Accidental Hero: The Rookie Who Outshines the Force - Chapter 49

The meeting room was quiet.

Next to Lu Cheng, Yuan Jie scribbled furiously in his notebook, looking every bit like a model student.

Good memory is no match for a pen that won’t stop moving. Lu Cheng knew the saying, but with [Memory Enhancement], he had already stored all the details in his head when Officer Su Qingwu was presenting the case. The pen and notebook in front of him were purely decorative.

Chen Weimin and Zhao Han occasionally jotted down key points, as did the others around the conference table.

Everyone, that is—except Lu Cheng, who hadn’t even opened his notebook.

The contrast was stark.

Yang Zheng glanced in Lu Cheng’s direction, frowning slightly.

Allowing two trainee officers to attend the meeting was already an exception. Yet it seemed someone didn’t appreciate the opportunity.

Next to him, top-performing criminal investigation graduates were diligently taking notes. And here was an ordinary police academy graduate, acting like he owned the room?

He’d clearly let his ego swell after catching a few thieves in the past days!

Does he really think solving a homicide is as easy as catching pickpockets?

Yang Zheng understood that young people could get cocky after early success—he had been young once too.

But a sap must be pruned while it’s still young. If left to grow unchecked, it will soar too high and fall hard. A promising young officer couldn’t be allowed to break himself prematurely.

As Lu Cheng pondered his investigative approach, he suddenly heard his name called by Yang Zheng.

He blinked in confusion and stood up.

Chen Weimin and Zhao Han exchanged curious glances.

Technically, the Sanliqiao precinct officers were there to assist in the investigation—taking orders from the criminal investigation team.

So, except for Director Chen Weimin, everyone else sat on simple stools in the corners. Trainee officers like Yuan Jie and Lu Cheng were supposed to be nearly invisible.

Yet even an invisible trainee had been singled out.

Everyone’s curiosity turned toward Lu Cheng, including Su Qingwu, whose cold eyes studied him intently.

Yang Zheng asked, “Lu Cheng, while Officer Su was presenting the case, everyone was taking notes. Why didn’t you? The fact that your trainee officers can sit in this meeting shows the department wants to cultivate you. You’re being given a chance, and your attitude right now is problematic.”

He was publicly rebuking Lu Cheng to humble his pride, to make sure he didn’t get carried away.

“Uh… Chief Yang, I did take notes.”

“Hah! You didn’t even open your notebook, and you say you took notes?”

“I stored everything in my head.”

Yang Zheng raised an eyebrow. “You say you have a good memory? Officer Su, quiz him with a few questions.”

Chen Weimin touched his nose, Zhao Han sighed, and the others leaned back, ready to watch the show.

The chief challenged Lu Cheng, and having Su Qingwu quiz him added an extra layer of tension. Would she go easy on him because of their… relationship?

“Okay.”

Su Qingwu showed no emotion. She had prepared several questions based on the case presentation and asked Lu Cheng to answer them.

Details like the time of the crime, down to the exact minute.

The victim’s bank transactions, down to the last cent.

The suspect’s movements, recounting every place visited the day before the incident.

Everyone else was stunned. Su Qingwu wasn’t going easy—she had raised the difficulty level significantly.

“The suspected time of the crime was from 7:13:56 to 7:55:22.”

Lu Cheng recalled the surveillance footage from earlier. The timestamps were vivid in his mind. During the presentation, the images had only flashed briefly—remembering them to the exact second required an eidetic memory.

With [Memory Enhancement], Lu Cheng’s short-term recall was effectively perfect. The higher the skill level, the longer the memory would last.

He wasn’t showing off. He genuinely didn’t need to write anything down, saving precious time during investigations.

The others were astonished.

Asked to recall to the minute, Lu Cheng answered to the second. For the other questions, he recited every detail flawlessly, like reciting a textbook.

Yang Zheng had clearly misjudged him. Lu Cheng’s “attitude problem” wasn’t defiance—it was competence.

While everyone else scribbled notes, Lu Cheng simply recalled everything in his mind.

Su Qingwu was slightly surprised. As his “girlfriend,” she already knew he had a good memory from their café conversation, but this exceeded even her expectations.

Qin Mian watched Lu Cheng as if he were a precious artifact. A skilled thief-catcher, now with an eidetic memory—he was perfect for criminal investigations.

Yang Zheng raised his eyelids, scrutinizing Lu Cheng.

This kid… hasn’t flinched under my rebuke.

A flicker of unease crossed the chief’s face, and he forced a smile:

“Alright, your memory’s impressive. Analyze the case—what’s the next step? How should the Sanliqiao precinct carry out the investigation?”

This task was originally Qin Mian’s to assign. Yang Zheng, stubborn as ever, wanted Lu Cheng to flounder—but he spoke fluently.

Wait, Chief Yang, you’re asking him this?

A mere trainee officer from the precinct—what could he possibly suggest?

Lu Cheng furrowed his brow, thinking carefully. Everyone assumed he’d fail, but then he spoke:

“I propose a three-step operation. Step one: trace the suspect, Wu Hao. He is currently missing. Priority areas include small hotels and internet cafés that don’t require ID registration, as well as bathhouses. His hometown is in the Northeast. Call records indicate he contacted his family after the crime, so escape is possible, but current surveillance suggests he remains in the city.

Step two: inspect the body disposal route—from Fangjia Alley to Binjiang Bridge. Pull surveillance from seven gas stations and four convenience stores along the way…”

He continued, laying out every actionable idea he could think of.

The room fell into a stunned silence.

Everyone’s expressions were incredulous.

Next to Lu Cheng, Yuan Jie’s head was spinning, staring at him in disbelief.

Wait… who’s the professional here?

The question that had stumped Yuan Jie moments ago, Lu Cheng answered clearly and logically.

Su Qingwu’s eyes sparkled, impressed. Her “boyfriend” was exceptional—more than she’d anticipated.

Yang Zheng, two seats away, whispered to Chen Weimin:

“Has this kid ever solved a homicide before?”

Chen Weimin shook his head. “No way. He’s only been working a few days. He’s never seen a real homicide case.”

The professional investigators were left flabbergasted. A trainee from a precinct could analyze a fresh homicide case this well?

What are we supposed to do now?

Sensing the tension, Lu Cheng spoke: “Chief, are there any more questions, or may I sit?”

He didn’t know if he’d said the right thing. Years of studying criminal investigation texts finally applied in practice. Judging by everyone’s expressions, it seemed he had.

Yang Zheng had tried twice to humble him, but failed. Lu Cheng hadn’t been arrogant—he just used his brain instead of a notebook.

Fine. He’s unbeatable.

“Sit down. Qin Mian, continue assigning tasks.”

“Understood.”

Qin Mian glanced at Lu Cheng. Having said so much, Lu Cheng had covered most of the points himself. The remaining team was divided into small groups for field investigation.

The Sanliqiao officers would carry out the canvassing, including Director Chen Weimin.

The exception was Lu Cheng. Thanks to his detailed analysis, he was spared from time-consuming canvassing and paired with Su Qingwu for a site inspection of the crime scene.