Netherworld Investigator

Chapter 337

The paper read: This is your fourth test. You once demonstrated your excellent reasoning ability in this lecture building. Unfortunately, I wasn’t present at the time. Now, I’d like to make up for this regret. As you can see, the student in the classroom died from multiple stab wounds. Without entering the classroom or sending anything in, you must deduce how many stab wounds he received behind these doors and windows. When you’re done, break the glass with the right answer. You have five minutes!"

I stared at the piece of paper, eyes narrowing with outrage. What he was asking for was almost impossible!

With little time on the clock, I couldn’t help but take a picture of the paper and send it to Xiaotao.

I cudgeled my brains, trying to recall all the autopsy methods I had ever come across. Dali and several other students walked up from the third floor, and upon seeing Deng Chao’s challenge, Dali sputtered, "What the fuck! How is this reasonable? It’s more like he’s asking you to make a blind guess!"

"This is a closed space,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I can use the Soul Returning Incense to restore the crime but I don’t have time to fetch it. Also, it may be considered as cheating."

Dali asked dully, "Soul Returning Incense?"

I had no time to explain. Right then, Xiaotao’s voice sounded from the radio, "Song Yang, I’ve seen the picture. Are the windows on the opposite side open? Lao Yao can use Skynet to conduct long-range reconnaissance for you!"

I swept my gaze over the classroom and said, "Deng Chao has also considered this possibility. All the curtains are drawn and they are made from opaque cloth. It’s impossible to see any reflection on the glass."

Upon mentioning "reflection,” an idea suddenly sprang in my head. I looked at the blood on the ground. Although there was a blurry reflection on the surface, I could see nothing from this angle.

"That cunning bastard!" cursed Xiaotao.

Dali mobilized the other boys, getting them to invite the science professors upstairs. However, at the sight of the corpse, these supposed think tanks screamed like little girls, doing little else besides disturbing my thoughts.

Some of the more composed professors had a serious discussion, suggesting lasers or sonar, but the same problem remained–we had no equipment at the moment.

"That’s right!" I exclaimed. “We can use sound!”

I asked Dali and another boy to go to the front and back doors of the classroom and knock on them every second, alternating after each other.

Dali didn’t understand what I was about to do, but with only two minutes left, I had no time to explain. I placed my ear to the glass and listened carefully.

This was actually a variation of the Organ Echolocation which created a three-dimensional image of the internal organs in the mind through the echolocation of the abdominal cavity by repeatedly tapping the ribs.

At present, the sealed classroom could be considered as a huge chest cavity and the corpse as an organ inside. My hearing should be able to reconstruct the entire picture in my mind.

However, the classroom was so large that it was difficult to accurately capture the subtle changes in the sound waves. Additionally, the people around me were whispering which greatly affected the accuracy of my reading. "Excuse me, professors and students, please don’t talk or even breathe!"

A physics professor argued, "Song Yang, this is absurd! You’re not a bat. How can you use echolocation?"

"Please, just be quiet for a while!" I said, folding my arms.

The crowd stopped talking at once and I stuck my ear to the glass again. At first, my mind was blank like a sheet of paper, but gradually the image of a sitting person appeared; the shape of his face, his body, and even the wounds on his body were as clear as day in my mind.

As the seconds ticked by, I focused all my concentration on the body, my back soaked with cold sweat.

I gradually calmed down, my heart light as a feather and everything faded away, as if I were now walking back and forth in the room observing every single detail.

The knocking suddenly stopped and Dali warned, "Dude, there’s only 20 seconds left!"

I nodded, walking confidently towards the windows marked with numbers. But when I saw the numbers, I stopped dead in my tracks. The victim received 11 stab wounds but the largest number on the glass was only 9. The cheating bastard!

"You have ten seconds! Hurry up!" urged Dali.

I gritted my teeth, wrapped my sleeve around my fist and smashed the glass with the numbers "2" and "9".

Time’s up!

Deng Chao’s vaunting voice came from the speakers outside, "Haha, Song Yang, you’re wrong this time. The victim was stabbed 11 times. Unfortunately, you failed the test!"

I couldn’t restrain the anger brewing inside any longer. "You fucking son of a bitch!” I shouted. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? Well show yourself and stop hiding like a coward!"

Deng Chao ignored me and continued, "Your mistake has caused the death of two innocent students. Alas, there are now more ghosts wandering around this lecture building."

A loud explosion resounded through the building, the soundwaves splitting our eardrums. Then a wave of smoke flushed down the corridor. I turned on the radio and heard Xiaotao say, "There was an explosion. Are you all right?"

"I’m afraid he’s killed more people,” I sighed. “I’m going to confirm that now!"

Xiaotao breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness you’re alright!"

The smoke in the corridor was thick, mixed with the odor of burning flesh. At the end of the corridor, I found the floor outside the girl’s restroom covered with broken bricks, and the bodies of a boy and girl–both students–buried underneath. Their faces were charred beyond recognition.

There were ligature marks on the body, suggesting that these two victims had been detained in the restroom from the start. Deng Chao never intended for me to pass the test. He wanted me to watch the people around me die one by one.

I bit my lips, fires of fury and hatred burning in my chest. Xiaotao said, "Song Xingchen wants to speak to you!"

The voice of Song Xingchen filled my ears, "Young Master, I’ve located where the hostages are hidden..."

I took a few deep breaths to compose myself. "Don’t take any action for now,” I ordered. “He may have planted a bomb or have cameras installed. I’ll discuss this with Xiaotao first."

"Be careful!" stressed Song Xingchen.

"Has the command center been moved?" I asked Xiaotao.

"Yes!"

"Get Lao Yao to work with Song Xingchen and rescue the hostages first,” I instructed. “You can come up with the specific measures. Just make sure you don’t alert him of your actions."

"No problem, we’ll take care of this," she assured.

A group of professors suddenly came running up in a hubbub and cried, "Help! The dean’s whereabouts are unknown. It’s very likely that he’s been kidnapped by Deng Chao!"

I quickly asked for the details, to which they explained that the headmaster left to relieve himself while the other professors were called up by Dali to act as think tanks. They went back downstairs, only to find the dean missing and unreachable by call, presumably kidnapped and taken hostage by Deng Chao.

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