Chapter 30: The Cold Trail

At the victim’s home.

“The trail has gone cold.”

Xiao Yu stared calmly at the grisly ‘painting of flesh and blood’ on the wall. “He’s clever. He must have planned this meticulously. From breaking into the victim’s home to cleaning up afterward, every detail was executed perfectly. Finding any additional clue at the scene? Nearly impossible.”

Members of the Special Investigation Team watched Xiao Yu silently, their expressions grave.

Though they had only met him today,

this rookie officer left only one impression: a pervert!

His investigative prowess was terrifyingly formidable, his wildly imaginative approach almost unbelievable.

They found it hard to accept.

So, as the team leader, Niu Peng took a moment to pull up Xiao Yu’s file on his phone.

What he saw left him utterly speechless.

It turned out that Xiao Yu had been a standout at the police academy—a brilliance so intense it sent chills down your spine.

A top student among the academy’s elite—a true powerhouse.

Only when Niu Peng shared this news with his team did they finally understand.

A police academy genius?

Then everything made sense!

Niu Peng made a decision: let Xiao Yu temporarily lead the Special Investigation Team, with everyone else supporting him.

Any issues with that?

Of course not.

You’ve been at this case for two days with barely a clue to show for it,

while Xiao Yu managed to uncover a major lead in no time.

Even if the trail has gone cold now, his abilities far exceed all of yours combined.

That’s just how things work in the police force.

When cracking a case, age, rank, and title are meaningless—everyone steps aside.

If you’re capable, take the lead; if not, simply follow orders. It’s as straightforward as that.

Crack the case, and everyone benefits.

With Xiao Yu steering the investigation, everyone stands to gain.

Fail to solve it, and everyone suffers—nobody escapes…

“Investigate thoroughly, follow every lead, examine every detail, and boldly speculate.”

Xiao Yu shifted his gaze from the bloody mural and looked at his team. “But that might not be the whole truth. It needs to be verified.”

Everyone nodded; as veteran detectives, they understood this instinct well.

“Since the trail is cold, we need to search elsewhere.”

Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes. “Let’s start by interrogating the suspect!”

Why interrogate the suspect?

The murderer had done so much yet allowed the suspect to take the fall as a scapegoat.

Who in their right mind has nothing better to do than frame someone for fun?

Is it about grudges? Revenge? Or something else entirely?

Xiao Yu suspected it was none of the above.

This wronged suspect likely wouldn’t yield any useful clues anyway.

If he had a grudge against the murderer, why would the killer go through all this trouble for revenge?

With a crime this brutal, why not just kill him directly?

Why complicate things so unnecessarily?

Interrogation is a last-ditch move—it won’t let even the slightest hint slip through.

The team returned to the Sub-Team on standby while Xiao Yu and Niu Peng headed straight to the detention center…

……

After completing the standard interrogation procedure,

inside the detention center’s interrogation room, Xiao Yu met the suspect in this case.

Of average build and unremarkable in appearance, he barely qualified as a youth.

Wearing the detention center uniform, his face was etched with dejection, despair, and anger.

He Xia, 29, a local, employed at a private company…

If it’s known that he might be innocent, why is he still being held?

It’s all a matter of procedure.

For one, the evidence was overwhelmingly against him: found unconscious at the scene with every clue pointing his way.

Those facts alone justified his detention.

Even if he is innocent, he can later apply for state compensation, and the police system would work to restore his reputation.

Is it unfortunate?

It is, but there’s nothing that can be done once you’re entangled in a case.

That is, in today’s world; in another era,

if a case was handled carelessly, you’d be awaiting a death sentence…

“I’m innocent.”

Facing the two officers, He Xia glared with bloodshot eyes and shouted.

“Yeah, I know.”

Xiao Yu responded coolly with a nod.

“Uh…”

With one remark, Xiao Yu left He Xia utterly speechless.

After a long pause, He Xia grew agitated, thinking: Could it be that the police have finally caught the real murderer?

Yet the officers before him remained silent.

Growing desperate, He Xia blurted out,

“You’re only half speaking—are you even human?”

Xiao Yu said nothing, instead observing He Xia closely.

He scrutinized every nuance of He Xia’s expression and posture.

After all, some truths hide within a person’s expression.

Facial cues always betray inner thoughts.

For instance, genuine surprise lasts barely a second; eyes cast downward hint at recollection; eyes raised can signal fabricating a story; and erratic eye movements often betray nervousness or deceit.

Typically, one blinks five to eight times per minute; a higher rate means inner instability.

When lying, the heart races, the face flushes, sometimes even the nose itches, prompting an unconscious touch.

An angry person’s expressions and words are in perfect sync.

If they aren’t, then they’re just putting on an act…

These are principles taught at the police academy as part of micro-expression psychology.

Officers have a keen eye because they know how to read these subtle cues.

After two minutes of observation, Xiao Yu was certain:

The unfortunate He Xia was indeed a victim of circumstance.

He was being wrongly blamed.

But Xiao Yu noticed something odd.

He had an unusually steady hand.

So steady that whether in anger, despair, or excitement, his hands never flinched.

That was highly uncharacteristic.

One would expect that when overwhelmed, a person’s body would betray them with involuntary actions.

For example, anger makes people clench their fists, excitement makes them fidget, and happiness leads to animated gestures…

Yet He Xia showed no such movements.

Something was seriously off!