This was Lin Yi's first time seeing a dead person, and he didn't feel particularly uncomfortable. Besides, the death scene wasn't too gruesome; the body wasn't dismembered, and no internal organs were strewn about.
Some bolder individuals even wanted to go in for a closer look, perhaps even take a selfie to upload to Instagram, certain it would go viral.
However, Ran stopped him, not letting him enter.
The person became annoyed: "Why can't I go in? That kid can go in."
Ran had enough experience dealing with such argumentative people: "Shinichi is a detective, and the police know him. You're different… If you insist on going in, I can't stop you. But when the police arrive, I'll tell them you went in and tampered with the crime scene, and then the police will list you as a suspect and investigate you…"
When she said this, her tone was calm and unhurried, suggesting she had said it many times before.
After saying these words, Ran no longer blocked him.
The argumentative person hesitated for a while, but ultimately feared getting into trouble and didn't dare to enter.
Amidst the commotion, Curator Ochiai appeared, and Lin Yi suddenly had an idea.
So, Lin Yi widened his eyes, putting on a scared expression.
Hmm? You ask why one would widen their eyes when scared? I don't know either, you can ask Angelababy.
In any case, Lin Yi put on a startled face, his steps unsteady, his walk wobbly. As he passed Curator Ochiai, he conveniently stumbled.
Curator Ochiai instinctively caught Lin Yi and asked, "Are you alright?"
Lin Yi grabbed Curator Ochiai's hands, which kept him from falling. He smiled wryly and said, "How could I be alright? Someone was murdered in there… and pinned to the wall with a sword. It's terrifying."
After letting go of Curator Ochiai, Lin Yi asked, "Excuse me… where is the restroom?"
"Go straight out, turn right, and you'll see the sign…" Curator Ochiai replied.
"Thank you."
Lin Yi nodded slightly, his right hand reaching into his pants pocket, placing a pen inside.
After washing his face, Lin Yi returned to the crime scene. By this time, the nearby auxiliary police had been notified and arrived to maintain order.
Ran and Sonoko were thus freed from the situation.
"Where did you go?"
Sonoko finally found Lin Yi and said, "Don't wander off, okay? The police will want to ask you questions later."
"Went to the restroom."
Lin Yi's lips curled into a bitter smile: "It's my first time seeing a dead body… It's a bit unsettling."
Sonoko and Ran nodded understandingly, after all, it was also their first time seeing a dead body, and they weren't doing much better.
"Where's Kudo?"
Lin Yi shifted the topic to Shinichi.
"That guy's still inside."
Sonoko poked her right thumb behind her.
Lin Yi feigned incomprehension: "Doesn't he need to come out? Didn't they say you can't disturb the crime scene?"
"He doesn't need to."
This time it was Ran who spoke: "Shinichi is a detective, he knows what to do so he won't disturb the crime scene. Besides, he's helped the police solve many cases before!"
She looked especially cute when she said this.
"Is that so?" Lin Yi looked surprised: "I see… He's really amazing, Kudo."
"Just a complete and utter deduction idiot."
Sonoko crossed her arms and said disdainfully: "Once he encounters a crime, he pounces on it like a puppy smelling meat…"
Ran wanted to retort, but she couldn't… It really was like that.
In the midst of their chat, the detective finally arrived at the crime scene.
Next, the police would proceed according to the prescribed procedures:
Scene protection, scene investigation, scene clue extraction, scene interviews, scene search, and so on.
Of course, the procedures are not fixed, and some can be carried out simultaneously.
There's no need to elaborate on them one by one here.
Lin Yi saw Shinichi talking to a stout detective in a beige coat.
Clearly, that detective was Inspector Megure.
Ran noticed Lin Yi's gaze and said, "That's Inspector Megure. Shinichi is very close to him."
Lin Yi nodded. He could see that, otherwise, Megure wouldn't call Shinichi every time he encountered a tricky case.
Soon, a tall, thin, dark-skinned male detective approached the three of them.
This was Wataru Takagi, a bit handsome, but with a somewhat submissive vibe.
"Ran, Sonoko… long time no see."
"Inspector Takagi, it's been a while." The two girls greeted Takagi.
"Is this a witness?"
"Yes, he's our classmate, Lin Yi."
"Lin-kun, hello."
"Inspector Takagi, hello."
Takagi sized him up, feeling inexplicably displeased—perhaps because the other guy was better looking than him.
However, as a qualified detective, Takagi wouldn't let such petty emotions affect his work.
"You should all know the procedure…"
Since he was dealing with acquaintances, things were much easier. Takagi went straight to the point, asking Ran and Sonoko how they discovered the crime scene.
Ran and Sonoko were both "regulars," so they naturally knew how to answer.
Because they knew each other, Ran and Sonoko's testimonies were highly credible, and Takagi quickly completed the record.
"Alright! Thank you for your cooperation."
Takagi was about to leave after completing the record, but Lin Yi stopped him.
"Wait, Inspector Takagi."