Chapter 27: A Rookie’s Insight

The sub-team leader left.

Inside the hall, eight detectives fixed odd looks on the young man before them.

“Hello, seniors. I’m Xiao Yu.”

Xiao Yu beamed, his smile as bright as sunshine, “I look forward to all of your guidance.”

Politeness wins hearts—sweet words go a long way.

He addressed them as ‘seniors’, humbling himself in the process.

Surely you wouldn’t dare to make things difficult for a junior, would you?

Sure enough, smiles began to appear on several of their faces.

The rest shot him amused, half-smiling glances.

“Wait… Xiao Yu?”

A middle-aged detective gasped in astonishment, staring at Xiao Yu, “Aren’t you the Xiao Yu from the Storage Room murder case a few days back?”

One remark made the others’ expressions shift subtly.

In Bincheng, even the tiniest buzz in the system spreads like wildfire in a day.

Gossip isn’t just for women—men love it too.

Just yesterday, they were mocking the Criminal Investigation Team for lacking ambition.

Who would have thought a rookie would crack a case?

And yet, here he is, having solved it.

“It was just luck,” he replied.

Xiao Yu shook his head with a smile, “I couldn’t have done it on my own. Our entire team cracked the case together.”

“Well said. The kid knows how to speak without seeking credit.”

Another veteran detective nodded with a warm smile as his gaze on Xiao Yu softened.

In this line of work, being overly ambitious is the worst mistake.

Ambition isolates you, and rashness leads to disaster!

“Time’s short—let’s study the case details first,” someone declared.

A first-level inspector spoke up; he was the head of the special investigation team and also the captain of the Criminal Investigation Sub-Team’s first battalion—Niu Peng.

Most of the members were from the first battalion, with three from the City Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Section.

“We’ve got a new lead!”

Niu Peng had just received word of a breakthrough—new clues in the case.

And the clue came from none other than Xiao Yu.

Before he could explain that ‘the suspect’s alibi didn’t match up’, Xiao Yu arrived.

Once the issue of the suspect’s timeline was raised…

The looks the others cast toward Xiao Yu changed—no disdain remained.

The kid clearly had some knowing insights; no wonder the higher-ups sent him straight to the special investigation team.

“Xiao Yu, what’s your take on this case?”

Now a team member, Niu Peng began seeking his opinion.

Like three cobblers outsmarting Zhuge Liang, teamwork is at the heart of every successful investigation.

“I only got back to work today after leave—I’ve only reviewed the case files,” he admitted.

My take? I’m just as baffled… Xiao Yu smiled, “I’d like to see the scene first.”

“No problem,” came the response.

Niu Peng nodded, “Old Five, escort Xiao Yu for a look around.”

“Alright,” an old detective agreed as he stood up.

……

Twenty-five minutes later.

Nicknamed ‘Old Five’, the detective led Xiao Yu to a residential complex.

The crime scene was on the sixth floor of one of the apartment buildings—a duplex.

A duplex is essentially a top-floor apartment with an attic.

These places are usually inexpensive yet surprisingly spacious.

Even so, they have plenty of drawbacks.

On higher floors like the sixth, duplexes generally lack elevators.

The attic’s uneven space and poor roof waterproofing often lead to leaks…

Stepping inside, they were hit by a stench so foul it nearly made them retch.

Xiao Yu frowned and, under Old Five’s astonished gaze, stepped further in.

Even though the body had been ‘taken care of’, the scene still resembled a living hell.

On one wall in the hall, a gruesome tableau of dried, blood-soaked bone dust painted a nightmare image.

It looked like a gateway to hell!

The stench was due to windows being left closed to preserve the crime scene.

Too much airflow would stir up dust and cover vital clues.

“Kid, that’s impressive,” Old Five remarked.

Following Xiao Yu into the hall, he laughed, “For a rookie straight from the academy, I’d have thought you’d be overwhelmed by this display.”

And he wasn’t wrong.

Usually, only veteran detectives accustomed to handling bodies could manage such scenes.

Most first-timers wouldn’t stand a chance with such a gruesome sight.

In a previous case, when faced with death for the first time, Xiao Yu nearly lost his stomach over the horror.

That case still remained vivid in his memory.

The victim had been dismembered and cooked in a large pot.

The bizarre aroma and the sight of body parts in the pot left an eerie impression.

To be honest…

Xiao Yu managed not to vomit on the spot; his mental toughness was truly remarkable.

Although the scene was terrifying, it was merely horrifying in a way.

Inside, Xiao Yu remained completely unshaken.

Old Five’s words even managed to coax a small smirk from him.

“Old Five, I specialized in autopsies at the academy,” Xiao Yu explained.

“I’ve seen plenty of corpses,” he added.

It’s true—the academy taught autopsy, though we were sent for internships at medical schools and forensic departments.

“Impressive!”

Old Five extended his thumb, “My name is Qian Wu. ‘Wu’ stands for martial arts. My colleagues call me Old Five.”

“Mm,”

Xiao Yu smiled, “Let’s examine the scene first.”

He didn’t need to inspect the ‘gateway to hell’ on the wall; the case files were already filled with detailed photos and notes.

Arriving at the scene felt like a full on-site investigation.

What’s the procedure for solving a case?

Observe the scene, gather clues, boldly hypothesize, and verify carefully.

Step by step, unravel the mystery and uncover the truth.

Finally, compile everything to devise a plan and meticulously assess its feasibility…

Xiao Yu had already proposed his theory: the primary suspect wasn’t the true culprit.

Once that theory is accepted, the real challenge begins.

How did the actual murderer manage to kill indoors without leaving any evidence?

“Are you a ghost? To vanish without a trace?”