Solving Cases Is Just This Simple—Basic Skills, No Need for "666"

"Ah~~"

Cao Cheng opened his mouth.

Second Sister glared at him but still stabbed a toothpick into a piece of orange and fed it to him.

Winter oranges were delicious.

Juicy and sweet.

...

By New Year's Eve, the suspect still hadn’t been identified.

The case file also contained no information about Li Yi.

Theoretically, Cao Cheng naturally shouldn’t have known this person existed.

But...

This case wasn’t exactly a secret anymore. After all, it was a mass murder, and the local forums were already exploding with discussions.

Especially the victims’ neighbors, who had been affected by the fire, leaving several families on the upper floors ‘homeless.’

And their mouths weren’t exactly sealed either—they were all sharing firsthand accounts as if they’d personally witnessed how the killer committed the crime.

The speed of deleting posts couldn’t keep up with the spread of rumors.

Especially now, during the ‘Wild West era of the internet,’ regulation wasn’t as strict.

Then came the arrest warrant.

Though the warrant didn’t explicitly state Li Yi’s direct involvement in the case, that didn’t stop the internet detectives from speculating.

The internet was never short on ‘geniuses.’

In short, theories ran wild.

Some said it was a crime of passion, others claimed it was over a debt, and some pointed to old grudges from the past...

In the end, even before Li Yi was confirmed as the killer or caught, the online sleuths had already branded him a ruthless mass murderer.

...

"So right now, your progress is stuck here. Without finding Li Yi, the case can’t move forward, right?"

"Right." Second Sister nodded.

Cao Cheng smiled. "Have you staked out Li Yi’s house?"

"Of course. Li Yi has a place in the suburbs. We’ve got people watching it 24/7. If he shows up, there’s no way he’ll slip away. But so far, there’s been no sign of him. He’s probably trying to flee Zhonghai by now." Second Sister sounded certain.

After these ten-plus minutes of conversation, Second Sister gradually calmed down.

Their exchange returned to normal.

She felt like she could actually communicate with this ‘little brother’ of hers.

Except...

Sometimes, he was downright annoying.

Like right now.

Cao Cheng opened his mouth again: "Ah~~~~"

Her hard-won composure instantly shattered.

Second Sister wanted to shove the toothpick down his throat.

Did he not have hands or something?

And every time she finally relaxed, he’d pull this ‘ah’ stunt—timed perfectly to drive her up the wall.

She handed him another orange.

Cao Cheng chewed as he asked, "Did you send anyone to Li Yi’s hometown?"

"We did. His parents don’t know the situation yet. We haven’t made contact, just surveillance." Second Sister rolled her eyes. "Can you stop asking useless questions? Do we really need you to confirm basic investigative procedures? We’re professionals. Do you think we’d overlook something you’d consider?"

It’s just an orange—why so mad?

Cao Cheng knew she was venting her frustration.

He wasn’t about to indulge her either, smirking. "Yeah, you guys probably considered everything. But there’s one thing you might’ve missed."

"What?" Second Sister frowned.

"The seven victims—were autopsies done? Was it confirmed they were all family?" Cao Cheng asked.

That question...

Made Second Sister pause, unsure what he meant.

If not a family of seven, then what?

Could it be... Li Yi???

Her pupils shrank. "Y-you mean... Li Yi is one of the dead?"

Cao Cheng didn’t answer.

But Second Sister immediately shook her head. "No, autopsies were done. The identities were confirmed. The middle-aged male victim was the head of the household, Song Yuzhe."

Cao Cheng countered, "Run another detailed autopsy."

"What are you implying?" Second Sister felt her thoughts lagging behind his.

Cao Cheng said, "Go request another test. Use the middle-aged victim’s NBA to compare with Li Yi’s parents’ CBA. See if they match—if there’s a familial connection."

"..."

What kind of nonsense was that?

But Second Sister understood.

DNA, right?

She wanted to argue—after all, they’d already checked—but just as she was about to speak, something clicked. She stood up abruptly and left in a hurry.

Her long legs carried her away in a flash.

She went upstairs, changed clothes, then took the elevator to the underground parking lot. Three minutes later, a car sped off.

Cao Cheng went back to his laptop.

Now, all he had to do was wait for Second Sister’s update—and her inevitable admiration.

This case, for Young Master Cao... was child’s play!

Easy-peasy.

English? Young Master Cao was fluent.

As for the case itself...

With his skills alone, Cao Cheng could spot the issues quickly.

Cao Cheng knew carpentry.

Of course, carpentry wasn’t useful for solving crimes—but Young Master Cao also knew sculpture, which meant his drawing skills were top-tier.

Especially when it came to portraits.

Everyone’s facial proportions changed with age, but those changes followed patterns.

In other words, you could tell if a child was biologically related to their parents just by their facial features.

Three children—boys and girls.

Some resembled the deceased mother, others not as much.

But not a single one looked like the father.

What did that mean?

The kids weren’t his.

Before, there were no photos of Li Yi. But once the arrest warrant came out, Cao Cheng was certain—Li Yi was the biological father of all three children.

So,

Even without prior knowledge of the case, Cao Cheng could spot the problem and tackle it from this angle, solving it swiftly.

Cao Cheng’s brain had practically evolved—he grasped things instantly.

Not to mention his array of skills, including investigation, counter-surveillance... He was no less capable than any top criminal investigator. In fact, he was better.

Combined, these skills created a qualitative leap.

...

Time flew.

Ten hours later.

By evening, Ren Fanxing still hadn’t returned.

Midnight came, and the investigative team was still working overtime.

1 AM.

The rushed test results came in.

The middle-aged victim... was confirmed to be Li Yi!

Instantly,

The entire investigative unit was stunned.

The suspect they’d been hunting for half a month, Li Yi—who would’ve thought he was the charred corpse lying in the morgue?

Everyone turned to Ren Fanxing.

Some looked at her with admiration.

Others with curiosity.

Some were baffled.

Others shocked...

The mix of emotions made Ren Fanxing a little self-conscious. She knew this wasn’t her accomplishment.

But in that moment, everyone realized—the real killer was most likely Song Yuzhe.

Everything suddenly made sense.

Burning the bodies was to destroy evidence and conceal the victims’ identities.

Of course,

The autopsy team had made a mistake, identifying Li Yi as Song Yuzhe.

But strictly speaking, it wasn’t entirely their fault.

The autopsy report was based on crime scene analysis, biometrics, and genetic testing.

To speed up the investigation,

The identification process compared the middle-aged victim’s DNA with the three children’s, confirming a paternal relationship.

Since the fingerprints were burned, no further examination was conducted.

Moreover, the case was classified, so the suspect's parents and the deceased's relatives hadn't been notified yet. Thus, this method of identification was the quickest and most accurate.

Who would’ve guessed the child wasn’t biologically related?

That’s why the middle-aged victim’s identity was mistaken.

And even if the deceased’s relatives were informed now, no additional verification would be done—because no one had considered this possibility in the first place.

"Impressive."

"To think of this angle—I’ve got to hand it to you!" The squad leader gave Deputy Captain Ren Fanxing a thumbs-up.