Chapter 699: The Lure Operation

The call ended.

Qin Fei looked at Chen Xiao in astonishment.

But Chen Xiao already understood Cao Xiuyuan’s meaning.

It turns out he had already sensed something!

"No wonder he’s the top detective in the provincial capital; Captain Cao is far stronger than we thought, at least he considered this intention of the murderer earlier than we did!"

At this moment, Qin Fei also understood why Cao Xiuyuan spoke so strangely on the phone.

"Indeed, we always thought there was constant competition between Captain Cao and Captain Sun, even hiding things from each other for the sake of competition." Chen Xiao analyzed with a firm gaze, then changed the topic:

"But I think, at least for Captain Cao, he might have resorted to this strategy to ensure the case is solved more smoothly. The way he spoke to us just now was clearly to tell us that he might be under surveillance!"

Qin Fei’s eyes also showed a strong sense of alertness:

"What kind of background does the other party have to dare to wiretap even the head of the task force!"

"No need for a big background, but they must have many tricks up their sleeve, and an audacity beyond measure!"

"So, Brother Xiuyuan must be making the most of the mistake."

"Without knowing the opponent’s true identity, making the most of the mistake is the most appropriate method, but Captain Qin... what do you think we should do now?"

Chen Xiao once again left the choice to Qin Fei.

Because now the three of them clearly understood that the murderer might proceed with the next step of the plan, and that the target of the next step could very well be Cao Xiuyuan, the head of the task force.

Moreover, Chen Xiao could foresee that if the murderer, as suspected, is no longer satisfied with the thrill and proceeds with the next plan.

Then his second target would surely cause a sensation across the city, something that couldn’t be covered up.

But Chen Xiao and Qin Fei now faced a choice.

Either they mind their own business and use Cao Xiuyuan as bait to see if they can trap the enemy.

But if they do this and it clashes with Cao Xiuyuan’s plan, it could end in total defeat, leading Cao Xiuyuan’s plan to fail completely.

Or they pretend not to know and let Cao Xiuyuan handle this issue himself.

In this way, Cao Xiuyuan might catch the enemy, but it might also lead to a crisis.

Qin Fei was very troubled, his brow furrowed.

The car was parked by the roadside, not moving for a long time.

After some unknown time, Qin Fei shook his head and sighed:

"I don’t know what to do because Brother Xiuyuan’s attitude has explained everything; he doesn’t want us involved."

"And he’s the head of the task force; he has the authority to arrange our duties."

"So, what you mean is we’re doing nothing?" Chen Xiao countered.

Qin Fei didn’t immediately respond.

The car interior fell silent again.

Chen Xiao began to think as well, believing that Cao Xiuyuan’s individual capability should be more than sufficient to handle some crises.

But Chen Xiao always thought that an extra person meant extra strength.

Unfortunately, when he was with Cao Xiuyuan earlier, he hadn’t thought of this matter, or else he might have discussed it further with Cao Xiuyuan.

Now, Chen Xiao and Qin Fei pointed out what lay deepest in Cao Xiuyuan’s heart, and naturally, Cao Xiuyuan would have his own concerns, reluctant to involve others.

After pondering, Chen Xiao recalled Liu Dayou’s divination for Cao Xiuyuan.

"If so, let everyone depend on fate." Chen Xiao silently made a decision.

Cao Xiuyuan wasn’t able to fully trust them, which was understandable to Chen Xiao, but Cao Xiuyuan also needed to bear the risk for his choice.

Therefore, Chen Xiao felt it was alright for him and Qin Fei not to intervene.

However, this was an excellent opportunity to lure out the murderer; if they missed it, it would be difficult to create one again.

Chen Xiao felt somewhat unwilling, but the more tense the situation, the calmer he became.

"Since Cao Xiuyuan doesn’t want us to get involved, we need to find another way."

"When I was discussing with Sun Zhou, the reason for being so sensitive about ’born bad’ lies entirely in the murderer’s method, which is meticulous and audacious."

"But the process of the victim’s death wasn’t an act of torture; most of the torturous actions occurred after death."

"So from the murderer’s perspective, he should be a madman who enjoys reconstructing after killing someone."

"Then, it was because of the victim’s bizarre behavior that made me increasingly suspect he had entered into a death trap against him."

"Killing Yuan Keyu, aside from preventing him from benefiting the country, didn’t serve much positive impact for many people."

"Only a lunatic could possibly derive a twisted pleasure and sense of achievement from it. Yuan Keyu’s death was temporarily kept secret, not causing a sensation, so it’s speculated that the murderer might be ashamed and angry, intending to create a larger uproar."

"To create a larger commotion, identity alone isn’t enough because it can continue to be concealed. Therefore, his method of killing likely won’t be as discreet, or his manner of disposing the body must appear in a place and time where many people can see."

"Since that’s the case, if Cao Xiuyuan doesn’t want us interfering with his plan, can we seek a breakthrough from the location and timing instead?"

Chen Xiao’s mind continued to expand.

However, the thought of location and timing was immediately dismissed by him.

"No, if Cao Xiuyuan’s entrapment plan works, everything I’ve done would be in vain."

"But how can we find a new breakthrough? And considering Cao Xiuyuan has been wiretapped, this implies the target is... "

As Chen Xiao thought, his eyes suddenly widened.

"No, that’s not right."

In the silence, Chen Xiao suddenly exclaimed.

Qin Fei turned to ask, "What’s wrong?"

"Do you think it might not be Captain Cao?" Chen Xiao countered.

Qin Fei frowned, "How is that possible? He’s been wiretapped and deliberately changed the topic on the phone; how could it not be him?"

"No, no, no, what factors determine the murderer’s pleasure?"

"Massive uproar, absolute intelligence superiority; these can all bring him unprecedented pleasure," Qin Fei responded without hesitation.

Chen Xiao immediately smirked, "Then let me ask you, if someone at a level similar to Cao Xiuyuan continues to be victimized and then the body is disposed of in an extreme manner in public, wouldn’t he achieve fame and intellectual ecstasy?"

"Damn, do you mean that Brother Xiuyuan being wiretapped could likely be a decoy by the killer? The purpose is to make Brother Xiuyuan mistakenly believe he’s the primary target, consequently neglecting others! If that’s the case, if other members of the task force are harmed and then a commotion is created, they’ll make the entire task force a laughingstock!"

As Qin Fei spoke, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but snap his fingers.

"If I were the killer, I’d feel an unprecedented thrill because I’ve fooled all the elite police officers in the province!"

"So, do you think his next target could be Captain Sun or Director Chang?"