spices and thoroughly added would make some meal tastier, so did the news. The words of senses to touch public interest, expectations, and curiosity should be a skill that every journalist mastered.

A little bit shocking news for public would make media more interesting.

He took another sips of his coffee and looked at the window.

The sky was clear that morning despite of chaotic moments that happened.

It was also the same with life. Another different perspective of living the life sometimes was needed to clear the mind.

-------

Behind his cold and emotionless expression, Jasper hid so much feeling and pressure on himself. He always got so attached to his work. He worked on every cases like there was no tomorrow for him. Nobody knew what made him so hard on himself. An urge to solve the coal heiress case emerged and it got stronger day by day. There was something hidden behind this "common" murder and abduction case. That was why he left to the office earlier that day.

Unexpectedly, the forensic doctors had already sent them DNA matching analysis report and it was already arrived on his desk. He read it carefully.

The sample taken : 3

Sample 1 (S1) : Samantha Kang

Sample 2 (S2) : Li Jiayi

Sample 3 (S3) : Unknown victim

Result : Probability of maternity S2 and S3: 99.9999%

He nodded as he finished reading the letter. He scratched his bearded chin.

The result definitely said that victim was indeed Su Yi Liang. He already knew that poor victim was murdered by someone. He needed other clues. Then he suddenly opened the drawers behind his desk and looked for another document. Another report from Dr. Kwok which explained the autopsy result. Jasper looked at every details of the report.

"Homicide : checked"

"Expected time of Death : 10.30 - 11.00 P.M."

"Immediate cause of death : Loss of blood due to severe bleeding with a deep open wound."

"How did injury occur : Got hit by sharp but heavy object on the parietal bone / back part of the skull."

He looked at the details for once more, then put it back to his drawer.

The next question left for him : If the victim was Su Yi Liang, so where the hell that Coal Heiress whereabouts? What was the perpetrator's motives for doing that?

And then, was it first degree murder? Second degree? or felony?

He took a deep breath. His brain proceeded every information in order and systematically. But the information was still not enough. He couldn't read the perpetrator's mind yet.

He took the jack-in-the box toy out of his drawers. It was still perfectly sealed in a plastic. He examined it thoroughly. The embedded C.Y initial was still questionable.

He wondered what it was. He tried to name everything and made an initial of it.

Su Yi Liang would be S.Y.L , Jen Hui would be J.H. , Samantha Kang would be S.K and Li Jiayi would be L.J.

He puffed his chest out. He found it ridiculous for him doing that thing.

Then he started to make interim report about the case. But in the middle of writing it, he remembered what Xi told him before, all of sudden.

"It might sound crazy for you. But I got visions about the victim."

Xi's voice suddenly popped out of his mind.

"What exactly did she mean by that? Vision?" whispered him. He was puzzled.

During his career as Detective, this was the first time someone told him that she got vision about the case. Was she paranormal?

He shook his head in disbelief. It was so irrational for someone like him who collected facts to believe someone lunatic like Xi. But his guts said different thing.

He opened his phone and looked at Xi's number. He kept looking at it. His mind said that it was ridiculous. But his heart kept saying different thing.

He ended up dialed her number.

After the first tone, she answered the call.

Without saying hello, Jasper said directly what was on his mind. He said bluntly without any hesitation

"It's me Jasper. Let's meet!"

Not long after, he ended the call.

He grabbed his coat and then left the office immediately.