Chapter 26: We Fully Support You

"Exactly, that’s it!"

Like a lamp lit in the pitch-black night, the eyes of everyone present brightened. Just as he had said, both clues pointed toward this realization. Qian Cheng was especially moved; he had watched Yu Dazhang search the scene with his own eyes. It turned out he had already pieced everything together back then. Otherwise, he never would have said, "It should have been there, but it wasn't."

Finding a new clue is difficult enough. But he hadn't just found one; he had linked two together to reach a new conclusion. What kind of mind does it take to do that?

Yet, this also meant the case had become more complex. The faces of those present involuntarily darkened. They had initially thought this was a fairly straightforward case, but now, it was rapidly turning into a cold case.

The conference room fell into a heavy silence. Lu Zhongxin pulled out a cigarette and lit it, remaining silent, lost in thought. Soon after, the "click-clack" of lighters echoed through the room in quick succession. Before long, the room was shrouded in a haze of smoke.

Almost all criminal police officers smoke. Long hours of stakeouts and the constant analysis of cases keep them in a state of high pressure. Without a way to vent, their tightly coiled nerves could easily take a toll on their health. Smoking was the most direct and effective method of release.

*Why is everyone smoking now...* Watching them puff away, Yu Dazhang felt a sudden urge to have one himself. In his past life, he had been a heavy smoker, rarely seen without a cigarette. After his rebirth, he had tried smoking, but his lungs couldn't handle it anymore, so he just quit altogether.

Seeing everyone else silently smoking, Yu Dazhang had no choice but to continue: "Master, I suggest—"

"Stop!" Lu Zhongxin raised the hand holding his cigarette, cutting him off. "Just tell us what the next step is."

Was this... a delegation of authority?

The others in the room were seasoned veterans; they heard the subtext immediately and guessed Lu Zhongxin’s intent. It was this chubby guy who had first suggested searching the small hotel, and they had actually caught the suspect. Now, he had found new clues and steered the entire case in a different direction.

This was ability. It wasn't something you could just talk about; it had to be proven with concrete results. At the same time, they realized that if not for this chubby guy, their entire team might have ended up in serious trouble. If they had truly botched a case, the consequences would have been...

***

The people present were all experienced criminal investigators; even Qian Cheng from the technical department was no slouch. They could now see that the suspect, Kong Lingjie, was deliberately setting a trap for the police. The interrogation just now had essentially been his opening act.

"Yu Dazhang, right?" One of the team members, seeing Yu Dazhang hesitating, immediately urged him: "Just listen to your master. Whatever ideas you have, say them. We are all willing to cooperate with you."

This was practically an explicit way of telling Yu Dazhang: Don't feel any psychological burden; we're sold.

The other team members quickly chimed in.

"That's right, as long as we can crack the case, just tell us what to do. Don't be polite."

"Go ahead and take the lead; we'll support you fully."

"I’m close with the technical department; let me know if you need anything."

"..."

None of the people present were fools. If they wanted to resolve this increasingly complex case, the best way was for whoever had the ability to take charge. This concerned everyone's livelihood. Getting a murder case wrong wasn't just a matter of getting a reprimand; losing their badges would be the least of their worries. Those who had come merely to pad their resumes were particularly anxious. Withdrawing from the special investigation team was no longer an option; they now only hoped this chubby guy could successfully bring the case to a close.

Yu Dazhang glanced secretly at Lu Zhongxin and, seeing that his master didn't look displeased, nodded: "We'll continue interrogating Kong Lingjie in a moment, but the direction of the interrogation needs to change."

"How so?" Lu Zhongxin asked. He had to be clear about this; he realized he was having trouble keeping up with his apprentice's train of thought.

Yu Dazhang looked at Lu Zhongxin with a serious expression: "Interrogate him as if he were innocent."

Lu Zhongxin: !!!!

It wasn't just him; everyone else was dumbfounded. Was this compliant with regulations? They had never heard of interrogating a suspect like this. If he were innocent, what would they be interrogating him for? Wasn't that self-contradictory?

"This..." Lu Zhongxin hesitated, "I don't know how to do that."

Only Lu Zhongxin would admit that; anyone else would have been too embarrassed. Only someone extremely dedicated to their work could put their personal pride aside. At the same time, he had guessed Yu Dazhang's intention. Since they now knew the suspect was setting a trap, the simplest method was to do the opposite of what the suspect wanted. You want to plead guilty? We won't let you have your way.

***

"It's simple." Yu Dazhang reached out to wipe the footprint off the chair and sat down next to Lu Zhongxin. "Like this: during the interrogation, follow his line of reasoning as before, but at the critical moment, raise a doubt."

Lu Zhongxin thought for a moment, still not quite understanding, and asked without shame: "For example?"

*I should just do the interrogation myself...* Yu Dazhang said helplessly: "Use the new clues."

"If he says he kidnapped Zhang Yan and brought her to the rental house, ask him why there are no footprints of the victim."

"If he says he strangled Zhang Yan to death with his own hands, ask him why there are no signs of the victim struggling at the scene."

"Finally..." Yu Dazhang paused here, as if he hadn't fully thought through what to do next.

Everyone, including Lu Zhongxin, went quiet. They held their breath, fearing they might interrupt his train of thought. After a moment, Yu Dazhang continued: "Try to get him to reveal the primary crime scene."

"What if he's stubborn and won't talk?" Lu Zhongxin thought this was highly likely. Since the suspect dared to set a trap for the police, it meant he was determined to fight to the end. This was a murder case, and if nothing went wrong, it would result in a death sentence. In other words, this was someone who didn't even fear death. Getting such a person to cooperate was almost impossible.

"If he doesn't talk, he doesn't talk." Yu Dazhang looked quite relaxed: "I never expected to get the truth out of his mouth anyway."

"Then why did you tell me to ask?" Lu Zhongxin felt his temples throbbing; his brain couldn't keep up with the rhythm.

"Master..." Seeing Lu Zhongxin becoming increasingly agitated, Yu Dazhang immediately explained: "Being stubborn and refusing to talk is one thing, but not knowing at all is another. You just need to determine which one he falls into."

*Why is the top of my head so itchy?* Several people present scratched their heads in unison.

"What's the point of knowing that?" Lu Zhongxin couldn't help but ask.

Yu Dazhang smiled: "If he's being stubborn, then it's possible he committed the crime. But if he genuinely doesn't know..."

Lu Zhongxin immediately interjected: "Then he's a fall guy taking the blame for someone else!"

*Why are you so quick to speak?* Several people present had thought the same thing, but just as they opened their mouths, Lu Zhongxin had beaten them to it.

*Why are they glaring at me?* Lu Zhongxin noticed his authority as the deputy team leader was gradually fading.