S.C.I. (Volume II) - Case 6: Chapter 6

The Innocent Killer 06 - Illusion

After finishing their meal, the group walked back toward the police station. A Luo was carrying Luo Yang while walking in front with Bai Chi, leaving Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang walking side by side behind them.

"Cat, any discoveries?" Bai Yutang asked curiously.

"Hmm..." Zhan Zhao pondered for a moment before asking Bai Yutang, "Bai, do you think it's better for us to let Fang Wo undergo a lie detector test, or not let him take one?"

"Didn't you already say it? You shouldn't let him take it, yet you're forced to let him take it..." Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao. "It's a dilemma."

Zhan Zhao nodded with a smile. "Then, say, what if Fang Wo passes the lie detector test, and the verdict is that he's not guilty... Then he gets released, and another dismemberment case happens afterward... What happens then?"

Bai Yutang was stunned, then nodded knowingly. "I get it. By that time, Lu Liang will become the target of public criticism, and his theories will become a laughingstock!"

"And... say, what if Fang Wo fails the lie detector test, and the verdict is that he's guilty... and after that, another dismemberment case happens," Zhan Zhao continued asking. "What will the outcome be?"

Bai Yutang nodded. "By then, the police will be the target of public criticism. All our hard work for half a day would mean we caught the wrong person!"

"Lastly," Zhan Zhao smiled. "If we release Fang Wo first... the dismemberment cases continue, we catch Fang Wo again, and the dismemberment cases still continue... What's the result?"

Bai Yutang smiled and shook his head. "The public will definitely think both the police and the psychologists are fools."

Zhan Zhao summarized, "No matter what we do, it will trigger public skepticism toward the involvement of forensic psychology in criminal investigations."

Bai Yutang suddenly paused. "Cat, is that why there haven't been any dismemberment cases recently?"

Zhan Zhao smiled slightly. "Fang Wo is just a process. Whether he's locked up, released, or even executed in the end... as long as another dismemberment case occurs, the ultimate goal of the killer will be achieved."

"That Lu Liang... is simply being used as a gun," Bai Yutang frowned. "He's sold out and still helping people count their money."

"I think we should investigate Lu Liang's social circle and the people he frequently interacts with," Zhan Zhao said. "Also... in this world, nothing happens completely without a reason, especially extreme things."

"You mean the true killer has a very clear behavioral motive, and he hates forensic psychology?" Bai Yutang said. "He mocks the police, dislikes psychologists, and is very familiar with medicine—at the very least, he understands human anatomy..."

"There's more," Zhan Zhao suddenly said earnestly. "Bai, actually I've been researching something lately."

"Researching what?" Bai Yutang asked curiously. "There weren't any cases for a while, yet you looked extremely busy."

"I've been researching how to personify a certain type of behavior!" Zhan Zhao said.

Bai Yutang gave a look of admiration and said, "Then could you please translate your theory into human language first? My learning is shallow, and my comprehension scope is limited strictly to humans."

"Go away!" Zhan Zhao glared at Bai Yutang, paused to collect his thoughts, and said, "For instance, if a killer murders someone or harms someone... then they have a criminal motive, a crime scene, criminal actions, witnesses, and so on. The victim also has social relationships, reasons for being targeted, and the like."

"Mhm," Bai Yutang nodded. "That makes sense."

"The numerous serial killers, extremely dangerous criminals, and utterly heinous people we deal with don't just hate one or two individuals," Zhan Zhao explained as they walked. "What they hate is a group of people with common traits, or more precisely, they hate a specific behavior... Extrapolating from that, in our current case, whether the killer murders or harms people, it's all because he hates a certain thing..."

"I see!" Bai Yutang smiled. "You mean, imagine this behavior or thing as a person. For example, if this criminal hates forensic psychology, then forensic psychology is the victim. That means it has its own social circle, characteristics, frequently visited locations, and potential people it might have offended... Cat! That's brilliant!"

Zhan Zhao smiled. "Sometimes things that are too scattered leave people with no clues, but if we can integrate these scattered pieces into a whole, we have clues to investigate!"

"We used to always look for patterns from the victims, search for clues, and finally pin down the killer," Bai Yutang said with sudden comprehension. "What you're researching is abstracting the victim and directly narrowing down the possible existence range of the killer! This method is simply fantastic for tackling such clueless cases!"

Zhan Zhao reached out with satisfaction and patted Bai Yutang's shoulder. "As expected of Captain Bai—amazing comprehension and analytical skills!"

"Let's head back and directly list out the possible existence range for that person. There won't be too many such individuals, and we can put them under surveillance!" Bai Yutang excitedly pulled Zhan Zhao. "Let's go, Cat! We've got work to do!"

