Chapter 53: Criminal Investigation World (3)

“Bladed weapons…” Chen Chen pondered for a moment, then suddenly clenched his fist and struck his palm, exclaiming with delight, “Xiao Lin, what you said makes perfect sense! That’s right—most homicide cases primarily involve bladed weapons. A serial killer relying on blunt instruments is already unusual, but we had been stuck on the idea that the perpetrator either had a criminal record or an abnormal preference for blunt weapons. Your perspective broadens our thinking!”

“Thank you… Yes,” Lin Yuetian nodded. “Besides that, I have a few more hypotheses.”

“Go ahead.” Chen Chen was clearly excited, and the others were listening attentively.

Lin Yuetian took a sip of water and then calmly and methodically explained, “As I suspected, the perpetrator has been refining their methods with each crime. This suggests that they are still prone to the habitual mistakes of a novice. Typically, a killer’s first one or two crimes occur relatively close to their home—this makes it easier to scout the location. Once they commit a crime nearby without getting caught, they gain the confidence to extend their range. If this perpetrator is indeed a novice, they might have followed this pattern. So, I think we should conduct a search near the first victim’s crime scene, as well as around the location where our suspected bladed-weapon victim was found, to identify any suspicious individuals.”

He paused before continuing, “Additionally, we should re-interview potential witnesses near the later crime scenes. Specifically, we need to ask if they saw anyone wearing a raincoat—especially a dark rubber raincoat—possibly with shoe covers, gloves, and carrying a bag. The later crimes involved a stonemason’s hammer, and that thing is too big to be concealed on their person.”

Chen Chen nodded and announced loudly, “Alright, everyone heard that? First, investigate all unsolved bladed-weapon murders—no, even non-fatal bladed attacks from the past six months. Second, conduct a search around the first victim’s crime scene to look for suspicious individuals. Third, re-interview potential witnesses. Time is of the essence—move quickly!”

The team members all responded affirmatively, immediately standing up and leaving the meeting room at a fast pace, diving into a new round of investigations. They looked energized. The case had been at a standstill for too long, and the mounting pressure was suffocating. Even if Lin Yuetian’s hypothesis was uncertain, having a new investigative direction meant they were one step closer to the truth. These were officers with a strong sense of justice, and as long as there was a chance to bring this ruthless, rain-season killer to justice and bring closure to the victims’ families, they were willing to work overtime to track down even the slightest clue.

In the blink of an eye, only Lin Yuetian and Chen Chen remained in the meeting room.

“When’s the next rainy day?” Lin Yuetian asked.

“The weather forecast says this Saturday,” Chen Chen sighed. “Our city isn’t exactly developed, so while we don’t have a ton of surveillance blind spots, there are still quite a few. We’ve already set up surveillance at several possible locations, but we don’t know if it’ll yield anything.”

“I see.” Lin Yuetian nodded.

“You seem to be in a better mood lately. Got back together with your boyfriend?” With the case finally moving forward, Chen Chen was in a good mood and shifted to a more personal topic, resuming his role as a friend.

“No—” Lin Yuetian had barely said a word when his phone rang.

“Sorry, I need to take this.” Lin Yuetian said. Chen Chen nodded, indicating he should go ahead. Lin Yuetian glanced at the caller ID—it was Huo Chengye. He raised an eyebrow slightly before walking to the corner of the room and answering the call.

“Hello.” Lin Yuetian’s tone was casual. “Chengye? What’s up?”

“Lin Yuetian, don’t f***ing play dumb. I know you’re in a bad mood. Fine, consider this me begging you—we’ve known each other for years, there’s at least some feelings between us, right?” Huo Chengye’s voice was filled with suppressed anger. “You’ve always been busy with work and never cared about me. Have I ever blamed you? No, right? Haven’t I been tolerant enough? I really didn’t expect you to be this kind of person.”

“What kind of person?” Lin Yuetian was intrigued. The kind of person who repeatedly lent money to Huo Chengye only to feel like he was tossing it into the ocean?

“You actually posted our photos online!” Huo Chengye finally lost his temper and exploded in rage. “Do you have any idea that I’ve been going on blind dates? I might be getting married soon! That woman saw the photos and broke up with me! I’m telling you, we agreed to part on good terms, don’t push me too far, or it won’t end well for either of us!”

“Huh?” Lin Yuetian almost laughed. “That’s actually great news—for that woman, I mean.”

Huo Chengye angrily hung up.

“Unbelievable.” The system, having listened to the entire conversation, gave its personal evaluation. “I’ve never seen someone so utterly clueless about their own situation.”

Lin Yuetian chuckled but didn’t comment. When he turned around, he noticed Chen Chen looking a bit awkward—probably because Huo Chengye had been yelling so loudly.

Chen Chen hesitated before saying, “Xiao Lin, your boyfriend really isn’t a good person. Honestly, breaking up is for the best. There are plenty of fish in the sea! We’ve got some nice, eligible young men in the department. Society is more open-minded now, and there are quite a few guys who like men. If you want, I could introduce you to someone…”

Lin Yuetian waved his hand. “No need, but thanks, Captain Chen.”

Chen Chen was still persistent. “They’re all reliable guys—way better than your ex.”

Lin Yuetian let out a long sigh, his expression melancholic, as if burdened with countless emotions. He said, “Sigh… Years of feelings can’t just be forgotten overnight.”

With that, Chen Chen had nothing more to say. He just sighed and patted Lin Yuetian on the shoulder.

On the drive back to his office, Lin Yuetian suddenly seemed to remember something and asked the system, “Were you mocking me just now?”

The system was confused. “Which part?”

“‘I’ve never seen someone so utterly clueless about their own situation.’ That part.” Lin Yuetian frowned. “The more I think about it, the more off it sounds. Do you see me as someone that cold-blooded and ruthless?”

“Pay attention,” the system said. “Let me make this clear—I’m not mocking you; I’m stating a fact. Everyone can see it, so stop trying to deny it.”

Lin Yuetian reiterated, “I’m not a psychopath.”

“Sure, whatever you say, Mr. Killer,” the system retorted, clearly exasperated. “I believe you. You can prove yourself—go for it! As long as you don’t pull off anything too bizarre, it’s a win. Let’s set a small goal first—no more turning weddings into funerals, and ideally, no turning funerals into weddings either.”

After returning to his office, Lin Yuetian spread out a map, cross-referencing it with the data he could access through the police database.

“What are you doing?” the system asked curiously.

Lin Yuetian replied calmly, “I’m trying to pinpoint the most likely crime scene for this Saturday.”

“…Are you serious?” Normally, the system would have doubted the feasibility of such a thing, but after going through eight different worlds with Lin Yuetian, its perception had changed. Now, it was only interested in how Lin Yuetian planned to pull it off. “Bro, how exactly are you going to figure that out?”

“Just a bit of logical deduction.” Lin Yuetian flashed a polite, practiced business smile. “I’ll approach this from the perspective of a true professional—an elite in the industry.”