C1 Bread Killing Vault

"Sunn, Unit 9 has been neglected for over two years. Can you finally let it go? The higher-ups have decreed that if we can't find anyone, Unit 9 will be shut down!" the man declared with finality.

It was past ten in the evening, yet the Snowbush City Public Security Bureau's detective squad office was still ablaze with light. Director Sunn, Sunn Limin, and Captain Wang, Wang Shengdong, the head of the Criminal Police Unit 9, were locked in a heated debate.

Sunn Limin sat with one leg crossed over the other, head bowed, quietly puffing on his cigarette. After a lengthy silence, he seemed to notice Captain Wang's growing impatience and spoke up, "I'm not going to disband Unit 9. The secret remains unsolved because the time hasn't come yet!" He appeared to be stressing a point.

Captain Wang wanted to continue the debate, but realizing he was no match for Sunn Limin's resolve, he chose to drop the matter.

Just then, the office phone rang. Captain Wang answered and, within seconds, leapt from his chair, exclaiming, "What? Yes, of course, the Mayor can count on us!"

Sunn Limin's expression shifted from worry to tension; a call from the Mayor usually signaled a significant case.

"What's the situation, Wang?"

"Hurry! Get the night shift team, and head to 102 Moresby Road!" Captain Wang grabbed his police jacket from the back of his chair and dashed out of the office.

Sunn Limin scanned the room—no units, no people. Where had everyone gone at this crucial time? He scratched his head, pondering the city's mandate.

Just then, a man descended the stairs, clad in a black trench coat, his eyes obscured by sunglasses. Despite the shades, the man exuded an air of sophistication.

"Who are you looking for? Is there a problem?" Sunn Limin inquired.

The man removed his sunglasses and pulled a white paper from his coat pocket, handing it to Sunn Limin.

"Transfer request, from Snowbush City Criminal Police Academy, Xiao Chennai..."

Sunn Limin glanced at the man before him and commanded sharply, "You, let's go!"

Caught in a daze, Xiao Chennai didn't respond in time and found himself being ushered out of the Public Security Bureau before he knew it.

The entire detective squad set out, but since it was the dead of night, there were only enough people to fill two cars.

Sunn Limin and Xiao Chennai sat together. Captain Wang, in the front passenger seat, turned around and passed them a tablet with a photo on the screen.

"A report came in about an abandoned van at a busy street corner. A father and daughter, passing by after school, smelled something foul. Driven by curiosity, they opened the van door and discovered blood, tools, and hair hanging from the canopy inside," Captain Wang explained, summarizing the challenging case.

Why was it considered challenging?

Any case reported by the public with severe circumstances that had been notified by the city required resolution within five days.

This was no easy feat, and not all cases could be solved so quickly. The crux of the matter hinged on the progress of the investigation and evidence collection.

Sunn Limin took the tablet, his brow furrowing as he enlarged the image of the van's interior.

"Why are they all women?" Xiao Chennai grabbed the tablet, focusing on the van's interior and shifting the view to the canopy.

In the flashlight's beam, a makeshift wire rack held several dark, clustered objects.

"How do you know they're women?" Sunn Limin challenged.

He had just reviewed Xiao Chennai's resume at the station. Chennai was the first top student to qualify for an advanced exam this year, and his self-evaluation contained a phrase that Sunn particularly admired: "fascinated by unsolved cases."

In that moment, Sunn Limin mentally assigned Xiao Chennai to Unit 9.

"Because of these clumps of hair, two are clearly wavy long hair that has contracted over time, and another has distinct bangs," Xiao Chennai stated calmly. Sunn Limin quickly snatched the tablet back and scrutinized each detail, confirming that, just as Xiao Chennai had observed, they were indeed all women.

Before long, they reached Moresby Road. Despite the late hour, a sizable crowd had gathered.

Some were clad in athletic gear, jogging through the night, while others donned their factory uniforms, a blend of red and white, having just finished their shifts. They congregated outside the police tape, all talking at once.

"I heard several people died in that car!"

"Really? The officer mentioned it was quite a bloody scene!"

Sunn Limin escorted Xiao Chennai to the crime scene. Present were only a handful of local officers and a flamboyant woman in a white bodysuit standing by the car.

Approaching them, the woman gestured to Captain Wang and greeted him with a smile, "Uncle-in-law!"

Uncle-in-law?

Both Sunn Limin and Xiao Chennai looked quizzically at Captain Wang.

He responded with a smile, "Little Ning, thank you. If I'm not mistaken, today's your graduation. Why don't you join us at the Snowbush Public Security Bureau? I'll have Mr. Sunn show you the ropes."

With that, Captain Wang gestured towards Sunn Limin.

"That's wonderful! Hello, Mr. Sunn, I'm Hua Ning, fresh from the police academy!"

Hua Ning saluted crisply. Her every gesture and smile exuded a mature, sensual charm that caught Xiao Chennai off guard.

"Welcome aboard! This is your new colleague, Xiao Chennai. He's also a recent graduate. Congratulations on joining Unit 9 of the Snowbush Public Security Bureau's Criminal Police Squad!"

Sunn Limin initiated a round of applause, and the two newcomers joined in, albeit somewhat awkwardly.

Captain Wang's expression tensed at the mention of Unit 9, and without a word, he turned to delve into the case details.

Xiao Chennai made his way to the edge of the road, where forensic markers and chalk outlined the scene.

He approached the van door, a battered old white minibus that could seat up to ten people. Pulling open the chipped and peeling door, a pungent, metallic odor wafted out, indicating the blood had been there for some time.

Inside the van was a long table, encircling the interior. The surface was not only stained with blood but also scattered with various tools, including a drill, a small saw, scissors, and an assortment of knives.

"The perpetrator acted alone, and the vehicle served as a mobile dissection chamber!"

"The crime was committed by a single individual, using the car as a moving dissection chamber."

Xiao Chennai and Hua Ning spoke almost in unison, perfectly timing their remarks.

Turning around, Hua Ning stood slightly behind Xiao Chennai, her expression somber and intense.

Sunn Limin gave a slight nod of his head, affirming his judgment. The rookie clearly had potential.

"Not a bad analysis, but how did you deduce that? Xiao, what was your name again?"

"Chennai," Xiao Chennai responded.

"Right, right, Chennai. You first!" Captain Wang and Sunn Limin listened intently, standing off to the side.

"Sure," Xiao Chennai nodded, casting a glance at Hua Ning before speaking with authority, "It's quite clear that the space inside the van is very limited. Without even having to measure, it's evident that only one person could operate in there."

"But what if one person drove while the other committed the crime? Wouldn't that be more convenient?" Captain Wang raised an eyebrow inquisitively.