The Detective is Useless (GL) - Chapter 14

The surveillance footage was played again and again, until even Liu Yu was getting annoyed.

Just from the video alone, it was impossible to determine who the murderer was—let alone deduce the method or motive behind the crime. Unable to think straight anymore, Liu Yu left the scene for a while, went to the restroom, and splashed water on his face to refresh himself.

The forensics team arrived once more to collect additional evidence. Jing Yujue left instructions for Liu Yu’s subordinates, then followed the hotel manager to the security room to continue reviewing the footage, hoping to find some clue.

“Miss Jing, you’ve already watched this clip so many times,” the manager couldn’t help saying. “Do you still need to keep watching it?”

Jing Yujue nodded earnestly. “I just feel something’s off. I need to figure out what it is.”

The manager shrugged. He couldn’t see what was special about the footage—only that watching the same clip repeatedly required both patience and persistence.

Not long after, Liu Yu came to the security room as well. Seeing Jing Yujue still staring intently at the monitor, he couldn’t help admiring her focus. No wonder Old Master Tian had sent her to the detective agency’s main office—he must have seen her potential. Clearly, it wasn’t just diligence that set her apart.

Liu Yu was looking forward to seeing how Jing Yujue would turn things around at headquarters—and perhaps change Tian Sisi, too. But for now, the priority was solving this case and catching the murderer.

“Little Jing, you’ve been watching for a while. Found anything?” Liu Yu asked.

Jing Yujue pointed to the screen. “The more I watch, the more I think that’s not a briefcase. It might be a unisex handbag.”

Liu Yu squinted at the suspect’s bag again and thought for a moment. “Now that you mention it, that’s possible.”

“Let’s check the lobby footage again,” Jing said, gesturing for the manager to switch videos. “Why were there so many people coming and going then?”

“That was when the tour group was departing,” the manager replied.

“If the suspect isn’t a man—or if they changed clothes in the stairwell before coming out—don’t these few people look suspicious to you?” Jing pointed at several figures on the screen, rubbing her chin as she pieced things together.

“You mean those few walking alone?” Liu Yu asked.

“Yes.” She nodded, considering whether her deduction was off. “And if they changed clothes, we naturally wouldn’t see the person in the long coat and fedora anymore.”

“You’re right,” Liu Yu agreed. It seemed their previous assumptions had to be discarded.

After thinking for a moment longer, Jing said, “There’s something else. The hallway camera didn’t capture anyone passing by during that period, so it’s possible the suspect took another floor’s elevator down.”

Before Liu Yu could respond, the manager interjected, “That’s unlikely. None of the cameras recorded anyone entering other floors from the back stairs. Every floor’s hallway camera covers that direction—there are no blind spots there.”

Jing studied the manager. Since he worked there, his understanding of the hotel’s security setup was probably reliable. If the suspect hadn’t used another floor, how had they avoided the hallway cameras?

The video replayed the moment the suspect left the room. Suddenly, Jing’s eyes lit up. She turned to the manager and said, “Can you freeze it right as the suspect exits the room?” Once the frame was paused, she continued, “Look—the shoes seem strange. Those aren’t ordinary dress shoes.”

“What’s the difference?” Liu Yu asked, puzzled.

“See the reflection on the toe area?” Jing pointed at the suspect’s shoes and told the manager, “Please play it back in slow motion.”

“Hey—you’re right, the reflection’s coming from the sole at the toe,” Liu Yu finally noticed the oddity Jing had mentioned.

“It’s metal!” Jing exclaimed, the pieces falling into place. “I need the background files on the victim’s recent romantic connections.”

Liu Yu borrowed the computer in the security room and pulled up the intel unit’s database. He showed Jing the profiles of several people. After a quick scan, she locked onto one individual.

“The tips of tap shoes have metal plates,” Jing explained. “This person is a tap dancer—five-foot-nine, matching the suspect’s height in the video. And if I remember right, their troupe had a performance nearby last night.”

Liu Yu agreed immediately and contacted his team to circulate the suspect’s details for a live pursuit.

As the operation began, Liu Yu organized a search team around the hotel. Jing tried calling Tian Sisi to report that they’d found their suspect, but Tian didn’t answer. After thinking it over, Jing decided that the police were better equipped for the chase, so she wouldn’t interfere. She followed Liu Yu downstairs—he went after the suspect, and she went to look for Tian.

She thought Tian Sisi must’ve gone back to the agency. But just as Jing was heading to the parking lot, she spotted Tian outside the hotel talking to someone. Curious, Jing wondered if Tian had run into an acquaintance.

When Jing got closer, she realized it was mostly Tian doing the talking—the other person barely reacted. From where she stood, Jing could only see Tian’s side profile and the other woman’s back. She walked over, patted Tian’s shoulder, and said, “Hey, Miss Tian, what are you doing flirting with strangers in the street?” Especially when she hadn’t even answered her phone!

“Oh, pretty lady, she’s definitely not my girlfriend,” Tian said quickly. Glancing at Jing, she then turned back to the woman, fished a wrinkled business card from her pocket, and offered it. “Here’s my card. Nice to meet you.”

The woman glanced down at the card, frowning in confusion and alarm. “Aren’t you from a modeling agency?”

“Why can’t a detective have a card too?” Tian grinned, realizing the woman didn’t want it, and tucked the card away again.

Now that Jing could see the woman’s face clearly, she froze—it looked so familiar. Then it hit her. “Ah! It’s her! She’s the target!” she shouted, pulling Tian behind her.

Liu Yu, who had started to leave, heard Jing’s voice and rushed back with his team. The woman immediately bolted, but the officers guarding the perimeter caught and pinned her down.

