Chapter 45: Let Him Come!

The sudden brake sent Yu Dazhang’s body lurching forward, his head slamming into the front seat and bouncing back.

Though unharmed, his head rang loudly, stars dancing before his eyes.

“You guys…” Yu Dazhang shook his head hard:

“You did that on purpose!”

You guarded against the enemy’s open spear, but not your own ally’s hidden arrow.

Yu Dazhang felt annoyed.

What did you even say, that you’re acting so shocked?

“No, say that last line again,” the two in front nearly shouted in unison.

“You did that on purpose!” Yu Dazhang snapped back.

“Not that,” the officer in the passenger seat corrected.

“The one before that!”

His head still dizzy from the impact, Yu Dazhang shook it again, then answered slowly:

“All primary suspects have been apprehended.”

After that, the two in front froze like statues, still turned around in their seats.

They stared at the fat man in the back like he was an alien lifeform.

This time, he definitely didn’t mishear!

Damn, the real culprit’s been caught.

Before leaving, this fat man realized the rental wasn’t the original crime scene and found new leads.

To them, this was already lightning-fast progress.

They’d even considered he’d just gotten lucky and stumbled upon the leads by accident.

But how do you explain this now?

We’ve been out for just a few days, and they’re nearly done with the case.

Compared to that, our few days here were just a vacation.

When climbing the stairs, the two felt as if their feet were stepping on cotton—soft, floating, unsteady.

A sense of unreality left them uneasy.

They feared that if they met the rest of the task force and told them: “This fat man’s joking with you.”

Upstairs, the two didn’t wash their faces or eat—they went straight to the room next to the interrogation room.

When they saw Lu Zhongxin conducting the interrogation on the computer monitor, they finally confirmed Yu Dazhang had told the truth.

Has the case become this easy to solve now?

This fat man seems to have just graduated from police academy, while we’re all seasoned veteran detectives.

Modern police academies really are turning out talent!

That day, every member of the task force, including Yu Dazhang, stayed at work.

The case had entered its final interrogation phase; once the suspects confessed, it would be a perfect closure.

Of course, the confession had to corroborate the existing evidence.

But reality stubbornly defied expectations.

The two newly apprehended suspects refused to speak—no matter how Lu Zhongxin questioned them, they stayed silent.

They’ve coordinated… Yu Dazhang sat before the computer, watching the monitor where the young man sat in the interrogation chair.

He was a man absurdly young.

Do you think that description is inappropriate?

You’ve never seen someone with skin that unnaturally young.

His face was plain, ordinary—but his features together gave the impression he’d barely reached adulthood.

Tall and slender, pale skin, dark, clear eyes, lips tightly pressed, expression resolute and calm.

Even shackled to the interrogation chair, his aura was impossible to ignore.

What else are you planning? Yu Dazhang felt the man in the chair was still scheming.

Does he have another move?

If he was caught, he must know he’s been exposed.

Holding out now is pointless.

Even if he doesn’t speak, it doesn’t matter—convicting without a confession isn’t new these days.

The evidence is overwhelming; I don’t believe you can turn this around… Thinking this, Yu Dazhang spat at the suspect on the screen:

“Tui~, You’re not even worthy!”

“Hey hey hey~~~! What are you doing? Are you crazy?!” The other officers watching the monitor rushed to stop him.

How disgusting.

We’re watching, not you!

You spit on the department’s computer? Are you insane?

Several men grabbed Yu Dazhang and pulled him away from the computer. Why did so many pull together?

One person couldn’t budge him—the chair was completely filled by his bulk.

“If you’re tired, go home and rest.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the other officers nodded in agreement:

“If going home’s too much trouble, there’s a resting area at the branch—you can lie down there.”

“Are you hungry? Say what you want—I’ll go buy it for you.”

They all assumed this fat man was suffering from stress-induced mental breakdown.

No wonder—he’d done what none of them could, even if they’d gone mad trying.

Now their demands for Yu Dazhang were simple…

Rest when you’re tired, eat when you’re hungry—we won’t object, as long as you don’t go insane.

Please… Col…lect…6…9…Bo…ok…s…!

If the case flips again, we won’t be able to handle it.

Even now, they still couldn’t figure out how Yu Dazhang had apprehended all the suspects.

Catching one was within their understanding.

But catching both mastermind and accomplice together exceeded their comprehension.

Even the two officers who personally captured the killer thought there was only one culprit.

Only at the branch did they learn there was an accomplice—and that Lu Zhongxin had taken him down at the exact same moment they captured the mastermind.

And the one directing all this? This fat, greasy man right here.

His big head wasn’t for show—he really had massive brainpower.

Analyzing the case, forming hypotheses, verifying truth, all while commanding the entire team.

What kind of logical thinking was this? Unimaginable.

Listen to advice and eat… Yu Dazhang actually went to sleep.

He wasn’t mentally exhausted, but he was genuinely tired.

The next day after the suspects’ arrest, interrogations continued as usual.

This time, Lu Zhongxin changed tactics—instead of just asking questions, he presented concrete evidence at every key point.

Faced with ironclad proof, Zhou Hongfu broke first.

He admitted he’d been at the crime scene and helped the mastermind move the body.

And the mastermind? His own son.

Zhou Zizhe, twenty-one, second-year student at Songhai Police Academy, outstanding grades…

In Zhou Hongfu’s statement, his son was his pride—he’d do anything for him.

Yet he knew nothing of Zhou Zizhe’s motive or the full details of the case.

No matter how Lu Zhongxin pressed, Zhou Hongfu answered: “I don’t know.”

When asked about Kong Lingjie, he shook his head and claimed he’d never heard of the man.

He spoke—but as if he’d said nothing at all.

Lu Zhongxin had to turn back to interrogate the mastermind.

When the young man, Zhou Zizhe, heard that Zhou Hongfu had begun confessing, his face twisted with contempt.

That expression struck Lu Zhongxin as strangely familiar.

Only someone who controlled the entire situation, utterly confident, would show such a look.

It felt…

Like the expression my fat apprentice often wore.

Now I recall—he also graduated from Songhai Police Academy.

So they’re fellow alumni.

Is this… a case of fellow students turning on each other?

As Lu Zhongxin found the thought absurd, the young man Zhou Zizhe—who had remained silent since arrest—suddenly lifted his head and looked at him:

“Why isn’t it him?”

“What?” Lu Zhongxin froze, stunned.

"Ha, officer, get someone else." Zhou Zizhe sneered.

"You have no right to interrogate me. We’re on completely different frequencies. Let someone who can answer this question come."

"Let the one who uncovered all my plans come!"

"Only he has the right."

"No one but him will do!"

(End of chapter)