Chapter 25: Nonsense!

“Based on the surveillance from the city’s Skynet network, the victim’s neighborhood, and the apartment building’s corridors… The suspect left his house at 10:39 PM on February 18 and arrived at the victim’s place at 11:05 PM. He was arrested by the police at about 8:35 AM on February 20, totaling approximately 33 hours and 56 minutes. That’s less than 34 hours. To be exact, from the time the suspect allegedly committed the crime at the victim’s residence to when we apprehended him, it was only about 33 hours. the three victims were killed by the suspect without moving, until their death…

“It takes time to remove the victims’ clothes, time to drain their blood, time to skillfully peel off a complete layer of skin — and we’re talking about three victims here. To meticulously remove the flesh, to nail the skins to the wall, to affix the internal organs, to grind the bones into powder, and finally, to create that grotesque painting… With the tools found at the crime scene, not even a professional butcher could accomplish all this.”

In the conference room, Xiao Yu looked around at the attendees, “33 hours is absolutely insufficient.”

Forget about the complexity of skinning and deboning. 

Just the process of bleeding a body would require a considerable amount of time. And human bones are incredibly tough. To pulverize a complete human skeleton into bone powder without professional equipment, do you realize how long that would take?

Moreover, there were three victims. Just imagine the time needed to process these three bodies. Without professional tools and relying only on the items at the crime scene, to accomplish this in 33 hours? That was utterly nonsensical.

Yet, this critical timeline, this significant clue, was overlooked by the case officer. No, it was overlooked by everyone, including Zhao Changshan. The faces of all those present reflected this realization.

Through Xiao Yu’s analytical reasoning, coupled with the polygraph’s results, it was becoming clear that the suspect was likely innocent. They had arrested the wrong person.

Xiao Yu, acting immediately, followed Zhao Changshan to the city bureau. The case was now under the primary jurisdiction of the city bureau, with the Criminal Investigation Brigade providing support. A special task force was also formed to solve this case.

Realizing the significance of such a critical clue, reporting it to the higher authorities was a must. Zhao Changshan called the leadership at the city bureau, who instructed him to bring Xiao Yu along.

Upon arriving at the city bureau building, Zhao Changshan advised Xiao Yu, “You know how to conduct yourself in front of the superiors, don’t you?”

“Yes,” nodded Xiao Yu, recalling his previous life experiences. 

He had started as an intern at a local police station and gradually moved up to the criminal investigation team, the detachment, and eventually to the provincial team, stopping just short of the provincial department… before his sacrifice.

Stepping into the city bureau, Zhao Changshan, usually a commanding presence as the captain, suddenly seemed like a junior. When they were allowed into the large conference room of the city bureau, Xiao Yu couldn’t help but feel a twitch in his mouth.

The room was filled with over twenty police officers, among them five wearing white shirt uniforms. The white shirts symbolized the rank of Superintendent – a status not attainable merely through years of service. 

In the police hierarchy, advancement in ranks, from Officer to Inspector, Superintendent, Commissioner, and Chief Commissioner, typically occurred provided no mistakes were made in daily duties. 

For the ranks of Officer and Inspector, promotions were expected every three years.

Promotion beyond the rank of Police Inspector required a four-year interval for each level. For Police Superintendents, advancement involved both positional and rank elevation. Some police officers spend their entire careers only to reach the rank of First Class Inspector. Ascending to Police Superintendent typically necessitated holding a bureau or department-level position at the very least.

“Has Little Zhao arrived?” 

As Xiao Yu and Zhao Changshan entered the conference room, one of the Superintendents, donning a white shirt, greeted them with a smile, “Please, take your seats.”

“Salute!” 

Xiao Yu and Zhao Changshan first saluted the leaders present before taking their seats, sitting upright and formally.

Xiao Yu could clearly feel a myriad of gazes landing on him, filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and an inexplicable strangeness.

“So you are Xiao Yu?” Another Superintendent asked, fixing his gaze on Xiao Yu.

“Yes!” Xiao Yu stood up, maintaining a straight posture.

“Don’t be nervous,” the Superintendent said with a smile. “How did you realize there was something wrong with the time?”

By the time Xiao Yu and Zhao Changshan had arrived, the group had already discussed the clues reported by the Criminal Investigation Brigade. Indeed, there was a discrepancy in the timeline. It was a significant oversight.

The revelation that such a pivotal clue was discovered by a mere trainee officer raised eyebrows among the seasoned detectives. It was almost embarrassing for them. The realization struck them quite hard.

The room was filled with curiosity, as everyone wanted to gauge the capabilities of this remarkable newcomer. How could he, a mere novice, demonstrate such exceptional insight?

“The case file was meticulously prepared, yet the compiler’s personal bias seems evident, focusing predominantly on the physical evidence and procedural details,” Xiao Yu said with a grave expression. “This approach could mislead investigators, leading them to overlook the critical aspect of timing. Furthermore, there’s another significant point of contention.”

“What might that be?” asked another superintendent.

“Hasn’t anyone considered the kind of mental fortitude required to commit such a twisted crime? How many individuals are capable of peacefully sleeping at the scene of such a horrific act?” Xiao Yu’s face twisted with incredulity. “Why would the suspect not flee and instead seemingly await our arrival?”

Such a straightforward concept. Was it an oversight, or a deliberate omission?