the person who reported a case to the authorities

　　Realizing that Benjamin wasn't going home, but toward the scene where the body was found, Emma asked, "Do we have to go back and re-examine the body?"" No, I want to meet someone first," Benjamin said.

　　'Who?' 'William.' Emma was puzzled.

　　She had just talked to William not long ago, and Benjamin didn't have his contact address.

　　'Should I call James and ask for his address?' 'He mentioned that he lives at his grandfather's house.' 'But he didn't mention where his grandfather's house is?' 'I know where it is.' 'You know?' 'He didn't take any transportation when he left, and he even had a dog with him when he went fishing.

　　This indicates that he doesn't live far away.

　　If you weren't completely focused on the body, you would have noticed that when he left, there were many people crowding around him and talking to him.

　　Some even called his name, showing that he knew these people.

　　Almost all the onlookers were from the village not far from the river.

　　All of this indicates that he lives in that village; otherwise, he wouldn't know so many people.' 'Okay, I admit I was completely focused on the body at that time.' Emma glanced at Benjamin, finding it strange how he could simultaneously notice so many things.

　　Benjamin and Emma soon arrived at the village."

　　"Please ask Benjamin yourself.

　　He's the one who has all the answers," Emma folded her arms and shrugged.

　　Benjamin nodded, his face serious.

　　"I arrived here following my instincts.

　　There was a certain tension in the air, a malevolence in the dog's bark.

　　It led me straight to this place."

　　Emma marvelled at Benjamin's intuition.

　　She had heard the dog barking earlier but dismissed it as a common occurrence in the countryside.

　　"You have a way with animals, Benjamin.

　　Truly impressive."

　　"I simply listen closely.

　　The dog's bark revealed a deep sense of hostility and restlessness," Benjamin explained.

　　"Well, I surrender.

　　You're like an encyclopaedia on legs.

　　I can't compete with that," Emma admitted defeat.

　　In her eyes, Benjamin was a walking compendium of knowledge.

　　The reporters continued their barrage of gossip-filled questions, seeking a sensational story rather than aiding the investigation.

　　The old man pleaded for them to leave, concerned about his grandson's well-being.

　　"I don't know anything.

　　My grandson has already told the police everything he knows.

　　If you have any questions, ask them," the old man begged.

　　"Please, I implore you to leave.

　　You're driving him mad."

　　"Sir, your grandson discovered the body.

　　It would be better if he came out and clarified everything.

　　Hiding won't solve any problems," a reporter argued.

　　"The public has the right to know, and we only want to uncover the truth."

　　"Rubbish! The so-called right to know is nonsense.

　　You'd better leave before I release the dog!" The old man grew angry, and the black dog let out another terrifying howl.

　　"Look, it's Benjamin!" A reporter recognized him.

　　"Great detective, why are you here? Do you suspect that William is involved with the deceased?"

　　"Detective Benjamin, I heard that you have taken on this case, but there are no clues now.

　　Do you have the confidence to solve the case?"

　　"Detective Benjamin, how long do you think it will take to crack the case?"

　　...

　　The reporters immediately turned their attention to Benjamin, rushing over to surround him.

　　"Don't take pictures, everyone stop taking pictures." Emma knew that Benjamin didn't like his photos appearing in the newspaper, so she stood in front, blocking the reporters who tried to take photos.

　　"Tall detective, say a few words.

　　How do you view this case? Can you solve it?" the reporters asked persistently.

　　"All I can tell everyone is that there is no case that cannot be solved in this world," Benjamin said under Emma's protection, pushing past the journalists towards the old man with a hostile expression on his face.

　　"Hello, sir.

　　I've talked with your grandson, William, before.

　　Can I see him again?"

　　"Just now, they said you're a detective?" The old man scrutinized Benjamin.

　　He had only seen detectives on TV before and had never encountered one in real life.

　　He felt that the detective profession was quite magical, just like wizards who always knew things that ordinary people didn't.

　　"Yes, I am a detective," Benjamin didn't hide his identity.

　　The old man suddenly looked at Benjamin fearfully, thinking that he was here to arrest his grandson.

　　He hastily exclaimed, "Are you here to arrest my grandson? He didn't kill anyone, he just happened to stumble upon the body."

　　"I know," Benjamin said, "I never said he killed anyone."

　　"Woof, woof!" The dog barked at Benjamin, seemingly defending its owner.

　　"Blackie, be quiet!" the old man scolded the dog, but it continued to bark without stopping, which made him feel restless.

　　"Blackie, be quiet," Benjamin reached out his hand to Blackie.

　　Strangely enough, the originally agitated Blackie instantly stopped barking, becoming much gentler.

　　It came to Benjamin's side, rubbing its head against his leg, as if they had known each other for a long time.

　　The old man was surprised.

　　Blackie was raised by him and his grandson and usually only obeyed their commands.

　　It never listened to anyone else's orders.

　　He confirmed his suspicion once again by observing Benjamin, that detectives might be wizards after all.

　　They not only saw through the minds of ordinary people but also communicated with animals.

　　Otherwise, how could Blackie listen to him? His fear of Benjamin grew stronger, and he unconsciously took two steps back, wanting to escape from Benjamin's side.

　　After reassuring Blackie, Benjamin looked up at the old man and said, "I just want to have a chat with William, I won't do anything else."

　　The old man felt that Benjamin was extraordinary and became afraid of him, but at the same time, he felt that his words had an irresistible power.

　　"Okay," he nervously licked his lips, opening the front door slightly.

　　"Come in."

　　"Benjamin and Emma walked in, and the reporters behind wanted to mix in, but they were blocked by Heizi outside.

