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Butterfly Project
墨書 Inktalez
At 3:17 AM, I stood in Professor Lin's office, watching the forensic experts busily at work. The glass window was open, and the cold wind rustled the curtains, creating a "popping" sound. The chill of February made me shiver, but what sent a deeper chill down my spine was the rust-red butterfly pattern on the wall.
"Suicide by hanging, time of death approximately two hours ago," one of the forensic experts said as he stood up and removed his gloves. "Preliminary assessment shows no signs of foul play."
I stared at Professor Lin's computer screen. Before his death, he had been editing a piece of code. The last line read: "They have found me."
Twelve hours earlier, Professor Lin had sent me a message saying he wanted to meet to discuss the AI Investment Fraud Case. As one of the foremost experts in artificial intelligence, he claimed to have discovered something unusual.
"It seems like just an ordinary suicide case," Detective Captain said as he closed his notebook. "Too much pressure, I suppose. There have been quite a few cases like this recently."
I remained silent. As a Technology Journalist, I had seen too many seemingly perfect facades crumble. Just yesterday, Professor Lin had emphasized, "Brother Liang, this case is not that simple. We should talk in person."
"Reporter Sun, you should head back for now," the captain said, patting my shoulder. "If you remember any important clues, feel free to contact me."
I nodded and pretended to turn away. But at the door, I deliberately stumbled and leaned on Professor Lin's desk. Taking this opportunity, I quickly glanced at his phone screen.
The last call log showed: 3:01 AM, from "Butterfly Laboratory." Call duration: 2 minutes.
Interesting. A call just before his death. And why "butterfly"?
By the time I got home, it was nearly five o'clock. I opened my computer to prepare notes on today's events when suddenly a new email popped up:
From: Professor Lin
Time: 3:05 AM
Subject: [Encrypted] Final Warning
I paused for a moment. An email from a dead man?
I opened the email to find a segment of encrypted content that required a key to unlock. However, at the very end of the body, there was a line of unencrypted text:
"If you are reading this email, it means I am already dead. The answer lies within the code, but be careful, never trust..."
The last few words were missing.
I immediately messaged Zhou Xue, Professor Lin's assistant. A few minutes later, she replied, "The professor was acting strangely yesterday, constantly reviewing some old files. He mentioned discovering a significant flaw in a certain project."
"What project?"
"I'm not sure, but I remember him repeatedly mentioning the word 'butterfly.' By the way, he has been investigating an AI Investment Fraud Case recently and said he found some strange patterns."
My gaze fell back on the email. As a seasoned Technology Journalist, my instincts told me that there was a bigger secret hidden within this fraud case. Professor Lin's death was likely just the beginning.
I opened the news database and searched for recent AI fraud cases. Soon, a shocking discovery made me sit up straight: over the past two months, six experts in the AI field had been defrauded, with amounts ranging from 500,000 to 5 million.
The most bizarre part was that they all claimed to have been introduced to invest by "the most trusted person."
And just a week ago, two of these experts had also chosen to take their own lives.
Just as I was about to continue my search, the computer screen suddenly flickered and all content vanished. After rebooting, I found that all news related to these cases could not be accessed.
It was as if someone had deliberately erased them.
The phone rang. An unfamiliar number.
"Reporter Sun," a processed voice said, "I advise you to stop investigating Professor Lin's case. Some truths are burdensome when known."
Before hanging up, the caller added, "When a butterfly flaps its wings, it always stirs up a storm."
I turned off the phone and gazed out the window. The morning light was faint, and the distant skyscrapers began to illuminate.
This fraud case was far more complicated than I had imagined. And Professor Lin's death seemed merely the beginning.
What did the butterfly pattern on that wall truly signify?
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