Chapter 71: Mind Over Mind

Zhang Sen heard this and glanced at him in surprise.

I said we should go straight to where the officers went missing, and you said we shouldn’t take shortcuts.

Then you told me to go straight through.

Seriously, you’re not taking a shortcut? You’re ignoring both existing investigation sites outright.

Yu Dazhang’s reasoning was simple: first confirm their movement trajectory, then head straight for the next stop.

Starting from the beginning would take too long, and the current priority isn’t the trafficking case—it’s finding the missing officers.

Those two officers must have discovered something, which is why they chased southeast from the industrial park.

Follow their route first, then gradually simulate their investigative thinking.

It doesn’t have to be exact—just close enough.

This time, ten teams were deployed, each with a squad of officers who will handle the detailed investigation work naturally.

If any crucial leads are found, he and Lu Zhongxin will coordinate with each other.

About two hours later, they drove to a small village.

The sky was growing dark; the two found a snack shop and ate something quick.

“Let’s stay here tonight,” Yu Dazhang suggested.

“Stay here?” Zhang Sen asked, surprised:

“Is there anywhere to stay?”

Yu Dazhang picked up a napkin from the table and wiped his mouth slowly.

“In a village like this, there’s usually at least one Nongjia Academy offering lodging—we’ll stay there.”

When paying, Zhang Sen specifically asked the owner.

The village indeed had a household offering lodging, and the price wasn’t high.

Whether it’s a village or a hamlet, locals always run businesses.

Small supermarkets, snack shops, and Nongjia Academies—these three were practically standard.

When they arrived, they paid a deposit and checked in.

Budebushuo ， Biekandifangpian ， Danzhexiaonongjiayuanhaitingzhenggui 。

Not only did they ask for their ID cards, they carefully recorded the ID numbers.

In the room, Yu Dazhang pulled out his phone, opened the electronic map, sat on the bed, and stared at the screen, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Zhang Sen walked over and asked:

“What are you doing?”

He didn’t quite understand Yu Dazhang’s approach.

If you take the industrial park as the starting point and the last reported location of the two officers as the endpoint, forming a straight line, this small village is already beyond that line.

They had just passed the last reported location of the two officers.

“Confirming the route,” Yu Dazhang looked up and explained:

“The two points I mentioned earlier are like the shaft, and our current position is the arrowhead.”

What’s he talking about? Zhang Sen thought he was playing word games.

Shaft? Arrowhead? How does any of this relate to the case?

Seeing Zhang Sen stare at him with a puzzled look, Yu Dazhang sighed and switched tactics:

“Even if we reach the officers’ last reported location, where do we go next?”

“Keep going southeast,” Zhang Sen answered matter-of-factly:

“That’s what you meant earlier.”

“Right,” Yu Dazhang nodded and asked further:

“How do we know we haven’t deviated from the correct route?”

“Well…” Zhang Sen was stumped.

He’d spent years in the Second Detachment working anti-fraud cases and had never handled a major case.

His real strength was apprehension and disguise—he had a natural talent for it.

But when it came to solving cases through logic, he was far behind.

Not because he was stupid, but because he lacked experience.

After a moment’s thought, he said:

“We should stop, find people, and ask about their movements—if we confirm they passed through, we know our route is correct.” “Seng Ge, you’re sharp,” Yu Dazhang gave him a thumbs-up:

“Exactly what I was thinking—no wonder you’re the team’s elite.”

“I feel like you’re mocking me,” Zhang Sen said, eyeing the boy’s smug smile with unease.

Yu Dazhang quickly waved his hands:

“No no, I mean it sincerely.”

He hadn’t expected Zhang Sen to grasp it so quickly—and so logically.

Well, truthfully, Yu Dazhang had always assumed Zhang Sen was the type who was strong in body but simple-minded.

After all, he ran fast—who could be perfect?

“I get what you’re trying to do,” Zhang Sen’s eyes lit up.

People are strange: most can’t handle praise—if flattered, they lose themselves.

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

But a small few become unusually sharp when praised.

Zhang Sen was one of them.

After being flattered by Yu Dazhang, he suddenly felt his thinking flow smoothly.

“You deliberately came to this small village along the southeast route—not just to rest, but to quietly inquire about the missing officers’ movements.”

Zhang Sen spoke more confidently:

“Small villages are characterized by few, concentrated people.”

“Almost all businesses are inside the village—ask around, and you’ll know if they passed through.”

“Like the Nongjia Academy we’re staying at.”

“I just noticed—they keep records of guests’ identity information, so…”

Here, Zhang Sen stood up and looked toward the door.

“I’ll go get that logbook right now.”

Seeing him move to leave, Yu Dazhang grabbed his arm:

“Seng Ge, wait—calm down!”

Solving cases isn’t just about being smart—it’s about staying composed.

Yu Dazhang noticed Zhang Sen was becoming impatient, which wasn’t like his usual demeanor.

Someone who could disguise himself as an old woman, hunched over, waiting patiently—should have patience and depth.

He shouldn’t be acting this way now.

At least, Yu Dazhang had never seen him this agitated before.

“Sit down,” he pulled Zhang Sen back down and whispered:

“If it were as simple as you said, I would’ve revealed my identity and asked for the logbook during check-in.”

“Right,” Zhang Sen frowned at Yu Dazhang:

“If you thought of it, why didn’t you ask for it then?”

“Because we can’t reveal our identities,” Yu Dazhang explained:

“Assume the two missing officers were in danger—they were definitely ambushed or sabotaged.”

“Don’t forget, both of them carried guns—no one could stand up to them in a direct confrontation.”

“Even if the attacker had a gun, they couldn’t have subdued both at once.”

“So, we must first ensure our identities stay hidden—this is critical.”

As he spoke the last sentence, Yu Dazhang emphasized it, his eyes sharp with warning.

This conversation effectively set the rules for their team.

Covert investigation!

Absolutely cannot be noticed.

Mind over mind—how can you prepare if you’re unprepared? Since they were here, Yu Dazhang wouldn’t let himself make such a mistake.

“You’ve got so many tricks,” Zhang Sen said, stunned.

“That’s not having tricks,” Yu Dazhang corrected:

“That’s thinking before acting.”

“So what do we do next?” Unconsciously, Zhang Sen had grown accustomed to Yu Dazhang’s plans.

And Yu Dazhang had been waiting for him to ask exactly that.

He lightly patted Zhang Sen’s thigh and whispered:

“You steal the logbook tonight.”

(End of chapter)