```


    Officer Zhang still chose the same restaurant as yesterday.


    She was dressed in casual clothes, sitting in the booth by the window, looking a bit cramped.


    This time, the Father didn''t follow her.


    "Zhang," Shuo greeted her and sat down across from her. Without a word, he impolitely flipped open the menu and ordered another rare steak from the waiter.


    He passed the menu over, and Officer Zhang waved her hand as she said, "A te of tomato pasta."


    After the waiter had gone and the Father still hadn''t arrived, the table fell silent for a while.


    Then, Shuo blinked and feigned innocence as he asked, "Zhang, what did you want to see me about this time?"


    Officer Zhang instinctively studied the girl.


    Today, her skin seemed even more translucent and clear, with the bluish veins underneath subtly visible. Her young and adorable face was pale, with a fragile and brittle look to it.


    But at that moment, Officer Zhang was preupied with the image of Lanruo attacking herst night, the gaping maw, ferocious like the demonic Green-Faced Fangs.


    She shivered and reluctantly snapped back to the present with a forced smile.


    Seeing the waiter bring the rare steak, she promptly said, "Let''s eat first."


    Shuo raised an eyebrow but did not tease her any further, seemingly unable to wait as he cut into his own steak.


    Pinkish blood seeped from the crevices of the meat, pooling on the te beneath the pale juices of the steak.


    The girl ate with deliberate slowness, her lips tinged with an eerie red. Officer Zhang sneaked a few nces and couldn''t help but imagine Qiuzi with her gaping maw.


    Such an adorable girl, yet a monster—that thought was increasingly heartbreaking.


    She sipped her water uneasily.


    After a while, her tomato pasta also arrived.


    Looking at her own entree, also tinged red, Officer Zhang froze, suddenly regretting her choice of vor.


    Shuo finished his steak quickly, licking his lips and pausing for a moment before looking up, hisrge eyes fixed on Officer Zhang as she struggled with her red pasta.


    Sensing the gaze, Officer Zhang quickly looked up, "What is it?"


    "Can I order another one?" Shuo asked.


    "Sure..." She stared at his te, now clean except for the bloody residue, forcing a stiff smile onto her face.


    Last time he hadn''t even finished his meal, and now his appetite had grown so much?


    If it continued at this rate, what would happen the next day...


    Officer Zhang''s eyes never left him, but the girl continued to eat her second steak calmly, showing no signs of oddity.


    Shuo maintained a fast pace while eating his second steak with restraint. He let out a small burp, actually wanting a third one.


    Although Shuo had never had a habit of eating raw food, as the intervals of being possessed by that strange entity shortened, he felt an increasing craving for such flesh and blood.


    Or rather, the other being did.


    But ordering another could possibly frighten the policewoman across from him, whose gaze was already bing wary.


    No surprise, it might be because Lanruo, whom she took backst night, went berserk again.


    Previously, Shuo had only consumed her shadow, but that entity seemed to be controlled by something else, and what was let loose was akin to an avatar, so it couldn''t bepletely eradicated.


    Moreover, in the dark, shadows recover quickly.


    ```


    Xu Shuo finished thest piece of steak, set down his knife and fork, and picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.


    Seeing this, Officer Zhang across the table quickly put down her own fork since her meal was tasteless to her anyway.


    "Zhang, how many people at your end can still be used?" Xu Shuo seemed to ask casually.


    "There''s no need to worry about our side," Officer Zhang replied cautiously, taken aback.


    Xu Shuo nodded, not pressing further, then added, "The day after tomorrow, after the main performer selection, I will arrange for Xuena to win and be the performer of ''Swan Lake''. Because right now, she''s the only one who meets the requirements."


    Officer Zhang originally wanted to say something upon hearing the first half of his statement, but thest part of Xu Shuo''s sentence left her choked.


    She narrowed her eyes, thinking of something.


    Lanruo was now under their control and definitely couldn''t perform the day after tomorrow, so it would be easy for the lead to fall to Qiuzi, especially since the other girl''s foot injury clearly impaired her dancingpared to Qiuzi.


    But now, only Xuena meets the requirements?


    Was it because the performer, or rather the sacrifice for the ritual, had to be a human who hasn''t been contaminated?


    Thinking this, Officer Zhang frowned slightly.


    Xu Shuo sipped his water and continued, "I was indeed nning to go on myself, but s, the current situation doesn''t allow it. I asked Xuena this morning, and she''s willing to cooperate with me to win, but afterwards..."


    She might not be willing to go through with the performance.


    Officer Zhang pondered and asked, "Can we choose someone other than you?"


    If possible, she wanted to arrange for one of her own people to blend in, which would be much more stable than working with strangers.


    "Yes, but if there''s someone better, those people probably won''t settle for just anyone."


    Xu Shuo shook his head, sighed, and said, "Changying has special methods of training us. Whether it''s the presence of the dance studio or her constant sowing of darkness in our hearts, it all makes us morepatible with the ritual."


    And the other side would prepare three, probably as a precaution, in case one identally bites the dust, there would still be two left, rather than losing all three at the same time.


    So, in this script, it really dide down to choosing one of three.


    The script is fair—all have a chance toplete their mission—it''s just a matter of whether they can seize it.


    Xu Shuo looked at the blood thread floating in his water ss, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth, the girl''s pale and delicate face devoid of color, but with an oddly enticing allure.


    Officer Zhang nced at her a few times before averting her eyes. After a silent moment, she hesitated and said, "We can''t just give up, but Qiuzi, do you know the hiding ce of those people?"


    "Hm?" Hearing this, Xu Shuo tilted his head innocently, "I don''t know."


    "Alright..."


    Having received an answer, Officer Zhang couldn''t tell if she was relieved or somewhat disappointed. At least nothing came of asking such a question.


    The girl idly swirled the ss, seemingly interested in the whirlpool within, herrge eyes blinking, her pallor lending her an innocent, pure appearance.


    The two of them then discussed other matters, and Officer Zhang shared some of the intelligence she knew.


    The existence of "Cultists" and "Necrophages" had now been franklyid out, disclosing the whole story of this event.


    While speaking, Officer Zhang stealthily observed the girl''s reaction, but Qiuzi''s calmness was a bit too much, only asionally showing curiosity.


    When it was about time, they settled on the rough n of action forter, and their meal for today came to an end.


    ...


    Back at the church, Officer Zhang shared the information she had received that day.


    Then she got a strange look from the priest, who after a while said slowly, "Qiuzi definitely knows, she just doesn''t want to tell you. Someone who can easily deal with Necrophages isn''t simple. It seems you''re already bewitched."


    Officer Zhang: "…"