Chapter 104: Shattered Deductions

Chapter 104: That’s Not Right, It’s Wrong

The suspect they caught was none other than the foreign white man, Grandi—the one who dumped the corpse!

Perhaps the police will consider his foreign status a bit more carefully.

National Security…

Half an hour later, the expressionless Shao Jiafu strode out of the interrogation room. “Lu Jia was murdered by him—just to lure us in. His cover? A spy, a commercial spy. The others are at large, and we have no idea where they’re hiding. Their target this time is some software—the specifics are unclear. He’s merely a minion, and so is his partner. The operation’s command was led by… Yang Zhichao!”

Just as I suspected… Xiao Yu’s face was so icy, you could almost scrape ice off it.

Did their tactics sever the lead?

At least we managed to nab a suspect.

At least Bincheng’s police system can now give the Provincial Department an explanation.

This wasn’t just a jailbreak—it was tainted by espionage.

Yun Xiangguo, the celebrated head of the City Bureau, listened to Xiao Yu’s report and immediately blurted, “Holy shit!”

Anyone investigating a case would be stunned to see it spiral into an espionage investigation.

It would blow anyone’s mind.

Just as Xiao Yu had predicted.

With this new development, the jailbreak case finally had a temporary explanation after reporting to the Provincial Department.

The Provincial Department certainly wouldn’t hassle the City Bureau further by extending the seven-day investigation deadline.

They ordered the City Bureau to fully cooperate with National Security in investigating the case.

Cooperate with National Security?

Yun Xiangguo’s expression turned rather odd.

According to his subordinates, those National Security agents were lingering right beside Xiao Yu.

It seemed as if they were all there to back up this upstart.

Just as the rumors had it.

Xiao Yu really knew how to direct National Security’s operations—leaving Yun Xiangguo with mixed emotions.

Anyone with such talent on their team would feel conflicted.

Don’t be fooled by his low-ranking title—he handles only the high-level matters.

This guy is destined for greatness…

No—he’s already become a major force!

After all, so much of other people’s supposed strength is just in their heads.

Yun Xiangguo was indeed a sharp mind.

But smart people tend to overthink!

……

Can Xiao Yu really direct National Security?

I wish—no way!

Yet, all the National Security agents had indeed gathered around him.

Plus, the heads of Bincheng’s major investigative units were present too…

Just days ago in the City Bureau meeting room, there was doubt and discontent when Yun Xiangguo announced his order to appoint Xiao Yu as the ‘Overall Commander’ (acfe).

But in the past few days, the Armed Police, SWAT, Criminal Police—basically every law enforcement branch—had all cooperated fully.

Not only did Xiao Yu manage the operation flawlessly, he also apprehended a suspect.

Everyone was convinced.

What is this?

Talent!

Everyone believed that it was only a matter of time before Xiao Yu soared to the top.

Just look at how respectfully the National Security agents treated him.

All of it was earned through his prowess and competence.

They now treated Xiao Yu with equal deference.

No one could ever see him as just a minor officer again.

Life is indeed brutally real.

In the end, sheer strength is what earns respect.

But time was running out for Xiao Yu.

The system task deadline was only nine days away!

……

The trail had gone completely cold.

Ma Hexuan, Yang Zhichao, and a Chinese spy, Joey, were on the run!

Xiao Yu sat on the curb, staring blankly at the sky with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

How could he possibly pick up new leads again?

There had to be a way.

Bincheng had been on lockdown for a full six days.

This couldn’t go on much longer.

Most importantly…

He’s a man of his word—he promised his sister he’d come home early.

At last, life had finally started to feel normal.

He was doing his best to be a normal person.

He was even managing to look full of youthful energy, with stars in his eyes.

But… Xiao Yu managed a bitter smile.

Then it’s time to go all out…

“Suppose I were Yang Zhichao!”

“What would my goal be?”

“A portable hard drive?”

“Yu Hongmei… she’s my pawn, because she’s the best friend of my target girlfriend this time!”

“And then I claimed her as mine? I used her to seduce Ma Hexuan for the software he was researching… but it didn’t work out!”

“Then, as Yu Hongmei got close to Ma Hexuan again… did Ma Hexuan stab her?”

“Could it be that I orchestrated it somehow… meaning Ma Hexuan didn’t intentionally stab Yu Hongmei, that she hurt herself? Was it meant to get Ma Hexuan into the Detention Center?”

“No, no—it really was Ma Hexuan who inflicted self-harm on Yu Hongmei. After all, hardly anyone would dare to wound themselves like that. So, did Ma Hexuan deliberately stab her? What was his plan?”

“I get it—he intended to hide in jail. Was it then that I began threatening him, demanding that Ma Hexuan hand over the software?”

“So Ma Hexuan wanted to lay low, and the detention center was the safest place? Is that why he pleaded guilty?”

“But… I even entered the detention center, found Ma Hexuan, and threatened him again?”

“Ma Hexuan wouldn’t budge? Then I found Lu Jia? How do I get him to work for me? Threaten, bribe… for a spy, the options are endless.”

“I had planned their jailbreak? No, I just wanted Lu Jia to reveal where the hard drive was hidden.”

“Yeah, that seems about right. But why did the plan change and eventually turn into a jailbreak?”

“Some complication arose… Yu Hongmei threatened Shen Qi and got hold of the hard drive. But it had no password?”

“Or was it some strange password—one that only the owner could unlock?”

“Even so, we’d just wait for Ma Hexuan’s release. Why then the jailbreak?”

“That’s the twist—a change that forces us to get Ma Hexuan out before his sentence ends.”

“What could it be? Wait—why does the portable hard drive have a password? What if it didn’t? Have I already captured the software, only for it to malfunction, requiring Ma Hexuan himself to fix it? Without him, does the software self-destruct like a smartphone wiping itself clean?”

“So my plan shifted—I’d have to get Ma Hexuan out early within a set timeframe?”

“Those sentenced don’t get released early. So… jailbreak!”

“I resorted to certain measures, threatening both Ma Hexuan and Lu Jia?”

“No… then why did Yu Hongmei die, and so horribly?”

Xiao Yu suddenly looked up sharply.

Wrong!

Ma Hexuan… was he really the one who was threatened?

He recalled the detention center’s surveillance footage.

In his foul mood, he had overlooked one detail.

When Ma Hexuan killed the guard, he did hesitate at first.

But once he started, his stabs came rapidly, with no further hesitation.

He didn’t even pause when he killed the second guard.

Xiao Yu’s eyes flashed with cold ruthlessness and ferocity.

So, you had figured it out yourself?

It turns out that Yu Hongmei was indeed killed by you!