Chapter One: The Central Park Murder Case (1)

A gentle breeze brushed against the face, and the blazing sunlight bathed the land of Coastal City. Today was a rare day of fine weather, and after the disasters earlier this year—tsunamis, landslides, fires, and epidemics—each calamity followed the last in quick succession, as if the world had started on hell mode. So a day with such a gentle breeze felt almost too good to be true.

It was already near noon, and though it wasn’t the weekend, many people were still resting in bed. In a room that was far from shabby, a man lay sprawled out, enjoying his rare day off. As a detective, his routine was the opposite of most: when others rested, he worked; when others worked, he was busiest. Every day off was precious, to be cherished.

Of course, his phone had to remain on around the clock.

“I only wish to protect every moment of beauty—” The phone’s melodious ringtone sounded, the song brimming with positivity and stirring the heart. The man on the bed, eyes still closed, reached out with his right hand and groped for the phone. When he finally answered, his voice was lazy and languid.

“Hello?”

“Wu Zui, wake up! There’s a murder in Central Park—two dead, one wounded! Get back here, quick!”

A man’s anxious voice came from the phone. Instantly, the last remnants of sleep evaporated from Wu Zui’s mind.

“Ten minutes! I’m heading straight there!” Wu Zui replied, ending the call. He sprang from the bed, a red sword-shaped tattoo flashed across his left chest, and he quickly dressed before dashing downstairs.

A screech of tires on asphalt, and a black SUV roared away. Today, the traffic squad would surely show up at detective headquarters with a stack of tickets to complain—again.

Coastal City, Central Park

Wu Zui arrived amid another screech of brakes and exited his vehicle. The traffic squad, already familiar with his routine, filled out a ticket, which would later be delivered to the detectives. His car was being towed away. The reason they followed him was simple: his driving was dangerously fast, a risk to himself and any pedestrians.

The traffic squad soon disappeared, their task routine.

Central Park was cordoned off with police tape. Crowds gathered, discussing the events fervently. Wu Zui spotted several journalist friends—troublesome indeed.

“If this gets reported, it’ll be a headache,” he thought.

Striding toward the tape, his clean-cut hair and healthy tan gave him a heroic air. Yet in his starry eyes was not the bravado of other detectives, but a wisdom that seemed to see through the world. Just from his eyes, one might mistake him for an old sage observing the clouds from atop a mountain.

“Brother Wu’s here?”

“Brother Wu, did Chief Lin drag you out of bed again?”

“Brother Wu, once you solve the case, make Lin treat you to dinner!”

Wu Zui’s love for sleep was well-known among detectives, and he didn’t mind their teasing. He donned his badge and greeted his colleagues, then crossed the tape to examine a body.

The forensic team was collecting evidence. The injured had been taken for treatment, the deceased lay where they fell as forensic staff worked. Wu Zui glanced briefly; both victims were robust men, dressed in black suits, killed with a single stab to the chest.

From the wounds, it was clear: the blades struck the pulmonary arteries dead-on, killing instantly and silencing any cries—a mark of a skilled killer, someone intimately familiar with fatal anatomy.

“Either a medical expert or a professional assassin,” he thought.

“Wu! Over here!” A uniformed man called, clearly a squad captain.

“What’s the situation?” Wu Zui hurried over.

“Three criminals tried to snatch a two-year-old boy. The wounded and two deceased tried to stop them, each was stabbed once. Both men died on the spot.

The wounded is the child’s mother, Song Shuxian. Apparently, the ambulance took her away, and the knife missed just enough that she survived.”

Lin Feng reported his preliminary findings.

“Song Shuxian? The wife of Coastal City’s richest man?” Wu Zui raised his brows in surprise.

“Yes, Zhong Yuyu’s wife. We need to hurry—pressure from above is coming soon.” Lin shrugged, a hint of helplessness in his demeanor.

It wasn’t about currying favor with the city’s richest man; whenever trouble struck a business tycoon’s family, the department faced pressure. They simply wanted to avoid making things difficult for their superiors.

“Snatching a child? With so many people near the park, no one helped?” Wu Zui looked around at the crowd, surprised.

“It’s not the weekend, so fewer people are here. Most regulars, elderly folks, left for lunch. The two deceased were Song Shuxian’s bodyguards.

As for the crowd now? Just here for the spectacle. The camera nearby is out of order—our colleagues are checking other surveillance. The person in charge said it broke last night and hasn’t been fixed yet.”

