Mad Detective
[Author: Kuang Hai Wang Hu]
[TL: Spades]
[PR: Blitz]
[QC: Lumi]
Chapter 29 — The Master Key
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At 11:30 p.m., Zhao Yu collapsed onto his bed, utterly exhausted.
From dawn to dusk, a full day of running around left him drained. Whether in his past life or this one, he never realized how grueling detective work could be!
Every clue, witness, and scrap of info demanded meticulous scrutiny, no detail too small. Sometimes, knowing it might be futile, you still had to grit your teeth and press on, because the key to cracking a case often hid in the hardest-to-find places.
That afternoon, after leaving the bureau, Zhao Yu and Li Beini targeted the woman who placed 10th in the piano competition, the top suspect based on their clues.
But when they found her, they were floored. She was seven months pregnant, belly like a balloon!
How could a pregnant woman be the Hand-Chopping Case culprit?
With no choice, they questioned her about the competition. Her memory was fuzzy, she was only 18 then, a naive kid focused on her performance, her recollections vague.
She recalled the event's grandeur, with city and provincial leaders attending, plus professional judges from top art universities.
These high-caliber judges caused wide score gaps, often 300-400 points, rare for pro piano contests!
The competitors took it seriously, as top ranks could secure spots in prestigious universities, a fast track to elite schools!
Her words reminded Zhao Yu of Shanshan's mom, who nearly got into the Capital Music Academy, a path that could've changed her life entirely!
This made Zhao Yu reflect on himself. He'd lived twice, experiencing two vastly different lives. Since his past was riddled with mistakes, this time, no matter the effort, he'd avoid those errors and live brilliantly!
With the 10th-place woman ruled out, Zhao Yu and Li Beini turned to other leads. Through Li Beini's out-of-province contacts, they confirmed the 8th-place contestant hadn't returned to Qinshan in over a decade, ruling them out too.
The case hit another wall, the list seemingly out of suspects.
With no options, they split up to track down others involved in the competition, but the years made it tough. Some had moved away, others retired, some were deceased.
An entire afternoon yielded little, except a tidbit from a retired Education Bureau official who'd helped organize the event.
He recalled the competition's scale, drawing high school seniors, aged 18-19, from across Qinshan's districts and counties.
They competed in regional qualifiers, selecting 100 for the city prelims, then semifinals, with only 10 reaching the finals. The competition was fierce.
The finals were critical, top three often scooped by top art universities, 4th to 6th by provincial teachers' colleges, while those below 6th depended on luck, some landing local colleges, others faring no better than regular exam-takers.
Tch…
This info left Zhao Yu stumped! Maybe his lead wasn't wrong, but the culprit wasn't in the top 10, perhaps not even a finalist, fueling their grudge and hand-chopping revenge!
If so, they'd need to screen every contestant. Without even a full participant list, how could they?
After discussion, Li Beini suggested shifting focus to the culprit's next target. Tomorrow, they'd discreetly watch Li Xinhua, the 2nd-place principal. If the culprit targeted her, they might catch a break.
Zhao Yu nodded reluctantly, it was their only move. But his mood soured, feeling his 1800 yuan bet slipping away.
Li Beini reassured him, saying detective work was like this, exhaustion clouds thinking. A good night's sleep might spark fresh ideas.
Taking her advice, Zhao Yu went home. The case paused, but his Adventure System didn't. While showering, the system chimed, "This adventure is complete, completion rate: 88%! Congratulations, you've earned one invisible item, please check!"
Holy crap!
Zhao Yu jolted. This adventure's completion rate was sky-high, not just over 80% but a lucky 88!
What's going on?
He stopped showering to check the item.
"Universal Lockpick," the system explained, "A one-use consumable. Unlocks single-type door locks or cracks electronic codes up to 15 digits. Leaves no trace."
Awesome!
An invisible master key, a fitting reward for an 88% completion!
But he was baffled, why such a high rate? The case wasn't solved, the culprit wasn't caught, so what drove it?
What was the key to this adventure?
After showering, past midnight, Zhao Yu, still alert, activated the system for another hexagram.
Lighting a cigarette, he prayed, Dear system, please give me a good draw to crack this case fast!
"Gen-Kan Gua!" the system announced, "Gen mountain, Kan water, clear mountains and waters, luck at its peak, dawn climbs high, paths of fortune diverge."
Then, silence.
This time, Zhao Yu memorized the full text, but after analyzing and searching online, he couldn't decode it, finally crashing into bed.
That night, his sleep was fitful, plagued by chaotic nightmares, even one where he wielded a cleaver, chopping hands…