Chapter 233: Simulating a Criminal Mindset

Chapter 233: Simulating a Criminal Mindset

“Not them!”

Wang Dong crouched before a corpse, his mouth twitching.

The corpse before him had collapsed shoulders and a sunken chest, resembling the aftermath of a horrific car crash.

Wang Dong had seen plenty of dead bodies in his time.

But this was the first time he witnessed a victim beaten to death so brutally while still alive.

And yet, it wasn’t the main culprits—’Second Brother’ and ‘Third Brother’…

“Nonsense.”

Xiao Yu snapped, “Do you think I don’t know?”

“At least there’s one witness,” another remarked.

Unruffled, Wang Dong grinned and turned towards the man moaning on the ground.

“Let’s check if this is the place.”

Taking a step forward, Xiao Yu headed down the underground passage.

Waves of putrid stench drifted through the pitch-black tunnel.

Switching on his phone’s flashlight, he soon discovered a jail cell.

Then… he saw three corpses.

Corpses so decayed they had turned to mere bones!

Xiao Yu sighed deeply.

They had found the second crime den.

Suspect Peng Junlong had admitted that, years ago, three people were held captive here.

Among them, a woman was murdered by Peng Junlong under duress.

But the other two victims had, shockingly, already died…

During the interrogations,

a muscular man and two other individuals, who had been guarding the den,

were identified as members of the criminal gang.

Why hadn’t they fled?

Because they hadn’t heard from ‘Second Brother’ and ‘Third Brother’ for months.

They were completely oblivious to the disaster that had struck Small Island.

They didn’t even know of the basement beneath the island’s surface.

What was most baffling was that

‘Second Brother’ and ‘Third Brother’ had only paid each of the three one million.

Yet, they had seamlessly joined in the murderous spree.

They even broadcasted the entire criminal operation live on the dark web…

“One million?”

Xiao Yu replied coolly, “It’s shocking how little a human life is valued!”

“No wonder these guys deserve their fate,” came the retort.

Wang Dong’s face turned ashen as he ground his teeth, “So, should we move on to the next den?”

According to Peng Junlong’s confession, ‘Second Brother’ and ‘Third Brother’ maintained three dens in total.

They had already located two.

By Wang Dong’s assessment, they must be hiding in the third den.

“Futile. Even if we find them, they won’t be there,” he muttered.

Taking out a pack of cigarettes, Xiao Yu lit one and handed it to Wang Dong. After taking a long drag himself, he said, “Searching for dens is just a matter of chance. They’re cunning— there must be more than three.”

The state of this den made it unmistakably clear.

‘Second Brother’ and ‘Third Brother’ could abandon a location on a whim without a second thought.

Back when they lured Peng Junlong over for their ‘game’, they weren’t afraid of exposing their hideouts.

After all, who in their right mind would reveal their crime scene voluntarily?

How on earth are we supposed to locate them?

Xiao Yu didn’t waste a second and shot a meaningful glance at Wang Dong.

“Hmm?”

Wang Dong was taken aback and motioned for his subordinates.

Once the small building was empty except for the two of them,

“Suppose… I’m Second Brother, Third Brother!”

Xiao Yu’s expression gradually turned cold, the spark in his eyes fading.

“Uh!”

In an instant, Wang Dong stepped back, cautiously eyeing his junior.

He had seen Xiao Yu like this once before.

It happened during the arrest of the mastermind behind a body trafficking case in a villa.

Back then, Xiao Yu seemed to have transformed from a man into a monster.

A monster who had mastered the art of analysis and deduction to the extreme!

“If I were ‘Second Brother’ and ‘Third Brother’… would I commit these acts because of psychological issues, perversions, or simply for money?”

Xiao Yu lowered his head, murmuring, “Is it for the brutal thrill, the perverse satisfaction, or to amass fortunes on the dark web…”

Wang Dong’s face grew grave as he chose not to interrupt.

He couldn’t quite decipher what this state signified.

But he knew all too well that it was extremely dangerous.

The intermittent murderous aura around Xiao Yu, coupled with an indescribable irritability, set his heart racing.

This state persisted for about twenty minutes.

Then suddenly,

Wang Dong, his skin prickling, observed the liveliness return to Xiao Yu’s eyes as the coldness on his face gradually dissolved into familiarity…

“Let’s head back to Bincheng.”

Xiao Yu looked at Wang Dong, “They must be in Bincheng!”

“Just now, what was that?”

Wang Dong, now less focused on the criminals, was intensely curious about Xiao Yu’s recent state.

“Simulating a Criminal Mindset,” he explained.

Xiao Yu walked out of the building, saying, “It’s a psychological technique where the brain cooperates to perform a simulated analysis.”

“Simulating a Criminal Mindset?”

Wang Dong frowned, “Can one really mimic another’s mindset?”

He understood simulating a crime scene, but replicating someone else’s thoughts seemed almost mystical.

“Call it a self-hypnosis I developed,” Xiao Yu replied.

Recalling the days when he was labeled a ‘monster’, he managed a bitter smile, “It can sometimes aid in cracking cases.”

“Stop joking,” Wang Dong snapped.

The two boarded a police car. Wang Dong’s expression clearly said, ‘Don’t treat me like a child.’

“I’m not joking,” Xiao Yu insisted.

Leaning back in his seat, Xiao Yu closed his eyes and explained, “This state acts as a guide, drawing my brain and psyche into a simulation. First, I must review the criminal’s past actions to deduce their mindset. By empathizing with their methods, I force myself to immerse in their emotions and thoughts.”

Wang Dong: …

Could you just speak normally?

How am I supposed to expect a rough security guard like you to grasp psychology?

“In plain terms,”

Xiao Yu opened his eyes with a wry smile and said, “I’m imitating the mindset and reasoning behind their crimes, immersing myself in their state of mind.”

Wang Dong broke into a cold sweat, staring fixedly at Xiao Yu, “In that state, you become them? What if you end up just like them…”

“Do you want the truth or a lie?” Xiao Yu grinned mischievously.

Wang Dong: …

He felt that his junior’s grin was akin to a devil’s smile.

“It’s merely an ideological simulation—a reasoned approximation of the truth,” Xiao Yu clarified.

Shaking his head, Xiao Yu continued, “I’m no deity… Wang, do you misunderstand what ‘simulation’ means?”

“Simulation?”

Wang Dong suddenly realized and slapped his forehead.

“Simulation, simply put, is imitation—a knock-off, a fake,” he explained.

Exactly; how could anyone truly perceive another’s mindset?

If they could, they’d be monsters.

Noticing Wang Dong’s expression that screamed ‘I’ve figured it out’, a brief smirk flickered in Xiao Yu’s eyes.

Soon, that smirk hardened into a steely glare.

Let’s go catch those bastards!