Chapter 261: The AC Vent

After a quick discussion, the special task force decided to split up. Gao Shengli would lead the rest of the team to follow up on various leads, while Xiao Yu and Wu Jia headed to the evidence storage facility for a closer look.

Inside the police car, Wu Jia kept his eyes on the road but couldn’t resist throwing Xiao Yu a look. 

“So, tell me, how’d you get so impressive?” he asked, half in awe. “You know, when I first heard about you, I honestly thought the guys in the lower unit were pulling my leg. I mean, twenty-two years old, racking up all kinds of first-class honors? Really? Had you even finished at the academy?” 

Wu Jia shook his head, chuckling. 

“I had to look up your file myself, and I swear, I nearly had a heart attack when I read it.”

Xiao Yu couldn’t help but smile a little, amused. Wu Jia wasn’t just the team joker, he could talk your ear off. Still, everyone liked having someone like him around.

“Oh, by the way, are you seeing anyone?” Wu Jia asked, clearly warming up to a new topic. “If not, I’ve got this gorgeous sister-in-law I could introduce you to. Not that I’m bragging, but she’s a real catch.”

Xiao Yu sighed, trying not to laugh. 

“I’ve actually been married for over half a year.”

“Already married?” Wu Jia was genuinely surprised, shaking his head with a smile. “Let me guess, you met her back at the academy, right? Ah, back in my day at the academy, all those cute police cadets around… it was like a dream come true. If only I’d known better back then. So, come on, before you tied the knot, did you ever think about your ideal type? Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Before I met my wife, I honestly didn’t have any particular standards,” Xiao Yu grinned. “As long as she had long, wavy hair, I was good.”

Wu Jia blinked. “Wait, that’s it? That’s a pretty low bar.”

Xiao Yu chuckled, “Low bar? That’s three whole requirements in one.”

Wu Jia, “???”

“Three?” he muttered, processing it. Then, as it clicked, he burst out laughing. “Damn! You’re right, three requirements. That’s hilarious.”

They shared a laugh, the kind of laugh all guys understood.

Honestly, Xiao Yu was content with his life. Sure, he wasn’t like those characters in web novels who go back in time, starting empires or managing harems, but he had something even better. A stunning, loving wife, a happy, stable family, and a baby on the way.

Just thinking of his wife and child filled his face with a warmth and joy he couldn’t hide.

“Life’s good, huh?” Wu Jia asked, grinning like a proud dad. “My son’s six, and the kid’s already stealing hearts.”

“My little one’s still about seven or eight months from being born,” Xiao Yu said, his voice full of anticipation.

“Make sure to call me when the big day comes,” Wu Jia said, letting his usual humor fade as they approached their destination. “We’re here.”

Xiao Yu’s smile faded too, replaced by a determined expression as he looked out the window.

They arrived at the evidence storage facility.

The two stepped out of the car, passed through the security checkpoint, and entered the evidence storage building. Signs of the fire were still everywhere. The whole building had been sealed off. Much of the scene needed to be preserved for investigation, so it couldn’t be cleared out anytime soon.

The fourth floor, designated as the main crime scene, was completely off-limits. Both Xiao Yu and Wu Jia had been here before, and the officers guarding the area knew them well.

Inside, the scene was untouched, just as it had been the last time Xiao Yu visited. Back then, Xiao Yu’s walkthrough had been brief, mostly to get a sense of the place due to the bank heist and terrorist link. Today, he was here for a more detailed look. He hopped to spot any traces of how the criminals had gotten in and out of the evidence storage area.

“A few days ago, we did another sweep here. Two people,” Wu Jia said, squatting down and pointing to the ground. “They tried to disguise their footprints, but there’s still something left.”

Xiao Yu’s eyes gleamed, and he nodded. He was impressed. 

The Major Crimes Unit was definitely skilled. On his last visit with Wang Dong, Xiao Yu had only caught those faint footprints using his Eagle’s Eye ability. However, the unit relied on their expertise and equipment to identify these marks. It was impressive.

“No signs of tampering on the windows,” Wu Jia continued, rising and motioning toward the door. “The only entry and exit point seems to be here.”

That aligned with Xiao Yu’s earlier conclusions. 

Together, they moved down the corridor outside the storage room.

“It’s strange, really strange,” Wu Jia said and squatted again, pointing to the hallway floor, looking puzzled. “There are no shoe prints or tracks out here.”

None. Which meant whoever it was hadn’t come through the hallway. This was precisely what the Major Crimes Unit couldn’t make sense of at the time. 

Did those two suspects who killed the officers and stole the counterfeit plates just fly in?

Like that was possible. Xiao Yu chuckled at the thought. Using his Eagle’s Eye ability, he carefully scanned the entire hallway once more. There wasn’t a single print that matched those in the storage room.

Something wasn’t adding up.

With this thought, Xiao Yu and Wu Jia returned to the storage room. If the hallway was clean, then the only explanation was that the answer lay inside.

“The two officers were found dead just outside the storage room door, right?” Xiao Yu murmured as he glanced around the room. “So, it seems like the fire in the evidence vault tipped them off that something was off, so they came straight here to investigate, and then…”

“Right. And probably the moment they opened the door they were attacked and killed,” Wu Jia agreed, face somber.

Had the two officers stayed away, they might have survived. But they were officers. There was no way they’d ignore anything suspicious.

“Their way in must have been unconventional,” Xiao Yu said thoughtfully. 

He slowly moved his gaze over every inch of the room. The door, the windows, and the floor had all been ruled out. Which left only…

Suddenly, Xiao Yu looked up at the ceiling, momentarily lost in thought.

“Hm?” Wu Jia followed Xiao Yu’s gaze up to the ceiling.

What did they see?

The central air conditioning vent.

Could it be possible? The vent cover had a lotus-patterned grate and measured only about twenty-five centimeters across in a square shape.

Twenty-five centimeters?

Anyone trying to crawl in or out of that would have a tough time. Xiao Yu and Wu Jia exchanged a glance.

“Hang tight.” 

Without a second thought, Wu Jia left the storage room to find a ladder.

Tough didn’t mean impossible. If there was even the slightest chance, they had to check it out.