C17 Simulation Experiment

"Alright, Hua Ning and Cheng Sheng, please step outside for a moment. I need to have a word with your Leader privately."

Hua Ning, familiar with Wang Shengdong, had no concerns. Cheng Sheng, on the other hand, misinterpreted the request, worrying that his and Xiao Chennai's earlier actions had displeased their superior. He hesitated, muttering under his breath, on the verge of speaking up.

He had been involved in the decision to bring in Chen Chen without authorization. If there were consequences, he couldn't let Xiao Chennai face them alone.

But before he could utter a word, Hua Ning stepped forward, took hold of his arm, and said, "Cheng, let's step out."

She gently tugged Cheng Sheng outside, giving him a reassuring wink as he glanced back at her.

Cheng Sheng, feeling a sense of relief, remained silent and followed Hua Ning out.

Once they had left, Wang Shengdong rose and approached Xiao Chennai, locking eyes with him but remaining silent for a prolonged moment.

In Xiao Chennai's gaze, he found serenity and resilience, but not a hint of distress.

"Haha, you rascal!" Wang Shengdong chuckled, clapping Xiao Chennai on the shoulder. "What do you take me for? Next time, come straight to me with any issues. Skip the unnecessary steps."

Xiao Chennai maintained his composure, replying, "Understood, Captain Wang."

Exiting Wang Shengdong's office, Cheng Sheng approached with concern. "Leader, everything okay?"

Xiao Chennai shook his head. "All is well. Carry on with your tasks; I'm heading to forensics."

At the forensic lab, Shan Meimei immediately presented the report to Xiao Chennai. "I was about to bring this to you. Talk about timing."

Xiao Chennai offered a slight smile before cutting to the chase. "Is there anything unusual about the wound?"

Shan Meimei responded with a thumbs-up. "You suspected something odd about the wound without even seeing the report?"

As Xiao Chennai gave no reaction, she elaborated, "The wound is somewhat shallow. At the crime scene, the knife was found inserted vertically into the victim. Considering the height of the table, a knife falling straight down should have pierced the victim's heart. Yet, the wound is only 15 centimeters deep. That's not consistent with what we'd expect."

Xiao Chennai wasn't the least bit surprised by the news; it seemed he had anticipated this outcome all along. He nonchalantly slipped the report into his pocket and thanked Shan Meimei with a simple, "Thanks!" She responded with a smile and a wave of her hand, "Treat me to a meal sometime."

Back in his office, Xiao Chennai scanned the room and picked up a doll from Hua Ning's desk. It was a treasured item that Hua Ning always kept on display. As she saw him take it, she reached out to reclaim it, "Hey, that's mine..." Without missing a beat, Xiao Chennai firmly grasped Hua Ning's arm, "Got a rubber band?"

Hua Ning paused, a subtle warmth spreading where he held her arm. Ding Yu, noticing the exchange and Hua Ning's silence, eagerly offered his help, "Leader, I have a rubber band here. Will this one work?" He fished a small black rubber band from a box of odds and ends on his desk and flaunted it before Xiao Chennai.

Releasing Hua Ning, Xiao Chennai accepted the rubber band from Ding Yu, "This will do." He then returned to his desk to dismantle the blade from his razor. In their line of work, late nights and overtime were the norm, necessitating a stash of personal items in the office.

Ding Yu approached, curiosity piqued, "Leader, what are you planning to do with these?" Cheng Sheng, overhearing the conversation, turned his attention to Xiao Chennai, while Hua Ning remained still, her hand lingering on the spot where Xiao Chennai had gripped her, lost in thought.

Xiao Chennai cleared a space on the floor, placed Hua Ning's bear down, and positioned a small stool beside it. He then moved the office's small blackboard close by. Cheng Sheng realized what was happening, "The Leader is setting up for an experiment."

A simulation experiment!

With preparations complete, Xiao Chennai picked up a piece of chalk and wrote the number 1 on the blackboard. The first trial involved laying the bear on the ground with the blade on the stool, recreating the crime scene. The attempt failed; the blade didn't stick in the bear.

Undeterred, Xiao Chennai simply wrote the next number on the blackboard: 2.

In the second experiment, with no other variables altered, Xiao Chennai adjusted the position of the blade. Yet, it still concluded in failure. Xiao Chennai worked tirelessly like a robot, seemingly impervious to fatigue. Immediately after the initial setback, he embarked on a second attempt.

Initially, Ding Yu watched with keen interest, but by the tenth iteration, he began to feel the tedium set in. By the twentieth, he couldn't contain himself any longer. "Leader, perhaps it was just a fluke. You could replicate it a thousand times and still might not reproduce the result," he suggested.

Xiao Chennai, however, continued as if he hadn't heard, engrossed in his work.

Feeling somewhat sheepish, Ding Yu excused himself, "I'm going to sort out the files."

Even the usually patient Cheng Sheng had left by the thirtieth trial, leaving Xiao Chennai alone, persistently repeating the simulation.

As dusk fell, Ding Yu and Cheng Sheng returned from their meal to find the blackboard covered with numbers, the count having reached eighty-one.

Stepping out of the office, Ding Yu shook his head and remarked to Cheng Sheng, "Our Leader is truly extraordinary."

For clues, he'd venture out into the field at the dead of night. To find a breakthrough, he'd spend the night in a haunted house. And now, for a mere hypothesis, he was back at it, experimenting relentlessly.

Frankly, Ding Yu admitted to himself, he couldn't match that level of dedication.

Cheng Sheng simply smiled, offering no comment.

Upon their return, the tally on the blackboard had climbed from eighty-one to ninety, undisturbed by anyone. Then, breaking the silence of the office, a voice declared, "Success."

It was Xiao Chennai's voice. Everyone turned to look.

The number on the blackboard now read one hundred. On the floor, the toy bear stood upright, a gleaming blade protruding from its chest. Hua Ning felt a surge of anger; she was on the verge of lashing out at Xiao Chennai.

Couldn't he have simply bought any toy for the experiment? That bear had been her companion for four or five years; she was attached to it, and now it had been carelessly destroyed by Xiao Chennai.

Xiao Chennai himself seemed stirred, a rare expression crossing his face.

He picked up the props from the ground and said, "I'm going to see Captain Wang. Leave the writing on the blackboard as it is."

He hurried off and soon vanished from sight.

Outside Wang Shengdong's office, Xiao Chennai was preparing to knock when he said, "Yes, yes, Leader, I'm aware of the tremendous pressure you've shouldered for us, but this case..."

Xiao Chennai's steps halted, and his hand, poised to knock, froze in place.