“Exploiting a bug?” The chief, unfamiliar with the jargon of young people, was confused.

“I’ll handle the specific operations. If you’re willing to cooperate with my actions, we can start right now.”

Eager to solve the case, the chief was more than willing to cooperate with her.

Lin Hai went back to arrange the announcement preparation. As long as Yu Ning identified the killer, the Lin family could release the announcement immediately, reversing the situation.

The chief initially wanted to assign Yu Ning to the task force, but she refused. Exploiting this bug couldn’t be known to too many people. Seeing her refusal, the chief thought of assigning the task force leader to assist her, but Yu Ning declined again.

“Having Officer Xia with me is enough. I don’t need a third person.”

“Is he… a relative of yours?”

Yu Ning smiled without answering.

The chief, understanding the numerous rules in their field, didn’t press the matter.

Since a third person wasn’t needed, the chief couldn’t stay with Yu Ning either. He instructed Xia An to comply with all of Yu Ning’s requests as long as they didn’t violate principles.

Xia An wanted to go over the case with Yu Ning, including showing her some on-site materials, but she waved it off.

“Not necessary.”

“.???” Xia An was bewildered.

How could she solve the case without looking at anything?

“The killer disguised himself and entered the hotel with the victim. Nearby surveillance will have captured his image,” Yu Ning said.

Xia An nodded and shook his head.

“We checked the surveillance yesterday. It only captured his entry and exit, but his face was heavily covered, providing no useful clues.”

“People don’t just vanish into thin air. After killing someone, the killer must have found a place to change clothes and blend back into the crowd. If you were him, where would you change clothes?”

“Of course, in a surveillance blind spot. We considered that too. There’s an old mall 500 meters from the hotel. There’s no surveillance around there, and he could have used the restroom to change clothes.”

“But the problem is, that area is a surveillance blind spot. How can we recognize him after he changes clothes?”

“He will still pass through monitored areas when leaving the mall, whether walking to the subway, riding a shared bike, driving, or taking a taxi, right?”

“That’s true, but with so many people and vehicles on the road, how can we identify him among the crowd?”

“I can do it.”

“Huh?!” Xia An was dumbfounded.

Is that even possible?

“Take me to the traffic police unit and pull up the surveillance footage from the nearest intersections within an hour of him leaving the hotel.”

Xia An didn’t understand what she intended to do, but the chief had ordered full cooperation, so he took her there.

The traffic police unit was also in the same building, just downstairs.

Xia An led Yu Ning there, and after getting approval from the leadership, they were soon in the traffic monitoring center.

There were three surveillance cameras closest to the old mall, each facing a different direction.

Yu Ning checked each one in turn.

The killer probably anticipated that the police would check the surveillance, so he left during rush hour when there were more people.

“Play it at triple speed,” Yu Ning instructed, wanting to speed things up. She couldn’t drag this out too long because she would get sleepy and lose focus in the evening.

Yu Ning first watched the pedestrians and cyclists, as they moved slower, at triple speed.

In twenty minutes, she filtered out those walking and cycling, finding nothing suspicious.

“Play it again, this time at half speed.” This time, she focused on the drivers, pausing to closely examine anyone she found suspicious.

“Can I ask what you’re doing?” Xia An asked.

“Reading faces.”

“???” You can tell from that?!

Xia An was completely skeptical. He randomly pointed at a driver on the paused screen and asked.

“What can you tell about him?”

“His wife is having an affair.”

“Huh?” Xia An was wide-eyed with disbelief. This can’t be real!

“Move to the next one. He didn’t leave in that direction.”

Xia An still couldn’t grasp the reasoning behind it, but the black cat in Yu Ning’s pocket understood.

No wonder the girl didn’t bring any talismans.

This time, she was solving the case using her strongest skills.

The earlier character analysis wasn’t her forte, so it took a bit longer. But reading faces was her innate talent.

The black cat recalled the great-grandmother’s evaluation of her.

When it comes to face reading, she’s unbeatable among those below a Celestial Master.

But the black cat privately thought that her sharp intellect also played a crucial role. Just having the talent for face reading wouldn’t suffice without her brilliant mind to make it work so perfectly.

At this moment, Lin Zeng could only think of one thing: a smart girl, shining brightly.

Soon, the second set of footage started playing.

Following the same sequence, she filtered pedestrians at triple speed and drivers at half speed.

A third of the way through, Yu Ning suddenly called out.

“Wait, go back!”

Xia An quickly complied, feeling an inexplicable surge of excitement.

“Did you notice something unusual?”

Yu Ning pointed at a man in his forties on the screen.

“His eyes show white below the iris, indicating a fierce nature. His eyes have a dazed look, showing disregard for the law. His thick, disordered eyebrows, known as lion eyebrows, signify a violent temper. Most importantly, the shadow in his estate palace indicates he’s killed someone.”

“Ah?” Xia An was stunned.

“Wait, that shadow means a family-related murder case. Damn.”

Yu Ning’s expression turned awkward as she looked at Xia An.

“Can you pretend you didn’t hear that?”

“Why?” For a policeman, human life is paramount!

“Because the person who catches him might not be you. If you solve this case, it won’t be exploiting a bug; I’ll become the bug, revealing heavenly secrets.”

“What happens if you reveal heavenly secrets?”

Yu Ning made a throat-slitting gesture.

Violating the heavenly law could only mean death, and a complete one at that.

Exploiting the bug means letting the officer destined to catch him do it. That way, it’s not a big problem.

Considering her master’s prestige, the higher-ups might turn a blind eye. She could muddle through by making offerings and compensating with merits.

But the final outcome for this killer wasn’t known yet; it would require calculation.

If Xia An solved a case not meant for him, Yu Ning would be seen as disrupting order, creating a bug for the higher-ups.

Revealing heavenly secrets meant Yu Ning would die a terrible death.

“Even though I’m not sure if you’re telling the truth, I feel so unsatisfied.” Xia An was itching with curiosity.

With technology so advanced now, surveillance could automatically recognize wanted criminals. If this person was boldly walking under surveillance, it meant he wasn’t wanted.

Not letting a bad guy go was Xia An’s duty and mission as a policeman.

He really wanted to check if the person Yu Ning pointed out had committed a crime.

“Can’t you exploit the bug one more time?”

Letting a suspect go felt so wrong.

“I don’t have enough merits to balance two accounts. If you’re willing to use your merits, I can help for a fee. Remember, merits are valuable, affecting your children’s luck and even your next life. Think it over.”

“What do you mean?”