Anglerfish are a type of fish with an extremely grotesque appearance. This fish also has another nickname—"mystery box fish." Anglerfish have a large mouth and primarily feed by swallowing. When caught, their stomachs often contain a variety of seafood, making the act of opening one akin to opening a mystery box.
So, it's normal for an anglerfish's stomach to contain seafood, and those familiar with anglerfish are well aware of this.
But... an anglerfish's stomach containing a human hand is anything but normal!
Although the police officers didn't know how Xu Mo had determined that there was a murder case at the hotel, they still followed his lead and rushed straight to the hotel's kitchen.
Seeing guests heading towards the kitchen, a hotel staff member tried to stop them.
"Sir, are you looking for the restroom?" the staff member pointed behind Xu Mo and said, "The restroom is that way, not this way."
"I'm not looking for the restroom. I'm heading to your kitchen."
As he spoke, Xu Mo took out his badge. "Police officer. I just heard some noises coming from your kitchen, and I need to take a look."
Upon hearing this, the staff member looked conflicted. The manager had instructed that no one other than hotel employees was allowed in the kitchen.
However, since the person in front of him was a police officer who had already identified himself and claimed to have heard noises, the staff member couldn't continue to block the way. He had to step aside and let Xu Mo and the others pass.
"Thank you for your cooperation," Xu Mo said before leading the officers further towards the kitchen.
Meanwhile, in the hotel's kitchen.
"Manager, should we... call the police?"
"No way!" the Manager said bluntly. "If our competitors find out that there's a human hand in the fish, they'll definitely use it against us. At that point, we won't be able to keep the hotel running. So, absolutely no police! Just... throw the hand down the drain!"
"Also, today's incident must not be leaked. If I find out who's been talking carelessly, I'll make sure they regret it! Understood?" After deciding not to call the police, the Manager also issued a harsh warning to the hotel chefs.
Although finding a human hand in the purchased anglerfish had nothing to do with the hotel, this matter absolutely could not be leaked.
In the food industry, food safety is paramount, especially for high-end restaurants like theirs. Even slightly stale ingredients could lead to a sharp decline in customers, let alone finding a human hand in the food.
If word got out, who would dare to eat here? The thought alone was terrifying.
Moreover, if the police were called, their competitors would surely find out, and who knows what kind of schemes they would concoct against the hotel. Gossip is powerful!
The story would spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, becoming more exaggerated with each retelling. By then, the only outcome for the hotel would be closure.
The Manager didn't want to call the police primarily because he didn't want to lose his job over something that had nothing to do with him.
Seeing that the chefs were still standing there, the Manager shouted again.
"What are you standing there for? Didn't you hear what I said? Pick that thing up and throw it down the drain!"
Even after the Manager's outburst, none of the chefs dared to take a step forward.
After all, this involved a serious matter of human life, and they didn't want to get involved!
Each chef's face now clearly expressed, "I'm not throwing it. Whoever dares can do it!"
"No one's moving? You all don't want to work here anymore, do you?" The Manager glared angrily, continuing to threaten. The chefs didn't dare to touch it, and honestly, neither did he. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been forcing the chefs to dispose of the hand.
Just then, several people suddenly entered the kitchen.
As soon as Xu Mo and the officers from Team Seven entered the kitchen, they saw the half-dissected anglerfish on the chopping block, with a human hand inside its stomach.
"What the...?" The Manager was stunned.
It was exactly what he was afraid of!
Just after saying that the incident must not be leaked, someone unexpectedly barged into the kitchen. Could this be a dirty trick arranged by a competitor?
Thinking this, the Manager quickly stepped in front of the chopping block to block the hand.
"What are you doing? This is the hotel's kitchen. Non-employees are not allowed in. Out!"
"Move aside! What are you hiding behind you?" Wang Dachuan glared.
The Manager remained stubborn. "There's nothing here. Can't you hear me? Get out!"
"Stop lying! I already saw it!" Chen Ke stepped forward, ready to push the Manager aside.
At the same time, Xu Mo took out his badge again.
"Police. You'd better step aside right now, or I have reason to suspect you of murder."
After glancing at Xu Mo's badge, the Manager subconsciously looked at the chefs beside him.
His anger instantly flared up. These people must have called the police before he arrived! All his earlier warnings had been for nothing.
However, given the circumstances, the Manager couldn't say anything in front of the officers.
Having risen from an insignificant position to become the hotel's Manager, it was clear that he was a smart man with exceptional situational awareness.
His face immediately relaxed.
"Whew... I was scared to death. I thought you were troublemakers sent by a competitor. So, you're the police! Sorry, sorry. You must have been called here by the chefs, right? Oh, you're finally here. We've been waiting for you!"
The Chefs: ???
Could you change your tune any faster?! Didn't you just tell us not to call the police?
This guy is wasted as a hotel Manager. He should go learn face-changing opera!
In just a few words, the Manager had distanced himself from the situation.
His main goal was to show that he had nothing to do with the incident.
After speaking, the Manager stepped aside, no longer blocking the chopping block.
"This fish was purchased by us. Who would have thought there would be a human hand inside? Um... officers, could you please not publicize this case? If this gets out, our hotel will be ruined, and nearly a hundred employees will be out of work..." the Manager said weakly.
Xu Mo looked the Manager up and down. "Alright, but you need to cooperate with our investigation. Where did you purchase this fish?"
"I don't know that. Please wait a moment, and I'll call the Procurement Officer."
Seeing Xu Mo nod, the Manager left the kitchen, first calling the hotel owner to report the situation, then bringing in the hotel's Procurement Officer.
"Quick, tell the officers where this fish was bought."
The Procurement Officer's expression changed slightly, then he said, "It's from the same place, Manager, you know that."
Xu Mo caught the Procurement Officer's subtle expression.
"Tell the truth. Where did it come from?"
Seeing this, the Manager also realized that the Procurement Officer might be lying. "Speak honestly! Where exactly did this fish come from?"
The Procurement Officer swallowed hard, licked his lips, and then revealed the truth.
"Actually, this fish... I found it. This morning, when I went to purchase ingredients, I found this bag of fish in a trash can. I checked, and the fish were fresh, so I..."
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