Lin pointed to the broken camera. Looking at the crowd, he seemed embarrassed. Human curiosity, it seems, is universal.

“Who described the event? Any witnesses?” Wu Zui glanced around, seeing no unfamiliar faces.

“None. Song Shuxian gave a statement herself. We haven’t found other witnesses yet.”

“She was stabbed and still conscious?” Wu Zui was startled; with such lethal methods, it was lucky anyone survived, let alone gave a statement.

“Uh… that’s what the first responders said. Maybe the killers slipped up.”

Lin was also surprised; the bodyguards’ deaths were clearly the work of pros, but the attack on Song Shuxian seemed amateurish.

“Alright… any surveillance caught the escape? Snatching a child should be obvious.”

“If there’s no witnesses, why are we wasting time here? Forensic colleagues can handle the bodies—we should be questioning Song Shuxian.”

“Other surveillance is being checked; we’re analyzing their escape route. All three perpetrators wore hoods, so no one saw their faces.”

“Snatching a child with hoods? What is this, a bank robbery?” Wu Zui cursed.

“Check Song Shuxian’s daily routines, analyze all nearby surveillance for their escape route. Also, arrange a meeting with Zhong Yuyu tonight—he may know something.” Wu Zui pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the beginnings of a headache.

These child-snatching bastards, wearing hoods—are they trying to make a scene? Why not just get caught quietly? Instead, they escalate, seeking attention.

“Alright, what now?” Lin asked.

“Let’s visit Song Shuxian in the hospital, see if she can give a statement. See if she recognizes any of the attackers. Bring two forensic colleagues—leave the rest to the team here.”

Wu Zui turned to Lin after watching the forensic team process evidence and prepare to take the bodies for autopsy.

“Wu, could this have been done by someone familiar?” Lin lingered, watching the scene.

“Isn’t it obvious? The victim was with her child, near lunchtime, so she wouldn’t be far from home. To snatch a child and kill, in broad daylight in a park, is unusual—most would pick a secluded spot.

Doing this in the open, with cameras out of order, reeks of a premeditated vendetta. Let’s hurry—are you waiting here for the perpetrator to turn up?”

“…Coming!” Lin hurried to keep up, embarrassed—he was a captain, after all, and wanted a bit of dignity in front of the others.

“We’ll take your car—mine’s gone…” Wu Zui glanced at the crowd and noticed something interesting.

“I know your car got towed… Wu? What is it?” Lin noticed Wu Zui stop and turned to ask.

Wu Zui took a cigarette from his pack and held it in his mouth. “I need a light…”

“I have one—” Lin reached for his pocket.

“No, you don’t… follow me.” Wu Zui stopped Lin from taking out his lighter.

“???” Lin was utterly confused but followed Wu Zui.

The two approached the crowd, standing beside a man in a black coat smoking.

“Hey, buddy, can I borrow your lighter? We came out in a rush and forgot ours.” Wu Zui smiled awkwardly at the smoker.

The man was ordinary, neither tall nor short, with a pale face—someone easily lost in a crowd. He paused at Wu Zui’s request, then tossed him the lighter.

Wu Zui lit his cigarette, handed the lighter to Lin, and asked casually, “When did you get here? Did you see the attack?”

“Just now! Saw the crowd, thought I’d check it out. What happened?” The man feigned curiosity, but a hint of wariness flickered in his eyes.

“Oh, just some trouble. Thanks for the lighter!” Wu Zui replied, handing it back.

“No problem!”

The man reached for the lighter. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, sensing something; he instinctively recoiled, trying to escape.

But Wu Zui was quicker, grabbing the man’s outstretched hand. To prevent him from taking a hostage, Wu Zui flipped him over his shoulder, tossing him inside the police tape.

He landed with a thud.

The crowd scattered instantly, fearing to be caught up in the drama. Only the journalists remained, snapping photos—today’s story was assured.

This was a reminder: never watch a spectacle too closely; you never know when you’ll become part of it.

The man landed face-first, his nose breaking and blood gushing. Pain overwhelmed his senses, and his tears flowed uncontrollably.

While Lin was still stunned, Wu Zui rushed over. The man wiped his tears and stood, clutching a knife.

As Wu Zui approached, the man stabbed at him. The blade aimed straight for Wu Zui’s heart, but Wu Zui grabbed his wrist, his face darkening as he kicked at the man’s temple.

The man barely avoided the fatal blow, but his jaw was dislocated and his cheek swollen.

