Chapter 56: A Crucial Case Clue Emerges, The Killer is an Old Resident of Magic City!

Eye exercises?

This special clue, which Skinny Dog suddenly recalled, made Su Ming and Xu Changsheng exchange a knowing look, their eyes gleaming with sharpness.

This clue was truly critical; it might reduce the suspect pool by several times!

Because the broadcast of the eye exercises was not something you could hear just anywhere.

It could only be heard in elementary, middle, and high schools during break time.

Even in universities, eye exercises were no longer played.

After all, university students were mostly adults, skipping classes and browsing the internet were common, and they wouldn’t obediently sit in class doing eye exercises.

The background noise of eye exercises in the call undoubtedly narrowed down the range of suspects to within schools.

The first place that came to mind was undoubtedly Shude Middle School.

…

However, as an experienced criminal detective, Xu Changsheng didn’t immediately lock down this clue completely. He lightly tapped his fingers on the desk and continued to ask.

“Skinny Dog.”

“Think carefully, was the sound of the eye exercises heard right at the beginning of the call, or did it…”

“Come on suddenly in the middle?”

“And.”

“Was the sound of the eye exercises in the background clear in your impression? Or was it just the noisy broadcast sound?”

It was clear that Xu Changsheng was trying to rule out whether the eye exercise sound in the background was something the killer deliberately made Skinny Dog hear, or if it was…

Accidentally recorded during the call.

Asking about the clarity of the sound was naturally to determine whether the killer might have used false clues to mislead the police.

Even if not in a school, they could have downloaded the eye exercise sound and played it during the call.

These two questions made Skinny Dog frown deeply, seriously recalling for a few seconds before answering with confidence.

“Officers.”

“The eye exercise sound in the call wasn’t there from the start, it suddenly appeared in the middle.”

“I was puzzled at the time about why there was eye exercise music, but I definitely didn’t dare to ask more.”

“As one of their lackeys, not stirring up trouble or asking random questions is the key to staying alive.”

“As for whether it was a recording.”

“Definitely not. Even though I only went to school until the second year of high school before being expelled, I’ll never forget the noisy broadcast sounds of school. I can guarantee I didn’t hear it wrong!”

It was clear that Skinny Dog’s mood had somewhat recovered, and he didn’t appear as close to breaking down as before.

Upon hearing this, Xu Changsheng nodded thoughtfully, not hiding his belief that Skinny Dog wouldn’t dare to conceal anything or lie.

He looked at Su Ming beside him, tilted his head slightly, and signaled.

“Xiao Ming, what do you think?”

“This eye exercise clue has clearly pointed us in a very important direction.”

“The killer of this case is very likely someone familiar within the school!”

After their previous casework, Xu Changsheng had already gained a clear understanding of Su Ming’s deductive abilities, which was why he asked now.

He hoped to quickly piece together the most likely scenario and lock down the mastermind behind the case.

Su Ming didn’t answer immediately, slightly furrowing his brows in resignation before speaking.

“Brother Sheng.”

“Just based on the eye exercises alone, there’s really no way to draw up a clear suspect profile.”

“Because there’s something odd about it…”

“The person Skinny Dog mentioned, the suspect, based on the deliberate use of a voice changer and the controlling crime methods, must be extremely cautious.”

“For this kind of person.”

“Remembering the fixed times when eye exercises are broadcast daily in schools doesn’t seem like too difficult a task, does it?”

“Then why not avoid that time and reduce their exposure, yet they purposely let Skinny Dog hear this eye exercise sound?”

“Was it intentional? Or did they just forget?”

“Based on the current clues and understanding of the suspect, I still can’t make an accurate judgment.”

“But I can roughly confirm…”

“If the killer is really from Shude Middle School, then they probably have a private office.”

“Otherwise.”

“I don’t think they would dare to make calls to Skinny Dog in the office or on the playground, where they could easily be exposed.”

“Of course, this is all under the assumption that the killer is indeed from Shude Middle School. Otherwise, all assumptions would have to be revisited.”

“There are still too few clues.”

At this point, Su Ming looked at Skinny Dog, who seemed shocked, as if he couldn’t believe how the two had deduced so many details just from the eye exercises. Su Ming asked seriously.

“Skinny Dog.”

“Think some more. When you were in contact with that person, was there anything else unusual?”

“Like…”

“Where the deal took place, details about the transaction, anything that made you feel confused or didn’t understand the intention?”

Without a doubt.

From Su Ming’s experience, whether out of caution or to clear suspicions, a cautious killer like the mastermind might reveal more details during the transaction!

Skinny Dog, seeing that the suspect still hadn’t been determined, began scratching his head with both hands, recalling each transaction and detail carefully.

A full minute passed.

Seeing that Skinny Dog still hadn’t spoken and was still scratching his head, Xu Changsheng frowned and spoke up.

“Nothing else?”

“If you really can’t remember, then tell us how many times you’ve made a deal and where each took place…”

Before he could finish, Skinny Dog suddenly raised his head, looked at Su Ming and Xu Changsheng, and spoke urgently.

“Wait… I remember!”

“He seemed very familiar with Magic City. We made three transactions in total, but every time the transaction locations he chose…”

“I’ve never even heard of them!”

“You know, I’ve lived in Magic City for more than ten years, and I’m practically a local, yet I didn’t recognize a single one of those places.”

“Even for the first deal, I had to ask the old folks living around the area to find it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have found it at all!”

This statement immediately caught Su Ming’s attention again. He raised an eyebrow and asked Skinny Dog for more details.

“Since finding the transaction locations was so difficult.”

“Then tell me, what were the locations for these three deals? You should remember them clearly, right?”

Skinny Dog immediately nodded, then answered without hesitation.

“The first transaction was two months ago, at the back door of Fulin Convenience Store, under a stone brick, where they hid 200 grams of high-purity crystal meth.”

“The second transaction was a month ago, at the iron gate of Sheng Tian Textile Factory. It took a lot of effort to climb in and get 300 grams of high-purity crystal meth.”

“As for the third one.”

“It was in a doghouse at the end of He Xing Alley, with a bag of candy, which is what you two officers just mentioned.”

“The only problem is…”

“Each time, he would hide the items first and then call me to pick them up. I never had the chance to see his face.”

“Of course, even if I had the chance, I wouldn’t dare to look, not with Brother Tie San’s case so glaringly in front of me…”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Changsheng lightly tapped the desk, squinted his eyes, and said sternly.

“Old Magic City people.”

“Anyone choosing these three locations for drug deals is definitely someone who grew up here in Magic City, a true local!!!”

————

—The term “眼保健操” – “eye exercises” These are a series of guided eye movements and massages commonly practiced in Chinese schools to relieve eye strain and prevent myopia, especially during breaks between classes.