He had always thought he was just overworked and physically weak from not exercising for a long time.
Little did he know, it was the exact same premonition experienced by the victims of the serial murder case!
With his life on the line, Jedi couldn't care less about anything else and immediately stepped aside with a gesture.
"Please, come inside, Detective Herta, and officers. We need to have a good talk about this case and bring the killer to justice."
Brooks, Green, and the others exchanged subtle glances, all seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
The most difficult part—finding a reasonable excuse—had been solved so nonchalantly by Herta. The way the others looked at her changed as well.
As expected of a detective who could maintain absolute composure even at a scene where the Grim Reaper had struck.
This ability to adapt on the fly and her quick thinking made even the Police Superintendents feel inferior; one truly couldn't judge a book by its cover.
The group filed into Jedi's home.
It was considerably larger than Xi Manning's place, and the decor was quite sophisticated.
However, the heavy curtains were drawn tight, letting in not even a sliver of sunlight, which made the interior very dim.
The air was thick with the smell of heavy tobacco and the stuffiness of a room that hadn't been ventilated for a long time.
Following the same procedure as they had with Xi Manning, Brooks stayed on the first floor to negotiate with Jedi.
The others dispersed to conduct a thorough inspection of every corner of the house, attempting to find any hidden dangers.
Herta stood in the hall, looking around.
Qi Zhimu claimed he wouldn't help if there was no danger, but his mind just couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Third shelf of the wine cabinet on the left. There's one embedded in the cork of that bottle."
The familiar voice rang out repeatedly in Herta's mind.
"Right side of the ceiling, behind the air conditioning vent louvers. There's another one hidden there."
Herta calmly walked over to the wine cabinet and gave the bottle a half-turn, revealing the miniature camera hidden behind it.
Then she walked under the air conditioner and looked up at the vent.
Sure enough, there was one there too...
"How did you find them? Did you hypnotize Jedi before we arrived?" Herta asked in her mind.
"No. I just have a very strong perception for these things. If someone were watching me with binoculars from several kilometers away, I'd be able to feel it."
Qi Zhimu curled his lips into a smile.
"Just by taking a walk around the house, none of those things can stay hidden from me."
"The base of the lamp on the bedroom nightstand, the edge of the mirror cabinet above the bathroom sink, the gap behind the computer monitor in the study, and under the leaves of that plant in the living room."
With Qi Zhimu's precise navigation, it was as if Herta had X-ray vision.
In just a few minutes, eight miniature surveillance devices were neatly arranged on the coffee table.
The other police officers responsible for the search gathered around, looking at the items on the table and then at each other in bewilderment.
They had been searching for a while and had found absolutely nothing.
Yet, this young Detective Herta had found so many cameras.
When everyone was seated on the sofa, Herta's gaze fell on Jedi.
"Mr. Jedi, would you mind explaining why you installed so many cameras in your own home?"
Jedi's pale face was filled with unconcealable astonishment.
"Detective Herta, I truly see you in a new light. Your attention to detail and level of professionalism are simply breathtaking."
"To think you could find every single camera without missing one in such a short time."
The praise was heartfelt, but it made the expressions of the two Police Superintendents nearby look a bit unnatural.
Even they, professionally trained Police Superintendents, had failed to notice the deeply hidden devices.
Herta was indifferent to the flattery and waited quietly for Jedi's explanation.
Jedi didn't hide anything either; he pulled a cigarette from under the coffee table, lit it, and took a deep drag.
"In our line of work, it's just the nature of the job."
"Investigating extramarital affairs, trade secrets, and debt disputes on a daily basis inevitably leads to offending people."
"Over the years, I've made more enemies than I can count on both hands. Installing these surveillance cameras was purely for safety reasons."
"I don't want to come home one day, open the door, and have someone seeking revenge slit my throat from an ambush. As a fellow professional, you should understand my difficulties."
On the surface, Herta nodded in tacit understanding, seemingly accepting this very reasonable explanation.
However, Qi Zhimu let out a ruthless sneer.
"Unethical fellow. Protecting himself from enemies might be true, but filming for profit is even truer."
"Additional info: This guy used those perfectly angled hidden cameras to film many private videos of the different women he brought home, then packaged and sold them on certain shady websites."
"He makes much more money from this side hustle than he does as a detective."
Herta lowered her eyelids slightly, letting no emotion show on her face.
She wasn't interested in Jedi's morality; it was only natural for human nature to have a dark side.
As long as these cameras were unrelated to the Grim Reaper's MO, there was no need to expose his secrets and risk complicating matters.
Naturally, Jedi had no idea that his dirty little secrets had already been completely exposed by Qi Zhimu.
Seeing that everyone accepted his explanation, he relaxed slightly and continued:
"Since I live alone, I'm usually very careful. Besides keeping these monitors on 24/7, I carefully check if the front door is locked and the windows are tightly shut every night before bed."
"I even deadbolt the bedroom door from the inside before sleeping. So, if that serial killer has targeted me and wants to sneak into my house silently, it's not very likely."
"No matter how tight your security is, can it stop supernatural forces?"
Qi Zhimu snorted, his tone filled with interest.
"I'd like to see how this unlucky fellow ends up dying."
Herta ignored the chatter in her head and interrupted Jedi without hesitation, cutting straight to the point.
"Mr. Jedi, your awareness of security is indeed strong, but we are more concerned about your physical condition right now."
Herta stared into Jedi's eyes.
"Think back carefully. When did you start experiencing this abnormal fatigue? During that time, did anything special happen, or did you encounter any strange people?"
"Please be as detailed as possible. Don't overlook even the smallest detail."
"Let me think..." Jedi fell into thought.
The house became so quiet that only the ticking of the second hand on the wall clock could be heard.
After a while, Jedi stubbed out his cigarette and spoke slowly.
"It started about eleven days ago. Before that, I had just finished an adultery case. Although I was a bit tired, my physical state was still normal."
"In the middle of that night, I was woken up by a strong urge to urinate. I groggily got out of bed, pushed open the bedroom door, and went to the bathroom near the living room to use the toilet."
Herta caught a keyword: "Why go to the one outside?"
While looking for the cameras, she had seen Jedi's bedroom, and it clearly had an en-suite bathroom.
...
Compared to the future of you students, stockpiling chapters is really not worth mentioning; focus on your studies.
I've been a bit anxious lately. I probably won't start new reincarnation arcs so easily. Once the fourth life's daily life and reunion plot are finished, it'll likely end. Maybe around 600,000 words?
I'm not sure.
The multi-heroine cosmic reincarnation genre is indeed harder to write at length compared to simulator-type stories.