Chapter 4: Arresting the Suspect

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding—the four of us in the dormitory were startled awake by our phones ringing almost simultaneously. We glanced at our screens: all calls were from the police station.

“Ugh, it’s not even dawn yet. I haven’t even woken up properly!” came the immediate complaint from Feng Danyan. On the other end of the line, Lu Yun spoke briskly: “There’s a case in the city. We’ve spotted the suspect on surveillance footage. Report to the station immediately and assist us with the investigation.”

Wang Qing and Zhou Jie rolled out of bed at once, neatly folding their quilts before heading to the bathroom to wash up. Meanwhile, Feng Danyan collapsed back into bed, curling up in the covers. Only after countless calls from the others did she finally roll her eyes, stagger drowsily to her feet, and shuffle off to the bathroom with a gait so awkward that an onlooker might have thought she was lame.

At last, Feng Danyan survived what she called her morning nightmare, and the four of us arrived at the police station.

Led by Lu Yun, we headed to the crime scene where the suspect had been spotted on camera. Yet the site revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Wang Qing insisted on reviewing the footage again, and soon concluded that it was a fabricated video. No wonder she was the world’s second-best hacker, I mused silently, though she was still a step behind me—what a pity.

The four of us—Wang Qing, Zhou Jie, Feng Danyan, and I—began a meticulous search of the scene. Sunlight filtered through the half-drawn curtains, casting mottled patterns across the floor, where dust danced in the shafts of light. We bent down to examine every corner, leaving no possible clue unchecked. Wang Qing’s gaze was sharp as a hawk’s, sweeping the surroundings; Zhou Jie carefully directed her flashlight into every shadowed crevice; Feng Danyan, though still groggy, forced herself to keep up with us. My eyes roamed the room until a barely noticeable scratch caught my attention—hidden at the base of the wall near the door, easy to overlook without careful inspection.

I’d found something amiss: a tiny metal fragment embedded almost invisibly in the wood grain, catching a faint glint in the dim light. I picked it up gently and held it out for the others to see. Their focus sharpened instantly. Wang Qing’s brow furrowed, her eyes flashing with both astonishment and excitement; Zhou Jie’s mouth fell open, the beam of her flashlight trembling; even Feng Danyan seemed jolted awake, a hint of clarity piercing her sleepy gaze. We clustered around the fragment, as if it might pierce the fog of mystery and lead us straight to the heart of the truth. The air hung heavy with tension and anticipation.

This discovery only deepened Wang Qing and Zhou Jie’s suspicion of my identity—perhaps I was “Jiu,” the one they whispered about.

Just then, a furtive figure slipped past the street corner. Reacting instantly, the four of us dashed in pursuit. The suspect wore a black hooded sweatshirt, moving with agile grace through the narrow alleyways. We followed close behind, our hearts pounding, feet clattering against the stone paving.

Suddenly, the suspect stopped and turned, his face shrouded in the shadow of his hood, his eyes glinting with cunning. Before we could even speak, he swung his arm, sending a flash of cold steel slicing through the air toward Wang Qing’s face. She twisted aside just in time, kicking at his knee, but he dodged deftly, retaliating with a fierce punch that cut through the air towards us, launching a fierce and sudden brawl.

In this unexpected melee, Feng Danyan struggled the most. She stumbled to avoid the suspect’s assaults, her face pale as paper. Once, as the suspect slashed with his knife, the blade grazed her cheek, severing a lock of hair. Eyes wide with terror, she instinctively flung herself backward, nearly falling. Quick as a flash, I grabbed her arm and pulled her to safety.

In that instant, I saw clearly the fear and helplessness in her eyes, but also a fierce stubbornness. She clenched her jaw, trembling as she stood again, awkward but resolute, rejoining the fray despite repeated close calls. She never once retreated. From her, I felt a surge of justice and courage.

At the critical moment, Lu Yun arrived with several officers, rushing to join the fight and subdue the suspect. Yet the man seemed professionally trained, his movements sharp and strength astonishing. Even surrounded, he fought with deadly efficiency. Lu Yun attempted a side kick to force him back, but the suspect dodged and landed a heavy blow to Lu Yun’s shoulder, sending him staggering.

I drew a deep breath, my gaze sharpening as if some hidden power surged within me. I lunged at the suspect with ghost-like speed, drawing everyone’s eyes. My fist whistled through the air, smashing toward the suspect’s face—he barely dodged, but left himself wide open.

Seizing the opportunity, I drove my knee into his abdomen. The suspect faltered. I closed in, grasped his arm, and hurled him over my shoulder with all my might, slamming him to the ground in a cloud of dust. He struggled to rise, disbelief in his eyes, but I stared him down coldly, radiating an aura of quiet menace, preparing to deliver a final blow.

The suspect lay sprawled at my feet, dust swirling around him like a defeated beast clinging desperately to life. My fist, charged with all my strength, poised for the decisive strike. Wang Qing, Zhou Jie, Feng Danyan, and the officers stood frozen, gazes filled with shock and awe, as if witnessing an unbelievable reversal of fate. The sunlight broke through the clouds, gilding me in gold, casting me as the very embodiment of justice in a final battle against the forces of darkness. I saw a flicker of fear ignite in the suspect’s eyes as he strained to rise, but his strength was spent.

Lu Yun and the officers surged forward like arrows from a bow, swiftly surrounding the suspect. Their movements were efficient and forceful, pinning him to the ground despite his futile struggles. His face contorted in pain and frustration, sweat streaming down his brow and splattering the dust.

Lu Yun stepped forward with handcuffs, his gaze steely and unyielding. With practiced ease, he snapped the cuffs onto the suspect’s wrists—the clear clink of metal echoing in the air. Sunlight glinted off the police badge, a radiant symbol of justice prevailing over evil. For a moment, time itself seemed to pause, victory and tension humming in the atmosphere.

The suspect, now shackled, suddenly broke free from the officers’ grip for a heartbeat before boarding the police car. He threw his head back and laughed loudly, shouting, “Ha! You think this is over? Just wait—my boss will come for revenge! None of you are getting away!”

His laughter echoed down the empty street, twisted and defiant. The sunlight cast broken shadows across his distorted face, his eyes burning with a mad, devouring fire. With a sudden wrench he was subdued again, roughly shoved into the police car. The vehicle roared away, kicking up a cloud of dust, leaving the four of us standing in the street, our hearts a tumult of mixed emotions.