Chapter 90: Reasons why it was a woman.

When the plane was about to land, Linlin visited the bathroom. Weijun slid into her seat. Liwu glared at him. Her teammates moved around, finding other seats away from the couple.

“Go away.” Liwu hissed.

Weijun shook his head. “I need to clear the air first. I did not give you flowers and jewelry so that you could take on the case. It was a thank you for escorting me on all these events even though you hated it. Could I have chosen a better timing, maybe!”

Liwu snorted.

Weijun sighed and lowered his head. Then he raised it and added, “I also realize that I should have told you were we were going and what the President required of you. I just knew you would refuse to take on the case and the President knew this too, which was why he gave me a directive. I figured you would understand the tight position I was in after hearing what the case was. It involves system hosts so it is right up your alley.”

Liwu maintained her glare. “And that still doesn’t give you the right to decide if I am taking on a case or not. That’s my job. There are other detectives in the Bureau with investigation and crime related systems. Any of them could have been sent over.”

“But you are the best.” Weijun laughed. “If the killer turns out to be a human, OHM or lawyers could claim that the investigation was not fairly done because the investigators had systems. That they found something to hide. You on the other hand have no system and you are the liaison of the the normal police and bureau, in the country. Also, everyone knows you like to arrest the rich and famous and you are impartial. You will run a clean and clear investigation.”

Chief Abby cleared his throat, diffusing the tension. “We are landing in ten minutes.” He looked at Liwu. “You hate many things, games being one. Tie Ta district is a place where games dominate life daily. Tournaments and strategy simulations are found in almost every corner. The basketball team chose to celebrate here because they are heroes and they are loved. The team is revered.”

Liwu groaned. “They are a national pride, I already know this.” She closed the folder. “I also don’t care about how precious they are. My job is to find out who killed Fan Tai-Hua and why.”

Chief Abby nodded. “Just don’t be rude.”

Xuanji snorted. “That is like telling a sweet not to be sweet. Our Liwu is the prickliest of the prickliest thorns. Just ask daddy’s jaw.”

Weijun spun around, “I am not your daddy.”

“Yes daddy.” Xuanji replied.

Liwu guffawed.

The air hostess walked over, asking everyone to return to their seats and prepare for touch down. The plane dipped slightly, signaling descent. Liwu’s team sighed, knowing the storm awaiting them on the ground.

Tie Ta district unfolded beneath them like a carnival of competition. Neon signs blazed with tournament schedules, holographic billboards displayed championships, and like the chief said, every corner hosted some form of contest. As early as 4 a.m, children were playing augmented reality duels. Merchants were hawking game tokens along the streets. Roads were crying as race cars that chased the wind crushed them with heavy and light tires. Busy arenas pulsed with the roar of crowds.

The city was alive, because it never slept.

For gaming system hosts, this district was paradise. Abilities weren’t hidden–they were celebrated, monetized and broadcast. Victories meant fame, sponsorships, and influence. Losses meant disgrace.

Every school in the district had a gaming course. Every hospital had a gaming section. Everywhere one went, games could not be avoided.

Weijun was proud of Tie Ta district. He was even consulting with experts from many other countries that wanted him to repeat the success of Tie Ta in their motherlands.

Liwu stepped off the plane, her trench coat snapping in the wind. Her teammates followed, their Bureau badges and insignias on their luggage drawing curious stares. The air buzzed with anticipation, as if the district itself was a game board waiting for its next move.

While others soaked in the flashy billboards and robot dolls from different games which welcomed them at the airport, Liwu remained stiff, refusing to smile, even at the cutest ones.

At her side, Weijun kept whispering, “I will buy you this one or that one.” She remained unresponsive.

They drove to the villa, a sprawling estate perched on a hillside. Security guards stood stiffly at the gates, their eyes betraying unease. A visit from the Bureau was always the beginning of disgrace and it had never happened in this city, not out in the open like this.

Inside the house, the atmosphere was heavy. The remnants of celebration lingered–empty bottles, confetti, music equipment–but the joy had curdled into silence.

The crime scene was cordoned off. The victim lay in a changing room just outside the swimming pool area. His body unnaturally twisted, eyes wide as if frozen mid-shock. The lower half was covered with a white sheet and the doctor and medical examiner’s team the President had sent ahead of the team’s arrival was already at work.

Liwu crouched beside him, her detective’s instincts flaring. “No external wounds on the upper body,” she murmured.

The doctor pulled down the sheet and Liwu gasped. The victim’s genitals had been sliced in half. “Woah,”

Linlin was equally stunned. “Am I seeing the same thing you are?”

“The killer is a woman.” Xuanji declared.

Liwu scoffed. “Why, because his hotdog was cut open?” She asked in a skeptical tone.

“A man would not do that to a fellow man.” Chief Abby agreed. “It is like the unsaid ’bro code.’ I agree with Xuanji, this was done by a woman.

“We will leave that up to the investigation. I am not drawing any conclusions basing off a fictional bro code.” She rose, her gaze sweeping over her teammates. “Let’s head inside and question the rest of the team while the coroner takes care of finding the evidence left on the body.” She looked at the dead man one last time and shuddered.

What had he done for someone to do such a thing to him? Liwu had a feeling that whether the killer was a man or woman, this case was related to a woman.

“I hope he bit the killer.” Xuanji said, “Those teeth should be good for something other than smiling.”

The team was gathered in the central lounge. Weijun was talking to the coach, near a window, where the man refused to leave because he needed to smoke every other minute.

Liwu glanced at the men and women in the room and then whispered to Linlin. Her partner nodded and said, “All the women should follow me, we will question you separately.”

Nobody put up an argument. Liwu was left with Xuanji, Weijun’s men and the players. She counted, to make sure they were all in the room. Facial recognition software in her watch scanned them, because she wanted their identities to be officially conformed.

“So, who was the closest to the victim during the celebration?” Her eyes moved over them. “Don’t waste my time because it is just as valuable as the time you spend on your training. The President personally handpicked my team to solve this murder. If it can’t be solved, you will all be arrested tomorrow and questioned in an official setting. Think of all the press and what will happen to your careers? Not many people bounce back after being handcuffed and tried for murder.”

Weijun blinked. Was she going to arrest the whole team and parade them in front of the press?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep