Chapter 7: Not a Girl’s Forte

“I studied Locard’s Law of Material Exchange at the police academy, which states that a crime always leaves behind direct or indirect traces,” Xiao Yu explained as they stepped out of the warehouse. 

He turned to the puzzled Guo Qiang, “Master, there were no signs inside the warehouse that indicated it was the primary scene of the murder. It’s more likely a secondary site where the body was dumped.”

“As expected of the top-ranking genius from the police academy,” Guo Qiang acknowledged with a hint of respect. “In your presence, I feel like I came to this world just to make up the numbers.”

Xiao Yu inwardly chuckled at the compliment, ‘No, I’m not that amazing. I’m just smart at transferring knowledge from my past life.’ 

Outwardly, he smiled modestly, “You flatter me, Master. I still have much to learn and look forward to gaining experience from you.”

His inner thoughts were more critical though, ‘Don’t treat me as a novice. Those tests for newbies are a waste of time on me.’

As Xiao Yu had guessed, Guo Qiang’s decision to bring him to the warehouse without disclosing its nature as a body dump site was indeed a test for his new apprentice. 

However, the apprentice had surpassed expectations, impressively turning the tables on his mentor.

Guo Qiang was on the verge of losing face.

Angry? No, in fact, he felt a sense of joy.

A talent like Xiao Yu was highly coveted in any investigative unit, and eagerly sought after for their potential. The more gifted the individual, the greater the likelihood of producing significant results in the future.

In the Criminal Investigation Brigade, success was a collective achievement. When one member shone, the entire team basked in the glory. Conversely, the failure to crack a case would reflect poorly on the whole team.

So, Guo Qiang stopped testing Xiao Yu. He recognized that while Xiao Yu might lack experience, his investigative skills were exceptionally strong. To continue with such tests would only be a disservice to himself.

***

The primary crime scene was located at the factory dormitory, a three-story building with a restaurant on the first floor, men’s dormitory on the second, and women’s dormitory on the third. The actual site of the crime was on the building’s rooftop terrace.

Xiao Yu, crouching down and examining the dried black-purple bloodstains scattered across the surface, squinted his eyes in concentration. This was more like it.

Here, one could clearly see the victim’s struggle marks after falling, as well as various footprints.

By closely observing the scene and analyzing the remnants around the victim’s fallen body…

Was it an ambush from behind?

The position of the body, lying face-down at death, was telling. Based on the friction marks on the ground where the head lay and the pattern of blood splatter, it was evident that after falling, the victim suffered multiple severe blows.

This intensity, along with the fact that the victim couldn’t even turn around, indicated a perpetrator of extreme brutality and ferocity. 

The assailant had first knocked down the victim, then continued to strike without allowing any chance for defense.

From a psychological standpoint, not many ordinary people are capable of such ruthless aggression. The motives driving such extreme brutality typically fall into five categories: feelings, hatred, interests, jealousy, and greed.

Killing without a reason? That’s not typical, it’s indicative of mental illness.

Xiao Yu meticulously surveyed the scene, replayed the events, and pondered repeatedly. He became so absorbed in his analysis that he lost track of time, until he looked up, shaking his head in frustration. The scene yielded no significant leads.

Xiao Yu thought to himself, ‘This approach is getting me nowhere for now. Time to switch gears and find another angle to break the case.’

His day had been long. A blind date in the morning, reporting for duty at noon, and examining the crime scene in the afternoon. By the time he got back to the brigade, it was already five o’clock.

Xiao Yu called his family to let them know he’d be late due to work commitments. The call ended with a scolding from his mother.

“What’s this? You barely spoke to Aunt Zhou’s daughter on your blind date and then ran off with another girl? How am I supposed to explain this to your Aunt Zhou? You little rascal, just wait till you get home and I won’t skin you…”

Sweating profusely, Xiao Yu ended the call. 

He used to think that a tigress was the world’s most formidable creature. However, after his experiences in this new life, he realized he was mistaken and had been too quick to judge. When a tigress becomes a mother, that’s when you truly understand the definition of fierceness.

In his family of four, if ranked by status, it would be Mom, Kara, Dad, and then himself. And Kara was their dog! 

This hierarchy made it clear. Kara was the beloved child, Dad was the adopted one, and he, well, he was just a bonus with a phone bill.

Perfect!

***

In the Criminal Investigation Brigade, Xiao Yu was seated with a folder in hand, containing the files of the warehouse murder case. 

While on-site investigation had its merits, he found unraveling the mysteries within the case files even more intriguing.

To meticulously dissect those inconspicuous details, and then form conclusions was the essence of his approach. The core of tracing clues lay in a simple process, reasoning. And the key to successful reasoning involved a process of elimination.

By cataloging each clue systematically, he aimed to avoid turning the investigation into a tangled mess, where thoughts could easily become more convoluted.

At this moment, Xiao Yu was engrossed in the autopsy report.

“The victim’s occipital bone sustained seven blows from an object likely metallic, resulting in cranial fractures…”

As he delved deeper into the report, Xiao Yu’s arm swung unconsciously through the air, simulating each strike – one, two, three… up to the seventh blow. 

Blinking, he snapped back to reality, now certain of one thing. There was a single assailant responsible for the victim’s death. However, the possibility of an accomplice remained undetermined.

At the time of the crime, the factory was closed for the annual holiday, leaving only about a dozen employees who hadn’t returned home for the New Year, including two female workers, now key suspects in the case.

Why were these two women under such heavy suspicion? The autopsy had pinpointed the victim’s time of death to four days prior, likely in the late hours of the night.

At the time of the incident, only two female workers were in the dormitory, while other employees were busy with overtime work at the factory, reducing their likelihood of involvement.

However, a contradiction arose from the autopsy findings. The force required to wield the murder weapon and shatter the victim’s skull seemed beyond the capability of an average woman. Additionally, it was rare for women to possess the psychological fortitude needed for such a violent act.

Direct or indirect involvement in violent crimes by women was not common. Authoritative experts, after examining historical cases, found the ratio to be 9 to 1 in favor of male perpetrators. It was a statistic rooted in reality.

Female criminals using blunt weapons for murder were even rarer. Using blunt instruments for homicide wasn’t typically a girl’s strong point.

Except, Xiao Yu mused, when it came to his mother. 

As a child, witnessing her disciplining his father was like watching a master of all eighteen martial arts, adept with any weapon. She could effortlessly pin down his dad and give him a tough time.

She was a force to be reckoned with, indeed!