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墨書 Inktalez
It seemed that after surviving a disaster, we were given a five-day long break. During this time, I returned home to visit my parents and also completed several levels of a puzzle game. Dezi took the opportunity to bring Mary home to meet his future mother-in-law. Juan Juan, on the other hand, used the holiday to write another academic paper.
On the last day of the break, I found myself sitting in a hot pot restaurant, enjoying a feast with the members of the Special Investigation Team. Indeed, in this deep autumn season, nothing was more satisfying than having hot pot.
While Juan Juan was explaining to us which cuts of meat came from which animals, my phone rang. It was a call from A-Bao. This meant we had another case to handle. I quickly popped a piece of lamb into my mouth and asked while chewing, "What’s going on this time? Where has the incident occurred?"
A-Bao replied, "So far, we only know that an incident has definitely happened, but we haven't confirmed where it took place."
His words sounded almost like a comedy routine, leaving me utterly confused. I had no choice but to say, "I mean, A-Bao, what do you mean by saying there’s been an incident but not knowing where? Can you clarify whether or not something has happened? Are you just calling to tease me?"
A-Bao's voice came through again: "Let’s put it this way: the North City police received a special letter. The letter details a murder case. The police have taken photos of its contents and sent them to Mary’s email for her to check."
"The North City police managed to identify the so-called victim based on the description in the letter. They discovered that this person went missing three days ago and is currently being searched for, but there are no leads." A-Bao continued lazily, "The last thing written in the letter was: please forward this letter to the Special Investigation Team Shaoshilin; come and catch me."
Upon hearing this, I nearly dropped my chopsticks into the pot. It appeared that this letter was specifically addressed to me. The Killer was deliberately provoking me; it seemed they either held a grudge against me or knew who I was. However, upon reflection, I couldn't pinpoint who it might be. I had caught numerous Killers before; although most were sentenced to death, it was possible that some had friends who shared similar vengeful sentiments towards society. Or perhaps the Killer wasn't targeting me specifically but rather our Special Investigation Team.
However, it was most likely just a prank by someone who knew me. With this thought in mind, I asked, "A-Bao, this wouldn’t be a prank, would it? Are some Killers’ families unhappy with me? Is this an intentional threat?"
"No way; once you see that letter, you'll understand," A-Bao replied without further explanation.
He continued, "So this case must be handled by your team. Just tidy up a bit and get moving. I've already spoken with the North City Public Security Bureau; they’re waiting for you. As for where the incident occurred, you'll have to figure that out yourselves."
After hanging up the phone, Juan Juan asked, "Where are we heading this time?"
"North China," I said. "Mary, book plane tickets to North China. Also, A-Bao has sent a letter to your email. Treasure it; it's probably the best meal we'll have before solving this case. Once we get to North City, who knows if we'll even have time for a decent meal."
On the plane.
Mary opened the computer and pulled up the letter that seemed to be addressed specifically to me. Four people gathered around the screen, staring at what could possibly be a message from a serial killer. The envelope was an ordinary one, the kind you could find in any stationery or grocery store. However, when we flipped to the next image, everyone gasped in shock.
I finally understood why we were sent over without confirming the identity of the deceased. The prank nature of this case could essentially be ruled out, as the letter was not written on ordinary paper. It was made of skin, and if I wasn't mistaken, it appeared to be a Human Skin Map. It was an entire piece, looking remarkably smooth.
Juan Juan frowned and asked Mary to enlarge the skin as much as possible without losing detail. After observing for a moment, Juan Juan said, "From the pores and texture of this skin, it indeed seems to be a Human Skin Map. Given its smoothness, it must have been cut from someone's back to shoulder."
"Considering the neatness and the separation from muscle and fat, the Killer must possess professional knowledge of General Surgery or at least an understanding of human anatomy. This suggests that the Killer is likely one of several types of people: a doctor, a butcher, or a tailor." Juan Juan continued examining the Human Skin Map and added, "It's also possible they are not from these professions but have self-taught skills; if that's the case, they might have experimented on animals."
I nodded; Juan Juan's analysis was quite accurate. However, given our complete lack of leads at this point, it was best not to speculate too much. Setting that aside for now, I motioned for Mary to slowly scroll down to see what else was written in this letter. Here is an excerpt from it:
"When you read this letter, it means a 'Lamb' has already been slaughtered by the butcher. As for food, I am quite the foodie. I have my own methods for enjoying delicious meals. First, I must cut open this 'Lamb'; otherwise, I won't have a pot large enough for all this meat.
