Mad Detective
[Author: Kuang Hai Wang Hu]
[TL: Spades]
[PR: Blitz]
[QC: Lumi]
Chapter 01 — Electric Baton! Electric Baton!
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Huh?
Where's my tattoo!?
Zhao Yu lifted his sleeve, staring in shock at his two pale, tender arms.
Before, his arms were adorned with two ferocious, domineering azure dragons, inked by the most renowned tattoo master in the area, Ghost Hand.
How… are they completely gone?
Zhao Yu raised his head and found himself sitting in a brightly lit office, surrounded by small cubicles on all sides.
At that moment, phones were ringing nonstop, papers and files were scattered everywhere, and over a dozen office workers were rushing back and forth in the hall, all looking frantic and overwhelmed.
"Attention, attention, everyone gather up!" A middle-aged man in a brown jacket hurried over, calling out to the group. "Team Leader Qu Ping is about to brief us on the Electric Baton Rape Case. We're taking action tonight, so listen carefully!"
Someone quickly dragged over a whiteboard covered in writing and plastered with several photos.
At the call, the bustling staff hurriedly gathered, pulling chairs to sit in front of the whiteboard, listening intently.
Zhao Yu didn't move, still seated at his desk.
He was still reeling from immense shock. He touched his right ear, astonishingly, it was completely intact! In the past, his right ear had been split in half by a thug during a brawl.
Zhao Yu wanted to find a mirror to check his face, but then he noticed a photo on the desk. It showed a young, handsome man in a police uniform who looked exactly like him!
Holy crap!
In his shock, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind like the Yellow River bursting its banks. Only then did Zhao Yu gradually realize, could it be… he had experienced the legendary transmigration!?
Zhao Yu clearly remembered that he was originally a top enforcer for the Azure Dragon Gang, a fearless rogue known as the King of Thugs! Though his real name was also Zhao Yu, people in the underworld preferred to call him Zhao Tianba, Zhao the Tyrant!
Before this… before this…
Holy crap!
Zhao Yu was stunned again as he finally recalled that just before this, he had been executed by lethal injection!
He vividly remembered the moment when the drugs slowly entered his body. To ease his fear, he kept silently reciting famous quotes like, "If my head falls, it's just a scar the size of a bowl; twenty years later, I'll still be a hero…"
But as he was chanting… how did he end up here?
Could it be… I really transmigrated!?
And it was a seamless transition, without any reincarnation nonsense?
As new memories poured in, he was astonished to discover that this was a parallel world similar to his previous one. His current identity was a detective in the Major Crimes Unit's Mobile Team, a police officer!!
The hall he was in was none other than the police station's office!
Holy crap…
Zhao Yu couldn't believe his eyes. The stark contrast was unimaginable. A seasoned thug had somehow become a Major Crimes detective, where's the logic in that?
Instinctively, he touched his head. In his past life, his scalp had been scarred from multiple knife wounds, and his hair never grew properly, so he shaved it bald, looking like a menacing fiend. But now, he had a head of flowing black hair, completely transforming him into a handsome young man.
"Colleagues, since the 12th of this month, our city has seen three cases of the Electric Baton Rape Case…" At that moment, a female detective with short hair and big eyes was briefing the team.
Zhao Yu quickly sifted through his memories and identified her. She was Team Leader Qu Ping of Major Crimes Unit B. Despite her young age, she was steady, had a high case-solving rate, and was a favorite of the higher-ups. Whenever a major case required the whole team's cooperation, she was usually the one in charge.
"The victims are all young women dressed flashily, with questionable lifestyles," Team Leader Qu Ping explained. "The crime scenes are typically near entertainment venues like bars and karaoke lounges, and the incidents all occurred after midnight.
"According to the victims' statements, the perpetrator first stalks them into secluded alleys, then uses an electric baton to stun them before committing the rape. After the assault, the perpetrator even, urinates on the victim!"
At the mention of "urinates," the room fell silent.
"From the urine analysis," Qu Ping continued, "we've confirmed that all three electric baton cases were committed by the same perpetrator… Additionally, the third victim briefly woke up during the assault and, in her struggle, scratched the perpetrator's face. We've obtained a blood sample from the suspect…"
As Team Leader Qu Ping continued her briefing at the whiteboard, the middle-aged man in the jacket suddenly turned and waved at Zhao Yu.
"Hey, Xiao Zhao, we're definitely pulling an all-nighter tonight. Go brew us a few cups of coffee to keep us sharp!"
