Seeing Zhang Yihan immediately believe my words and take action, I felt quite pleased and quickly followed her towards the villa. In fact, the voice I had heard earlier was nearly a hundred meters away, and Zhang Yihan had probably only heard someone shouting without catching what was said.
I felt a bit smug as I touched my ears. I've always known that being in the Cold Case Investigation Team requires special skills. It's not just about passing those civil service exams. Even if you topped the provincial exams, you wouldn't necessarily get into our team unless you had additional skills. My keen hearing was what got me into the team.
My ears are exceptionally sharp, and my auditory memory system is highly developed. Generally, humans can hear sounds in the frequency range of 16 Hz to 20,000 Hz, which is called the audible range. In theory, sounds below 16 Hz (infrasound) and above 20,000 Hz (ultrasound) are outside human hearing.
In reality, the range within which most people can clearly hear is between 20 Hz and 17,000 Hz, assuming they have no hearing impairments. My hearing, however, is extraordinary. Tests show that dogs can hear from 15 Hz to 50,000 Hz, and my ears can detect sounds between 15 Hz and 48,000 Hz, almost as sensitive as a dog's hearing.
The best part is that once I've heard a sound, I usually don't forget it. This is very useful during missions. Although I might not remember something from ten years ago if I've only heard it a few times, my short-term auditory memory is very reliable.
Because of this, a secret department once tried to recruit me shortly after I joined the Cold Case Investigation Team, but our team leader wouldn't let me go. That's why Zhang Yihan trusts me so much.
I followed Zhang Yihan quietly to the back wall of the villa, where she stopped and asked me to listen carefully to confirm if it was the same person.
I pressed my ear to the wall and concentrated. Although my hearing is sharp, I still need to focus to catch faint sounds. Sound travels through gases, liquids, and solids, causing vibrations that reach the ear and produce hearing. Solid and liquid mediums transmit these vibrations more effectively, which is why spies in movies often eavesdrop with their ears against walls.
The surroundings were quiet, and I only heard the sound of someone typing on a keyboard and the old lady walking in the yard. I felt a bit frustrated because I had only heard a brief shout earlier, and I couldn't be sure it was the same person. Voices with similar pitches can sound alike, making identification difficult.
I told Zhang Yihan my plan to provoke him into speaking again so I could be sure. She agreed to distract him at the front while I stayed at the back to prevent him from escaping over the wall.
Shortly after, I heard Zhang Yihan knocking on the front gate and the old lady asking who it was before walking over to open it. Then, I heard the man's voice again, asking his mother who was at the door.
"It's him!" I immediately recognized the voice, having focused on it closely. I quickly climbed over the wall and landed in the villa's backyard just as Zhang Yihan shouted from the front, telling someone not to run.
A shirtless, burly man rushed towards me as soon as I landed. He was incredibly tall and muscular, reminding me of Schwarzenegger. Despite his intimidating appearance, I felt confident as a police officer, ready to confront him. I shouted for him to stop, identifying myself as a police officer, but he cursed and charged at me instead.
We exchanged blows almost instantly. I aimed a straight punch at his jaw, while he swung at my head. We blocked each other's punches, but his strike left my arm numb. Before I could react, he kicked my leg, causing me to fall and hit my head on the concrete, leaving me dazed.
"F*cking cop!" he yelled, kicking me in the head again. I managed to grab his leg, but he stomped on my stomach, making me scream in pain. Despite the agony, I refused to let go, knowing he was the leader of the group that tried to burn us alive last night.
Suddenly, Zhang Yihan arrived, kicking at the man. However, he dodged and punched her in the stomach, causing her to fall on top of me. The impact nearly knocked me out, and I finally released his leg, having no strength left.
The man cursed again, climbed the wall, and escaped. Zhang Yihan slowly got up, complaining about the pain but also relieved that I had cushioned her fall. Annoyed by her nonchalant comment, I tried to chase the man but couldn't muster the strength to climb the wall. It was dark, and I knew we wouldn't catch him, but we had identified him, making it harder for him to escape.
We learned from the old lady that the man was Li Dapeng. Searching his home, we found numerous certificates from various martial arts competitions, mostly provincial-level, with some national awards, including a runner-up title in a national 85 kg class competition.
Seeing these, I realized it wasn't my weakness but his strength. His kicks had spared my life only because I was tough enough. Knowing that provincial-level martial arts competitors receive national second-level athlete certificates and national champions get first-level certificates, I understood that Li Dapeng was a top-tier fighter. These certificates were hard-earned and irreplaceable.
While we were frustrated by our luck, we had to continue our investigation. Li Dapeng had two brothers and a sister, with one brother deceased and the other missing for years. The old lady pleaded with us to capture him if he was guilty, emphasizing that she could take care of herself.
Despite her sorrow, we couldn't let her sympathy deter us. Justice must be served, and a murderer must pay for their crimes.