As she struggled, the woman screamed, “It wasn’t me! I didn’t kill anyone!”

Liu Yu narrowed his eyes. “Funny—you say you didn’t kill anyone, but we never mentioned murder. How would you know the person was killed unless you were involved?” he said coldly, signaling for his men to take her away.

Yes—if an ordinary person were suddenly grabbed by the police, their first reaction would’ve been “What are you doing? Let me go!”
Even the media only knew a rich man had died—they didn’t know yet whether it was murder, suicide, or an accident. So how could she?

After the suspect was loaded into the police car, the crowd began to disperse.

Then, without warning, Jing spun around and shoved Tian hard, shouting angrily, “Are you stupid, Tian? You were just chatting with a murderer! What if she’d decided to kill you too?”

Tian stared blankly at Jing for a moment—then smiled. It was a strange smile, not like her usual mischievous one. For the first time, Jing felt she was seeing a different side of her.

When Tian didn’t respond, Jing gave her a light pat on the head. That seemed to snap her out of it. Returning to her usual cheeky tone, Tian said, “Hey, it’s not like she had ‘killer’ written on her face! How was I supposed to know?”

Jing rolled her eyes. “You’re a total idiot!”

“Ah, no no, you’re mistaken! I’m cute, not stupid.” Tian grinned and, seeing Jing still fuming, held out a macaron from the box she was carrying. “Here, eat one! Sweet things calm you down.”

Jing glared at her for a moment but, seeing Tian’s innocent expression, took a reluctant bite. “It’s too sweet…” she muttered.

“Really?” Tian said, popping the same half-eaten macaron into her mouth.

“Gross! I just bit that—you’re eating my saliva!” Jing looked disgusted.

“Not gross at all! It’s delicious! Crispy shell, soft chewy inside—pure heaven!” Tian said with delight. “Though still not quite as good as Pierre Hermé’s.”

“Pierre what?” Jing blinked, not understanding the foreign name. She glanced down and saw Tian carrying an entire box of macarons. “You bought so many. Careful, you’ll get diabetes.”

“The little ruffled edge around the macaron—the ‘skirt’—comes from melted sugar syrup bubbling out,” Tian explained matter-of-factly. “You can’t make them with less sugar.”

Apparently, Tian really was a sugar addict.

“If only you studied your cases as seriously as you study desserts,” Jing sighed.

“Ah, but that’s why you’re here! You’re amazing—you caught the suspect!” Tian said, grabbing Jing’s hand and shaking it playfully. “My little chili pepper is the best!”

Jing’s mouth twitched. This woman was such a child. She yanked her hand back. “Get lost!”

“Okay, okay,” Tian said, stepping back a few paces—then immediately stepping forward again. “Hehe, rolled right back.”

Jing just stared at her, exasperated.

After a while, Jing asked, “By the way, since when do you have business cards?”

“Oh, ages ago! I’ve got tons. Want one?” Without waiting for an answer, Tian stuffed a crumpled card into Jing’s hand.

Jing read it and rolled her eyes again. “You actually call yourself a ‘Great Detective’? Shameless.”

“I am the beloved, car-stopping, people-adored Great Detective Tian!” Tian grinned so wide that all sixteen of her teeth showed.

“You? With your accent and short legs? Who’d ever fall for you?” Jing said with disdain.

“Hey, that’s mean…” Tian pouted. She wanted to explain that it wasn’t really an accent—her teeth didn’t align properly, so her speech had a bit of a lisp—and as for her height, well, that was genetics. Not her fault!

Seeing Tian suddenly go quiet, Jing thought she’d gone too far and was about to apologize when Tian unexpectedly said, in an oddly serious tone, “You know, Americans don’t really eat Häagen-Dazs.”

“Huh?” Jing blinked, completely lost.

“In the U.S., Häagen-Dazs is seen as an ordinary, even cheap brand. The rich don’t buy it. But here, it’s a luxury item.” Tian explained, then added, “There are a lot of nouveau riche people—eager to look refined, but few truly are. Everyone wants to appear upper-class—wearing Armani shoes, carrying Chanel or Hermès bags, driving Ferraris or Porsches—but real nobles wouldn’t care for any of that. That woman looked like a socialite, but in truth, she’s a pitiful soul who killed someone by accident and couldn’t face it.”

Jing nodded slowly, half-understanding—then froze. “Wait. Did you just say she killed someone by accident?”

“Relax, relax. Liu’s got it handled,” Tian said, back to her usual grin. “So, are you coming grocery shopping with me? I’m making fried rice.”

“Fried rice again?” Jing frowned. How did they jump topics so fast?

“Uh-huh. Though honestly, I’d rather go take a nap-nap.”

“Nap-nap?” Jing rolled her eyes again. So childish.

As they walked toward the parking lot to get the car, Jing asked, “Tell me something—why would the killer return to the scene? Wouldn’t most people just run as far away as possible?”

“Maybe she wasn’t sure she actually killed him?” Tian yawned. “Who knows. You should ask her.”

Jing glanced at Tian—she really did look tired—so she quickened her pace. “Don’t you even want to know why she’s the suspect? Aren’t you curious about the murder method?”

“You’ll tell me anyway,” Tian mumbled sleepily. “I just wanna nap…”

“You’re really not scared? You might’ve just chatted with a murderer. She could’ve killed you!” Jing pressed.

“Nothing’s scarier than not getting my nap,” Tian said lazily. “Now hurry up, Chili Pepper!”

To Tian, what Jing considered dangerous wasn’t dangerous at all. What mattered most was getting some sleep.

Jing sighed. Tian Sisi was truly a strange one. Anyone else would’ve been shaken after realizing they’d spoken with a killer—but Tian acted like it was nothing, as calm as ever.