I Have Infinite Skill Points-Chapter 470: The Investigation Leads to Elder Di
"Wang Lan, since the police department has made a request, please help them with the investigation. After all, Dr. Wen was invited to participate in research at my request," Eld Di said dispassionately from the side.
Wang Lan was inclined to listen to Eld Di. "Okay, then I’ll report to the police department tomorrow."
Just then, Gaoyu Duch’s phone suddenly rang. "Hello, I am—!"
In front of Wang Lan and Eld Di, Gaoyu Duch had been rather unassuming and amiable, but the moment he answered the phone, his demeanor changed dramatically. Although Gaoyu Duch didn’t strike a hands-on-hips pose, his presence and expression fit the bill perfectly.
"What? Another death? Alright, okay, keep the scene secure."
Hearing Gaoyu Duch’s words, Wang Lan’s brows furrowed. As Gaoyu Duch put down the phone, Wang Lan quickly asked, "Gaoyu Duch, has there been another case?"
"Another scientist has been murdered. I can’t get the specifics from a phone call. So, Colonel Wang Lan, shall we go take a look together?"
Originally, Wang Lan had planned to take on the case tomorrow, but with a new incident occurring, it signaled that the killer was still actively committing crimes, and she couldn’t delay any further. Immediately, Wang Lan got into Gaoyu Duch’s car and headed to Modu Engineering College.
Modu Engineering College, also one of the top fifty key universities in Jade Country, is renowned for its engineering materials and mechanical engineering disciplines, which are among the best in the country. Most notably, it’s known for its railway specialty. It could be said that Modu Engineering College laid the foundation for the high-speed rail network miracle that Jade Country boasts today.
Upon entering the engineering college, they saw from afar a crowd converging toward the direction of the dormitory buildings, with many others hurrying from different locations towards that site.
"This is the faculty dormitory building! What’s the identity of the victim?"
"That’s Professor Dai, a doctoral supervisor in polymer materials. His students are spread across the world, and many authoritative professors in academia were mentored by him. With his prestige and ability, he could have held a lifetime honorary professorship at four other universities. But Professor Dai spent his entire career at the engineering college; he’s grown attached to it. He used to say, ’Isn’t teaching teaching, no matter where you are?’ So he stayed," Gaoyu Duch explained.
"Did you know Professor Dai before, Gaoyu Duch? How do you know so much?"
"You don’t know?" Gaoyu Duch asked in return, appearing surprised at Wang Lan’s question, as though it were a miracle she could even ask.
"Do I... have to know?"
"Professor Dai is a star professor in Modu City. Practically anyone from Modu City might know that."
"Alright."
The car stopped, and under Gaoyu Duch’s guidance, Wang Lan entered the crime scene in the teaching building. The deceased were not just Professor Dai; there was also a female student in her early thirties.
Professor Dai was lying on his back beside a bookshelf, while the female student was lying on the floor, a large pool of blood having spread out from her.
Wang Lan knelt down, unbuttoned the female student’s collar, and then felt the back of her head.
"All the blood flowed out from her mouth, and there is no damage at the back of the head. The killer held a sharp weapon and stabbed it in through the victim’s mouth at an upward angle, piercing all the way into the brain, causing instantaneous brain death," said Wang Lan.
"Colonel Wang Lan, Professor Dai died from asphyxiation due to strangulation by a rope," uttered a security officer softly.
"There’s a basin in the room, with burnt ashes inside. The killer’s intent was very clear—to destroy some material. What has Professor Dai been researching recently?"
"This... Professor Dai researched many things, and this term he only took one doctoral student, that student is Wu Xiaoyue. What Professor Dai was specifically researching recently, I’m afraid only Wu Xiaoyue would know now. None of the research projects we’re aware of could have brought him fatal trouble," a nervous school administrator remarked.
"By the way, did Professor Dai have any connection with Professor Wen Wen?" Wang Lan suddenly inquired. After all, with two professors murdered in a short time, she had good reason to suspect the cases were related.
"Wen Wen... Yes, I know. Wen Wen was one of Professor Dai’s students. Throughout his life, Professor Dai mentored twelve top scientists in various fields. Wen Wen’s research on waves was unparalleled in his time. But I heard that Wen Wen, yesterday..."
At this point, the school administrator’s face suddenly changed. "Is this a serial murder?"
"It’s highly likely. Has Dr. Wen sought out Professor Dai recently?"
"I’ll go check the surveillance immediately."
The traditional method of reviewing security footage was too inefficient. Who could match the efficiency of Xiao Ai? Wang Lan had Xiao Ai tap into the surveillance system and review the footage at one hundred times the speed. Within less than a minute, Xiao Ai discovered that, over the past month, Dr. Wen had visited Professor Dai at the engineering college more than once.
"As I thought, it’s related to Dr. Wen. What has Dr. Wen been researching recently? Or what has he been doing?"
"This..." Gaoyu Duch hesitated.
"Gaoyu Duch, you boastfully claimed you would solve the case within seven days, and one day has already passed. Surely you’re not telling me you don’t even know what Dr. Wen has been doing recently, or what could have possibly led to him being killed?"
"Well, at first we thought it was just an ordinary robbery-homicide, you see, and since only one day has passed, we haven’t been able to investigate that quickly..."
In response, Wang Lan could only say, Impressed!
"Gaoyu Duch, a year ago, Dr. Wen Wen was transferred to an independent scientific research institute in Modu City. We should go there to inquire," a security officer suddenly suggested.
