I Asked You To Simulate A Crime, And You Pulled Off The Perfect Crime? - Chapter 169

It had been half a week since Episode 8 ended. Public discussion about the show was finally starting to die down. For the actors, this was a rare chance to relax. Though the actual program wasn’t long, everyone had been tense and constantly scheming during filming,it was exhausting.

Naturally, they wanted to take this opportunity to rest.

But!

Inside the Criminal Investigation Department’s office, Wang Zheng and his two subordinates looked grim. Forget about resting, they probably weren’t even sleeping well at this point. Piled up on their desks were stacks of letters.

“Captain Wang, these are the complaint letters we’ve received over the past few days,” Su Haoran reported. “And this is just a portion. The number of anonymous complaints on the official website is even worse.”

Wang Zheng looked at the letters, feeling helpless.

The whole purpose of cooperating with Inescapable Justice was to promote modern criminal investigation techniques and educate the public on crime prevention. But after three straight losses some of the audience had started to question their capabilities.

“Open one. Let’s see what they say,” Wang Zheng sighed. He wasn’t someone who cared about saving face. Sure, losing three times in a row had taken a toll on him, but he still upheld the dignity and responsibility of an old-school criminal investigator.

Su Haoran opened the first letter and read aloud, “Just one Chen Shu, and the entire Criminal Investigation Department is running in circles. I’m seriously speechless. Thank goodness this is just a simulation on a variety show, if this happened in real life, I can’t imagine how disastrous it would be. My suggestion? Get a new team.”

That was just the first letter and it was already a gut punch. The three of them stood in awkward silence.

“Well… it’s not wrong,” Wang Zheng said wryly. “At least it’s just a program.”

They were lucky society was currently peaceful giving them the chance to participate in a show and educate the public. But still, getting schooled repeatedly by Chen Shu, that wasn’t a great look. He didn’t think it was all bad, but if they kept losing, it was only natural the department’s credibility would take a hit.

“Read another one,” Wang Zheng said.

Qin Min picked up a second letter. He opened it, froze, then looked hesitant to speak.

“Hm?” Wang Zheng turned to him. “What is it? Is it that harsh? Don’t worry. We wear this uniform to serve the people. It’s their right to question our abilities and in fact, their belief in us is why they’re willing to push us to improve. Go ahead. Read it.”

Qin Min nodded slowly and read, “I could do better myself.”

Wang Zheng, “…”

“Forget it, Captain,” Qin Min said as he tucked the letter away. “There’s still some time before the next episode. Let’s go over Chen Shu’s past cases and do a full review so we’re prepared.”

Wang Zheng sat back in his chair, clearly hesitating. He was debating whether to participate in the next episode at all. To be honest, he was starting to feel afraid.

What if Chen Shu won again?

Step, step. Just then, the sound of steady footsteps echoed down the hallway. Moments later, a man in his fifties, dressed in full police uniform, walked into the office. The moment Wang Zheng saw him, he immediately stood up. “Master, what brings you here?”

Su Haoran and Qin Min also hurriedly greeted him. “Deputy Chief Liu!”

It was Liu Changguo, the Vice Chief of the Municipal Police Bureau and Wang Zheng’s former mentor.

Back before Wang Zheng became head of the investigation team, Liu Changguo had personally trained him, guiding him through the ropes. Only after Liu Changguo was promoted did Wang Zheng take his place.

“Hmph,” Liu Changguo grunted as he sat in Wang Zheng’s chair. “If I hadn’t come, those complaints would’ve drowned the whole department!”

Wang Zheng stood to the side in silence.

“Inescapable Justice partnered with our bureau to promote justice and spread positive values. Losing once? Fine. Losing twice? Still manageable. But losing to Chen Shu three times?” Liu scolded. “Haven’t you heard the saying ‘three strikes and you’re out’? Do you even understand the impact if you lose one more time?”

“We’ve considered that, of course,” Wang Zheng replied solemnly.

“Don’t worry, Deputy Chief,” Su Haoran added. “We’re determined to win this time.”

“Yeah,” Qin Min chimed in. “This isn’t Captain Wang’s fault, we’ve learned from our mistakes. We’ll make sure Chen Shu is brought to justice.”

“No need to say more,” Liu waved them off. “I’ve watched Chen Shu’s footage. To be honest, both his intellect and composure are far above average. You’re already showing signs of agitation, if you try to go head-to-head like this, without a clear mindset, your chances of winning are low.”

“Then…” Wang Zheng asked, “Master, do you have any advice for us?”

“No,” Liu shook his head directly. “Chen Shu isn’t a typical criminal, standard methods won’t work. What matters now is your ability to adapt during the program. If you can’t respond quickly, you’ll fall into his traps again.”

“Take the last episode, for example. If you had realized earlier that Yamamoto Sakura’s body had been swapped, he’d have been cornered. But you were always one step too slow, he exploited that.”

The three men lowered their heads in shame.

“So…” Liu Changguo stood up and adjusted his police hat. “I came to let you know, next episode, I’ll be joining the show as the lead of the investigation team.”

The moment he said that, the three of them exchanged glances. Shocked, excited, and a little incredulous. The old-school detective was coming out of retirement?

At the same time, elsewhere, another person was losing his mind.

Zhang Sheng, “Hello? Director! I didn’t ignore your call last time, my phone was off! Really! Swear to God, if I’m lying, I’m a little dog!”

Zhang Sheng sat behind his desk, trying to explain himself loudly into his speakerphone. Eventually, the yelling on the other end died down. He cautiously brought the phone closer. Then, Wu Hong’s voice came through, “I just got word from the City Police Bureau, Deputy Chief Liu will personally be joining the investigation team in the next episode.”

“Huh?” Zhang Sheng was stunned. Then he gasped. “Whoa, Chen Shu’s antics actually got a senior officer out of his chair. Looks like the investigation team’s going all in next time!”

“Exactly. It’ll be an intense showdown,” Wu Hong replied.

Zhang Sheng nodded, then after a short pause, he asked, “But Director, if the Deputy Chief is joining, what do we do about Yamamoto Yuu? With him, we’d have five people on the investigation team. That’s too many, isn’t it? Should we terminate his contract?”

“People are flaming me online, saying I’m obsessed with foreigners! I’m innocent, okay? You’re the one who brought him on!”