Chapter 21: Wait—I

Let me explain what a special task force is.

It’s similar to a major case unit, but not the kind depicted in TV dramas with a fixed team.

There’s a TV series called “Major Case Unit Six,” but the scene of a fixed team solving big cases every day doesn’t exist in reality.

Real special task forces are temporarily assembled from elite personnel across various departments.

Once the case is resolved, the task force naturally disbands.

This is embodied in the word “special.”

All members must abandon their current duties and focus entirely on this one case.

Meanwhile, outsiders are forbidden from interfering in any aspect of the case, even from viewing case files.

Any homicide case is classified at the highest level of secrecy—no word may be leaked.

At this moment, Yu Dazhang and Lu Zhongxin were in a car, heading to the Criminal Investigation Brigade to meet the other team members.

“Master, do you know all the team members?” Yu Dazhang asked casually.

Lu Zhongxin gripped the steering wheel, eyes fixed ahead:

“Only one person, who joined last year, I don’t know. Everyone else, even if I’m not close to them, I can still call them by name.”

So they’re all pretty unfamiliar with each other… Yu Dazhang immediately realized the task force members were scattered, pulled from different units within the brigade.

There were certainly some here just to fill space.

The direction of this case is very clear: arrest the main suspect, Kong Lingjie, and the case is essentially solved.

Precisely because it’s so straightforward, it’s become a tempting morsel in the eyes of certain people.

But this morsel isn’t easy to chew…

Yu Dazhang had already planned his first move: turn this morsel into a hard bone.

Let anyone who wants to bite try—but they’d better be ready to chip their teeth.

Soon after, the police car pulled up in front of an office building.

Yu Dazhang followed Lu Zhongxin to the third-floor conference room, where six people were already seated.

One of them immediately greeted Lu Zhongxin as he entered:

“Old Lu, come sit down—we’ve been waiting for you.”

Yu Dazhang glanced around and counted himself among them—eight people total.

Under normal circumstances, a special task force wouldn’t exceed five members.

Even for a homicide, with a deputy leader leading, two or three members would be sufficient.

This facilitates team communication and collaboration, effectively improving operational efficiency.

But the current situation was the opposite: such a seemingly uncomplicated case had an eight-member task force.

The reason was obvious—those who understand, understand.

After everyone was seated, the team leader spoke first.

He briefly outlined the current situation and conveyed the leadership’s high level of attention to the case.

After delivering the usual platitudes, he expressed his determination.

Finally, he handed over the entire investigation to Deputy Leader Lu Zhongxin.

By the end of this routine, Yu Dazhang nearly fell asleep.

In reality, the leader had spoken for only about five minutes, but to Yu Dazhang, it was as hypnotic as taking five sleeping pills.

He’d heard too many of these empty speeches.

In his eyes, the leader wasn’t speaking—he was leading everyone in counting sheep.

“Ahh~~~~~~”

Yu Dazhang couldn’t hold back a yawn, then felt his thigh being pinched hard.

The force was full strength—he gasped in pain, barely holding back a cry.

He turned to see Lu Zhongxin glaring at him.

“Sorry, my apprentice just transferred to Team One—he’s not yet adjusted to the new environment, and’s been pulling all-nighters these past few days.”

Lu Zhongxin gritted his teeth to explain Yu Dazhang’s rude behavior.

“That’s right—I haven’t slept more than a few hours total these past few days,” Yu Dazhang quickly added.

You can't offend the team leader—what if they give you trouble later on?

“It’s good for young people to have drive,” the leader said, seemingly unconcerned, even complimenting Yu Dazhang.

Lu Zhongxin then assigned tasks. With ample personnel, each task was detailed. Yu Dazhang’s assignment was to investigate Kong Lingjie’s social connections and possible contacts.

As soon as the tasks were assigned, Yu Dazhang spoke up:

“No need for all this trouble—I suggest directly deploying police to search nearby small inns.”

Lu Zhongxin saw it was him again and reached out once more.

Yu Dazhang blocked his hand:

“Master, I’m saying this for a reason.”

The other team members all showed varying degrees of displeasure.

Yu Dazhang was fat, yes, but his face was young—he looked like a naive recent graduate.

In their eyes, this kid was just here to pad his resume.

You, a complete rookie with zero experience, just sit quietly. Who gave you the right to make suggestions?

Calling someone “Master” right off the bat—clearly a connection hire.

But Lu Zhongxin suddenly grew serious—he’d seen his apprentice’s abilities before.

“Go on.”

Please... collect... 6...9...books...!

He sat up straight, signaling Yu Dazhang to continue.

The other team members now sensed something was off, all turning their gazes toward Yu Dazhang.

But their skepticism was still clear.

Could this fat man actually be here to solve cases?

Yu Dazhang ignored their stares entirely and spoke calmly:

“You’ve all heard the case briefing—the crime scene was Kong Lingjie’s rented apartment.”

“People who live in temporary rentals usually aren’t well-off.”

“And he’s not a local.”

“According to his household registration, he came from another province to work in Songhai, with no relatives here.”

“Most importantly, his parents are both deceased, with no siblings or children.”

“Meaning, his household registration lists only him.”

“In this situation, where else could he go?”

“No one to turn to, no money to flee—his only options are staying in a small inn that doesn’t require ID, or sleeping on the streets.”

“Let’s put ourselves in his shoes—how would we choose?”

Hearing this, everyone’s expressions shifted from indifference to sudden understanding, and their view of Yu Dazhang changed.

No longer dismissive, now there was a hint of thoughtful consideration…

Indeed, this fat man’s logic was clear, well-structured, and entirely reasonable—perfectly aligned with the current situation.

Analyzing a case is essentially a process of elimination.

Combine all known data, remove the irrelevant parts, and the conclusion naturally emerges.

In his past life, Yu Dazhang had read the case files—he knew Kong Lingjie was captured in a small inn.

So everything he just said was fabricated on the spot.

But it was based entirely on the case briefing—otherwise, no one here would’ve believed him.

Some here might be filling space, but none were easy to fool.

Without real substance, slipping through unnoticed was nearly impossible.

“You’re right,” Lu Zhongxin was the first to agree.

He acknowledged his apprentice’s logical analysis skills.

The previous kidnapping case had proven it.

“Good,” the team leader immediately responded to Lu Zhongxin’s stance:

“I’ll dispatch police right away to search nearby small inns.”

That’s enough… Yu Dazhang exhaled in relief.

He knew Kong Lingjie was waiting too.

Waiting for the police to come and arrest him at the small inn.

After the meeting ended, Yu Dazhang stood by the conference room window, gazing into the distance.

Wait for me—I’m coming for you.

This lifetime, it’s my turn to face you.

(End of Chapter)