Chapter 223: Private Island Conundrum

Chapter 223: Private Island

Clasping the car door, Xiao Yu waved at Mu Qingwu inside.

They watched as the Rolls-Royce gradually receded into the distance.

A tender smile played on his lips for a long while before fading away.

Turning around, Xiao Yu left the Criminal Investigation Team’s office and headed into the conference room.

Zhao Changshan, Zhou Tinghu, the deputy team leader, and the rest of the field officers were all present.

“The case is monumental,”

was Xiao Yu’s very first remark as he sat down.

Instantly, every face in the room turned grim.

Without needing an explanation, everyone was already aware of the interrogation scheduled for Peng Junlong tonight.

This wasn’t just a big case—it had already claimed five lives as a bare minimum!

The malice of this case was beyond measure.

There even lurked the possibility of brutality… or even cannibalism!

To be honest, this case had practically severed ties with the Criminal Investigation Team’s usual procedures.

Normally, the team would report directly to the Sub-Team, which would then escalate the matter to the City Bureau.

The City Bureau would inform the Provincial Department, after which the higher-ups and National Security would be called in.

But after Zhao Changshan’s report, something bizarre happened.

Not long after, the City Bureau coolly replied: you Criminal Investigation Team guys take the lead, and if you need any support, the city and province will fully cooperate!

Isn’t that refreshing?

Even more startling news followed.

Wang Dong personally called and started off, “Bro, I’m swamped here. Want me to send some of my guys over?”

Even though the case was massive—big enough to warrant intervention from National Security—and local investigations were acceptable,

it was merely a hunt for a couple of suspects, not a showdown with an Assassin Group.

Knowing Xiao Yu as well as he did, Wang Dong was confident that this case was well within his handling, without needing to mobilize a huge force.

“Send two men over—cross-city and cross-province if needed!”

The words on the other end echoed in Xiao Yu’s mind as he inwardly muttered, ‘Damn, like I didn’t already know what Wang Dong was thinking.’

“No problem,” he replied.

Wang Dong chuckled, “Investigate the case first; the personnel will be dispatched shortly.”

He fully understood Xiao Yu’s aim—always to have National Security personnel by his side.

After all, when you’re moving across cities and provinces, relying solely on local police just wouldn’t cut it.

Inter-provincial operations require all sorts of paperwork and favors—it’s a major time sink.

That’s why the police were simply not up to the task.

How do you cut through red tape and bureaucracy when dealing with cross-town and cross-province cases?

Zhao Changshan’s voice edged with excitement: “How exactly are we going to crack this?”

After all these years on the force, this was his first encounter with such a special case.

Handling a case of this caliber was entirely new!

Indeed, the case had swiftly escalated into something out of the ordinary.

With its heinous nature and tragic toll, it was nearly impossible not to treat it as a special case.

The other officers shared his excitement.

Leading a special investigation was a dream come true—something they’d only dared to imagine in their wildest dreams.

In their sober moments, they’d never have imagined it!

On the surface, the case appeared straightforward.

Locate three criminal hideouts and arrest the suspects.

Yet beneath that lay a labyrinth of complications.

For starters, the exact locations of the three hideouts were unknown, and there were no clear identities for the two suspects.

Suspect Peng Junlong hadn’t been in touch with either Second Brother or Third Brother for over three years.

How were they supposed to crack the case?

“Let’s begin with suspect Peng Junlong,”

declared Xiao Yu after a moment’s thought. “First, we need to get his portrait drawn.”

Both Second Brother and Third Brother had been in Peng Junlong’s orbit for a considerable time.

A portrait based on witness descriptions could certainly be sketched.

It might not be an exact likeness, but it would serve as a crucial lead.

Notably, Second Brother bore a distinctive tattoo of the Seven-Colored Dragon—a key identifier.

But even with these clues, tracking him down wouldn’t be easy.

Xiao Yu planned to start at one of the three criminal hideouts.

According to Peng Junlong’s account, he’d visited all three while blindfolded, so he couldn’t pinpoint their exact locations.

It might seem hopeless, but the clues were surprisingly clear.

One of the hideouts was on a Small Island!

In the country, the management of sea islands is extremely strict.

Yet there are ‘private islands’ which one can possess usage rights to, though not outright land ownership.

Once the term expires, they can be renewed—much like the 70-year property rights.

So, how many ‘island owners’ are there in the country today?

Over six hundred!

This means that the number of people owning private islands is far beyond what anyone could imagine.

Among them, the most renowned is Lin Dong, known as the ‘Island Master’ in the country.

This guy alone owns over twenty private islands nationwide.

So, what clue does this leave us with?

With over six hundred private islands spread across the nation, how can Xiao Yu pinpoint exactly which one Second Brother and Third Brother might be on?

The answer lies in regional investigation!

Based on Peng Junlong’s testimony, he had taken a speedboat from a pier in Bincheng to reach one of these islands.

That narrows it down to the area around Bincheng’s sea territory.

Then, by estimating the voyage time,

Peng Junlong estimated the trip to take roughly between one and one and a half hours.

Of course, this was merely his guess.

After all, he was blindfolded at the time and could only approximate.

Following that logic, the suspect should be on one of Bincheng’s private islands.

There are thirty-one private islands within Bincheng’s waters.

Using time and distance to eliminate possibilities, nineteen of them were too far away.

Among the remainder, seven had been developed into resorts.

Could a criminal really hide on a bustling resort?

Twelve islands remained, of which nine had been leased out for years and left undeveloped due to high investment risks.

That left just three islands.

Doesn’t this make the trail much simpler?

……

At six in the morning,

a speedboat pulled away from the pier.

In his life, it was Xiao Yu’s first time riding a boat.

Which was perfectly normal.

After all, many who live in coastal cities never even get on a boat in their lifetime.

The sea breeze was strong.

Xiao Yu squinted as he felt the speedboat’s jostling over the waves and appreciated the thrilling pace.

After more than an hour,

the speedboat docked at the shore of a small island.

On arrival, the island didn’t seem very large.

Yet it was completely deserted, with only a single modular hut in sight.

Xiao Yu and three police officers scoured the area, but found no traces of activity, so they took the speedboat to the second suspect island.

The result was the same—the island was empty and lacked the massive underground structure Peng Junlong had mentioned.

Finally, they headed straight for the third suspect island.

According to the records, the island was called “Xiapa Island,” covering roughly four square kilometers—a name coined by the island’s owner with a hint of mischief.

In the local Bincheng dialect, “Xiapa” means “shrimp scuttle,” a term for a type of small crustacean.

The island boasted hills, streams, and midway up the slope, a vast courtyard.

No sooner had they set foot on the island

than suddenly,

Xiao Yu felt as if someone was watching him.

This wasn’t an up-close stare,

but rather one from a distance.

A telescope, perhaps?

Frowning, Xiao Yu looked toward the large courtyard.

Under the watchful gaze of his Falcon’s Eye, he clearly saw a middle-aged man in the courtyard observing him.