After entering the room, I found it very tidy. There was a large writing desk piled high with thick stacks of test papers, a pile of books, and a laptop. The computer was on; it looked like Mandy Lou was working on student grade spreadsheets.
There was a sofa and a low coffee table set with a tea set and a plate of apples. At the kitchen entrance stood a water dispenser. It was a standard one-bedroom, one-living room, one-kitchen layout, complete with a small bathroom.
The three of us sat down on the sofa. Mandy Lou was making tea for us. Justin Huang kept glancing nervously around, his body trembling slightly, his eyes darting toward the bedroom.
It was obvious that Justin Huang was agitated. I quickly pressed his hand and gave him a warning look.
"If you don't mind me asking, Ms. Lou, how did you get the injury on your face?"
No sooner had I spoken than Justin Huang turned his head, glaring at me with anger.
Mandy Lou's expression changed, her brows furrowing. I noticed her hand trembling slightly as she held the teapot.
After pouring three cups of tea for us, Mandy Lou took a small stool from under the desk, sat down, lowered her head, and kept rubbing her hands together—she was hesitating.
"Officer, I told you months ago—I saw it. There was a ghost. Sophie Su was dragged into the river by a ghost."
"What exactly happened? Can you tell us in detail?"
As I spoke, Justin Huang became a bit agitated, his fists clenching so tightly they creaked.
"Oh, Ms. Lou, I remember you didn't have that injury on your face before. Was it caused by a ghost?" Frank Niu asked—a question both Justin Huang and I were concerned about.
Mandy Lou nodded.
Since entering school, Sophie Su had always struggled academically. Mandy Lou had asked other teachers to help tutor her, but maybe she just wasn't suited for studying—her grades never improved.
It wasn't until the school talent show in her sophomore year that Sophie Su and some classmates performed a dance and won applause. Mandy Lou realized then that Sophie had real talent—she looked genuinely happy while dancing.
By the second semester of sophomore year, Sophie Su's grades were still a mess. Mandy Lou suggested she apply to an arts college and become a special talent student. Mandy Lou even paid the tuition herself.
"It's all my fault. I broke the promise—the promise I made to Sophie Su."
As Mandy Lou spoke, she began to cry. Justin Huang raised his hand, pulled out a pack of tissues, and handed it to her with trembling fingers.
"Thank you."
Mandy Lou took the tissues and wiped away her tears.
Originally, Mandy Lou and Sophie Su had agreed not to tell her father until after the college entrance exams. Peter Su was old-fashioned and hot-tempered, and had always been strict with Sophie—he would never allow her to apply to an arts college.
But Mandy Lou thought she should still inform Peter Su—after all, he was Sophie Su's father.
One weekend morning, Mandy Lou went to Sophie Su's house to talk to her father, Peter Su. It ended in an argument. Even though Mandy Lou tried to reason with him, they couldn't reach an agreement.
That afternoon, it poured rain. Sophie Su had just come home from practice, argued with her father, and ran out the door—she never returned.
Peter Su called Mandy Lou right away. Mandy Lou braved the heavy rain, searching everywhere for Sophie Su.
"And then what happened?"
As Mandy Lou spoke, tears streamed down her face. She collapsed onto the desk, sobbing.
"It's okay, it's okay. Just tell us—we'll take care of it." Justin Huang stood up, crouched beside Mandy Lou, and kept comforting her.
I fell into deep thought. After a while, the lunch break bell rang. At 2 p.m., Mandy Lou finally got up, rushed to the bathroom, tidied herself up, and grabbed her textbooks.
"Officers, please wait here. I'll finish my class and be back a little after 3 p.m."
After Mandy Lou left, Justin Huang suddenly stood up and grabbed Frank Niu by the collar.
"Damn it, what the hell are you doing? Aren't you part of the Ghost Burial Squad?"
I quickly got up and pressed down Justin Huang's hand.
"There's nothing I can do. My abilities are limited. I can handle ordinary ghosts, but if it's a Shade Ghost, I'm out of options. What do you expect me to do? Justin, be reasonable. If I could solve it myself, I wouldn't need you guys here!"
"Both of you, shut up!" I barked. They both sat down.
"No matter what kind of ghost it is, I won't let it off. Never." Justin Huang clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked.
