Chapter 55: Criminal Investigation World (5)

Lin Yuetian lay prone in the long grass, his gaze calm and unwavering as he stared at the road above. His eyes barely blinked, like a cold-blooded, emotionless assassin waiting for his target—ah, no, wait, sorry. Lin Yuetian was an assassin.

It seemed he had once again found his work mode. Though, technically speaking, this time, he was doing something righteous, his aura still made him seem more like the Texas Chainsaw Killer than the Rainy Night Striker.

Starting at 11 PM, female workers on the night shift began passing through the road toward the factory. The rain continued to fall as their colorful rain boots stepped through the muddy dirt path. Some carried umbrellas, others wore raincoats; a few chatted in small groups, while others hurried in silence. None of them noticed the cold, motionless figure hidden in the grass, watching.

At around 12:10 AM, the last female worker rushed along the dirt road. She was running late. At this hour, she was the only one on the road. The rain was getting heavier, drenching her clothes. Her umbrella wobbled against the wind and rain, but all she cared about was reaching the factory quickly to avoid getting her pay docked. She needed to send that money back home—maybe she could even buy herself a new outfit.

At that moment, a shadowy figure emerged from the tall grass on the other side of the road.

The rain was thick, blurring everything before her eyes. She held a blue Bird of Paradise umbrella. The man was tall, clad in a loose black rubber raincoat, with what seemed to be a suit underneath. He carried a briefcase and wore black gloves, appearing like an office worker.

He approached the female worker and seemed to say something. She turned her head toward the factory and gestured in a guiding manner, her back facing him. The man’s hand reached for the clasp of his briefcase…

And then—

Like an arrow loosed from its string, Lin Yuetian shot out of the grass, charging forward!

After all, the original body had decent physical fitness—it would be a waste not to use it.

Lin Yuetian gripped his grooved dagger tightly. In a flash, he stabbed directly at the man’s hand, then yanked the blade out violently. Blood splattered, only to be immediately washed away by the torrential rain. Cold droplets streamed steadily from the brim of his raincoat’s hood, obstructing his vision. That was the challenge of fighting in the rain—poor visibility, sluggish movements. Under such conditions, most combat stances would become messy.

To win, he had to be fast—faster than his opponent!

Without hesitation, Lin Yuetian twisted the dagger in his hand and thrust it toward the man’s face.

The man was tall and robust, momentarily stunned. But as soon as he felt the pain in his right hand and saw the glint of cold steel slicing through the rain toward his face, he snapped out of his daze and instinctively dodged backward.

Hearing the man’s agonized scream, the female worker turned around—only to see the two locked in combat, with one of them wielding a sharp weapon. She was so terrified that she let out a piercing scream, shattering the eerie silence of the rainy night.

The man cursed inwardly—there was no way to commit the crime now.

Lin Yuetian, of course, wouldn’t give him a chance to recover. Taking advantage of the distraction, he decisively snatched the man’s briefcase and flung it to the ground.

A masonry hammer tumbled out!

“He’s the Rainy Night Striker! I’m a cop—call the police now!” Lin Yuetian shouted.

The female worker, though terrified, retained her wits. Realizing the urgency of the situation, she immediately ran toward the factory to report it.

Lin Yuetian fought even more aggressively. His dagger rained down like a storm, stabbing at the man’s thighs and abdomen. Disarmed and barehanded, the man was no match for Lin Yuetian. His raincoat was soon riddled with slashes, blood dripping onto the dirt road, mingling with the rain and mud as it flowed away.

Seeing that the timing was right, Lin Yuetian kindly advised, “You’ve already lost. You can’t beat me. I’ve seen your face—you’ll be caught sooner or later. The cops will be here soon. If you want to live, you should run now. Maybe you’ll get a few more days.”

The man’s face was deathly pale. He gritted his teeth and snarled, “I f***ing know you!! You’re that detective!! What the hell are you doing in the field!?”

“Because I have excellent skills, high professional standards, and outstanding business capabilities,” Lin Yuetian replied. “Capturing criminals like you is my duty.”

