Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 658: Whistleblower

The news of Walker’s death first appeared on a local news outlet. However, it did not create any remarkable splash at first because who would care about a random foreigner’s demise?

The situation then took an abrupt and unexpected turn when a famous influencer shared the news on their social media. Adding fuel to the fire, they even posted a lengthy video delving into theories and conspiracies surrounding the man’s death, and just like that the news began to gain traction.

It was late in the evening that the news exploded, especially during the time when people had clocked off work and youngsters were the most active on their phones. The spread in which it spread was akin to a wildfire, fierce and unstoppable. The famous influencer’s post had already amassed nearly fifty thousand likes with thousands of comments, and it still showed no signs of slowing down. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

[Holy shit, is this a promotion for a new movie or something? Top level marketing, I have to admit!]

[Upstairs commenter, this is not a movie, but it really happened a few hours ago! I was in the airport, and a lot of police cars arrived all of a sudden. Gosh, it really looks like an action movie!]

[So this person died as soon as he touched down in our country? Hmm, how suspicious...]

[Is he a spy? Lmaooo]

[The news claimed he’s poisoned, but there’s no evidence of poison on the scene?]

[Upstairs commenter, have you not watched crime movies before? There are some drugs that are colorless and odorless!]

[Wait, wait, I have a theory. What ifff... he’s actually a villain, you know, like a mob boss or something, and he’s dead because of power struggles within his organization? Lol I’m not even the police, so why should I waste my brain cells trying to crack this case? *facepalm*]

[Speaking of mob boss, I suddenly remember XIU... why hasn’t he appeared yet? Did he not plan to give us a Christmas gift? *crying* *sobbing*]

[Lol, Christmas is still more than a month away and you’re asking for a gift now?]

[Petition for XIU to create a social media account! I need a platform to pray so that he can show his face everyday orz]

[Petition for XIU to create a social media account! +1]

[Petition for XIU to create a social media account! +2]

[Petition for XIU to create a social media account! +666]

[Omg yess, I can only comment under Prime Minister Liang’s weib8 all this time. When will XIU create his own?!]

[Wait, guys, why are you all getting sidetracked? *nervous sweat* aren’t we talking about this person’s death... damn, who’s his name again?]

[Do you think XIU has something to do with this? He’s still a mob boss, isn’t he?]

[Lmao XIU is never a mob boss. Right??]

[Hearsay this is not the first time something like this has happened. It’s only because this person is quite famous overseas that the reporters are making a huge fuss over it. When it happened to our citizen, the police merely buried the matter under the rug lol]

[Whaaat? Upstairs commenter, spill your tea!]

[Do you mean to say this is a serial murder??]

As the night progressed, more and more wild theories sprung up out of nowhere, and to make matters worse, mixed within the false speculation was a sprinkle of truth! The simple task of solving a case became twice as complicated once public opinion was involved.

Inside the meeting room, Li Zhi held his throbbing head as he scrolled through the trending news on his phone. The same frustration was palpable among the other officers.

Someone cursed out loud, "Who the fuck comments that Walker’s case is not the first? Now rumors about serial murder will start spreading!"

"But we have never publicized Qin Zhen’s murder! So how..."

"Captain, this is not normal," Chen Lian exclaimed gravely. "There must be a whistleblower who leaked the news to the reporter and hired water armies to hype it up!"

"What do you mean, Chen Lian?" Another officer argued. "Qin Zhen’s case is only known to our bureau. Are you saying that there’s someone among us who leaked the news to the reporters?!"

"Not necessarily among us," Chen Lian retorted with a scoff. "It could also be an outsider who knows about the case and has been involved in this from the start. For instance..." she cast a furtive glance at Mu Yuze. "Do you have a suspect in mind, Mu Yuze?"

The corner of Mu Yuze’s lips twisted into a cold sneer. "You’re suspecting XIU," he said in a tone that made it sound more like a statement than a question. "And what? Do you think I’m colluding with him to kill Walker?"

"Impossible!" Kang Guanyu slammed his fists on the table and declared passionately. "XIU is innocent, he’s also a victim in all of this! Why are we discussing him? We must focus on how to catch the Master Manipulator! And A–Lian, you’re the one who always insists on the importance of evidence, but now you’re doubting XIU for no reason! Can you give me a reason why you think XIU is the mastermind behind this?"

Chen Lian’s expression darkened. She pursed her lips tight and shook her head silently.

In the midst of the heated discussion, Li Zhi rose from his seat, his gaze fixed on the door. "Director Zhang."

All eyes snapped in that direction, and a chorus of loud greetings filled the room. "Director Zhang!"

Director Zhang raised a hand and entered the meeting room. "I will not be long. I’m sure Captain Li has already been informed, but let me tell you once again: this case will take precedence as Chief Yan has instructed us to solve it as soon as possible. But now that the news has spread..." he let out a helpless sigh. "We should give a statement before the public opinion takes another turn. What have we gathered so far?"

Li Zhi briefly updated Director Zhang on the developments, including the suspected drug as the cause of death.

After he finished, Director Zhang hummed, "You’re right, we should request assistance from the Interpol on this. It’s even better if we can obtain evidence about the Manipulator’s involvement with the drug. I will grant full authority to you, Captain Li. As soon as the evidence is gathered, I will issue an arrest warrant for that bastard!"

Li Zhi replied loudly, "Received, Sir!"

As soon as Director Zhang departed, Li Zhi immediately issued a series of commands. "Contact the Interpol and brief them about the case. Warn them urgently that this is a new and extremely dangerous drug!"

"Captain, what should we do while we wait for updates?"

"While we wait..." Li Zhi’s expression turned grim. "Let’s do everything in our power to gather evidence. Instruct the local bureau to retrieve all the surveillance footage in the airport during the time of the accident. Don’t miss the entrance, the parking lot and toll booths. I want to check if the Manipulator was there in the airport, but since it’s impossible for us to know what kind of disguise he has donned this time, check everyone who has come into contact with the victim. Do not leave out even a single person!"

"Yessir!!"