Street Hustler and His Policewoman Wife

Chapter 209 209: The Bomb Disposal Theory!

"What did you think of?"

Seeing Chen Xiao open his eyes, Xie Wensheng couldn't help asking.

Chen Xiao shook his head, "I find it very contradictory, even illogical."

"Tell me about it."

"It's a simple logic. In a serial murder case involving so many people, there must be connections behind it, right?" Chen Xiao asked.

Xie Wensheng nodded, "That's right."

"If so, who invited these six people to their last hot pot meal? If it was a group crime, then just ignore what I said. But if it was a solo crime, it doesn't make any sense!"

Xie Wensheng pondered a bit, "It is indeed more reasonable if it was a group crime. Otherwise, if the victims had done something to the killer, when the killer invited them for hot pot, even if they were not all vigilant, one or two should have been cautious."

"Although the autopsies for these three guys haven't been completed yet, and we can't determine whether they were drugged. But if they were, it suggests that none of them were on guard."

At this point, Xie Wensheng also spoke, "It is indeed very contradictory. Could it be that we're thinking in the wrong direction? Or are we missing other possibilities?"

"Perhaps it's both. Anyway, it's definitely not a deep-seated revenge. If it were, the case wouldn't make sense. But if not for deep-seated revenge, why kill six people?"

Chen Xiao was puzzled, and Xie Wensheng didn't understand either.

After a long silence, Chen Xiao finally spoke, "Captain Xie, let me see the information you've gathered regarding the social connections of these people."

Xie Wensheng nodded, signaling someone to fetch it while saying:

"In my investigation, there aren't actually many people connected to them. The six of them form a small group, and all relationships are extended by one of them individually. Besides themselves, they don't have any collective relationship with others."

As Xie Wensheng spoke, Chen Xiao asked, "Do these six people live together? And where do they usually like to hang out? Given their age and characteristics, have you checked internet cafes, bars, game halls, and skating rinks?"

Xie Wensheng was taken aback, "I didn't. I found the other five people by following the information provided by Xue Xiangdi's landlord."

"Then investigate. Nowadays, young migrant workers mostly like to gather in internet cafes, game halls, and skating rinks. If they're delinquents, they might also tag along with their leader to bars for a free drink. But their financial situation is poor, so they probably prefer to hang out in internet cafes, game halls, and skating rinks."

Chen Xiao said, and Xie Wensheng couldn't help but comment, "Nowadays? Why do these words sound especially meaningful coming from you?"

"You don't know me well. I used to like having drinks with friends and wandering the streets. I have two friends I brought over who were still messing around on the streets not long ago."

Xie Wensheng paused with a wry smile, "Alright, I'll have someone investigate right away."

"Alright." Chen Xiao nodded, but then quickly said, "I'll go check the other two bodies."

Both headed downstairs, and Xiaoji and the other two mustered their courage to follow.

Soon, in the old school's cafeteria, Chen Xiao saw the fifth victim, Yu You!

Yu You was missing, his tongue and ears!

In inspecting the dormitory, Wu Rui had his eyebrows gouged out, and his mouth was similarly smashed.

Seeing this, Chen Xiao looked at the pale-faced Liu Dayou, "Calculating all six people, there's a loss of eyes, ears, nose, mouth, brows, throat, and tongue."

Liu Dayou, forcing down his urge to vomit again, nodded, "Whether it's facial features, traditional Chinese medicine's five senses, or Western medicine's five senses, all are involved."

"So could this be a hint as well? Like the dilemmas faced by bomb disposal experts in movies, with red, yellow, and blue wires — which one to cut!"

Xiaoji thought for a moment and said, "Could the killer be hinting at their profession? For example, as Brother Chen said, the red line represents facial features — eyebrows, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, suggesting the killer reads faces?"

"Furthermore, the blue line represents traditional Chinese medicine's five senses — eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and tongue, implying the killer is a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner!"

"Finally, the yellow line, with Western medicine's five senses — eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and throat, suggests the killer is a Western medical doctor!"

Chen Xiao's eyes lit up as he gave Xiaoji a thumbs-up, "Great idea!"

Xiaoji blushed slightly from the praise and chuckled, "Brother Chen, you've always felt the killer has a habit of leaving hints. So, everything can be inferred from hints!"

"Your guess is indeed brilliant, but can you continue to organize it?"

Xiaoji thought seriously, "Among these three guesses, I think none are hard to eliminate, especially with a repetitive profession, which is a doctor. If I had to guess, a doctor seems very possible!"

Chen Xiao again gave a thumbs-up, "Indeed, there's a repetition of professions, and doctors are fairly easy to find. There's a real possibility that these young boys and girls had some unresolved connection with a doctor, as everyone gets sick and seeks doctors. But face reading is too random; no one frequently visits a face reader and establishes any connection due to that."

Seeing Chen Xiao agree with his theory, Xiaoji excitedly said, "Then, Brother Chen, shall I and Xiaoji Knife Man check out the hospitals in their frequent area?"

"I just praised you twice, and your thinking's limited again, right? When you and Xiaoji Knife Man messed around back then, did you go to hospitals when you got sick?" Chen Xiao countered.

Xiaoji hesitated, and Xiaoji Knife Man cursed, "Exactly, when did we ever go anywhere but little clinics!"

"Yeah, we're small-time hooligans. Who has the money to go straight to hospitals when sick?"

Xiaoji nodded, "Alright then, I'll take Xiaoji Knife Man for a spin first."

"Go ahead."

As Chen Xiao spoke, Xie Wensheng finished arranging things and approached Chen Xiao, watching Xiaoji and Xiaoji Knife Man rush out, curiously asking:

"Those two were in such a hurry, did Mr. Chen have something planned?"

Chen Xiao explained Xiaoji's inference, and Xie Wensheng immediately praised, "Impressive, as expected of Mr. Chen's friends, they're really quick-witted!"

Liu Dayou, hearing this, felt uneasy, "Brother Chen, I can't just freeload off you. I can easily get into this circle with my face-reading skills, so I'll try my luck too!"

Chen Xiao smiled and nodded, so Liu Dayou also ran off.

Watching this, Xie Wensheng cautiously said, "Mr. Chen thinks it's better for your people to investigate first, doesn't he?"

"Of course, my people have an advantage in identity. If you police start investigating, the real killer would be scared off immediately."

Xie Wensheng agreed, then handed over some documents to Chen Xiao:

"Here's the information you wanted. To be honest, there's no doctor or face reader in there!"