Taking advantage of the pain, Wu Zui broke the man's wrist, sending the knife flying with a kick. He then pinned the man to the ground. In less than thirty seconds, colleagues rushed over, and Lin quickly cuffed him.

The man said nothing, even with a dislocated jaw and broken wrist, stubbornly silent.

After Lin cuffed him, Wu Zui flipped the man onto his back and kicked his jaw, knocking out several molars and rendering him unconscious.

“Wu! What are you doing? He might not even be the murderer, and even if he is, you’ll get disciplined for hitting him after he’s caught!” Lin quickly pulled Wu Zui back.

“Forensics! Take this black tooth for analysis—it’s probably poison. Cuff his feet, too; he’s likely a mercenary or assassin, don’t let him hurt anyone. Report this—we can’t handle it alone.”

Wu Zui pointed with his toe at the black tooth on the ground, smoking as he glanced at Lin.

“Huh? Are you serious?” Lin wanted to pick up the tooth.

“Look at the tooth, that’s not decay. Don’t touch it directly—if you have a cut, the poison could kill you!” Wu Zui warned.

Forensics took the tooth carefully, and the man was taken away.

“How did you spot him?” Lin asked.

“Luck.” Wu Zui brushed it off.

In truth, Wu Zui saw thick black smoke rising from the man’s head, standing out amid the gray haze of others.

“What an idiot—commits murder and sticks around to watch!” Wu Zui thought.

“Luck my ass! Wu, you’re not being honest!” Lin cursed as Wu Zui walked to his car.

“Whatever.” Wu Zui opened the car door and got in.

“What now? Are we still visiting Song Shuxian?”

“We’ll secure the suspect at headquarters, then you report upstairs. If they tell us to drop it, we hand over everything and go back to sleep.” Wu Zui settled in the passenger seat, put on headphones, and played music.

“Wu, I am your superior, you know! Give me some respect!” Lin pleaded.

“Mm…” Wu Zui replied, closing his eyes and listening to music.

“Remember for next time!” Lin consoled himself and started the car.

Behind them, two colleagues escorted the battered suspect. Both vehicles returned to headquarters, where the suspect was placed in solitary custody.

Wu Zui napped in his seat, as Lin hurried off with the urgent lab results to report upstairs.

…

Outside the Coastal City Detective Bureau

A girl with twin ponytails, dressed in a fluffy white coat and matching hat, full of vibrant energy, looked around with big, watery eyes—adorable as an anime character.

“Hello, is Wu Zui here?” Her sweet, crisp voice lifted spirits, almost magical in its effect.

“Turn right inside!”

“Hello…”

“That’s him!”

“Thank you!”

After asking around, the energetic girl finally found Wu Zui, still napping in his chair.

She poked his cheek with her finger.

“He’s alive! Finally, I get to meet the legendary genius!” She was excited, eyes wide and mouth agape, like a character stepping out of animation.

Wu Zui, relaxed in the bureau, hadn’t noticed her approach. But as soon as her finger touched his face, he grabbed it, eyes snapping open, fierce and wary.

“You… Hello, Wu Zui! I’m… Xiao Keyan, just transferred here as a detective.”

Startled by Wu Zui’s gaze, Xiao Keyan stammered, looking less like a detective and more like a frightened hamster.

“If you’re checking in, go find Lin Feng. He’ll be back soon. Don’t disturb me.” Wu Zui pointed to the captain’s office.

No, there was no love at first sight.

From Wu Zui’s perspective, this twin-tailed energetic girl had half a foot of white smoke rising from her head, topped with a golden glow. In ancient times, she would have been a renowned philanthropist. In modern times, Wu Zui rarely saw anyone with such golden light.

Though curious, Wu Zui’s experience had long since dulled his sense of wonder—youthful wisdom, but doomed to bachelorhood.

“I’m not here for the captain, I came to find you. May I apprentice under you?”

Xiao Keyan grabbed Wu Zui’s hand, eyes shining with hope.

Wu Zui shook her off, replying, “I don’t take apprentices, and don’t disturb my sleep.”

“Master! I’m great at surfing the web, serving tea, shooting, fighting, and… being cute! Master, teach me how to solve cases?”

Xiao Keyan posed like a beckoning cat, hands at her chest, tilting her head cutely.

Nearby colleagues were nearly overwhelmed by her charm.

Wu Zui was unmoved, closing his eyes; if not for the golden light, he would have driven her off. Disturbing his sleep? Not even the emperor would get a pass.

“Wu, the new girl has a great attitude—maybe teach her a thing or two?”