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao hurried back to the police station. That night, all SI officers worked overtime, and everyone browsed through a massive amount of data. Zhan Zhao laid out the following criteria for them:

1. Able to have direct or indirect contact with Lu Liang, strongly endorsing his theories, with remarks carrying a certain provocative nature. 
2. Possesses a certain understanding of psychology, having previously published similar articles in newspapers—supporting it in the early stages, but opposing it later on. 
3. Joined multiple psychology forums, appearing frequently at the very beginning, but rarely showing up in later stages. 
4. Possesses a certain opportunity to come into contact with corpses. 
5. Possesses certain medical knowledge or a certain knowledge of human anatomy. 
6. Young, physically strong, and taciturn. 
7. Unsuccessful in career, of average economic status, with a profession that offers a certain degree of flexibility. 

Meeting five or more of the above criteria would be sufficient. After a whole night of investigation, everyone locked onto three criminal suspects. One was Lu Liang's student, Wang Le, who graduated and stayed at the university last year, working as Lu Liang's teaching assistant with a background in medical studies. Another was a netizen named Luo Xinyao who frequently appeared on Lu Liang's personal forum; she was an intern doctor and a psychology enthusiast, but her remarks were extremely radical. The final one was named Zou Long, a clinic teacher at the school where Lu Liang worked, who usually got along very well with Lu Liang and often shared a couple of drinks together.

"All three of them meet the criteria," Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Yutang.

Bai Yutang dispatched Ma Han, Wang Chao, Zhang Long, Xu Qing, Zhao Hu, and A Luo—six people in total—to work in shifts, providing twenty-four-hour surveillance across three teams to monitor the movements of the three suspects. Meanwhile, Bai Yutang, Zhan Zhao, and Bai Chi continued searching for data at the police station.

After two days of tracking, the conclusion turned out to be—all three of them gave off a rather abnormal vibe.

On the third day, Fang Wo's lie detector test was conducted via a live television broadcast.

Zhan Zhao, Bai Yutang, and the others waited in front of the television to watch Fang Wo's lie detector test process. In the end, Fang Wo successfully passed the test.

"This guy," Bai Yutang tossed the remote control aside and shook his head. "He's truly something else!"

Zhan Zhao remained silent for a long time before saying, "Fang Wo is an expert; his background is definitely not simple!"

"Cat, the main event is coming up next—the verdict comes out this afternoon!" Bai Yutang deployed a massive police force and made thorough preparations.

That afternoon, the verdict for Fang Wo's trial was announced—insufficient evidence, acquitted!

Fang Wo's verdict stirred up waves on multiple fronts, leaving news media deep in discussion, while not a single person remained inside the SI office. Everyone had gone out on field assignments, standing ready in full alert.

That very night, all three suspects unexpectedly left their homes at the exact same time. After meeting up, they took advantage of the cover of night and headed to a single location—Lu Liang's home.

When Bai Yutang and his team burst into Lu Liang's house, Lu Liang was already pinned to the ground, and the surgical scalpel in Luo Xinyao's hand was just about to plunge into Lu Liang's stomach—a case of catching the culprits red-handed with the stolen goods!

The only strange thing was that Lu Liang's eyes were filled with agony, yet he couldn't make a sound, though he could still struggle and move.

Gongsun abruptly caught sight of a glass bottle placed nearby, containing half a bottle of milk. He smiled with sudden enlightenment and said, "So that's how it is!"

"Gongsun, what's going on?" Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao were both puzzled.

Gongsun shook his head. "Has anyone ever heard of microwave scalding?"

Everyone exchanged blank glances and nodded. Microwave scalding was a common type of accident. The principle behind microwave heating is to agitate molecules to generate heat, which is why heating liquids in a microwave often results in the liquid becoming extremely hot while the container remains cool to the touch. Because of this, many careless parents used to heat milk directly in the microwave, and upon feeling that it was lukewarm when touching the container from the outside, fed it directly to infants, resulting in severe scalding injuries to the babies.

The human throat is extremely fragile, and temperatures around 50 degrees Celsius can cause burns, especially when forcefully poured down. Since the swallowing area happens to be where the vocal cords are located, excessive heat can cause permanent damage! Lu Liang had presumably been forcefully poured extremely hot milk, which left him in excruciating agony and distress, yet unable to make a sound due to his scalded vocal cords, leaving him with no choice but to wait helplessly for death.

Bai Yutang called an ambulance. Before being sent to the hospital, Lu Liang grabbed tightly onto Zhan Zhao's hand with tears welling in his eyes, and Zhan Zhao could only shake his head. This middle-aged scholar would likely carry psychological scars for the rest of his life.

With the three suspects detained, the culprits caught red-handed, and the disembowelment case solved, Zhan Zhao kept an extra card up his sleeve. He asked Lu Fang to state during the press conference that the killer's intentions had been fully understood all along, and that Lu Liang had intentionally cooperated with the police by using Fang Wo's lie detector case to flush out the real culprit, proving that the psychological community was deeply united.

