Chapter 21: In This World, There Are No Surveillance Cameras!

“Could it be... none of those previous cases were ever solved? That’s impossible, isn’t it?” Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, throwing the question back.

“If the cases weren’t solved, would the audience buy it? Would the show have lasted this long?” Yan Zheng snorted at the question.

“The audience?” He gave a derisive laugh. “All they care about is the so-called truth, the identity of the culprit, and they’re obsessed with those flashy, convoluted deduction processes. But as to whether the real killer is actually caught—how many people really dig that far?”

His eyes suddenly grew sharper, his tone dropping lower. “Let me tell you, and I take full responsibility for this: out of the dozen or so episodes we’ve done, aside from a few where the perpetrator was already dead or had long since fled overseas, the rest…” He paused, then enunciated each word clearly, “Not a single one has been solved.”

The revelation crashed over Chen Yu like a thunderclap.

In that instant, his understanding of this so-called phenomenally popular detective variety show was completely overturned—deeper, and much more complex than he’d ever imagined.

This was murkier than he thought.

“In the end, variety shows are just variety shows.” Yan Zheng’s tone was tinged with self-mockery. “When stacked against the bloody truth of real cases, at best, they’re just tools for entertaining the masses. To actually bring criminals to justice, you need people like us—those who wear these uniforms and keep a straight face all day. Don’t you agree?”

The sudden question gave Chen Yu the odd sense that this old fox had momentarily counted him as one of their own.

“What’s wrong? Still not willing to level with me?” Yan Zheng steered the conversation back, his gaze fixed intently on Chen Yu.

“Alright then, let me share my thoughts.” Chen Yu gave a wry smile, dropping all pretense and beginning to speak frankly.

“First of all, my thought process is quite different from those so-called ‘Great Detectives’ on the show. They seem obsessed with deduction, always trying to piece together every minute clue from a reasoning perspective, ultimately pointing to what they believe is the truth.”

He curled his lip, making no attempt to hide his disdain. “To me, that’s just too much trouble—those flashy antics are full of holes!”

“And you?” Yan Zheng asked, clearly intrigued.

“Me?” A grin spread across Chen Yu’s face, but his eyes suddenly sharpened. “I’m used to using criminal investigation techniques.”

“In criminal investigation, the most common and also the most direct and effective method is the process of elimination. Those contestants are always adding things to the case, constantly putting forth new theories, digging up new details, but all that usually just makes things more confusing—a foggy mess.”

“But the principle of criminal investigation is the opposite of those showy deduction games; our method is subtraction. We just keep eliminating all the distractions, removing every impossible option, until what’s left—no matter how unbelievable it may seem—must be the truth.”

Chen Yu spoke with an air of finality: “After all, these cases are matters of life and death for ordinary people; there’s no room for showing off or dragging things out. Efficiency and accuracy come first.”

“Well said!” Yan Zheng’s eyes shone with open admiration.

“So, you used the process of elimination to temporarily rule out Liu Hong as a suspect?”

“That’s right, but that’s only based on the preliminary assessment of the case,” Chen Yu replied, his tone shifting as he frowned again.

“In fact, I think this case, following standard investigative procedures, shouldn’t be too hard to crack.”

“Why hasn’t anyone started with the most basic thing—the timeline of the crime?” He looked at Yan Zheng, mystified.

“All you need to do is check the surveillance footage to see which day and at what time Luo Xiangdong entered that abandoned house. Then, using that as a reference point, investigate his social network for anyone who appeared near the scene at a similar time, or whose alibi is questionable. Wouldn’t a lot become clear?”

“Surveillance?” The moment Yan Zheng heard the word, his expression grew oddly strained.

“Yes, check the surveillance, confirm the last time and place the victim was seen—basic procedure, right?” Chen Yu countered, though an uneasy feeling was already creeping up in his heart.

Something was off about this old fox’s reaction.

“Heh…” Yan Zheng shook his head with a helpless, almost self-mocking smile. “I really don’t know if you’re genuinely clueless, or just pretending.”

“What’s wrong?” Chen Yu’s heart sank.

“There’s no surveillance,” Yan Zheng said crisply, each word striking Chen Yu like a heavy blow.

“No... no surveillance?” Chen Yu’s eyes went wide.

“Do you mean there’s none near the crime scene, or is coverage partial?” he pressed. “Even if some segments are missing, or you can only get a rough idea of the suspect’s direction after leaving, that’s still crucial supporting evidence, isn’t it?”

Yan Zheng only shook his head slowly, deep resignation in his eyes.

