Chapter 14 Tentacle Detective
The next day, morning.
Pale sunlight shone on the streets of the courtyard, and a white dragon soared through the air. The market was bustling with activity, as vendors leaned forward to enjoy the rare sunshine while bargaining.
Clear skies are a rarity in Huilong City, and two days of continuous sunshine rarely occur in a year or two. Over the past two days, many people from the Bize District have flocked to the central courtyard to spend the day, with a few daring enough to even venture to the upper workshop area for the sunshine. Butchers are delighted by this lively scene; people need to eat everywhere, so restaurants are doing brisk business, and naturally, butchers earn more.
"Hey bro, are you buying some ducks or geese? They were just slaughtered this morning, so they're all fresh."
The young man in the green coat was picking and choosing: "Do you have beef or mutton?"
The butcher was unhappy: "Don't you see how poor you are? You're going to buy it in your dreams!"
"It's no use complaining about it." The young man smiled. "Give me half a duck and chop it up, but don't take the head."
"Okay!" The butcher's expression changed as quickly as a page turned, and he immediately began to chop diligently. He had excellent knife skills and plenty of strength. He finished chopping, shaking the bag, and packing the meat in half a minute, without wasting any time. While he was chopping the meat, the annoying customer kept nagging, "Master, I came from the lower floor. How's the security around here?"
"It's only slightly better than the swamp," the butcher said without looking up. "Let's not even talk about the distant past. There's still no news of the random murders from a few years ago. The unfortunate guys whose wives died haven't cried lately. The cops are useless."
He spoke a little more, a rare occurrence. He wanted to laugh at the useless people in the Resurrection Army when he mentioned this incident. The customer picked up the duck and left. The butcher got angry and said, "Hey! You dropped something!"
"Hold on."
The scoundrel who had attempted to escape with his bill fumbled inside his coat and pulled out a strange long box. He opened the box and the thin, sharp blade gleamed coldly.
A boning knife.
The butcher's heart skipped a beat, his eyes fixed on the knife. The man slowly placed the knife on the counter. His left arm was a silver tentacle.
"You were too careless." Chu Hengkong said, "You dropped the knife you used to kill someone."
The butcher still held the knife in his hand, but he couldn't lift the knife even though he exerted force on his wrist. Chu Hengkong's right hand formed a claw and struck directly at his neck. The swift blow sent the butcher flipping up like a fish!
Boning Knife
【Rating: Not good】
[Thoughts: Fa Kana Tanci loved the thrill of killing people. Having nearly been captured, he dared not risk it again, and to satisfy his lust, he wielded his knife against poultry.]
·
Two days later, at the Old Bear Bar.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of shattering bottles was incessant, and the low-quality liquor flowed like sewage among the broken glass. The thugs cursed and brandished knives, but were pinned to the ground by the helmeted team members. The bar owner behind the counter was shocked and furious: "Is there any justice in the world?! You're destroying my place for no reason! You're violating the rights of citizens! I'm going to sue you!"
None of the team members paid him any attention. The squad's temporary commander stood in the doorway, his eyes fixed on a clumsy actor. A flash of black light flashed from his fingertips, and a strangely shaped dart pinned the bar owner's collar to the wall. The bar owner, upon seeing the dart's shape, felt his whole body limp.
"He made his fortune with the dirty money from robbery and murder. I wonder who's going to sue whom?"
Darts
【Rating: Not good】
[Missing: The owner of the Old Bear Bar was once a darts performer. After performing at the home of a wealthy man in the city that night, he began to plot a plan to steal his wealth.]
·
A week later, Lotus Pedestrian Street.
"Stop! Put your hands up!" The helmeted men surrounded an innocent citizen. "Ah, why?!" The innocent citizen screamed! But the cold muzzle of the gun was pressed against his head!
Oh, my God... What a brutal abuse of power! Has even the Resurrection Corps finally become a snake and rat? However, everyone stepped aside, their suspicious eyes focused on the harmless civilian. The man with the silver tentacles stood behind the team members. With a flick of his tentacles, he "peeled" off the civilian's face. Beneath the human skin mask was an inhuman face with purple skin. What an alien creature!
"How is this possible..." The purple-skinned alien was dumbfounded. "This is made in a black workshop..."
"A mask can't deceive forever." Chu Hengkong said, holding another mask in his hand. "Take it away."
"Yes, Inspector!"
