When the police solve a case, ninety-nine percent of the time it’s nothing like Sherlock Holmes, where a single glance at some minute detail lets you deduce a whole host of possibilities.
That’s all just the artistic license of TV shows and novels, designed to make the detective look cool and brilliant.
In reality, police investigations come down to three basic tools.
Casting a wide net for background checks, chasing down suspects far and wide, and long, high-intensity interrogations.
Later, as technology advanced, DNA analysis, networked information systems, and ubiquitous surveillance cameras greatly improved the efficiency of investigations.
But right now, it’s 1997. The most practical and reliable methods were still those three basic tools.
The biggest problem with this process, however, was that it was incredibly time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Zhou Yi remembered the 316 Case file clearly documenting that with no other leads, the police had conducted a comprehensive investigation into Du Xiaolin’s social circle.
But the results were predictable: anyone with a potential motive had a solid alibi.
And anyone with a weak alibi had no discernible motive to commit the crime.
Without key evidence like fingerprints, footprints, or the murder weapon, it was impossible to interrogate every person of interest.
So, after the investigation into her relationships came up empty, the police had no choice but to shift their focus to the theory of a robbery-homicide committed by a transient criminal.
After that, the case gradually hit a dead end.
Of course, Zhou Yi couldn’t afford to make the same mistakes again. Speed was essential now. He had to catch the killer while they were still shaken and before they had time to dispose of all the evidence.
Otherwise, given how meticulous and careful this killer was, the case would become much harder to solve if too much time passed.
Wu Yongcheng found himself thinking that the kid in front of him had a seasoned, veteran air about him that was completely at odds with his age.
His own apprentice, Chen Yan, was two years older than Zhou Yi, but compared to him, Chen Yan seemed like a total rookie.
"So, what’s your proposed line of investigation?" Wu Yongcheng asked.
Zhou Yi scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin. "Captain Wu, I have a small request."
"A request?"
"I want to join the City Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division."
Zhou Yi’s words stunned Chen Yan, who was standing to the side, but Wu Yongcheng seemed to have anticipated his request.
"Why?" Wu Yongcheng said nonchalantly. "As police officers, don’t we serve the people no matter what our post is?"
"Yes, that’s true. But if I were a detective, I could save more lives."
Zhou Yi wasn’t joking. A plan was already forming in his mind, and the first step was joining the City Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division.
CLICK. Wu Yongcheng once again pulled the crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He took out a Daqianmen and lit it with a lighter.
He exhaled a cloud of smoke and said flatly, "I can give you a chance. If you can solve this case within twenty-four hours, I’ll make an exception and have you temporarily transferred over."
"Temporary?"
"Of course. What, you think I’m the Bureau Chief? I’m just a deputy captain. It’s not like I can do whatever I want."
Zhou Yi chuckled. "So, you’re saying the Bureau Chief *can* do whatever he wants, Captain Wu?"
"Hey, you little brat. Are you threatening me? Just tell me if you’re taking the deal or not. If not, then get lost."
"Deal! A gentleman’s word..."
"...can’t be taken back by four horses," Chen Yan chimed in from the side.
Wu Yongcheng shot Chen Yan a glare, then continued, "At the end of next month, the Criminal Investigation Division is holding internal interviews. They’ll be selecting top talent from the various sub-bureaus and local units to be reserve members. If you can land this temporary position, you’ll have a much bigger advantage when it comes time to make it permanent."
A smile immediately spread across Zhou Yi’s face. "Thank you, Captain Wu."
"So, are you going to talk now?"
’Wu Yongcheng was already beginning to appreciate the young man’s talent; he just hadn’t expected him to be so forward about it.’
’It really was true what they say: opportunity favors the prepared mind.’
Zhou Yi nodded. "Captain Wu, I have a suspicion. I think the killer might be a woman."
Wu Yongcheng was taken aback. "A woman? Did you get a look at the killer?"
But Zhou Yi shook his head. "It was too dark, and they were bundled up. I couldn’t see any clear gender characteristics."
"Then what makes you suspect the killer is a woman?"
Zhou Yi held up a finger. "First, even though I couldn’t make out any features, based on their height and build, it’s either a short man or a woman."
"Their build?" Wu Yongcheng paused. "How could you know their weight?"
"From the impact of the kick I landed on them, I can basically tell their weight is no more than 120 pounds."
Chen Yan asked in astonishment, "You can tell that just from a kick?"
Zhou Yi nodded. "I’m pretty sure of it."
With a shocked expression, Chen Yan turned to Wu Yongcheng. "Master, can you do that?"
"Ahem. Well, it’s not that difficult, really."
’Wu Yongcheng looked at the calm expression on Zhou Yi’s face. The kid didn’t seem to be lying.’
’Is this something a rookie officer from a local station should be able to do?’
Zhou Yi raised a second finger.
"Second, when Forensic Doctor Xu was treating my wound, he mentioned that the injury on my head wasn’t as serious as it looked. The wound isn’t very deep."
Chen Yan asked, confused, "What does that prove?"
"It shows the attacker isn’t very strong. If it were a powerfully built adult man, a brick to the head like that would have been far more dangerous."
Wu Yongcheng said, "This is all based on your subjective feelings. I’m not saying it’s worthless, but it’s not enough to base our entire investigative direction on."
"I know. That’s why I have another lead."
Last night at the hospital, after paying the bill and picking up his medicine, Zhou Yi had been at the ER nurses’ station when he happened to overhear a brief conversation between two nurses.
—What’s the deal with that Du? She messed up the medication again.
—Huh? Again?
—If she doesn’t want to work here, she should just quit. Why is she sticking around and making our lives miserable?
—I know, right? She messed up the meds a couple of months ago and we all got our bonuses docked. It makes me so mad.
—It’s a good thing I double-checked, or it would’ve been a huge disaster.
—We should report this to the head nurse tomorrow. It’s such bad luck getting stuck on a shift with her.
It was just a few short lines of conversation. At the time, Zhou Yi’s mind was on his grandfather, so he hadn’t paid it much attention.
Thinking back on it, he realized the "Du" they were talking about was almost certainly Du Xiaolin.
After hearing Zhou Yi out, Wu Yongcheng asked, "So you’re saying... Du Xiaolin didn’t get along with her colleagues?"
’Zhou Yi’s real goal was to avoid going down the wrong path. He knew from the 316 Case file that the initial investigation had focused on two main theories: a crime of passion or a revenge killing. Du Xiaolin’s relationships with numerous men had been scrutinized inside and out, but it had all led to nothing.’
’That’s why Zhou Yi wanted to steer them away from that conventional line of inquiry, but he couldn’t just come out and say it.’
’Of course, that didn’t mean the previous direction was definitely wrong. Perhaps they just hadn’t found the right clue.’
"I think there are a few clues in there. First, Du Xiaolin clearly didn’t have a good relationship with her colleagues, but something like getting your bonus docked because of her is hardly a motive for murder. So the more critical point, I think, is the change in Du Xiaolin herself."
"A change?"
"Mhm. From what they were saying, this negative attitude of Du Xiaolin’s couldn’t have been how she always was. After all, she wasn’t a new hire. If she had always been so irresponsible, her colleagues wouldn’t have had such a strong reaction."
"So I think the key questions are: when did Du Xiaolin start to change, and why?"
Zhou Yi’s eyes gleamed. "My gut tells me this is the key to cracking the case!"