“Yeah, Wu, you’re still single! Think about your future!”

“She seems to be your little fan!”

The others chimed in.

Wu Zui opened his eyes, sweeping the room; instantly, everyone fell silent, as if doused with cold water.

“…”

“Master, you’re amazing!”

“Master, are you still single?”

“Master, what do you think of me—do I have talent for solving cases?”

Only Xiao Keyan kept chattering, oblivious.

Wu Zui looked at the golden anime girl and wondered what headquarters was thinking—she’d make a better mascot for admin work. But he could only plug in his headphones and play music. Seeing Wu Zui ignore her, Xiao Keyan made a cheering gesture and hopped away like a white rabbit.

“Wu won’t even give face to a cute girl!”

“That’s why he’s single by merit!”

“You don’t know—before that incident, Wu was a rising star at twenty-two, a deputy director, with plenty of admirers. He’s just used to it.”

The room fell silent—some taboo had been touched, and everyone went back to work quietly.

…

Outside the Director’s Office

Lin Feng walked out, puzzled; headquarters wanted him to handle the Central Park murder himself, including the suspected mercenary.

“Are they nuts? How am I supposed to handle this?” Lin scratched his head, feeling his hair might soon fall out.

“Better ask Wu! He was deputy director once—he always has constructive advice.” Lin decided to consult Wu Zui.

He descended to Wu’s desk; Xiao Keyan was gone, and Wu Zui slept deeply, considering the murder case resolved. For cases involving mercenaries, only top-level detectives or superiors would be assigned.

Before Lin could wake Wu, Xiao Keyan’s voice piped up.

“Master~ Master! I bought your favorite Peking duck, plus juice and desserts—all fresh!”

Xiao Keyan, carrying two crispy Peking ducks and several juices, a bag of desserts in her mouth, bounded over.

Lin frowned at her attire, “Who are you? No odd clothing during work hours.”

Xiao Keyan ignored him, rushing to Wu Zui and opening the duck bags. The aroma filled the office.

“Grr—” Wu Zui’s stomach protested; he rose, face darkening at Xiao Keyan.

“Master, you’re awake—eat up!” Xiao Keyan offered food and smiled.

Wu Zui glanced at the food and, feeling his rebellious stomach, chose to eat.

“When did you take on an apprentice? What’s her name?” Lin asked.

“She’s Xiao Keyan, a new detective. Not my apprentice!” Wu Zui replied, mouth full of duck.

“Here, Master, try this juice—it's a new flavor, really good!” Xiao Keyan handed him a colorful juice, smiling.

Watching Wu Zui indulge, Lin suspected he was being played.

“Not your apprentice, but you eat her food? Shameless!”

“You all distracted me—I almost forgot! Wu, headquarters wants us to handle the Central Park case ourselves; what do you think?” Lin finally remembered his purpose.

“Pfft… cough! What are they thinking? Mercenaries? Who knows what Zhong Yuyu did to attract foreign mercenaries!” Wu Zui choked on his juice, spraying Lin.

“Master, drink slowly!” Xiao Keyan handed tissues to Wu Zui, leaving Lin hanging, his face twitching.

“We can’t trace them—no idea which group, their names, nothing! How do we investigate?” Lin took the tissues, helpless.

“Master! I can find out!” Xiao Keyan raised her hand energetically.

“You?” Wu Zui and Lin asked in disbelief.

“Yep! Foreign mercenaries usually have big insurance policies and independent accounts—easy to trace!” Xiao Keyan explained, counting on her fingers.

“Big insurance? Wouldn’t that expose them?” Lin doubted.

“Maybe the payouts for dead mercenaries are too high! Even if they have insurance, those companies won’t cooperate—too slow!” Wu Zui tapped the table, frowning.

“So we don’t tell them—we sneak in!” Xiao Keyan took out a laptop adorned with pink bunny ears.

“You’re a hacking expert?” Lin said, skeptical.

“I’m a Red Hacker! Red Hacker!” Xiao Keyan snapped, like an angry kitten.

“Red Hacker, Red Hacker!” Lin corrected himself.

“Got a photo of the mercenary? A clear headshot would be best.” Xiao Keyan opened her laptop and glanced at Lin.

“I’ll have them take one.” Lin pulled out his phone, messaging the guards.

Thirty seconds later, Lin’s phone pinged.

“Here it is! Give me your WeChat, I’ll send it.”

“No need—just lend me your phone for a sec.” Xiao Keyan took the phone, still coding.

“No way I’ll add you! Hmph!” she thought.

