Mad Detective
[Author: Kuang Hai Wang Hu]
[TL: Spades]
[PR: Blitz]
[QC: Lumi]
Chapter 22 — Be My Dad
——————
Zhao Yu's reasoning hinged on one fact, the victims' severed hands were all missing! In every case, the chopped-off hands vanished from the scene, never recovered.
No doubt, the culprit took them!
But why?
Zhao Yu figured the culprit might see the hands as trophies, collecting them to soothe their hatred, relishing the sight of their enemies' limbs.
This behavior mirrored the gang vendettas he knew, reinforcing his belief that the Hand-Chopping Cases were acts of revenge.
The culprit's targets were likely these specific victims, not random picks.
Zhao Yu speculated the victims might've wronged the culprit, intentionally or not.
Chopping their hands was retribution!
But…
What kind of grudge would drive someone to chop hands?
And why always the right hand, not the left?
Like past investigations, pursuing this angle led Zhao Yu to a dead end.
Files showed the victims had clean records, no enemies. Colleagues, neighbors, and family spoke well of them, not the type to stir trouble.
Plus, the three didn't know each other, had no overlap in their lives. How could they be tied to such a twisted, brutal culprit?
What was the truth?
Who was chopping their hands?
Lost in thought, Zhao Yu felt trapped in a looping maze, unable to escape. His mind grew foggy, unable to process the case or even hear the bug's feed clearly.
Still, he didn't forget one critical task, activating the Adventure System.
Past midnight, it was a new day, time for another hexagram! Lighting a cigarette, Team A's office echoed with Zhao Yu's violent coughs, "Cough, cough, cough…"
---
Morning came, and Zhao Yu was jolted awake by his phone's ringtone.
"Ah, hero, join me in chasing sweet dreams…"
Startled, he bolted upright, realizing he hadn't gone home, having passed out at his desk.
Right…
He suddenly recalled activating the system last night for a hexagram. What was it? "Gen-Li Gua" or "Gen-Xun Gua"?
Scratching his head, he couldn't recall the text or even the title! He'd been so exhausted, he'd conked out the moment his eyes closed.
"Ah, hero, leave me my sweet dream…"
The phone vibrated, rattling the desk.
Checking the screen, Zhao Yu was surprised, the call was from his landlord Jiang Dafeng's daughter, Jiang Xiaoqing.
He glanced at the time, just past 7 a.m. Shouldn't she be at school? Why's she calling?
He hesitated, but the phone kept ringing. Worried she had a real issue, he answered.
"Finally, you picked up!" Jiang Xiaoqing's relieved voice came through, "Where are you? You didn't come home last night, right? Did you see my WeChat?"
"Working late at the station, what's up?" Zhao Yu replied curtly.
"Uh… you… um…" Jiang Xiaoqing's tone turned shy, like she was struggling to say something.
"Spit it out! I've got a case to crack!" Zhao Yu grew impatient, eager to check the bug for Qu Ping's updates.
"Look, it's hard to explain over the phone. I'm almost at your station, can you come out?" Jiang Xiaoqing rushed, sounding urgent.
"Come on, I'm in the middle of something!" Zhao Yu's patience thinned, "Can it wait till tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow's too late! Look… you…" Jiang Xiaoqing mustered her courage, shouting, "Didn't you say we're partners? I'm in trouble, you should help me out, we agreed, right?"
Her words made Zhao Yu's heart skip, wondering if her hacking got exposed. "Fine, fine, you win! I'm coming out, happy?"
Hanging up, he didn't rush out but checked the bug first. Team B was silent, no voices.
Unsure if something was up, he dashed to the hallway, peeking through Team B's window. Relief washed over him.
Team B's detectives were like him, slumped over desks, asleep. Only Qu Ping stood rigid before the whiteboard, still wrestling with the case.
Good, no breakthrough yet!
Reassured, Zhao Yu fixed his clothes and hair, heading to the bureau's entrance.
When he arrived, Jiang Xiaoqing, in her school uniform, was already waiting. In the breeze, the slim girl looked frail, biting her lip, eyes darting nervously.
Seeing her, Zhao Yu pulled her into a nearby alley, "Alright, what's this about?"
As he spoke, he noticed an unopened Coke in her backpack's side pocket. Without asking, he grabbed it, popped the cap, and chugged.
Jiang Xiaoqing, preoccupied, didn't care about the Coke. After several false starts, she finally blurted, "Can you… be my dad for today!?"
Pfft…
Zhao Yu sprayed Coke everywhere, some even shooting out his nose.
"Cough, cough, cough…" Choking, he wiped his face with his sleeve.
"There's a parent-teacher meeting this morning, all parents have to attend, I've got no one else!" Jiang Xiaoqing rushed, "If my dad goes, I'm toast!!"
"STOP!" Zhao Yu was dumbfounded, "You… me… your dad? Do I look *that* old? Can't I be your brother?"
"Has to be dad!" Jiang Xiaoqing said earnestly, "I've blocked my dad's phone notifications and rerouted them to yours. The teacher won't notice!"
"I… damn it…" Zhao Yu nearly collapsed, "Big sis, why don't you join our bureau? You're this pro?"
"Please!" Jiang Xiaoqing begged, "The meeting's at 8:30, I'll pay for the cab, okay?"
"Enough!" Zhao Yu snapped, "If your dad finds out, I'm out on the street! Why not hire someone? I'm not going, I've got a huge case today! Get moving, or you'll miss the bus!"
With no mood for Coke, he capped it and shoved it back into her bag.