Chapter 2: The Savior of the Japanese Police

Not long ago—

"Ran, don't you think it's strange?"

Kudo Shinichi jogged behind Ran, musing aloud:

"That Mr. Lin Xin Yi is dressed for work this early in the morning. He's not like everyone else."

The riverside park was sparsely populated with early risers, most in casual, comfortable attire for exercise.

But Lin Xin Yi stood out, impeccably dressed in a formal black suit—a stark contrast to the relaxed atmosphere.

His attire was so formal that, with sunglasses, he might as well be ready to carry a coffin.

"It is a bit strange..."

Ran tilted her head in thought before a realization dawned on her:

"I've got it! Mr. Lin Xin Yi must be one of those corporate PR staff."

"I've heard that PR employees sometimes have to entertain clients all night. It's normal for them to lose track of time."

"And I smelled a strong scent of cigarettes on him earlier."

"Maybe he just got off work and was resting in the park because he was exhausted."

"That's one possible explanation."

Kudo Shinichi nodded noncommittally.

Ran's guess was reasonable but didn't explain why Lin Xin Yi's legs were wet.

Moreover, if he had been entertaining clients all night, his suit should reek of alcohol as well as smoke.

Her theory was shaky at best.

"Actually, Ran, if I'm not mistaken—"

Kudo Shinichi was about to share his own deductions when Ran suddenly stopped.

She didn't respond to him, instead staring blankly at the river.

"Hey, Ran? Are you listening?"

Kudo Shinichi waved a hand in front of her face, but her eyes remained vacant—filled with confusion and fear.

Following her gaze, Kudo Shinichi looked out over the river—

In the dim, early light, with boats gliding across the calm surface, he saw—

A crimson stain slowly spreading in the water.

The red was faint, the patch small, but it dyed the rolling waves an alarming hue.

As the first rays of sunlight broke through, the grim objects floating in the bloody water came into focus—

"Is that...?"

"Limbs... and a severed head."

Kudo Shinichi's face darkened.

He'd been a high school detective for some time, but even he hadn't seen such a gruesome sight often.

The dismembered pieces floating in the river made it clear—this was a brutal dismemberment case!

"This is bad!"

A thought struck Kudo Shinichi suddenly.

One hand went uselessly to his ear while the other hurriedly covered Ran's eyes.

But it was too late—

Ran's piercing scream burst forth like cola shaken with Mentos:

"AAAAAHHHHHH!"

"T-T-There's a body in the water!"

Ten minutes later.

The police had cordoned off the crime scene, and a search team was out on the river retrieving the dismembered remains.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police's response time was impeccable, arriving before most people were even awake.

Leading the team was a middle-aged officer in a brown suit and matching hat, with a kindly, round face.

Inside the cordon, he was questioning Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran, the ones who discovered the body.

According to Shinichi's address, this officer was Inspector Megure.

Outside the police line, a crowd had gathered, drawn by the commotion.

Lin Xin Yi was among them.

Yes, Lin Xin Yi had joined the crowd out of curiosity.

Watching dramas unfold was a universal human pastime, and he was no exception.

Besides, his old professional habits made it hard for him to resist a crime scene.

"The body hasn't been recovered yet. Hard to assess the situation."

"But if it's a dismemberment case, it won't be easy to solve."

Lin Xin Yi observed the recovery efforts, mentally evaluating the case:

The purpose of dismemberment is usually to conceal the victim's identity. Such criminals often have higher psychological resilience and counter-investigation skills.

Finding clues from heavily damaged remains requires advanced forensic techniques and meticulous investigation.

And if the killer had medical knowledge to hide evidence, the challenge would be even greater.

However—

"What does this have to do with me?"

Catching himself slipping into work mode, Lin Xin Yi chuckled:

"I'm just a passerby here."

"Let the Japanese police handle Japanese crimes."

He relaxed, but his eyes were still drawn to the floating remains.

Meanwhile, inside the police line, Inspector Megure sighed heavily:

"A dismemberment case..."

"It's been a while since we had such a heinous crime. This won't be easy."

As a seasoned detective, he knew the gravity of dismemberment cases.

The public's insatiable interest in criminal cases—thanks to their love of detective stories—only added pressure.

Failing to solve such a gruesome crime would put them on the front pages, forcing them to apologize to the public.

Feeling the heat but lacking leads, Inspector Megure turned to the high school detective beside him:

"Kudo, what do you think?"

Shinichi remained silent, his eyes shining with confidence.

Meanwhile, the crowd outside murmured in excitement:

"It's Kudo Shinichi—the famous one!"

"Great! He'll solve this case in no time!"

Lin Xin Yi was bewildered by the crowd's adoration—

"Who is this Kudo Shinichi?"

He whispered to a nearby onlooker.

"You don't know Kudo Shinichi?"

"Have you never heard of the 'Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei era'?"

"No," Lin Xin Yi replied.

The crowd gasped as if he'd denied the Earth was round.

"Don't you read the news?"

"He's known as the Savior of the Japanese Police!"

"Huh?"

Lin Xin Yi's eyes widened in disbelief.

As a former forensic officer, he couldn't imagine a high schooler being dubbed the Savior of the Police.

"How incompetent is the Japanese police force to need a teenager to save them?"

The area fell silent. Even the officers stiffened, faces darkened, swallowing their retorts.

Only Inspector Megure remained composed:

"As long as the case is solved, it doesn't matter who does it."

"Our duty is to bring the truth to light."

He acknowledged the awkward reality of relying on outside help.

Then, he turned again to Kudo Shinichi for guidance.

"Inspector Megure," Shinichi finally spoke up.

"We can't draw conclusions until the body is recovered."

"Right, we'll wait."

But then Shinichi's eyes gleamed—

"However, I already have a preliminary suspect in mind."

"What?!"

Inspector Megure and Lin Xin Yi were both stunned.

Accusing someone without even examining the body?

And then Shinichi dropped a bombshell:

"Moreover, the suspect is right here at the scene!"

The crowd recoiled in shock, distancing themselves in fear.

Lin Xin Yi watched, curious about how Shinichi would identify the culprit.

Amidst the tension, Shinichi struck a confident pose and pointed directly at someone in the crowd:

"Mr. Lin Xin Yi."

"Please cooperate with our investigation."