[Mask-type Basic Relic - Disguise]
【Rating: Bottom】
[Missing: Kong Xuan 3 Carl bought two masks at the Black Workshop. One to frame someone during a murder, and one to replace the deceased, who came from a wealthy family.]
·
Two weeks later, in the rest room of the resurrection unit headquarters.
A dozen copies of the Tuanyan Daily were piled high on the table, their headlines all full-color photos of someone. Jie An picked up a few and read the headlines in a rhythmic manner: "Newcomer solves a five-year mystery: The butcher at the market turns out to be the murderer!" "Three major achievements in one week! Young team member solves a series of theft mysteries!" "After four years of hiding in the swamp, he still managed to escape capture: Inspector Hengkong wins again and again"...
He put down the newspaper and took a sip of tea. "Just reading the headlines alone makes my mouth dry. Who bought the latest one this morning?"
"Brother Jie, I have it here." A crew member with a crew cut raised his hand excitedly, "'Tentacle Detective's 30 Cases Grand Slam, Justice Will Be Served!'"
"Brother Chu is incredible!" "The Detective of Huilong City, damn!" "Brother Chu, stop lying to us. You're a killer, right? You used to be a famous detective, right?"
The lounge was filled with praise. This time, no one was joking; everyone was genuinely impressed. It had only been three weeks since Chu Hengkong joined the army, and in those three weeks, everyone had witnessed his incredible drive.
Chu Hengkong's case-solving prowess is unparalleled. He'd stand in the evidence room for a few minutes with a book in hand, then flip through the files and pinpoint the perpetrator. Furthermore, he'd walk around past crime scenes and accurately predict the escape route and whereabouts of the fugitives. His simulations were so accurate it felt as if he'd actually committed the murder himself!
Or maybe he had killed in similar situations before...
Everyone tacitly ignored the source of this experience and applauded the inspector's experience. The team hadn't been this joyous in a long time. Even those who held prejudices against Chu Heng were happy. If he could solve the case, he would be the undisputed inspector.
Chu Hengkong, who was on the sofa flipping through the files of an unsolved case, felt a little embarrassed when he heard this: "I'm just looking up information based on relics. I don't know how to solve a case myself."
"Look at this guy, he's still breathing hard. A relic that only you can use means it's your unique ability, right? Don't you agree?"
Ji Huaisu walked into the lounge with two cups of iced lemon tea, and the team members all responded with "yes, yes." She handed a cup of iced lemon tea to Chu Hengkong and leaned over to ask, "You're still reading files during your lunch break. How dedicated are you?"
"There's still an old missing person case. I'll call it a day after I finish it."
Ji Huaisu pulled out the file without hesitation: "Leave this case to me first, go get some sleep, Inspector. After 18 consecutive days of intense investigation, your tentacles are as soft as silver bugs."
Chu Hengkong's tentacles were limp, looking like they hadn't had any water in ten days. He quickly straightened them: "I've been writing too much these past two days..."
Ji Huaisu put one hand on his waist and said, "So I told you to rest. A case that's been going on for several years shouldn't cost you a day or two, right?"
"Thank you for your concern, Captain." Chu Hengkong took advantage of the situation and said, "I will take half a day off today. Please understand."
The Tentacle Detective left the lounge, and soon the team members who had finished their break also returned to the dormitory. After following Chu Hengkong around for the past few days, everyone was actually exhausted.
Jie An carefully folded the newspapers and placed them in chronological order in the cabinet in the corner of the "Honor Room." Ji Huaisu, who was sitting on the sofa, raised an eyebrow and looked at him: "What do you mean, cook?"
"Oh! What time is it? I have to hurry and deliver medicine to the city lord..." Jie An immediately walked out the door.
"Don't mind my blunt words." Ji Huaisu ignored him. "We've come this far. We have to show something for these thirty cases. Otherwise, it would be too unfair."
Jie An stopped at the door and was silent for a moment: "Girl, you think too simply. If the city lord hadn't revealed that trick, he wouldn't be so dedicated."
Ji Huaisu asked in return: "He has just arrived less than a month ago, and he is working so hard. If it is not for profit, then it is for love?"
"That's why we can't be impatient. He's a killer!" Jie An emphasized, "A desperate criminal who lives on the edge of a knife for profit is not trustworthy at all. He's staying now because he's satisfied with our price, but if the black factory or the club offers a higher price, won't he stand against it?"
