Chapter 352: Chapter 352: Seeking Immortal Medicine, Sacred Heart Church

The moment the voice behind them fell into their ears.

Both Chen Xiao and Pan Huiping, along with Xiaoji and Liu Dayou, turned around almost simultaneously.

It was just at the moment they saw the girl.

Chen Xiao’s brows furrowed.

Pan Huiping’s eyes showed a hint of disappointment.

"How could it not be her?" Liu Dayou couldn’t contain himself and blurted out.

Xiaoji immediately glanced at him, signaling for him not to speak.

The girl saw so many people looking at her and froze.

"Wh... what?"

The girl asked, quickly running behind her mother.

The lady boss protected her daughter, chuckling nervously as she said:

"Officers, this is my daughter. She... she likes to play a bit, but she definitely hasn’t done anything wrong."

"You guys are police!" The girl’s face was one of shock.

As she was just a girl, Pan Huiping stepped forward and spoke: "Don’t overthink it. We’re just here to have some late-night snacks and ask a few questions along the way."

The girl nodded slightly, and Pan Huiping looked upstairs: "Is it quiet up there?"

"No one is using the private rooms tonight, they’re all empty."

"Alright, young lady, come upstairs with me for a moment." Pan Huiping said, leading the way upstairs.

Chen Xiao did not follow.

Once they went upstairs, Chen Xiao took out Qiu Tingfang’s photograph.

"Madam, please take a look at this girl’s picture and see if you’ve seen her before?"

The lady boss immediately took the photograph to look at.

After looking carefully for a few more moments, she shook her head:

"I haven’t seen her, no impression at all."

Chen Xiao watched her expression and finally took the photo back.

"Let’s wait here."

Chen Xiao said, then moved towards the kitchen.

Upon seeing the boss inside expertly wielding the spatula, he called out to the lady boss:

"Ask him to stop for a bit, it won’t take long. Just take a look at this photo."

Chen Xiao didn’t want to miss anyone.

Especially since he had only learned about Xu Fuji Candy tonight, and now at Xu Fuji’s Diner.

Some coincidences make even Chen Xiao feel a bit of wishful thinking.

The boss was soon pulled out by the lady boss.

Sweating profusely, the boss wiped his sweat with a towel while looking at the photo.

He then shook his head: "I feel like I haven’t seen her."

"What do you mean ’feel’ like? Either you’ve seen her or you haven’t, you need to be certain in front of the police officer." The lady boss scolded.

The boss chuckled bitterly: "How many people do we see each day? I don’t have as good a memory as you do!"

People without familial ties might look similar.

Business people often see new faces.

So the boss’s hesitation was reasonable.

"Boss, where’s our order? It’s been half an hour and all we’ve had is drinks?"

"Coming, coming, hold on... First, send a plate of peanuts to table number three! Guys, be patient!"

The boss replied quickly.

The guests immediately lost their temper.

The couple clearly knew how to run a business; otherwise, their place would not have been open for so many years.

The boss looked apologetically at Chen Xiao: "Sorry, officers, I..."

"No problem, go ahead. We’re not holding you up."

"It’s nothing!" The lady boss said while ushering her husband back into the kitchen.

Although Chen Xiao was smiling at the lady boss, his gaze slightly followed the boss back into the kitchen.

But he didn’t notice anything unusual. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Soon, Pan Huiping returned downstairs.

She looked at Chen Xiao and gave a slight shake of her head.

This hint gave Chen Xiao a sense of reassurance.

Apparently, the sudden stop hadn’t brought them any luck.

After leaving the diner, they got into their car.

However, once inside, Pan Huiping didn’t drive away immediately, but frowned and said:

"Did we overthink this?"

Chen Xiao understood that Pan Huiping wasn’t just referring to the diner.

She was also talking about the last bag of candy Qiu Tingfang bought before her death.

Chen Xiao looked at the outside world, still bustling with people, and said softly:

"Then let’s set aside the diner for now and talk about what came to mind when we first saw the candy."

Before Pan Huiping could respond, Liu Dayou interjected:

"The first reaction would definitely be Xu Fu, the legendary figure who led thousands of boys and girls out to sea to find the elixir of life for Emperor Qin Shi Huang!"

He added: "Anyway, I’ve never had that kind of candy before, it’s awfully expensive. But each time I see it, I always think of the Xu Fu from the Qin dynasty."

Chen Xiao didn’t know what others thought.

But he had the same thoughts as Liu Dayou.

Of course, that reflected the thoughts of his younger self in a previous life.

Back then, he was unfamiliar with the brand, but later learned the founder also had the surname Xu.

Chen Xiao glanced at Pan Huiping and asked: "What do you think, Captain Pan?"

Pan Huiping didn’t speak but closed her eyes right in front of them.

Liu Dayou and Xiaoji were curious.

In the next second, Pan Huiping suddenly opened the car door.

Chen Xiao promptly asked: "Captain Pan, what’s wrong?"

"Just now, only I went upstairs, so you didn’t notice. On the third floor, there’s a main room with its door slightly ajar. While inside, I saw, by the candlelight, something seemed to be enshrined."

"At the time, I didn’t think much about it because many business people worship gods. But now that Dayou mentioned Xu Fu seeking the elixir, I think we should take another look."

"Then let’s all go together this time."

Chen Xiao didn’t find enshrining a deity peculiar.

But since they were here, there was no harm in taking another look.

After all, investigators should never shy away from inconvenience.

The four of them returned to the diner.

The lady boss serving guests discreetly rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath.

Still, she stepped forward with a welcoming smile.

"Officers, is there anything you need?"

"We need to go upstairs for a look," said Pan Huiping.

Though displeased, the lady boss knew how to handle the situation.

She immediately made a polite gesture: "Please feel free to look around the store."

"Thank you."

Pan Huiping reciprocated the politeness and proceeded upstairs.

Chen Xiao, Liu Dayou, and Xiaoji followed closely.

Once upstairs, Pan Huiping headed straight for the slightly open main room door.

She pushed it open, revealing indeed an altar inside.

Candles and incense were burning.

But the offering wasn’t a statue, it was a white cloth.

On the white cloth were complex webs of threads.

Both Chen Xiao and Pan Huiping frowned, and she spoke:

"What’s being worshipped here?"

Chen Xiao shook his head, about to respond, when he noticed Xiaoji looking pensive.

"Xiaoji, do you recognize it?"

"I think it’s... a foreign symbol from something called the Sacred Heart Church," replied Xiaoji before explaining how he knew:

"Since Brother Chen asked me to explore more on the internet, I’ve been browsing all sorts of strange things online. Eventually, I learned how to access foreign websites and discovered the Sacred Heart Church on a forum abroad."

Chen Xiao nodded slightly, not hesitating as he said: "Go downstairs and have the boss and the lady boss brought up here. We need to ask about this Sacred Heart Church."