　　When Benjamin walked to the middle of the courtyard, he suddenly stopped and said, "Can I ask you a few questions?" The old man looked at Benjamin nervously, worried that he would take away his soul like a wizard.

　　"What do you want to ask?" Benjamin asked.

　　"Does William always live with you?" "He has a job in the city and only comes back to accompany me on weekends." "But today is not a weekend." "I'm also very surprised.

　　He suddenly came back here yesterday and went fishing with fishing gear until this morning.

　　I only found out what happened when the reporters came here.

　　Honestly, he hasn't said a word to me even now, and I don't even know what happened." "What time did he come back here yesterday?" "Nine o'clock in the evening." "Can he drive?" "No, he can't.

　　He has always wanted to learn to drive, but our family conditions are not good, so he has never gone to learn." The old man suddenly felt uncomfortable, thinking of his grandson's difficult fate.

　　Shortly after William was born, his parents fell ill and died one after another, leaving behind a huge debt for the family.

　　He was raised by himself in his old age.

　　In order to repay the family's debts as soon as possible and reduce the burden on his grandfather, he dropped out of primary school and went to a restaurant to wash dishes and earn money.

　　Later, he changed many jobs.

　　It was not until the beginning of this year that he found a stable job as a security guard in the city, and his life has been relatively stable since then.

　　"He took on the burden of the family too early, and apart from work, he just comes back to accompany me.

　　It can be said that he has no spare time at all." "Alright, I have no more questions," Benjamin said.

　　The old man breathed a sigh of relief and shouted into the house, "Xiaoliang, someone is looking for you." Speaking, he led Benjamin and Emma into the bedroom.

　　The curtains were drawn in the room, and the dimness inside made people uncomfortable when they first entered.

　　Faintly, they could see a person lying on the bed.

　　"Why are the curtains drawn?" The old man walked forward and opened the curtains, making the room much brighter.

　　William was curled up in the corner of the bed, burying his head in the pillow.

　　"I don't want to see those reporters outside," William's dull voice came from under the pillow.

　　"I'm not a reporter, we've met before," Benjamin said.

　　"I'm Benjamin, do you remember?" "Is it you?!" William raised his head from under the pillow and looked at Benjamin in surprise.

　　"I told you we would meet again," Benjamin smiled, trying to relax William a little.

　　"Did the police send you to find me?" William sat up nervously, at the same time looking back to see if any police officers followed.

　　"No," Benjamin shook his head.

　　William didn't see any police officers, and combined with Benjamin saying that coming here had nothing to do with the police, his nervous heart relaxed slightly.

　　"Then why are you here?" "I just came to tell you something," Benjamin said."

　　"What's the matter?" William looked at Benjamin curiously, guessing the purpose of his visit.

　　"I have found the location where the body was dumped," Benjamin said.

　　William's face suddenly turned pale, and he shrunk back against the wall, nervously asking, "Where...where is it?" "You seem very scared but still want to know the answer," Benjamin said.

　　William's Adam's apple moved, muttering, "I'm just curious." He lowered his head, his eyes fixed on the bed, not daring to look at Benjamin.

　　"You know, it was me who discovered the body.

　　That poor woman was truly pitiful, so I wanted to find out the truth." Benjamin stared at William for a moment and said, "On a stone bridge five kilometers west from here, the police are currently investigating and gathering evidence.

　　If you want to go, it would be best to wait until the police are done." "I never said I wanted to go," William hurriedly defended himself.

　　"Alright, I've said what I needed to say.

　　Goodbye," Benjamin said.

　　"You're leaving?" William looked at Benjamin in astonishment, unable to believe that he made a trip just to inform him of finding the body dumping location.

　　"Yes, do you have anything to say to me?" Benjamin asked.

　　"Oh, nothing," William avoided Benjamin's gaze.

　　"We'll meet again," Benjamin lightly smiled, bid farewell to the old man, and left with Emma.

　　The reporters outside were still waiting, and as soon as they saw the two emerge, they swarmed like butterflies to flowers.

　　It had been several hours since they received the news, and they hadn't gotten any information from either the police or the person who reported the case.

　　They couldn't just go back empty-handed.

　　They needed to squeeze something out of Benjamin's mouth in order to have something to report.

　　"Detective Gao, can you give us an overview of the case?" "Mr.

　　Gao, why did you come to see the reporter? Do you suspect that he has a connection with the victim?" "Mr.

　　Gao, do you think the reporter is the key to solving the case?" "Mr.

　　Gao, have you found any valuable clues?" ...

　　faced with one question after another from the reporters, Benjamin couldn't help but admire their imagination.

　　If the police had even half the imagination of these people in their investigations, the probability of solving cases would be many times higher than it is now.

　　"I'm sorry, no comment! If you want to know anything, go and ask the police," Emma pushed through the crowd, escorting Benjamin out.

　　But the reporters, in order to have something to report, continued to pursue them relentlessly, until the two reached the outskirts of the village and hailed a taxi to leave.

　　Emma took a breath and, making sure no reporters were following, said to Benjamin, "To be honest, I don't understand why we had to come all the way here to inform that guy of our findings." "I just wanted to confirm one thing," Benjamin said.

　　"What?" Emma asked.

　　"That he is not the killer." "Have you confirmed it already?"

　　"Yes." "Why?" Emma had been following Benjamin closely, and she hadn't found any reason to believe that William wasn't the murderer.

　　At that moment, her phone suddenly rang.

　　After she answered the call, she heard James' voice on the other end, sounding very excited and even a bit incoherent.

　　After hanging up the phone, she said to Benjamin, "James called and said that the identity of the deceased has been confirmed."