Mad Detective
[Author: Kuang Hai Wang Hu]
[TL: Spades]
[PR: Blitz]
[QC: Lumi]
Chapter 04 — Invisible Item
——————
Could there really be such a coincidence?
Zhao Yu tried to convince himself he was overthinking. There's no way he'd attend a briefing on catching the Electric Baton Rapist one moment and stumble across the suspect the next, right?
The odds of that were slimmer than winning the lottery jackpot!
But, clutching his cocktail, Zhao Yu couldn't bring himself to drink. That trench-coat guy was just too suspicious!
Baseball cap, head down, gloomy eyes, sneaking around…
Zhao Yu recalled Team Leader Qu Ping's briefing: the Electric Baton Rapist's victims were all women with questionable lifestyles, just like that gold-digger from the bar.
Plus, the suspect had been scratched on the face, and that trench-coat guy kept his collar up, hiding most of his face. Could it be…
Could it really be…
Is that trench-coat guy the Electric Baton Rapist?
The thought made Zhao Yu unable to sit still!
Even if he was wrong, he had to check it out. He set down his glass and hurried toward the direction the trench-coat guy had vanished.
The bar's exit, like its entrance, was an unassuming iron gate. Chasing after, Zhao Yu found himself in a dark, narrow alley.
It was late at night, and the alley was eerily quiet. Glancing both ways, he caught a figure darting past the right end of the alley under the moonlight.
Huh?
Zhao Yu froze, his suspicions growing. He quickly chased after.
Tracking and pursuing were second nature to Zhao Yu from his gangster days. He moved swiftly, his steps light, making barely a sound.
The shadow had slipped into another narrow, dimly lit alley that led to a parking lot.
As Zhao Yu passed a green dumpster, he spotted someone lying on the ground, it was the rich guy who'd left with the gold-digger.
He was sprawled on his back, unconscious.
Holy crap!
Zhao Yu was stunned. The guy's rigid posture screamed he'd been zapped by an electric baton!
If the man was down, then… where was the woman?
Peering into the darkness, Zhao Yu heard faint rustling from around a corner ahead.
No way!
Did I actually hit the jackpot?
Zhao Yu's nerves kicked in. Looking around, he noticed a wooden stick by the dumpster and grabbed it.
He crept to the corner and peeked out. There was the trench-coat guy, hunched over something on the ground.
A closer look revealed the gold-digger, unconscious, with the trench-coat guy frantically tugging at her clothes!
Zhao Yu's eyes widened. There was no doubt, this scene confirmed it. The Electric Baton Rapist, who the police were desperately hunting, was right in front of him.
Alright, punk!
Running into Grandpa Zhao today is your bad luck!
I'm about to do some good for the people!
Laying someone out with a sneak attack was Zhao Yu's specialty. He lunged forward, and before the trench-coat guy could react, Zhao Yu swung the stick, smashing it into the back of his head!
Zhao Yu's strength was no joke, and the blow was fierce. With a *crack*, the stick snapped in two!
The trench-coat guy hadn't expected an ambush. He jolted upright, glaring at Zhao Yu with a wicked stare, his electric baton crackling in his hand.
No way!?
Zhao Yu's jaw dropped, staring dumbfounded. Is this guy fine? Does he have some kind of iron skull?
But after glaring for two seconds, the trench-coat guy's eyes rolled back, his legs buckled, and he collapsed with a thud, out cold!
Phew!
Zhao Yu let out a long breath and pulled out his phone.
…
An hour later, Zhao Yu was back at the police station office.
The place was even livelier than before, with detectives anxiously awaiting the test results.
Li Beini, blinking her big, doe-like eyes, gave Zhao Yu a thumbs-up. "Senior, you're amazing! Taking down a criminal single-handedly! So, all that talk about taking leave was just a ruse, right? Be honest, did you already have a lead on the suspect?"
For some reason, Zhao Yu felt nothing for a cutesy girl like Li Beini. Maybe it was her plain figure, young age, or average looks? Her incessant chatter annoyed him, so he said, "Can you grab me another coffee?"
"Sure, sure!" Li Beini, thrilled to help, scurried to the break room.
At that moment, Liu Changhu, from across the room, sneered, "Hmph, don't get too full of yourself! We don't even know if you caught the right guy. If he's innocent, someone's gonna be in big trouble!"
His words were clearly aimed at Zhao Yu, but Zhao Yu, feeling drained, couldn't be bothered to respond.
Before Liu could say more, Team Leader Qu Ping burst in, beaming. "Comrades, the results are in! Blood and urine samples match perfectly, and the electric baton model checks out. We can confirm, this is the Electric Baton Rapist! The case is solved!"
The office erupted in crisp applause. Some were thrilled, some excited, others jealous, but all eyes inevitably turned to Zhao Yu.
Just an hour ago, Zhao Yu had clashed with the deputy captain over his leave request. Who could've imagined that an hour later, he'd be the one to crack the case at lightning speed!
Curiosity stirred among the team. How exactly had Zhao Yu caught the culprit?
"Woohoo! Awesome, Officer Zhao!" Li Beini set a fresh coffee in front of Zhao Yu, gushing, "Congrats! When you get that bonus, don't forget to treat us!"
Bonus?
Zhao Yu recalled that, per police regulations, officers who directly apprehended criminals could receive cash rewards based on the case. Plus, it'd be noted in their merit records, boosting future promotions or evaluations.
Catching criminals and getting paid?
Sweet! Sweet!
Zhao Yu smirked, shooting a glance at Liu Changhu. Liu's face was already sour, and Zhao Yu's look made him cross his arms and fall silent.
"The suspect's electric baton was self-modified, with a voltage of 300,000 volts, capable of knocking someone out instantly!" Qu Ping explained. "We haven't identified his name yet, but we know he's a high school student, possibly a dropout. Due to severe injuries, he's under guard in the hospital's ICU and can't be interrogated yet. Xiao Zhao, that hit of yours was… a bit heavy!"
"Heavy? You said it yourself, 300,000 volts! If I didn't hit hard, I'd be the one in trouble!" Zhao Yu retorted, unapologetic. "If I hadn't knocked him out, I'd be the one screwed!"
"The doctor said your sneak attack will keep him unconscious for two or three days!" Qu Ping chuckled, showing no intent to blame him. She turned to Liu Changhu. "Deputy Captain, we need to arrange shifts to guard the suspect at the hospital tonight. Can you organize it?"
Liu Changhu nodded, his eyes lighting up. He quickly turned to Zhao Yu. "Alright, Xiao Zhao, since you caught him, you can take the first shift at the hospital tonight!"
"Hah…" Zhao Yu ignored him, stretching lazily. "I'm beat. Do whatever you want! I caught the guy, now I'm off to catch some sleep… yawn…"
"You!" Liu Changhu's nose practically twisted in anger. "Zhao Yu, this is the police force! We have discipline! What's with that attitude? Think you're hot stuff just because you caught a criminal? Hmph, I bet you just got lucky, stumbling into it. What's there to brag about? Oh, and who was it saying they didn't care about being a cop? Who…"
Liu Changhu was mid-rant when he saw Zhao Yu grab the coffee glass. Panicking, he instinctively ducked behind a cubicle, hiding his head.
But Zhao Yu merely picked up the glass and took a leisurely sip, with no intention of throwing it.
This left Liu Changhu, cowering behind the desk, looking even more humiliated.
Zhao Yu was about to mock him further when, after swallowing the coffee, a clear, crisp voice suddenly rang in his head:
"Current adventure completed. Completion rate: 75%. Congratulations, you have received one invisible item. Please check it!"