Chapter 260: Channels Are Key

Chapter 260: Channels Are Key

No leads.

An old detective named Qian Yi shook his head. “Nearly all the suspects in the fake currency case—especially the ringleaders—have been apprehended. Most are already in prison. We even interrogated them in jail, yet none of them know who was behind it.”

“We’ve also canvassed the area over the past few days,”

another veteran detective added, “We even inspected the original crime scene back then—yielding nothing.”

“As for that unique Three-Edged Stabber, it likely wasn’t made domestically. Local blade workshops would have a hard time replicating it,”

he continued, “and their method of entry into the storage room is so crude—they even smashed open the cabinets.”

“Yet their killing technique was professional. The two slain officers didn’t even have a chance to resist before being stabbed. It clearly isn’t their first time doing this,”

he added, “and one more thing.”

Gao Shengli shot a glance at Xiao Yu. “It’s completely irrational that the criminals’ route into and escape from the stash house wasn’t captured by the Tianyan Surveillance Cameras.”

“Our investigation confirms there are five such cameras outside covering all entry and exit points, and over a dozen within the stash area,”

another voice noted. “Evading all that surveillance is impossible…unless they literally flew in!”

Listening to the Serious Cases Department’s report, Xiao Yu analyzed and mulled over the clues hidden in their words.

He had to admit.

The Serious Cases Department’s investigative skills far surpassed those of his own Criminal Investigation Team.

They truly are the epitome of professionalism.

No suspicious lead was ever overlooked,

and every thread was pursued without any oversight.

Even the places Xiao Yu considered had already been thoroughly checked.

So…

“Something’s off,”

after scanning through the case files, the recent materials from the Serious Cases Department, and testimonies from the main suspects in the fake currency case, Xiao Yu frowned. “If there’s no connection to that case, are we dealing with something supernatural? By the way… did you ask those criminals how many people knew about their fake currency production in the past?”

“Very few knew, because what they produced wasn’t domestic fake currency at all,”

Gao Shengli chimed in with a laugh, “The fake currency they produced was all funneled overseas through certain channels!”

Smack!

Slapping his forehead, Xiao Yu grinned, “Exactly!”

The Fake Currency Circuit Boards were for US dollars!

They’d have no market domestically.

He nearly forgot that point.

“Wait a minute…”

Xiao Yu’s expression darkened. “Is it possible… that it’s outsiders?”

Outsiders… foreign operatives!

He recalled the wounds on the necks of the two slain officers,

and that unique three-edged stabber.

During the last investigation of the stash house, Xiao Yu had told Wang Dong,

“That such a weapon is utterly out of reach for ordinary people and only exists in covert battlefields.”

So, who would most likely desire those two Fake Currency Circuit Boards?

Those who used to buy fake currency!

Isn’t it ironic? People actually buy fake currency?

Not only do they buy it, but the more authentic it appears, the more they’re willing to pay—even at a higher price.

Take, for instance, the massive fake currency bust the Provincial Department cracked recently.

Each time, foreign buyers stocked up,

at an exchange rate of one-to-ten.

One real dollar for ten dollars’ worth of fake currency!

That exchange rate is downright staggering.

With real money in play, they’re bound to double their profits.

Otherwise, only a madman would use real money to buy fake currency!

Xiao Yu’s insight made everyone’s eyes light up,

but in an instant, their expressions grew grim.

“Not very likely,” someone remarked.

An experienced detective shook his head, “First, foreign operatives wouldn’t be so familiar with Capital City S’s stash house. They couldn’t possibly anticipate the Tianyan Surveillance or the other cameras monitoring the area.”

“True,”

Wu Jia frowned, “We’ve also scoured the crime scene for any suspicious individuals around the stash house. If it were overtly foreign, surely someone on the street would have noticed.”

“Not necessarily,”

Xiao Yu replied with a strange look, “Like you mentioned earlier, I handled a jailbreak case in Bincheng. That case even uncovered foreign espionage—with spies masquerading as locals committing crimes.”

Everyone’s faces darkened.

0··Looking for applause········

Some people are just so infatuated with foreign ways.

They’d betray even their own ancestors for a bit of profit.

Locals serving as spies for foreigners is nothing new.

It happens all too often.

Could this be the work of foreign powers?

Very likely!

“Why do you say that?”

“First, the fake currency.”

“And it’s not just foreign fake currency— even genuine foreign cash is hard to spend domestically.”

“Who would buy such a thing if you produced it?”

“They must be sipping counterfeit booze!”

“Only outsiders would be able to buy it.”

“Secondly, the channel.”

“If you lack a distribution network,”

“no matter how much fake currency you print, what good is it?”

“Still, who would buy it?”

…….00

“Anyone capable of murdering officers and stealing Fake Currency Circuit Boards must at least have a distribution network for their product.”

“You have to ensure that your fake currency can actually be sold.”

“That much is obvious, right?”

“It doesn’t show anything conclusive,”

Xiao Yu squinted, “Even if these folks aren’t outsiders, they clearly have a distribution network. It’s highly likely they’re connected to that fake currency case as well!”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Such a deduction made perfect sense.

Otherwise, who would risk targeting those two Fake Currency Circuit Boards?

Going so far as to murder officers and hire terrorist cells?

“Where do we start investigating?”

Gao Shengli shot a look at Xiao Yu and asked.

“It’s always hardest at the beginning.”

Once you crack a breakthrough, the case becomes much simpler.

As Xiao Yu used to say,

“Every case is like a jumbled ball of yarn.”

“Randomly chasing stray threads only makes it messier.”

“Simple.”

Xiao Yu put down the file. “Start where the case begins, and investigate from there.”

“The stash house?” Everyone exchanged looks.

“Yeah.”

Xiao Yu nodded, a steely glint in his eyes. “First, figure out how these criminals got into the stash house and what method they used to get out… they couldn’t have flown in, could they?”

……