Chapter 11: Time to Showcase True Skills

In his past life, Xiao Yu wasn’t just adept at solving cases, he excelled in simulating criminals. Delving deep into their minds, retracing their steps, and embodying their every move, he mastered the art of criminal mimicry.

Beside him, Guo Qiang felt a jolt of alarm as he sensed an unsettling aura emanating from Xiao Yu. 

As a seasoned detective with keen observational skills, he could detect subtle changes in others and perceive nuances that eluded most.

The transformation in Xiao Yu was startling.

“Don’t worry, I’m just emulating the criminal’s mindset,” Xiao Yu clarified before entering the staff dormitory. 

It was time to demonstrate his profound skills.

Guo Qiang, trailing behind, wore a look of bewilderment. While familiar with reconstructing crime scenes, the concept of mirroring a criminal’s psychology was foreign to him. 

Could a person genuinely replicate the mental workings of another? The thought left him intrigued yet uneasy.

Guo Qiang had no way of knowing that the young man before him was a transmigrated individual. 

In his previous existence, Xiao Yu was a dedicated police officer, with his greatest strength lying in simulating the psyche of criminals. This unique skill had led him to unravel numerous high-profile cases.

“Assuming I’m the murderer…” Xiao Yu muttered, standing at the door of the victim’s former room and pushing it open. 

Inside was an eight-person dormitory, typical for staff accommodations, not unlike the crowded rooms of a university.

He approached the bed that had once belonged to the victim. 

“It was night, and the victim was likely in bed playing games, as indicated by his phone’s gaming history,” Xiao Yu thought aloud. “In winter, people generally resist leaving the warmth of their bed at night. He wouldn’t normally get dressed and leave unless compelled by a strong reason to get up and follow someone…”

What could possibly drive someone to trail another in the dead of night, even venturing onto a cold rooftop? 

Was it seduction, a threat, or deep-seated hatred?

Regarding motives like profit and greed, it was unlikely for an ordinary employee to be involved at that level. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been working overtime in a small factory during the first month of the New Year. Plus, the victim was resting in the dormitory due to a cold at that time.

Seduction seemed improbable. The dormitory housed only two female employees, both of average looks. Moreover, the idea of going to the rooftop for fun in the bitter winter cold seemed absurd unless one had consumed a substantial amount of alcohol.

This left only two possibilities: threat or hatred. 

To effectively threaten someone, you need leverage, a significant power difference, or a way to suppress them in daily life. 

Hatred was more straightforward. 

However, it likely wasn’t the motive here. If the victim had any known enemies, the police’s investigation would have uncovered this. The victim had a decent reputation at the small factory, had been working there for over half a year, and was well-liked by several female employees, according to police findings.

“Threat?” 

Xiao Yu squinted his eyes thoughtfully. 

“If I were the murderer, how would I threaten someone to follow me out of the dormitory to the rooftop?”

“Wait a minute…something’s off. Why would I, as the murderer, need to threaten an ordinary employee? What could drive me to such rage that I would want to kill him? Murder always has a reason. If someone angered me to this extent, they must have infringed upon some personal interest of mine.

“Considering the victim’s background, financial motives seem unlikely. He had no history of criminal activities, nor… could it be a love affair gone wrong? A dispute between a man and a woman, driven by love and hatred?”

Was it possible for a murder to be motivated by a romantic relationship?

Indeed!

Not only was it possible, but in many past homicide cases, at least 15% were due to romantic disputes. The most common scenario? A partner being unfaithful, leading to murder.

“The murderer was cheated on?”

Xiao Yu’s expression turned peculiar.

If the murderer was a male and the victim was the one involved in the affair, then the murderer might have confronted the victim about the affair and threatened him to come along. 

Was this plausible?

Yes. 

“Let’s assume this for now and continue with the reasoning. As the murderer, I led the victim to the rooftop…”

On the rooftop.

Standing at the spot where the victim’s body was found, Xiao Yu contemplated deeply.

“If I were the murderer, choosing such a time to lure the victim to the rooftop clearly indicates one thing,” Xiao Yu thought, a glint of ferocity in his eyes. “I came here with the intention to kill.”

The murderer must have meticulously planned the crime in advance, including the preparation of the murder weapon. Likely, it was hidden somewhere on the rooftop before the had taken place, as the victim would not have willingly followed if he had seen it.

Xiao Yu looked around thoughtfully. The police had scoured the scene repeatedly without finding any weapon. 

Carrying a heavy, deadly blunt instrument after the murder would have been cumbersome. Could it be that the weapon was still hidden somewhere close by?

He pondered, “If I were the murderer, where would I have concealed the weapon both before and after the act?”

His gaze methodically swept across every inch of the rooftop, searching for any clue the killer might have left behind.

Xiao Yu methodically searched the rooftop, examining the small cell signal tower, a compact storeroom, heaps of discarded material, ventilation shafts, and finally, the drainage pipes.

Every building had drainage pipes to prevent water accumulation on the rooftop. 

In this dormitory, four pipes were strategically placed at each corner of the rooftop – spots typically overlooked since they seemed unlikely to conceal anything.

But as Xiao Yu meticulously inspected each pipe, his investigation led him to the third one. In that moment, his eyes sparkled with realization. 

As his hand reached into the junction where the floor drain met the pipe, he discovered something crucial – a hint of black and purple on his fingernails, the unmistakable mark of dried blood.

He found it.