Coming to Myself

Yin Feng suddenly let out a hum.

All three turned to look at him. After a long pause, he finally lifted his head from behind the computer screen and said with a faint smile, "The network in your bureau is really slow."

The three of them: "..."

You Mingxu: "Use it or not, it's up to you."

Then they saw his slender, pale fingers reach out, pick up the Longjing tea he had brought with him, and calmly reply, "I'll use it."

Xu Mengshan, watching from the side, couldn't help but feel that Teacher Yin's way of interacting with Sister You had taken on some inexplicable changes recently.

But You Mingxu felt that the current Yin Feng was extremely fussy. Unlike You Yingjun, who would sit upright obediently during meetings, eat whatever was given, and drink whatever was offered. And this one in front of her—wasn't he gloomy and sinister when he first woke up? Why did it now seem like... he was just a moody lunatic?

Back to the case.

"There's something you need to know," Jing Ping said. "According to the information Guo Xing previously reported, he had started collecting criminal evidence on key figures in the Yunnan drug trafficking organization and had already gathered some of it. But he hadn't submitted it to his superiors yet. I searched his residence and couldn't find that evidence. It wasn't on him either."

You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan immediately understood why Jing Ping had spent so much time searching alone at Guo Xing's place earlier, only to end up finding a stash of drugs.

Jing Ping said, "If the evidence falls into the hands of the criminals, Guo Xing's sacrifice would be in vain. That evidence might involve a wide range of people and could even deal a blow to our anti-drug efforts in Yunnan."

You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan exchanged a glance, both sensing trouble. The man was already dead, and the evidence was still missing. If it hadn't fallen into the hands of the criminals, where could it be?

But... who could be the real killer of Guo Xing?

"There might still be hope."

"There's still hope."

Two voices spoke at the same time—You Mingxu and Yin Feng.

Through his plain glasses, Yin Feng glanced at You Mingxu, a slight smirk curling his lips.

You Mingxu remained expressionless.

Jing Ping looked at one, then the other, and smiled. "Who wants to go first?"

You Mingxu kept her eyes on Jing Ping and said, "I think the method used to kill Guo Xing is very strange."

Xu Mengshan also smiled. "Exactly."

Jing Ping nodded. "It doesn't seem like the work of a drug trafficking organization. If they were behind it, they'd be much more straightforward—a single shot to kill. Why go through all the trouble of planning, strangling, dumping the body, and sinking it in the lake?"

Xu Mengshan said, "But what if the drug trafficking organization wanted to cover their tracks?"

Jing Ping replied, "If they wanted to cover their tracks, you wouldn't even find the body."

Everyone fell silent.

"One of Guo Xing's enemies?" You Mingxu asked.

Jing Ping: "Possibly."

"May I speak now?" a cool voice interjected.

Jing Ping and Xu Mengshan turned to Yin Feng, while You Mingxu kept her gaze fixed straight ahead.

Yin Feng smiled faintly. "Let's play a game."

Only then did You Mingxu glance at him.

Yin Feng said, "I'll ask, and you answer. Let's begin—assume the drowning victim is A. Is A male or female?"

Jing Ping and You Mingxu remained silent. Xu Mengshan, being more accommodating, smiled and said, "Male."

Yin Feng: "Is he elderly?"

Xu Mengshan: "No. According to the footprint expert's analysis, A is about 175-180 cm tall, weighs 65-70 kg. He's a lean adult male."Yin Feng: "Does A have any obvious physical disabilities? Are his facial features intact?"

Xu Mengshan replied: "Yes. Judging from the footprints, he is physically sound. Moreover, if he weren't, he wouldn't have been able to run down the slope and handle the corpse."

Yin Feng: "Did A know Guo Xing?"

Xu Mengshan: "Yes."

You Mingxu also said quietly: "Yes."

Yin Feng immediately looked at You Mingxu. With calm eyes, she answered: "A charging down the slope and falling into the water is itself an unusual behavior. If they were strangers, Guo Xing would have been wary. He could have called for help instead of jumping into the water. There must be some reason we don't know about yet."

Yin Feng curled his lips slightly and asked: "Could A be a middle-aged man like Old Jing?"

You Mingxu glanced at him, thinking: He's only one year younger than Jing Ping and already over 30 himself, yet he calls him Old Jing and refers to him as a middle-aged man. No one would associate the fair-skinned, handsome Jing Ping with a middle-aged man.

Surprisingly, all three answered simultaneously: "No." After speaking, they were all momentarily stunned.

Indeed, why couldn't it be a mature man like Jing Ping?

Jing Ping's expression shifted slightly as he said: "I know Guo Xing. Although kind-hearted, he's very cautious and intelligent. Even if he knew A, if A were a mature man like him, I don't think he would have rushed to rescue so recklessly and fallen into a trap."

Yin Feng smiled and said: "Exactly. A cautious undercover agent would never recklessly rescue someone. Even if they knew each other. Unless that person was someone he knew had absolutely no connection to the criminal organization—someone he, as a police officer, was meant to protect: ordinary citizens. And in his view, they were 'vulnerable.' For example, if it were me..." He glanced at Jing Ping: "...seeing suspicious danger involving adult men like Old Jing and Mengshan, or even deliberate danger, I wouldn't rush to rescue them. I would observe or call for help. But if the person in danger were a woman..." He gave You Mingxu a meaningful look: "...an elderly person, a child, or someone with disabilities, then my guard would drop significantly. Even if something seemed obviously strange, being in a position of strength, I would rescue them first and ask questions later."

Before the three could respond, Yin Feng continued: "Next question: Is A a woman, an elderly person, or someone with disabilities?"

Xu Mengshan: "No."

Yin Feng said: "Therefore, in Guo Xing's eyes, A was still a child. But according to the footprint expert's assessment, he was already an adult. What kind of adult male would still be considered a child in Guo Xing's eyes? Probably around 18 or 19 years old."

Jing Ping, who had never deeply studied criminal psychology before, pondered for a moment and nodded: "Interesting."

You Mingxu once again observed Yin Feng. At this moment, he truly resembled a scholar or a clever mystery novelist. Wearing glasses and holding a pen, he sketched in his notebook while questioning them. His logic was clear, meticulous, and unconventional.

Xu Mengshan, however, thought: He's truly awakened now. This version is even more formidable than the previous one. His reasoning is much sharper.

Yin Feng then asked: "Has A lived in a major city?"

The three hesitated briefly before You Mingxu spoke first: "Yes, he has."To successfully carry out the murder of Guo Xing, covert surveillance, meticulous planning, and a clean getaway were all indispensable. If the three individuals from A had no experience living in a major city and were completely disoriented, they would likely struggle to even find their way around. How then could they have executed the entire murder plan so soon after Guo Xing's arrival in Xiangcheng?