Chapter 191: As Expected, Something’s Off

What started as an ordinary theft on a train had now taken a strange turn, all thanks to the reappearance of the stolen items.

Three major questions emerged.

Why did the supposedly stolen items suddenly reappear?

If they were really stolen, did the thief return them?

Why did the family of three who reported the theft commit suicide?

This run-of-the-mill theft case had instantly transformed into a full-blown mystery. 

On the small scale, it was a theft tied to a suicide. But on a larger scale, it could be connected to a homicide.

Just because it was ruled a suicide, did that mean it really was? What if it was a murder disguised as a suicide scene? Otherwise, how would you explain the stolen items turning up again?

The railway police eventually handed the case over. Any case with even the slightest hint of a possible homicide couldn’t be treated lightly. Every stone had to be turned.

In the end, this case was passed on to the Criminal Investigation Unit for further investigation.

The incident occurred six years ago.

According to the case file, the Criminal Investigation Unit had spent six months investigating it but still found nothing. The case was filed away as a cold case, and the file was archived.

Xiao Yu’s gaze shifted from the case file on his computer screen, lost in thought for a moment.

There was no clear lead in his mind, so after all the initial doubts were dismissed, the case was simply shelved. There were far too many cases like this one, and no investigative unit could afford to put all its resources into one case and ignore everything else.

There were about two million police officers across the country, but with around 200,000 assigned to courts and the prosecutor’s office, 400,000 in the prison system, and over 50,000 in national security, that left fewer for other cases. 

About a quarter of the remaining police officers were in administrative positions. That meant frontline officers made up less than a million.

According to big data, each year there were roughly 0.7 murders per 100,000 people and 1.4 criminal cases per 50,000.  

The various criminal cases lead to an average of nearly 70,000 deaths annually.  

Compare that to the number of police officers, and you can imagine how busy the frontline officers must be.

Even so, the annual crime resolution rate still managed to stay above 95%. 

What, you expect police to solve 100% of cases?  

Come on now.  

A 95% clearance rate was already a miracle and unmatched worldwide.

After spending the whole morning reviewing case files, it was time for lunch. Several team leaders and instructors gathered for a meal, sharing subtle jokes as they congratulated their instructor.  

With a beaming face, Zhou Tinghu smiled and said, “Don’t worry, even if I get promoted, I won’t leave the team. Worst case, I’ll just get a ‘high-profile’ position.”

He had been with the Criminal Investigation Unit for nine years as an instructor and had grown deeply attached. 

Originally, he planned to retire in the unit. But ever since Xiao Yu joined the team, everyone had been riding the wave of success, racking up achievements. They’d all benefitted, one way or another.

So, what does ‘high-profile’ mean?  

It was when your rank exceeded your position, essentially holding a higher title but staying in a lower role. This was common for officers who’d been disciplined or those close to retirement.

Zhou Tinghu, being older, didn’t have much room for career advancement. A promotion to a higher level wouldn’t offer much excitement, and he’d rather stay where he was familiar.  

But, of course, this wasn’t entirely up to him—it depended on higher-ups.

Zhou Tinghu glanced at Xiao Yu, who was quietly eating, and said, “Xiao Yu, help me pass along a message to the head office, will you?”

“Sure,” Xiao Yu nodded. 

It wasn’t anything major, just the usual social etiquette. Plus, with the whole Criminal Investigation Unit being like a family, of course, he’d help out with something small like this.

Xiao Yu pulled out his phone and, in front of everyone, dialed the city bureau chief, Yun Xiangguo.

“What’s up? Something wrong?” Yun Xiangguo answered, trying to sound casual, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous. 

In the past, anytime Xiao Yu called, it usually meant there was a case. And not just any case—always something big. 

Who enjoys having major cases pop up in their jurisdiction all the time? 

It was a nightmare!

Yun Xiangguo was more than a little spooked by Xiao Yu’s calls. He had enough psychological scars to fill a three-bedroom apartment.

“Nah, just calling because I missed you, boss,” Xiao Yu joked, playing the role of the humble subordinate.

“Cut the crap, I know you better than that,” Yun Xiangguo chuckled, relieved that it wasn’t about a case. “What is it?”

“Haha, can’t fool the boss. It’s just our instructor, Zhou. He’s due for a promotion but doesn’t want to leave. We could really use you to say a few words on his behalf.”

“That’s it?” Yun Xiangguo couldn’t help but laugh. “What, my word’s not worth much anymore?”

This kind of thing didn’t really need his input, but if he did, it’d be a breeze to sort out.

“Of course, it’s worth something,” Xiao Yu replied with a grin. “By the way, I got my hands on some premium cigarettes recently. How about I bring you a pack tomorrow?”

“Oh, the top-tier. Special supply ones?” Yun Xiangguo caught on instantly and jokingly scolded, “Get out of here… though, yeah, bring one tomorrow.”

“You got it,” Xiao Yu said, ending the call. He put his phone down and gave Zhou Tinghu a reassuring nod.

Around the dinner table, everyone was in good spirits.

Several team leaders and the instructor exchanged looks, all with complicated expressions as they glanced at Xiao Yu. 

Who else could speak to the head of the city’s police department like that? 

Probably only Xiao Yu.

Why was he so confident? His skills were just that impressive.

If Xiao Yu had wanted to leave the Criminal Investigation Unit, he’d probably already be working at the city bureau under the chief himself. At the very least, he would’ve been running a department as the chief officer by now. But compared to the kind of offers from the national security agencies, the city police department felt like a small pond.

Everyone was wondering when Xiao Yu would eventually move on. When the time came, it would probably be a direct transfer to Beijing. 

The idea of Bencheng keeping someone like him around? A total pipe dream.

His final destination could only be the national security sector, and his rank would have to be at least on par with someone like Wang Dong. And that wasn’t surprising at all. It was completely expected.

They weren’t blind. 

Wang Dong, a senior team leader, was practically playing the sidekick whenever he was around Xiao Yu, always following his lead. And Xiao Yu was only twenty-two.

When the others thought back to what they were doing at twenty-two, most of them weren’t even full-fledged officers yet. The gap was so huge that they couldn’t even imagine it, not even in their dreams.

After the meal, Xiao Yu returned to his desk and continued flipping through case files. For some reason, his attention kept circling back to that strange theft case.

It was as if something about the case was pulling him in, compelling him to dig deeper.

Then…

【Ding! Case triggered successfully.】

【Police God Case Sign-in Activated.】

【Would the host like to sign in?】

Xiao Yu blinked.

His expression turned serious as he stared at the case file. If the system flagged it for a sign-in, this definitely wasn’t some minor incident.

There was definitely something wrong here.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yu silently thought to himself. Sign in.