Chapter 52: The Trail Has Gone Cold Again!

Chen Yu was holding in his hands the dossier of Li Feng.

On a single, unadorned sheet, all of his information was recorded. In the top right corner, a somewhat blurry, black-and-white two-inch photograph was affixed. In the photo, a young man wore a gentle smile.

But that smiling young man was not Sanada Gouichiro!

The contestant from Sakura Country, the number one ranked detective whose image frequently appeared on major websites—Chen Yu had naturally seen him before.

But the Li Feng in his hands now looked nothing like that man!

Li Qing leaned in to look at the photo, her expression growing grim as well.

Another dead end? What kind of absurdity was this!

Chen Yu cursed inwardly, feeling as if he had been toyed with.

"Maybe… maybe he had plastic surgery?" Li Qing tried to reassure him. "Looks can be changed after all!"

Chen Yu shook his head, but frustration welled within him.

"Officer Su, are there any other photos of Li Feng?" he asked. "A recent one, perhaps? This one is black-and-white, and a bit blurry."

Su Qingzhu shot Chen Yu a frosty glance and retorted, "No. And you still don’t understand what a black-and-white photo means?"

"Huh?" Chen Yu was momentarily caught off guard.

Su Qingzhu scoffed, displeased. "A few years after Li Feng graduated, he had an accident. His ashes were sent back to Sakura Country."

"The person you asked me to investigate is dead!"

What?

Chen Yu stared at the file in his hands, stunned.

Dead?

Then it was absolutely impossible for him to be the one!

No—wait, the timing…

"How did he die?" Chen Yu looked up, a vague sense of dread creeping in.

Su Qingzhu exchanged a glance with Yan Zheng. At Yan’s slight nod, she replied slowly, "He was disemboweled."

Boom.

A thunderclap exploded in Chen Yu’s mind.

He shot to his feet in shock.

Disemboweled?

Again?

But this made no sense! He wasn’t a woman, much less pregnant, so how…

Wait!

Chen Yu’s face suddenly darkened. He looked sharply at Yan Zheng and demanded, "Tell me, Captain Yan—just how much are you still hiding from me?"

"Exactly how many victims were disemboweled back then?"

This slippery old fox—why did he love keeping secrets so much?

Chen Yu was truly angry now.

Every time, it was the same—they never revealed the crucial information, only admitting it after he’d uncovered it himself.

Did they take him for a fool?

"This was the last one—just these people," Yan Zheng said after rubbing his temples. "Because the circumstances of this disembowelment were so different from the others, it wasn’t classified as related."

"So, I didn’t tell you."

"Is that so?" Chen Yu sneered. "Then let me ask: when exactly was Li Feng disemboweled?"

"Roughly a month or so after Liu Gang’s wife died," Su Qingzhu answered after pondering.

"Hmph!" Chen Yu’s face was ashen. "The deaths were so close in time, the method the same—and just because he wasn’t a woman or pregnant, you called it an isolated case?"

"Is this how your detective squad investigates cases?"

"Watch your attitude!" Su Qingzhu scolded.

Yan Zheng, however, waved a hand and said gravely, "Back then, I was just an agent. The leadership thought this case didn’t match the profile of the other victims—they suspected a copycat."

"Besides, if you add another victim to a serial murder case, the pressure from above grows even greater."

"So in the end, they ruled it an isolated incident."

Though Yan Zheng’s tone hadn’t changed, Chen Yu could hear a hint of helplessness.

It seemed the old fox hadn’t had much choice back then, either.

But what use was talking about it now?

The case was already a mess!

"Tell me, why did you suspect Li Feng?" Yan Zheng finally opened his eyes and gave Chen Yu a meaningful look.

"Someone tipped me off," Chen Yu replied impatiently. "They suspected Li Feng was Sanada Gouichiro, and possibly the mysterious figure as well!"

"Obviously, a dead man can’t be the killer."

He shook his head in resignation.

But was Li Feng’s death really just a coincidence?

Why had he been disemboweled at that exact time?

And he was a classmate of Luo Xiangdong?

There was definitely something fishy here!

"Chen Yu," Yan Zheng stood up, speaking with the tone of a seasoned veteran, "I agree with what you once said."

"In criminal investigation, what we do is subtraction."

"You don’t need to be discouraged. At the very least, you’ve ruled out another distraction."

"Now, there are fewer red herrings left for us. That’s a good thing!"

"But…" Yan Zheng suddenly paused and smiled bitterly, "I’m afraid Zhang Fu will only give us one day for the Ripper case."

"If there are no leads, things may spiral out of control."

"Zhang Fu is just a businessman—why should we be afraid of him?" Chen Yu asked, puzzled.

"Afraid? Hah!" Yan Zheng snorted. "It’s not fear. Zhang Fu is fiercely protective of his own."

"His daughter is dead. He’ll turn this world upside down."

"Don’t think he’s just a businessman."

"His influence is enough to decide the fate of many."

Yan Zheng’s tone grew somber.

"I say this not to pressure you. On the contrary, I want you to approach this case with a clear mind."

"Any pressure from Zhang Fu will fall on me. I… can at least shield you for a few days!"

"For me?" Chen Yu was taken aback. "Why put all the hope on me? I’m not that capable."

"You are. Or rather, you are now," Yan Zheng smiled, his words laden with meaning. "Brother Lei has already approached you, hasn’t he?"

"The only breakthrough at present is him."

"And you’re the only one who can pry that breakthrough open."

Hearing this, Chen Yu almost wanted to point at the old fox and curse him out loud: "Didn’t you send White Moonlight undercover to Brother Lei? Take action! Get her to fish for information! Why come to me?"

"Aren’t women better at getting secrets?"

But on second thought, he let it go.

White Moonlight’s judo throw was still fresh in his mind…

And, given the current situation, he really was the most suitable person.

After all, with the system in hand, the world was his for the taking!

With a shrug, Chen Yu tossed the dossier onto the desk, took Li Qing’s hand, and said coolly, "No leads, let’s go."

Without another word, he led White Moonlight out of Yan Zheng’s office.

No sooner had they left than Su Qingzhu’s voice sounded in the office.

"Master, that kid is getting more and more brazen!"

"Rein in your temper," Yan Zheng advised. "He might be someone important—or the key to breaking the case."

"We need to give him our full cooperation."

"What?" Su Qingzhu was briefly stunned. "You… you suspect Chen Yu is an undercover sent by higher authorities?"

She was sharp enough to catch on immediately.

"He hasn’t breathed a word to me because of discipline," Yan Zheng changed tack. "But judging from his words and actions, I’m probably not wrong."

"It’s a pity the undercover agent I planted by Brother Lei was discovered. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be so passive now."

Yan Zheng suddenly sounded regretful.

"You… you sent in an undercover?" Su Qingzhu knew she shouldn’t ask, but couldn’t help herself.

"Alas… already… fallen in the line of duty."