"Huh?" A wave of exclamations rippled through the crowd.
Instinctively, the onlookers backed away, creating an empty space around Lin Xinyi.
"It's actually him?!"
Shock and fear filled the voices of the spectators as if they had narrowly escaped standing too close to a murderer.
"It's actually him!!"
But the voices of the on-site police officers carried frustration and anger instead.
Anyone could be the suspect, but why did it have to be this guy—the same man who had just mocked the police for being incompetent?
Not only did he kill someone and abandon the body, but he also had the audacity to stay at the crime scene and taunt the police?
This was outright madness!
The younger officers, blood boiling, immediately closed in aggressively.
"You dare to challenge the Tokyo police like this?"
"Bastard, you're under arrest!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa—"
Lin Xinyi's expression remained habitually calm, but inwardly, he was taken aback.
"That high schooler just casually pointed at me, and you're already treating me as the murderer?"
"As police officers, shouldn't you base your investigations on evidence?"
Something felt off.
This was just a high school student, yet his words carried such overwhelming authority that both the police and the public instinctively believed him.
It seemed that in this world, the police had a strangely weak presence, while the reputation of a 'great detective' was absurdly inflated.
"Evidence."
Lin Xinyi met the eyes fixed on him without flinching.
"A case without a body is no case at all. The most crucial evidence is often found on the victim's remains."
"You haven't even examined the body—how can you make such a hasty judgment?"
"Uh…"
The officers exchanged glances but did not lower their guard against Lin Xinyi.
Fortunately, Kudou Shinichi stepped in at the right moment.
"Everyone, calm down."
"I don't have direct evidence proving Mr. Lin Xinyi is the murderer."
"Asking him to cooperate with the investigation is based purely on deduction—he is only a suspect at this stage."
"I understand."
Inspector Megure nodded and swiftly stopped his subordinates from taking any drastic action against Lin Xinyi.
Then, with a natural, affable smile, he addressed Lin Xinyi in a warm and reassuring tone:
"Mr. Lin Xinyi, right?"
"A young man as outstanding as yourself hardly seems like the type to commit such a gruesome crime. I personally believe you are innocent."
"I'm sure that through our police investigation, we will be able to clear your name."
His words sounded comforting, as if he were not a strict enforcer of the law but rather a kind uncle looking out for Lin Xinyi's well-being.
But Lin Xinyi only rolled his eyes inwardly.
Nice try, Inspector Megure—
A single sentence, and he was already speaking like a veteran detective.
Although Lin Xinyi had previously worked as a forensic expert and never conducted interrogations, he had picked up quite a bit from working alongside detectives.
Megure's approach was a classic interrogation tactic known as the "emotional involvement method." This technique was typically used at the start of an interrogation—by expressing trust and even proactively defending the suspect, the goal was to lower their guard and dissolve any sense of confrontation.
As for the younger officers' aggressive stance, that was likely not just impulsiveness but a deliberate setup.
It was called the "positional stimulation method"—starting the interrogation by bluntly labeling the suspect as a criminal, then observing their reaction to being directly accused. This helped gauge their "fixed-set psychology"—
That is, how mentally prepared the suspect was for questioning.
Both the positional stimulation method and the emotional involvement method were meant to break down a suspect's defenses.
Together, they formed a well-known interrogation strategy—
The classic "good cop, bad cop" routine.
After applying pressure at the start, the usual next step was to ask seemingly trivial questions to build rapport.
Typically, the first questions would be obvious ones about gender, age, or place of origin—simple queries designed to create a habitual response pattern in the suspect.
But in a case where the suspect's background was completely unknown, the police's priority would be to gather personal information.
An adult's life usually revolves around two main aspects: work and family.
So, most likely, Megure's next question would be—
"Where do you work?" Lin Xinyi muttered softly.
"Where do you work?" Megure echoed in unison.
A brief silence followed.
The atmosphere grew strangely still.
Inspector Megure's expression became subtle, as he thought to himself:
This kid is weird… and strangely familiar.
That's right—he had once interrogated a corrupt police officer who had broken the law, and that suspect had displayed the same level of professionalism.
"This is going to be a problem."
"This suspect has an exceptionally strong psychological defense—it won't be easy to break him."
Yet at the same time, Megure felt reassured.
Lin Xinyi's immediate resistance only made him seem more suspicious.
"Alright then, Mr. Lin—can you tell me your occupation?"
Lin Xinyi: "…"
Megure, unbothered by the awkward silence, pressed on.
"Where do you live? Who's in your family?"
Lin Xinyi: "…"
"Do you have a girlfriend? Are you married?"
Lin Xinyi: "…"
"What were you doing from last night until this morning?"
Lin Xinyi: "…"
Repeated questions. Repeated silence.
After several rounds of this, the way everyone looked at Lin Xinyi changed.
Refusing to answer such basic questions? Too suspicious.
If a person stays silent when questioned by the police, who else could be guilty if not them?
Lin Xinyi's status as a suspect only seemed more certain.
The officers, already provoked by his earlier remarks, grew even more agitated.
Silence. Complete silence on every question.
This was beyond guilt—it was sheer defiance.
This suspect wasn't just hiding something—he was openly challenging the police, as if daring them:
"I'm not explaining anything. If you think I did it, prove it!"
Realizing this, the officers—who had just been humiliated by Lin Xinyi—felt their tempers flare.
But Lin Xinyi himself was suffering in silence.
This isn't me being defiant—
I seriously don't know the answers!
Soul transfer without memories is absolute bullshit. First thing after reincarnating, I'm about to get myself arrested.
Should I just claim I have amnesia? No—
That would sound even more ridiculous, like I'm blatantly mocking the police.
"Uh…"
After a long silence, Lin Xinyi finally spoke.
But instead of answering Megure, he turned to the high school detective who had drawn all the attention:
"Kudo Shinichi, may I ask—"
"Exactly what evidence led you to suspect me?"
The moment he said this, everyone snapped back to their senses.
Right—his unusual silence had distracted them. They had completely forgotten about the best part: Kudou Shinichi's grand deduction.
According to the unwritten rules of such cases, the great detective was supposed to dramatically present his reasoning before the criminal broke down and confessed.
They had jumped the gun in trying to arrest him—no wonder he was holding back.
Now, all eyes turned expectantly toward Kudou Shinichi.
The young detective smirked confidently.
"Of course, there's evidence."
"I would never accuse someone without proof."
"So, everyone, please listen carefully—this will be a very simple deduction."
He stepped forward, seizing the spotlight.
Only Megure averted his gaze, his wariness towards Lin Xinyi intensifying.
This guy wasn't answering questions—he was turning the tables.
With just one sentence, he had completely disrupted the police's interrogation rhythm.
Damn—what a perfect "role reversal"!
The moment he spoke, he was already an old offender.
Who knew how many lives his hands had taken?
Megure wiped the sweat from his forehead, suddenly feeling that he was facing the most formidable opponent of his entire career.