A Strange Incident

Mad Detective

[Author: Kuang Hai Wang Hu]

[TL: Spades]

[PR: Blitz]

[QC: Lumi]

Chapter 32 — A Strange Incident

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"Don't mess around!" After a brief shock, Zhao Yu regained his senses, snapping at Yang Hong, "You can't lie to a cop! Qinshan's biggest high school piano competition, the 10th one? You pulling my leg?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang Hong frowned, confused, "It's the one thing in my life I'm proud of, how could I forget? It was definitely the 10th!"

"Then tell me, where was it held?" Zhao Yu pressed, still skeptical.

"Um…" Yang Hong thought for a moment, then nailed the answer, "Second High! Yeah, Second High!"

"Whoa?" Zhao Yu was caught off guard but remained doubtful, laying out his reasoning, "The 10th competition was 18 years ago, contestants were 18 or 19, high schoolers. If you were there, how old are you now? 36? 37?"

"Well…" Yang Hong's face stiffened, brows furrowing, "Buddy, I can't tell if you're flattering me or roasting me!"

With that, she shoved Zhao Yu aside, grabbed her ID from her purse, and handed it over.

Zhao Yu glanced at it and was floored. Yang Hong was a full decade older than him, 37!

Holy crap!

"You…" Zhao Yu gaped at her, "You're maintained… damn well! I thought you were some young thing!"

"Hehehe…" Yang Hong soaked up the compliment but playfully jabbed, "Want a young thing? I can hook you up. Flower, my housemate, is barely 20, interested?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" By now, Zhao Yu's flirting mood had vanished, his mind snapping back to the Hand-Chopping Case.

This time, he sensed this coincidence was no fluke! This woman, who'd also competed in the 10th piano competition, might hold vital info!

"Hey! Besides praising my youth, got anything else to show for it?" Yang Hong spread her arms.

Normally, Zhao Yu would've pounced like a hungry tiger!

But now, his brain was elsewhere, hormones cooled. Holding her iPhone 6S, he urgently asked, "Quick, tell me, do you know Gao Tian, Yuan Lili, or Luo Meina?"

Yang Hong, clueless about his intent, shook her head blankly.

"They competed with you, ranked high, 4th, 5th, 6th! Ring any bells?" Zhao Yu asked, brimming with hope.

"Oh, finalists!" Yang Hong sighed, "Then I definitely don't know them! I wasn't that lucky, didn't even crack the top 20! I just remember… the guy who won first was pretty cute, think he got into the Capital Music Academy!"

"Oh… uh…" Zhao Yu faltered, thinking hard before asking, "Anyone else you remember? Other contestants, teachers, judges, anyone?"

"Hey!" Yang Hong finally lost patience, her face darkening, "Officer Zhao, so you're here to investigate? Digging up ancient history? I thought you were a piano guy! What's with the act? What, expect me to slip you 3000 for this?"

Uh…

Zhao Yu's eyes flicked, thinking, To get her to cooperate, I'll need my bluffing skills!

With that, he raised his voice, "Hey!" then made a shushing gesture, lowering his tone mysteriously, "Listen, what I'm asking, you don't breathe a word to anyone, got it? Leak this, and you'll get a court summons!"

The trick worked. Yang Hong froze, stunned. After a beat, she timidly asked, "What's wrong? Is not knowing those people a crime?"

"Hmph!" Zhao Yu snorted, handing back her iPhone 6S, "Ever heard of… the Hand-Chopping Case!?"

"What?" Yang Hong gasped, nodding rapidly.

The Qinshan Hand-Chopping Case had been headline news since last year, a citywide sensation. This year's new case had sparked a media frenzy, no one was unaware.

But to protect the victims, police used aliases, so Yang Hong didn't know their real names.

"You're saying… the Hand-Chopping Case is tied to piano playing? My God…" Yang Hong was hooked by Zhao Yu's words.

Seeing his bait worked, Zhao Yu piled on the bluff, "Looks like you need to watch out too. Our data shows the victims were all in the 10th piano competition, no longer play piano, and are all women!"

"What?" Yang Hong was genuinely terrified, clutching Zhao Yu's arm, "Why me? First the taser creep, now the hand-chopper, do I have some kind of charm?"

Seeing her panic, Zhao Yu fought a laugh but kept the act, "For now, the culprit's targeting finalists, so you're not on the list yet!"

"That's… a relief!" Yang Hong said nervously, "Officer Zhao, you've got to catch this guy fast! Getting your hand chopped for no reason, that's worse than…"

She meant worse than the taser creep's assault but couldn't say it.

"I'm working on it!" Zhao Yu pressed, "Any details about the 10th competition, anything you recall, tell me now! It's the only way to crack this case fast!"

After his mix of bluffing and scaring, Yang Hong didn't dare resist, earnestly replying, "Officer Zhao, I really don't remember those people! The competition was so intense, I was just a kid, how could I recall anything?"

She pinched her forehead, straining to remember, "My competition records are long gone, I haven't touched a piano in over a decade! I… ugh!"

Seeing her distress, Zhao Yu felt a pang of disappointment. Her reaction echoed the 10th-place pregnant woman's, the years had erased too much, memories lost to time!

"It's okay, don't stress," Zhao Yu reassured, "If anything comes back, let me know!" After comforting her, eyeing her alluring figure, he felt a stir, thinking it a rare chance to flirt and rekindle the moment.

But now Yang Hong was off-rhythm, lost in serious thought about the case. As Zhao Yu reached to cop a feel, she furrowed her brow and asked, "Officer Zhao… any person, any detail from the competition counts, right?"

"Of course! Case breakthroughs often hide in overlooked details!" Zhao Yu, a rookie detective, strutted, "What, got hemorrhoids that day?"

"No…" Yang Hong ignored his joke, deep in thought, seeming to recall something specific. After a long pause, she said uncertainly, "Officer Zhao, I think… I vaguely remember, during that competition, something strange did happen!"