19. My apprentice will answer

  Self-control is the most basic quality of being a police officer. After the commotion, everyone suppressed the shock on their face, but couldn't suppress the turmoil in their heart, and couldn't help but exchange glances with people around them, whispering to each other. Then, their eyes gathered here again.

  Only Zhang Ji's seemingly suppressed voice was heard asking: "What does the director mean..."

  The director's gaze swept across everyone's face, finally landing on Gao Cheng's face, barely concealing the excited light in his eyes. "Let's welcome Mr. Cheetah to join Qingcheng Branch!" he said, leading the applause. One, two, and then sparse applause followed, and soon everyone was applauding wildly.

  Finally, rejection and doubt turned into expectation and reverence, the smoke has dispersed.

  But in my heart, it was as if something had been turned upside down, bursting open, and I was at a loss. All I could do was stare blankly as Gao Cheng stood up and walked to the director's side, his tall stature making him slightly more than half a head taller than the director.

  There seems to be a kind of person who can establish an aura with just one move or gesture.

  Gao Cheng stood beside the director, giving me a mistaken impression that his momentum was not inferior at all, and even had the intention of surpassing him. The profound and unfathomable expression on his face made it impossible for people to see through him. He completely lost the casual demeanor he had when interacting with me before.

  The applause gradually subsided under his clear and piercing gaze, his mouth seemed to curve slightly upwards, with a hint of his usual shallow mockery, but quickly returned to normal, making me think I had misseen it.

  "Male, medium build, aged between 28 and 35, slightly above average appearance. Thoughtful and has some anti-detection awareness; eloquent and articulate; owns a car but it should be in maintenance or repair due to an accident around the time of the incident, investigation should focus on friends of the victim's husband and wife."

  The conference room was silent, and even I opened my eyes in surprise, looking at him. Originally thought he would go up to respond to the director's invitation to say some official words, but unexpectedly, as soon as he spoke, he went straight to the topic, and even if I was confused, I could hear that he was analyzing the case.

  Gao Cheng smiled slightly, looking around at everyone, "Is there anything you'd like to ask?" But before anyone could react, his gaze fell on me, and the arc of his smile deepened, "You're the one with your mouth hanging open the widest, and the most shocked expression. You go first."

  The director seemed to be encouraging her: "Miss Xia Zhu, you can ask questions."

  "Alright, he successfully made me the center of attention again. Like a duck being pushed onto a stage, that's my current situation - awkwardly standing up, under everyone's gaze, stuttering and asking: 'Why does the murderer look slightly above average?'"

  "Good question, you can sit down now." The director's words sounded somewhat perfunctory, and after I sat down in the chair, my mind flashed with the thought: What does this case have to do with me?

  Then someone else asked questions, all of which revolved around what Gao Cheng had just said. For example, why was the murderer medium in build rather than thin? Why was the murderer between 28 and 35 years old? And why was the murderer a friend of both the husband and wife?

  During the Q&A session, Gao Cheng remained calm and composed, without a hint of disturbance. Only when the murmurs died down did he slightly raise an eyebrow and speak: "Are you done asking questions? First and foremost, I must honestly tell you that except for the first question, all the others were too superficial."

  "Huh, wasn't the first one what I asked? This person is really... leaving me speechless. As if sensing my resentment, he glanced at me briefly before looking up and said something that shocked everyone: 'Secondly, who says the person I described was the murderer?'"

  This time even the director was stunned, "Not the murderer, then who is this person?"

  Gao Cheng's eyes shone brightly and coldly: "Those who have been to the scene."

  "Are you saying... someone had been to the scene at the time of the incident, or was even present at the scene when it happened? Then how can you be sure this person is not the murderer?" Zhang Ji, who had been silent for a long time, asked loudly from the other end of the long table, without any confrontational tone, but strongly expressing his strict attitude towards the case.

  Gao Cheng didn't even raise an eyebrow, "I can assure you that I have my own way. If you want to crack the case, finding this person is key. As for the previous trivial matters, let my apprentice answer them." After finishing speaking, he walked down from the stage and sat back in the chair beside me.

  In the eerie silence, everyone looked at each other in dismay.