Chapter 318: The Birth of a Brand-New Comatose Patient

Xiao Yu had heard a saying in the past. The most skilled hunters often appear in the guise of prey.

And that so-called story just now…

Xiao Yu could feel an overwhelming sense of pretentiousness.

Wasn’t this exactly the classic lamb’s counterattack trope often used in horror stories?

Both male and female characters put on an act, scheming like sly foxes, and luring everyone into their traps. Everything had to build up to a climactic moment before their true identities were revealed.

It gave Xiao Yu a sense of déjà vu—a ‘letting go of all pretenses and tearing off the mask’ kind of vibe.

“At first, we didn’t believe it either,” Zhao Changshan said with a bitter smile. “We even suspected it was just a prank.”

“And then?”

Xiao Yu blinked, staring at the captain.

What happened next? Did you all end up like those readers who can’t resist peeking at a couple more chapters, only to fall into the pit? And then, armed with a metaphorical fifty-meter machete, did you all chase after the shameless author, demanding they update faster?

“We found something at the suspect’s house.” Zhao Changshan’s expression suddenly became strange, as if he had seen a ghost. “We found the murder weapon.”

Xiao Yu: (￣□￣)

He suddenly felt like his attempt to act smart had backfired spectacularly.

‘No, no, this definitely isn’t my fault!’

“Something’s not right.” Coming back to his senses, Xiao Yu shook his head. “That’s impossible.”

“Knew we couldn’t fool you!” Originally hoping to salvage some pride, Zhao Changshan realized there was no point in bluffing and admitted the truth. “We did find the murder weapon, but there wasn’t a single trace of it being used in the crime.”

“Ah, now that makes sense.” Xiao Yu nodded, but then frowned again. “Still, that alone wouldn’t be enough to justify us pursuing the case this seriously. Did you find something else?”

“Impressive!” Zhao Changshan gave a thumbs-up, thoroughly convinced. “We found iron blocks in the ocean under the bridge, but no remains.”

“I see.”

Xiao Yu’s expression grew increasingly serious as clarity dawned on him.

No wonder the division took over the case and began investigating. It also explained why the murder weapon and iron blocks hadn’t been included in the case file—they couldn’t be used as evidence yet.

A murder weapon with no traces of a killing. Iron blocks without any remains attached.

It wasn’t enough.

But these items did match the story’s details.

“Still not enough,” Xiao Yu said, his eyes gradually brightening as he stared directly at Zhao Changshan. “What else are you hiding from me? Wait, let me guess. The murder weapon, the tool for disposing of the body, and lastly, there must have been a missing middle-aged man from three years ago, right?”

“Hiss!” Zhao Changshan sucked in a sharp breath, looking at Xiao Yu in shock. “What are you?”

‘Seriously?’

Xiao Yu rolled his eyes.

‘Did I guess right again?’

His mind rapidly pieced everything together, analyzing as his thoughts became clearer.

Narrowing his eyes, Xiao Yu continued, “If a middle-aged man went missing and was only discovered three years later, you must have used big data to comb through the city’s population in that age range. You’d check ID usage, bank account activity, and other data, narrowing it down until you found a suspected victim, right?”

“No, wait.” Xiao Yu frowned. “You mentioned this could be a small case. So, that means the suspected victim’s home wasn’t the crime scene, and there were no traces of a murder there. It’s more like… a coincidence?

“A suspected weapon, suspected tools for body disposal, and a suspected victim. With all these uncertainties, plus the numerous holes in the prisoner’s story, you began to feel like you were being played, didn’t you?

“So the tricky part comes down to the fact that you identified a suspected victim among the missing persons, right? And then, by sheer bad luck, it got forcibly tied to this case? And the higher-ups are pressuring you to wrap it up quickly?”

Xiao Yu’s smirk widened as he glanced at the dumbfounded Zhao Changshan. 

“Is this the full story of what’s happened over these nine days?”

‘Brother, can you lower the resolution of that smug face? You’re blinding me here.’

Snapping out of it, Zhao Changshan looked at Xiao Yu with a mix of emotions.

No wonder the guy was treated like a boss over at National Security.

Comparing his own intelligence to Xiao Yu’s made Zhao Changshan feel like his brain cells were being devoured by an unforgiving wave of stupidity. 

With a mind like Xiao Yu’s, staying in the police force did feel like a waste of his talents.

“Yeah,” Zhao Changshan nodded. “That’s pretty much it.”

“This is trouble.”

Xiao Yu’s smile vanished, replaced by a colder, more serious expression.

“The weapon, the body disposal tools, the suspected victim, they all line up with the prisoner’s report. Even though there’s no direct evidence of murder, dismemberment, or other criminal traces, there’s no way this many coincidences are just coincidences. This story may not be a story at all. It could very well be the truth.”

“…”

Zhao Changshan stared at Xiao Yu, stunned.

“Where are they?” Xiao Yu stood, turning to Zhao. “They’ve been brought back to Bincheng City, right?”

“The detention center. Both of them were brought back,” Zhao Changshan nodded, his expression filled with surprise. “Are you saying…”

“I’m not sure either,” Xiao Yu said in a low voice. “Let’s go see the prisoner who reported the incident first. Hear her story with my own ears.”

Her?

Yes, the whistleblower was a female prisoner.

***

Bincheng City Detention Center, Interrogation Room.

A woman wearing handcuffs and leg irons was escorted into the room by a female guard.

Why the leg irons?

Because this woman was a convicted prisoner who had been sentenced and sent to prison. Under normal circumstances, such prisoners were not allowed to leave the prison until their sentences were completed. However, in special cases, if they were taken out, they must wear leg irons to prevent escape.

Niu Xin, female, 34 years old, convicted prisoner, sentenced two years ago to eight years in prison for drug trafficking.

Why so little personal information?

After sentencing, a convict’s personal file was transferred to the prison. Ordinary people couldn’t access these files unless there was a special need.

Not that Xiao Yu needed her file.

He was only here to listen to her story.

Niu Xin was petite, about 160 cm tall, with short hair. She looked visibly nervous, especially under Xiao Yu’s piercing gaze, which she couldn’t bring herself to meet directly.

“Niu Xin?”

Xiao Yu’s voice was cold as he questioned her.

“Yes,” Niu Xin answered, nodding. She seemed very obedient.

Prison life had a way of making people obedient.

“Tell me everything you know. What you’re trying to report, and what you’ve heard from your fellow inmate about the entire incident. Start from the beginning.”

Xiao Yu stared directly into her eyes.

Could prisoners report a crime?

They could. If the report was verified, it counted as a merit. And merit could lead to sentence reduction.