First, separate the head and limbs from the body and set them aside. The limbs must be roasted over fire—charcoal is essential; only wood charcoal can bring out the meat's aroma. Gently turn the limbs while listening to the fat crackling inside and watching as the muscles tighten with the flames, oil dripping onto the fire and filling the air with fragrance.
I prefer my meat medium-rare with just a hint of rawness. Spread some spicy sauce on top and evenly sprinkle some cumin and coarse salt. The taste is simply exquisite; even if I were made emperor, I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Eating meat should be done in large chunks while drinking copious amounts of wine—it's a perfect combination.
Once the limbs are prepared, it's time to deal with the torso. Cut along the spine to split it in half. Remove the entire section of spine and divide it into smaller pieces along the vertebrae. Next, take out the ribs; there's no need to shave off all the meat at this stage. We will place both spine and ribs into a pot for slow simmering over low heat. Add goji berries, dried tangerine peel, a star anise flower, a slice of angelica root, and sprinkle some pepper powder. Chop up some angelica root and almonds and add a splash of white wine for flavor. It needs to simmer gently for a Morning until the marrow releases its essence.
So what should we do during this time? After grilling some meat, we should definitely enjoy hot pot next. Slice off pieces of body meat; of course, good knife skills are essential for this task. The internal organs are also great additions for hot pot; prepare spicy oil with some cilantro and chopped peanuts along with sesame sauce—then we can dig in.
After consuming so much rich food, it's time for something lighter. Luckily our soup is ready as well. This soup should not contain salt; it should be light in flavor. Just drinking soup isn't enough; we need to prepare a small side dish too. Remember that head? Now it's time to put it to use—we need to use a small hammer to crack open its skull and carefully remove any fragments.
Next, pour in some cooking wine and steam the entire head together. Don't steam it too long; otherwise, it'll lose its freshness. Then pour in some seasoning. Prepare a small dish of coarse salt—now we can start eating! Sipping soup while enjoying brain seasoned with coarse salt is simply divine.
Thus we've used up all parts of our 'Lamb.' Of course, even as a big foodie, I can't finish such a large quantity by myself. The leftovers will go to my little wolf dog, but even he can't eat that much either. By the way, if you manage to find this place, there are plenty more leftovers waiting there for you! However, keep in mind that the longer they sit out, the worse they will taste. So I wish you luck in finding this place soon."
Today, our culinary adventure comes to an end. If possible, I hope to see you all again next time. To make you believe my words, this lamb's name is Sun Shouwang; you can look it up. By the way, please pass this letter to the Special Investigation Team, Shaoshilin, and come catch me.
— Gourmet
After reading this letter, I felt an indescribable sensation in my heart. The others also furrowed their brows tightly, clearly disgusted by the words on the Human Skin Map. Mary covered her mouth, staring at the computer screen for a long time, unsure of what to say. Dezi, however, spoke up directly: "The Killer writing such a letter is clearly taunting our police force and challenging our Special Investigation Team. I believe that if we don't solve this case quickly, more innocent people will die."
I nodded. From this Human Skin Map letter, it was evident that this person was undoubtedly a twisted serial killer. His motive for killing wasn't for personal gain or any demands; he killed simply for pleasure, driven by his perverse and distorted psyche. Such a person is extremely difficult to deal with because he has no fixed pattern in his killings.
I pressed my fingers against my temples and slowly said, "Prepare for a tug-of-war with him. I think this person dares to challenge our Special Investigation Team because he believes he can escape the law's punishment. Such a person must be incredibly arrogant, and someone so proud will likely leave behind clues to increase the difficulty for himself or to allow us to find him."
"In order to draw our attention, the Killer deliberately left the victim's name." I continued, "Previously, A-Bao mentioned that Sun Shouwang has been missing for three days. Let's start from there and find out where the victim is now. Dezi, contact the North City police; we’ll be landing soon."
Dezi nodded.
No one spoke further because everyone realized that this case was anything but ordinary. The open provocation of the police and our Special Investigation Team, along with leaving such a gruesome letter behind, made this Killer extremely dangerous. If we didn't apprehend him soon, we would be in serious trouble!
A Senior High School Student was kidnapped along with a Leggy School Beauty and a Busty Third-Tier Celebrity trapped in an Abandoned Cabin after mistakenly eating Unknown Wild Fruit, feeling feverish in the middle of the night.
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