"You are quite far-sighted. But doesn't a stingy boss force people to resign?" Ji Huaisu sneered.
Jie An was speechless for a moment, and Ji Huaisu slowed his voice: "Cook, think clearly, it's impossible for everyone to join the team just to fight against evil forces without seeking fame and fortune. I have also been observing him for more than half a month. Chu Hengkong is not a gentleman, but he is a loyal person. Such people are the easiest to deal with. As long as you treat him well, he will never harm you."
"You're still loyal, little girl." Xie An muttered, turning his head away to avoid Ji Huaisu's fierce gaze. He flipped through the pile of documents and found a file from the previous year.
"That's too much." Ji Huaisu recognized the file.
"No, it's not enough." Xie An said calmly, "Isn't this an extraordinary period? Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Since you all don't want to wait that long, let's use a case to see if he is the person we need."
·
Chu Hengkong slept in for a rare time.
The intensity of work had really increased over the past three weeks, and getting adequate rest after a tiring day was a responsibility to himself. After getting up, he boxed for a while and didn't rush to eat breakfast. Instead, he flipped through the pages of the silver-rimmed book at his desk.
After discovering the book's true power, he decided without hesitation to share the information with Ji Huaisu and the others. He would be using the book frequently for appraisals in the future, so there was no point in hiding it. If there ever came a time when a clue was urgently needed at the scene to track down the murderer, would he have to hold the book and the evidence and say, "Wait a minute, I'm going to the restroom"?
In the underworld, integrity is paramount. If you're too secretive, even your comrades won't trust you. While being straightforward might be mocked as unintentional, even your enemies will respect you. Chu Hengkong didn't consider himself particularly clever; instead of figuring out how to hide a book, he could spend that time figuring out how to use it.
Over the past three weeks, he'd basically figured out the mechanics of the Book of Appraisal. It was a very selective book, only able to appraise relics. If something wasn't even of "low-quality" quality, it would be a blank slate—for example, his dead phone wouldn't have any text on it.
Multiple cases confirmed the book's basic truthfulness. The "Missing" section sometimes took a few detours, but it all contained information related to the original owner of the relic. During the identification of these relics, Chu Hengkong gradually gained a clear understanding of the city's situation. His earlier suspicions were spot on; the city's situation was dire from every perspective...
This is exactly the environment for him to show his talents!
Chu Hengkong put away his books, put on his coat, and jumped out of the window, hooking his tentacles onto the balcony railing and swinging out. Any protrusion inside or outside the building could become a temporary landing point for his tentacles. He swung all the way to the third-floor window of the cafeteria. Jie An, who was behind the stall, frowned. "If you don't go through the main entrance, I'll put a notice in the window saying 'For Wild Pigeons and Inspector Chu Only.'"
"You talk as if there are pigeons in the city." Chu Hengkong stretched lazily, "Give me a bowl of white porridge with fried dough sticks."
"You're eating the cheapest food again. Chief Inspector, can you please not be so stingy?" Jie An said helplessly.
Chu Hengkong wanted to eat something nice, but he simply didn't have the money to spare... He'd been busy solving old cases for three weeks, and hadn't had time to catch the wanted criminals on the list. And he'd chosen a flexible wage, so if he didn't catch the wanted criminals and the criminal gangs, he wouldn't get a single penny. If the cafeteria didn't offer three penny-level employee benefits for three meals a day, he'd have run out of money long ago...
"Don't mention it. The only cold drink I had this week was the lemon tea Ji Huaisu bought me." Chu Hengkong sighed. "By the way, where's my partner?"
Jie An turned around and served the porridge: "Girl went on a business trip to the workshop today. She said that since you have been working for three weeks, you can try to work on your own."
"Is that so?" Chu Hengkong paused. "Any new work today?"
"It's definitely a good job with good pay, and you're guaranteed to get a first-class relic!" Jie An put down the bowl of porridge and handed over a "talisman" in a mysterious tone.
It was about the size of a palm, and on it was a vermilion incantation shaped like a bell or tripod, written in one continuous motion. It looked like a common prop from old zombie movies. Chu Hengkong stared at the talisman for two seconds, then looked up to meet Jie An's sly smile.
"Comrade Killer, have you ever exorcised ghosts before?"
Finally finished the first five days of daily 4k words... I will resume updating once a day starting tomorrow (loudly)
(End of this chapter)
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