In an instant, public criticism directed at forensic psychology vanished, and Lu Liang, who had temporarily lost his voice due to the burns, was hailed as a hero.

Lu Liang, however, remained unusually low-profile, refusing all interviews and declining to see visitors.

A week later, Zhan Zhao received a letter sent by Lu Liang containing only four characters: "Benevolence is Invincible."

Zhan Zhao accepted the letter, but his mood was far from good... Although the disembowelment case was solved, the dismemberment cases still yielded not a shred of a lead. Furthermore, Gongsun delivered an uninspiring piece of news to the team: he had carefully examined the throats of the victims in the dismemberment cases—there were no signs of scalding whatsoever.

What proved most headache-inducing of all was that the sole person in the know, Fang Wo, had vanished!

"Cat," Bai Yutang said helplessly, "It looks like the dismemberment cases and the disembowelment cases were just a coincidence and not linked at all."

Zhan Zhao had spent the past few days reviewing the case files related to these incidents. He discovered that all three killers belonged to the exact same online forum. It was a very niche forum that could not be found via search engines; they were only able to locate the website because all three individuals had it bookmarked on their computers, and they visited this forum almost daily. Its name was—Illusion.

It was an extremely extreme psychological forum, with most topics discussed revolving around abnormal psychology. The forum master went by the name "Cult Master Illusory Night." From their discussions, Zhan Zhao could tell that this forum master's words carried massive instigative power, and his professional knowledge was exceptionally solid, showing a deep understanding of psychology. He used highly skillful language to instigate the chat members of the forum into committing crimes. Their threads even contained large amounts of bloody descriptions of criminal scenes, and it was impossible to tell whether they were real or fake.

However, when Jiang Ping checked the website, he discovered that the forum's server was located overseas and untraceable for the time being. Moreover, the forum had stopped updating from the very day those three individuals were arrested.

"Cat," Bai Yutang muttered, skimming through the printed-out forum posts with a curled lip, "Why are there so many weirdos in this world? Earth is getting way too dangerous!"

Zhan Zhao sighed helplessly. "Purely theoretical sciences related to human behavior are generally quite dangerous, much like psychology or religious studies. Once they deviate from objectivity and head toward extremes, they can become tools to instigate and control people. After all, in this world, people without any weaknesses or psychological issues virtually do not exist. Where there are weaknesses, they will inevitably be exploited."

"I have a feeling... this case isn't over yet," Bai Chi chimed in from the side. "I wonder what the ultimate goal actually is."

At that moment, the office door was pushed open, and Bao Zheng and Lu Fang walked in.

"Chief Bao?" Bai Yutang looked up. "Something up?"

Bao Zheng nodded and said, "The SI has been established for a year now, and we've cracked many cases. This latest disembowelment case was solved even more brilliantly. To commend our police force's contribution to S City's public safety, S City's prominent political and business figures are hosting a grand banquet tonight to express their gratitude."

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao exchanged glances, just as they were about to speak up and decline, Bao Zheng glared at them both. "A large number of high-ranking officials will be attending, so nobody even thinks about skipping!"

The two of them felt powerless.

"Tonight at seven o'clock, at the top floor of the International Hotel!" Bao Zheng swept his gaze across everyone in the room. "All SI members will attend in formal attire. Whichever one of you dares not to show up, I'll kick you off the police force!" With that, he turned and left.

Lu Fang smiled at everyone and whispered, "I knew coming here wouldn't be of any use; sure enough, Chief Bao still has the absolute upper hand!" With that, he walked away chuckling.

Silence hung in the SI office for a moment before everyone collectively turned their gaze toward Bai Yutang, asking in unison, "Chief, what does formal attire mean?"

Bai Yutang scratched his head. "Probably dress the same way you would if you were going to a wedding banquet?"

Everyone fell silent. Glancing at their watches, the time was drawing near. Bai Yutang waved a hand. "Go back and change your clothes!"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang also headed home reluctantly to change.

"Bai, isn't the International Hotel owned by your brother?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"Probably... It's the same venue from Qilei's shooting case last time," Bai Yutang said with lingering apprehension. "Don't tell me something's going to happen tonight too. If it does, my big brother won't need to rent this venue out anymore; he might as well convert it into a funeral home."

"Don't talk nonsense. By the way, didn't your brother go out of town?" Zhan Zhao thought for a moment. "When is he coming back?"

Bai Yutang shrugged. "How would I know? Ask Gongsun. Oh—"

"What's wrong with you?" Hearing Bai Yutang suddenly let out a yelp, Zhan Zhao leaned over to look at him.

"Cat, my eyelid is twitching!" Bai Yutang leaned in closer. "Come on, give me a kiss!"

He got punched!