On the way back to the police station.
The officers were clamoring to know how Xu Mo had identified the suspect and deduced their method of committing the crime.
Since there were too many people to fit in one car, they decided to have a group call while driving back to the station, pestering Xu Mo to explain everything over the phone.
So Xu Mo spent a few minutes repeating what he had earlier told Han Fei to the curious officers.
"...That's basically how I figured out the suspect's method," he concluded.
After hearing Xu Mo's explanation, the officers looked at him differently.
"You determined the suspect's method from a tiny flying insect? Detective Xu, you're a genius!"
"I knew Detective Xu had something up his sleeve when he told us to go back to the mall earlier. I was right!"
"So that's why you were searching the bathroom so thoroughly - you were looking for insects that had been knocked out by the ethanol!"
"I wish I had Detective Xu's observation skills."
"Hey, Detective Xu, how did you identify the suspect though?"
"Well..." Xu Mo gave the credit to Han Fei, "That's all thanks to Captain Han. Captain, would you explain?"
Han Fei gave Xu Mo a surprised look. When they were reviewing the surveillance footage to identify the suspect, Xu Mo had contributed significantly. Han Fei hadn't expected Xu Mo to pass up the chance to take credit, instead giving it to him.
Xu Mo didn't want his fellow captain to appear "incompetent" in front of his subordinates, so he voluntarily shared some of the credit. It was a thoughtful gesture.
Han Fei felt quite appreciative of this.
"How can you say it was all my work? You're being too modest, Detective Xu. You deserve most of the credit." Han Fei smiled and recounted what had happened earlier.
"So here's what happened - Detective Xu asked me to get a copy of the mall's surveillance footage..."
After hearing the explanation, the officers were once again impressed.
"That's why Captain Han and Detective Xu are our leaders - they're so much more capable than us! Their insight is truly remarkable."
"The difference in ability between people really is huge. I never thought of all these details when I watched the surveillance footage. I'm ashamed."
"I never knew there was so much to analyzing surveillance footage. I've learned something new."
"..."
Soon, the group returned to the police station and activated the city-wide surveillance system to track the suspect's location.
The results showed that the suspect had recently driven off the ring road at an intersection and onto a small road - this was the last time they were captured on camera.
"This area is remote, rarely visited, but has convenient access... It's an ideal location for a hideout. If I'm not mistaken, their base must be somewhere nearby," Han Fei said. "Check the map for any abandoned factories or private houses in that area."
"Yes, sir!"
The officers immediately opened the terrain map and began searching for buildings in the vicinity.
Their search yielded results.
Right under the elevated highway, there was an old private house.
"Captain Han, Detective Xu, there's a private house under this section of the elevated highway. It looks pretty old. Could the suspects be hiding there?"
Han Fei and Xu Mo both looked at the map, then exchanged glances before nodding simultaneously.
The location was remote yet easily accessible, close to a highway exit, and well-concealed. Situated directly under the elevated highway, the private house was hard to notice unless one looked carefully.
Moreover, with the highway above and constant traffic noise, it would effectively mask any sounds from the house below - perfect for holding kidnapped children.
"This must be it. Let's move out and check it!" Han Fei decided immediately.
The team set out again to investigate the situation.
...
After an hour and a half drive, the officers arrived at the intersection.
To avoid alerting the suspects to police presence, they parked their vehicles on the side of the road after turning onto the small road.
Vehicles were too conspicuous, so they chose to approach on foot.
After walking for a while, the group spotted the old private house in the distance.
Among those present, Xu Mo had the best eyesight. While other officers could barely make out the house's outline, Xu Mo could clearly see even the spinning blades of the working air conditioner unit mounted outside.
"We've found the right place. Someone's definitely living there."
"How can you tell from this far away?" Han Fei was puzzled.
At night, it would be easy to tell if someone was home by checking for lights, but during the day, without any visible lights, how could Xu Mo determine if the house was occupied from such a distance?
Xu Mo pointed: "The air conditioner unit - its blades are spinning, so the AC is running. Someone must be inside."
Upon hearing this, the officers' eyes twitched.
Incredible - he could see whether the AC unit's blades were spinning from that far away?!
What kind of superhuman vision was this?!
At this point, Han Fei muttered under his breath: "Freak."
Xu Mo's eyesight was simply abnormal, like having built-in binoculars!
Han Fei could only make out the house's silhouette; he couldn't even see where the AC unit was mounted, let alone whether its blades were spinning.
Meanwhile, Wang Dachuan took out his phone, aimed it at the house, and used two fingers to zoom in on the image.
With the 100x zoom camera, Wang Dachuan could finally see the spinning blades of the AC unit.
"Detective Xu is right - the AC unit's blades are indeed spinning."
As soon as he said this, Han Fei turned to look at Wang Dachuan in surprise: "You can see the AC blades too?"
"No, no, Captain Han, you're overestimating me," Wang Dachuan waved his hands, explaining, "I'm using my phone - it has 100x zoom capability and can capture distant objects clearly. Look, Captain..."
He handed his phone to Han Fei.
Using the phone, Han Fei could also see the spinning AC blades.
After returning the phone to Wang Dachuan, Han Fei looked at Xu Mo again, this time as if he were examining some kind of monster.
Xu Mo's eyes were simply too extraordinary - like having built-in 100x zoom!
However, he didn't dwell on this matter and instead addressed the officers behind him.
"Someone's definitely living in this private house up ahead. Let's approach slowly and surround the house. Be careful not to alert them to our presence."