"What are we waiting for then? Let’s go. And by the way, transfer Li Yan to me; I need an assistant."
"Alright, no problem," Gaoyu Duch hastened to call the director and report. Currently, Li Yan held the same rank as Gaoyu Duch, but Li Yan was in the special investigation team, while Gaoyu Duch was in the criminal investigation team.
Soon, Li Yan drove to Modu Engineering College. Before he could unbuckle his seatbelt, the passenger door was opened, and someone sat in the car.
"Dude, you got in the wrong car; this is a police vehicle."
"Do you think I’m drunk?" A familiar voice rose from beside his ear. Li Yan paused, then turned his head and saw Wang Lan, a goofy smile appearing on his face.
"Team Leader? Why is it you?"
"Come on, follow me to Haotian Scientific Research Institute."
"Sure! Let me set the GPS; I don’t know the place." As Li Yan was setting the navigation, he said, "Captain, this case was originally Gaoyu’s. I was wondering why they suddenly called me to assist in the investigation... Turns out you’re in charge."
"You don’t know that Gaoyu Duch asked me for help?"
"It’s not just me; even our bureau chief doesn’t know. You still don’t know Gaoyu Duch? Cunning as a monkey. Knowing your abilities, Team Leader, he asks for your help with anything remotely challenging. In the end, when the case is solved, he still gets the credit."
"Stop complaining. Is it ready yet?"
"Damn, it can’t find the address?"
"Innovation Industrial Park, Building B."
"Alright, let’s go!"
Innovation Industrial Park isn’t a district of Modu City, but rather a term for a concentrated industrial area. It’s not very large, just one or two square kilometers.
Driving to Building B, they stopped under the sign of Haotian Scientific Research Institute. Just as they parked, two young individuals in security guard uniforms hurried over.
"Greetings, Officer. You can’t park here, and also... Huh? Colonel Wang Lan?"
Wang Lan looked at the young man and woman in front of her, finding their features somewhat familiar...
"Are you from the Action Department? What are you doing working as security guards here? Has Tianjian Bureau taken over?"
"No, our assignment is to work as security guards here. We’ve been here for almost a month. Colonel, are you here for an investigation?"
"There are some things I need to understand. Is that inconvenient?"
"Well... without the bureau chief’s permit, we really can’t let anyone in. Unless it’s one of the scientists inside, no one else is allowed entry. Maybe you should call the bureau chief?"
"Seeing how secretive you’re acting, I knew I didn’t come here for nothing. Wait here."
If any other department had been in charge, Wang Lan might have just barged in. But she wouldn’t feel right about forcibly entering a place guarded by her Tianjian Bureau colleagues. She made a call, and Cheng Jianlong, upon learning that Wang Lan wanted to investigate the Haotian Research Institute, immediately passed the buck to Eld Di.
The research institute was established by Eld Di, and without his approval, Cheng Jianlong dared not let Wang Lan through.
About an hour later, a minivan slowly arrived, stopping behind Wang Lan. The car door opened, and silver-haired Eld Di stepped out.
"Director, you could have just given me a pass. Why did you bother coming yourself?" Wang Lan quickly said, a guilty expression on her face.
Since the battle with the Ancient Demon, Eld Di’s health had declined so much that his doctors had advised against any unnecessary exertion.
"You all stay outside. Wang Lan, come with me," Eld Di said indifferently, leading Wang Lan into the institute.
"Wang Lan, the security level of this research facility is extremely high. Unless someone is completely trustworthy, they’re not permitted inside."
"What’s the research focus here? The Awakening Potion?" Wang Lan speculated.
"Isn’t Wang Qi researching the Awakening Potion? Wang Qi alone is enough. What we’re studying is the Time-Space Gemstone you brought back from the Kingdom of Ice and Snow."
"The Time-Space Gemstone? Forgive me for being frank, Eld Di, but even though the energy inside the Time-Space Gemstone was exhausted, who knows if it isn’t a ticking time bomb? If your research somehow opens a gateway through time and space... that would be a disaster."
"Yes, that’s why we’re not researching what the Time-Space Gemstone is or its properties. Our only goal is to figure out how to destroy it. Over the past year, we’ve attempted nearly a thousand methods, but its durability has exceeded my expectations. At the beginning of this month, we attempted a particle collision, accelerating atoms to sub-light speed and then striking the Time-Space Gemstone. However, the Time-Space Gemstone remained unharmed, while our Quantum Collider was directly damaged."
"The beginning of the month? Was it August 2nd in the afternoon?" Wang Lan suddenly asked.
"Hmm? How do you know?"
"I was in Suzhou City back then and suddenly sensed an energy fluctuation. It wasn’t very strong, but its penetrative power was formidable. I thought something had happened in Modu City, so I made a special call to the Tianjian Bureau to ask."
"When did you break through?" Eld Di suddenly looked at Wang Lan with shock.
"Break through? Break through what? I don’t know what you’re talking about... I’m still at the peak of the Galaxy Stage."
"Still at the peak of the Galaxy Stage? Then how did you sense the energy fluctuation? The energy waves released from that collision experiment can only be perceived by those in the Star Soul Realm. But you’re right about one thing: this energy fluctuation has extremely strong penetrating power. It wasn’t just you in Suzhou City; over thirty experts worldwide in the Star Soul Realm or at the Half-step Star Soul level sensed it. Even those in Different Dimensional Space could feel it."
"They could sense it even in Different Dimensional Space? Can this energy wave propagate across dimensions?"
