The media had made a mountain out of an anthill. The DCI headquarters was swarmed with Media houses from major cities. The most shocking reveal was his identity, which had everyone glued to their devices just minutes after it was leaked.
The acclaimed murderer in their hands was not only a Taoist apprentice at night but a newly appointed prosecutor of the Xicheng Prosecutorate during the day.
Li Zhirui did not know whether to congratulate him or regard him with disdain. The first time he had met him, he was only twelve years old. Back then, a call had come in. It was from a nanny working in the Wu mansion. Chief Wu and his wife had been murdered.
Chief Wu was his superior and the one in charge of the station where he was working at that time. He had also mentored him for half his life. So, naturally, he left everything and ran over. He met his twelve-year-old son for the first time, his eyes swollen from crying and all blood drained from his face, making him appear as white as snow.
His delicate, cute face made him appear more pitiful, and he was so devastated for him. His eyes, nothing like he'd ever seen, were round and large, his long lashes covering them like a soft, elegant blanket. He was very cute and small, and he wished for nothing other than to protect him for the rest of his life.
However, two days later, the cuteness had remained, but a different spirit had possessed the body, making him appear like a whole different person. Then, just as he had done today, he gave the officers interrogating him a sinister smile and casually confessed to having murdered his own parents. Li Zhirui could still recall how he felt at that moment. So chill, his bones shivered.
It was around four in the morning when they transferred him to the Xicheng Directorate of Criminal Investigations, but the city never went to sleep, and before they had covered a meter, reporters had joined the procession, their cars following from behind, cameras at the ready. How did they even know?
Wang Xinyi thought it would be difficult to cover for them, but with the news of the murderer's confession, the entire block did not care about the fugitives locked in their office, as they went back and forth getting everything ready.
The deputy director general's temper had gotten even worse, and Chief Fang was at the receiving end on behalf of the entire homicide department's stead. The Deputy-Director's yelling threatened to bring the twenty-four-story building down.
They arrived and were shoved into a sea of reporters, some pulling, some screaming, and others flashing. Gao Ming's face was exposed at that time. Exactly an hour after his pictures were posted online, the tale of an angel with demon horns had started. The front pages described the situation as gold and jade on the outside, rotten cotton on the inside. However, everybody in the forums had to agree that he was the most beautiful man they had ever seen in their lives.
His hair was not tied, so it fell all the way, reaching halfway down his back. It was full, curled, and silky, not allowing fatigue and the long hours of detention to ruin its lustre. His skin was even better than his younger self. A collaboration of snow, porcelain, and silk, not a single spot in sight but one. A birthmark under his left eye.
The pictures were taken amid scrambling and shoving, so they were blurred and of low quality, but they could not hide his beauty. In another hour, new fan clubs had erupted from the ashes with abominable fictional stories already structured on some writing platforms. Li Zhirui set his phone down and cringed in disgust. He felt sick to his stomach, unable to understand the insensitivity and inhumanity of humans.
In a short time, every unit was called to the boardroom. The official briefing set the course.
"We already have a confession, and the evidence found at the crime scene links him to the crime. Let's send him to the prosecutor's office. His kind will deal with him. We will call a press conference later in the day and announce that we have caught the murderer."
"Exactly, our work is already cut out for us."
Several detective units had sat in a dimly lit boardroom, with only the light from the large screen at the front illuminating the room. Li Zhirui sneered audibly in a corner, where he had been concealed until now. Everybody, including the Deputy Director, turned to look in his direction.
"What is it now, Captain Li?!" The deputy director asked, visibly irritated.
"A confession is not enough to indict him. We have no way of proving whether he is the murderer or not from the evidence provided. I want to request an in-depth investigation."
Murmurs of displeasure erupted in the room after Li Zhirui finished up his last word.
"Do you think the higher-ups have enough patience to wait for an in-depth investigation?! We're already too late! This case was supposed to be closed yesterday!" The deputy director erupted.
"Captain Li," Another old man in uniform said, his tone contradicting the deputy's. "He has already confessed. Only his traces and the victims were found at the crime scene. The victim is dead, he is living, and most importantly, he has confessed to the murder. What more proof do you need?"
Li Zhirui had been working with these people for over ten years now. He knew them like the back of his hand. People in the force were stubborn, especially the old ones, firmly holding on to their own views.
Even when he was raising his suggestion, he already knew they would not accept it. However, he was also in the force, having been raised by their very hands, and was cut out from the same cloth, stubborn. His gut feeling had firmly refused to let it go, telling him there was something more to the case than it seemed.
Sir, we are a large and respected organization. If we perform our duties this way, without adhering to proper procedures, others will look down on us. It is every suspect's right to have a proper investigation conducted…"
'Captain Li, just because you have earned some merits, do you think you have the right to call us incompetent?"
Nobody had called them incompetent, or at least, nobody said it out loud. However, another quick-tempered officer jumped to his own conclusion, twisting his intention. Li Zhirui made a mental note to punch him on the face next time they met in the field.
All Unit One members were present, and they began looking at each other anxiously, already sensing the direction this conversation was leading to. It was not a good direction. Wang Xingyi rushed to calm their captain down.
"Captain, please leave it. There's nothing we can do about it." She whispered close to him. Li Zhirui heard it but acted as if he did not hear a thing.
"Detective Zhang. Take your seat according to the number. I was simply stating a fact."
He responded, his voice condescending. Detective Zhang was older, and to be outed like that in front of his juniors and superiors was really crossing the line for him. He instantly turned red with anger. Other units rushed to save his face.
"We heard that there's a familiarity between you and the murderer. You're not trying to protect him, are you?" Another detective with a rough beard spoke, laughing after his statement.
At those words, Yang Lei, who mostly stayed silent in these meetings, was beside himself with rage. For the years he had known Li Zhirui, he would be the last person to try and cover up for a criminal, no matter who they were to him.
"Detective Feng, how dare you?!" He retorted.
Before this matter could escalate any further, the Deputy-director banged his fist on the table, letting out a loud rattle and ending all faction wars in an instant.
"Enough! Did I waste my time coming to hear kids arguing?!"
He then quickly concluded the meeting.
"Unit three will take the case off unit one. They still need ample time to rest." As he said that, his eyes shot directly at Li Zhirui; his voice was low and suggestive, as if he was making a threat. Li Zhirui opened his mouth to argue, but Yang Lei firmly stepped on his foot.
"Hand him over to the Procecutorate. Work hand in hand and provide anything they may need. We already have a confession backing the evidence, so we can close it soon. Everybody, thank you for your hard work."
He got up to leave as soon as he was done talking, leaving a noisy room behind.
The captain of unit three, also a long-time rival of Li Zhirui, looked in his direction and smiled, then walked out. Li Zhirui's anger, which had already reached boiling point, discovered new levels.
Back in the holding cell, an officer tapped the metal bars with his club, startling Gao Ming, who had drifted off to slumber.
"You'll be handed over to the Prosecutorate tomorrow." Then he left.
His head was bent low, and his eyes stared at the floor, and slowly, he broke into a smile.