The Obsessions of the Six Cardinal Sins

At nine o'clock at night, Xu Yifan returned to the city criminal investigation squad where he had once worked to wrap up his resignation. The personnel officer handed him a written dismissal notice, citing his repeated reliance on unscientific leads in investigations, in violation of criminal investigation procedures. Former colleagues deliberately avoided him and whispered that he had gone mad after encountering something paranormal. As Xu Yifan cleared his desk, he gathered the items that had sat there for years: a worn one-yuan coin from 1996, a keepsake from his mother, and a faded, old bus photograph with most of the license plate obscured. In the middle of packing, a courier delivered an unmarked letter. The envelope was yellowed, and the paper carried a faint scent of sandalwood prayer beads. Inside were only a black-and-white portrait of an elderly woman and a handwritten address: No. 37 Qingshan Lane.