Chapter 14: A Gentleman or a Beast in Disguise?

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Arresting someone is a task that looks simple but is actually quite complex.

Although the fingerprint comparison confirmed that the prints found on the deceased, Chu Yulin, belonged to Yang Xu, there was still a long way to go before definitively identifying Yang Xu as the murderer.

At the meeting discussing how to apprehend Yang Xu, Cen Lian became the center of attention—the conspicuous figure everyone kept glancing at.

Every member of the third squad looked at him as they entered the conference room.

“Cen Lian, give us an update on the situation,” Tan Tonghui said as he was the last to enter, his gaze lingering on Cen Lian.

Cen Lian finally gave up pretending to be indifferent, stood up, and briefly outlined the current status.

“The fingerprint comparison has been successful. We have confirmed that the fingerprints found on the deceased Chu Yulin belong to Yang Xu. Here are Yang Xu’s personal details.” Cen Lian was well-prepared, and Yuan Chenxi cooperated by projecting Yang Xu’s profile on the screen.

“The suspect, Yang Xu, is 63 years old, from Gaoyang City in Kaizhou Province, a retired teacher. This is all the information we have on him so far.” Having finished, Cen Lian sat down.

“Captain Tan,” Yuan Chenxi kept operating the computer, “I found that Yang Xu’s last hotel stay was at the Fuxin Chain Hotel here in the city. I just called them; Yang Xu was traveling with a sunset tour group. They stayed in Kang’an City for three days and two nights and left yesterday afternoon, heading to Xihua City.”

“I’ve contacted the travel agency responsible for Yang Xu’s tour group. They provided the entire itinerary. We can confirm the group is currently in Xihua City. Yang Xu told the guide that he lost his ID card midway, so no hotel records of him have been found in Xihua City yet.” Yuan Chenxi quickly finished her report.

Cen Lian couldn’t help but glance at her again—she truly earned her place in this fiercely competitive environment with impressive professional skills.

“How long will they stay in Xihua City?” Tan Tonghui, clearly accustomed to Yuan Chenxi’s competence, asked without hesitation.

Yuan Chenxi tapped the keyboard and pulled up a surveillance image.

“According to the schedule, they will leave Xihua City by noon tomorrow. This is a screenshot from the hotel’s surveillance footage. We can confirm that the man in the brown jacket is Yang Xu. He has not left the tour group.”

Cen Lian had no doubt the man in the video was Yang Xu—after all, a speech bubble with his name appeared right out of the image.

Still, Yang Xu was quite bold—murdering someone yet calmly continuing his travels.

“Let’s move to arrest him.” After confirming Yang Xu’s location, Tan Tonghui made a quick decision. Except for Yuan Chenxi, the entire third squad set off. Twelve officers split into three vehicles, heading to Xihua City to capture Yang Xu.

Even as he got into the car, Tang Hua gripped the steering wheel, feeling like none of the day’s events were real.

“We’re really going to arrest the suspect now?” he asked in a daze while following the two cars ahead.

Wang Yuanteng couldn’t help but laugh.

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“You don’t mean you think this is different from the big case you imagined, do you?”

“It just feels... too rushed,” Tang Hua chose his words carefully.

“It’s not rushed,” Qi Yan, who had been silent, finally spoke. “Fingerprints alone are enough to make an arrest.”

Sitting in the back seat with Wang Yuanteng, Qi Yan seemed almost invisible for some reason.

“So how did you confirm the suspect was on that vehicle?” Wang Yuanteng asked with curiosity.

Tang Hua glanced back during a moment of driving.

“You two should ask Cen Lian. While watching the surveillance, he suddenly told someone to take the cash from the trunk of that vehicle, put it in an evidence bag, and then directly matched the fingerprints on it to Yang Xu’s.”

Cen Lian felt the intense gaze from Qi Yan locked on him.

“Intuition,” he explained earnestly, “the moment I saw Yang Xu, I just knew he had to be the killer.”

Both Wang Yuanteng and Qi Yan were stunned.

“You can really use intuition like that?” Wang Yuanteng looked at Qi Yan in disbelief.

Qi Yan remained silent, clearly still puzzled himself.

“Wait, didn’t you pull out some case files earlier? If your intuition is really that accurate...” Tang Hua suddenly had a wild look in his eyes, staring at Cen Lian as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Focus on driving!” Cen Lian quickly gestured for him to watch the road.

Wang Yuanteng flipped through the case files Cen Lian had found before.

“Death penalty, immediate execution, guaranteed. Well, today we’re sending one away.” His tone was light and cheerful.

The thought of putting away a vile criminal instantly lifted the mood in the car.

...

After a long drive from Kang’an City to Xihua City, Cen Lian rubbed his eyes.

By now, Wang Yuanteng was behind the wheel.

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“We’re almost there. Everyone up.” Wang Yuanteng took a large gulp of coffee. “The suspect is at the Zhongcheng Hotel up ahead. Just follow Captain Tan’s orders for the arrest.”

After parking near the hotel, he glanced at Cen Lian again.

“If you’re the one making the arrest, remember to be gentle.”

“Don’t worry, that old man is over sixty. I know what I’m doing.” Cen Lian grinned, though he felt the arrest probably wouldn’t fall to him.

Sure enough, Tan Tonghui assigned their vehicle to stand by at the entrance.

“Well, looks like we’re not needed.” Wang Yuanteng relaxed. “If those eight can’t handle one old man, the other squads will never let them live it down.”

Qi Yan said nothing but nodded in agreement.

About half an hour later, Tan Tonghui and two other detectives escorted a man outside.

“Looks like everything went smoothly,” Wang Yuanteng yawned. “Two cars would have been enough. Captain Tan probably figured you two haven’t seen a homicide arrest before and brought you along to watch.”

“This really is my first time involved in a homicide arrest,” Tang Hua said, still standing on tiptoe, looking around. “Last time we never got called for Gao Tong’s case.”

“No worries, you’ll get plenty of chances in the future.” Wang Yuanteng patted Tang Hua on the shoulder with the knowing look of a veteran. “I guarantee once you catch one, you won’t want to see a suspect again.”

Tang Hua thought back on the heavy overtime since joining the detective squad and agreed deeply.

Cen Lian glanced at Yang Xu, who was being escorted into the car wearing a black hood—the first time he’d seen a speech bubble emerge from this man’s head in real life.

“Honestly, he does look like a respectable old man.” Wang Yuanteng commented after getting into the car.

“Interrogate him back at the station, and he might go from a respectable old man to a vile criminal on death row.” Tang Hua muttered, returning to the driver’s seat. “Let’s head home!”