To properly convey its sarcasm, the system even played a triumphant BGM: ‘The light of justice shines upon the land…’

The man hesitated for a moment, then, gritting his teeth, decided that survival was more important. He turned to flee.

Lin Yuetian didn’t give chase. Instead, he called after him, “Do you know why I’m letting you go? Because I want to see you struggle a few more days—I enjoy the torment.”

The man was so furious he nearly went insane. His wounds throbbed painfully, the rain made his rubber raincoat cling to his body, and the pooling water trickled down, making him feel even colder, shivering uncontrollably. He turned back and screamed, “Just you wait!! I won’t let you go even in death!”

“I’ll be waiting! Come find me if you’ve got the guts!” Lin Yuetian shouted back.

Afterward, Lin Yuetian inflicted a few cuts on his own arm.

When Chen Chen arrived with his team, Lin Yuetian explained that he had been contemplating how to assist the police force these past few days. He had carefully analyzed possible locations where the culprit might strike. Around 11 PM, the thought suddenly struck him, and fearing he wouldn’t make it in time, he rushed over before he could notify Chen Chen.

Drinking some hot water, he put on a weak and fragile expression. “I overestimated myself. I forgot that I’m just a refined and scholarly detective, not a combat expert. After a fierce battle of five hundred rounds, I was defeated and seriously injured, unable to pursue the culprit. It’s just… too tragic.”

The system deadpanned: “Too tragic. Absolutely tragic.”

Chen Chen was quite familiar with the original host. He knew that although the original host often followed the police force around and had decent physical fitness, he had never systematically learned combat skills and was a kind-hearted nice guy. Being able to prevent a murder had likely already taken all his strength. He comforted Lin Yuetian, “It’s okay, Xiao Lin, you’ve already done a great job. Didn’t you see the killer’s face? Later, help us with the facial composite sketch. We’re preparing to issue a wanted notice—this guy has nowhere left to run.”

Lin Yuetian was kept busy at the police station until the next morning. Chen Chen treated him to breakfast and even drove him home. Though both were exhausted, Chen Chen looked excited. Just the day before, they had no leads on the case, and now they had the suspect’s facial sketch! The dawn of justice was near—how could he not be thrilled?

“Once we catch the guy, we might need you back at the station for identification,” Chen Chen said. “After all, you and that female worker are the only eyewitnesses.”

“Don’t worry, Captain Chen,” Lin Yuetian replied with a smile.

“When the case is closed, your detective rank might even go up,” Chen Chen joked. “I’ll treat you to a meal then.”

After watching Chen Chen drive away, Lin Yuetian turned back home without wasting a second. He used the hacking skills he had purchased in his previous world to trace the killer’s identity and phone number based on the facial sketch. The real murderer’s name was Jiang Shaoxuan.

Then, Lin Yuetian made an anonymous call to him.

“You want revenge on that detective, right?” Lin Yuetian used a voice changer. “Don’t speak, just listen.”

“This setup feels oddly familiar,” the system commented. “So this time, I’m taking revenge on myself?”

“I read about your case in the news. I admire you, Mr. Jiang Shaoxuan. Don’t wonder how I know your identity—I’m a cop. The police have now fully identified you and set up an inescapable net. I may be a cop, but even I think this world is too hypocritical. It needs someone real like you. I know you have nowhere left to run, and I wish I could help, but I can’t stop that detective from bringing others to capture you.” Lin Yuetian spoke with a pained, remorseful tone. “But I do have a way to let you at least take revenge on him before the end…”

Jiang Shaoxuan’s breathing grew heavy, filled with the hysteria of a man with nowhere left to turn.

“That detective is under police protection now—you won’t be able to get close to him. But I’ll send you a link to his private alternate account. Once you see it, you’ll know who he loves the most. You’ll know what to do—if you want this social media account, transfer an amount to the account I send you, an amount that satisfies me. I know you’re rich, Jiang Shaoxuan. Do you want to die like a worthless bug, or at least take someone down with you? Think carefully.”

Then, Lin Yuetian received the desperate transaction.

He then handed over his own alternate account—

An account filled with posts like “Huo Chengye, I love you like a mouse loves rice. Why does love fade away?”

Complete with countless high-definition pictures of Huo Chengye.