Lin handed it over. Xiao Keyan’s laptop flashed lines of code, reaching a foreign database. She took a camera-like device from her backpack, scanned Lin’s phone, and the suspect’s photo appeared.

“Humming a tune, Xiao Keyan’s laptop compared the photo, bunny ears swaying with her rhythm.”

“Voice-activated? Why doesn’t it react to our voices?” Lin asked.

“It’s got a voiceprint password!… Found it, here!”

She pointed at the screen.

Lin and Wu Zui looked:

Name: Qiang Zhang

Nationality: Z-country

Company: Wolf Mercenary Regiment

Insurance: $3,000,000

…

“Any other members from this company?” Wu Zui noticed the uniform, recalling two others from the suspect’s memory, and asked Xiao Keyan.

“Just a sec, Master!” She typed swiftly, and soon the entire Wolf Mercenary team appeared, all insured by the same company.

Name: Junhao Yan

Nationality: Z-country

Company: Wolf Mercenary Regiment

Insurance: $10,000,000

…

Name: Dali Zhao

Nationality: Z-country

…

“Have colleagues check these two Z-country nationals domestically,” Wu Zui instructed.

“Alright!” Lin turned to leave.

“No need, Master, this is what you want.” Xiao Keyan turned the screen to Wu Zui.

Yan Junhao: From Coastal City, Waterwood Province. Went abroad for work in December 2017 and disappeared. Attended Waterwood University, sports major, won three city championships, one provincial…

Zhao Dali: From Snow City, Longjiang Province. Fled the country in June 2016 after accidentally killing someone in a conflict. Currently an A-level fugitive.

Qiang Zhang: From Yanbian City, involved in drug trafficking. Killed in an operation by detectives on October 25, 2016.

Case record: Shot in right hand and left leg, fell off a cliff, search team failed to find the body after three days due to snow—presumed dead.

“Goodness, they both have criminal records!” Lin exclaimed.

“Master~ am I amazing? Will you take me as your apprentice?” Xiao Keyan looked expectantly at Wu Zui.

“Lin, send Zhang Qiang’s photo to Yanbian detectives for confirmation. We’ll take Yan Junhao’s photo to Zhong Yuyu.

Yan Junhao’s sports major at Waterwood University—Song Shuxian was there too. Given their ages, they likely knew each other.”

Wu Zui handed Zhang Qiang’s info to Lin, preparing to visit Zhong Yuyu.

“Master~ I want to go too! Please take me!” Xiao Keyan clung to Wu Zui’s arm, swaying. Wu Zui looked to Lin for help; Lin shrugged helplessly.

Wu Zui glared at Lin.

“I’ll remember this!”

“You haven’t officially joined yet, so you’re not part of our Coastal City detective team. Get your paperwork done, then we’ll see. I have work to do.” Wu Zui picked up his phone.

“Wu…” Lin hadn’t expected Wu Zui to pawn her off on him. Xiao Keyan gave Lin the cold shoulder, ignoring him.

Then Xiao Keyan pulled out a badge, showing it to Wu Zui. “Master, I’m a Z-country inspector detective. No need for reporting. Let’s go together~”

“Sir!” Lin saluted instinctively.

“Inspector detectives are nominally equal to directors, but all local detectives must cooperate with their enforcement. In reality, their authority far exceeds a director. Who is this girl?”

Lin looked at the 20-year-old Xiao Keyan, pleading with Wu Zui. His worldview was collapsing.

“We’re likely to encounter Yan Junhao and Zhao Dali—it’s unsafe for a girl to join. Being good with computers doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.”

Wu Zui wasn’t curious about her identity; instead, he poured cold water on her enthusiasm.

“Master~ I won’t hold you back. I’ve studied jujitsu, taekwondo, sanda, and grappling. I’m great at fighting!” Xiao Keyan held up her tiny fists confidently.

“Fine! If you can beat him, I’ll take you!”

Wu Zui was speechless; his own skills were limited to Bajiquan and grappling. You can’t master everything, young lady!

“Alright! Please teach me!” Xiao Keyan bowed to Lin with gravity.

“Perfect, I’ll teach you a lesson!” Lin thought.

Many colleagues watched; Lin’s skills weren’t as good as Wu Zui’s, but he’d won plenty of city detective tournaments—Wu Zui couldn’t compete.

“Wu, are you serious?” Lin asked, incredulous.

Hitting girls was a tough call, but Wu Zui, ever the ironclad bachelor, simply gestured for Lin to begin.