Accidental Hero: The Rookie Who Outshines the Force - Chapter 52

“Don’t even think about searching the scene again, kid. The police dogs have already done it—what, you’re better than a dog? Or do you have X-ray vision?”

But Lu Cheng looked completely serious, rolling up his sleeves and getting ready to start.

Seriously… does this kid have comprehension issues? Or does he actually think he’s some super detective?

All this manpower had been searching for hours with no results, and now this rookie thinks he can do it alone?

Qin Mian hadn’t even stopped him. By the time he reacted, Lu Cheng was already following the drag marks, searching.

Su Qingwu glanced at him, speechless. She turned to Qin Mian: “Should I go pull him back?”

“Forget it. Let him have his fun. I’ve called the recovery team—searching the river for the murder weapon will take at least half a day.”

Calling Lu Cheng back was wishful thinking. Could anyone really expect a trainee with only a few days on the job to make a difference in a murder investigation?

Qin Mian shook his head and stepped aside to make a call.

Su Qingwu noticed the hint of disappointment on his face. She looked back at Lu Cheng, now kneeling among the riverside reeds, thoroughly focused.

She pursed her lips, unable to fathom what was going on in his mind. Was he truly just a rookie, relying purely on brute luck?

She considered warning him not to disturb the drag marks… then remembered last night’s rain had washed them away anyway. No need to preserve the scene.

Fifteen minutes later, the river recovery team arrived.

Qin Mian instructed them to get moving. The divers suited up, grabbed their grappling hooks, and prepared to search under the bridge—just as Lu Cheng’s voice rang out:

“Over here! I’ve found something!”

Everyone looked toward the bridge piers.

Su Qingwu’s eyes widened in recognition. She froze for a second. This was familiar—just like when Lu Cheng had discovered the window latch fingerprint at the crime scene!

Could he have found the murder weapon this time?

Qin Mian, Xiao Zheng, Xiao Hu, and the other CID officers stopped what they were doing, staring at Lu Cheng in disbelief.

Qin Mian exhaled sharply. How did he even get under the bridge?

He had told him to “play around,” and Lu Cheng really had turned it into an art form.

The team quickly jogged over.

Lu Cheng had wanted to re-examine the dumping site because he knew that if the next step was searching the river, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack—possible, yes, but extremely time-consuming.

Might as well try his luck now.

Since his [Trace Clues] skill had leveled up to Lv. 2, his sensitivity to physical evidence had increased. Running a thorough sweep of the area was enough to ensure nothing went unnoticed.

Luck was on his side.

In the mud along the riverbank beneath the bridge, he spotted a faint green glow.

The murder weapon?

He grabbed a nearby stick and began digging.

The soil, softened by last night’s rain, gave way easily. After a few digs, the corner of a black plastic bag emerged.

Heart racing, Lu Cheng dug with his hands. Within moments, he pulled out the black bag.

Inside was a heavy, long object.

Just by looking, anyone could tell it was a crowbar or similar blunt weapon.

Spectators on the bridge erupted in excitement.

“Wow! That young officer seems to have found something!”

“Oh my gosh! The black bag’s open—it’s a blood-stained crowbar!”

“It’s the murder weapon! The weapon used to kill!”

“This rookie is amazing—the police dogs couldn’t even find it!”

…

Qin Mian and Su Qingwu arrived just in time to see Lu Cheng pull the bloody crowbar from the bag. Everyone was ecstatic.

The murder weapon had been found!

Qin Mian stared at Lu Cheng in disbelief. “You… how did you find it?”

Su Qingwu’s beautiful eyes fixed on him, as if staring at a freak.

Xiao Zheng and Xiao Hu, in their hearts, were thinking: This trainee is unbelievable—like a powerhouse in human form!

Qin Mian reached for the weapon but realized he wasn’t wearing gloves. He shouted to a nearby forensics officer:

“Quick! Bag the weapon!”

“On it, on it…”

The recovery team, standing by the riverbank, froze in surprise. Wait… you guys found the weapon already?

“Captain Qin, should we still go into the water?”

Qin Mian rolled his eyes. “It’s found! No need!”

“What about our payment? We drove over ten kilometers!”

“Fine, fine! Here, take it! Geez, can’t you cut us some slack after all this cooperation?”

“Small business, sir!”

…

The recovery team departed as quickly as they had arrived.

Xiao Zheng pounded his fist playfully. “Lu Cheng, if you’d come sooner, we could’ve saved a ton of money!”

Finding the murder weapon marked a major breakthrough in the case. Everyone was thrilled.

Qin Mian grinned at Lu Cheng. “Not bad, kid. Even better than our police dogs. How about it—want to join the CID?”

Su Qingwu glanced at Lu Cheng with her sharp, observant gaze.

Seeing the surprise on his face, Qin Mian waved his hand dismissively. “Haha, this isn’t a formal invitation. Just asking for your thoughts.”

Even a formal invite was unlikely—trainees didn’t typically get transferred into the CID mid-probation.

Catching thieves? Any cat that catches its prey is fine.

Solving cases? That requires theory, experience, and skill.

During his probation, Qin Mian could observe him further. But once it ended, he’d make sure to bring up the matter with Yang Zheng, the precinct chief.

Chen Weimin could protest all he wanted—but could he really outmaneuver the district chief?

Qin Mian called other teams to check on progress.

Surveillance from gas stations and convenience stores along the body-dumping route was being reviewed. Halfway through, there were still no traces of Wu Hao transporting the body.

Only one-third of the investigation had been completed. The workload was immense, and manpower limited.

“Since the weapon’s been found, this team can stand down.”

“Xiao Su, Lu Cheng, Xiao Zheng, Xiao Hu… all of you, join the canvassing effort. Aim to find suspect Wu Hao within twelve hours.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

…

Chen Weimin, Yuan Jie, and Guo Lei were canvassing a foot massage shop when they saw Lu Cheng and the others arrive. He paused.

“Done with the crime scene work?”

Lu Cheng nodded. “Weapon’s found. Next step: catch Wu Hao.”

Chen Weimin nodded approvingly. “Your CID team is efficient!”

Su Qingwu’s cool, clear voice added, “Lu Cheng found the weapon.”

“What?!” Chen Weimin was stunned.

Yuan Jie and Guo Lei’s expressions changed in surprise.

Su Qingwu briefly explained how Lu Cheng had discovered the murder weapon.

“That kid…”

Chen Weimin was at a loss for words.

This rookie really was something. Catching thieves? Check. Solving cases? Check.

A true all-rounder.

“Chief Chen, Captain Qin wants Wu Hao found within twelve hours.”

Chen Weimin tore a page from his notebook.

“These locations haven’t been canvassed yet. Split into three teams and divide the spots.”

Su Qingwu glanced at the paper and started organizing the groups.

“Xiao Zheng and Xiao Hu, you two take these five locations…”