I nodded.
By 3:30, we'd finished a plate of apples. Mandy Lou finally returned, sat down, and spoke.
"That day, it was pouring rain. I searched everywhere, asked all her classmates, but couldn't find Sophie Su. Then I remembered—on the outskirts, there's a stagnant river, undeveloped, with wide open banks. Sophie used to practice there..."
As Mandy Lou spoke, she started crying again.
"When I got there, Sophie Su was by the riverbank, crying and shouting at me—calling me a liar. I still remember it..."
A deep fear appeared on Mandy Lou's face. Justin Huang supported her.
"Go on—what happened next?"
Around 6 p.m., we arrived at the Stagnant River on the outskirts of Linland County. The river was crystal clear, with no source and no end—no one could figure out where the water came from. It ran through the county, but once it left town, its destination was unknown. That's why it was called the Stagnant River.
When Mandy Lou described what happened, she was terrified. It was pouring rain, the river was flooding, and Sophie Su was standing in the water, crying and screaming. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the pitch-black river and grabbed Sophie, pulling her down.
Mandy Lou rushed closer and tried to pull Sophie Su toward the shore. But halfway there, Mandy saw a human head surface from the water—then a swollen, bluish face opened its mouth and sprayed water at her. The water splashed onto Mandy Lou's face.
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Mandy Lou felt her cheek burning hot. She screamed and lost consciousness. When she woke up, she was in the hospital. The liquid splashed on her face was corrosive, but no one could figure out what it was.
Mandy Lou told the police about this countless times, but she had no evidence to prove her story. The police dismissed her as delusional.
"How could you not know about something like this?"
I asked Frank Niu about it. He scratched his head and squatted by the riverbank.
"That's strange. Usually, when something like this happens, Deputy Lowell would notify me to check it out. Why didn't I get any message?"
Staring at the flowing river, Justin Huang took off his shoes and stepped in, but felt nothing.
We had explained to Mandy Lou that we were special police who dealt with cases like this. Mandy nodded, half-believing.
"That girl—could she have become a substitute for a Drowned Ghost?"
Frank Niu blurted out.
I looked at him—what he said was actually possible.
But confirming it was another matter. I made another call to Rachel Lan, but got nowhere—Sophie Su couldn't remember anything.
The biggest thing is, when someone is chosen as a substitute, after death, they turn into a ghost and keep suffering the torment of drowning. But there were no such signs in Sophie Su.
"We'll just have to ask Deputy Lowell."
As I spoke, Frank Niu looked miserable.
But it was getting late, so we'd have to wait until morning. We drove back to Linland County. Now, the only option was to catch a few wandering ghosts nearby and ask them.
After dinner, at 8 p.m., we filled up the car and wandered around the main street in town. But after nearly two hours, there wasn't a single sign of a ghost.
"Let's check the cemetery," I said. Frank Niu turned left at an intersection and sped up.
"There are several cemeteries in town. Let's go to the closest one first."
We drove to the northern outskirts, to a place called Twin Head Mountain. From a distance, you could see two large peaks that looked like heads.
There was a newly built cemetery. We went to the management office, and the caretaker opened the gate for us.
Once inside, we began searching everywhere.
"This is so damn weird. Usually, I don't dare go near a cemetery—since I can see ghosts, I always spot a few. Why can't I see a single one tonight?"
"Do you know any ghost-summoning techniques?" I asked. Frank Niu shook his head without hesitation.
"Damn, didn't you graduate from the Ghost Burial Squad? How can you not even know the basics?"
Justin Huang shouted.
"Well, I was always a terrible student. That's why I got sent to a place like this—to just muddle through until retirement."
Suddenly, I stepped on something with a splat. I quickly looked down—it was a small puddle. My shoe and sock were soaked.
"Let's go check out another cemetery."
Justin Huang said. We left the cemetery and walked to the car. I noticed some water near the front wheel but didn't pay much attention—we got in and drove off.
All night, until 3 a.m., we searched every cemetery and didn't see a single ghost.
"Let's try the Ouija Ritual, or anything else—any ghost-inviting game will do."
Back home, I suggested it. It was the only thing we could think of.
But unfortunately, there were only three of us—and we didn't have any props.