Chapter 10: Evidence Is What Matters Most

The policewoman’s gaze swept up and down over Xiao Kaitian, as if she meant to imprint every detail of him in her mind. “You are Xiao Kaitian? From Han-Tang?” When he nodded, she continued seriously, “We are the Traffic Division of the Kanagawa Police Headquarters. I am Inspector Sakura Harui, and this is my colleague Yamamoto. We suspect you are involved in a traffic accident on the highway, as well as speeding. Do you understand?”

A flicker passed through Xiao Kaitian’s eyes; he hadn’t expected the surveillance systems of this world to be so advanced. His actions on the highway had already come to the attention of the police. He nodded.

“Please hand over your driver’s license.” He complied, passing his documents to Sakura Harui, who glanced at them and laughed, “This is an international license, but it’s issued in the Bay Island region. Unfortunately, we need to conduct further investigation. I trust you don’t mind accompanying us.”

Her tone, stating facts rather than asking, revealed her confident nature. Xiao Kaitian regarded this young policewoman, whose combat prowess barely reached fifteen, yet was brimming with youthful energy; his interest was piqued. In the Central Axis universe, he would occasionally travel to lower-dimensional worlds, but this was the first time he was experiencing such a low-level world in person. Suddenly, he was filled with eager anticipation. “Alright.”

His immediate compliance pleased Sakura Harui. She beckoned with her finger, “Yamamoto, call the tow team. Remind them this is an important item—don’t damage it.”

Compared to Yamamoto’s resigned smile, she was undoubtedly calm and confident. She waved Xiao Kaitian over, pointing to the police car nearby, flashing red and blue lights. “Get in that car.”

A faint smile appeared on Xiao Kaitian’s lips as he obediently took his seat. As the door closed, he could still hear Yamamoto’s muttered complaint, “Harui-san, is this really wise? He might be a syndicate member.”

The police car parked steadily in front of an eighteen-story building. After getting out, Sakura Harui led Xiao Kaitian inside to a small office, leaving him alone on a cushioned chair.

Soon, Sakura Harui returned with a stack of documents and sat across from him. The table, less than sixty centimeters wide, felt cramped. Xiao Kaitian could faintly smell the sweet fragrance emanating from the girl—a scent he did not find unpleasant, possibly influenced by his body.

“Fill out this basic information form first.” Sakura Harui pulled out a sheet, spun it across the table toward him. Seeing his gaze fall upon the paper, she emphasized, “It’s just basic information.”

Xiao Kaitian smiled, “You say that, but if I fill it in, you’ll enter it into your system, and my information will reside within the police database here. For me, that’s not a particularly pleasant prospect.”

Sakura Harui’s brows shot up. She hadn’t expected this Han-Tang visitor to be so familiar with the procedures of local law enforcement.

“What I mean is,” Xiao Kaitian slipped both hands into his pockets, “Retrieving my personal information isn’t difficult. As for filling out forms, let’s establish the facts first, then proceed.” He leaned forward, slowly approaching Sakura Harui. “Isn’t that right?”

Sakura Harui’s expression instantly chilled. She warily pulled back, convinced now that he had ties to the syndicate and was no ordinary figure. “The facts? We have them!”

“May I smoke?” When Sakura Harui didn’t object, her mouth twitching, Xiao Kaitian lit a cigarette. He flicked it between his fingers, “Apologies—my cravings got the better of me.”

Arrogant! Unbearably arrogant! Sakura Harui gritted her teeth.

“That’s why I insist on seeing your so-called facts,” Xiao Kaitian said, exhaling smoke in no hurry, “I am a Han-Tang citizen, always law-abiding. Do you think I’d break the law here?”

“We suspect you’re involved in a traffic accident—”

“For a police officer, evidence is paramount.” Xiao Kaitian spoke earnestly, his face grave. “You may inspect my vehicle and compare the damage and traces to determine if an accident really occurred.”

“We also have your speeding records from real-time road monitoring!” Sakura Harui declared.

“First, Inspector Harui,” Xiao Kaitian sighed, “Today’s weather was under a severe lightning warning. According to the network laws here, any observations made under special weather conditions must consider environmental factors, and such data cannot be used as sole legal evidence.”

“You—!”

“Furthermore, I was driving the latest hydrogen-powered hybrid Toyota Corolla,” Xiao Kaitian explained, releasing another cloud of smoke. “You should know, under Article 116 of the Traffic Production Law, hydrogen-powered hybrids are limited to a smart maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour on highways. So, considering the vehicle’s capabilities and the weather that day—how could I have been speeding?”

“Cough, cough!” Sakura Harui waved away the clouds of smoke drifting toward her, rendered speechless. Everything she thought was solid ground had been systematically dismantled by Xiao Kaitian’s logic.

“Can you drive me home? To Yokohama!”

He was simply too arrogant. Sakura Harui’s perfectly white teeth ground audibly as she clenched her fists. Were it not for the constraints of her badge, she would surely have struck him.

“Then how do you explain the blood on you? I suspect there’s plenty in your car as well!”

“That is precisely my point of complaint. I hope your police will remain impartial and not shield domestic companies,” Xiao Kaitian’s expression grew solemn. “I value the Toyota Corolla’s performance, but under reasonable operation, the vehicle still malfunctioned during driving, causing me injury. I have grounds for a formal appeal.”

Sakura Harui’s face darkened; she could see now that Xiao Kaitian was a troublemaker through and through.

The door clicked open. Yamamoto entered, carrying a stack of documents, breaking the tension in the room.

“Speak!” Sakura Harui couldn’t even be bothered to look.

“Yes. Based on trace analysis and the vehicle inspection, Xiao Kaitian’s car did indeed experience a minor collision, but comparing the damage to the guardrail at the scene, the forensics team unanimously concluded that such severe damage could not have been caused by a minor collision.”

“And the conclusion?” Sakura Harui frowned.

“The conclusion is: Xiao Kaitian’s car scraped the area, but the guardrail was damaged to that extent by another vehicle. Xiao Kaitian’s car is virtually unscathed.”

Is this some kind of joke? Sakura Harui’s face was grim. “A coincidence? What about the footage?”

“The footage,” Yamamoto replied with a wry smile, “The surveillance team reports that the video data was disrupted by lightning, and part of it is damaged. The remainder cannot be used as direct evidence.”

Sakura Harui slammed her hand on the table.