I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 312 The Serial Killer Strikes Again

At that moment, the vibrations in the exhibition hall suddenly reached their peak. A powerful force erupted from the bronze mirror, threatening to tear the entire seal apart. Dr. Chen and Zhang Wanqing were shaken, but they persisted, refusing to give up.

"Hurry, the last step!" Dr. Chen shouted, with a hint of despair in his voice.

He quickly picked up the compass and placed it at the center of the sealing array. He then placed the final talisman on top of it. The pattern on the talisman instantly lit up, blending with the light within the sealing array. The entire exhibition hall's vibrations reached their peak at that moment, then suddenly ceased.

The light within the seal array gradually softened, and the bronze mirror's surface completely lost its luster, becoming dull and lifeless. Dr. Chen and Zhang Wanqing exchanged a glance, a flicker of relief in their eyes.

"It's done." Dr. Chen whispered, with a hint of fatigue and relief in his voice.

With the completion of the sealing ceremony, the atmosphere in the entire exhibition hall instantly calmed down. Fu Siyuan and Li Wei finally subdued Wen Jing, and Zhao Mingxuan quickly stepped forward and put handcuffs on her hands.

"It's over." Zhao Mingxuan said in a low voice, with a hint of fatigue in his eyes.

Wen Jing raised her head, a glint of despair flashing in her eyes: "Do you think this is the end? The power of the Nether Mirror has been awakened, and you can't stop it!"

Dr. Chen shook his head, his voice firm, "No, we have sealed it. As long as the seal is not broken, the power of the Nether Mirror will never awaken again."

Zhang Wanqing walked over to Wen Jing and whispered, "Why are you doing this? Do you really think that releasing this power can change the world?"

Wen Jing raised her head, a trace of pain flashing in her eyes: "I just want to end it all. My family has been protected for too long, and I... am tired."

Zhang Wanqing sighed. She knew that behind Wen Jing's behavior was a deep sense of helplessness and pain. But she also knew that releasing this power was definitely not the solution to the problem.

"We will find a better way," Zhang Wanqing whispered, "to free you and your family from this curse."

With Wen Jing taken away, the case finally came to an end. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei stood outside the museum, gazing at the twinkling stars in the night sky.

"Brothers, our mission isn't over yet! The serial killer hasn't been caught yet! Catch him quickly, or someone else will get killed! Oh my god..." Li Wei said. Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan nodded.

With the Nether Mirror's threat temporarily resolved, the city should have returned to peace, but the serial killer's recurring crimes shattered this tranquility. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, Li Wei, and police officer Zhao Mingxuan quickly launched a new round of investigation.

In the early morning hours of the city, a thin mist shrouded the streets like a mysterious veil. Zhang Wanqing stood in her newspaper office, gazing out the window at the gray world outside. The contents of Zhao Mingxuan's phone call from last night kept echoing in her mind—the serial killer had struck again.

"Wanqing, something happened again." Zhao Mingxuan's voice sounded particularly heavy on the other end of the phone. "The scene this time is the same as before. Another symbol was left behind."

Zhang Wanqing's heart sank. She, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei had been dealing with this mysterious killer for so long, and they had thought the last sealing ceremony had ended everything, but reality had dealt them a heavy blow.

"We'll be waiting for you at the scene." Zhao Mingxuan said and hung up the phone.

Zhang Wanqing quickly gathered her thoughts, picked up her coat, and headed out the door. Fu Siyuan and Li Wei were already waiting at the police station, and she had to rush to the scene to uncover the new mystery.

The crime scene was an abandoned apartment building. The corridor was filled with a damp, musty smell. Under the dim light, everything seemed particularly eerie. Zhao Mingxuan stood at the door of the crime scene, his face solemn. He saw Zhang Wanqing approaching and nodded slightly.

"The victim this time is a young man," Zhao Mingxuan whispered. "Like the previous victims, he has no obvious external injuries, but he has a strange smile on his face."

Zhang Wanqing nodded and walked into the room. She saw Fu Siyuan and Li Wei taking photos and collecting evidence at the scene. In the corner of the room, a piece of white paper lay quietly on the ground, with a familiar symbol drawn on it - a complex circular pattern with a zigzag line in the middle.

"It's this symbol again." Zhang Wanqing whispered, her eyes fixed on the paper.

Li Wei raised his head, a trace of fatigue in his eyes: "This symbol is different from the previous one. It seems to have more details."

Fu Siyuan added, "I've contacted Dr. Chen, and he's on his way. Maybe he can see something we haven't noticed."

Zhang Wanqing nodded, her eyes falling on the symbol again. She had a foreboding feeling that there was some important information hidden behind this symbol, and they had to solve its mystery as soon as possible.

It was already noon when Dr. Chen arrived at the scene. He wore thick glasses and carried a worn briefcase, looking a little tired. But as soon as he saw the symbol, his eyes lit up.

"This symbol..." he whispered, crouching down to examine it carefully. "It does have some similarities to the previous symbols, but with a few more details. These details might be some kind of clue."

Zhao Mingxuan frowned and asked, "What's the clue? The killer's next target, or his hiding place?"

Dr. Chen shook his head. "I need more time to analyze it. But what is certain is that this symbol, like the previous ones, is an ancient code."

Zhang Wanqing's mind raced. "Dr. Chen, you mentioned the Netherworld Mirror before. Could this symbol also be related to it? But the Netherworld Mirror has been sealed. It's impossible for this killer to use it to do anything else."

Dr. Chen was silent for a moment, then looked up with a hint of worry in his eyes. "I can't be sure, but the style of this symbol is indeed related to the legend of the Nether Mirror. If that's true, then the killer may have mastered some power we can't imagine. Or maybe... he'll break the seal. Ah! If that's the case, wouldn't that be very dangerous? We must hurry, find him before he does something more serious, and put an end to his actions."

Fu Siyuan whispered, "We have to find the next target quickly. We can't let him hurt more people."

Dr. Chen nodded. "I will decipher this symbol as soon as possible. Be careful, this killer doesn't look like a simple person."