He spoke gravely, “Years ago, Jiang City proposed a plan to install a comprehensive surveillance network throughout the city. But the moment it was announced, it met with fierce, widespread opposition from the public. People were extremely concerned about their privacy being violated and abused. Under that intense social pressure, the city’s leadership compromised, deciding that surveillance would only be allowed in certain specific, critical public places—like train stations, airports, docks, and institutions like our investigation unit. Everywhere else—main roads, streets, neighborhoods, both inside and out—there’s no surveillance at all.”

“Wha… what?!” Chen Yu was completely stunned, his mind blank as if struck by a heavy blow.

No cameras on the streets, none at intersections, not even in residential communities?

How could that be possible?

Damn!

He’d almost forgotten—this was a parallel world.

While the broad strokes were similar to the world he’d known before crossing over, the details—especially social attitudes and rules—were entirely different, enough to overturn every familiar experience.

If public opposition to a policy was strong enough, it could really lead to such a drastically different outcome.

So this godforsaken city was almost entirely blind—no omnipresent “eyes in the sky”?

Talk about raising the difficulty level.

Yan Zheng took in Chen Yu’s utterly deflated look and couldn’t help but chuckle, “What’s wrong, kid? Can’t solve a case without surveillance?”

“Don’t forget, we still have forensics, trace evidence, and experts in criminal psychology. Each one of them has solved countless difficult cases.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Chen Yu let out a long sigh, curled his lip, and said helplessly, “You’re right. I was just thinking that having surveillance would make everything a lot easier.”

He rubbed his temples and quickly adjusted his mindset, then changed the subject.

“By the way, Captain Yan, when I deliberately asked Dong Zhan at Xiangdong Group if he had anything related to Luo Xiangdong, his reaction was definitely off. I think there’s something big behind it!”

“That’s not abnormal—that’s the normal reaction,” Yan Zheng replied with a meaningful look. “The thing you asked for, or rather, what he thought you were asking for, is directly tied to his own survival. Of course he’d be tense, even lose his composure.”

“Oh?” Chen Yu’s eyes lit up.

“So, that crucial item… is in your hands?”

Yan Zheng neither confirmed nor denied, only glancing at him and countering, “What, you think Dong Zhan’s the killer?”

“Not really, at least there’s no clear evidence pointing to him right now.” Chen Yu shrugged and smiled. “I’m just very curious about the ‘thing’ that could make him so flustered.”

He paused, then went on, “And judging by the impatience and lack of cooperation he showed as soon as we entered his office, he’s clearly had enough of us—or more precisely, you, Captain Yan. I bet you’ve ‘troubled’ President Dong more than a few times over the years since Luo Xiangdong’s disappearance. I’d wager you’ve investigated him inside out by now?”

“Oh? And how did you figure that out?” Yan Zheng arched his brow, his interest piqued yet again. This kid’s powers of observation were downright scary.

“In the less than ten minutes we spent in Dong Zhan’s office, he looked at his watch seven times, and the heel of his right shoe never stopped twitching under the table. Those are classic micro-expressions and body language that signal inner anxiety, the urge to escape the situation, and the desire to leave as soon as possible. It was all too obvious.”

“Not bad, kid! You even know about micro-expression psychology?” This time Yan Zheng was genuinely surprised, then broke into a smile.

“Just basic stuff, really!” Chen Yu grinned, looking smug.

“Alright, let’s get back to the case.” Yan Zheng’s smile faded and his expression turned serious, his gaze steady as he looked at Chen Yu. “In your view, what should our next investigative direction be?”

Chen Yu pondered for a moment, his eyes glinting with sharpness.

“With so many tangled clues and the case shrouded in fog, it seems difficult to find a clear breakthrough in the short term…”

“So why don’t we go back to the very beginning and start from scratch?”

“Oh? You don’t want to hear our team’s official briefing on the case first?” Yan Zheng’s lips curled, a hint of challenge in his tone.

“Of course I’ll listen to the briefing—that’s a step you can’t skip.” Chen Yu grinned, his eyes sly as he looked back at Yan Zheng. “But… more than those formulaic official reports, what I really want is to hear your special version of the briefing, Captain Yan.”

Yan Zheng was taken aback, then shook his head with a laugh. This kid was a real sly one.

He fished a car key out of his jacket pocket and tossed it to Chen Yu.

“Take it.”

Chen Yu caught the key smoothly, raising an eyebrow.

“Drive,” Yan Zheng said calmly. “Go wherever you want. I’ll explain everything on the way.”