章節 149: Silken Threads
The afternoon sun blazed fiercely, its brilliant rays scorching the streets of Maple Snow, rendering the smooth stone pavement unbearably hot. Even the air, under the oppressive heat of midday, appeared to shimmer with distortion.
Gazing down the street, the distant buildings warped in the heat haze, evoking memories of desert experiences for some well-traveled bards.
The rising temperature brought with it a sweltering heatwave; at this moment, Maple Snow had bid farewell to the coolness of morning and was entirely enveloped in the summer's relentless warmth. Even the breeze that swept through the streets felt scorching and stifling.
The streets, now nearly deserted, saw most citizens seeking refuge from the summer heat beneath the cool eaves of their homes. The shops lining the streets had largely closed for the day, with proprietors waiting for the afternoon's temperature to drop before resuming business.
Within the search division of the Debang Security Corps, the oppressive heat had rendered everyone somewhat drowsy.
Ezreal languidly rested his head on the wooden desk, his eyes almost glued to the documents before him, listlessly sifting through the newly compiled files.
The others were similarly affected; even the usually vibrant officer, Kaliya, leaned drowsily against a plush armchair, her vacant gaze fixed on the slowly rotating ceiling fan above, devoid of her usual spirited energy.
Amidst this lethargy, only one individual remained alert and engaged in work—the head of the search division, or rather, the former head, Ilt Hanqin, who sat composedly at his desk, meticulously reviewing the autopsy reports, hoping to uncover clues related to the perpetrator.
This tall, composed middle-aged man, even in the sweltering heat, maintained an upright posture, revealing no signs of fatigue, save for the slightly sunken eyes that hinted at the toll of several sleepless nights.
In this tranquil atmosphere, the door to the search division was suddenly pushed open with a cold creak, and an icy gust, akin to a biting winter storm, swept into the room, rousing everyone from their stupor.
"Hmm? Is that… Mr. Ye?" Upon recognizing the newcomer, the group expressed surprise, with Galleon, leaning against the doorframe, curiously inquiring, "Mr. Ye, your sudden visit to the search division—have you made any discoveries?"
"…" With a frosty gaze directed at the seven curious faces before him, Xiao Mu Yu coldly nodded, "Ah… I have come to inform you that I have found a lead on Jinx."
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
With the chairs scraping against the floor, the seven members of the search division, including Ezreal, instantly sprang to their feet, their drowsiness evaporating as they stared in astonishment at the silent, icy figure.
"Mr. Ye, are you saying… you have a lead on Jinx?" Ilt, the former head of the search division, inquired with a steady demeanor, "Is that true?"
"Indeed, it is true," Xiao Mu Yu affirmed, his expression still cold as he scanned the faces of the group, stating icily, "Now that we have a lead, I hope everyone will cooperate with my forthcoming actions."
Ilt pondered in silence for a moment before responding, "Then… could you enlighten us, Mr. Ye? Could you share what this lead is? After all, if we remain uninformed, we cannot effectively assist you."
"An explanation? Certainly…" Xiao Mu Yu coldly approached one side of the search division, where a modest blackboard stood, typically used by team members to outline and discuss operational strategies.
With an impassive demeanor, he retrieved a piece of white chalk from a box beneath the blackboard and drew three circles, inscribing the words [Jinx], [Victim], and [Security Corps] within them.
Xiao Mu Yu, with his frigid expression, connected the circles labeled [Jinx] and [Security Corps] with a line, stating, "First, concerning Jinx's identity… Based on my deductions, there is a ninety percent probability that this killer, known as Jinx, is either within the Security Corps or associated with individuals connected to it—moreover, the members of the search division are the prime suspects."
"What… what?" Unsurprisingly, Xiao Mu Yu's chilling words incited a wave of astonished exclamations from the group.
However, he did not immediately clarify; instead, he remained silent, coldly observing the commotion stirred by his revelations, without uttering a word.
"Are you implying that we, the members of the Security Corps, are under suspicion? And the search division as well? On what grounds do you question us?"
"Exactly! What makes you suspect Jinx is linked to us?"
