Chapter 490: Shadows in the Business District

Chapter 490: Holy Shit, So That’s It (Update 3)

To many, the Business District was seen as the bustling heart of the city.

Being in a prime location, it was bristling with skyscrapers and tall buildings.

Plus, there were malls, department stores, offices, hospitals… could it be anything but thriving?

But that’s a misconception!

Within the Business District.

There were also buildings in dire need of renovation.

Some corners had been completely forgotten by the city.

And even some private structures…

At that moment, Xiao Yu and Wang Dong, two team leaders from National Security, stood outside a cluster of private buildings.

Half an hour earlier.

After an investigation by National Security Special Ops and following clues given by Xiao Yu,

for instance, excluding apartment buildings, storage rooms, and factories—places thick with surveillance,

the focus turned to private residential areas.

They also honed in on a location frequently spotted by a suspect white van linked to the crime.

After reviewing footage, conducting interviews, and piecing together a trail of clues,

they eventually zeroed in on this area.

It largely matched the location Xiao Yu had theorized.

“Could it be here?”

Wang Dong furrowed his brows, struggling to accept that criminals could hide in such a bustling area.

“Why not?”

With a calm demeanor, Xiao Yu replied, “People are shaped by their environment—criminals are no exception.”

“Huh?”

Wang Dong stared at Xiao Yu as if listening to a foreign language, “Criminals… can really be influenced by where they live?”

“The elders always say, it’s never too late to learn—times are changing.”

Xiao Yu, a bit exasperated with his elder’s viewpoint, noted, “Even old-fashioned investigative methods are evolving with the times.”

“For example, a murderer typically wouldn’t hide a body at home, right beside them, or anywhere nearby… they usually opt for a dump site further away.”

“It’s a matter of risk; keeping the body too close ramps up the killer’s own fear.”

“Conversely, the further away the dump site, the less threatened the murderer feels… these are common patterns in criminal psychology.”

“Then there’s another type of criminal that completely reverses this logic… they prefer to leave the body right beside them after the act.”

“They even commit crimes in crowded, bustling places, seeking the thrill to satisfy their twisted urges.”

“We usually label such offenders as… perverted criminals!”

Wang Dong, utterly baffled, asked, “Are you saying all this is linked to people’s environment?”

“There’s actually a branch within criminal psychology,”

Xiao Yu explained, “Criminal Geography!”

Wang Dong: ???

What the hell is Criminal Geography?

He had only ever known of criminal psychology.

He’d never heard of Criminal Geography before.

You must be kidding, right?

“Ignorance is terrifying!”

Glancing at his elder, Xiao Yu chuckled, “Like I said, Criminal Geography is a subfield of criminology. It uses geographic theories and methods—climate, environment, terrain, ecology—coupled with criminal psychology to analyze crime scenes and pinpoint a perpetrator’s location!”

Wang Dong, visibly overwhelmed by the information, nodded seriously.

It seemed he understood, yet whatever Little Brother said still went over his head.

Not even an average person fully grasps criminal psychology.

And now you’re talking about something as sophisticated as Criminal Geography.

How am I supposed to understand all this?

Xiao Yu winked at Wang Dong.

He suddenly got a new appreciation for the phrase ‘casting pearls before swine!’

It now took on an entirely new meaning!

“Your look isn’t doing you any favors,” he teased.

Wang Dong, on guard, glared at Little Brother, “Don’t spout nonsense I won’t get—just tell me what to do!”

Let’s just charge ahead—after all, Little Brother’s got our back!

When unity falters, it’s hard to lead a team… Xiao Yu sighed, gesturing toward the buildings and ordered, “Find a building that has no active surveillance—or where the cameras aren’t working properly, with easy vehicle access yet off-limits to the public… Oh, and importantly, check which building that white van frequently parks inside!”

Team Two’s Special Ops immediately began inspecting five private buildings.

“I still can’t wrap my head around why you think the criminals would operate near the scene,”

Wang Dong admitted, clearly puzzled.

“According to eyewitness accounts, a young man was abducted one night two months ago,”

Xiao Yu analyzed, “This is the area criminals are most familiar with. In unfamiliar territory, people are naturally cautious—instinct tells them it’s unsafe, so crime is rare.”

·· ·······Thirst for applause··· ·········

“From the perspective of Criminal Geography, offenders tend to commit crimes as close as possible to where they feel secure.”

While explaining, Xiao Yu took out his phone and opened a note-taking app.

He quickly sketched a diagram.

A dot surrounded by a circle.

Wang Dong: …

His expression grew increasingly odd.

He seriously suspected Little Brother was slacking off.

After all, such a diagram might lead many men to think of other things.

“Shut down that filthy black hole in your brain and act like a human being,” he snapped.

Noticing the look on Wang Dong’s face, Xiao Yu retorted, “This is a serious diagram, alright?”

…. ……. 0

“OK!” Wang Dong grinned.

Not sure if it was the diagram or what.

Anyway, if Little Brother says it’s serious, then it must be.

“This dot represents the crime scene as identified by the eyewitness.”

Xiao Yu pointed first at the dot and then at the surrounding circle, “This is the inner area of the crime scene… Studies in criminal psychology show that 87% of criminals never stray more than a kilometer from their familiar territory—it’s almost an irreversible mindset!”

“And what about the remaining 13%?” Wang Dong asked curiously.

“Perverts, lunatics, idiots… in short, not normal people,” Xiao Yu retorted.

“Then how can you be sure that this case was committed by normal people?”

Wang Dong posed what he considered a clever question.

“First off, it’s clear there’s more than one culprit, right?”

Xiao Yu looked at him with a half-smile, “So, what do you think is the likelihood that all these individuals are perverts, lunatics, or idiots?”

Considering the odds of having two or more lunatics or perverts together… Wang Dong winced, “Not very likely.”

“Exactly, as if it could be such a coincidence that everyone is a pervert. So here’s an interesting thought.”

Xiao Yu, his expression mocking, asked, “Would you really team up with lunatics or perverts?”

Wang Dong: …

Holy shit, so that’s it!

Since they can’t all be perverts,

a normal person wouldn’t team up with lunatics or perverts.

Then, by elimination, the culprits must all be normal.

Normal people… Wang Dong glanced at the diagram on his phone.

They are right here! End.