Chapter 11 Bone Structure!
"So, the killer is choosing targets based on bone structure?"
"The average person wouldn't be able to tell that, right?"
Although Long Hao had been in the police force for many years and was skilled at solving cases, assessing bone structure was outside his professional scope.
Unless you placed two skulls side by side, you couldn't tell anything through the skin and flesh.
His situation aligned with common public understanding, which Chen Mo understood perfectly.
This was also why he had been pondering earlier: why would a killer, who seemed like an ordinary person, have experience in analyzing bone structure?
"Mhm. Ordinary people can't tell, and nobody goes out of their way to study this."
"But there are a few professions that could do it."
He didn't keep them in suspense and added, "Orthopedic doctors and art students."
There were others, of course, but there was no need to mention them.
Both crime scenes had traces of burned paper.
Chen Mo was more inclined to believe the killer was an art student.
Of course, there was also the position and angle of the ash left behind after the paper was burned!
If it was for drawing, the positioning was excellent.
"Art students?"
"I've heard the saying before: 'It's easy to draw a tiger's skin, but hard to draw its bones.' Many art students do indeed practice this to improve their skills."
"From that perspective, an art student's understanding of bone structure would indeed surpass that of the general public."
But a question immediately sprang to mind.
Why couldn't it be an orthopedic doctor?
Before he could ask, he realized something.
"I see!"
"Those ashes on the ground—the killer burned them after finishing their drawing!"
Long Hao clapped his hands, excited.
He immediately looked at Chen Mo, his eyes filled with admiration.
This reaction speed was a bit too fast.
He was only on the first step, while Chen Mo had already figured out the second and was moving on to the third.
This ability to solve cases was even better than his own.
How had he not noticed this uncut gem before?
Fortunately, the guy was with their Municipal Bureau. This was great!
Seeing Long Hao's happy expression, Chen Mo remained unfazed.
Although there were many clues and the case was progressing quickly, they still hadn't found the clue that would actually lock onto the killer.
"Don't put so much pressure on yourself. The leads you've provided would have taken us days to investigate!"
Seeing Chen Mo lost in thought again, Long Hao couldn't help but offer some comfort.
He was genuinely afraid that overworking his brain would burn Chen Mo out.
That would be a huge loss.
He wouldn't even have time to regret it then.
"I'm fine. I'm just wondering: why does the killer want to kill people with similar bone structures?"
"In reality, until we find the killer, this question seems unsolvable."
It was a question about the killer's psyche, which could only be answered once the case was closed.
What was even more absurd was that the killer was mentally ill.
To figure out the killer's modus operandi, he had to put himself in the shoes of a mentally ill person.
Shaking his head, he pushed the question to the back of his mind for the moment.
The most critical issue right now remained: would the killer continue to strike?
If so, how was he supposed to stop it?
Simply discovering a crime and making a little progress on the case was unacceptable to Chen Mo.
He wanted to intercept the killer before the next crime and prevent another victim.
Without realizing it, he had completely embraced his role as a police officer.
Eliminating evil to bring peace, and protecting the lives and property of the people.
"There was a two-day gap between this case and the previous one. Under normal circumstances, the killer would likely strike again the day after tomorrow."
Long Hao rubbed his chin as he analyzed.
His reasoning was sound; the killer was human, after all, and needed to rest.
But he hadn't considered that while the killer was human, he was also mentally ill.
Every crime he committed was a provocation against the police.
He was playing a game with the police!
Every time he struck, the wails of his victims sounded like heavenly music to him.
In such a state, would he really be able to wait until the day after tomorrow?
That was a question that needed a big question mark.
"No. The second victim had significantly more wounds than the first. That was done purely to torture the victim; he hears their wails as if he's listening to beautiful music."
"From the killer's perspective, he's playing a game with us, competing in a match."
"When you're playing a game and win two rounds in a row, what's your first reaction?"
Hearing this analogy, Long Hao, who hadn't played a game in a long time, rubbed his temples.
"Play another round?"
Chen Mo snapped his fingers. "Exactly. The killer may be mentally ill, but human desires remain the same."
"After winning a round, most people can't wait to start the next, hoping it'll be even more satisfying than the last."
"They only calm down and log off, cursing, after their teammates drag them down and they get tilted."
Long Hao understood this simple, relatable explanation perfectly.
Logging off meant the killer being caught, and until then, he would continue to strike.
Each crime would be more shocking than the last.
"So, it's very likely the killer will strike again today, right?"
"To be precise, he'll likely make his move tonight. It all depends on whether we can identify his target before he does!"
Chen Mo said coldly.
With the case at this stage, the pressure was immense.
It was like knowing for sure that someone would commit a crime tonight; any mistake meant the loss of a human life.
The cost was too high!
"What do we do next?"
"You take command. We'll cooperate fully!"
Long Hao was handing command over to Chen Mo, not to shift the blame, but out of unconditional trust.
"Our advantage is that we can mobilize significant resources, which is something the killer cannot do."
"I need to know the routes both victims took home after work, in as much detail as possible."
"Also, I need to know which businesses in the area stay open at night, including bars and KTVs, and find photos of their staff if possible."
Long Hao was stunned for a moment, then understood Chen Mo's intention and immediately went to get it done.
Only the forensic pathologist and Chen Mo remained in the warehouse.
"So you want to screen the night-shift staff first?"
The goal was obvious; the pathologist wasn't a fool and could naturally guess.
But both he and Long Hao had guessed wrong.
"If I were to screen the staff of nearby businesses first, what problem would I face?"
Chen Mo asked, answering with a question.
"Well... whether we screen them or not, we still can't identify the killer's target. We can screen the staff, but we can't predict which civilians will be out and about in that area at night."
Chen Mo nodded. That was the very problem he had been pondering.
He could have screened every resident in the entire area—they had plenty of manpower.
But that would be no different from trying to catch fish with a torn net.
It would be exhausting and likely thankless.
Therefore, he decided to use the simplest approach.
High-end ingredients often only require the simplest cooking methods.
"Then you know that—why are you still doing it?"
The pathologist was completely bewildered, unable to keep up with Chen Mo's train of thought.
"He's looking for people with similar bone structures, right?"
"It just so happens that I know a thing or two about makeup—one of the Four Great Asian Sorceries!"