"Who informed you of this?"
...
...
The voices of dissent echoed throughout the search division, yet Xiao Mu Yu paid no heed to the agitated crowd. His icy gaze settled on the one person among the seven who remained calm—Ilt Hanqin, the former head of the search division, sighed and waved his hand, urging everyone to quiet down.
He approached Xiao Mu Yu, maintaining a composed demeanor, and asked, "Mr. Ye, what led you to this conclusion? Could you please elaborate?"
"Ah… Certainly, since you wish to know," Xiao Mu Yu replied coldly, "I shall disclose all my findings, allowing you to judge for yourselves the validity of my deductions… and whether you truly need to assist me."
Xiao Mu Yu's words caused Ilt, the composed middle-aged man, to flush slightly; the former head of the search division awkwardly defended, "Well… Mr. Ye, it's not that we are unwilling to adhere to the agreement and follow your command entirely, but I cannot entrust the entire search division to someone I do not know at all. I believe you can understand this."
"Ah… No worries; if I were in your position, I too would find it difficult to completely trust an unknown individual," Xiao Mu Yu replied coldly, "I understand your perspective; handing over your trusted subordinates to a stranger is not something a mature man would typically do."
"Uh… Thank you for your understanding," Ilt said, somewhat awkwardly.
"Very well, now let me share my findings with everyone," Xiao Mu Yu said, his cold gaze sweeping over the faces of the group before he continued.
He pointed to the line connecting the circles labeled [Jinx] and [Security Corps] on the blackboard and stated, "The reason I assert a significant connection between Jinx and the Security Corps lies in the victims she has slain."
Upon finishing, Xiao Mu Yu drew another line on the blackboard, linking [Jinx] with [Victim]. "In this world, the relationships between individuals or events are akin to straight lines on a plane. If two lines are parallel, they will never intersect. Conversely, if two events intersect, there must exist a point of intersection between them."
"It is entirely impossible for intersecting lines to lack a point of intersection… Therefore, the matter becomes simple," Xiao Mu Yu stated coldly. "As long as we can identify this point of intersection, many issues will be resolved effortlessly."
With a piercing gaze, he scanned the faces of the group, declaring coldly, "I have reviewed the methods you employed to pursue Jinx; they primarily relied on the ample manpower of the Security Corps to conduct both overt and covert investigations within Maple Snow, seeking out individuals who might become Jinx's targets, monitoring them discreetly, as these individuals could easily fall prey to her."
"Consequently, as long as you maintain vigilance over these individuals, the moment Jinx acts against them, you will undoubtedly obtain valuable leads. Even if she evades your surveillance once or twice, she is not an omniscient deity. In the course of her actions, she will inevitably reveal flaws," Xiao Mu Yu stated coldly. "At that point, you merely need to exploit these weaknesses to track her down."
"Though your methods may be somewhat clumsy, they are fundamentally correct. Unfortunately… despite the considerable time spent on your operations, you remain empty-handed," Xiao Mu Yu remarked coldly, "For those you monitored have rarely been targeted by Jinx. Even if a few heinous individuals were slain by her, you have found little in the way of useful clues."
"In the past six months, the majority of victims at Jinx's hands have been those who concealed themselves more deeply, thus eluding your attention," Xiao Mu Yu continued coldly. "Do you not find it strange? Why does Jinx choose to kill those easily identifiable criminals, while ignoring those whose backgrounds even you struggle to uncover?"
"Does she find these individuals so incompetent that they cannot even conceal their crimes, rendering them unworthy of her interest? Is Jinx truly that discerning?" Xiao Mu Yu said, his expression impassive, the sarcasm in his icy words unmistakable.
"You…" Ezreal's eyes widened in indignation, ready to explode, but was gently restrained by Kaliya from behind, causing him to swallow his words in frustration. "With this alone, you conclude that Jinx is connected to us? Do you suspect there is a mole within the Security Corps?"
"Of course, this alone cannot definitively establish a connection between Jinx and the Security Corps, but…" Xiao Mu Yu replied coldly, "When have I ever claimed that I was merely relying on this to draw such a conclusion?"
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