Chapter 100: An Adult Fairy Tale (Wow, One Hundred Chapters)

Chen Shi cracked the case at lightning speed, but it took him three days to piece together the whole story.

Three days later, a file compiled by his subordinates was handed to Lin Qiupu. He glanced through it: the incident occurred on the evening of December 10th, though the conflict between the two had started as early as December 8th.

On December 8th, the suspect Deng Zhongming and the victim Lv Jianye had a dispute in the online game “Jianghu Frenzy.” Lv maliciously PKed Deng, causing Deng to lose equipment worth nearly 30,000 yuan. Lv then publicly taunted Deng, calling him a coward.

Enraged, Deng decided to kill Lv. Using his contacts in the game, he found out Lv’s address. Coincidentally, Lv also lived in Long’an City. On the evening of December 10th, Deng drove to Lv’s house to confront him.

That evening, Lv had a quarrel with his son. The son accused him of neglecting the family due to his gaming addiction and angrily took Lv’s gaming console, throwing it into the neighborhood river. Lv jumped into the river in front of several witnesses to retrieve it but failed.

Depressed over this incident, Lv’s son went out drinking with friends and died in a car accident that night. The autopsy confirmed it was purely accidental.

Unable to play games, Lv went to a nearby internet café for two hours. When he returned home at 7 PM, it was already dark. He ran into Deng. Though both were middle-aged men with families, they kept a cordial attitude. Lv apologized and offered to treat Deng to dinner. Deng suggested they take a walk instead.

They went to a nearby park. Seeing no one around, Deng pushed Lv into the lake. Lv struggled to swim back, but Deng hit him repeatedly with a cane, shouting, “Guarding my corpse was fun, huh? Now you’ll see how it feels!”

Deng claimed he only intended to scare Lv. Unexpectedly, Lv sank. Deng panicked and didn’t call for help. Half an hour later, Lv’s body surfaced. Fearing exposure, Deng retrieved the body and drove it to a secluded spot, dumping it.

The autopsy revealed Lv’s arthritis had flared up after getting soaked, leaving his legs weak in the water—an indirect cause of death. If Deng hadn’t pushed him, he might have just caught a cold, but wouldn’t have died.

Deng discarded the body under a nightclub. The nightclub owner, worried about business, moved the body to a nearby restaurant’s garbage bin, where it was discovered the next evening by garbage collectors.

The case was clear and straightforward. Lin Qiupu couldn’t help but admire Chen Shi’s sharp judgment and insight upon reviewing it.

Footsteps approached. Chen Shi entered and asked, “Is the case closed?”

“Not in it for the bar?” Lin Qiupu pulled an envelope from a drawer, feeling a pang at losing so much money. “A bet’s a bet.”

Chen Shi took it with a smile. “Thanks, though you…”

“Hey, no need to rub it in. Hurry up, we’ve got more work to do!”

“You’re honest, which is what I like about you.”

“Enough flattery…” Lin Qiupu threw the consultant certificate Chen Shi previously declined onto the table. “Take this. Using a fake badge is fraud, you know.”

“Not fake, it’s empty.”

“Take it. We’ve worked together so many times. What’s there to fuss about?”

Chen Shi picked up the certificate, uncertain why he had refused it last time. Perhaps deep down, he didn’t want to be bound by this identity again, the responsibilities of which had once caused him immense pain.

Seeing Chen Shi staring at the certificate, Lin Qiupu urged, “Take it! You’re just a part-time consultant, not under my command. You’re free to work with Team Two whenever you like.”

Chen Shi smiled, patting the certificate. “I’ll keep it for now.”

Lin Qiupu sighed with relief, folding his arms as he leaned back. “New Year is coming, and the team will be busy. Don’t drive your taxi for a while. Help me out instead.”

“You said I’m not under your command. Should I return the certificate?”

“Come on, it’s just a suggestion.”

“Fine, I’m resting lately. Call me if there’s a murder case.”

After Chen Shi left, Lin Qiupu looked at a photo on his desk. “Senior, could this driver’s appearance be your way of helping me?”

Today, Chen Shi sent Tao Yueyue to school and finally had a day off. Taking care of a child was tough. He strolled around a jewelry store with his gambling winnings, choosing a decent-looking necklace.

At noon, he called Lin Dongxue for lunch, and she agreed.

At the restaurant, as he pondered how to give the necklace to Lin Dongxue, she arrived with Xu Xiaodong. “Why is he here?”

“He insisted on coming,” Lin Dongxue explained.

“Chen, you’re amazing! Solving the case in seven hours—it’s legendary!” Xu Xiaodong said excitedly. “No way I’m not treating you to a meal!”

“No need for you to treat me,” Chen Shi laughed.

When Lin Dongxue went to the restroom, Xu Xiaodong said, “Chen, why does your account have a friend? She’s the fourth-ranked player in the game and wants to marry me! I’m so confused. What’s going on?”

Chen Shi chuckled. “You came here for that, didn’t you?”

“Not entirely,” Xu Xiaodong admitted sheepishly.

“I talked to her that day. When she heard I’m a cop, she wanted to marry me.”

“I see.”

“But you should play less. With your salary, you can’t afford the equipment. This game’s a scam, milking top players dry. I’ve never seen such a shameless game. XXXX is way better.”

“Last night, my wife and I played a bit. It’s pretty fun… Don’t worry, I won’t get addicted. I’ll quit after a few days.”

“Hope you mean it.”

“This game is quite engaging.”

“Know why?”

“Enlighten me, Chen.”

“It’s designed for people who struggle in real life, creating a heroic world where they can excel. In just three minutes, you’ll love it. Achievement, honor, friendship, love, adventure—it’s all packaged for you. Gamers hate hearing ‘it’s just a game,’ but I’ll say it anyway: investing too much in it is foolish. No matter how good the game, you still need to eat real food. Spending so much on virtual items isn’t worth it. Better to play some well-crafted single-player games.”

“True!” Xu Xiaodong nodded.

“Which part?”

“The last part. When I get my New Year bonus, I’m buying a game console.”

“You’re still a kid at heart.” Chen Shi laughed.