The man handcuffed in the police car looked somewhat different from the others.
Even though he too sat there silently, with his head down, Chen Xiao noticed a subtle movement.
That was, despite his cuffs, the man's fingers seemed to be tapping leisurely.
Men caught in such situations usually have only one reaction.
Panic fills them, worried about the consequences once their family finds out.
Even those who seem calm don't leisurely tap their fingers.
Could this man already have no family?
Or not worry at all about being ridiculed by relatives and friends after being caught?
Chen Xiao remembered him well, and at this moment, Lin Xi happened to walk over, so Chen Xiao raised his hand slightly, allowing Lin Xi to notice immediately.
Lin Xi squinted and said softly, "So calm, I should properly meet him later."
Chen Xiao nodded silently and didn't say much, then got in the police car with Luo Dali.
When they returned to the station, Chen Xiao and Luo Dali stayed in an interrogation room, but no one came to question them.
Watching the bustling officers outside, Luo Dali's admiration for Chen Xiao had skyrocketed.
"Brother Chen, only you could do this. Seeing sis-in-law earlier made me think the world was ending!"
Everyone at the Phoenix Street Police Station might have been skeptical of Chen Xiao's real purpose at the bathhouse.
But whether skeptical or firm, people's beliefs about Chen Xiao's intentions wavered. The only one who didn't waver was Luo Dali.
He wouldn't believe the nonsense that Chen Xiao went to the bathhouse to investigate a case!
Seeing Luo Dali's eyebrow-raising expression, Chen Xiao instead called seriously.
"Dali."
Luo Dali asked quickly, "What's up, bro?"
"Do you think I'm just smooth-tongued now? Full of nonsense?"
Luo Dali scratched his head awkwardly, "Brother Chen, how can you call it smooth-tongued nonsense? You're clearly eloquent and convincing!"
Chen Xiao sneered, "So you still think we were lucky to dodge disaster, huh?"
Luo Dali was silent, unsure of what Chen Xiao meant.
"Dali, everything today was actually planned between me and your sister-in-law."
Luo Dali was puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"Think about it carefully. If it wasn't planned between me and your sister-in-law, would I be able to pull you away in time?"
Chen Xiao questioned, and Luo Dali thought and nodded instinctively.
Chen Xiao continued, "In reality, today's real purpose for me and your sister-in-law wasn't to assist the Phoenix Street Police Station in their crackdown but to focus on the Red Pant Case!"
Luo Dali perked up, "No way, Brother Chen, you mean you two were acting just now?"
"What else? If your sister-in-law wants a promotion, what does she need? Meritorious deeds! A lot of meritorious deeds! And the only way to gain merit is to solve cases! But how much investigative authority does a local police station officer have? Any case with some impact absolutely wouldn't be their responsibility, right?"
Luo Dali suddenly realized, "So Brother Chen, you truly want to help your sister-in-law get promoted. But for her to get promoted, she needs to achieve great merit to attract attention from above. So you two targeted the Red Pant homicide case. Once that case is solved under your sister-in-law's investigation, she'll get the primary credit, right?"
"Smart, Dali! I didn't expect your logic to be this good; truly my good brother," Chen Xiao praised.
Luo Dali beamed with excitement, "Right, bro, I also think my logical thinking is quite sharp. Have you seen 'Conan'? That anime, damn... I could often guess the culprit in those cases after just a few looks!"
Luo Dali was getting more excited as he spoke, continuing, "Brother Chen, how about calling me along in the future for such activities? I'd definitely be a strong and powerful arm to assist you and sis-in-law!"
In his previous life, Chen Xiao had many friends, and Luo Dali was one of them.
But Luo Dali was a very special one among those friends.
Just like what happened in the bathhouse earlier, any activity that could potentially affect Chen Xiao and Lin Xi's relationship, Luo Dali would absolutely prevent Chen Xiao from participating in.
Therefore, to Chen Xiao, he understood very well that Luo Dali regarded him as a true friend, not just a mere acquaintance.
As for Luo Dali's fate, others didn't know, but Chen Xiao was well aware that next July, Luo Dali would do something that would shock everyone.
After that incident, it would change everyone's perception of Luo Dali.
In the past, everyone thought Luo Dali was a spoilt rich kid without any ambition. Not only that, but he was also cowardly.
In any dispute, Luo Dali was always the one shouting the loudest but never dared to make a move. Gradually, in Chen Xiao's circle of friends, Luo Dali was never really liked.
But next July, who would have imagined that the timid Luo Dali would step up for a high school girl he'd never met, even sacrificing his life for it?
If it weren't for Lin Xi's persistent investigation later, bringing forth the girl who clarified the truth, Luo Dali might have died with people only thinking he was killed in a back alley after wasting his life away.
As a friend of Luo Dali's, Chen Xiao wanted to change some things in his heart.
He wanted to guide Luo Dali away from his current life, so perhaps he wouldn't face that deadly misfortune next July.
Watching Luo Dali boasting about his detective thinking, Chen Xiao didn't dampen his spirits at all, instead nodding affirmatively.
At that moment, the door to the interrogation room opened.
It was Lin Xi.
Lin Xi was beaming with excitement.
She walked up to Chen Xiao excitedly, "Honey, I found it, it's him!"
Chen Xiao understood who Lin Xi meant by "him" in her words.
"Are you sure? The bathhouses where the three murder cases took place, he visited them too?"
Lin Xi nodded, "Yes, after comparing the spending records, confirmed they've all had his presence. And just now, seniors from the substation went to his house and found many pairs of red pants in his wardrobe, and also quite a few women's intimate apparels!"
Chen Xiao smiled with relief, "Has he confessed?"
"How could it be that easy? At first, when I was questioning him, he didn't take it seriously at all. But as the questioning went on, he realized something was wrong himself. When the seniors from the substation came, he was still in disbelief, not believing that getting a massage at the bathhouse could expose him."
Lin Xi grew more animated as she spoke, while Luo Dali slapped his thigh, "Amazing, sister-in-law! You and Brother Chen, united as a couple, invincible like cutting through gold, even managed to solve the Red Pant case!"
Chen Xiao was genuinely thrilled and laughed, "Did you think your sister-in-law's reputation as the ace of Phoenix Street Police Station was a joke?"
Self-proclaimed as knowing everything, Luo Dali nodded repeatedly, "Hehehe, that's right! With sister-in-law's position, Brother Chen's ability, and me as the arm, we won't lack great achievements!"
Lin Xi was puzzled, "Great achievements? Chen Xiao, what are you and Dali planning now?"
Chen Xiao quickly responded, "Nothing, don't listen to his nonsense. We're now... huh, honey, has your mother arrived at the station?"
Lin Xi realized suddenly, looking anxious, "Oh no, how could I forget about this? Honey, what do we do? My mom must already be at the station waiting!"
Chen Xiao chuckled twice, "Never mind, I'll go pick her up now. Just hope she doesn't get too angry!"