The two fell into silence again for a moment before Yin Feng said, "But if it's someone close to us, it makes sense why they would hide. It explains why the Punisher always seems to anticipate our moves whenever we investigate a case. Of course, there were times when we gained the upper hand against the Punisher. But could that be the person sacrificing pawns to protect the king, just to avoid exposing their identity?"
A deep chill surged through You Mingxu's heart.
At that moment, Yin Feng wrapped his arm around her and said, "It might also just be someone I've met or known in the past."
You Mingxu nodded.
Yin Feng said, "Let's keep this confidential for now. We both know what's going on, so we'll observe quietly and wait for developments. First, let's focus all our efforts on catching the Apprentice Killer. Perhaps that will draw someone out."
——
You Mingxu and Yin Feng returned to the office, where Xu Mengshan and several key team members were also present, all sorting through and discussing the day's investigative work. Yin Feng said, "Let's go to the conference room. I have some new ideas."
Everyone looked at him. Yin Feng smiled and said to You Mingxu, "That was the bad news earlier. This is the good news."
When they entered the conference room, everyone was taken aback.
One wall was covered with a blackboard, on which a chart was drawn and filled with writing. Xu Mengshan read it aloud: "On the left... Xu Baping. On the right... the Apprentice Killer! This is a comparative analysis of them? Why? Teacher Yin, have you found a connection between them? But Lao Ding already said that the killer back then was 100% Xu Baping, so this must be an imitation—unless Xu Baping left behind a disciple back then?"
Xu Mengshan's statement was earth-shattering, leaving everyone stunned. You Mingxu also frowned—she was more familiar with Xu Baping's profile than anyone. He came from a broken family, lost both parents, had no relatives or friends, and by the end, he was on the verge of insanity, committing crimes in a frenzy. How could such a person have taken on an apprentice?
Unexpectedly, Yin Feng raised an eyebrow and said, "You're quick on the uptake. Who knows? Maybe there really was such a person back then. Everyone, take a look at their behavioral analysis comparison chart first."
The detectives all stared wide-eyed—so this thing was called a behavioral analysis comparison chart.
The current Yin Feng was not the You Yingjun of the past, who would blurt out discoveries like a firecracker, often leaving the detectives unconvinced. He was much more cunning now. Like at this moment, even though he had made a discovery, he didn't state it outright. Instead, he presented the clues to the detectives, preferably letting them figure it out themselves. Wasn't that much easier to manage?
So Yin Feng calmly sat down first, poured himself a glass of water from the nearby dispenser, and slowly drank it.
You Mingxu also looked up at the chart. The first item, the first comparison point, was "Signature Behavior."
Both killers' signature behavior was severely injuring xing organs. The conclusion was "Same."
Second item: "Targets."
Xu Baping: Women aged 20–30, random selection.
Apprentice Killer: Massage parlour workers in their early 20s, with conservative personalities and few social connections.
Conclusion: Target selection is more precise and easier to control.
Third item: "Sexual Assault Behavior."
Xu Baping: Present.
Apprentice Killer: Absent.
Seeing this, You Mingxu paused, seemingly grasping the differences between the two killers more clearly.
Fourth item: "Planning."Xu Baping: No planning, random selection, simple tracking, impulsive crimes.
Apprentice Killer: Makes plans, selects targets, conducts thorough tracking, plans crimes.
Fifth item: "Crime Scene."
Xu Baping: Does not clean up, leaves abundant traces and evidence.
Apprentice Killer: Cleans up, leaves almost no traces.
Sixth item: "Victim Response."
Xu Baping: Some resist, some do not. Relatively frequent physical contact and injuries.
Apprentice Killer: No resistance at all, no unnecessary physical contact or injuries.
Seventh item: "Time Intervals."
Xu Baping: Irregular.
Apprentice Killer: 10 days.
Eighth item: "Primary Tools."
Xu Baping: Rope, dagger.
Apprentice Killer: Rope, dagger.
Ninth item: "Other Tools."
Xu Baping: None.
Apprentice Killer: Anesthetic, gloves, plastic covers, mask, hood.
Tenth item: "Communication with Victims."
Xu Baping: None.
Apprentice Killer: Yes.
...
At this point, a detective remarked, "I see—how can this be an apprentice? Clearly, every aspect is executed more sophisticatedly than Xu Baping's!"
Everyone voiced their agreement.
But You Mingxu felt a stir in her heart. Yin Feng wouldn't emphasize this without reason—what was the significance? Moreover, looking at it this way, the Apprentice Killer had indeed addressed every flaw in Xu Baping's methods... Wait, what special meaning did this itself hold?
Yin Feng, observing her expression, seemed to understand that she had already grasped it. A faint smile played on his lips, but You Mingxu found his smile too sinister and turned her head away.
Seeing her shrink back like a startled rabbit, Yin Feng smiled again slightly. Turning to the other detectives, who had likely sensed something amiss, he spoke: "In your eyes, a specific piece of physical evidence must correspond to a particular cause. Fingerprints correspond to identity, footprints to height, build, and walking habits, blood spatter patterns to the method of attack... Behavioral analysis works the same way. An unusual behavior of a serial killer must correspond to their psychological traits.
This is no coincidence. The Apprentice's signature behavior is completely identical to Xu Baping's, the core murder weapons are exactly the same, and the modus operandi and process are largely consistent—he is doing this intentionally.
However, throughout history, there have been many serial killers. Xu Baping wasn't particularly distinctive or outstanding—why did the Apprentice choose to imitate him? This is the first puzzling point.
The second puzzling point: he isn't merely imitating but 'completely optimizing.' Every aspect where Xu Baping fell short, he has optimized, perfected, and executed flawlessly. In other words, does he believe that Xu Baping's work back then was inadequate?"
Everyone was taken aback.
Xu Mengshan blurted out, "Is the Apprentice also connected to the original case?"
A detective said, "But back then, the Apprentice would have been just a child..." He trailed off, struck by his own words.
You Mingxu said, "We need to investigate immediately! Check if there were any children related to the original case, or who even witnessed it! Right, I recall one victim had a child who was only a few years old."
Another detective countered, "A victim? How could the child of a victim think the killer who murdered their mother didn't do a good enough job and decide to do it better themselves?"
You Mingxu fell silent, her gaze shifting to Yin Feng. His eyes were deep and thoughtful, clearly approving of her insight.
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