Mad Detective
[Author: Kuang Hai Wang Hu]
[TL: Spades]
[PR: Blitz]
[QC: Lumi]
Chapter 24 — The Piano
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"Fifty-three days! I don't need to tell you how crucial these 53 days are for your kids, right?" On the stage, a gray-haired middle-aged man tapped the desk with his finger, "The purpose of today's parent-teacher meeting is to discuss how to support your children during this period, how to ease their stress, and I think…"
This was Jiang Xiaoqing's homeroom teacher, passionately addressing exam prep, when a phone blared from the audience, "Ah, hero, join me in chasing sweet dreams… Ah, hero…"
The parents, focused on the speech, were startled by the loud ringtone, drawing every eye. Even the teacher paused, caught off guard.
What happened next was even more bizarre. The phone's owner didn't silence it but answered loudly, "Hello!"
Head tilted back, he shouted, then, under everyone's stares, listened intently, oblivious to the setting.
The parents exchanged stunned looks, the teacher visibly awkward, unsure whether to speak.
The caller didn't care, engrossed in the conversation. Suddenly, he roared, "What!? You're serious? You're sure!? Holy—damn!!!"
The auditorium froze, the air itself seeming to solidify.
"Hey, say that again!!" Unfazed, he stood, striding toward the exit, yelling into the phone, "Hold on, I need to write this down…"
Only when he left did the parents snap out of their shock, erupting in murmurs.
"Who's that? Whose parent?" someone whispered, "What manners, thinks he's at a market?"
"Exactly! With a parent like that, their kid's probably dead last…" Another sneered, "Wait, Xiaoyu's mom, what's wrong? You look pale!"
A woman, trembling, eyes wide, stammered, "No… no way! When I arrived, I saw… that guy came with Jiang Xiaoqing! He can't be…"
"Jiang Xiaoqing? The top student?" The other gasped, "No way, you must've misseen! Her parent can't be like that!"
"Parents, parents, quiet down!" The teacher, seeing the uproar, tapped the desk, "Let's continue, continue…"
No surprise, the target of this outrage was none other than Zhao Yu himself! Who else had such brazen audacity?
Outside the auditorium, Zhao Yu found a ledge, pulled out his notebook, and jotted down the info Li Beini had relayed.
As he wrote, excitement surged, his blood practically boiling.
Heh heh…
Culprit, oh culprit!
I've finally grabbed your little tail!
Liu Changhu! Qu Ping! Wipe your eyes clean and watch me nab the Hand-Chopping Case's true culprit!
After his bold declaration, he slapped his forehead, praising, "Great Adventure System, I love you to death!"
Zhao Yu's frenzy stemmed from a new clue in the Hand-Chopping Case, one he believed was the long-overlooked key to cracking it!
It started when Shanshan's mom played the piano on stage, sparking a wild, outlandish theory in Zhao Yu's mind.
Beyond spendthrift grudges, could there be another reason for chopping hands? Like… piano playing? Was the culprit jealous of their skill and struck out of envy?
This led him to the second victim, Yuan Lili.
Yuan Lili was a university music teacher, teaching piano before her attack. Her skill was undoubtedly top-notch.
Following this thread, he recalled the first victim, Gao Tian!
On the day her hand was chopped, Gao Tian was at a concert in the stadium. He vaguely remembered it wasn't a pop star but a music event, possibly piano-related.
With this hunch, he called Li Beini, who was at work, asking her to check the records.
Li Beini called back quickly, confirming Gao Tian attended a solo performance by the German piano prince, Clayderman!
Piano prince!?
Gao Tian had traveled from out of town, clearly a piano enthusiast!
Piano again!
What about the third victim, Luo Meina? Did she connect to pianos too?
Zhao Yu urged Li Beini to dig deeper, checking Luo Meina's piano ties and the other victims' connections to it.
Chopping someone's hand just for playing piano seemed far-fetched, but Zhao Yu sensed this piano clue could be the case's linchpin!
With the meeting starting, he had to sit and pretend to listen to the teacher, but his mind was racing, itching for Li Beini's update.
Unaware of his location, Li Beini called with the results, and Zhao Yu answered without a care.
She dropped a bombshell, all three victims—Gao Tian, Yuan Lili, Luo Meina—were piano level 10 in their youth!!!
This staggering revelation made Zhao Yu leap from his seat, leading to the earlier scene.
Outside, scribbling on the ledge, his hands shook!
Since diving into this bizarre case, Zhao Yu had felt that if the culprit sought revenge, the victims must share a commonality. But despite endless searching, none surfaced.
Until the piano clue emerged, changing everything! All three were linked by piano!
Zhao Yu's gut screamed this was no coincidence.
The real answer might lie, right here!!