Chapter 419: Xu Mo: Destruction, I'm Tired

"What happened next?"

The three police officers who came to learn looked at Han Fei with flushed faces.

"I and Xu Mo went to the scene, which had already been cleaned up, and to me there didn't seem to be anything suspicious, but Xu Mo immediately saw many problems, even deducing the crime scene from the various traces..." Han Fei began to tell the three.

"So... the murderer isn't the victim's mother, but someone else? The officer you sent to investigate got the suspicion wrong; the victim's mother was only trying to shield the murderer. If I'm not mistaken, the murderer should be the victim's mother's lover, the man who left a cigarette butt and hair in the bedroom."

"No, no, no, this case is far from that simple." Han Fei smiled slightly, thinking to himself that the three were still too shallow: "Xu Mo's brilliance lies in this... although the victim's mother didn't directly kill the victim, she is the mastermind!"

Upon hearing this, the three's faces instantly showed surprise, their eyes widened as they stared at Han Fei, and they asked eagerly, "What do you mean?"

Han Fei was very pleased with their reaction and continued speaking.

"The victim and that woman had no blood relation; while he was alive he repeatedly beat his adoptive mother for no reason, which made his adoptive mother resent him, feeling she had raised a treacherous wolf. Later... this murder case was entirely plotted by her; it was a case of using a sword to kill someone else! Afterward she chose to shield the murderer who killed the victim, also because her conscience was awakened."

After Han Fei finished speaking, the three pondered for a while, replaying in their minds what Han Fei had just said, and mentally reconstructing the case.

Before long, the three felt a sudden enlightenment.

"Using a sword to kill... using a sword to kill... so that's how it is!"

"Team Leader Xu is impressive! No wonder he's praised by peers as godlike!"

"Team Leader Xu truly is a top investigator, indeed a detective god."

Han Fei interjected at this moment.

"Xu Mo is the most gifted police officer I've ever seen; given time, he'll achieve great things!"

"Indeed, Team Leader Xu's talent is truly extraordinary; just the move he displayed when checking surveillance is enough to astonish people." The officer was referring to Xu Mo's ability to review surveillance at sixty‑four times speed.

The several of them simultaneously looked at Xu Mo, feeling deep respect.

Xu Mo smiled, "There's no such thing as talent; solving cases relies on technique. Mainly Han Team taught me well. When I first came to the Police Station I was a clueless rookie. It was Han Team who gradually lifted me up; all my investigative techniques I learned from Han Team."

The three's gazes again focused on Han Fei.

They said how could Xu Mo, a police officer who just entered the field not long ago, repeatedly crack major cases? It turns out Han Fei taught him hand‑by‑hand!

To be able to produce a genius like Xu Mo, Han Fei isn't simple either!

Thinking this, the three suddenly felt the urge to learn investigative techniques from Han Fei, planning to pull Han Fei aside for a thorough talk to ask for some tips, and for a moment even ignored Xu Mo.

Han Fei saw through it; Xu Mo was deliberately saving face in front of peers, or perhaps engaging in mutual hype; in any case it was just polite talk.

But seeing the admiring looks the three cast at him, Han Fei felt... very pleased!

At this moment, Xu Mo glanced at the wall clock.

"Hmm, quitting time's here, I'm slipping out."

Let these three police officers give Han Team a bit of a hassle; after all, he's about to go home!

A crimson robe isn't taken for free.

All gifts of fate have long had their price marked in secret.

…

Quarter past twelve.

Police Station.

The three police officers who came to learn were still chatting tirelessly with Han Fei, mainly to ask about investigative techniques.

They had been talking from the afternoon before the sun set all the way to midnight; Han Fei's mouth kept saying he was done several times, yet the three remained fervent, seemingly unaware how late it was, and showing no intention to leave.

Han Fei looked at the empty seat beside him, which was where Xu Mo had been sitting.

Just as quitting time arrived, Xu Mo slipped away silently. At that moment, Han Fei was immersed in the admiring 'detective' gazes of his peers, his mood a bit airy as he discussed so‑called investigative techniques with the three.

Weren't these three police officers here to find Xu Mo? Why are they now looking for me!? Han Fei only then realized something was off.

At that time Xu Mo conveniently gave me a push back, saying it was because quitting time had arrived and he needed to go home; no wonder he turned the conversation onto me.

That Lao Liu!

Xu Mo's round of mutual hype blew Han Fei away; he felt flattered by the admiring looks of his peers, completely unaware that Xu Mo had set him up...

"It's already past twelve, it's getting late... shall we meet another day?" Han Fei pointed at the wall clock.

The three police officers still felt a bit reluctant to leave, but seeing how late it was, they naturally felt embarrassed to keep bothering Han Team, and nodded, "Sorry, Han Team, we got carried away and lost track of time. We won't trouble you any longer; let's meet another day!"

Meanwhile.

The villa that was bright just a second ago suddenly plunged into darkness.

The power went out.

"Ah!!!" Four screams from the four bedrooms of the villa rang out simultaneously.

A moment later, a chaotic knocking sounded at Xu Mo's ears.

"There's a ghost, there's a ghost!"

"Xu Mo, Xu Mo, are you there?"

They were afraid of the dark, especially the sudden darkness.

Xu Mo, who had been planning to sleep, was also startled awake by the screams.

What was happening? Xu Mo instinctively reached to flip the bedside switch, but the light didn't come on.

He knew why the four screamed... fear of the dark!

In a villa of this class, a power outage is impossible; it must be a tripped breaker or a faulty nearby transformer.

Xu Mo grabbed his bedside phone, turned on the flashlight, got up, walked to the door, and opened the bedroom door.

Standing at the doorway were the four women in light sleepwear.

"There's no ghost; it's probably a tripped breaker or transformer issue. We'll have maintenance check it in the morning. It's fine, go back to sleep."

"No, I can't sleep, I'm scared," Zhou Qiaoqiao said weakly.

The other three also nodded, indicating they too were now too scared to sleep.

"It's just a power outage; what's there to be scared of?"

"May I sleep here for one night?" Yang Jingxuan pointed with her finger toward Xu Mo's bedroom.

"I'm also afraid of the dark, I don't dare to go back..."

"Me too, me too."

"It's pitch black and too scary!"

After speaking, without waiting for Xu Mo's agreement, the four of them crouched down, slipped into the bedroom beneath the arm Xu Mo was using to prop the door, and unceremoniously collapsed onto the bedroom's built‑in large sofa, saying, "We'll sleep on the sofa, you take the bed, we won't disturb you."

Seeing this, Xu Mo helplessly shut the door and went to bed.

Five minutes later, drowsiness struck again.

In a half‑asleep haze, An Youyi's voice came out: "I still can't fall asleep... what should I do, Xu Mo."

Xu Mo turned over and said, "Then count sheep. Keep counting and you'll fall asleep... one sheep."

An Youyi continued, "Two sheep."

"Three sheep," Zhou Qiaoqiao also joined the counting.

…

As they kept counting, Xu Mo became drowsy.

He was just about to enter dreamland when a sudden force hit his face; Zhou Qiaoqiao ran to the bedside and poked his cheek.

"5,423 sheep... Xu Mo, it's your turn."

Xu Mo: "?"