C19 I Have Seen too Many Suspense Films

Wang Shengdong had been silent for quite some time, feeling a slight tremor in his heart. Maybe he really should trust Xiao Chennai; the scene before him was indeed persuasive.

The room lapsed into silence. Xiao Chennai maintained a cool demeanor, his gaze holding a hint of expectation as he watched Wang Shengdong. Hua Ning, however, stared back at Xiao Chennai with resolute eyes, as if she was ready to back him up no matter what. Ding Yu and Cheng Sheng looked concerned; they were uncertain whether Wang Shengdong would be convinced by this simulation that resembled a game.

Sunn Limin had taken in everyone's reactions with a gentle smile. He gave Wang Shengdong a reassuring pat on the shoulder and whispered, "Wang, you see? It's the era of the youth now."

Wang Shengdong let out a derisive snort, "Xiao Chennai, have you been watching too many mysteries? What does all this prove?"

Xiao Chennai was earnest in his reply, "It proves that there's a suspicion of murder in this case."

Sunn Limin, still smiling, turned to Xiao Chennai, "Leader Xiao, do you have any more evidence? What's this?" He gestured with his chin towards the report Xiao Chennai had placed on the table.

Stepping forward, Xiao Chennai opened the report and spoke gravely, "I was late because I was securing this document."

"What's that?" Wang Shengdong asked, his tone still heavy but his face showing signs of softening.

Xiao Chennai quickly explained, "Previously, we detected trace amounts of the element hip2 in both the victim's blood and the soil from the room. I had the knife analyzed as well. This is the lab report for the weapon."

He paused, his expression growing more somber, "The report indicates that the weapon also contains a significant amount of hip2."

He looked around solemnly before adding, "And it's on the knife's hilt."

The presence of the element on the hilt was telling. Considering the hilt at the crime scene hadn't come into contact with blood, the element couldn't have come from there. At this revelation, even Wang Shengdong's face took on a grave expression.

For a brief moment, everyone's faces, except for Hua Ning's, bore a complex mix of emotions.

Xiao Chennai could tell that everyone was skeptical about his statement, so he proposed, "I'd like to invite Captain Wang, Director Sunn, and all of you to join me at the crime scene."

No sooner had Xiao Chennai finished speaking than Hua Ning was already grabbing her jacket from the back of the chair, looking as though she'd follow Xiao Chennai through thick and thin without hesitation.

Wang Shengdong shot Hua Ning a stern look.

This girl, why doesn't she think before acting? She's just like her aunt.

Sunn Limin stepped in to defuse the tension: "Let's go. Since Leader Xiao is so sure of himself, we might as well take a look."

Sunn Limin's intervention gave Wang Shengdong the out he needed, especially after his earlier outburst and mockery of Xiao Chennai. Now, even if he wanted to go, it would be awkward to say so.

He gave Sunn Limin a knowing glance, appreciating the finesse of his long-time partner.

With a knowing smile, Sunn Limin picked up his coat and headed out first.

Wang Shengdong stayed put, and no one else dared to move, all eyes fixed on him in anticipation.

Finally, Wang Shengdong, feigning reluctance, followed suit.

Before long, the group arrived at Snossen Community.

The crime scene had been thoroughly cleaned, showing no signs of the grisly events that had taken place. Yet, Hua Ning couldn't shake off a chilling sense of eeriness.

She instinctively moved closer to Xiao Chennai for comfort.

Both Xiao Chennai and Cheng Sheng carried large bags in their hands.

Upon arrival, they began to methodically unpack the contents.

They had knives identical to the murder weapon, protective soft armor, human-shaped wooden boards, and incredibly fine elastic cords that were nearly invisible.

Xiao Chennai spoke up, "Cheng, when I lie down later, you'll be in charge of the operation. I'll guide you through the specifics."

Cheng Sheng immediately shook his head, cutting him off, "No way, you handle the technical stuff. I'll be the one lying down."

He then picked up the soft armor from the ground and prepared to don it, asking, "Should I put this on first? Have you tested this thing to make sure it's safe?"

"Cheng!" Xiao Chennai reached out and grasped Cheng Sheng's hand firmly. "Don't push yourself; this role is incredibly dangerous."

Cheng Sheng responded with a hearty laugh. "Come on, you've conducted all the previous experiments yourself, and I haven't been much help. Besides, I trust you. You'll definitely keep me safe, right?" His gaze was unwavering as he looked into Xiao Chennai's eyes.

Ding Yu glanced from one to the other, feeling the urge to add his own words.

But even Leader Xiao had mentioned the danger.

He hesitated, and just then, Xiao Chennai released his hand with a decisive tone, "Cheng, rest assured."

Under Xiao Chennai's direction, Cheng Sheng donned the protective soft armor and secured the human-shaped wooden board to his body. Xiao Chennai took out a ruler and meticulously adjusted the distance between Cheng Sheng and the platform.

Once satisfied with the distance, he brought out an elastic cord and cutting tools, connecting them to Cheng Sheng.

Xiao Chennai painstakingly verified the placement of each item, including the length of the elastic cord and the orientation of the cutting tools.

As Xiao Chennai worked, everyone remained silent, observing the proceedings with intense focus.

Sunn Limin watched him, admiration in his eyes.

As a veteran cop, he recognized the extensive groundwork Xiao Chennai had laid for what appeared to be a simple setup.

From Cheng Sheng's stance to the precise length of the elastic cord, each detail was the result of numerous trials.

Cheng Sheng must have conducted countless experiments to have the confidence to bring them here for a live simulation.

Like Wang Shengdong, after years in the field and witnessing a myriad of bizarre cases, he had become desensitized to the cases themselves.

They lacked both the interest and the patience for such lengthy experiments. Their focus had shifted from serving justice for the victims to a more pragmatic approach.

The police department, however, was in need of dedicated newcomers like Cheng Sheng and Xiao Chennai.

He turned to look at Wang Shengdong, whose expression had softened considerably.

It was clear that both he and Wang Shengdong shared similar sentiments.

Nearby, Hua Ning, Ding Yu, and Jian Chenyi stood together, all of them watching Xiao Chennai's experiment with bated breath.

Everything was in place. Xiao Chennai produced a small bottle of soy sauce.

The kind of soy sauce that's a common sight in supermarkets was carefully dripped onto the elastic rope. Xiao Chennai would let a single drop fall only after a considerable interval.

As the seconds ticked by, Ding Yu was finding it increasingly difficult to keep standing.