Zhao Yu glanced at him. This was Liu Changhu, the deputy captain of the Major Crimes Mobile Team. During Zhao Yu's internship, Liu had constantly bossed him around, making him run errands and pour tea like a servant.
In this world, Zhao Yu wasn't some King of Thugs. He was a timid young man who had just finished his internship and become a full-fledged officer. Not only Liu Changhu but many senior colleagues teased him and saddled him with tasks that weren't his responsibility.
"Hey! Hurry up!" Liu Changhu barked, his face darkening when Zhao Yu didn't respond. "Did you hear me? Why are you just sitting there?"
The current Zhao Yu was no pushover. How could he tolerate being yelled at? He slammed the desk and shot to his feet.
His sudden movement startled Liu Changhu, and even Team Leader Qu Ping paused her briefing.
"I'll do it, I'll do it!"
Just as everyone turned to look at Zhao Yu, a cheerful, bell-like voice cut in. A slightly chubby girl with a ponytail and large glasses appeared before the group.
This was Li Beini, a new intern clerk assigned to the Major Crimes Unit. She was a bit of a fangirl and had developed a crush on Zhao Yu within a month of meeting him.
Though Zhao Yu was timid and often picked on, he was undeniably handsome. Standing at 1.78 meters, with a refined and youthful appearance, he had a certain charm that attracted the opposite sex.
Seeing her crush being scolded, Li Beini quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. "Captain Liu, I'll handle it, I'll handle it! I'm still an intern, so these tasks are naturally mine!"
With that, Li Beini gave Zhao Yu a knowing smile and hurried to the break room to make coffee.
Liu Changhu shot Zhao Yu an annoyed glare before turning back.
Zhao Yu, not wanting to escalate, held his temper and sat back down, continuing to grapple with his transmigration dilemma. Though he had crossed over, his memories were crystal clear, mere minutes ago, he was lying on an execution table.
In his past life, he had been sentenced to death for murder. But Zhao Yu knew he was framed, he hadn't killed anyone! The victim was some real estate tycoon, and Zhao Yu had only roughed him up on orders from above. It couldn't have been fatal.
Even if it had resulted in death, it would've been manslaughter, not murder! His death sentence was clearly part of someone's conspiracy!
Recalling this, Zhao Yu's anger surged, his fists clenching so hard they cracked. If he ever found those who framed him, he'd make them pay tenfold!
By now, Li Beini had finished brewing the coffee and was distributing cups to the team. Her face beamed with enthusiasm, and with each cup she handed out, she offered cheerful encouragement like "Great work!" or "Keep it up!" earning her colleagues' goodwill.
Finally, she reached Zhao Yu, winking at him as she placed the last cup on his desk. She whispered, "Officer Zhao, this one's got two packets of sugar! It's going to be a long night, so hang in there!"
Before Zhao Yu could respond, Li Beini happily skipped off to put away the tray.
At that moment, Team Leader Qu Ping had finished her briefing, and the floor was handed to Captain Jin Zhenbang, the head of the Major Crimes Unit. Jin, over 50 with graying temples, was a stern, no-nonsense veteran who took his work deadly seriously.
"In short, everyone, let's put in the effort!" Captain Jin declared firmly. "The Electric Baton Case has already hit three incidents. One more, and it'll be classified as a serial case. Not only will the higher-ups come down hard, but we can't afford to bear that shame! So, buck up and let's crack this case as quickly as possible!
"Here's the plan… Group A, send people to the crime scenes. Since the perpetrator stalks his victims, he must've appeared at the bars or karaoke lounges they visited beforehand. Pull all the surveillance footage from those places, we need to find this guy! Don't overlook nearby shop cameras or dashcam recordings either!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Group B, focus on evidence comparison!" Captain Jin ordered. "The perpetrator has no criminal record, so the blood sample is a dead end for now. But his urine is a key clue. While the police database has no match, check hospitals and health clinics for records. If this guy's ever had a physical or been hospitalized, we'll find him!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Also, don't ignore the electric baton he uses, any phone signals detected at the scenes, or the one victim who saw his face. Assign people to follow up on every lead!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Alright, each group, finalize your action plans. If there are no issues, get moving!" Captain Jin closed his folder, preparing to leave.
But at that moment, an unexpected voice rang out:
"Wait a second, I… I have a problem!"
Everyone turned to see who spoke, it was none other than Zhao Yu.
Captain Jin was taken aback. "What's wrong, Zhao Yu? What's the issue?"
"Me!" Zhao Yu pointed to his forehead, brazenly declaring, "I'm not feeling well. I'm heading home. You guys have fun!"