Chapter 318: Chapter 318: A Brand-New ‘Vegetative’ Pawn Emerges

Chapter 318: A Brand-New ‘Vegetative’ Pawn Emerges

In the past, Xiao Yu had heard a saying like this.

The most skilled hunters often disguise themselves as their prey.

And that just-now ‘story’…

Xiao Yu felt a strong, intimidating aura.

Isn’t that the classic twist from ghost stories—where the seemingly defenseless lamb fights back?

Both male and female characters are playing the Old Silver Coin routine to exhaustion.

They insist on holding out until the climax before finally revealing their identities…

It always makes Xiao Yu feel like they’re shedding all pretenses in one swift moment.

“At first, we didn’t believe it either,”

Zhao Changshan replied with a bitter smile, “We even suspected we were being played.”

“Then what happened?”

Xiao Yu blinked, glancing at his boss.

So you all, like overzealous readers, couldn’t resist taking a peek and ended up falling into the trap?

Later, you marched around with a fifty-meter cleaver, hunting that lousy author down.

Hoping he’d hurry up with the updates?

“We found something at the suspect’s residence…”

Zhao Changshan’s expression suddenly turned eerie, as if he’d seen a ghost. “We found the weapon!”

Xiao Yu: ¯□¯

He felt like his attempt to show off had spectacularly backfired.

No, it definitely wasn’t my fault!

“Something’s not right.”

Coming back to his senses, Xiao Yu shook his head, “Impossible.”

“I knew you couldn’t fool me!”

Trying to regain some dignity but unable to mislead his little bro, Zhao Changshan admitted, “The weapon was found, but it shows no sign of violence.”

“Mm, that makes sense.”

Xiao Yu nodded and then frowned, “That alone won’t be enough for our team to press charges. Did you find anything else?”

“Impressive!”

Zhao Changshan gave a thumbs-up, “They recovered an iron block from beneath the bridge in the sea, but there were no remains!”

“I see!”

Xiao Yu’s face grew troubled as the pieces clicked into place.

No wonder when the squad took over the investigation, the ‘weapon’ and ‘iron block’ were never officially recorded.

They simply couldn’t be used as evidence.

A weapon with no trace of a crime.

An iron block with no trace of a body.

It just didn’t add up.

But…

These items perfectly matched the case’s storyline.

“Still not enough…”

With his eyes suddenly bright, Xiao Yu fixed his gaze on Zhao Changshan and said, “What else are you hiding from me? Let me guess… a weapon, a body disposal tool, and finally… perhaps the middle-aged man who went missing three years ago?”

“Hiss!”

Zhao Changshan gasped, his expression turning pale as he glared at his little bro, “What the hell are you?”

Seriously… Xiao Yu rolled his eyes.

Did I just nail it again?

Thinking quickly, Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes and continued, “Since a middle-aged man went missing and wasn’t found until three years later, they must have used big data to sift through everyone in that age group—checking IDs and bank records. Eventually, they zeroed in on the suspected victim?”

“No way, Boss—you mentioned it might be a minor case. That is, the suspected victim’s home wasn’t even the crime scene, and there were no signs of foul play. Maybe it was all just a coincidence?”

“A suspected weapon, a body disposal tool, a potential victim… When you combine that with the inmate’s tip-off, which had way too many holes to be a fluke, you had to wonder if you were being conned, right?”

“And why did it get so messy? You were unlucky enough to uncover the missing person’s trail and got dragged into this case—and the higher-ups are breathing down our necks for answers!”

Xiao Yu smirked at the dumbfounded Zhao Changshan, “Is that really everything that happened over these nine days?”

“Hey, could you lower the resolution on your face? You’re blinding me…” Zhao Changshan, now coming to his senses, looked at his little bro with a complex expression.

No wonder, at National Security, he’s essentially a father figure to everyone.

Compared to his little bro’s brainpower, Zhao Changshan felt an intolerable stupidity devouring his neurons—a brand-new vegetative pawn was about to emerge.

With a mind like Xiao Yu’s, being stuck in the police system is a real waste of talent!

“Mm.”

Zhao Changshan nodded, “Exactly!”

“We’re in trouble!”

Losing his smile, Xiao Yu’s face turned cold. “The weapon, the body disposal tool, and the suspected victim all appear in the inmate’s tip-off. They line up perfectly. Even though there’s no evidence of murder, dismemberment, or any violent traces, it’s impossible for all these coincidences to occur. In other words, this might not be just a story—it could actually be the truth!”

“…”

Zhao Changshan stared blankly at his little bro.

“Where is the person?”

Xiao Yu stood up and asked Zhao Changshan, “They should have been brought back to Bincheng, right?”

“At the Detention Center. They brought both of them back,”

Zhao Changshan nodded in astonishment, “You mean…”

“I’m not entirely sure. Let’s go check on the inmate who made the tip-off.”

Xiao Yu said in a low tone, “I need to hear her story firsthand!”

Her?

Yes, a female inmate!

…

Bin City Detention Center, Interrogation Room.

A woman in handcuffs and shackles was led in by a female guard.

Why were her shackles on?

Because she was a convicted prisoner serving her sentence.

Under normal circumstances, such a person isn’t allowed to leave prison until they’ve served their full term.

However, in exceptional cases when a prisoner is temporarily released, she is shackled to prevent escape.

Niu Xin, female, 34 years old… a convict who, two years ago, was sentenced to 8 years in prison for drug trafficking.

Why is there so little personal information?

After sentencing, a convict’s records are transferred to the prison.

Unless absolutely necessary, ordinary people can’t access those files.

Xiao Yu had no need to check her records.

He was just here… to hear the story!

Niu Xin was short—around 160 cm, with short hair and a nervous expression. Especially under Xiao Yu’s piercing gaze, she dared not meet his eyes.

“Niu Xin?”

Xiao Yu asked coldly.

“Yes,” Niu Xin replied with a nod, appearing very obedient.

In prison, after a while, inmates tend to become very compliant.

“Tell me everything you know—the tip-off, and everything you’ve heard from other inmates about this case.”

Xiao Yu stared directly into Niu Xin’s eyes.

Tip-off?

Yes, inmates can turn on each other with tip-offs.

If a tip-off proves valid, it’s considered a meritorious act that can shorten a sentence!

That can earn them a sentence reduction!